Taxco

I’m so sad to see this place go. It was a favorite of my family when they’d come in from out of town. The waitress always remembered us. It was a really great neighborhood spot. Godspeed.

I’m sad to report that, as so often happens when a «Closed For Repairs» sign goes up in the window of a long-​time neighborhood establishment, that sign has now been replaced with a «For Rent» sign. Taxco will be missed.

Great margaritas and very good food. I would definitely go there again.

I drive past this place every day both to and from work, and today I decided to stop on in for lunch. I think it’s some of the best Mexican food I’ve had since moving to the area, and what I like about it is that it isn’t just standard Mexican fast food. It’s sit-​down-​restaurant food, and certainly tastes that way, too.
They bring out chips with a sort of mild, liquidy salsa. The chips are nice and salty, so a good beer is in order before you get any entrees. I had the Chimitaxco comination (#4), and I have to say I was impressed with the fact they were able to fit all that food on one place. The cheese quesadilla was great, the tiny burrito with ground beef and potatoes was very flavorful, and the strip steak they served was cooked well-​done, but still not chewy and rubbery as I would have expected. Not a bad steak.
The rice was interesting because it had little potato cubes in it, which I’ve never seen before in Mexican food, and the refried beans were somewhat thin, which was fine, because at least I could tell that they were made in-​house.
The place wasn’t amazing, but still extremely good. 4 out of 5 stars.

My husband introduced me to this place. I never even noticed it and it’s right by our apartment. Even if I had noticed it on my own, I probably wouldn’t have been interested in stopping in. Like a previous reviewer said, it’s a total dive. Anyway, we have dined in for dinner a few times now thanks to good service, excellent margaritas, great guacamole/​chips, tasty authentic food, and minimal crowds. Lesson learned: don’t judge a book by its cover, so to speak!

So i haven’t had a chance to have a dine in experience and this review is strictly based on what I got for take out. Overall I thought there food was pretty good. The quality of meat used was better then a lot of places in the neighborhood and the rice was pretty authentic and rich in flavor. I’d definitely come back here again.
What really brings there rating down is the price of food. I know that doesn’t make much sense, since good food should cost more money. But i just feel that for the three tacos the price was a little steep, at about 3 bucks per. and for two people it was about 35 bucks which include one shrimp cocktail. So maybe not the best place for takeout, and a rather a nice place to have a sit down lunch or dinner.

Stopped at Taxco today for a late lunch. It continues to be such a good place to spend an afternoon. Great food, wonderful margaritas. It is one of our favorite destinations for easy going delicious dining in Chicago.

Last night my best friend and i wanted mexican food and did not want to sit in a busty crowded over cooked mess!
After living near Taxco we walked through the door and were amazed! Not only did the hostess/​waitress give us great courtesy but, she also was very nice to let us come in a half hour before closing!
After ordering, the food was superb!!! OMG the cooks are experts! The flavor and spicing were perfect! i recommend this place top notch!

Fabulous guacamole. Amazing avocado burrito — still dream of it and drool. Also (as another reviewer stated), I was pleased at the vegetarian options. Staff is very friendly and pleasant.

Taxco is a great family owned restaurant! The service is great and the food is fantastic. My family and I eat here on a weekly basis and have been coming here for 10 years. We are so happy that it is only 5 minutes from our house.

My husband and I first discovered Taxco at their Skokie location back in 1995 or 1996. I don’t even know if that location is still open, but when we moved to Chicago we tried their location at Montrose and Elston and try to get there at least once every month or two. They truly have the best salsa we have ever had, the service is friendly and fast and the food is excellent and consistent. Their enchiladas mole and verde are my favorites! My husband goes for Combination #3, and he has never wavered!
The décor… could definitely use some improvement. It is really a dive, but I’ve never noticed any sanitation issues.
The restaurant is accessible from both Montrose AND Elston. There are two separate dining rooms, connected by a little hallway/​bar area.

As another reviewer had mentioned, the health department suspended the license for this place in late December. They were closed for a couple of weeks for «plumbing repairs» (according to the sign on the door), but they’re back in business again. I’m still trying to get some info on what the violations were.

I have driven by this place many times, but never tried it. I was trying to figure out what to eat for dinner and this location came to mind.
I had the Carne Asada Tacos and they were very good. The steak was tender and very good tasting. The toppings were very fresh. The salsa also tasted freshly made. The tacos came with rice and beans. I thought the rice was good. The beans were good but not great.
It was small, but very nice inside. The people were friendly. The only thing that could be a challenge in that area is parking. There is only street parking.
I will be returning to try some of the other food.

My friend and I had a vegetarian dinner at Taxco last night. First off, we were really pleased to discover that there were several selections. Too many times, there are only one or two options, but Taxco offered us several.
I am a big fan of mole, so I had cheese enchiladas in mole sauce, and that came with rice, beans, and a pile of cut lettuce and tomato. My friend sampled one of the three enchiladas, and we both really liked them. The mole had a bit of a bittersweet tang, which, in my opinion, is what good mole should have.
My friend was hoping for a vegetarian combo, but alas, Taxco had five combo plates, but not one of them was 100% veggie. You could substitute one of the three items offered on each combo plate, but that cost an additional 75 cents. My friend was not willing to cough up any extra money. Instead, he decided to have two appetizers, the vegetarian quesadillas and guacamole, and he offered me tastes of his food in exchange for the one enchilada.
We had plenty of food, more than enough. I tend to eat quickly, and he tends to eat slowly, so we were there for more than 2 hours. We really liked the food, and would definitely go back.
I had a large gold margarita, with Jose Cuervo Gold. Maybe it’s just me, but it made my head ache immediately. It tasted good, though. Nobody asked if I wanted salt or not, frozen or not — it was a standard gold margarita.
The room is pretty small, which is fine. I don’t like huge spaces all the time. However, one feature I could have done without was the huge television that was running Sabado Gigante, and then switched over to some dopey movie later. I just don’t think a television should be in a restaurant.
Street parking only. We thought, who’d be out by Pulaski and Montrose on a Saturday night, but boy were we wrong! The whole area was really parked up. We had to go around the block a couple times to find a legal parking place.
I recommend Taxco and would definitely go back. Only changes I’d make — lost the TV in the dining room, and have a vegetarian combo plate.

I loved this place! I was craving Mexican food one night and was so desperate to find something. I recently moved from the Pilsen area which, as everyone knows, is one of the largest population of Mexicans. Surprisingly enough, I really didn’t find a Mexican restaurant in Pilsen I liked. It seems they use too much cheap oils and the food is pretty tasteless. But Taxco is what I remember while growing up on Mexican food. I got a combo plate with three burritos (they were small) and had one avocado, one chix and one beef. Absolutely wonderful. True that their refried beans need some salt, but that’s an easy remedy. We asked for some grilled cebollitas on the size and the waitress brought them as an extra bonus for us. I ended up getting one of their small margaritas and bam! they definitely don’t go easy on the alcohol… bring on the tequila! :))) You even get chips and salsa galore before the meal comes. That’s a must! when I go to a Mexican restaurant… and the salsa is delicious!
The interior is very small but quaint. It is brightly colored with rugs and such. It’s located on the corner of Montrose and Elston and it’s easy to drive by if you’re not paying attention.
The waitress we had was quiet but very willing to bring us anything we asked for. Service was fast (we went an hour before it closed) and everything was as we ordered it.
I definitely recommend this place to anyone with a craving for some damn good Mexican food!

I always passed this place by always dismissing it as a small place with not good food. But How wrong I was. It is really authentich Mexican food. Like my mother used to make growing up!
Its not your taco fast food joint. This place is for the real deal!

I’ve eaten here once while (running late!) and on my way to catch a flight out of ORD.
The waitress was a little confused by our request to be in and out in less than twenty minutes, and by us wanting to pay up front. However, she made sure we had everything we needed to keep on our schedule.
Their salsa is deliciously spicy, and they had good chips. My boyfriend and I split the veggie quesadillas, and not only were they incredibly tasty, but they were also plated artfully. The rice and beans we ordered to round out our meal were good, but nothing to write home about.
We were the only people eating in that afternoon, so it was nice and quiet.
I am looking forward to coming back here again soon.

Not quite sure why previous reviews were so positive – perhaps I ordered take-​out on an off night.
Meal opened with a rather nice guacamole – very unexpected. Crispy, ungreasy chips. Suitable steak tacos. Tasty, but no TBP #2 and definitely nowhere near La Pasadita. Rice – eek, not very good and refried beans were burnt! Their homemade salsa is not bad, fresh tasting but devoid of heat. Portions were quite generous.
All in all, an underwhelming experience.

I’ve been going here for years, used to live not too far. So it would be fair to say that they have good food, since we go out of our way to eat here.
Staff is always friendly and polite. Service is relaxed pace without lacking attentiveness.
Not a fancy place, not a dive either. Just a good neighborhood place to go. They have all the expected items, but also a good selection of seafood and even oysters.
My husband enjoyed his burrito and I ordered an appetizer as my dinner. Each didn’t come with rice and beans, so I ordered a side order of each. I’m glad we both didn’t order separate sides, we would have rolled out off the place. Each side was 1.50 and enough for both of us. What a deal!
The margaritas are solid, not the best but by all means have one if you have a taste for one you should find it tasty.
The layout is a bit strange, two rooms separated by a hallway, so if one side is too crowed try the other. Since each of the rooms are on the small side, if there is a large crowd the noise level might get to you. It’s not the quiet by candlelight type place. It is a great «date» place with someone who is fun and not pretentious. If you’re a Lincoln Park Trixie, you shouldn’t make their way up here. Not for you.
Street parking is fairly easy, no parking lot. Even though the address states Elston, most people enter on the Montrose side, just east of Elston and West of Pulaski. They have doors on each side.

I’ve eaten at Frontera Grill and loved it, but for everyday Mexican food, Taxco is the place I’d choose. For my money it’s the best and most authentic Mexican food around. The staff is friendly and everything is cooked to order. In over 20 years I have never had a bad meal here, and I’m a regular. Try the guacamole and the margaritas.
ETA: If you see me sitting there by myself (You can’t miss the hair.) don’t hesitate to come over and introduce yourself as a Unilocaler.