Best Tacos in Chicago: Pilsen, Little Village and Beyond

The best tacos in Chicago are not found in one neighborhood, and the easiest way to eat well is to follow two Mexican American communities, Pilsen and Little Village, where taquerias have fed families for decades. Order guisados, carnitas and al pastor, and expect to find good counters in other parts of the city too.

What are the best tacos in Chicago?

Ask five Chicagoans and you will get five answers, because the city's tacos come from many regional traditions. Carnitas, slow-cooked pork, comes from Michoacan. Al pastor, marinated pork cooked on a vertical spit, has Lebanese roots in Mexico City. Guisados are stewed fillings served from a steam table. Tripa is crisp beef intestine for the adventurous.

Judge a taco by its tortilla first. A good one is warm, slightly toasted and sturdy enough to hold the meat without cracking. Then look for a filling with a clear flavor, a salsa that adds heat without hiding the meat and a squeeze of lime.

It also helps to know that a taco in Chicago is usually served small, on two stacked corn tortillas or one flour tortilla, so a typical order is more than one. Counters that sell by the pound of meat, with a stack of tortillas and a tub of salsa on the side, are a good choice for a group that wants to build its own.

Why do Pilsen tacos get so much attention?

Pilsen is the historic Mexican American neighborhood on the lower west side, known for murals, bakeries and taquerias along 18th Street. Pilsen tacos tend to be a mix of old family counters and newer restaurants, so you can compare traditions in a few blocks.

Pilsen counters are worth a visit for carnitas, and a vegetable taco spot helps if someone in your group does not eat meat. Order a few kinds at one counter and compare them before you move on.

What makes Little Village tacos different?

Little Village, or La Villita, centers on 26th Street, one of the busiest commercial corridors on the west side. Little Village tacos often come from small counters that sit inside grocery stores or beside bakeries, so you may walk through a market to reach the grill.

A taqueria tucked inside a grocery store off 26th Street is a good example: Secret Chicago calls it a hidden gem, and WGN recommends its tripa tacos. Time Out picks another taqueria for stewed fillings, and a third has been described as having several locations. Ask what the kitchen is proud of and order that.

Where do Chicago taquerias fit into a food crawl?

Chicago taquerias are made for grazing. A plate of tacos costs little compared with a sit-down dinner, so it is easy to stop at two or three places in an afternoon. A taco crawl in these neighborhoods is the best way to see how different kitchens treat the same ingredients.

Plan your route by starting in Pilsen, eating one or two tacos at each stop and then riding or driving to Little Village for a second round. Bring cash or check ahead, since some small counters prefer it. Take a bag for tortillas and salsa to carry home. Little Village in particular rewards a second stop at a bakery, where sweet bread and fresh tortillas are sold by the dozen.

How do you order Chicago al pastor?

Chicago al pastor should be carved from a spit, charred at the edges and served with a sliver of pineapple. Ask if the meat comes straight from the spit, because that is the sign of a kitchen that cares. Order it on corn tortillas with onion and cilantro, and add salsa at the table.

If a menu lists al pastor next to carnitas, order one of each. It is a quick way to learn the difference between spiced, marinated pork and rich, slow-cooked pork. Two tacos of each make a generous lunch for one person.

What should you know before you order?

Order in small rounds. Tacos are best eaten hot, and a plate that sits at the counter loses its edge. Ask for salsas on the side and taste them before you pour. Many taquerias serve a milder red salsa and a hotter green one, and the labels are not always obvious.

If you are unsure what a filling is, ask. Cabeza is head meat, lengua is tongue, and tripa is intestine. Servers are used to the question, and a short exchange often leads to the best thing on the board.

What else should you eat around Chicago?

For more Mexican food stories, the Chicago Puerto Rican food and jibarito guide follows another community's cooking. A quick lunch of a different kind is covered in best pizza by the slice in Chicago, and the Chicago Chinatown restaurants guide is for a dim sum morning. The US guides page lists more.

How do you rank the tacos you eat in Chicago?

Chicago taco arguments end faster with notes. Rate each taco by the dish, with the filling in the name, and add a Tacos tag so the stop is easy to find later. Quick Service and Great Value help the next hungry diner choose.

Answer a Best in town question when you find a favorite, and keep a list of the Chicago spots worth a return trip for the next argument at the table.

Tacos are easy to love and hard to rank from memory. Download the Mosey app, rate every taco by its tortilla, its filling and its salsa, and keep a Chicago taqueria list that settles the next argument at the table.