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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