The 10 best tacos in Chicago

Tacos are the food Chicagoans argue about most, and the arguments rarely end. This list ranks ten places where the tortilla and the filling both hold up, drawn from the neighborhoods where tacos are everyday food: Pilsen, Little Village, the Northwest Side, Uptown and the West Loop. Suburban spots were considered too, but none cleared the bar this round.

The list favors places that press or buy good tortillas, cook one thing well and have stayed open long enough to prove it, whether that is a grocery-store counter or a room with a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Most tacos here run $3 to $6, from $2.95 Taco Tuesday specials at Big Star to a $7.95 duck carnitas taco at Taquería Chingón. Bring cash for the older counters and expect a line at the newer ones.

How we chose

The order reflects how consistently each place turns up across independent local sources, mainly The Infatuation’s Chicago taco guide (updated August 19, 2026), Time Out Chicago’s taco list (April 12, 2024), Block Club Chicago’s reporting and the Michelin Guide’s Chicago Bib Gourmand selections for 2024 and 2025, weighed against how long the place has been open and how broad the reputation is beyond one critic. Named, dated awards count for more than a single rave, and longevity counts for more than a hot opening. No entry was ranked on any one site’s star rating. Every business was checked against the business’s own website or online ordering page in September 2026 to confirm the place is open, and street addresses appear only where that page confirms them.

Hours and prices below come from each business and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.

Taquería Chingón

Marcos Ascencio and Oliver Poilevey started https://windycitymagazine.com/business/taqueria-chingon/ as backyard barbecues and pop-ups before the project grew into a Mexico City-style taqueria on Fulton Market. The al pastor taco is the anchor: Berkshire pork shoulder with pineapple, pressed onto a tortilla griddled to order. The duck carnitas taco piles confit duck, crispy chicharrón and date purée under a sunchoke-habanero salsa, and the fried queso with mole negro is the side to split. The taqueria ranks first because the Michelin nod, the chef pedigree and the daily line all point the same way, and because this is the rare chef-driven taco spot where a group can get an actual table without a tasting-menu price.

Hours: Mon closed; Tue-Sat 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Address: 817 W. Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607

Why they made the list

• The Michelin Guide gave the restaurant a Bib Gourmand in 2025, after the move to the larger Fulton Market room.
• The al pastor taco is $4.95 and the duck carnitas taco is $7.95 on the September 2026 menu.
• The Michelin inspector singled out the fried queso with mole negro along with the tacos.
• Doors open at 8 a.m., so a mid-morning visit beats the lunch rush that Fulton Market brings.

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Birrieria Zaragoza

Goat is the only meat on the menu at https://windycitymagazine.com/business/birrieria-zaragoza/, and that focus is the reason the Zaragoza family keeps landing on national lists. The birria is stewed Jalisco-style, chopped and served on handmade tortillas with onion, cilantro and a house salsa, with consomé on the side for dipping or drinking. Bone-in cuts have more flavor than the boneless plate, and the goat quesadilla is the move for anyone hesitant about goat. The restaurant ranks second because two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmands and a decade of press make the birria the most decorated taco in the city, and the Uptown room next to the Green Mill makes the trip easy from the Red Line.

Hours: Mon-Thu 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Address: 4800 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640

Why they made the list

• The Michelin Guide listed the restaurant as a Bib Gourmand in both 2024 and 2025.
• A single taco de birria is $3.99, a small bone-in plate is $12 and consomé is sold by the ounce up to a 32-ounce quart.
• The original Archer Heights shop at 4852 S Pulaski Rd has been temporarily closed since a June 2025 stove fire, per Block Club Chicago, so Uptown is the location to visit.
• The family appeared in season 3 of Netflix’s Taco Chronicles, and the restaurant says Uptown hours shift on theater nights, so call before a late dinner.

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Carnitas Uruapan

Inocencio Carbajal, known as El Güero, opened https://windycitymagazine.com/business/carnitas-uruapan/ on 18th Street with recipes from Uruapan, Michoacán, and his son Marcos still sells pork the same way: by the pound, straight from the lard, with warm tortillas so you build your own tacos. Ask for a mix of rib, belly and shoulder, or specify a cut. The short side menu is worth reading, with tacos dorados stuffed with potato, chorizo or sesos, chicharrón guisado on weekends, and menudo. The shop ranks third because half a century on the same block and a spot on both the Time Out and Infatuation lists put the carnitas beyond argument; the only reason the place is not higher is that you make the taco yourself.

Hours: Mon-Thu 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Fri 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sat-Sun 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Address: 1725 W. 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608

Why they made the list

• The business opened in 1975, and Marcos Carbajal took over from his father in 2013.
• Block Club Chicago reported in January 2025 that the family was selling 12,000 to 14,000 pounds of carnitas a week.
• A 150-seat Little Village flagship at 3801 W 26th St opened in early 2025 with a parking lot across the street, and a third location is at 2813 W. 55th St in Gage Park.
• The 18th Street original is takeout only and closes by mid-afternoon, so go early.

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La Chaparrita

A taco counter in the front of a corner grocery at 25th and Whipple, https://windycitymagazine.com/business/la-chaparrita/ specializes in tacos de fritangas, the Mexico City style where meats fry on a wide flat charola and the tortilla gets dipped in the simmering broth before hitting the griddle. Crispy tripa is the order, and the menu runs to suadero, longaniza, sweetbreads, cabeza, brain and carne asada. Prices sit at the low end of the city. The counter ranks fourth because both major local guides have kept the place on their lists for more than a decade, and because nowhere else in Chicago does the offal cuts this well. Seating is minimal and most orders go out the door.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: 2500 S Whipple St, Chicago, IL 60623

Why they made the list

• Time Out singled out the crispy tripa taco back in 2014.
• The Infatuation scored the counter 8.3 in 2022 and still lists the tacos in the 2026 guide.
• The block is residential, so street parking is usually easy, and the 60 Blue Island and 94 California buses stop nearby.

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Rubi’s on 18th

The tortilla is the point at https://windycitymagazine.com/business/rubis-on-18th/. Masa is pressed and cooked to order into thick, slightly chewy rounds, and everything else is built to show them off. Al pastor and steak are the standard orders, huitlacoche is the one to try if the board lists it, and the online menu adds quesadillas, pozole, torta specials and weekend breakfast. The counter is small, the line forms outside, and tables turn quickly because most people take their order to go. The shop ranks fifth because the tortillas are as good as any in Chicago, and the limited schedule is the only thing keeping the place out of the top three. Plan a Saturday lunch with time to wait.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: Pilsen, on West 18th Street a short walk east of the 18th Street Pink Line station

Why they made the list

• Time Out called the tortillas “some of the city’s best handmade tortillas.”
• The Infatuation’s 2026 guide lists the shop as open Thursday through Sunday only, so a weekday visit will likely find the gate down.
• The Infatuation’s 2023 review said the schedule is worth rearranging for.

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Tacotlán

Co-owners Jessica Perjes and Everardo Macías were among the first in Chicago to sell quesabirria, and https://windycitymagazine.com/business/tacotlan/ is still the reference point for the style on the Northwest Side. The taco comes griddled crisp in birria fat with chihuahua cheese melting out the sides, and the consomé alongside is rich enough to stand alone as a dish. The birria menu sprawls from there into birria ramen and a birria pizza the shop calls a bizza. The restaurant ranks sixth because the quesabirria started a citywide trend and still beats the imitators, though Hermosa is a drive or a bus ride for most people and the handful of tables fills fast. Order extra consomé for dipping and plan on takeout.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: Hermosa, on West Fullerton Avenue

Why they made the list

• The Infatuation’s 2021 review credited the family-owned restaurant as one of the first in Chicago with quesabirria.
• Time Out kept the quesabirria on the 2024 list of the city’s best tacos.
• The business now runs a taco-bar catering operation on top of the counter business.
• The 74 Fullerton bus runs past the door.

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Big Star

Paul Kahan’s honky-tonk taqueria at the six corners of Damen, North and Milwaukee is the taco place most Chicagoans have been to, and https://windycitymagazine.com/business/big-star/ still earns the crowd. Corn tortillas are pressed one at a time in house. The al pastor with grilled pineapple and the panza, braised pork belly with salsa arriera and chicharrones, are the staples the restaurant names, and the papas con rajas is the potato taco Time Out picked. The restaurant ranks seventh because the tacos are reliable rather than the best in any single category, but the patio, the bourbon list and the late hours make this the pick for a group that wants to linger. The Damen Blue Line stop is across the street.

Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sat 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Address: 1531 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Why they made the list

• The al pastor is $4.95, the panza is $5.95 and the papas con rajas is $3.95 on the September 2026 menu.
• Taco Tuesday drops pastor, pollo, panza and papas tacos to $2.95 each, and Thursdays do the same for carnitas.
• The to-go window on Damen skips the dining room wait and runs 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays.
• A second location sits across from Wrigley Field at 3640 N Clark St.

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L’ Patron

The Gonzalez family opened https://windycitymagazine.com/business/l-patron/ on Fullerton Avenue, and owner Cesar Gonzalez credits the menu to his mother’s home cooking. Meat is butchered in house, which shows in the carne asada, chopped in big tender pieces rather than minced. The gringa, al pastor and melted chihuahua cheese folded into a flour tortilla, is the Infatuation’s pick, and the roasted tomatillo salsas, verde and roja, are hot enough to matter. Lomo, homemade chorizo, poblano rajas and fish and shrimp round out the taco board. The restaurant ranks eighth because the asada and the salsas are as good as any on this list, held back only by a counter-service room built for quick lunches and takeout rather than a long meal.

Hours: Mon closed; Tue-Sun 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Address: 3749 W. Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Why they made the list

• The family opened the taqueria in 2012.
• Time Out described the carne asada as “sizable hunks of extra-tender steak.”
• The guacamole with dried cranberries and fresh-fried chips is the side worth adding.
• A food truck and catering operation run alongside the storefront, with tortas and burritos for bigger appetites.

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5 Rabanitos

Chef Alfonso Sotelo cooks regional Mexican food at https://windycitymagazine.com/business/5-rabanitos/, and the taco list reads like a map: cochinita pibil from the Yucatán, slow-roasted until the pork falls apart, plus barbacoa, chicken tinga and a roasted vegetable option for non-meat eaters. Unlike most places on this list, 5 Rabanitos is a full sit-down restaurant with a bar and a craft beer list, and the room works for a birthday dinner as well as a lunch. The restaurant ranks ninth because the pibil taco earns the spot on quality, while the broader menu means tacos are one option among many rather than the whole point. The corner of 18th and Wood is a block from the National Museum of Mexican Art.

Hours: Mon-Thu 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Address: 1758 West 18th Street, Chicago, IL 60608

Why they made the list

• Time Out named the cochinita pibil taco the order.
• Reservations run through Resy and are a good idea on weekend nights.
• Weekend brunch runs 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday and Sunday.
• A second location at 1301 E 53rd St in Hyde Park covers the South Side and closes Tuesdays.

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Taquería El Asadero

Nothing about https://windycitymagazine.com/business/taqueria-el-asadero/ has changed much since Time Out reviewed the storefront in 2010, down to the Big Buck Hunter machine, and that is the appeal. Carne asada is the specialty, grilled to order, chopped and piled on doubled tortillas with cilantro, onion and salsa verde. Made-to-order guacamole and horchata are the sides. The taqueria ranks tenth because the asada is a single perfect thing rather than a deep menu, and because the family-owned counter is the cheapest entry on the list and the best answer to a late craving on the North Side. The corner of Montrose and Lincoln is a short walk from the Western Brown Line stop, and street parking on Montrose is tight in the evening.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: North Center, at the corner of West Montrose Avenue and North Lincoln Avenue

Why they made the list

• Block Club Chicago reported in January 2025 that the restaurant had been on Montrose for 31 years.
• Time Out’s 2024 list put the tacos at under $5 each and “sizable enough” that two make a meal.
• The Infatuation’s 2026 guide calls the asada “crispy, perfectly seasoned.”
• The 11, 49 and 78 buses stop close by.

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Also worth knowing

An unlikely al pastor specialist, https://windycitymagazine.com/business/asian-cuisine-express/ on 31st Street in Little Village shaves paper-thin pork from a trompo and made both the Time Out and Infatuation lists.

On Archer Avenue in Brighton Park, https://windycitymagazine.com/business/tio-luis-tacos/ has grilled plain carne asada since 1996 and says the tacos were nominated in Chicago’s Best Taco 2018.

For a tempura-battered fish taco, https://windycitymagazine.com/business/antique-taco/ in Wicker Park has been the Ortiz family’s answer for 14 years, with a second shop in Bridgeport.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best taco in Chicago?

The al pastor at Taquería Chingón on Fulton Market tops this list, backed by a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand and a spot on The Infatuation’s 2026 guide. The goat birria at Birrieria Zaragoza in Uptown and the carnitas at Carnitas Uruapan in Pilsen, open since 1975, are the two closest challengers.

Which Chicago neighborhood has the best tacos?

Pilsen has three of the ten on this list, Carnitas Uruapan, Rubi’s on 18th and 5 Rabanitos, all on or near West 18th Street by the Pink Line. Little Village is the place for fritangas and al pastor, and the Northwest Side has the quesabirria at Tacotlán and the carne asada at L’ Patron.

How much do tacos cost in Chicago?

Most tacos on this list run $3 to $6 each. Taquería El Asadero charges under $5, a birria taco at Zaragoza is $3.99, al pastor at Big Star and Chingón is $4.95, and Big Star’s Taco Tuesday drops four tacos to $2.95. The high end is the $7.95 duck carnitas taco at Chingón.

See a place we missed or a detail that has changed? Send us a correction.