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Cafe El Tapatio, Chicago, IL
Cafe El Tapatio, Chicago, IL
Cafe El Tapatio, Chicago, IL
Cafe El Tapatio, Chicago, IL
Cafe El Tapatio, Chicago, IL

Cafe El Tapatio

4.8 (353)
$31 to $50
Mexican
3400 N. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
10:30 PM
Booked 15 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for groups
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for outdoor dining
The Parra family has owned and operated this cheerful restaurant for 46 years and make frequent trips to Mexico for menu ideas and cook up several family specialties. Beyond the standard tacos, burritos, and chimichangas are dishes such as crepas de pollo.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Latin American, Mexican / Southwestern
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Fri–Sun 11:00 am–3:30 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 3:30 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:30 pm–9:30 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Neighborhood
    Lakeview / East Lakeview
  • Cross street
    W. Roscoe St
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Brown Line - PaulinaBus - Route 9 (Ashland and Roscoe)
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wine

What 353 people are saying

Cafe El Tapatio reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.7Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Chicago / Illinois

    Mexican

  • Chicago

    Mexican

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Cafe El Tapatio offers "amazing authentic Mexican food" with a vibrant atmosphere and "excellent service." Patrons appreciate the consistent quality and "festive atmosphere," making it a popular spot for brunch and dinner. Note that it can be "a bit loud," but the "delicious" food and "yummy spicy margs" keep guests returning.
353 Reviews
  1. John VIP

    Chicago / Illinois26 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    We are regulars. I’ve been eating at El Tapatio since 1989 not long after I graduated college and moved into the neighborhood. It’s been consistent and fantastic ever since. The only reason I didn’t give a perfect score this time, was in spite of having a reservation for 6:30. We had to wait till 7:00 to be seated. In spite of noticing several other similar sized groups being seated ahead of us. I’m sure it’s due to being a party of 3, but that’s not my problem. We needed to be somewhere be a certain time afterward. Which is the reason for a reservation. In the future, if I make a reservation for a specific time, the polite thing to do is seat us within 10 minutes of that time. Or at least freaking apologize, or buy us a drink while we wait, or acknowledge the screw up. But nothing? Not a damn word. Disappointed. You guys can do better.

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  2. Stephanie

    Chicago / Illinois2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    El Tapatio is a longtime favorite. Always delicious, charming ambience.

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  3. Julie VIP

    Cincinnati11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Everything was awesome with the exception of the noise level! Food and drinks were great!

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  4. Lloyd VIP

    Chicago / Illinois27 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on May 4, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    I will not return. The food & service were OK but the noise level was unbearable. My wife & I were sat at a small table for two in between 2 large parties - one with > 10 small children that none of the adults were paying any attention to.

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  5. Kelly

    Chicago / Illinois7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 29, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love El Tapatio. My daughter chose to celebrate her birthday with brunch on the patio and it did not disappoint. Service is always top notch, food is great and the fact that they serve brunch daily is terrific. There are plenty of weekend brunches in the neighborhood but not many during the week.

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  6. Megan VIP

    Philadelphia County4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love Cafe El Tapatio and so does our 2 year old who requests to for “papatito” at least once/week. ❤️ Amazing authentic Mexican food, yummy spicy margs and the vibe is always on point. The Chicken Tinga is fire. Even our daughter thinks so as she adds it to her quesadilla.

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  7. Nicolette

    Chicago / Illinois9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We’ve been here several times and it’s always great! We’ve never had a time where the food taste different or not the same, this place is consistent. It’s is a bit pricey, but the quality is great. The drinks are average, more on the sugary side but not mad. Like you have to have a marg at some point! Service is quick and friendly. It’s a bit loud in there between the music and people, but when it’s almost 70 degrees in March then hey if you can’t beat em, join em.

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  8. Cait

    Milwaukee18 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Cafe El Tapatio never fails to impress! We brought my grandma here on a busy Friday night, and the host kindly gave us a call when our table was ready so she could wait in the car. Service was prompt and the food was fresh and delicious. We never had and empty glass, which was impressive in a packed restaurant. We had a great time and will certainly be back!

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  9. Annalisa VIP

    Chicago / Illinois5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food and service were excellent! Will be back for sure!

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  10. Karina

    Chicago / Illinois3 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    My husband and I went to dinner. We were rushed out. We weren’t asked for dessert. After they took our plates, the check came to our table.

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FAQs

Cafe El Tapatio offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (773) 327-5475.

Cafe El Tapatio is rated 4.8 stars by 353 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Chicago / Illinois
  4. Chicago
  5. Lakeview / East Lakeview

Make a reservation


Booked 15 times today
Google Map for Cafe El Tapatio

3400 N. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Additional information

  • Cross street
    W. Roscoe St
  • Neighborhood
    Lakeview / East Lakeview
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Fri–Sun 11:00 am–3:30 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 3:30 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:30 pm–9:30 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:30 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Latin American, Mexican / Southwestern
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Brown Line - PaulinaBus - Route 9 (Ashland and Roscoe)
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wine
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