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Cafe El Tapatio, Chicago, IL

Cafe El Tapatio

4.7
4.7
330 Reviews
$31 to $50
Mexican

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 11 times today
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Good for groups
The Parra family has owned and operated this cheerful restaurant for 46 years and make frequent trips to Mexico for menu ideas and cook up several family specialties. Beyond the standard tacos, burritos, and chimichangas are dishes such as crepas de pollo.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Latin American, Mexican / Southwestern
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Fri–Sun 11:00 am–3:30 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 3:30 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:30 pm–9:30 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (773) 327-5475
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Neighborhood
    Lakeview / East Lakeview
  • Cross street
    W. Roscoe St
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Brown Line - Paulina<br />Bus - Route 9 (Ashland and Roscoe)
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wine

What 330 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Chicago / Illinois

    Mexican

  • Chicago

    Mexican

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Cafe El Tapatio is celebrated for its "best Mexican cuisine," delightful margaritas, and "friendly staff." Guests appreciate its vibrant atmosphere and delicious desserts, especially the churros. While service occasionally varies, the "amazing experience" and welcoming ambiance make it a beloved spot for many. Ideal for family gatherings and casual dining.

330 Reviews
  1. Mark

    Chicago

    13 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on November 17, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    We arrived early for our reservation but were seated within a few minutes. The restaurant appeared clean (although dimly lit), the service was attentive, the food tasty and the drinks fine. The prices were also reasonable. The main downside was the noise. We were seated next to a table of 12 or so celebrating a birthday, who were so loud that my wife and I found it difficult to converse. We unsuccessfully asked to move to another table. Eventually, when we had nearly finished eating, they left - only for another, even larger table to be seated behind us.

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  2. DAVID

    Chicago

    3 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 2, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Best Mexican restaurant in Chicago. Excellent margaritas and service.

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  3. Matt

    London

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 26, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I went with my wife and we both thought the food was amazing. The staff were great and we enjoyed the margaritas and mojitos!

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  4. spider

    Chicago

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on October 10, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    The menu has really become ordinary. The niose was really bad and our server was grumpy.

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  5. Sal

    Chicago

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 5, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of the best Mexican restaurants on the north side. The owner really cares about running a successful business.

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  6. Kristen

    Chicago

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 1, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved the margs! Best guava drinks I have had yet! Apps were delicious and the server was attentive. We will be coming back.

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  7. Shana

    Nashville

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on September 28, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best Mexican cuisine in the city, great service, always our go to spot!

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  8. Jon

    Chicago

    13 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on September 27, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a great experience here.. good food and even better service!

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  9. James

    Chicago

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on September 15, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We've finally concluded that Cafe El Tapatio is our go-to Mexican place. Like Chinese food, you just have to have YOUR place, and Tapatio is definitely our family's go-to Mexican. Food is always fresh, good quality, good portions, and the family and workers are friendly and caring about the people they serve. Just overall a great place!!!

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  10. Damir

    Chicago

    14 reviews

    1.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on September 10, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    I had the worst meal I've had in years at Café El Tapatio. I went there with my spouse, two kids, and a friend visiting from London, and the experience was a complete letdown. We started with guacamole, which was decent, but let’s be honest—guacamole is hard to mess up. The shrimp and spinach empanadas were forgettable at best. The real disaster, however, was the main course. The enchilada suizas were greasy, tasteless, and completely inedible. I was recommended a house specialty that turned out to be a grilled chicken fillet smothered in a disgusting layer of melted cheese. I ended up scraping off the cheese and eating just the chicken. The sides of rice and beans were bland and lacking any flavor. The only saving grace was the margaritas—they were fantastic. Unfortunately, the service didn’t match up. Our waitress was overly intrusive, checking in every couple of minutes to ask if we wanted more drinks, which quickly became annoying. I've been to Café El Tapatio before, and while it was never amazing, it was at least decent. But after this experience, I don't think I'll ever return. It's gone from decent neighborhood Mexican food to really, really bad.

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FAQs

Cafe El Tapatio offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (773) 327-5475.

Cafe El Tapatio is rated 4.7 stars by 330 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 11 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Cafe El Tapatio

3400 N. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Additional information

  • Cross street
    W. Roscoe St
  • Neighborhood
    Lakeview / East Lakeview
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Fri–Sun 11:00 am–3:30 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 3:30 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:30 pm–9:30 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:30 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Latin American, Mexican / Southwestern
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Brown Line - PaulinaBus - Route 9 (Ashland and Roscoe)
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wine
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