Rubi’s at the New Maxwell Street Market

«Keep Calm and Have a Taco» … Don’t mind if I do! There’s a lot of great food on Maxwell Street Sundays, but Rubi’s is my go-​to favorite. Nothing real fancy, just a real good authentic taco served by some real friendly people. If you’re in the area on a Sunday, do yourself a favor and stroll up and down the market and enjoy a great lunch.

I can’ really say anything without repeating everyone else, but YES, YES, YES! These tacos are all that and them some. From the homemade ground and fried tortillas to the chunk of chihuahua cheese they put on top of your steak and melt it in… to the taste explosion in your mouth… this is a party I don’t ever want to end. They are usually the ONLY ones at the market with a ridiculously long line… and that’s a sign… they are damn good and worth waiting for. Super fresh and super tasty… int he words of the man behind the grill… YES, YES, YES!

These are the best tacos/​quesadillas I’ve ever eaten by faaaaaar. I like everything I’ve tried, but steak is my favorite. The meat is grilled and well seasoned. The tortillas are homemade. The cheese is melted. The green sauce is so good. The tacos/​quesadilla are huge and priced well. There’s nothing left to say, except «get you some ASAP.» You’re welcome!

Street tacos from the heavens! Rubi’s knows how to deliver the best of the best here on Maxwell.
Having been around for so many years, it’s no surprise that this small shack consistenly draws in big crowds. On Sunday’s during Maxwell’s Street Market, they open up shop to the local community and sell their bomb tacos and quesadillas. For $ 3+, you get what I call the Chicago KING/​QUEEN of Street Tacos.
They produce, pound, and bake their own tortilla here, and watching them make it is also a spectacle. The selection of meats, veggies, and sauces here outweigh other taco stands in the same area. They are GENEROUS with the queso, so I do recommend ordering a quesadilla over the taco just to get this. I myself got one drowning in chile and chicharrón, and it was nothing short of spectacular.
I definitely see myself coming back here again for more tacos. None of the other stands have it as great as Rubi’s. It is worth every minute in line.

Tacos under a tent in a street market? Yeeeesss, yesss, yesss! What a fun experience. The tortillas themselves were the best I ever had and my steak and mushroom taco was juicy and delish. There is bound to be a line, get in it! You won’t be sorry! I found some horchata while we waited in line and it was amazing as well. My only reason reason for four stars is that my husband did not like the pork tacos as much, but I thought they were yummy. So let’s split it and say 4.5!

It is always a pleasure working with Rubi“s.a family run and staffed business. The food is amazing and a great value. The famaily takes pride in preparing excellent food. The family catered for one of my brides recently. The whole experience was very positive from the move in to the service and move out. I would recommend them to anyone. I would put the food on par with anything that I have had in Mexico City, on the street.

Rubi’s has the best tortillas! As much as I wanted to visit Maxwell Street Market, Rubi’s was a big reason for that.
There are so many taco stands at Maxwell. Rubi’s was the only one with a long line. Yes, it is worth waiting!
They make their own tortillas, which are the best! I watched the lady grab some «dough» and smash it into a tortilla. The tortillas are thick and soft, they don’t get soggy or leaky like other tortillas.
I had an asaca con nopales taco (steak with cactus). My parents winced like kids until I let them try the cactus. It’s crunchy like a sauteed bell pepper. Try it! The steak wasn’t one of the best, but I loved the tortillas and was happy to try the cactus.
I also had a quesadilla. Rubi’s doesn’t skimp on the cheese. I think it’s queso fresco, even though my dad kept calling it «mozzarella.» Aye pinche gringo!
There are only a few seats, but I had no problem taking a seat on the curb. You’re at a flea market, nobody’s judging.

Not much else to add from what others have said. The freshly-​made tortillas are the real winners here. This makes the taco/​quesadilla experience all the better. They grill the cheese before even making it into a quesadilla. I had the al pastor taco and it was tasty. The pineapple wasn’t that great, but I blame that on seasonality.

I’ve been excited and intrigued for authentic street food at the Maxwell Street market and to Rubi’s cause I’ve seen way too many reruns of Rick Bayless rejoicing the awesomeness of freshly made tacos.
Wait was about 40 minutes.
As the wait was so long, I put in a big order, thinking I’m not going to stand in line again, and plus Mr. Bayless said these were his favorite.
Al Pastor — my typical standby for a taco stand.
Lengua — the misunderstood meat, and my tie breaker if this place is either awesome or not good.
Asado Quesadilla — pretty much like a taco, but with the griddled mild cheese. (This ended being my favorite of the three).
It was a lot of food. I barely finished the 2^nd one and took one for the road … mainly because my friend got us a tamale to eat while standing in line.
The truth was, they were just okay. The taco shells are quite chewy, doughy and sits heavy. The lengua had an off smell and too soft and overall just kinda gross. And I usually like lengua for the record. And for the al pastor, didn’t do it for me. Honestly, all it was mostly «bready» taco… I feel bad, but I’m giving it the extra star because I haven’t been to anywhere else like this to compare. It’s a unique to Chicago, I’ll give it that!

YES! YES! YESS!!! Lol you’ll get what that means one you enter the long line that is formed once Ruby’s Opens Up! This place is absolutely Phenomenal! TOO good for words! It’s authentic! RICK Bayless loves this place too and is highly recommended! The long line is well worth it!

Yes! YES! YESSS!
These words call to mind that scene from When Harry Met Sally, the one that catapulted the perky Meg Ryan to fame. For those of you who don’t recall the scene, here’s a link:
. For those of you who haven’t heard of Meg Ryan, she is an actress who used to be famous a couple of decades ago.
The mustachioed taco slinger at Rubi’s is either a big fan of the movie or is drawing on his own experience when he yells out «Yes! YES! YESSS!» to tout their orgasmically delicious offerings. His cry can be heard a block away and will help you locate the most famous of Maxwell St. Market’s stalls. Rubi’s offers a variety of tacos from beef tongue to squash blossom. My favorites are the al pastor and the asada.
The tortillas are made on the spot and filled with a stack of meat. They are topped with onion and cilantro (or lettuce and tomato if you prefer) and a grilled pepper. Be warned that the pepper may pack a lot of heat. Of the two sauce options, I’d recommend the salsa verde. The tacos are big and two are usually enough to fill me up.
Rubi’s is only open on Sundays. I would suggest going early to avoid the lines. Trust me, it’s worth getting up a little early to have some of the best tacos in Chicago.
I’ll have what she’s having!

Most of the time, long lines for food when there are numerous options at a festival or in this case a market don’t lie. We tried tacos at another stand and they just didn’t stack up to Rubi’s. Their tortillas are made fresh on the spot. I recommend getting quesadillas. They aren’t your standard quesadilla. Instead it’s a taco with a brick of quest melter into it. Phenomenal! Their Al pastor and Asada with cactus were the big winners. The food tastes fresh and is plentiful. The price is awesome too for the quality. We came out of the suburbs just to try Rubi’s and have no regrets. A great find in the City. Too bad they are open only once a week…

Fresh Fresh Fresh. I have no idea why there is a line around the restaurant at Chipotle when you can get fresh tortillas and tacos on Maxwell St. I personally think the beef was a little bit chewy when I went, but everything else was so fresh and delicious it made up for it. The homemade corn tortillas are delicious, and everything is made there in house and the portions are nice. I’m trying to check out different Maxwell St. taco stands, so I don’t know that this one makes it to the top of my list, but not bad.

this is off the chain!!! i had been wanting to try rubi’s for a long time. finally made
a huge fan!!! their tacos are absolutely delicious!!! at the top of my list for tacos in chicago. why the hell it took me so long to come here is beyond me. too bad they’re inly open on sunday. hell yeah im coming back!!! over and over and over!!!

We came here around 11 on Sunday and the BF and I shared a carnitas and cheese quesadilla, and then we had steak and pepper taco. For a total of $ 7, the deal and the taste cant be beat. I didn’t enjoy how wet the taco/​quesadilla was as it was sitting on our plate. It was like it was sitting in a shallow pool. The portions were huge, so that was another plus but from the rave reviews, I was expecting more.

I look forward to every Sunday so I could come to Rubi’s for their amazing tacos. I wish they had an actual location, but I guess the weekly wait makes it that much better. The lines here can be long depending on the time. I waited as little as 0 minutes to as long as 30 minutes. I always go with the Steak and Mushroom Quesadilla, which is pure awesomeness! The tortilla is what makes this place stand out compare to other taco joint. They make it fresh right in front of you. The Yes! Yes! Yes! guy is also entertaining and extremely nice. I went with my friend and he had his English Bulldog with him and the «Yes Man» came over and opened a brand new bottle of water and a bowl for him to drink. Very nice of him. I will definitely come back here!

It has been 2 weeks and I am still thinking about the food in this place.
So I came to the Maxwell Street Market with a friend and were walking around trying to decide what to eat. I knew I wanted to have some Rubi’s but not sure if I wanted to try something else.
I call my friend and ask him if there was something else in here that I should try,
He told me: Did you eat at Rubi’s yet? no, I answered.
He goes on. are you in line? again me nope.
And he pushes, what are you doing, go get in line at Rubi’s, eat there and then you decide if you want to eat anywhere else.
Ok then, we went straight to Rubi’s and ordered 4 quesadillas to share with my friend. Pastor, flor de calabaza, asada con queso and chicharron.
Pastor was really good, good flavor. But the flor de calabaza was amazing, so flavorful and tangy. Asada and chicharron were very good as well.
And of course they come on a freshly made tortilla with good quality cheese.
They also give you grilled onions and jalapeño peppers, extra points for that. The salsas they have available are pretty good, the peanut one is extremely hot so be careful.
Customer service is fast and helpful, and if yes the lines can get long, it is worth the wait.
I really enjoyed eating there, we were able to find seats and enjoy the food. Talked to a couple of customers and everybody there seemed to be in a good mood.
I guess good food comes with that side effect
Rubi’s a must if in the market

YES! YES! YES! For those that have frequent Sundays at the Maxwell Street market know exactly what I mean. Today was my first visit at Rubi’s. I follow their instagram page and that pretty much sealed the deal for me to make a visit.
Walking into the market via Desplaines and Polk I was trying to figure out where Rubi’s food tent was. Then I hear the loud «YES…YES…YES», which served like a bat signal navigation. So I jumped in line and waited my turn. I ordered 3 Steak (asada) tacos, 1 Al Pastor (pork), 1 gatorade and 1 water bottle for my dine in under their tent area. But I knew I wanted more for later so I had them also wrap up to go 1 Steak taco, 1 pork taco and 1 taco with mole sauce.
All the tortillas are handmade right in front of you. The family working and making the food are the most kind hearted group ever. Each of my tacos were custom made with this not that and it was no problem. I sat down ate my food and was very pleased with my experience.
The steak tacos are seasoned and fresh. I added rajas which added just the right amount of spicy kick. The pork tacos are from the spit similar to how gyros are cooked and served.
I definitely brought my appetite cause I smashed 3 big tacos in less than 10 minutes. All in all I loved the energy at Rubi’s and look forward to more Sunday Fundays at the Maxwell Street market.

I’m so excited to take my son to Rubi’s for his first tacos. Unfortunately for him, he’s 6 months old right now and doesn’t have teeth yet, so I will be eating his tacos. SUCKER!
Rubi’s serves the best tacos in Chicago. Everyone we bring there has agreed. The al pastor is my favorite, but I also love the mole, carne/​nopales. The biggest tragedy is that the tacos are really big so I can only usually pack in 3. Everything is fresh and made right there on the griddle, including the tortillas, which totally makes the tacos outstanding and authentic. The homemade hot sauce on the tables might make steam come out of your ears and your lips may burn for hours, but it also has amazing flavor and I usually put a dab on everything.
Rubi’s is delicious and authentic and is truly the first real sign of spring for me. As soon as it warms up enough, I wake from hibernation, migrate to the Maxwell St Market, and gorge myself. Be prepared to stand in a long line, no matter the weather. That’s OK because the chatter between the patrons in line and the banter from behind the griddle are pretty funny.
ándale! Time to go to Rubi’s!

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG! #SOFREAKINGGOOD
This is the best taco stand in Maxwell Street Market… no lie
Yes, you will wait in a ridiculous line.
Yes, they make their tortillas right there
Yes, it is CHEAP!
Yes, it will change your Mexican life forever
No, do not think that every stand is the same here… Rubi’s is by far the best. Manolo’s another good one, but still not as good.