The Best Tacos in Chicago: A Local's Guide
From Little Village taquerias to birria spots and late-night taco trucks — here's the honest guide to Chicago's taco scene, plus where to find $1 tacos and Taco Tuesday deals.
Chicago is one of the best taco cities in the country, and it isn't close. Decades of Mexican immigration built a taco scene that runs from no-frills Little Village taquerias to al pastor trompos, suadero tacos, and the birria wave — and you can eat extraordinarily well for very little money.
We track tens of thousands of live Chicago deals at 312Deals. Here's the honest guide.
Where to start
- Little Village (La Villita) — 26th Street is the taco corridor; this is the heart of it
- Pilsen — taquerias, taco trucks, and a newer wave of creative spots
- Back of the Yards & Gage Park — South Side strongholds with some of the city's best suadero and lengua
- Late-night taco trucks — the after-bar move; al pastor off the trompo is the order
The orders to know
- Al pastor — marinated pork off the vertical spit, with pineapple. The benchmark.
- Suadero — griddled brisket-cut beef, rich and a little crispy
- Birria — the stewed, consommé-dipped beef that took over the city; get the quesabirria with the broth on the side
- Lengua, carnitas, chorizo — the rest of the lineup at any serious taqueria
How to save on it
Tacos are already cheap, and Taco Tuesday makes them cheaper — $1–$2 tacos and $5 margaritas all over the city:
The takeaway
Skip the touristy spots downtown and head to the neighborhoods — Little Village, Pilsen, the South Side — where the taquerias have been perfecting this for generations. They're all on 312Deals, with live deals updated daily.
Prices and specials change — always confirm with the venue. Data current as of June 2026.
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