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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 (352)
$31 to $50
Mexican
3400 N. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 9 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for groups
  • Neighbourhood 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
  • Area
    Lakeview / East Lakeview
  • Cross Street
    W. Roscoe St
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Brown Line - PaulinaBus - Route 9 (Ashland and Roscoe)
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining

What 352 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
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • Chicago / Illinois

    Mexican

  • Chicago

    Mexican

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Cafe El Tapatio is a beloved gem with "amazing authentic Mexican food" and "excellent service." Guests rave about the "charming ambience" and "festive atmosphere," though noise can be an issue. Consistency shines with "delicious food and drinks," including "yummy spicy margs." A top spot for brunch, birthdays, and memorable meals.
352 Reviews
  1. Stephanie

    Chicago2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 11 May 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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  2. Julie VIP

    Cincinnati11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 8 May 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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  3. Lloyd VIP

    Chicago27 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on 4 May 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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  4. Kelly

    Chicago7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 29 April 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.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Megan VIP

    Philadelphia4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 27 April 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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  6. Nicolette

    Chicago9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 30 March 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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  7. Cait

    Milwaukee18 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 22 March 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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  8. Annalisa VIP

    Chicago5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 16 March 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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  9. Karina

    Chicago3 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on 28 February 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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  10. Kathie VIP

    Chicago15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 25 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great spot for dinner, cocktails and churros. The service was outstanding. Added this to my favorites list and will visit again

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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 352 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 booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 9 times today
Google Map for Cafe El Tapatio

3400 N. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    W. Roscoe St
  • Area
    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
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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