El Famous Burrito

Delicious, Cheap, Fast, what’s not to love? We always do carry-​out here. We love the tortas and fries. I’ve also had the quesadillas here once, they were also good!

Five stars. I don’t know what happened with their old location in Des Plaines, but after driving around in rush hour traffic, and just being very tired, and worn out from the work day, I needed a quick burrito to go. Went in, paid for said burrito, got the goods in a prompt amount of time (maybe spent like 3 minutes tops, waiting). Excellent service, tasty food, polite staff. Definitely need to come back here. Can never go wrong with El Famous!

I don’t get the hype about this place. It’s your typical hole in the wall Mexican «restaurant» with average food. The fries were not good, but then what was I thinking ordering fries from a burrito joint in the first place? I have had their veggie tacos which were tasty however, my steak burrito was a major disappointment. The steak was a taupe color and looked like it was cooked (it has no char or carmelization at all). On top of that, i had to spit out too many chewy/​hard parts. I hate that… Not a place I would return to.

If you want to experience orgasm through eating go there:) and i’m not a foodie haha but their dishes are so good i am literally screaming from pleasure :), especially veggie tacos with green hot sauce mmmmm heaven!

Went here for lunch with my best friend for lunch. Ordered 4 chicken tacos and a large horchata with no ice. The meal I ordered was filling and very inexpensive coming in at $ 11. The best is coming in the on the two days they have $ 1 tacos. Chicken was very flavorful and best topped with the red spicy sauce they keep in the fridge. The atmosphere however is very much like someone’s house. Place is a bit small and serves it purpose of quick grab and go Mexican food. Overall pretty good food in my opinion.

Second time here…
once again I had ordered their meatless nachos (I don’t know why I did this when for the price, quality and quantity I could have gone to TBK on oakton and gotten better). when paying the slightly older lady at the register kept on chewing her gum with her mouth open and popping it, i thought it was just a little rude. After paying I waited on the side for my nachos and this same lady comes out and starts sweeping the floor RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I had moved, once again, but you’d think an excuse me would be in order. So, their food is just OK, nothing special, next time I’m craving mexican food and do not feel like driving far I’ll definitely go to taco burrito king. Gave 2 stars just because of the food, had i looked at the customer service I’d give this place –7 stars.

I do not understand the negative reviews here. This is the best Mexican restaurant in this area, and there are others that are excellent. The enchiladas, burritos, tacos and anything else I have ordered have been as good as those from my roots in California and from my time living in New Mexico. Fantastic food. Lovely service. Inexpensive. What in the world do people want?

Used to go here a lot. The tacos are usually pretty good They do have taco tuesday with $ 1 tacos. The thing that pisses me off is when you order take out Example… 6 tacos togo and they put 3 tiny cups of hot sauce inside. I asked can i get a few more. She hands me one more. I ask again can I get a a couple more, she hands me one again and she definitely understood me fine. Its like WTF are you saving them to take them home or something. There is large bottles on every table, why hoard the ones in the tiny plastic cups. On that note… Tacos 3 – 4 stars Service and sauce hoarder 1 star.

First of all — they raised the cost of the $ 1 taco to a $ 1.25 okay, not the end of the world, but the quality of the product has decreased drastically. I will NOT be back to eat there ever, even if they lower their prices to free.

Anyone who knows Chicago Mexican food knows the El Famous brand. It’s a chain, of sorts, in that it’s a brand name shared by several affiliated (but not necessarily partnered) business owners. WAY back when as a college kid we started going to the El Famous on N. Clark St in Chicago. I hate to date myself but we’re talking 30 years ago. We could get a great steak burrito for like $ 2 and bring in a six pack from the liquor store next door. The owner Vince was the best. Years later when I found myself out in the NW burbs and discovered Vince owned the Mt Prospect El Famous too, I became a regular.
Well that was then and this is now.
After a while there developed a «counter cartel» of guys taking orders and making food whom I didn’t really care for. I always got the feeling they were one step removed from thugs. They’d try coy little tactics to push t-​shirts and shake down tips like they were street hustlers. Didn’t like it, and the food wasn’t great a couple times so I stopped going. I hadn’t been there for about five years until just recently when I did give it another try.
I’m not sure if Vince owns this location any more, can’t say for sure but this past visit there it seemed an unfamiliar couple (mid 40s or so) were in charge. Anyway the man gave me some very nasty looks, which gave me the impression he was mistaking me for someone else. I mean he was glaring at me. I almost left but didn’t. I ordered a steak burrito, rice and drink. The burrito was OK, that was it. I doubt I would ever go back.
Vince, if you’re out there and you still own this place, I’d love to see a response.

I was here last Sunday and ordered a burrito. Service was excellent. Burrito, besides falling completely apart, was tasteless, even with their salsa. Threw most of it away.
I was there today for $ 1 tacos. Got chicken and bound beef. Again had no flavor.
I may be back to check out their nachos, but that’s a big maybe. The one in Wheeling is soooo much better.

Their food has been a staple of my diet since discovering them as a teenager on Clark street in Chicago. Always fast and delicious no matter what items I order. I’ve tried other well rated places with similar menus just for variety, though El Famous is still number one.

HORRIBLE! Treatment that is! The cashier was NOT HAPPY 2 see a NEW customer, felt disrespected female was not nice. Ordered 2 steak burritos thgt I heard her say ground meet so I repeated myself «that is steak right»? She said yes, got home they were ground beef ! NO cheese NO sour cream & the large burrito barely had any meat– called her back she DID NOT even apologize instead she blamed me! How can u mess up on such an easy order– make sure u GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!

This place is not that different from a lot of other Mexican fast food places. The price are reasonable and it sports a nice easy to get to location. I’ve been there a handful of times.

Best lunch special in the area hands down. The burrito and fry special is nearly impossible to beat. But a little inconsistent in size and all of a sudden they charge for the small container of carrots jalps and onions. $ 1 taco Tuesday is great, but be prepared for the crowds. Their burrito is my favorite in the area. If ur near by and hungry I doubt u will regret it. Random comment a friend just told me their quesadilla are very good and super cheap. Haven’t tried them myself but look forward to ok my next visit. Give it a shot if ur close bye.

They have $ 1 tacos on Mondays and Tuesdays, and they have a veggie option (with avocados, lettuce, tomatoes, and refried beans), a chicken option (seasoned shredded chicken, which is quite great), and a steak option (dices of beef cubes that are a little overly cooked). I actually really like the veggie and the chicken; the veggie is nice and creamy with the avocado and you barely miss the meat with the refried beans. The chicken is good as well with the meat being shredded and seasoned quite well. Customer service was quite nice, though, and the joint itself is located in a plaza off of Rand and Central.
+#1 taco Mondays/​Tuesdays
+veggie tacos!
+chicken tacos!
+friendly staff

I went here on a suggestion from my carpool buddy and ordered the stuffed pepper burrito. Service was fast and courteous, the burrito was absolutely delicious;and what the heck is in that absolutely amazing green salsa?
As a city girl, I must warn you to be careful if you’re crossing the drive path in the parking lot. Those suburbanized people in their giant SUVs drive horribly fast.
I only give it 4 stars because I need to try other menu items.

Note, this is a review of El Famous Burrito at Mount Prospect and it is specific to their tacos. Why just their tacos? Because they have a special Taco Tuesday and Sunday where all tacos are $ 1. If you’re going to have a special on something, at least make it good. I’m not sure how the other El Famous Burritos stack up against this one, but I can tell you this specific location has really declined over the years. I remember when I first started coming here 4-​years ago and had quality Mexican food. It was tasty, the quality of meat was great and the prices were good.
Perhaps this location has gotten too big too fast?
In the last 2-​years or so, El Famous Burrito has implemented a Taco Tuesday (and Sunday) where all their tacos were selling for a buck. That’s a pretty awesome deal for this cheap Unilocaler as you can spend $ 10 on tacos and have enough for dinner and lunch the next day. The tacos were so good, they tasted great even when reheated. The steak tacos were my go-​to. In the past year or so, I’m not sure if their profit margins are less because of the Taco Tuesday deal, but when you order the steak tacos, you get the cow-​cartilage tacos instead. Every other bite is a chomp on either fatty meat and/​or cartalidge. The chicken tacos are leaner, but there will be bones in it every now and then. Perhaps its a fluke? Not so, as every time I order the steak tacos (fool me 5x shame on me!) there’s a gem of fat with every other bite. The ground beef tacos are decent, but I’m thinking its because they grinded up all the fat and cartilage to an unrecognizable pile of meat.
Also, in the past, you can grab your hot sauces and hot peppers/​carrots/​onions as you please. I’m not asking for freebies, but now they charge .25-​cents for every small solo cup container of hot peppers. I don’t mind paying for it, but you kind of need it to mask the bland flavor of the tacos now. It’s almost like charging for salt and pepper packets at this point.
I’ve had their tostados and burritos in the past, and they were tasty, but I’ll admit I haven’t had them in awhile. I’ll give those a chance and will update my reviews in the future.
BATHROOM REVIEW: THe bathroom is located at the end of a dingy looking hallway. There is a private bathroom for mens and another for womens. Inside, I was surprised that it wasn’t as dingy as the hallway. I was kind of expecting a Chinatown bathroom, but this one was decent… not good, but decent. The toilet looked clean, but the sink was dirty and the tiles on the floor was dingy as well. Be careful stepping back after you pee or else you can twist your ankle as you stumble on a drain hole that is about 2 – 3 inches lower than the rest of the bathroom floor. The sink lacked a drain grate. Sit or squat? Squat.

Wonderful and unique fresh chicken tacos!
I only order the chicken tacos here, but they are unique and wonderful. Their chicken is not that chopped breast type but from a fresh cooked chicken and then its smothered in a tasty just spicy enough red sauce. I love these and always come here for them. Their steak is average, I have had better, but no one holds a comparison to their wonderful chicken tacos.
Do yourself a favor, if you went here and did not like the food or found it just okay then do yourself a favor and go back and try their chicken tacos.

It was just happenstance that we ended up here. My boyfriend remembered liking the one in Tinley Park.
Jason ordered the Steak Burrito without beans. For $ 5.50, it includes beans, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.
I wasn’t hungry so I asked to try a bite of his Steak Burrito. In my mind, I thought the vegetables looked fresh but the steak was pale and tasted like it was a few days old.
Tonight marks the first time I watched my boyfriend spit out food! He wasn’t discreet. He put it right back on his uneaten portions. I asked Jason what was the matter. He complained that it didn’t taste good and he wasn’t going to put any more of it in his mouth. He grabbed a refill of Diet RC to wash the taste down and we were out.