National food holidays are inherently silly, but I’ll never pass up a reasonable excuse to chat about tacos. Even though I wouldn’t think too hard about why National Taco Day is Oct. 4, why not use this as an excuse to look back on the past year?
It was my good fortune over the past 12 months to eat even more tacos than usual. That research culminated in my list of the 31 best tacos in the city, which is still a helpful overview of the taco scene around Chicagoland. But as is always the case, great taco spots continued to open even after that feature was published. Plus, I wanted to highlight a couple new spots that almost made the cut.
While the hottest filling of 2020, quesabirria, continued to expand around the city, this past year saw a remarkable proliferation of real al pastor. That means that chefs are marinating thick slices of pork and cooking them on a trompo, or a vertical rotisserie. Considering it’s my favorite taco style, I followed this development with a fair bit of enthusiasm.
But that’s just the beginning. Here are my favorite tacos from places that have opened in the past 12 months.
Al pastor taco at Lucido’s Tacos
I felt guilty about not visiting Lucido’s Tacos before my list went up, but the al pastor taco pop-up had slightly odd hours that never fit with my schedule. Fortunately, there’s no excuse anymore, since owners Adan and Andrea Lucido now have a bricks-and-mortar restaurant to serve their excellent al pastor tacos. Considering Adan worked for years at the now-closed Taqueria Los Barrilitos, the couple definitely knows what they are doing. Walk in the shop, and you’ll immediately spot the large trompo, featuring layers of marinated pork. Place you’ll order, and the cooks will slice off super thin slices and pile them onto steamy, soft tortillas.
4147 W. 26th St., 773-793-5718, lucidostacos.com
Al pastor taco at Tacos El Rey
Great Baja-style tacos also showed up at this charming taqueria in the East Side neighborhood. Run by Veronica Fabre and her family, Tacos El Rey serves top-notch al pastor cut from a large trompo. As is common in Tijuana, the tacos are rolled up on one end with paper, and then served with a hefty spoonful of creamy guacamole. I’m also a fan of the taco perrón, a massive offering featuring grilled steak, cheese, and beans, along with a customary dollop of guacamole.
9625 S. Ewing Ave., 773-359-6007, tacoselreychicago.com
Foie-co at Obelix
You should always be skeptical about shelling out $23 for a single taco. But the foie-co at Obelix is the rare fancy taco that’s worth the cost. It helps that Oliver Poilevey also co-owns Taqueria Chingon, which specializes in wildly creative taco toppings. (I’m particularly obsessed with that shop’s duck carnitas topped with orange slices.) Each order features an enormous piece of fatty foie gras drizzled in a sweet cherry jam and a slightly spicy and nutty salsa macha. It’s hilariously indulgent, but also thoughtfully composed and undeniably delicious.
700 N. Sedgwick St., 312-877-5348, obelixchicago.com
Campechano taco at Rubi’s Tacos on 18th
Rubi’s isn’t exactly new, but I’m counting it anyway. For more than 20 years, it has been one of the highlights of the Maxwell Street Market, the weekly outdoor bazaar that’s actually located on South Desplaines Street. (It’s a long story.) The pandemic could have spelled the end for the family-run operation, but they were able to strike a deal to set up in a Pilsen storefront.
Now you can score Rubi’s excellent al pastor without the need of wading through the constant crowds. But my favorite taco here is the campechano, a combination of intensely beefy steak and squishy salsa verde-soaked chicharron. It’s served on the restaurant’s trademark enormous freshly made corn tortillas.
1316 W. 18th St., 773-318-9526, rubischicago.com
Pescados tacos at Sueños
There are so many stunning dishes at Sueños, sometimes I forget about the pop-up’s version of Baja-style fried fish taco. As I mentioned in my rave review, most versions of the taco in Chicago favor a crunchy crust above the needs of the fish. While crisp, the beer batter crust delicately encases the hearty portion of tender cod at Sueños. It’s topped with very spicy arbol chile sauce, which is offset by cooling crema and fresh cabbage.
2nd floor of Soho House, 113-125 N. Green St., suenoschi.com
Bistec taco at El Tragon Taqueria
Yes, El Tragon Taqueria is technically located inside a North Side gas station, but this just proves that you can find great tacos almost anywhere. While you can order a pretty good birria taco, I’d suggest the bistec taco, which features thin slices of quickly seared steak along with charred green onions. Get an order and you’ll see how the chef griddles a handful of cheese, adding an irresistible salty, crispy punch to each bite.
1234 N. Halsted St., Unit C, 312-374-1458, eltragontaqueria.com
nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com
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