Decent Mexican food at fair prices... Think of this place as the "diner" version of a Mexian restaraunt... go in it with that in mind, and you'll have a decent dinner.
ATMOSPHERE: Very Kitzchy, over the top Mexican theme, reminds me of the poor towns just over the US / Mexico border. So overdone, in fact, that it makes me a little sad, especially since some of the decor is tacky with years of dirt or grime that hasn't been really cleaned in a while.
FOOD: Â Typical mexican fare, complete with the regular onslaught of tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and nacho-type dishes. I generally get the steak tacos, and they're smallish (I can eat three, and my 5 year old can eat two). They are hot, borderline authentic, and well done for the price point (around $2 per taco - can't beat that). There is NOTHING special about the food in terms of flavor or creativity, but if you're looking for a cheap taco that's reasonably tasty you can get it here.
SERVICE: Meh... the servers are Mexican / Spanish, don't speak a lot of English (that they let on to), but they are efficient enough, bringing drinks and food on request and the bill quick enough after your meal. The customer service here is again, diner-quality, but if you can accept that then this is the place for you.
VALUE: Good, for what you get. Personally I'd rather spend $5 on a great taco than $2 on a fair one, but you take what you can get in the suburbs. I wouldn't go out of my way for this place, but if you're local and in need of a chimchanga, you might as well stop.
Here you find a typical cheap pseudo Mexican place that you take your kids because dinner doesn't cost much and everyone else has their kids with them but you can order alcohol which isn't possible at Taco Bell.
Did I mention that there usually are groups of kids running around like they have lost their minds?
Service levels vary wildly- that is once you get the attention of a server to place your order (which always seems to be a challenge no matter what night of the week).
Avoid unless you have a lot of patience or are on a tight budget. Speaking and understanding some basic Spanish is helpful to place an order too.
Oh good luck if you try to order any sides, extras or anything that's not straight from the menu. Sometimes pointing at something that you want on the menu helps, but only sometimes.
Love this place! I've been to a lot of Mexican restaurants and this is my second favorite to el portion in Bloomington-normal, il (from my college days). Food is always great, it cheap, there's tons of options. They make a good margarita. I love it. This is also the fanciest and biggest of the taco's el Norte restaurants. They all have great food regardless.
Review Source:The only reason I don't rate this a 5 is because I already have a favorite Mexican place.. That aside, I found this place pretty damn good. They accidentally served me the wrong meal but was happy they did; the chicken tacos were fantastic and seasoned perfectly. All they needed was some legit hot sauce (nothing they had was spicy enough) and I would have been set
Review Source:Since I love Mexican food I had to try this one out! Â I was actually quite impressed by the service. Â They were very friendly and attentive.
Their menu options are extensive. A little overbearing though. Â I couldn't decide what I wanted, so I went with my usual chicken quesadillas. Â They were pretty good. Â They were made simple. Â Just chicken and cheese and some lettuce and salsa on the side. Â I really liked them though. Sometimes mexican places can add way to much to a quesadilla. That can take a way from the flavor because you don't even know what you're eating. The rice and refried beans were delicious too!
I'll definitely be back. I still want to try their desserts. Â I didn't look around too much and was facing the door, so I'm not sure what the 'aura' is like. But I liked it!
Tacos El Norte Gurnee, part of a family-owned chain, is my go-to for fast, sit down Mexican food near home. The menu is overwhelming with choices: both standard and less common. Â In addition to the typical combo platters with tacos, flautas, enchiladas and their kin, they offer some things which bring me back again and again. I love the taco platters with shrimp, rib eye steak or fish. Their spicy-sweet homemade cocktail sauce elevates the shrimp cocktails. Try the menudo or caldo de mariscos for a hearty soup. The guisado de lengua in green chili sauce is also tasty, filling and authentic. The chile rellenos de camaron is an unusual choice which keeps me coming back. Their common dishes are largely unremarkable, especially the rice and refried bean sides on most platters. Service is friendly, very fast and perfunctory. Summers as well evenings and weekends bring live entertainment. It's also a great value. I suspect the variety, speed and value are the reasons this place has multiplied across Lake County.
Review Source:I wanted mexican food last weekend and I had never tried this place before, although it's right around the corner from my house, literally.
It's very reasonably priced, but the food didn't really move me much. I gave it three stars for the guacamole.....YUM-O! I had the taco dinner with three soft tacos, rice and beans. It was....so-so. I would still go back and give something else a try, just not the tacos.
Last time I was here, the food was the same as the one in Waukegan. Â So, it gets the same thumbs up review:
Tacos El Norte? Â Yes please! Â The reason this place is so awesome is because it's cheap, so delicious, and so convenient! Â The chicken nachos are heaven. Â The burritos are heaven. Â The bistec with ranchero sauce and cheese is heaven. Â I really miss this place a lot. Â I didn't realize that trying to get good Mexican food in Colorado would be such a hassel...it's so convenient in Waukegan. Â Oh, be grateful Waukeganites...be grateful. Â In this case, be grateful fellow Gurnee-ans...be grateful.
Nothing will compare to my mothers cooking but this place is pretty good. Their quick and it's very inexpensive. I usually get enchiladas and some sort of taco but I've had their tortas, burritos and arrachera steak as well. I've always been pleased. They could do a little better on their rice. It's a bit hard for me but I like this place. Most meals are under 10 bucks. I frequent this place often.
Review Source:Not too big a fan of this place. Â Went out for lunch with some friends. Â The inside was a bit gloomy due to the red light fixtures, this made me feel very sleepy. Â I tried the ground beef tacos, and they were very salty, had to choke them down, and only half finished the third (last) one. Â I will say the service was somewhat good, but the waitress seemed a bit impatient.
the place is not a dump, just needs to liven up a bit, and hopefully better food.
I may give this place a second chance if I have to come back, but for now, no thanks.
Im from Cali so I love mexican food. Taco el Norte is not the best but its not bad. I really enjoy the bbq pork I've had the taco, torta, burrito, quesodilla all pork they were good the quesodilla was better at the Libertyville location. Salsa is not spicy, neither is the guac, I keep hoping everytime i go there that something I will try will be totally awesome. Margaritas are strong and good. Maybe thats why I keep going back...
Review Source:The name is appropriate - with an emphasis on the Norte. This is North American Mexican food - but that doesn't make it all bad. The location in Gurnee is a little upscale from the ones in Round Lake Beach and Mundelein - which means more kitchy Mexican art on the walls - but that is OK too. What I like about the place is good combo plates for reasonable prices served very quickly. A good place to come for lunch with a crowd. The salsa is homemade so it can be a little inconsistent - the last time it made me sweat -previous times it was a little bland. I suggest the steak tacos instead of the ground beef (mystery meat?) and the flour tortillas used for the tacos are homemade and excellent. The menu is far-ranging with prices from $1.99 to $16.99 but I've only had the $7.99 combos - which have all been excellent - so I can't speak for the expensive dinners. (but any restaurant where "expensive" is $16.99 can't be too bad). They have Dos Equis on tap so if you're looking for a good mexican combo  and a pint  in the far northern  burbs --  this is your place.
Review Source:Someone my husband works with recommended this restaurant to us. One night we were driving around hungry with no specific destination in mind, as we often do, and ended up here. The food I had the first time was fantastic. I don't remember exactly what it was, but it was one of the combo plates - vegetarian - and everything was excellent. They brought the food out super fast, too. The margaritas were good, decently sized and STRONG. There was a gentleman at the front of the restaurant playing music, which greatly entertained our daughter. I came back that weekend with my parents, excited to share our new find. I ordered the same exact combo and it wasn't nearly as good. The Chili Relleno, which on the last plate had been completely stuffed with cheese, was pretty much empty. The margarita barely had any alcohol in it, if it had any. The food was still decent, but not as good as the first time around. I guess the quality depends on when you go? We will defintely be back, and hope for a good food night instead of an off one!
Review Source:Never in my whole life ever received such poor food. Â I reported them to Better Business Burea in hopes to get a refund. Â They never replied, talked to managment, was told to screw off, and hung up in my face. Â Never rude to them, simply asked for money back, or a replacement. Â Don't expect to get your money back for bad food, good service, or customer service, and stay away
Review Source:I don't think there are that many Mexican restaurants in Gurnee so there's not much comparison (Taco Bell of course doesn't even belong on a list of places that sell edible products). It's greasy and generous without being gluttonous. I like picking it up because it's fast..going in to eat takes longer even if it's not crowded for some reason. There's a mariachi band some nights if you like that sort of thing. The menu is large and genuine.
Review Source:
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