Rubi’s on 18th

Rubi’s on 18th is a small counter-service taqueria on West 18th Street in Pilsen, a short walk east of the 18th Street Pink Line station. The tortilla is the point: masa is pressed and cooked to order into thick, slightly chewy rounds that Time Out called some of the city’s best handmade tortillas. Al pastor and steak are the standard fillings, huitlacoche is worth ordering when the board has one, and the online menu adds quesadillas, pozole, torta specials, aguas frescas and weekend breakfast.

What to know

• The family started at the Maxwell Street Market before opening the Pilsen storefront.
• The Infatuation’s 2023 review said the schedule is worth rearranging for, and the shop stays on that guide’s 2026 list.
• Six-packs of blue corn, yellow corn and nopal tortillas are sold for takeout.
• Tables turn quickly because most customers take their order to go.
• The line often forms outside on weekends.