Austin’s Tacos

Austin’s Tacos… not going back. That ghastly chalkboard menu! I ordered the Fried Avocado to see what they’d do. What a waste of a beautiful fruit. I’d call the DCFS on them just for that mistreatment. I then had a brisket taco. A bit dry, definitely flavorless. Only dependence on taste was the slaw and the lime. I felt obligated to finish this pretentious concoction because I didn’t want my $ 4 to be spent in vain. I wasn’t looking for true authenticity, but I wasn’t expecting a poor and «sounds good on paper, FAIL on taste» experience either.

I lived 20 feet away and got the quesadillas all the time. It was pretty good and was always fresh. Came with guac and salsa without extra charge and the portion was decent.
As for their tacos, I’ve only tried one and it was okay. They are REALLY small though for their price. And they only have soft tortilla shells. Personally, even standard tacos at Chipotle are better.

Austin’s Tacos está muerto.
RIP Mildly Overpriced but Passably Tasty Taco Stand
Jan 2012 — July 2012
(The sign on the door does say «Temporarily Closed — reorganizing» but we all know what that means for Evanston restaurants).

I came here for a quick dinner to go, since we were heading out to a concert. I got the queso fundido, which is basically a bean, cheese, and chorizo dip with tortilla chips. It was kinda messy and tricky to eat in the car, but I was a champ and didn’t get beans all over the place. It tasted okay but wasn’t special, had too much beans, and was also way too salty. It’s also super heavy — the cup of it was enough to last me for two (very full) meals, with the tortilla chips barely touched even.
My bf ordered two tacos, and said that they were mediocre.

Food: 2
Décor: 3
Service: 3
Came here for a quick lunch to go. Got the baja and steak tacos, $ 4 each, and they were really mediocre.

I just wasn’t super impressed by Austin’s Tacos. There are fancy tacos that will cost you but they just didn’t really stand out to me. My son had a steak taco where he pulled something rubbery out of it which was very disappointing.
I’m not sure if we’ll be back since the portions are small and the product is okay.

This Place really sucked, even on half price tuesday i still ended up paying over ten bucks for two tacos and some soup. I came with an opened mind and left with an empty stomach.
Don’t do it.

Austin’s Tacos is a good place to go if you’re in Evanston, and you want to eat someplace relatively fast with nice ambiance, and you’re not a taco connoisseur. In fact, if you don’t really like tacos, you will probably enjoy Austin’s tacos more.
As other reviewers have pointed out, the seafood tacos are better than the meat ones. They are, however, small and pricey, even if they come with a little bit of guacamole. The special should be for three tacos not two — even a petite woman like myself would need more than two of these to count as an entrée.
The fried avocado appetizer, on the other hand, is a better deal. A light batter gives a pleasing crispiness but doesn’t overpower the avocado, and you get a substantial portion for your $ 5.
We tried both of the quesadillas, too. The cheese quesadilla was fine, but pricey at $ 8. The chicken quesadilla, on the other hand, was much more interesting and much more substantial and filling, though only $ 1 more. We’d get the chicken one again.
The staff was decidedly friendly and eager to help. When the kitchen mixed up our order, not only did they bring out the correct order quickly, but they encouraged us to take the incorrect order home with us rather than taking it back to the kitchen.
In short, there are plenty of misses here, but we’ll be returning to see if the hits are consistent.

This place totally sucks. I love tacos, it couldn’t be more convenient as it’s easy walking distance from my work place. I was ready to throw down on steak tacos daily if this place was anywhere close to good. It’s not. It’s terrible. The worst mexican food I’ve ever had. No salsa and chips when you sit down. Bad portion size for the high price and terrible, bland taste, poorly cooked, not fresh. It’s bad… really, really bad.
Don’t bother… absolutely a waste of time and money. I hope they go out of business soon so somebody can open a real taco place here. I seriously don’t think the people who cook the food or make the menu have ever eaten at a good mexican restaurant in their lives. I’m tempted to give them gift certificates to a good mexican meal.
Wish I could subtract stars for more accuracy. If it were a 5^th of the price, I’d still never, ever go back. Avoid at all costs, even if somebody else is treating.

Good spot in Evanston for some tacos. I tried the grilled shrimp, egg/​potato, egg/​bacon. I like how they include a side of salsa and guacamole with every taco. There are a lot of complaints about size/​price. I just wish they would use a bigger flour tortilla then all would be good.
They also need to do something about displaying the menu. There are huge walls in the front to display all the food options, why not use it? Instead they have multiple copy paper menus for you to read.
I know they are new to the area. Hope they can make a few changes so they stick around for a while!

Eh. While I appreciate the concept of «fancy» tacos, if they’re not done right it’s just a waste of calories and money. I’ve always said that Evanston needs a taqueria, but after a few tries at Austin’s, I would just as soon travel a couple of miles down Chicago Avenue to Rogers Park and get the real thing – better tasting for less dough.
I believe that they do fish and seafood tacos better than meat tacos. For example, the «BBQ Pork» is all pork and no barbecue; they need to reduce the amount of meat and add some more vegetables and more flavor. That goes for every other chicken or beef taco that I tried; the meats are bland and dry and the vegetables and sauces sparse. However, the Baja and Shrimp Diablo are tasty.
And the guacamole, while fresh and chunky, lacks any zing; it needs some onion, cilantro, and/​or jalapeño – and less salt. I like the simple salsa roja but the salsa verde tastes like fruit purée.
Sorry, Austin’s. There are too many better lunch options in Evanston.

ONE of the WORST meals I’ve ever had.
Ordered: A cheese taco and a mahi mahi taco.
First bite in the Fish taco, bit into something super hard. Decided against eating anymore because I could not recognize what it was I bit into.
Cheese taco — A slab of fried cheese with a tad of lettuce.
Both tacos did come with a bit of pre-​made guac and 2 kinds of salsa. (also tasted like it was out of a bottle and not fresh)
NOTHING tasted fresh.
No menu to read other than a paper copy at the counter which caused a line at the register. No décor on the walls at all.
4 VERY small tacos, 2 cups of coffee = $ 22.00.
This place is PERFECT for a 14 year old who got an allowance raise.

Came in for 2 tacos. Was a little surprised at the price, almost $ 9 for 2 tacos. For that price i can go to Frontera Fresco and get the same thing, although Frontera is most likely fresher. Frontera can charge the same price, because of their name and chef. They built their brand name and can charge a premium (which i gladly pay). Austin Taco’s…never heard of you, so charging 4 $ a taco hurts my wallet a bit.
The chicken in my first taco was dry. Really dry.
The steak taco was good.
Aside from the price, I can’t say there was anything terrible about the food. There was nothing memorable to make me want to come back though. The food wasn’t bad, but the price/​portion combo made me feel sorta «eh».

I absolutely agree with Geoff about how this «isn’t Chipotle». And guess what? It’s not necessarily a great thing. There’s almost nothing vegetarian (1 thing) on the menu. In Evanston. Is this a joke? I’m pretty sure every other mexican place that exists other than Taco Bell has a few vegetarian options at least. I guess this means I won’t be going here often (read: never again).
I’m happy to have more taco places in evanston — that is something we do lack (aside from that little mexican café), but this isn’t so much of a grand announcement as much as it’s a «welp». While I don’t dislike the place, nothing stands out about it. There’s still better mexican food in Roger’s Park. It’s also about as generic of it’s style of food as exists. Maybe some people like that, but I don’t.
The portion sizes were extremely small for ordering individual tacos even though they added guac, green and red sauce, and limes with every taco, which was nice. They seem to know what they’re doing and things went pretty smooth — food was prepared extremely quickly, too. It just doesn’t have anything that says «cool. Let’s go back here again», except if you count the fact that they are basically unlisted everywhere outside of Unilocal and don’t even have a website to view the menu. This is 2012, there simply aren’t excuses for not having menus online anymore, at least in a language or two.
The food was good taste wise, but just, no sparkle or reason to return, so to speak.

It’s been a few weeks, so I thought I would give this place another shot and ventured here for a light dinner. I went with the taco/​soup combo again, because it seems like the best bang for your buck. I went with the chicken tortilla soup again and tried the Maui Mahi.
I was thoroughly impressed with the meal this time, based off of some nuanced changes. The soup had a lot more ingredients and filled with shredded chicken. The spice was spot-​on (albeit a touch salty), the melted cheese and toasted tortilla slices were delightful, and fresh veggies with avocado made it over the top.
The Maui Mahi was served with a side of guacamole, salsa, and an extra corn tortilla. The taco was wonderfully complex, with sweet, spicy, savory, salty aspects in every bite (umami?).
I noticed by splitting my taco filling between the two tortillas, I found it was somehow more filling than my last visit, where I only had one tortilla. Maybe it’s an placebo effect, but I really think the restaurant should consider serving it with two tortillas by default.
Anyway, I’m a fan of this place now. The menu is revamped, the service is still good, and my order came out in a timely fashion. The soup will bring me back, and the tacos will be an extra treat.

I love taco. This place opened up the block and I was intrigued so I checked it out. I got two tacos (shredded beef and steak with some veggies) and a soup. The prices aren’t cheap (a little over $ 10 for the above), so I was expecting sizeable tacos. When I brought it home (sit down seems nice, but I got takeout), I was disappointed by the size, only to find when I opened the silver lining… loads of meat. These tacos packed a punch, with a generous portion of protein and flavorful fixins.
The chicken tortilla soup was filling and well balanced, and I wouldn’t have needed the extra taco if I wasn’t starving like a lost hiker. The two types of salsa and two dishes of guac were the surprise they needed to win me over even more. I’ll be back to check out other items on the menu, and fill myself with taco goodness.

This isn’t supposed to be fast food, so don’t be surprised when it doesn’t have fast food prices (though frankly, they’re pretty damn reasonable anyway). If you want cheaper, lesser quality food — go to Taco Bell or Chipotle. On a Saturday night, for $ 15, the boyfriend and I walked away stuffed and happy.
Their chips are so good — just the right amount of salt. I recommend the guacamole too. And the queso con chorizo. And the tortilla soup. And the steak taco. And… ok, I recommend the whole menu. I’m excited to eat my way through it!
I’m definitely looking forward to coming back once they get their liquor license!

3 stars.
I love tacos, so i was excited when I saw this new joint. However, my excitement was short-​lived once I got in and saw the menu.
They don’t have much to offer on their overpriced menu. But, the staff was smiling and friendly. Much appreciated, Austin!
The chips/​salsa is almost $ 4, but it’s free when you dine-​in? Huh? However, I didn’t mind only because the salsa had a great flavor. It should come in a larger size, and it could use a bit more cilantro. I’m a cilantro-​ho!
I’m not in the market for a 5″ taco at $ 4 a pop. But, I might venture back to get some more salsa, if they place stays open long enough. Doubt it…
Let me know when you: A) Lower your prices. B) Expand the menu. C) Lower the prices.
Did I mention LOWERING THE PRICES?

Austin’s Tacos just opened in Evanston and is going through some growing pains. It took at least 10 minutes to order and get seated. They necessitate that you order as you first walk in, however there is no where to create a line. Thus everyone just bunches up at the entrance.
The food itself is decent, but the prices will keep you from being a frequent customer. The cost is between $ 3.50 to $ 4.00 per taco. The tacos are really small, so you are going to order at least two or three. A simple draft coke is $ 2.00, hence families with teenagers should stay home because you are looking around $ 10 a person.
Unless Austin’s Tacos adjusts their prices down or portions up this place will not last. For the prices they charge, you can get a better meal in Evanston.

Open at last! After months of walking by the «Coming Soon» sign, Austin’s Tacos finally opened today. Clearly, I had to immediately rush in for a mega early bird dinner (5:30pm, don’t judge!) because tacos are in my top 5 favorite foods. Tacos down the street from me? Danger!
Anyway, the place was empty because most people eat dinner at more normal hours. The set-​up is similar to Noodles & Co — order at the counter, get a number, fill your cup at the soda fountain, sit and wait for your food to be delivered. I like! We ordered a ton of food: 6 different tacos, chicken tortilla soup, and chili. (Note: They have Jarritos here! Hooray!) We sat and were brought out complimentary chips (warm, crunchy, delicious) and salsa (yummy, fresh). The soup came out in a huge bowl, with pieces of shredded white meat chicken and grilled zucchini, served with a wedge of lime (of course). I sampled 4 tacos: the battered fish, the shrimp, the pork with pineapple, and the served-​all-​day breakfast taco… all on corn tortillas, natch. The verdict? I will definitely return for the seafood and breakfast tacos. The meats need a little bit of work though — they were a tad cold and dry. Also, these are not your $ 2 taqueria tacos — most of these tacos average around $ 4 each, but are quite large. Usually, I can take down 3 tacos easily, but these left me stuffed.
An extra bonus star for the service! The staff were more than accommodating! And this is really key for a newly opened business, IMO. There will be mistakes, but the key is how they build up their customer-​base and fix things. There was a little mix up with our order and this was fixed with a smile. When one of the staff saw we were pretty much eating everything off the menu, they brought us out a sample of their black bean soup for us to try. We were thanked for coming in.
I will be back many times to fill my bottomless pit of a stomach with seafood and breakfast tacos, all washed down with a tamarind Jarrito. Welcome to the neighborhood, Austin!