Cafe El Tapatio

02/08/2008 Posted by fanni41

I have been to Cafe El Tapatio many times in the last few years and I have never been disappointed. It is a small place with a very cozy Mexican atmosphere. The food is good and the portions are large and, while the drinks are a bit pricey, they are worth it; there is nothing much more refreshing on a hot summer day than a delicious pitcher of their mango margaritas.

Pros: Great drinks and good food. Lovely outdoor seating.

Cons: Drinks are pricey and it can get very busy on weekend nights.

01/04/2008 Posted by angie91175

I have been here a few times with the girls and we have never had a bad meal! Sometimes there is a wait but you can walk across the side street and sit in their bar, have appetizers and they will come and get you when your table is ready.

09/22/2007 Posted by miles99

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.

Pros: Location

Cons: Bad food, overpriced and weak drinks, outrageous wait.

05/03/2007 Posted by tbwus

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.

Pros: Great Food

Cons: Can be busy at times

08/15/2006 Posted by user11

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!

Pros: Great food

Cons: long wait

04/15/2006 Posted by morgantheorgan

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.

Pros: great value

Cons: expect a wait

03/14/2006 Posted by rzoo8202

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

Pros: Excellent food, Great Mojitos

Cons: Long wait times, Slow service sometime, Average Margaritas

01/10/2003 Posted by deejuic

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!

Pros: great food

Cons: waiting time

12/16/2002 Posted by nathanstull_citysearch

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.

11/01/2002 Posted by champjoe

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.

Pros: food, food, food

Cons: slightly slow service