Taqueria El Asadero

Beef prices are down around 30 percent this year but they just raised prices around 10 percent here.
That makes a lot of sense…
A taco costs roughly 3 bucks a piece now with tax and a burrito 9.
And this isn’t the first price increase. It’s the second in two years.
Considering they nickel and dime you for cheese and sour cream or any extras, the prices have gotten flat out ridiculous.
I realize that north center is continuing to gentrify but that doesn’t give you a free pass to extort customers, especially considering how shitty this place is inside, it’s a fricken taco shack. Buy some new booths and put some tvs in to at least justify.
There are a ton of places on Montrose to go for tacos, this place was in my regular rotation but it might be falling out of it.
Also, it’s 2016. Get a square credit card reader already you cheap bastards, I shouldn’t have to pay for you to probably launder money.

A quick counter service taco joint with 1 liter Mexican cokes on deck, what else could you ask for? If you have a problem with cash only restaurants — then you’re really just selfish /​anti-​small businesses and deserve to just eat McDonalds everyday. The booths inside La Asadero are small and kinda hard for a fat guy like me to relax in, but it’s still very worth the commute and uncomfyness every time. Be careful with the homemade tortilla chips appetizer because they’re mega greasy and meggggga good — but will fill you up like crazy before your actual meals comes out.

This place has literally the best skirt steak in the entire Northside. Better than patron’s, better than Garcias, tbk, El famous, you name it.
Come with cash, get a steak taco or burrito. Do it.

This place has, hands down, the best steak tacos on the north side of Chicago (possibly the entire city.) The only reason i don’t give them 5 stars is the ridiculous wait time to get the food. Even when you call ahead to place your order, the time it takes to get the food can be over the top depending on when you go. But if you’re able to wait, the food is delicious.
By the way — they are cash only!

Let me take you on a trip aboard the flavor train.
WARNIGN — CASH ONLY
Try the Al Pastor tacos, you will surely not be disappointing. I can also confirm the best chips and guac in town (besides my own homade guac). This is a weekly staple in my house, because you cannot find better tacos, burritos, chips and guac for the price, period!

**** CASH ONLY****
So while on lunch in this area I checked my bookmarks and wala this taco spot. I decided to check them out. 3^rd new spot on the 3^rd day of the new year. Ain’t they lucky?! Lol… Find a park in the blistering cold and run in here only to see signs CASH ONLY!!! OMG I DON’T HAVE CASH… They also don’t offer an ATM. The cashier tells me to go to the end of the block and use the ATM on the corner, (if it’s working) or the Shell down the street. Atm on corner was freaking broke! Run back to my car, go 2 blocks to Shell to get cash. VERY IRRITATED AT THIS POINT. Paid 3 freaking bucks for atm fee. Go back to the restaurant and there’s a closer parking spot Thank God!
Fast fwd to my food, ordered 2 steak tacos onions, lettuce, & cilantro. Requested red salsa. I got the order to go. It took about 5 mins to prepare. I ate them in the car. My corn shells weren’t greasy, seemed liked they were fresh out of a bag of shells. I like grease on my tacos. These corn shells were so dry I thought they were flower shells. My meat was warm, not piping hot like I prefer or made fresh per order. The grade of steak they use is A1, and that’s what they have 3 stars for. The female cashier was very nice.
I would like to try them again, or maybe try a different dish, but the no cash & me running around in the cold BLEW ME!!!
Note: BATHROOM WAS VERY CLEAN ALSO!!!

I saw this place was recommended by one of the hosts of Chicago’s Best as her top 5 places so i had to try it… The place has adequate seating! Unfortunately they only accept cash over here… They give complimentary chips when you dine-​in! Price was reasonable! I tried the carne asada and al pastor taco-​which were both good but the al pastor had more flavor plus they even use flour instead of corn for the taco shells

I had the steak burrito and my wife had steak tacos. Both were really good with lots of fresh and flavorful ingredients. Gave it ⁴⁄₅ because they don’t have carnitas and I prefer my burrito with rice and beans. Not sure if that is something you have to request, but the people are friendly enough to where I am comfortable to ask next time I go.

Best Mexican place in Chicago. The service is super friendly. I’ve been coming for years and they have been sooo nice and accommodating. Free chips too. The steak is soo good. Burritos and tortas are bomb.

I’m extremely particular about my tacos– especially my Al Pastor. Came here and ordered Steak, Al Pastor, and Barbacoa tacos plus guac. The restaurant itself isn’t anything to write home about– but the food, oh I get excited just thinking about it. The quality and attention that goes in to their meat is something you don’t always see at the more «hole in the wall» joints.
My suggestions: get al pastor and the Barbacoa, you won’t be disappointed.
Guac was good but unnecessary; though their chips are awesome so maybe an order wouldn’t hurt just to get those chips in your mouth.

One and two star reviews?! Seriously?
Yes, it is cash only.
Yes, the décor could be updated, if they were so inclined.
Yes, any place can make mistakes or have off nights.
What do you expect from a tiny hole-​in-​the-​wall taco joint?
It is consistently busy. It’s often full of Latino families and cops (who I’m guessing have scoped out lots of other options in the area). Someone I used to know out near Cicero (with numerous options nearby) asked me to bring these tacos whenever I came out there to visit.
Get the carne asada if you’re a meat eater. Get the veggie tacos if you’re not. Whatever you get, slather it in the perfectly spicy salsa verde and wash it down with a Jarritos or a real Coke, if you’re so inclined. Tip the staff who work hard to keep up with the demand. Rinse and repeat every 4 – 6 weeks like I do.
…or if you don’t like it, take your whiny, entitled taste buds down to Wicker Park and get some overpriced, oversold tacos at Big Star.

I recently seen them on Chicago’s best and any place I see on there it normally doesn’t disappoint. This place surely did not. I praised Taqueria Traspasada and I still do but this place edges them out oh so slightly for a number of reasons. They are about the same price but Taqueria El Asadero’s tacos are bigger and I think tastier. The steak is cooked and seasoned so well. Love the char on the steak. Tastes like someone bbq it on an outdoor grill. It’s fresh to order. The burrito I got my mom was bigger then my head. Now comparing the two restaurants guacamole which my mom is a big fan of. The guacamole from Traspasada she said had no flavor to it and Asadero’s was very good. Comparing the two places chips and Pico di Gallo. I’ll give the trophy to Asadero’s. The hot sauce award also goes to Asadero’s. The steamed beef tacos were great as well from here. So basically I found my new place. It’s also a bit closer to my apartment. Thank you Chicago’s best for this recommendation.

CASH ONLY. I give them a ³⁄₅. First, they’re cash only. That is bottom of earth whack in 2015. According to the cashier, it’s not looking like that’s going to change any time soon either. The food. I got a Carne asada burrito, sans lettuce. I asked for rice and they added it for an additional charge. The brought over some chips and «salsa» as I waited for my order to come up. I didn’t try the salsa because it didn’t look appetizing at all. It was a green slimy looking water-​based unchilled potion in a plastic bottle. Yeah, no thanks. It didn’t look safe. The chips were slightly on the greasy side, and they were cold. When my burrito came, I guess it was OK. I’d give it a ³⁄₅. The meat was a tad salty and rubbery, but I got through half nonetheless. The ambiance is cheap burger stand like. Staff were relatively friendly though. Probably won’t return.

Biggest. Disappointment. Ever.
The 300+ Unilocal reviews and the ⁴⁄₅ stars average were all misleading!
I ordered the pork and green pepper tacos, took two bites of it and threw it away (and I was extremely hungry when I came by but I’d rather go elsewhere than to finish and violate my mouth anymore than I already did).
The so called «best chips ever» that many reviewers claimed, tasted like I was drinking oil straight from a can. No. No. No.
The one star is solely for the staff and customer service. Nothing else.
I hope people who rate this place highly will branch out and try other places. Trust me, it’ll blow your freaking mind and educate your taste buds.

A mediocre taqueria that serves white-​folks mexican food; the only reason that I can see all of the great reviews is because people in Lincoln Square don’t know any better? Surprisingly worse than the 50+ taquerias I’ve patronized in the City over the last 10 years.
We ordered takeout that I was told would be ready in 15 minutes, we showed up 20 minutes later, and when I went to the teller he told them to start cooking my order. (And when I got home, the food was very «meh» and they had missed a burrito!)
No thanks. Will be eating at one of the hundreds of other legit establishments across Chicago.

Some restaurants put tomato paste mixed with diced onion on the table and call it salsa. It’s about as hot as your grandparents making out.
Taqueria El Asadero gives you the real deal. Salsa that has some kick. You don’t take pride in the salsa and whiff on everything else. That’s how I knew the forthcoming burrito was going to be a little monster.
It was.
Lots of carne asada hot off the grill. Perfectly done shell. Fresh produce. Delightful, really.
Cash only and doesn’t have an ATM (the nearest ATM is about a block away), so know that going in.
It’s a place to get great food and not hang out with a date or business prospect to soak up the ambiance. Think late 80’s fast food style booths and décor. Kind of like Rax. Remember Rax?
Bottom line — if you’re in the area and want some Mexican food, this should be your jam.

Best tacos in the area hands down. Carne asada o pollo con cebolla y cilantro y salsa verde… mmmmmmmmm.

This place is by far my FAVORITE taco joint in Chicago! Located in the north side, this small taco joint is a hidden gem.
Don’t expect anything fancy, just really tasty food and great service. Walk on in, order your food (CASH ONLY), and take a seat. The waiter/​waitress brings you your food and complimentary chips and green salsa. The chips and green salsa are scrumptious and addictive! One taste and you’re hooked!
I always get two steak tacos (they are VERY generous with the meat) and an order of rice and beans (the BEST). The meat is always fresh off the grill and you can see the cook making it for you!
Four steak tacos, two orders of rice and beans, a can of pop, and a bottle of water: $ 15
This place will always be my go to taco place! Give this place a try!

I have to laugh when my boo thang (he loves that) suggests El Asadero when we’re up this way because 1 — we live in a predominately Mexican neighborhood where taquerias are aplenty and 2 — he loves Shanghai Inn, which isn’t Mexican, not even a little bit.
I’m normally not one to buy guacamole, as that is one of the easiest things to make and any basic b should be able to do so, but something about Asadero’s chips & guac turns me into a basic b hella quick. They are the exception to my rule.
Their tacos are good, but the tortillas are white corn, so they’re dry-​ish if you don’t have grease and/​or salsa on them. The good thing is that they pack their tacos full of well seasoned meat, so I’m still inclined to get one. Surprisingly, my go to are their tortas. That’s not to say their burritos aren’t good, but this is hands down one of my favorite tortas as of late, all because of #datbreadtho. It’s a good thing my boo likes to share, because I have a tough time choosing between their steak and al pastor.
I work a few blocks from here and ran into a nanny who told me «If you ever need lunch, there’s a taqueria that I spend way too much time at» when I cut her off (because I get excited about food) and exclaimed how much I love their meat. While getting our drank on at Half Acre recently, one of the bartenders swayed us from boring azz grilled cheese sandwiches to tacos. My point is, if this taqueria isn’t struggling for business in this gentrifying neighborhood (and trust me, there is no struggle here), they must be doing something right!

When I enjoy food from a Mexican place with mostly white clientele, that’s a testament to their food. Nothing but love, white people, but sometimes your perception on what constitutes good Mexican food is a little off course. But, you are right for coming here.
In the few times I’ve been to Asadero, I’ve noticed they do just about everything well. I order carne asada and al pastor interchangeably depending on the place, because usually a place does one better than the other. But at this joint, both are fire. They also have really good homemade chips and guacamole, and their green salsa is flavorful and packs a punch.
For me personally, I am not a fan of their tacos because of the tortillas they use. They use ones that contain lots of preservatives, and they taste totally different than fresh ones.
Aside from that, still a very solid taqueria. Definitely my Mexican spot after hitting up Half Acre.

I came here for the carne asada taco and that is indeed the thing you should eat here (the homemade tortilla chips are also really nice). It’s simple, flavorful, and satisfying. The other items are a little more puzzling. The Al Pastor taco, for example, had a nice spicy flavor but an awful texture — it seemed to be made of thin julienne slices of tough pork that were overcooked and pockmarked with gristle. The chorizo taco was the reverse — a really nice mixture of soft sausage and crunchy browned bits, but almost no flavor. I don’t know what’s going on with the pork products in this joint but stay away from them. And the chicken was fine, but did I mention that the carne asada is the thing you should eat here?
A plausible option if you’re in the neighborhood, but not worth a trip.