El Gallo Bravo

The food is great! But the service is horrible! They have no social skills what so ever. i stopped dining in! So I started pick up! things were going good for 2 months up until today the gave the wrong order, I called in and told them the issue and the server (if you want to call them that) never even tried to rectify the problem, I asked to talk to a manager. Guess what no manager came to the phone. They even tried to charge me for a delivery fee to bring me the correct order.

The food is great and authentic. They are open 24 hours which is awesome! They have four parking spots on the side of the building which is SO convenient. The waitresses are always really polite and friendly. They can get really packed with a late night crowd but everything still comes out promptly. I accidentally locked my keys in the car and they were so nice and let me keep my car in one of their parking spots overnight. Overall, customer service is on point with the food trailing very close.

I ordered a couple of tacos for takeaway lunch at El Gallo Bravo (the full title is Su Nueva Casa Del Gallo Bravo, if you are keeping score). This taco joint on Lawrence is open 24 hours, and is BYOB. I don’t know what the atmosphere is at 3AM, but around noontime there is efficient bilingual service from the staff.
Typical me — I ordered single tacos with three different fillings. I was wondering if I needed to break open a bag of chips at home to fill me up. No needs for chips on this day, as each of the tacos have a generous amount of filling. My favorite of the three was the chorizo, which seemed to have enough flavorful chorizo meat for two tacos. The al pastor and the chicken tacos were fine, though I admit I was concentrating the sides (lime wedges, two kinds of sauces) on these two and not the chorizo. Never had radish slices with tacos before (also on the side), but I ate them all up. If this place were just a teeny bit closer to my house, I might come here more often

I want to start out by saying I was treated to amazing service from the moment I walked into El Gallo Bravo #6. I almost skipped out on this place for boxed mac ‘n cheese with hamburger. Definitely made the better call for Mexican deliciousness. My order was taken immediately and I chose a vacant table next to the drafty windows to wait for my takeout. The waitress was sweet to offer me chips and salsa while I waited for my order. The salsa is infused with cilantro, which didn’t disappear underneath the hair-​raising heat of this sassy little sauce. I busted out my bottled water I had in my purse to help cool things down a little!
I tore into 3 tacos. To switch it up, I got one chicken, steak, and fish. The chicken tacos here are the best and the most authentic tasting. I say that meaning that I feel the chicken taco had the most dimensional layers of everything family-​owned little Mexican restaurants bring to the table in the way of flavor and spices. The aroma of the warm corn tortilla fused beautifully with the marinated chicken, cilantro, and onions. I expected some kind of sauce sobre the fish tacos (like what you come across in gorditas), but the meat was still moist and not over cooked. I just found the fish bland like it needed more spices or something to jazz it up. The steak taco was definitely dry, and I wouldn’t come back for these a second time. I was definitely taken with the creamier side salsas they offer to pour over the tacos. The green was my favorite, but it still wasn’t enough for the fish tacos.
You don’t come here for the atmosphere, but I definitely feel like the restaurant is too bright inside. I’d try to make the place look a little more inviting by using candles on the table or just dimmer lights. Otherwise I feel like El Gallo Bravo is par for the Mexican genre of 24-​hour restaurants. They don’t have to be fancy. All they need to do is keep on delivering the same quality of amazing service I received while I was there and that takes you far in the restaurant industry. Now that I know they are always open, I’ll keep that in mind for late-​night munchies.

This place has very good food the cooks truly take their time in cooking their food so delicious. The waitresses are also nice and attentive to everyone. Best part is that it’s opened 24 hours!

Food is amazing, probably best steak tacos and tortas in the area, but customer service is very hard to judge if you don’t speak Spanish. I speak just barely enough to order (sin frijoles!) but the communication is just off. You’d think they’d have at least one English speaking person on staff. Meh. Food is still worth it, good prices, and 24 hours!

I was really excited to eat here after seeing the reviews but unfortunately, I never got the chance to actually try anything.
My fiancée and I waited about five minutes to have someone come bring us a menu last night, despite it being rather empty, the young woman who ended up bringing us menu made a point of bussing empty plates from a few tables before bothering to drop them off. Didn’t bother asking us if we wanted anything to drink.
About five minutes later she came back and took our food and drink order, but neglected to ever come back. After seeing at least four more tables come in and be seen and brought drinks promptly after they sat down, I told my fiancée I wanted to leave. 15+ minutes with nothing to drink, but every other patron who came in after got their’s within three minutes?
Idk, I guess my skin isn’t the right color for them.

El Gallo Bravo on Lawrence is the closest Mexican restaurant to our apartment. Even though it’s advertised as a «24÷7» joint, it opens and closes as they wish.
So, why weren’t Rosa J. and hubby regulars to this place? The «older» El Gallo Bravo failed the city sanitation inspection and had a mandatory shut-​down for quite some time last year. Nevertheless, it resurrected and has been in business since that fatal temporary closure.
Anyhow, we came this evening after Rosa J.‘s long day of work. Rosa J. did her usual weekend routine: menudo, while hubby had the enchilada de queso. After we found a table and have got ourselves situated, the server delivered for chips and salsa. They weren’t particularly spicy, yet we felt the need to order the drinks. Therefore, a large horchata and a large jamaica helped set the tone for our dinner.
Here are my reflections on each item we had at El Gallo Bravo on a cool, non-​festive Sunday evening:
— horchata: hubby commented that it was too sweet for his palate.
— jamaica: it was actually strong and the amount of sugar was adequate.
— enchilada de queso: it was filling because of the copious amount of cheese. The lettuce was decently fresh, and the arroz appeared appetizing.
— menudo: it was awfully bland. I added all the peppers, diced onions, cilantro, and lime that were given to me to the broth. All these add-​on ingredients still didn’t boost the flavor.
Once again, my quest to find a perfect bowl of menudo in the north-​side Chicago hasn’t yet succeeded. We gave away another hard-​earned $ 24 to this mediocre establishment.

Great carne asada burrito. I got it without the rice and it’s still humongous. I knocked two stars off because their sauces weren’t that great. Sauce is very important!

Great burritos tonight! We need more hot sauce though… one tiny little serving is not enough!

I am only giving 3 stars because of communication. Otherwise their tacos are soooo good!!! But it’s a hassle bc I don’t speak Spanish and they do not understand any English. It’s so frustrating bc I love this place but they need to hire someone who at least understands the basics.

Is this place still open? Called them 5 times tonight and got the operator message telling me the number has been disconnected! One star for teasing me with these amazing looking tacos and then not having a working phone :(guess I’ll have to give my business to Cardona’s

Their carne de asada tacos here are so good! I LOVE how they’re ²⁴⁄₇. Also the place inside looks very clean. Salsa & chips are great as well. I wish they delivered. I will definately be coming back here.

Love this place it’s 24hrs. and the al pastor is the best I’ve had on this side of the border! They put the pineapple on it! Worth a visit anytime of the day!

This place is open 24hrs and has a separate parking lot so parking isn’t difficult (esp. Since it’s located on Lawrence).
Food is alright for quick bites. Nice sized plates of food. Takes CASH ONLY. Home made salsa is alright. Good service.

i walked by here last night and it smelled so good, i had to drop in and get some chicken tacos to go. HUGE portions of chicken, literally busting out of the tortilla and inexpensive too. might be the least chincy taco ive ever gotten in chicago. that orange sauce they give you is different from your standard green or red salsa, but it is awesome. i will definitely be going back here. plus, 24 hours? sheeeiit.

If you know a better place, please let me know. Until then, this is the place for al pastor. Open until 5am for your fix.

I went here for a late Saturday lunch at 2pm today with my family. The place wasn’t busy, which was to be expected. There were maybe 3 tables occupied.
Right away, we were given homemade chips and 3 types of salsa: a smooth creamy orange sauce with a kick, salsa fresca, and a smooth creamy avocado sauce with a little punch of its own. My favorite salsa was the avocado, but all of them were pretty tasty.
I ordered 3 tacos with just onions and cilantro: 2 carne asada and 1 chile relleno. Everyone else ordered carne asada tacos as well, but with different toppings. You can have just onions and cilantro, or you can go all out and add lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and cheese. I prefer simplicity when it comes to my tacos.
After we ordered, they brought out cups of chicken noodle soup with limes on the side. Delicious! I added a squeeze of lime to mine, but it wasn’t really necessary. The soup was good all on its own.
Now, for the tacos… The chile relleno taco was not very flavorful. It was improved by a squeeze of lime and some salsa, but I probably won’t order it again. The carne asada tacos were good, but not great. The meat was cut a bit on the thinner side, and the meat was cooked a bit more than I’d like. They were pretty tasty again with a squeeze of lime and some salsa.
El Gallo Bravo, you were good, but my heart still belongs to La Pasadita.

I come here more often than I care to admit because it is such an excellent place for an inexpensive, fast, and fulfilling meal. I usually get takeout because I live in the neighborhood, but it is actually a nice, clean, cheerful place to dine in too. It is almost never empty, and the crowd actually seems to pick up after midnight on the weekends.
I am obsessed with their chips and salsa — both the green and orange salsas are incredibly spicy, but I often crave it and can’t stop eating it once it’s in front of me. You get this complimentary when you eat in, and they usually also give me some to much on while I wait for my carry out order. I also usually order this to go — just beware that because it isn’t on the menu, the price they charge sometime varies depending on who is ringing you up. They aren’t trying to pull one over on you — I just don’t think anyone knows for sure how much they are suppose to charge for it.
Ok — enough about chips and salsa (because I’m getting hungry now). I also like their refried beans and steak tostada, while my husband prefers thier chicken tacos. I’m not a big fan of their rice, largely because I don’t like peas (there are enough peas in the rice that it is difficult to pick them all out). They also give you grilled onions and peppers with your meal, but we never eat these. Our out of town friends love this place — much more authentic and flavorful than what they can get in Indiana.

I’ve been here many times at different hours of the day and they consistently make good food. They have large portions for their entrees so I suggest sharing with a friend (or two).
Thanks Mark G. for suggesting this place.