Rockin’ Taco

I have a huge sadness and a burrito sized hole in my heart… where did you go?
Come back to me…

Is anyone else terribly devastated that this is no longer? I cried myself to sleep thinking about the delicious burritos I always ate and the one’s I will never know what they tasted like.
Sad…are you guys opening somewhere else? A bigger joint? The loop? Ah, you can’t just disappear and never return!
COME BACK.

Awful service.
I didn’t even get to try the food! I walked in today at 1:20 pm and there was a single table of people eating and talking, otherwise the place was empty. I began looking at the menu options and stood there for 3 minutes before anyone acknowledged me.
It appeared with were busy with an order. When the guy finally looked up all they said was «Dude it’s gonna be about 30 minutes!» he didn’t even come over to me, he didn’t stop what he was doing, he said it and kept working, barely even looking at me.
I simply responded with «Oh Okay»
His response «Just letting you know»
No apology, no greeting, no explanation and no customers in the shop waiting besides myself and now someone who had walked in behind me.
I recognize that maybe it’s the lunch rush and they are too busy with a take out order or something but that is absolutely no way to treat anyone walking into your establishment. The least he could have done was be apologetic about it. Awful. I turned around and left, I sincerely doubt I’ll be back.

Rockin’ Taco has rock bands posters on the walls, along with some cheap amps and a bass guitar or two. It also has names of bands emblazoned on its tables, and various graffiti here and there, in the same font Twister Sister used on its albums years ago. That’s its shtick: It’a a rock and roll taquería!
And the «rocking» part of Rockin’ Taco ends right there. They’ve got stuff like the «San Diego burrito» on the menu, and they don’t even bother to make a Rocket from the Crypt reference. Too bad, because that shtick is all Rockin’ Taco has going for it. The inside of the place is actually kind of scuzzy, in a way that’s excusable in a taquería that brings the yummy. But Rockin’ Taco doesn’t bring the yummy; its offerings are pretty bland, and the menu surprisingly limited. There’s probably a dozen authentic taquerías within a mile radius of Rockin’ Taco that do in fact bring that yummy, and you’re advised to keep walking to any one of them. Two stars, one for each of the people who was working when I visited, because they were very nice. I wish them luck finding new gigs when this place closes.

This place is pretty awesome. My fiancé loves the gigantic burrito. It’s the size Chipotle used to serve back in ’02 when they really were burritos the size of a baby. I on the other hand am still trying to find my item.
But, the guy with the long hair and glasses who is probably a guitar god is always super nice and knows that customer service is important. The day the epic snowstorm, they let my fiancé in to get us food when everywhere else was closed already.
Rockin’ taco, thanks to your customer service, I will continue to be a big fan and continue to hunt for my menu item.

After many visits to Rockin Taco, this past weekend reminded why this is my favorite Mexican food place in the city. Food, and the employees are nice.
The place was packed, a few big parties — and we were told in advance they had a huge slew of orders and the food could take a little bit. No problem, we brought a few drinks, and they had a movie going. The employees working knew everyone’s order and despite the huge crowd, they kept a fun attitude and offered some tasty haystacks while we waited.
What I had to explain to my party, the food is made to order — not fast food. If you want fast food, taco bell is down the street. I would prefer fresh food that takes 15 – 20 minutes than something thats been sitting on the grill all night.
I recently tried the tofu filling in both the tacos and cali burrito and I am a huge fan. Lots of flavor, and adding the «Red» sauce made it that much better. The salsa is also great. My favorite is still the chicken, but tofu is a close second.

Update: 4÷18÷2011:
I’ve seen a lot of reviews criticizing Rockin’ Taco which may sound apt at first, but I’ve been there enough to know that it’s either just a freak occurrence (any place is bound to have an issue at some point) or it’s coming from someone w/​unreasonable expectations. For instance, being out of a particular ingredient. If you speak with Rob (the owner), he will politely tell you that everything is made fresh and done so periodically through out the day. So the ingredients they serve, aren’t stale. Unfortunately, this means that at times they may not have it available. I know the process means they may not have what you want, but the other side of the coin is that it’s fresh as if it was just made. Because in all likelihood, it probably was.
«It took too long» — I’ve ordered several times, and the longest was 10 minutes. Ten minutes is nothing for food that is prepared on the spot. Anyone who has quoted they waited 20 minutes needs to accept that when you go somewhere at their peak busy levels, then you’re going to wait more! Wow! What a concept. I’m going to bet the people complaining have never worked in a service industry.
I saw someone that said the workers were rude. WTF?! I don’t even know where to begin with this. I’ve always had a positive experience with the staff. Everyone here in my opinion is very welcoming.
Also — to the reviewer that complained that her quesadilla wasn’t like the one’s at Taco Bell because it had bell peppers in it. Jesus Christ — if you want shitty fast food, then go to Taco Bell. If you want food that is more art than machine assembly line mass produced rubbish then go to Rockin’ Taco. And stop making negative reviews based on the culinary expectations of fast food. Get a hot pocket if that’s what your tastes are…

I feel like wanting to morph into Scooby Doo and Unilocal «Ruh Ro!» Not even because of the sexual image that comes to mind when I say Rockin’ Taco… It’s as bad as calling a business Rockin’ Box (for a moving or shipping company) or Rockin’ Clam (for a sushi joint). The other reason for a BIG RUH RO is…
I worked down the street about a 5 minutes drive from RT. Two coworkers and I ordered their $ 5 Lunch Special available between 11 am and 2 pm of a burrito and can of pop [or «Rock Out with Your Dog Out» (yet another awkward sexual thought pops in my mind) of a hot dog, choice of fries and a can of pop]. Our order arrived in about 15 minutes (not bad) with the correct order and I paid the delivery man, who ended up being the owner, $ 34. We took our food to the back lounge just in time before the grease dripped through the aluminum wrapping, napkins and paper bag. It was at that same instance that I realized I had over paid by almost double. I wasn’t being thaaat generous on a tip… I checked out the receipt and sure enough, we were charged two additional lunch specials. I called back and asked for the owner who had just arrived. As many businesses do, they said they could either deliver two more meals or «write our name down» for a future order. I chose the later to save myself from Acid Reflux and the Earth’s Ozone from more car gas pollution. The burritos were adequate, beyond being extremely soggy, along with the guacamole and chips.
Two weeks later, I figured I should order again to get my money back. The worker called me out and said that no such «owe you» existed and that owner wasn’t there.
A month later. Same thing. Owner is out of town. Without his permission no food items can be comped. Sorry.
Two months later. You got it… same message.
It was then 6 months later when my coworkers (who also lost money out on the deal) were fed up and called up. Leave it to a female to get us five free lunch specials… still just as greasy with not so exciting flavors. I am happy that I eventually got my food, but turned off by the whole issue. I will not order from there again, simply because the food and service was not rockin’. I will not bad-​rap the business any more than sharing the truth, but I wish future customers a more positive experience. 1 extra star for actually getting reimbursed and for having vegetarian options like a tofu-​burrito.

If the taco’s a’rockin’, don’t come a’knockin’!!
I liked Rockin’ Taco. The tacos were decent, and only $ 7.95 for a three taco dinner with rice and beans?! Dealio!
I liked that you can split up the three tacos to try a little variety of each. I ordered the pollo, al pastor, and asada taco. Each taco is served with either diced onion and cilantro or lettuce and tomato (and tasty lime wedges.) Honestly, I couldn’t tell the difference between the al pastor and the asada… I’d stick with the pollo the next time.
The dinner came with delicious rice and a big container of beans. I washed it all down with my new fave Sidral Mundet apple soda.
I thought the tacos were good, but not outstanding. I would like to check out the Friday Night Flight — «10 half-​pound tacos, smothered, covered, and served with a sauce so hot it’s not allowed in Hell!»
Consider the gauntlet thrown, Rockin’ Taco!

Kind of a big disappointment this time around. While a taco dinner for $ 7 is definitely a plus, service was pretty crappy and making my already irritable self… um, irritabler? Sure, OK just go with it.
Walking in, everything was a No. No to my request for my favourite sauce (oh, only if you do the contest do we offer that), no to any chips (oh, no we arent using the fryer today) and when I ask for the next hottest sauce they try to tell me the tomatillo (green) is the hot one. omg.
The whole experience just seemed lazy and I am so sad.

I know everyone is pretty gaga for the Al Pastor, but I have to say, I really loved the Chipotle Garlic Chicken Tacos. I loved this place, it reminded me of the street tacos I get back here in Los Angeles. Simple. Flavorful. No frills but super delicious.
Unfortunately, due to popularity, delivery orders, and lack of staff, the wait can be pretty damn long. So be prepared. It’s a great taco, but the long wait is questionable. Either way it’s worth a try.

I sorta forgot I came here. Nothing was bad, but nothing was terribly memorable. A-​OK effort. Disclaimer: I am not one for loud, rock music. In my old age, even pictures screaming metal gives me a headache. Jack Black, while terrifying ordinarily, took it to the next level of pain with The School of Rock. Give me nice melodic tunes… and lime jell-​o. Merci. So, perhaps the name colored my impressions? I don’t know. I feel like I am missing something integral.
The chips and guac were good. VERY good. I’d come back just to gorge on this goodness. My burrito was alright. It was sort of mushy/​mealy. Hmm, that sounds far less appetizing than I mean it to. I like my burritos with some sort of give, whether it be from the tortilla, the meat, the veggies, something. I like to be reminded that I have teeth. I feel like a baby (or old man) could have eaten this burrito. This is not to say that the taste was off; I just didn’t care for the texture.
That’s it; texture. As evidenced by my colleague’s tofu taco (images of that soft orange concoction come back to me as ptsd flashbacks; cubes, people! Give me tofu in semi-​hard cubes!), my texture preferences aren’t shared by Rockin’ Taco. And that’s okay. Not every place will you be BFF. Again, the taste is fine. I love that there’s business on this stretch of Irving Park. I like the nearby park and ginormous houses. I like the boricua [redacted] I have seen nearby. There’s plenty to like about RT and the surrounding environs. I just don’t know that, for me, the experience is one to repeat anytime soon.

On a famed drink-​and-​walk from Edgewater to Wrigleyville, it made great sense to try out the new Rockin’ Taco as my friends had never tried it before. Before we went to Rockin’ Taco, we maximized our drunger (drunken hunger) by imbibing excessive libations. Walking up to Rockin’ Taco, the place had promise with their new furniture and big TV. The graffiti art on the wall was cool to look at and the price was just right.
Grabbing our eats, we got our food and stood outside to eat on the sidewalk. Opening up my tacos I found the steak to emanate a blandness that could only be matched by the excitement level of reading PhD dissertations on Old English poetry. Every bite was miserable, and I shook my fist at ever having to eat dry tortilla, light cilantro and papery steak. The only way to eat such taco inferiority was to douse it in a sea of green and red sauce to try to torch the taco and give it heat.
Similarly, in our drunger we were unmoved and unenthused by Rockin’ Taco. My friend ordered some quesadilla and to their credit the quesadilla were of formidable size. Unfortunately, the blandness that dominated the taco infected its way to the quesadilla which made perfect sense why my friend would give me a quesadilla! There were some red and green peppers in the quesadilla which were a nice try but I enjoy lots of cheese, meat, and the famous orange oil dripping out of my quesadilla.
Perhaps a burrito would have swayed my opinion or perhaps I would have been better off trying to order a hot dog or burger from Rockin’ Taco. Rockin’ Taco is open late, but even in a state of drunger it was neither rockin’ nor worth the trip!

Rockin’ Taco is just what this dead strip of Irving needed. Some spice! Some life! Some rock ‘n roll posters and graffiti art!
Our group split some chips ‘n’ guac, which was devoured swiftly within a few moments. I opted for an al pastor taco and a tofu taco (yes, an unlikely pair!) and they were well-​sized for the price (about $ 1.50/each). The tofu is pretty runny, as its sauteed and not firm. Not my first choice, but the al pastor taco was killer… nice that they have a veggie option, but I’ll be sticking with their well-​marinated and prepared meat on my next visit.
Also, a full lineup of hotdogs. Nice touch for those not wishing to venture into «ethnic» eating. (sarcasm) But, in all seriousness… I’m sure their dogs are quite good.
A few notes:
*Open late night: 1am on weekends.
*Delivery within 2.5 miles (but not late-​night, I tried).
*$ 5 lunch special: burrito + POP.
*Very easy street parking on Irving, just watch for rush hour restrictions.
Counter service, Mexi-​focused joint with seating for about 20. Five-​star alarm fire on the menu. Yes, like spicy. This is not my thing, but if sweat coming out of your ears and steam radiating from your head is happiness, well… check it out!

Enter: the most amazing lunch special in Lakeview!
So, I’m a simple gal who likes falafel, gyros and tacos. Ethnic cheap eats are my thing! So when I found out Rockin’ Tacos offers a lunchtime burrito + a can of soda for only $ 5, you bet your burritos I was ordering exactly that.
I went with the California burrito stuffed with al pastor, rice, beans, cheese and sour cream (calorie budgeting at work right here!). We also split an order of the chips and salsa. I definitely think the salsa could have been a bit zippier, but it still tasted very fresh.
Though they offer a larger burrito on the menu (the ‘Baby Huey’), I must admit that the standard California is all the burrito I need. It’s large but not massive, and the al pastor is wonderfully marinated and seasoned. Some unidentifiable ingredient contributed to a certain sweet element, but I really liked it. I’m looking forward to killing another one of these, and soon!
Oh, and they offer delivery within a 2.5 mile radius. Bonus: BYO!

California burrito with #4 hot sauce. Contemplated the baby Huey but passed for today
My new favorite burrito place, from the music to the food everything rocks. I’m a huge fan of the #5 sauce and have tried the #6 hot sauce. I will be the first to take down the taco challenge.

I took this bookmark directly from Melanie S.‘s review, and she was dead right. On principle, I can’t go with five stars until I make a return visit, but this is a 4.5 for sure.
First off, the guys in here are very cool. I love when I get the vibe that the proprietors are passionate about their work. I also love it when the kitchen guy calls out, «How was everything?» as I am leaving.
Second, they were playing Season 2 South Park episodes on the TV here. That is the awesomest bar/​restaurant TV programming I’ve ever seen.
Thirdly, the price is right, at $ 1.75 for tacos and $ 3.25 for chips and guacamole.
But really, it’s all about the food, and they nail it. Actually, I would call the asada a B, as the meat was dry and slightly bland. The al pastor tofu is an A-​, as it tastes great but the tofu does not have the heft that I would like in a taco. However, the pollo and the al pastor pork are both A-​pluses. Perfect, perfect, perfect. So fucking good.
We also shared the chips and guacamole, the latter of which was not the best that I’ve had but very good and obviously 100% fresh. The chips were piping hot – always a nice touch that you hardly see at other joints – and not heavily salted.
So forget about the plethora of taquerias in Rogers Park: I will be heading down to Irving Park Road for my taco fix from now on.

I went to Rockin’ Taco after a trusted friend told me about it and seeing the great reviews on Unilocal.
After the Tributosaurus show at Martyrs’ on Saturday, my friend and I were starving. We knew Rockin’ Taco was open late, so we headed over there on our way home.
Immediately upon walking in, I knew it was my kinda place. Posters of The Clash, Dead Kennedys, and Rage Against the Machine adorned the walls.
We ordered the pollo taco, the al pastor taco, and a side of guacamole and chips.
The tacos were so flavorful. They don’t add a lot to stuff that masks the real star — the meat. Both the chicken and pork were juicy, well-​seasoned, and plentiful. The al pastor taco simply had diced onions and cilantro as a garnish, both of which were fresh and all that was needed on the taco. The pollo taco had lettuce and tomato added, and they were the just the right accompaniment. Tacos are served on soft corn tortillas unless hard shell is requested. I am not fan of hard shell tacos which make me feel as if I’m eating at Taco Bell.
The guacamole was some of the best I’ve had anywhere. Period. The chips were just fried upon our order, so they were piping hot and salty. An order of guac is only $ 3.75, and the portion is quite generous.
We sat in the restaurant and devoured our food. The owner came by and asked us how we liked our food. With mouths stuffed, we both proclaimed «Delicious!». He smiled and said he knew we weren’t just being nice because most people will just simply say «good», and leave it at that.
Good? Pfft. These tacos were the bomb.
We started talking to the owner about the place and asked him about his business. He was originally from San Francisco and used to work for corporate chains before venturing out to Chicago to start his own business.
My friend and I are taking a trip to SF the following weekend, so we asked for restaurant recs from this man who is clearly passionate about food. He sat next to us and wrote out a list of his favorite places and described all of them. He must have sat talking with us for half an hour.
If this is any indication of how he runs his business, I will be a loyal customer.
And to the friendly owner, if you’re reading this, I promise to bring you back an order of Imperial Rolls from San Fran in exchange for some tacos!

I got the 3 taco dinner, with beans and rice, and it was SO good, especially for the price. I tried the Al Pastor, Tofu, and Chipotle Garlic Chicken, and all 3 were awesome. I love that the Al Pastor and Tofu tacos just came with cilantro, onion, and lime. The chicken taco just came with lettuce and tomatoes, and it coulda used a little more flavor I thought, so I just added some of their HOT salsa. The rice and beans were pretty good, too. One thing that was interesting was a burrito with bacon in it, so I’ll have to try that next time.
They have a Friday Night at 7pm competition where if you can eat 10 tacos smothered in the hottest salsa they have in under an hour with only 1 drink and 1 napkin, then the meal is on the house. As I was waiting for my food, I witnessed a group of people not able to win, so it must be hot!!! Maybe we’ll try it some day…

3.5 stars
I was craving Mexican, interested in trying Rockin’ Taco, dying to get out of the house, and needed to go to the post office. The stars must have aligned because the Lakeview post office is only a few blocks off the Clark bus and Rockin’ Taco is only a few more past that.
I came at an off time so I wasn’t surprised to see it fairly empty. I dig the décor; music and surf themed posters, instruments, amps and a mural adorn the walls. The place is pretty simple, just a counter and a few tables and chairs.
I ordered the potato and cheese flautas and a bean and cheese taco. The flautas (4) were quite good; the potatoes had a nice little kick to them. They were even tastier with the red salsa added.
My taco, sadly, wasn’t rockin and where RT loses some points. I order a lot of bean tacos and this was by far the blandest taco ever. Originally I was given a tortilla with beans and half a slice (weird) of white cheese. I asked for the onion, cilantro and lime to be added, but it didn’t help much. I tried adding the salsa verde and the red salsa to it, but it didn’t help my sorry little taco. I did find the salsa verde to be quite bland, the red salsa is where it’s at.
One quirk I noticed was that not all tacos automatically came with onion, cilantro, and lime. The lady before me ordered beef and pork tacos, but only one came with the fixings; she had to ask, just like I did for them to be added. The menu is not clear that they don’t automatically add them to all tacos. It might be a disappointment if you carry out and don’t clarify when you order.
The food is reasonable and the service is friendly. Even though my taco experience was subpar, I would come back to try a burrito or get more flautas.
P. S. According to the sign outside this place is BYOB