It’s beginning to look a lot like tacos.
The only thing better than the taste and texture of tacos is their versatility. They’re perfect for any type of meal and with a range of different options, any crowd of friends too. With more and more places offering vegetarian-friendly options alongside your stalwart classics, you’ve got a wide variety of tacos to choose from all packed with proteins and tasty toppings.
With a large Mexican population and a world-renown food scene Chicago has a great number of seriously good taquerias and here we’ve compiled the best of the bunch.
Based on our own experiences at Secret Chicago, our audience’s most popular choices, and a scrupulous assessment of setting and prices, we’ve filtered through the noise to gather the most unique, reliable, and affordable places to grab tacos in Chicago. From small corner taquerias to upscale restaurants, here are 20 of the best tacos around the city worth trying:
1. Antique Taco
Our top pick: Garlic Shrimp Taco
Address: 1360 N Milwaukee Avenue & 1000 W 35th Street
Find the Antique Taco menu here.
2. Taqueria El Asadero
Our top pick: Carne Asada Taco (Grilled skirt steak)
Address: 2213 W Montrose Avenue, Chicago
Find the Taqueria El Asadero menu here.
3. Carnitas Uruapan
Our top pick: Tacos De Carnitas
Address: 2813 W. 55th Street, Chicago
You can find the Carnitas Uruapan menu here.
7. Rojo Gusano
Our top pick: Mixed Mushroom Taco (Taco de Hongos)
Address: 4217 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago
You can find the Rojo Gusano menu here.
5. L’ Patron
Our top pick: Carne Asada Taco
Address: 3749 W Fullerton Avenue, Chicago
You can find the L’Patron menu here.
6. Del Seoul
Our top pick: Sesame Chili Shrimp Taco
Address: 2568 N Clark Street, Chicago
You can find the Del Seoul menu here.
7. BIG & Little’s
Our top pick: The BIG & LITTLE’S Taco
Address: 1310 N Milwaukee Avenue & 1034 W Belmont Avenue
You can find the BIG & Little’s menu here.
8. Big Star
Our top pick: Papas Con Rajas Taco
Address: 1531 N Damen Avenue & 3640 N Clark Street
You can find the Big Star menus here.
9. 5 Rabanitos
Our top pick: Grilled Chicken Adobo Taco
Address: 1758 W 18th Street, Chicago
You can find the 5 Rabanitos menu here.
10. Carnitas Don Pedro
Our top pick: Taco De Carnitas
Address: 1113 W 18th Street, Chicago
You can find the Carnitas Don Pedro menu here.
11. Rubi’s at the New Maxwell Street Market
Our top pick: El Taco Azteca (Al Pastor con huevo)
Address: 800 S Desplaines St, Chicago
You can find the Rubi’s menu here.
12. Birrieria Zaragoza
Our top pick: Birria Taco
Address: 4852 S Pulaski Rd, Chicago
You can find the Birrieria Zaragoza menu here.
13. La Chaparrita
Our top pick: Crispy Tripa Taco
Address: 2500 S Whipple Street, Chicago
You can find the La Chaparrita menu here.
14. La Lagartija Taqueria
Our top pick: Shrimp Taco
Address: 132 S Ashland Avenue, Chicago
You can find the La Lagartija menu here.
15. Mi Tocaya Antojería
Our top pick: Fried Oyster Taco
Address: 2800 W Logan Blvd, Chicago
You can find the full Mi Tocaya Antojería menu here.
16. Paco’s Tacos/La Internacional
Our top pick: Carne Asada Taco
Address: 4556 S. Ashland Ave, 4311 S. Archer Rd., and 6034 S. Pulaski Rd.
You can find the Paco’s Tacos menu here.
17. Velvet Taco
Our top pick: Spicy Tikka Chicken Taco
Address: 910 W Randolph Street & 1110 N. State Street
You can find the Velvet Taco menu here.
18. Taqueria El Milagro
Our top pick: Grilled Steak Taco
Address: 3050 W 26th Street, Chicago
You can find the Taqueria El Milagro menu here.
19. Tío Luis Tacos
Our top pick: Carne Asada Taco
Address: 3856 S Archer Ave, Chicago
You can find the Tío Luis Tacos menu here.
20. Taqueria 5 De Mayo
Our top pick: Chorizo Taco
Address: 2415 W Montrose Ave, Chicago
You can find the Taqueria 5 De Mayo menu here.
[Featured image of La Lagartijainc]