La Principal

Very nice addition to the E-​Town scene (does Evanston have a scene?). I love the atmosphere when I like to go which is the amazing happy hour. $ 2 tacos and they are good! Very nice staff too.

I don’t understand the complaints about small portions at La Principal. Have some people become so accustomed to having a trough shoved in front of them, that a normal plate of food is disappointing? Having smaller portions gives you the opportunity to taste several dishes, and that’s what you want to do at La Principal. The multiple complaints about the chips & salsa not being free. why? Why is this establishment obligated to give you free chips & salsa? Because other Mexican restaurants do? So what? That is the lamest reason to give this place a bad review.
We started with the chips & guacamole and chicharrones, which almost filled us up and we were starving. The chicharrones were delicious: a heaping plateful, not greasy, had good flavor, and were even better with the house made hot sauces. The guacamole was very good, very flavorful, and the smaller portion was perfect. Chips and guac is filling, so I’d rather have a smaller portion when I’m planning to order other items.
My husband got 3 tacos: al pastor, red mole short rib, and, pescado. I had the green pozole. I’m madly in love with that pozole and will be devastated if the ever take it off the menu (please don’t). The tacos were cooked perfectly, the meat didn’t taste like it had been sitting for hours, we loved them. I shockingly liked the red mole taco the most, and I’m not a fan of mole.
The service was outstanding. We sat at the bar, and the two bartenders who waited on us were friendly with just the right amount of attentiveness. My only complaint is that after all the delicious food we are I was too full for a churro. I love churros. A lot. No worries, though, because I’ll be back again and again. They’re open for lunch, which is great since I live and work in Evanston. For the amount of food we ate and cocktails we consumed, the total bill was more than reasonable. It wasn’t Taco Bell reasonable, but it’s not Taco Bell food. La Principal will absolutely be in our top 5 Evanston favorites.

We love this place, especially sitting by the open window during «off-​peak» hours when it’s not crowded. Really friendly staff, good beer selection and cocktails. But the best part are the tacos, which may be among the best I’ve every had. High quality ingredients and prepared exceptionally well.
A favorite place in Evanston.

I ran into this adorable restaurant at a recent event in Chicago. I am a big Taco fan and anywhere they serve tacos with interesting ingredients is ok by me. I am also a vegetarian and glad to report that both the Veggie tacos on their menu were finger licking good. The staff was very courteous and very accommodating. They were even willing to change anything on their menu to meet our needs. We also ordered some drinks there. All in all a very pleasant vibe and delicious food. Also very reasonable. Highly recommend this place.

I like La Principal a lot. Fairly new Mexican place owned by the Lucky Platter folks. The décor is sweet, with a nice southwestern blue/​red/​green color palate. It’s kind of crammed into an awkwardly-​shaped space (an irregular pentagon connected to a hidden room in back) but who really cares so long as you get a table.
The food is really, really good. I like the chicharrones. They’re fresh and well-​seasoned, though eating too much of them will dry out your throat. The guacamole is fresh, but guac is almost always good, so I’d recommend getting other things you can’t find elsewhere here. Like the lengua tacos. Beef tongue is really underrated– a little chewy, but beefy and nicely balanced by the other toppings. The fish tacos are great, with crispy fish and bright, limey toppings. The short rib taco is also very good, thanks to the rich red mole and fresno chiles. The al pastor taco overdoes the cilantro (and I’m not one of those people who thinks cilantro tastes like soap). I love the elotes, too. The corn they use is not as sweet as most American corn, but it’s just sweet enough to counterbalance the sour lime and fatty aoli. The churros here are fine, though I think dulce de leche would be better than the chocolate sauce they serve here, I’d rather fill up on the savory items before dessert.
I like a good peppery malbec with Mexican, and the wine list here delivers. My friends tell me the cocktails (particularly the palomas) here are good too, though I’ve never had one. Service is good and prompt.
Tip: there’s usually a wait for a table on Friday and Saturday nights, and the bar fills up, so I’d suggest leaving the host/​hostess your cell number and going next door to the wine store, where they are licensed to pour you a glass of anything you buy off the wall.

One of our favorite places in Evanston!
The short rib torta is exceptional (on bread from Hewn!), as are the elotes and the Al Pastor, Carnitas, and Short Rib tacos. The yellow salsa (habanero pineapple?) is a favorite.
The real reason to go? The churro. Oh my god the churro. With the chocolate dipping sauce. Just go.

I did my best to taste almost every taco on the menu when I visited. Here’s what I found:
Plenty of pescatarian and vegetarian options for tacos can be found here, along with a very tasty array of choices for the carnivore in your group.
The Chili Relleno, Sweet Potato, and Fish taco are a good choice if you’re looking for something new yet still middle-​of-​the-​road as far as exotic is concerned. The sauces, cheese, and tortillas are all well matched for each of these.
The Lengua taco — (beef tongue) — is definitely something for the adventurous — you should try it. I did, and likely would again.
The short rib taco is definitely worth going back for, as is the traditional carnitas.
Hasta luego mi amigos!

I’ve been here 3 times now, and have become less enamored each time. Overall, the food and drink portions are too small and not worth the money. I think it’s absurd that they charge for chips and salsa. The pollo torta is tasty, as is the queso fundido. The fish tacos were super bland, which was disappointing. The margaritas taste good, but are definitely not strong enough. The churros are DELICIOUS. Service has been good. Overall just so-​so.

First know that I’m a serious eater-​outer in Evanston. And, that happens 94.3% alone. I’ve had few opportunities to eat out with a group of friends. That stated… given a special opportunity, to pick a place to take my colleagues, I elected La Principal.
The midweek lunch service was excellent. Attentive, friendly, and perfectly timed. We enjoyed every appetizer, taco, torta, and side. Oh and the churros. Our group of five (without beverage) was about $ 120 including a generous, well-​deserved tip.
My four coworkers walked away as in love with this spot as I am. That’s pretty cool.

We have eaten here several times and liked it so much, we asked if they did catering as we had a party coming up at our house for 16 people. Fortunately they did and they were incredibly easy to work with.
The owner followed up promptly, got us a quote right away, and on the day of the party, were right on time delivering the food. The person who delivered the food was also very clear with instructions on how to keep everything in as best shape as possible over the course of a 4 – 5 hour evening. And the portioning was NOT skimpy. I would say we probably could have fed double the number of people we paid for with the amount of food we had. Guests commented too about how good everything was and how they would have to visit the restaurant in the future. We couldn’t have been more pleased.

Pros: lots of vegetarian options, the variety of amazing, homemade hot sauces and the pumpkin flan, which was AMAZING.
Cons: the waitstaff and bus-​people clear your dishes before the last bite is even in your mouth, and they continually refill the water when the pitcher is already on the table. So many people were constantly at our table clearing and refilling that it was difficult to have a conversation, and we felt rushed the entire time.

Only been open 2 days but we loved our meal. Simple small tacos and an awesome pork stew. Also a very solid beer selection. Pro Tip… ask for a pint of water because they give you shot glasses for water normally.

Why has it taken me so long to come here? It’s been on my radar since they opened especially since they have that walk by window for coffee in the mornings and it’s right by my favorite studio, Hip Circle.
Instead, it took a sick day for us to come by here for lunch during the week and we’re in love. The hubby opted for the green pozole which was delicious. They even have kids meals here — how awesome is that? For me, I opted to have the tacos and tried the carnitas, red mole short rib and sweet potato tacos. The carnitas were delicious and very meaty. The red mole short rib was super flavorful and also delicious. The sweet potato taco had this chile-​lime marinade and delicious fresh red cabbage on top. I can’t tell you which one was my favorite because they were each so delicious in their own way. We topped off the meal with the churro with the dark chocolate sauce. Not too sweet but the perfect way to end the meal! I can’t wait to come back again!

We decided to try this cute Mexican restaurant in the heart of Evanston is very good. We tried to the carnitas and pescado tacos. They were very flavorful and great flavor combinations. They unfortunately did not have many things with chicken in them. For desert we had the a churro aka sweet fried goodness. The environment is very friendly and energetic. They have a order window outside the restaurant which seems very cool. Love this place!

The street tacos are fantastic as well as the churros con chocolate! I love how it’s open until 11:00 PM (one of the few restaurants in Evanston open past 9 PM). My husband’s favorite is the al pastor, and I personally love the pescado, carnitas, and red mole short-​rib. The chips with guac are also excellent. Yes — it is expensive relative to the tacos one mile away on Howard or in Uptown, but you also pay for quality. There is no mystery meat here. This is a very welcome addition to the Main Street food corridor.

If you haven’t been, you need to check this place out! I’ve been to eat in the restaurant itself 3 or 4 times and have had take out twice but what led me to finally write this review is an event I was at this weekend which was catered by them. Because folks, let’s face it, if you can do what you do as well off site as you do on site… you’re pretty good.
Eating in? 5 stars. Food is to die for. I recommend the carnitas tacos (my personal favorite), the elotes (my sons thinks they’re killer), short rib torta (we ALL love it). LOVE, love, love their guacamole and salsas (green & red). Clearly 100% fresh. I’m also kind of a sucker for their pumpkin flan. Great drink menu but I’m partial to the Spicy Mezcalita. One of the best parts is that at $ 3−4/ taco you can order a couple, eat, digest, drink, chat and decide if /​when /​what you want more of. Lather, rinse, repeat. Also, I saw a review that mentioned food allergies. They guys are way, WAY on top of allergies. The waiter even mentioned a «book» with ingredients, etc. IMPRESSIVE!
Taking home? Less than 5 stars… but I’m pretty sure that’s NOT their fault. 1. No Mezcalitas at my home. I’m pretty sure they’re not allowed to sell to go cups of this magical elixir, though I’ve never asked. *note to self — ask. 2. When you finish your last taco at home and decide you *might* just want one more you have to go all the way back to the restaurant. Kind of inconvenient. BUT, if you have no other choice, get it to go… you won’t be disappointed.
Lucky enough to encounter them around town as I did? Super cool! They catered an event this weekend at a venue (a synagogue) that doesn’t allow meat. Not so easy I’m guessing. Don’t know how they did it but… WOW! The sweet potato tacos were awesome (maybe on the restaurant menu… I’ll have to look), an avocado, asparagus & egg torta, chocolate chile brownies and who knows what else.
Oh, and if you’re by yourself and need a quick bite (or drink) don’t hesitate to sit at the bar there. Super friendly and quick. Right around the corner from the Main Street El and across from the Metra stop. It’s super convenient.
Welcome to Evanston La Principal! I think it’s safe to say you’ll be around awhile!

Short rib Mole taco was A+, as is the shrimp cocktail. Coffee is great. Man!, I don’t usually stumble into such great places, I have a goto in Evanston now.
Wine, beer and spirits are exceptionally well picked for being actually limited. Old Rasputin on tap, seriously. (See photo)
I rarely post a review on on the first visit. But this place deserves the praise.
Enjoy.

I came here mainly for drinks on a Tuesday evening right after work (around 5:30 or 6). We were able to get a table right away, and our server was great — attentive and friendly, but not hovering.
The drinks were amazing (and strong, which is good considering the $ 9/​$ 10 price tag). After drinking for a bit we decided to order some small plates. I ordered a sweet potato taco ($ 4) and my friends ordered the same taco plus some grilled corn. The taco was pretty good… the flavors were nice, and it was surprisingly spicy (and I love spicy food), but there were a few things I didn’t love. I can’t quite put my finger on it… I think the shell wasn’t warmed quite enough for the filling, because there was some weird temperature discrepancy going on.
I love that you can order individual tacos, especially when you just want something small to munch on. But $ 4 for a tiny veggie taco is a bit steep. If I had wanted a full dinner I would have had to order 4 of them, and $ 16 would be overkill for what you get.
As other people have mentioned, it’s strange that there aren’t complimentary chips and salsa. That seems to be standard at a lot of places, and given the prices here it would be nice. I would be more open to buying a $ 4 taco if I had the illusion of getting something else with it.
I won’t be rushing back here anytime soon, but I would definitely be open to coming here again if someone wants to go here.
Their coffee window is awesome, too, so I would go there frequently if I still lived down the street.

Wow, I had no idea that Lupita’s had closed; that’s the end of an era. However, sentimentality aside, you have to acknowledge that La Principal is a significant upgrade across the board. When I heard «new Mexican place where Lupita’s used to be,» I was expecting the same type of restaurant under new ownership. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but… I was very pleasantly surprised to find instead updated, artistic décor and a tight, thoughtful menu with modern flair. This is the kind of engaging energy that we are missing in the slightly-​further-​west suburbs. What a boon to residents of and visitors to south Evanston.
However young and 21^st-​century these guys are, they still recognize their audience, because our group of six included a baby and toddler, and they handled us very warmly and smoothly. The waiter was particularly good with the kids.
In short, the food was very impressive – I loved everything. Fresh, lively guacamole with thick, fresh tortilla chips, not the traditional restaurant kind but lighter in color and flavor while still being thick in body, and perfect for the dip. I don’t think that I’ve seen this type of chip before. Each of my tacos was perfectly attuned and generously portioned. The lengua was a little simpler and the short rib and pescado a bit more sophisticated, but all were delicious. (Curiously, the lengua was packaged into two tortillas and the others into only one.) And it was a tough choice between those and some others on the menu, including carnitas, al pastor, and chile relleno/​tofu. Next time! They also have a few tortas (with bread from stellar local bakery Hewn) and two posoles (brilliant for cold winter nights).
Even the rice and black beans were delicious. Rice and beans! Usually a filler/​afterthought. How did they do it?
I did not care much for two of the three table salsas; the verde was excellent, but the other two were too sweet for me. One was mysteriously orange-​colored and the other obviously included pineapple. Those were the only minor blips on an excellent meal.
It’s a fine new place with a hip energy, great for the neighborhood, but the wonderful food is the main reason to come.

La Principal is a mixed bag for me. My first time eating in was a busy Friday evening a month after it opened and I was satisfied with my meal. The salsa roja and braised lengua taco were my standouts; dare I say, on par with the fare available down on Clark St. The chicharrones taco could have been good if they had put more than 3 pieces of chicharrones in it. But seriously, break it down a little, $ 3 for a pork rind taco that barely has any pork rind in it!?! The short rib torta, although appallingly small for $ 10, was a hit with my better half. Definitely pricey, but overall we were pleased with the output.
A recent return trip on a slow, quiet Saturday evening was a let down. There was no one waiting to get seated, but the service throughout the meal felt rushed in contrast to the relaxed service we received on the busier night. The al pastor had nice flavor, but the meat had been marinated with pineapple for too long because it was mush. The lengua was braised nicely, but it was bland and wet. It didn’t help that I saved it for last, so by the time I got around to it the flavorless juices had saturated my tortilla, so I ended up with a soggy taco. Considering that all the meats used in the tacos are braised, not cooked to order, I was surprised by how wildly they screwed it up.
For me, the inconsistency in the quality of the food makes it hard to justify the higher prices. The concept is good, but so far the execution has been lacking. On a final note, the churro is quite good, but you’d have to try really hard to mess up fried dough.