Cafe El Tapatio

Doesn't Recommend

miles99

Joined 6 years ago

Very dissapointing. Pros: Decent Atmosphere, Good service (once you are seated), you can grocery shop while you wait.

Cons: The wait was about 1.5 hours when we were told 45 minutes. All the while we were staring at open tables. The drinks were overpriced and weak. The ceviche was just plain bad. The enchiladas were stale and lacking flavor. Afterwards we felt depressed and violated that we had just waited that long for food and drinks of that quality. This place attracts a very particular crowd and they all seem to be very confused about where the good mexican food is. For fans of ceviche I'd recommend Las Palmas or Los Nopales, or probably anywhere else besides this place. This is the first online review I've ever written. It took a place this bad to encourage me to do it.

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tbwus

Joined 6 years ago

Great Place. The food is excellent, the staff is friendly, and the price is right. I highly recommend the fajitas, margaritas and the empanadas if they have them.

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user11

Joined 7 years ago

Great Mexica food!. A very small little place, El Tapatio was surprisingly good! It was quite a wait, but the bar across the street kept us busy. Great guacamole, great salsa and the tortilla soup was delicious!

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morgantheorgan

Joined 7 years ago

One of our favorites. This is the kind of place that you think of when you think of "that little Mexican place on the corner." And if it's not, it should be. It's small, bright, and cozy. It can get a bit loud, but you can call it "festive." The food's pretty standard, overall, but that's not to say it's not done very well. And of course, there are the Margaritas, which not quite as potent as Fernando's just up Lincoln, will still do the trick!

You may not want to wait until you're starving to head over, as the wait can get pretty long on weekends. However, they'll take your number, send you to the bar across the street, and call you when your table's ready.

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rzoo8202

Joined 7 years ago

Tortilla Soup Rocks. I can't help but get the tortilla soup (which comes with rice and is a huge bowl) whenever I go there. I pair it with a taco and a mojito (highly recommended) and am stuffed. I really wasn't impressed with the margaritas, however.

Yes, can be busy and you'll have to wait for a table, but they'll give you a call on your cell phone when a table is ready, and you can wait across the street at the bar and feast on chips and salsa while you wait.

It's seriously good food

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Oversized drinks and Mexican dishes attract crowds to this casual corner spot.. In Short
Small and packed to the hilt with customers, this Mexican joint serves up specialties like caldo de camarones (shrimp soup in tomato base) and pechuga--a grilled double chicken breast, topped with sauteed mushrooms, green-chili sauce and cheese. The drinks are served in huge goblets. Options include the Rolls Royce margarita, a mix of Cuervo 1800, Cointreau and Grand Marnier.

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deejuic

Joined 11 years ago

The Best in Town!. Hands down the best Mexican food in the city. Great food, great margaritas. It's crowded on the weekends, well weekdays too, but you can wait at Ivan's across the street and they'll come and get you. Friendly staff and spicy salsa. great restaurant. if you want mexican, go here!

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nathanstull_citysearch

Joined 11 years ago

Good standard Mexican Food. I like the carne asada very much. The fiesta plate appetizer was good with sorted tortilla goodies. The beef flauta was my favorite. I've come here before and had a margarita that I wasn't impressed with. My suggestion is to skip it for dinner because the place fills fast and empties slow. That's because the food is pretty darn good.

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champjoe

Joined 11 years ago

the best mexican in chicago. Every time I go I wonder why I don't go more often. In fact, I'm going right after I write this. It is far and away the best mexican food in town. My girlfriend always gets the plantain enchiladas whereas I try to get something different every time. It is a sit down restaurant unlike most mexican restaurants in chicago and it is quite reasonable priced. Got to go, El Tapatio is minutes away.

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robyngalbos_citysearch

Joined 11 years ago

One of my favorites so far. I have been searching for really good *and* inexpensive Mexican food. So far, El Tapatio is one of my favorites. The restaurant is on the small side, and tables are pretty tight, so you have to keep your elbows in--the sidewalk patio is a good option in the warmer months. Service is friendly and swift. The Rolls Royce Margarita is spendy, but worth the extra bucks: It's massive. And the food is terrific. I had enchiladas suizas with a rich mole sauce--excellent. Tacos are very good, too. I'm looking forward to going back.