Antique Taco

Alright Unilocalers… I’m updating my first review! My second time back here was much, much better. Everything we ate was fantastic, and came out piping hot. Only *small* complain is the lack of air conditioning! Other than that, fabulous food and fabulous service.

Yummy but a lackluster selection of tacos for a place with taco in the name. Big Star, Bullhead… They have a larger selection of tacos on their menu than this place.
I was disappointed with the lack of veggie options for tacos and the overall abundance of fish-​related tacos. Still, I ordered the carnitas and the fish, which were both good. Others at my table enjoyed their choices. The tacos come in pairs of two, which is also sad because you can’t sample as many as you want. You’re basically stuck with two and if you don’t like it… Keep eating!
The habanero popcorn was delish and very spicy, which I like-​y. The drink selection was deece and included some house made cocktails, which were pretty tasty. There’s beer, Bloodys, cocktails, soda… Whatever you prefer.
Seating seems to turnover fairly quickly so even if you’re waiting to order it’s unlikely you’ll wait for a seat once you’ve placed your order. Water, silverware, napkins are up near the counter so don’t forget to grab them.
All in all, this place is OK. Prices are fine, food is fine, drinks are fine. Not sure I’ll go out of my way to come here, but if I found myself nearby, I’d choose it.

I was craving some dessert after eating a cheeseburger and had my heart set on a milkshake. Yes it’s –12 degrees with the windchill, but a good cheeseburger experience can only be enhanced with a milkshake chaser. A quick internet search advised me of the horchata milkshake invention and I was sold! After carefully reading other Unilocal reviews, I sensed this horchata milkshake had too much banana — my least favorite drink ingredient, so when I ordered, I asked for less banana. It was my first time, so who knows if it was less banana-​filled than usual, but I loved the milkshake just the same. It was delicious, smooth, and had a good amount of cinnamon. There were a few banana chunks, which actually weren’t bad. My only qualm was the cardboard straw. Is this a Chicago thing?! Will this help us save the earth? I think my drinking was too aggressive, because my straw was not strong enough to make it through the entire milkshake. It broke in half, and I had to re-​up at another establishment. What can I say? I live a life of luxury and have grown accustomed to plastic straws.
Overall, this is a cute restaurant with delicious-​sounding menu items, fantastic milkshake, and I would love to come back and try the pozole!

Having a love for the Chicagoan taco scene, I had to try Antique Taco. Located in Wicker Park, it’s totally in the hub for hipster vibes and modern comfort food. Antique Taco stood out to me in that they try out a lot of cool flavor combinations and unique food that deviates from the standard tacos you will see on a menu. For example, their sweet and sour chicken taco or iron creek potato and poblano taco. They even have a horchata milkshake which I would definitely want to try next time!
When you walk in, you order at the counter and then a waiter/​waitress will bring your food to you. We ordered the chili cheese curds to start (fried cheese), which we mountainous and definitely require at least 3 – 4 people to finish, if not more! There were a TON of cheese curds. They were some of the best cheese curds I have ever eaten, too, just plain. They were sitting in a bowl of chili, which I thought drowned the fresh taste of the curds, but they also drizzle some guajillo cream and cilantro cream on it, which I did enjoy and thought added to the flavor.
The taco orders come with 2, and you cannot mix and match tacos. that worked out okay, as the three of us shared the crispy fish, sweet and sour chicken, and garlic shrimp tacos. I’d say my favorite was the crispy fish, followed by the garlic shrimp and lastly the sweet and sour chicken. While the sweet and sour chicken had a blend of Greek flavors that was really unique in a taco, I thought it was overwhelming and too much for what should be a simple, yummy taco. The garlic shrimp was nice with the textures of the cauliflower and fresh shrimp playing off each other. The crispy fish was fantastic and more of a straight forward taco in my opinion. They put smoked cabbage and sriracha tartar sauce on it, which were delicious and perfect with the fish. Highly recommend getting the crispy fish!
I’m giving Antique Taco 3 stars because I appreciate their uniqueness of flavors, the ambiance of the restaurant, and the risk they take with their menu, however, they were just a bit too wild for me, and with places like Big Star Taco just around the corner, I would much rather choose from a menu with my more trusty tacos.

It’s a must go when talking hot spot tacos in chicago! It’s definitely in my top 3. Tacos were great but honestly the corn creamed elote was my favorite of the whole meal!
Margaritas were delicious but 30 $/​pint I could easily drink 100 $ worth of booze without even trying, and who wants to do that on a Tuesday?
Regardless a top in chi!

Unilocalers did not steer me wrong here! Decided to try it out since I’ve heard so much about it and have to say, this place serves some pretty good tacos! I’ve always heard there is a wait so I went at a slower time (Sunday afternoon at 3) and every table at the place was still full, just no line.
They serve 2 per order. My boyfriend and I had the garlic shrimp, pork carnitas (spicy actually but so good), and the chili cheese curds. All the tacos are really good and substantial. Reasonably priced I think at $ 7 – 8 for 2 tacos. Chili cheese curds were a special treat and did not disappoint
Décor is nice, fits in very well with the scene in Wicker Park.

Antique is super duper… unique! Love this place whenever I’m in Chicago’s trendy, hipster Wicker Park district.
Don’t be surprised if the line is out the door; I promise it moves fast and is well worth the wait.
The restaurant has lots of character form the picnic style benches to the banana napkins. But the nostalgic décor isn’t the only main attraction; the employees are super cool people and their fish tacos make you wanna slap yo mama. Disclaimer: DO NOT share the Fish Tacos if you’re dining with others (make everyone order their own) oh and the chips are addictive as well. Try a little of everything. You’ll thank me later.
Best,
~Christy

Honest reviews: the tacos i liked were the shrimp n the chicken ones. Its a self serve for water napkins etc i hate that. The service wasnt anything u just ordern sit down. I liked bein trucha better
garlic shrimp taco omg omg so good must order. Shrimp cooked perfectly supper tender and flavorful u can really taste the garlic its not overpowering were u cant kiss ur date though. There is fried kale omg i hate kale on its fried if anybody wants to know what heaven tastes like fry up some kale. Then theirs cauliflower so delish! I was really skeptical but the sauce on it combined with the shrimp makes tje perfect bite! Then there is alot of shrimp in each taco order this if u come here
Sweat and spicy chicken: surprising delicious i thought it was gonna be really sweat but its not sweat at all. Its made with curry such an interesting flavor if u never had it try this! The chicken was really flavorful and seared perfectly. The yogurt was great really went perfectly with the curry toned down the spicyness. Then the pickles added a much needed crunch! Apparently there were jalapeños in this dish there was none in my taco but my gfs had 6 so becareful all together a great taco
Crispy fish taco: (not good) i love fish tacos this one was not so good though. The cabbage wasnt that special it was pretty plain not flavorful at all. Wasnt supper vinegary or creamy with mayonnaise when it comes to a fish taco the coleslaw is everything. The fish was really crispy not greas could be more crispier. The fish wasnt seasoned good it was bland. The sauce was really good really elevated the dish but not enough i wouldnt order this again ive had better fish tacos
Pork carnitas: (way to sweat!!) this was my least favorite taco. Its so sweat to the point where it should be a dessert i thought it was gonna be different then one bite n i had a sugar high. The bacon in it cuts through the sweatness a little bit but not enough they need to add some heat to cut down the sweatness n tone down the sugar! N it would taste alot better
Empanadas: ehh not my fav. The empanada dough was really hard like to the point were i had to really use force to cut it the filing was chicken in this really sweat sauce. The filling was way to sweat. Then the mole sauce was also sweat making main courses desserts is really their thing wouldnt order again
Cheese curds: u have to eat everything all together if u eat the curds by themselves they wont taste as good. It is really good but its not like omg these are the best things ever only complaint is put more of the sauce on it

Great food, but just a bit too pricey for me. I had the lamb tacos, which had great flavor but the lamb was so tough and in such huge chunks that it was nearly impossible to eat taco-​style. The abuelita’s pop tarts were a tasty small treat (and shockingly reasonably priced compared to the rest of the menu) and the flautas were a good-​sized meal. The rosemary margarita was so full of ice I could barely manage to sip my drink, which was a bit of a disappointment. Overall, I can’t say I’ll be coming back given how many cheap, equally good spots there are in the area.

Overall: Good spot for some tasty tacos for a casual lunch.
The good: The tacos are a good size and for the most part are very tasty. The meats were all tender and juice and seasoned well. The tortillas were great too. The guacamole and chips was awesome. Even the horchata tasted good.
The bad: The chairs are uncomfortable. The sweet and spicy taco wasn’t great compared to others I tried. If you want anything more than 2 tacos, it’s kind of expensive for what you get. Not a ton of seating.
Atmosphere: ⁸⁄₁₀
Service: ⁸⁄₁₀
Food: ⁸⁄₁₀

Driving by and got a Horchata milkshake craving… so, I got a delicious Horchata milkshake! Guilt and self loathing to follow!

It’s a haven for affluent millennials who insist on putting kale on everything. I ordered the garlic shrimp tacos and there was more cauliflower & kale than shrimp. The menu description failed to mention the existence of either the kale or the cauliflower. I have distinct dietary restrictions and do not not possess the gastrointestinal fortitude to consume non-​soluble fiber. In fact, kale quite literally out me in hospital for a month. It would have been nice to know that I ordered my potential demise.
Much more of a ‘scene’ than a taco joint.
The lamb tacos were pretty good

Have you ever attempted to visit a Mexican restaurant in a rural area (or another country) and laughed at how comically UN-​Mexican all of their food is? Yeah. That’s totally Antique Taco. Don’t get me wrong — I wasn’t expecting truly authentic Mexican food from a place marketed to hipsters, but the food here tasted like it was created by a stoned frat boy.
** Fish Tacos ** The fish itself was good and cooked nicely, however, it was completely and utterly DROWNING in a Sriracha-​based tartar sauce. The sauce was NOT good — at least not at that volume — and tasted like it would be better suited for a sushi roll. I tried to scrape it off, but it had already soaked into the tortilla and breading. The parts of the fish that weren’t completely doused in sauce (the ends of the tacos) were really good — it’s a shame they ruined it by going overkill on the rest of the taco.
** Cheese Curds ** Then, there were the cheese curds, which I ordered because they seemed like a popular item based on Unilocal reviews. However, when I bit into one, my mouth literally filled with oil… kinda like biting into one of those Gushers candies. I dumped the cup out (for some reason they were squished inside a small Styrofoam cup) and out came a sea of oil. I tried to salvage them by mopping up the excess oil with napkins, and finally gave up. The picture below was taken AFTER I had already used 5 napkins to clean up the grease. Needless to say, I ended up throwing all of the cheese curds out. Bye, $ 9 worth of grease!
Maybe I ordered on an «off» night — who knows. However, I don’t think I’ll be giving Antique Taco another shot — especially given how expensive their food is.

Been wanting to try the taco’s here for a long time and most of time I am discouraged because the lines are out the door and around the corner. The menu is posted high up and very visible to see. I asked them what is the best selling taco’s here and she told me the fish taco’s. Well, then I told her to order me the fish, pork and chicken taco’s (comes in a pair).
The fish taco’s was very tasty and not too doughy with just the right touch of red cabbage lettuce. The chicken had a fragrant oily curry tang to it and the pork is my favorite, it was like eating a slow smoked bbq brisket.
There are plenty of taco places to choose nearby but I will definitely wait in line to grab another bite from here.

I was originally furious when my business colleague recommended a taco joint for a business meeting. Upon walking in, I was immediately intrigued, fun ambience and not overstated.
No table service, we went up to order our food. I got the fish tacos and they are the absolute best fish tacos I’ve ever had. They are a fried fish, but the batter is very light and crunchy, with not a drop of grease. Served on a tortilla with a crunchy purple cabbage, it was absolutely incredible! The sauce was a perfect complement and I added a little heat from the bottle that wasn’t just hot, but flavorful too!
My business colleagues ordered the steak, and as you can imagine, the steak was substantial and fresh. I can’t recall the rest of the menu, but not a cliché Mexican dish anywhere on the menu. They had the courtesy to not put a drop of fart paste anywhere on the plate (Family Guy term for refried beans!) I’ll definitely be back to try the rest of the menu. The desserts look incredibly creative too.
I’ll report back and let you know!

Well done, the atmosphere, the service and the food. Antique taco serves tacos on the next level. The flavor combinations will shock your taste buds.
Chili cheese curds with chorizo chili… You must order this. So delicious. Creamy cheese with a puréed chili, jalapeños and crispy tortilla strips.
Garlic shrimp tacos, elote cauliflower, basil avocado salsa and a crispy kale on top. This taco will amaze you. Kale haters, try this kale alone!
Grilled Ribeye tacos, what in the world. So, when I got these my first thought was UGH those big pieces of ribeye I won’t be able to bite through. Well, I was wrong. So tender! Then, the grill marks, the char flavor was out of this world.
Chips and Guacamole… Fresh and yummy!
I cannot wait to return and try the rest of the menu!

Unilocalers did not steer me wrong here! Came to Chi-​town for a weekend visit and have to say, this place serves some pretty good tacos! Just be prepared to wait for it. Lol. The rule of ordering before sitting down causes a back log of people that goes well beyond the door. I prob had to wait 30mins to get in?
The menu for tacos (dos) is 2 per order. My friend and I had the crispy fish tempura (so good and crispy), pork carnitas (spicy actually), and the sweet & spicy chicken. All the tacos are really good and substantial. Reasonably priced I think at $ 7 – 8 for 2 tacos. Bigger and done better than Big Star in my opinion.
Décor is nice, they also have a small patio outside too.
Note* No wifi for customers available but they have some power outlets near the high tables for 2 people. Also, I think there are only 2 washrooms? Surprising since this is a popular place.

I’ve yet to find a taco shop that I lovelovelove and dream about in Chicago. Antique Taco might be one of the best I’ve had so far. It’s a small space that is in Wicker Park and is your typical ~fancy taco~ place. I will admit I am more of a no-​frills great flavor taco kinda girl.
Pros:
— Lots of selection. Pork taco was by far my favorite: would order these ones again (and probably only these ones.)
— Cute lil baskets to transport your food. Sometimes you can judge appearances and Antique Taco does a good job.
— Cheese curds live up to the hype. Yum. Lots of flavors, good textures.
— Service was pretty quick and nice!
— Drink menu was fun.
Cons:
— Fish taco was a let down. What can you expect, it’s Chicago fish.
— Beef taco was a little chewy. Good flavors, bad execution in my opinion.
— Super long line/​wait (food comes quickly once you order, but getting through the line is hard)
— Each order of tacos is a set of 2, that are really filling. This makes it hard to try multiple flavors/​spice up your life.
— Guac is a little too expensive given the size.

It was not what I expected… Kind of disappointed to be honest. Our table tried a variety of things and some things turned out better than others.
Chili Cheese Curds — The most incredible creation. Actually the only thing I really enjoy eating the most. It’s really unique to combine chili with cheese curds and it was topped off with tortilla chips. Unique and tasty.
Guac & Chips — Pretty good but I think for $ 7 is too overpriced.
All the tacos consume had way too much going on. The meat was plentiful but the toppings attached, made the flavoring off and it wasn’t satisfying. I had pick out a lot of the things out because it was way too much going on. It’s pretty cool that they made their own tortilla and it wasn’t too bad.
The horchata milkshake was amazing so I would definitely get that over and over again.
Service wasn’t too bad. They need to clear off the table quicker so once people order, they would have a clean seat ready.

Have you ever encountered a table sherrif? I have. Antique Taco hires them, not a pleasant experience. I’m sorry mom and dad, but I committed a crime today.
I’ve been walking around downtown Chicago all day, and my boyfriend has been talking about these chili cheese curds he just had to try here. We walk in and I just sit down at a table I see nearby since there isn’t a hostess stand. I’m tired. My boyfriend goes to put in our order.
The place is trendy, community seating, which I hate. You wait in line, order, get a ugly ass number spool thing, then wait for your food. The place wasn’t jam packed when we got there, nor did it get that way during our stay. There was a good amount of people, but plenty of open seats.
I’ve been sitting for two minutes when an employee (I’m not using the term server here because I feel like servers are accommodating and friendly) stops in front of me and asks if I ordered yet. No smile, no hello, no hi, no how are you. Just «have you ordered yet?» I say no, but my boyfriend is right there in line. She says «you can’t sit here, it’s first come, first serve.» I kinda felt like saying I came here to the table first, but I was so shocked and a bit embarrassed, so I just got up.
I get in line with my boyfriend and told him I was asked to leave the table. We get up to order pretty quickly, and to my great pleasure it’s jerk face girl I just encountered taking our order. It wasn’t like we waited long before I was allowed to sit again, but it’s the principal. My boyfriend made sure to ask her after we ordered if it was okay for us to sit or would we need to wait for our food to be in our hands. She says oh sorry, you can sit now. This was the first «apology» I heard, it would have been nice to hear when she was kicking me out of the spot.
She then points over at a open section and tells us we can sit there. Although there were at least 4 other options around us. Plenty more on the other side of the place. I guess you can’t select your seats even if it’s community seating and the place isn’t full, you sit your ass where they tell you to sit.
We got the garlic shrimp tacos to share, and the chili cheese curds. The shrimp tacos came with fried kale and cauliflower. Humongous disappointment. Super bland. Corn tortilla was good, but it needed mounds of sauce. Some sort of pickled onion would have helped.
The chili cheese curds were mediocre. I don’t know if they make their own chili, but it was like dog food… well I don’t know if my dogs would have eaten the chili either, so it was more like dog shit.
The presentation on both were fantastic, but tasted like shit. It was a butter face. Body looks good, but the main attraction (taste in this case) was ugly as fuck. Perfect case of «looks are deceiving.»
The napkins they give you are towels they wash and keep reusing. The towel was once white, with a blue stripe. I open my folded towel and it was ripped and stained. My boyfriend comments that it’s probably safe and clean… okay. It might be washed, but at $ 9 a taco they can’t replace cheap, ripped, and stained dinner napkins? Wtf.
When we finished what we could I looked around a bit more and noticed a sign that said «please order before sitting.» Well excuuuuse me. It’s not like there were people standing with trays of food with no table. I didn’t inconvenience anyone, it wasn’t busy. They just felt like enforcing a dumb policy. Policies shouldn’t be hard and fast in a restaurant for fucks sake.
I also noticed none of the workers were smiling. That’s too bad to hate being at work so much, but then again I hate it here too.
This place left me with an awful feeling. My god, when we finished eating, we still had beer. I was terrified. I kept watching to see if jerk face was coming back to tell us we needed to leave the table immediately.
Imagine if you were on a long flight and the attendants were handing out tiny bags of pretzels. You’re starving so you ask for another bag. They have a giant box full, but they tell you no. You only get one bag of pretzels. Wouldn’t you think wow, they sacrificed service over a petty request just to stick to policy? That’s how I felt.
I’m sad about the whole experience. I’ll never come back here. I’ll never recommend this place to anyone. Food sucks, service is even worse. Top 3, maybe even #1, shitty restaurant experience ever.