Takito Kitchen

Was at Do Division Fest on Friday night and decided to skip the food trucks for some tacos at Takito Kitchen. They were slammed but my friend and I were able to snag some bar seats close to the door. I think you can make reservations so I would recommend that!
Our waiter, Jhonatan, was fantastic. Very knowledgeable about the whole menu, checked in regularly without interrupting our conversation and funny too! I started with the Caliente margarita and my friend got the seasonal strawberry one. Awesome. Some of the best margs I’ve had in Chicago. We also did the ghost pepper hibiscus salsa and chips. It’s not overpowering so don’t let the ghost pepper scare you.
We decided to share the Amish chicken and beef barbacoa tacos. You can do 3 or 4 per order. Both of them were really good! Takito’s tacos are definitely on par with Big Star, if not a little better in my opinion.
Really impressed with this place! So glad we popped in for dinner and drinks!

I stopped by here for the first time today and I couldn’t be happier with my meal! (To be honest I was on my way to Antique Taco, but the weather got the best of me and my friend and we decided to pop into Takito instead).
They have an outdoor patio that’s super close to the patio of the restaurant next door. It’s a little too close quarters for my liking so we decided to sit inside. As soon as we walked in we were promptly greeted and given a table.
To start off we ordered a round of the Takito margaritas and Mexican cokes. The margaritas are on the smaller side, our server did mention that they have a larger size but the price seemed steep for a margarita. Sizing aside, they were beautifully presented with a salt garnish on one side of the cup and a lime slice, tasted great too!
For our meal we went with an order of fish tacos and pork belly tacos. They were SO GOOD. The pork belly was cooked perfectly and served on a homemade sesame tortilla. The fish tacos were on a hibiscus tortilla (which might be the prettiest taco I’ve ever seen) and were so bright and colorful, you can tell a lot of thought went into creating this menu.
Takito does orders of 3 or 4 tacos. Pricing wise it works out to be about $ 4 a taco and after my meal an order of 3 worked out perfectly for me. As someone who works on Division, I’m for sure going to be ordering lunch from Takito from now on!

Nope, never again. My fiancé and I visited last night (a Wednesday) because it was his birthday and he loves tacos and margaritas and we had just spent all day moving into our new apartment so we were looking for a filling yet relatively inexpensive meal. We were the only ones seated inside for most of the evening but for the number of times our server just passed by without acknowledging us you would’ve thought it was packed. That’s not what earned Takito one star, though.
We sat down and immediately began searching for margaritas. I settled on the pineapple serrano and my fiancé chose the caliente. We love mezcal and saw they had a few types on the menu, so we asked our server if we could substitute mezcal for tequila and she said sure. When we ordered, she asked if we would like «big» ones, which were listed as $ 20 on the menu. Thinking she might not be back by to bring us more drinks often, we said of course. She then left and brought the chips and salsa we ordered. The drinks arrived, were tasty (but by no means «big»), and then it took what seemed like forever to even place our food order – the chips and salsa were long gone before we even told her what tacos we wanted.
Now. We got the lamb and beef tacos, and inhaled them. The food was good, and fairly priced, though I’ve had much better tacos in the area for much cheaper. But when the bill came, I just put money down since I was paying for my fiancés dinner for his birthday. Once the change came back, I went through the bill and noticed we were charged $ 28 apiece for the «big» margaritas in which we substituted mezcal for tequila instead of the $ 20 like the menu said. Okay, I thought, maybe the mezcal they offer is more expensive than the tequila. But no. They offer a mezcal mule for only $ 10 and their other mezcal on the menu is $ 11 so in no way, shape or form should substituting mezcal for tequila (even in a double) cost us a total of $ 16 more. Furthermore, in a day and age when they tell you at Chipotle that guacamole is 50 cents extra, you’d think they’d MAYBE mention that there would be an EIGHT DOLLAR UPCHARGE to substitute one kind of liquor for another.
Anyway, we learned our lesson. Got hoodwinked. It was probably our fault for not making sure the drinks would be the same price, and it was our fault for coming here in the first place. Won’t make that mistake again!

Very pleasantly surprised. Gourmet food. The polenta is to die for. And the tacos are definitely not your uncle’s tacos. Pretty cool atmosphere as well.

The food was tasty, but I can’t get over being deceived by the discrepancy of the pricing on the main and weekend lunch menus.
We were charged the normal prices for both the Three Sister Polenta and Asparagus even though we dined within the time frame as stated on the weekend lunch menu. I mean it’s no big deal to be charged $ 3 more, but when it clearly states on the menu used to serve consumers and those prices aren’t honored. I’d feel a bit unjust. Was thinking about coming back, but thinking twice.

Ok yes we came on Cinco De Mayo. But I REALLY hope we just had bad luck when it comes to service. We made reservations three weeks in advance. Came in on time and they forgot about us. When we reminded them of our reservation they thought we were walk ins and seated us shoulder to shoulder at a communal table. We asked to be moved and were denied. We explained that we had reservations and they promised to move us, then didn’t, again. We ordered margaritas. I ordered a large. They gave me a small. The waitress apologized, promised I’d get another large with my next margarita. They brought me a small margarita AGAIN! Waitress came over and apologized, saying the person who brought over the margarita was new and didn’t know the tables yet and brought the small drinks to the wrong table. You started new people on CINCO DE MAYO at a MEXICAN RESTAURANT? It’s really, really a shame because the food and the margaritas are good. And our poor waitress was trying to make up for the fact that every single person in that restaurant didn’t know what the hell they were doing. She should get work elsewhere and Takito should up its service.

Not bad for an impromptu delivery order. Delivery felt like it took forever! A little over an hour.
The crab ceviche was enjoyable with good flavors. The masa crackers were interesting and somewhat addicting once I kept eating them. We order the chicken and lamb tacos to split. The chicken was great! Loved them. Lamb was only ok. The cheese was overpowering for my taste. The corn tortillas were on par, though!
We will most likely return to try it again, and possibly even try brunch!

I love Bar Takito, so I decided to come check out Takito Kitchen’s patio on a beautiful evening before Bar Takito’s patio opened. The patio is small with only 4 – 5 tables out there, but there is plenty of seating indoors.
The kitchen is visible from most areas of the dining room, which is how I learned that they make their tortillas fresh from dough right before your eyes! And you can definitely taste that freshness in each bite!
I tried the combo of three salsa, which were all tasty with my favorite being the delicious ghost pepper salsa. The name is misleading because it’s not spicy but full of rich flavors! The Crab Ceviche was ok, although I was not a fan of the masa crackers it’s served with. I much prefer the ceviche at Bar Takito, unfortunately. The Pork Belly Tacos were really delicious and definitely my favorite of the foods I tried while I was there.
They also have some great margarita options with spicy, sweet or smokey varieties for whatever strikes your fancy! I prefer the ambiance and drink selection at Bar Takito, but this is also a great place to dine and have a drink!

caliente margarita was the best margarita I have ever had. Sweet spicy amazing. Some of the best tacos ever and the salsas are delicious.

A bit out of the norm for a review update in less than two weeks but Takito’s exemplary follow up was a factor that played heavily into a return visit and subsequent update in such short time.
It is often said that the four letter word «Customer Service» is a lost art, and you would get no argument from me. It is almost inconceivable to me at how lack luster some establishment’s (restaurant and otherwise) can treat this component of their business and expect to succeed.
For one, to me, it is the lens through which, and perfect metaphor for, how much they are invested in and how passionate they are about their chosen venture. And with food, you better bring it imo.
I’ll just say there are few out there on par with Takito. Without boring you with details, I assure you that Mario and his staff are as meticulous and thoughtful about how they treat their clientele as they are about the food and drink they serve. And this extends all the way to the staff servers they choose to hire as well, as they are a reflection of those qualities and they exude them with a charm all their own.
Oh, and the fried chicken Wednesday’s are quite good, i mean really good! and good deal too. And so is the Caliente Margarita. V Hot, a given etc.
So I’ll part with that, but not with Takito.

We had reservations on a Saturday night and were seated promptly. Our server quickly came to greet us and explain the menu to us. We both ordered the seasonal margarita, which was a pomegranate margarita. It was just alright. It didn’t blow me away, but it wasn’t terrible. We started with the avocado purée, which was definitely smooth like a purée. You have the choice of ordering tacos in threes or fours. We decided to go with two orders of three tacos. We had the crispy fish and the pork belly. The fish tacos lacked flavor and were really rather boring. They had some hotness to them, but that’s the only thing that was memorable. I like the pork belly more. The hint of peanuts added a nice taste and the meat was pretty good. Service was great at the beginning, but declined as the meal went on. When our tacos arrived at the table, we asked for more chips and water. We had to flag someone down to ask again as we still hadn’t received them. The space is interesting as it’s very long and narrow. The tables are on one side, and the kitchen and «bar» are on the other. To get to the back of the restaurant you walk by the messy, wet «bar» area. It’s more of just where they make the drinks. Overall, everything was just okay. Nothing wowed us. I was actually a little disappointed because we were both looking forward to having tacos and our expectations were not met.

* UPDATE — I received a very nice and apologetic reply from the owner and he couldn’t have been more professional and sincere in his reply. I’ve updated the stars and will be going back to give it another try.
Our visit left us with happy tummies but angry thoughts due to a long time to receive food and an unhelpful manager. The night in question left us a bit unhappy with how things went down but the food and drinks were just as good as they have always been. I appreciate the follow up as it shows that the owner cares deeply in how his customers experience is.

I’ve been to Takito twice now, once for dinner and once for lunch. Both times I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, but the service was a little slower than I usually prefer. Especially at lunch, it seemed like they needed another server working. Our server was very nice and doing a good job, but she could have used some back up!
The bacon polenta is a must order– my gosh is it delicious. It has pieces of corn and crispy bacon inside and it’s incredibly creamy. The tacos are all good– my favorites are the Barbacoa and Fish! The food definitely deserves 5 stars!

We decided to give Takito Kitchen another shot this weekend, and we were really impressed this time! We were warmly greeted as soon as we walked into the restaurant to check in about our 5 PM reservation time on a Saturday. Everything was timely and prompt about our service.
We each decided to order four tacos and we also enjoyed two flavors of agua fresca (hibiscus and cucumber). The cucumber was definitely my favorite: so refreshing and with real cucumber!
We decided to order four tacos each (you can choose to order either three tacos for $ 12 or four tacos for $ 16). I got the lamb merguez tacos, which were flavorful and had generous portions of lamb. I also tried one of the brunkow cheese tacos that my girlfriend ordered and I have to say, WOW! Not bad for a vegetarian taco.
The manager was very kind and chatted with us a bit about the restaurant and what they stand for before leaving. That was a really nice personal touch that I appreciated as a customer. We will definitely be recommending Takito Kitchen to people in the future. I’m glad I decided to give Takito another chance.

We, a party if 4, waited 2 hours on a Saturday night and I am not at all upset about it. The hostesses were upfront about the wait and kept us posted. We drank at the bar next door while we waited. It was so worth it.
Food:
Polenta — like a nacho fondue type flavor. Amazing!
Beef taco– yes. Better than big star’s beef taco.
Fish taco– hot. Fresh. Better than big star’s fish taco.
Chicken taco– better than big star chicken taco BY FAR!!! My boyfriend claims it’s the best taco he’s ever had. Like ever.
Pork — I can’t. This taco. This pork taco took me to another place. This taco was the best taco I’ve ever eaten. Better than big star’s Panza, I shit you not. I took a bite and felt like I had transcended.
Margaritas — strong. The spicy one is legit spicy.

This is my second time at this restaurant and the quality of food is consistent. They just changed the entire menu this week so if you have been there before and looking for the same food it won’t be there. Everything on the menu has change. The new menu is great though. We had the shirmp ceviche, pork taco (soooo delicious. makes my mouth water) and the fish tacos. Everything was great! My fav part of this restaurant is the Paloma’s. OMG they are delicious. They come in a clay pot. 5 stars on that cocktail!

What a great surprise! Service was friendly and explain any questions we had. We tried the Shrimp tacos, and fish tacos! I think I loved the Shrimp a little more. The cucumber fresh water drink is summer in your mouth, fresh and crisp juice drink! The rice and beans are so good too, nothing like I had before I would go back just for rice and beans alone. Lol.

Went here with a friend for a little Saturday afternoon lunch. We got there around 1:30 and they were reasonably packed. About half way full. So we got seated rather quickly. The restaurant is long and narrow and kinda dark but towards the back it’s more open and light. We sat in a booth and has a great view of the kitchen. Which I’m a nerd and loved because I got to watch them cook up deliciousness!
We both had margaritas. I had the regular one and my girl had the pineapple margarita. Both were fantastic! They don’t have a bartender so the waitstaff make your drinks. Which was fine because the drinks came out great! No complaints.
Our server talked us into the specials. I got the sopas and my friend got the chicken chiliques (sp?). I liked her meal better. Tastes like chicken nachos. Not to knock the pork belly sopas at all. I mean I basically licked the plate.
I just wish I lived closer to this place. I’d def be a regular. Yummy food, strong drinks, great service. Go check em out!

Don’t come if you have a sensitive stomach– but if you got an iron stomach like I do and want creatively filled tacos, strong cocktails, and a fun environment– just hop into Takito. I would call to make a recommendation– it’s a smaller restaurant.
TACOS: You can get 3 of the same tacos for 12, or 4 for 14. If you like variety– share. Listen to the special– they may have one. It’s not as good as Big Star or Mercadito– but it’s pretty good. It’s not the highest quality of meat– but so tasty. Loved the fish tacos, but the beef barbacoa was my favorite.
Guac/​Salsa: Don’t do. The guac is pureed but I like thick pieces of avocado and spice and the salsa’s have no flavors. Just get a second cocktail instead.
You may be full and have to pass dessert– I understand. A great casual and fun environment for a date. Service is not bad– the people are friendly but can be slow — esp. for drinks. It’s also can get pricey. But if you’re looking to fill your stomach up– this is the place for you!

So many things to say. 1) the drinks (specifically margaritas) are incredible. they’re very unique which i love — the spicy margarita was my favorite. 2) food is delicious as well. the ceviche was fantastic, as was the various chips & salsas. love this place and will continue coming back.