El Faro Restaurant

Very nice experience. Clean restaurant, fast service, and good food. A side of beans is vegan but the rice is not vegan. All of the tacos were good with the favorite being the pastor. Guacamole was incredible. Nice, simple, and clean food. Would love if there was some more sides, but this is a great spot. Reminds me of simple vegan food from back in the day. We have come a few times and will continue to return. Great vegan options!

Ate here for the first time a couple weeks ago and I instantly knew I was gonna come back lol. restaurant was clean, service was fast, food was VERY GOOD!!! it was a very nice first experience for me. Their breakfast offerings looks very delicious, nice vegetarian options too. the big smiley faces that comes with the service is so cute, great customer service I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!!

It’s a classic favor the tourist restaurant. Food is enhanced to tourists taste which is understandable as a Hispanic business in an area where locals can make the same food and probably better. I know culture tip is a huge deal, and I always tip no matter the service. I decided to visit the place again hoping to regain a few more childhood memories. Honestly the food was pretty bland to me. My Gordita wasn’t even stuffed, it was just a thick tortilla base, chicharrones and then a separated thinner tortilla on top,(it felt like I had to eat it as a burger) at that point I should’ve just ordered tacos. Either way I appreciated I was able to come back. However I didn’t bring cash so I decided to leave tip along my payment in the front desk. While I was paying I overheard an employee yell at another server in Spanish “Ha! I’ll gift you the tip that I was waiting from that table”(she was expecting cash tip) I did feel a bit upset because she was only being nice expecting a nice tip. It’s funny because just as I heard her say that I had finished tipping. On the good side you know you’ll be treated good! Just make sure to leave a tip at the end :/

I ate here for the first time a couple of weeks ago and walked away looking forward to returning. Their breakfast offerings look delicious. I tried a couple so far. My favorite so far "Desayuno Faro". I like my eggs over easy and it was delicious.

Great Food, great atmosphere and great service. I seriously recommend this place if you're in the mood for good Mexican food

Stopped going there when covid came around because they changed their services. Went in with the family and found hair in the food. It wasn't as great tasting as before. On another occasion the wife went in for an order. Another damn hair! Nasty! No more Faro. We'd been going there for years!

Service was great - everyone checked on you. Big smiley faces. Food came out fast and they were busy!!! It was delicious! They also have vegetarian options

This place is unique, their food is delicious and prices are low, on Fridays morning is very full but you no need to wait long to be seated, they have vegan menu and healthy drinks.

Son unos wevones no contestan el teléfono la comida esta buena pero el patrón tiene q chekar a sus empleados yo llame varias veses y no contestan .Ni que fuera el restaurante Atotonilco ellos si que saben de tratar bien a sus clientes.. Me molesta que tenga darles una estrella si pudiera sería 0

This restaurant has amazing tacos, great service, the staff is so friendly! They also have vegan options

LONG STORY SHORT: You love tacos but someone else in your party doesn't eat the essentials: steak nor pork. So what do you do? Well you take them to El Faro, of course! SHORT STORY LONG: Walking in this place may look like a bakery with a dine-in area, very minimal. However, if you look closer you may find tiny menu books on the table. In there you'll find tons of food options both meat, vegetarian & vegan (yes, there's a difference!), juice shakes and desserts. Between me and my picky eater, we ordered the: · Consome de pollo (chicken soup) · Chile relleno (stuffed/fried poblano pepper) tacos · Al Pastor taco · Pollo tacos · Tres Leches cake Most, if not all tacos have the option of Cilantro & Onions OR lettuce & tomatos. .... I recommend the Cilantro & onions, it's the authentic way to eat them. Honestly, this was one of the most satisfying meals we had. Firstly their average taco costed just under $3, they were larger than street tacos and they used 2 good quality corn tortillas. The soup was a little on the liquidy side but still tasty and the Al Pastor and Pollo were just perfect. Not too chewy nor salty! Additionally the vegetarian-friendly Chile relleno tacos were ginormous (see pics). For context, these are poblano peppers that are stuffed with cheese and then deep fried. I didn't expect to see such massive ones but they are totally worth it!!! (If you're vegan... They may have a alternative to cheese, but I'm unsure). 2-3 tacos will leave the average customer full and satisfied. Oh yeah and the trés leches cake was tasty and didn't feel overly sweet (like some). But that said, it was on the drier side. I would definitely try it again! FINAL VERDICT (TL;DR): El Faro is suitable for meatheads, vegetarians and vegan diets alike (which is very hard to find). You will be dazzled with the variety for each type of diet and even more so will your bellies after eating here. They are a great pitstop on the way to Midway Aiport and so I urge you to try their Al Pastor, Pollo and Chile Relleno tacos!

This place used to be good years ago. Now the servers don't care and the food quality has changed. Cooks don't wear gloves and you see them scratching their face or head because it's an open kitchen. I just hope they wash their hands when going to the bathroom. Breakfast eggs taste very low quality and salsa was very sour.

Food was not good. Steak had no flavor. Tacos had lettuce and tomato. It's a Mexican restaurant meaning the tacos should be served with cilantro and onion. The waitress never gave me the option. I'll never go back.

For Vegans. I looked up vegan mexican and this place came up. I ordered Taco de Soya Asada. It seemed like people were raving about it. It had to be the worst taco I ever had. The soy beef was the worst. Guacomole was ok but bland. The mango freezee --- no big deal. I think its good they had vegetarian and vegan options. And that's why I went there. No need to go back.

Went after seeing a TikTok about this place. So good! Went on a Saturday around 2 and it was raining but almost every table was taken. We got one though. We got a quesadilla, burrito, juice, slice of cake, and dessert empanada. Everything was delicious and it tasted like they made their own tortillas! Definitely have to go back

Great food. You might wait a while for a person to take your order if the place is full but the food is worth the wait. Many options available, from Mexican dishes to vegetarian options, any choice you make will be a good one.

I just ordered through grubhub today 4 steak tacos onions and cheese and a side of gaucamole and chips. It came with veggies on the side carrots and peppers. Everything was so good so tasty i'm in love. This will be my new mexican restaurant. Thank you happy new customer

Best lowkey Mexican food. I've been coming here for years and have had a taste of their entire menu. They have some healthier vegetarian options too with soy chicken and soy beef and they're pretty impressive. Their consomes are my favorites.

Me gusta el servicio, la comida es buena si lo recomiendo para una comida económica para ir con la familia.

The food here is what's the best aspect. Vegetarian or vegan or regular meat diet are accommodated. Very tasty! I love the black beans and consider them to be the very best in the City of Chicago! Street parking is usually available.

Since our Favorite Mexican restaurant closed a few years ago this has become our favorite real Mexican food restaurant. It is a family friendly place. Casual and very consistent. Parking is always the hassle but its worth it. I would always get the Special Dinner and it would make my day! However they are also known for vegetarian food! After recently watching What The Health on Netflix, I am trying their Vegetarian menu and it was better then I expected! I had the Soy al Pastor taco and the Soy like chicken taco with cactus! They are my go to from now on!

Limited menu, half of the items isn't even available. And our waitress, forget it the rudest person on the face of earth!

we dropped in for a quick lunch. I had the 2 quesadilla special. It comes with a coke, two well stuffed corn or flour tortillas (plenty of meat and cheese!), rice and beans. All for $7.50 as of this writing. yum.. tasty and filling!

Started work in the Little Village area so naturally I had to check out el Faro. 12:30 on a weekday and this place is packed already with families and teens in the area. I came with a pretty big group so we had to all split up to sit down at once. I tried out the Bistec a la plancha (thin steak with avaocado) which was mighty tasty. The steak was seasoned well and tender and all the flavors on the plate worked well together. Nothing too unique about the experience but it's definitely a solid meal for under $10. While scrolling through yelp, I noticed a lot of people raving about the black beans so I had them. Definitely some of the best I've had (though I wondered to myself how good can black beans get?) although they are in great need of salt. Service here was friendly and our server came to check up on us a bunch. My friend really enjoyed the horchata so maybe that's something to try next time. Solid place for some grub!

Worse wana be Mexican restaurant ever, they don't even know how to make chicken soup the Mexican way then they want to charge you for chips which they don't even make there, it comes out of a bag and that is hard as hell for your teeth. It's amazing how many people go here and they don't realize what kind of restaurant this really is the pricing is ridiculous with the type of food you get these people don't know how to cook Mexican food at all.

Authentic and healthy Mexican food. Never seen a menu with soy or tofu on it in a restaurant this genuine. It was a welcome and inclusive sight even though I ordered the steak which was extremely well flavored and a good size portion for a very decent price. This could easily become one of my go to staples for real Mexican cuisine in the city.

Do you know how hard it is to find a Mexican restaurant with vegetarian options ?! Most importantly a veg/Mex restaurant where the food actually tastes good?! I am now sad I live no where near this restaurant because my experience and meal was so good. After checking out the Mexican Fine Arts Museum located in the Pilsen area, I was in the mood for authentic Mexican food. After using my Yelp app to narrow down some of the top choices, El Faro definitely stood out for its vegetarian menu and positive reviews. Our waitress was upbeat and pleasant, she brought out chips and salsa as my date and I glanced over the vegetarian options. We quickly settled on a vegetarian burrito, a quesadilla filled with asada de soya (soy steak) and a side of rice and beans. Everything was brought to the table in what felt like 10 minutes, this by the way really impressed me due to how busy the restaurant was. While the burrito and rice/beans were a decent size the quesadilla was humongous and I ended up taking half home. Everything was flavored well and our total came out to about $13, seriously you can't beat that!

Unfortunately, this place gets a low grade. The food was not good. We had several different items and were disappointed with almost everything. We went way out of our way to go here and it was not worth the trip. The food did not have much flavor at all. Maybe this place is great for vegetarian items, which we did not try. We had beef, chicken and lengua tacos. And we had the guacamole, which was okay. Maybe our expectations were too high based on the reviews we read, which was influenced our decision. But we have had tacos at so many other places, and they are never like this. Maybe it was just a bad day at this place. But with so many options in this neighborhood, and throughout Chicago, I will not be back. I am still confused by all the positive reviews and think this place may have potential, but we did not see it.

This is my jam. I go there weekly for years. It's so hard when they take a break every Christmas time. But I respect it because everyone gets a vacation. Now they aren't open for take out during the COVID 19 lockdown. I miss them so much and hope they will be back in business when the city opens back up. El Faro, te amo mucho. Quiero estar en tus brazos otra vez.

El peor burrito ever!!! Never going back again Worst burrito ever I never going back again Plus I asked the waitress if the burrito was good

Everything was so good, I mean delicious and I loved the Jamaica drink too. They were so nice there. Love that place.

So many choices! The have many good vegetarian options. They have a bathroom as well. The waitresses are always super nice and in s good mood. Always busy and it might take a few minute to get you seated on the weekend but there is great customer service and the food is always fresh!

This restaurant is vegan friendly, their soy tacos & juices are vegan. Just remember to ask for no cheese & cream on your tacos. Unfortunately,the rice is made with chicken broth. The beans are refried with oil that is used on meat . The tacos were great but for some reason one taco didn't have tomatoes, maybe they ran out? Anyway, Service was fast,cheap & courteous! I ordered 1 asada taco, 2 al pastor & a juice. They were all great except the asada taco tasted a little salty.

An absolute gem! Chicago is known for kick ass Mexican food and this is one of those establishments that will deliver to that promise. There's a review on here about their Chile rellenos being microwaved and the food not being fresh...well that's a crock of caca. Anything you order here is going to fill you up but will not leave you feeling disgustingly bloated like familiar heavy Mexican meals. This is all light, fresh, cooking. Amazing! Their vegetarian options will blow your mind. The staff is fantastic, especially the morning crew. If I could, I'd marry you El Faro! Everyone needs to try this place!

This is the spot for Vegetarians and their meat eating friends!! El Faro keeps it simple and their services is speedy!

Great food and service. They have some great Mexican and vegetarian dishes. Only downside is that certain dishes are daily specials. So make sure not to confuse your days to get your favorite dish.

Being Vegan and Latina do not mix very well. BUT SINCE I LIVE ON THE SOUTHSIDE AND MY PARENTS LOVE MEXICAN FOOD. This is the perfect spot for me. They have a vegan menu and vegetarian menu, I usually get the Asada tacos (Tofu), they are so good. This restaurant also has a regular menu for my parents who eat meat. This is my favorite Latino vegan food join this far, I highly recommend. Did I mention the prices are reasonable?

Still the best on Earth. My Dad took me here on Sunday after we rocked our Amazing Race season six tryouts (can I name drop this anymore?). We got 2 each of the soy carne asada, soy pollo, soy pastor, and soy chorizo (all vegan), and a Torta Veggie Cubana... it was fan.f*cking.tabulous. This visit was my first time trying one of their famous fruit/veggie drinks. My Dad and I decided to split the Super Frutas drink which has like 13 different crazy fruits in it... I took one little sip and then one really long one, passed the drink to my Dad, and ordered a second one all for myself. It was the best beverage I had ever put into my body. It was sooo cold with floating pulp bits in it and oh so tasty. It's going to be hard to not stop here on my way home from work each night.

Wow. El Faro has to be one of only 15 or so Mexican restaurants nation-wide that serves mockmeats and also unusual vegan dishes. We're not talking about a tofu burrito; the food here is far more sophisticated, and authentic, than that. You wouldn't guess it from the outside. El Faro is in the middle of nowhere, far from the city center; it's a predominantly Hispanic area with auto repair shops, warehouses and then, suddenly, one Mexican grocery store, bakery, and El Faro itself. El Faro is a diner (think Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks"), so there's a ton of counter space and friendly service. The clientele was almost entirely Hispanic, and mostly families with young children. The first two pages of the menu are entirely vegetarian and vegan with helpful descriptions of each dish. They even have tofu scramble with soy chorizo! I had one "carne asada" taco ($1.75), one "pollo con nopales" ($2.25), and one nopales platter ($7) which comes with rice, black beans and tortillas. "Nopales" are dried cactus leaves, which is something I have never encountered at any other Mexican restaurant in the US. El Faro is extremely smart and clever to market nopales as a vegan item; they have crunch and the texture of bell peppers, with a slightly tart taste. The tacos were both wonderful and cheap. The carne asada was served exactly the way you'd find it at a street vendor in Mexico: open-faced, with just the soy beef, cilantro and onions. No cheese, no cream, no beans. They give you some green salsa on the side. This was an extremely rare treat for me; there is no other Mexican restaurant in Chicago where you can get something like this. The soy beef was high-grade and had great texture and flavor. The pollo taco was also excellent and the soy chicken looked and tasted completely different from the soy beef (which is nice, as at many restaurants, they blend together). The nopales added a nice tart crunch to the tender soy chicken. The nopales platter was good on a whole, but I got bored of making taco after taco with the tortillas they provide. I got extra avocado with it ($0.95) which added a fatty, mild element to counteract the acidity of the nopales. El Faro is a gem. It's also an in-the-know place which can make you feel like a smart local. While it's a long trek from the center of Chicago or the hip North Side of the city, it's worth the trip, and you'll be hard-pressed to find anything else like it in the US.

Trying to find parking around this neighborhood is a pain in the booty, but when you do, El Faro is a goldmine of a find. Cheap food, cheap drinks and everything was sooo delicious! My favorite is the burrito de carne asada. Whatever they do to season their steak is heavenly! They have great fresh squeezed drinks. I tried the pineapple fruit drink and it was creamy and tasty. My little girl ate great too. A torta de frijoles (beans) and a drink was only a couple of bucks. Everyone working here was friendly and I enjoyed the service. Everyday has a unique special so you can come here 7 days in a row and be able to try something different. You like menudo, green pozole, enchiladas? Come on down! Whenever cheap and tasty are words to describe a restaurant, I'm sold. El Faro is CHEAP and TASTY. On your way out, buy a few of their empanadas. They offer different flavors and taste like a fruit filled butter cookies. ::drool::

I've tried to love this place but a few bad experiences have kept me away for life. I'm always looking for a vegetarian restaurant where I can get a good salad for work and I worked really close to this place for years. I had gorditas de frijol con queso y aguacate. They were pretty good and I really did like coming here and having a sit down meal with friends. And they have these pastry empanadas at the register filled with apricot and cajeta aka caramel. These empanadas are pastries that should be eaten with milk, they aren't the meat filled emapanadas. They're sweet and go with coffee or milk. Anyway, I started ordering salads over the phone, would pick them up and take them to work. Well, I noticed once that there was an eyelash in my salad. I figured it was mine, Went back the next week and another eyelash (after I called my order in) in my tofu salad. I thought, it must be me, falling eyelashes. Nope, went back a third and fourth time, more eyelashes. It can't be me. I was so grossed out. You know that Spanish saying" lo que buscas, encuentras" in other words " Seek and you shall find". Well, no more El Faro for me. I was so grossed out and can never go back. Had to put it out there.

Great delicious affordable food but the service could be a little better and also good luck with finding a parking spot.

Every things so freshly made it like moms kitchen... my husband favorite place. We almost always get burritos but I've had the caldos and dinner plates... very yummy... I love the fresh carrot juice too.

I teach just down the block from El Faro and it's our go-to lunch nearly once per week. It's inexpensive, authentic and quick. I always go for the steak tacos, but my co-workers love everything from the soy torta to the al pastor burritos. The consomme is also delicious on a cold day! Certainly one of my favorite Mexican places in the city.

No need to write a review. The place speaks for it self but I will do it any how out of appreciation. El Faro has been around for a couple of decades, since I was a kid this place has been around. The food is true to Mexico, this also includes a delicious Vegetarian menu. Service is quick and friendly and the place is clean and cozy. Tortillas are made fresh, check out the ladies behind the register area making tortillas, doña Martha and doña Lety, withstanding the head so we eat fresh tortillas! This is definitely a must if you're in the area! Provecho!

I had never been here before, but a friend who grew up around here recommended we visit. The tacos were great, we had the Lengua, Chorizo, and Carne Asada - all were tasty. Nice and clean, well-lit, and friendly service. I'd go back for sure.

Really authentic Mexican food. Came in with my dad and there was no wait for a Sunday morning. I had steak tacos and menudo and it was such a good plate! The price is not bad at all. My favorite part are the drinks. They blend fruits and vegetables to make their drinks and it is so good. They have a carrot drink that will never forget. I'm craving it again and can't wait for my next visit

I've had this place bookmarked since '08. I remember trying to come here once before, but went elsewhere when we couldn't find parking. So, we decided to give it a try in the afternoon and got lucky with parking right across the street. Pineapple Drink - This was okay, but think I'll try the milkshake next time. Guacamole - I thought it was pretty bland and chips just came out of the bag. Tacos - I got a steak and al pastor taco and while they don't skimp on the meat, it was just okay to me. Didn't have much flavor to me. Chile Rellenos - My guy got this and seemed to enjoy it. I guess my expectations were high from all the reviews. Maybe it's really a better option for a vegetarian, but I'm a meat eater. I would like to come back to give it another try. Maybe a milkshake and dessert next time.

El Faro used to be good. I mean I love going there for their vegetarian cuisine. Lately though they have been serving us cold food and bad customer service. Especially on the weekends. Aside from that the food is good the prices are so cheap. I recommend it, just don't go on the weekends. Other than that I have no complains.

Been coming here ever since I was a little girl with my parents but I've recently gone vegan for good so finding a good family spot in the city can be difficult. Came back last weekend and was surprised to find El Faro has added several vegan options not even listed on Yelp! Tacos galore and they even have a mozzarella tofu style cheese that was delicious. Food is always fresh and prompt. Service is friendly as always! Not to mention you won't walk away with a huge dent in your wallet, everything has great cheap prices! Free street parking and plenty of seating inside. Support your local eateries, they deserve it!

I've been going here for years and for reals the food is like . Veggie menu is where it's at for me and when I get the fake "chicken" tacos I praise Jesus for deliciousness like this. Have had several of their veggie weekly specials which are equally great. If this place was near me I would be here everyday probs.

One of my favorite restaurant in Little Village, the best customer service , the food is excellent , my favored dish is In the menu Casa Vegetariana and capirotada the sweetest Mexican desert . I really enjoyed myself eating here .

Stopped in for a lunch, and got serenaded by a live band as a bonus! :) Food was good, fresh, high quality and made to order. The place itself is setup like a diner, and it is quite large so you should never have to wait too long for a seat. Prices are very reasonable, selection is very good, including salads, fresh made juices, tacos, burritos, soups, and more. Loved the fresh made guacamole!! Portions are generous too. Best part is that my vegan and vegetarian friends have a lot of menu items to choose from to. Definitely stop by the bakery across the street afterwards for some fresh breads, cookies, and desserts!

If you are from little village you know this is the spot for 31st hand down for Mexican food. GreAt prices and even vegetarians menu and drinks. Great menu. I have lived my entire life in this neighborhood and will say this is a spot worth driving for.

Best soy asada tacos I have ever had!!! Staff is friendly and fast. I would highly recommend this place. I will definitely go back.

This place has the best caldo de res, gorditas de nopales and tortas. I've been a regular for over 35 yrs way when it was just a tiny shack with 5 booths. The only vegetarian place in Little Village.

I love this place is so good i lov3 the tortas de milanesa there tacos the asad are good as well!!! And j really lovr there kids menu!!! Good choices for eveyone veggie options too. They also have a parking lot its just around the block. But would definitely recommend it is also good in pricing.

From what I hear, Vegetarians love this place. I'm not vegetarian, But i like it too. If you haven't had a home cooked meal in weeks, or months, this place will hit the spot. The Chile de Arbol sauce is really good. I could eat just the sauce with some rice, beans and tortillas. If I haven't had much too eat that day and I'm starving I always order the same thing, the Especial Dinner. It's only $8.50, but the platter is huge. BTW, they do have a small parking lot on Harding Ave, it's a few houses down from El Faro.