Taco Diablo

I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food is at Diablo Tacos! The flavors are rich, the ingredients are fresh, and everything is well-prepared. The homemade tortilla chips are a standout—crispy, fresh, and perfect for scooping up their unique red and green salsas, which taste nothing like the store-bought kind. Both salsas have a depth of flavor that really enhances the meal. The tacos were delicious, packed with well-seasoned meats and fresh toppings, and the birria torta was a solid choice, especially when dipped in the consommé. The presentation and portion sizes are decent, though I’d say the prices are a bit on the higher side for what you get. The ambiance is great—warm, rustic, and inviting, with a stylish bar and plenty of seating. Service was friendly and attentive, making for an overall enjoyable experience. Would I come back? Yes, but be prepared for slightly premium pricing. If you’re looking for high-quality tacos and great flavors, it’s definitely worth a visit!

We had a great working lunch at Diablo. This spot is underrated. The food is great, and the service was even better. We shared the bang bang Shrimp and chicken enchiladas with the red sauce. The colossal bang bang Shrimp had a beautiful tempura batter and creamy sweet chili sauce on the side. Enchiladas were a big portion and the tinga style chicken was good quality and excellent flavors. Also, many Evanston establishments open late afternoon. This place is open for lunch. Check them out!

Delicious food! Taco Diablo was a much better choice than the restaurant upstairs which was way too loud, crowded, and uncomfortable. Also, the flight of stairs to get to the top restaurant was dimly lit with no traction on the steps. Definitely not accessible to people with limited mobility. At Taco Diablo the atmosphere here was very relaxed and the servers were very respectful and professional- which was an upgrade from the place upstairs. Entrance is right off the street. Super inviting with lots of interesting lighting fixtures, unique decor, and artistic touches. Exposed high ceilings. Curved upholstered booths and large round tables can seat up to six guests maybe more. Regular tables are available too. The bar was interesting and had nice lighting too. Attentive service. Highly recommend the three taco dinners. Each one was delicious and bursting with unique flavors. The sides are apparently family style but surprisingly appeared to be more for a single person. My only suggestion would be to make the appropriate adjustments so that customers can have their own sides as opposed to having to share small servings.

Amazing place to eat and socialize! Decoration was warm and the lights were dim which gave me a cozy yet somewhat romantic vibe. Food was delicious and well presented. Tacos were a must try. Lots of variety to choose. Chips and salsa were tasty and warm. OG margarita was the bomb, So good and strong. Service- top notch! The waiter (we didnt get his name) but so friendly and attentive. Highly recommended! Will be my regular spot for Mexican cravings.

The food is consistent good here. I love the tacos, the soups, and the desserts. Their sauces are amazing too and go perfectly well with the tortilla chips. Plus they have an amazing bar.

Taco Diablo is incomparable! I can’t thank Taco Diablo Evanston enough for their generous donation of lunch to my Spanish class! It’s one of my absolute favorite restaurants, and getting to share their amazing food with my students was such a special experience. The students were beyond grateful—they couldn’t believe they were getting such an incredible opportunity. The food was a huge hit, and the kindness behind the gesture meant even more. Thank you for supporting our class and our community! ¡Estamos muy muy agradecidos!

My friends and I came here for a mini celebration. The decor was nice, the lighting was dim. They had another floor upstairs but that wasn’t as nice as the first floor. The service was very accommodating. As for the food, most of us got the tacos. They were good but not delicious. They definitely needed more sauce to moisten them a bit because they were dry, in my opinion. The dessert though was delicious. We all enjoyed it. Overall, it was a great night!!

Classic taco spot with the best margarita in Evanston. Been going to TD since before it burned down across the street. Warm chips & salsa are on point. Pro tip for lunch for two—order one taco dinner & one more taco a la carte. All tacos were flavorful and made with fresh ingredients. Recommended.

My favorite restaurant in Evanston. Such a great selection of tacos, classic Mexican dishes, and delicious drinks. The staff is always so kind and welcoming. Taco Tuesday is also such a fun way to spend Tuesday nights -- 8-10pm you get 3 dollar tacos and 20% of select drinks. And the space itself is modern and inviting. The chips and salsa are also to die for -- I don't know what they do to those but they're insane. Some of my favorite tacos are the birria, duck and pork chorizo, baja fish taco, pork belly, and -- yes -- bacon taco (trust me, it's so good). Can't recommend this place enough!

The food is terrific and the combined menus: Mex, Asian, American make this a real gem. It's a great bar too.

Stopped in to get some tacos to go. So welcomed that I sat at the bar, had a drink and stayed for lunch. The bartender was very helpful and recommended a lunch special. Two tacos and a beautiful salad 12.99. Includes chips and two salsas. Those chips alone are delicious! A red and a green chili salsa- yum! Then the salad came- beautifully food! So many good, fresh things in the salad: Carrots, black beans, cukes, all good. Then the most amazing tacos came! Fresh, warm ho-made corn tortillas with fresh greens. Not loaded with beans and cheese. Just fresh ingredients! I can't wait to come back and try more things on the menu.

Cool looking Mexican place with pretty good drinks and food. It's not authentic but it's not trying to be so have the correct expectations for it. Taco Diablo is one of the places in Evanston good for a fun atmosphere with loud music and people. At lunch it's a lot quieter but also cheaper. You can also actually then get a good seat. At lunch we came for the specials to save a few bucks. It's a better time if wanting to explore the menu. The later times are busier and the service can get slow. Of course margaritas. There's a lot of good ones. It's about $12 each. There's other cocktails as well, including Mezcal. Good smokey liquor. The best is the An Acquired Proclivity, which is Campari with Del Maguay and Fidencio Mezcals. As for the food we got the Lunch Special of course. It's about $12 to get a salad and 2 tacos. These have a protein choice, and we got the Impossible vegan meat in these. Small but good. These were spicy with the guajillo and tomato chili avocado salsa. Rest of the menu has other classics. There's barbacoa if wanting to get meaty. Good place for not quite authentic Mexican food. It shares a space with Five & Dime, among others. The cocktails and margaritas are strong, and there's options for meat eaters, as well as vegans and vegetarians.

Both times I've come to Taco Diablo we've sat on the Blue Horse side. On this side the vibe awesome - a nice place to chill with your group... low lighting, booths and tables for larger groups - or spacious if you have a smaller party. Cocktails have fun names - you'll want to try one for sure. I thought the Yes Please was fantastic. As for food... the chips and guacamole are delicious. Chips and salsa cone right out when customers are seated. Add the guac! Chips will also be replenished if you ask. The tacos are okay. Not as amazing as I've hav elsewhere. I ordered the taco trio and didn't finish them all. The crispy fish was my fave. The chicken tinga was my least fave. The rice tasted too salty on last night's visit. I didn't eat it. Our waitstaff provided friendly service throughout our visit. No complaints ! :) All on all it's a nice place to hang out so I rounded up to a four-star. I might go for something other than tacos next time.

Pretty cool concept spot! The service was amazing and the drinks were delicious. When seated, you get to order from lula's, five & dime, as well as taco Diablo. I opted for tacos and they were delicious! Not the most authentic of course but they were pretty good. The side of beans and rice wasn't my favorite but overall great pick! The others ordered from lula's and the poke bowl was huge and the fish was fresh. The bar was sooooo cute and it's a perfect place to hang with friends. Will definitely be back for a drink!

Great restaurant. They have three menus you can choose from so anyone you are with can find something they would like to eat. One of my favorite places in Evanston.

Amazing chips and salsa. My favorite taco is the duck and chorizo. The servers and bartenders were extremely hospitable and friendly. The only negative may be that it is extremely noisy here. You can order food from their other restaurants while you're here so if you have parties looking for variety, no one should be disappointed.

Very good Churros! Very good and inviting staff and the taco are amazing. Very authentic.

10/10 experience eating dinner here. Service couldn't have been any better; our waitress was super nice and helpful and recommended a modification to my cocktail that made it perfect. Food came out quickly and she was on top of drink refills. But the highlight was absolutely the impossible 'meat' in a quesadilla. Many restaurants these days are doing faux meats but often times don't think to season it with anything other than the basics. It was so nice to eat at a restaurant that actually treats faux meat like real ground beef and does something special to it. So flavorful, it made me actually wish I lived in the suburbs so I could eat there more often (well, maybe :)) So hats off to the chef for that in particular

We've been here several times since we moved to the area about a year ago and it's been delicious every time! Service is always great, very nice wait staff and hosts. Chips and salsa are fresh and delicious. I always order the chicken tinga tacos and I'm obsessed. Came here for my birthday too and received a birthday flan! We will never stop coming here. They get pretty busy on the weekends and don't take reservations so just keep that in mind before you visit. It's also nice that you can order from the Blue Horse Tavern menu too, no matter which side you're sitting on. This is nice for the weekends I want tacos and my boyfriend doesn't, that way he can have a burger or steak and I still get my taco fill!!!!

Service was appalling No drink refills, some issue with getting more rice and beans. Ordered Guac at $13 and they never brought additional chips. Waiter came to Our table once after the food and then to bring check .. Tacos were great though

Food is so fantastic and some of the best salsa I've had. Great tacos and margaritas.

This is a really cool place. Love the atmosphere. The Tacos are very unique. I was disappointed in the Potato Tacos. I wish they would have been a little bit more crispy. I would come back to try the other varieties.

I hate leaving reviews where I don't love the place, but I have to be honest. Very mediocre at tacos and it lacked flavor. I'm disappointed because I have always passed by here and thought it was a cute spot to check out and it did not meet my expectations. I was craving tacos and it did not satisfy my cravings. Nothing majorly bad to say the service was good, place is clean but I just did not enjoy my food and really any of my tacos or sides at all. The only thing we really loved was the fried coconut shrimp, which I would recommend trying.

Yum. I've been here a lot. I delight each time. I am simply posting something now for the letters limit to be used up

Stopped in here on a weekday early on in the evening, wasn't busy at all. But the theme of the place is pretty fun, so I wouldn't be surprised if it got busier later on. I got an assortment of 3 tacos and they were so good! For a drink I got the traditional margarita which was very tasty too. I don't live in the Chicago area anymore, but if I were to visit again I'd definitely consider stopping in here again. The waitstaff is super friendly and attentive. The restaurant is sort of split into 2 areas which I think is actually pretty great so it doesn't feel packed.

Taco Diablo is a Mexican cantina that checks all the boxes. You know you're in for a treat as soon as you walk in the door and smell the delicious aroma of warm tortilla chips. The ambiance is inviting, the staff is welcoming, and the seating is accommodating. Quickly, upon being seated, you learn that this is actually several restaurants in one: Taco Diablo, Lulu's, and The Blue Horse. Each serves it's own unique cuisine. In fact, the cherry on top is that, in the summer, there is also Five & Dime, a rooftop space. The menu for any of the spots can hold it's own so there is zero concern about finding something that hits the spot. We stuck with Taco Diablo and proceeded to stuff ourselves. From the chips & salsa (which we refilled once) and guac, to the tacos and elote, to the drinks we ate like royalty. Certainly we had our favorites among the taco choices (the carne asada was king) but everything else complimented each other so well. The drinks themselves stand strongly: we had multiple Hot Joy and Yes Please. It's quite the experience for your taste buds. To top it all off, the staff was on point with their level of service and hospitality. Such good people. If in search of a spot to satisfy a particular taste, or a group who all demand a little bit of everything, Taco Diablo (and it's siblings) will not disappoint!

Food was fresh and tasty. Bourbon caramel Butter cake dessert was awesome. Service was excellent. Leftover packaging was not flimsy and bag was a brown paper one-easily recycled.

I would recommend checking out Taco Diablo for a fun casual night out. They have strong margaritas and really fresh guac. You can order single tacos which was a plus. I thought the tacos were very filling but average. I've definitely had better tacos in the city. The service is fast and friendly.

SLAPPED. The chips are fresh asf and i got three tacos and they're all super good. I got the Verdura, carne asada, and crispy chicken. Its insane that rhe verdura is vegetarian, its sooo flavorful and filling!!

Checked this place out in Evanston. Maybe it's just me but I wasn't crazy about the tacos. I got the chicken and shrimp one - and both seemed a little dry. The chips and salsa were ok. However, the guacamole looked good! I did love the vibe of the restaurant though. I guess we were seated next door in The five dime. The bar is pretty and it was nicely socially distanced.

Very solid mexican restaraunt. We had great service and food. If you're looking for a fun vibe with solid food and service then you'll be happy here. I would give it five stars if the food was a little better (that's not to say it was bad by any means). We had tacos (barbacoa, carnitas, chicken tinga), guacamole, and the queso fundito. Tacos were very good although chicken tinga was nothing crazy. Guacamole was just okay, it wasn't very flavorful. Queso fundito was solid. The chips and salsa were great. Also they had good margs. Again, you'll be happy you came here but won't leave thinking it's the best stuff ever. I will for sure be coming back.

My first warning should have been the set of red and green Cholula bottles on the table. You don't really need a hot sauce at a reasonable taco shop, much less two. Chips and salsa are included, with ref and green salsa provided. The red is somewhat flavorful, but oddly sweet. The green is just roasted tomatillo and LOTS of sugar....completely inedible. Neither possess heat, but a habanero salsa is available, with a slight background of habanero (and very little heat), but this, too, is overpowered by sugar. Maybe the tacos will wow me. Not to be the case. The carnita includes a tomatillo salsa that is just sugar, and LOTS of it. I ate one bite and could barely swallow that without thoroughly washing it down. I highly recommend avoiding this particular taco. Carne Asada was not much better. Grisly, fatty beef with arugula greens that overpower the flavorless beef (ever heard of salt, or cumin, or lime?), but do little to help you ignore that you're chewing on a chunk of beef fat. I'd avoid this one as well. The Barbacoa was somewhat more reasonable, with a decent beef flavor and avocado salsa that worked okay. 'Okay' in that it didn't seem to have any sugar-based 'salsa' on it, so some savory flavor could prevail. Even then, it still quickly occurred to me this was the reason for the Cholula bottles, and the addition of heat and some flavor helped immensely, and I'm not a fan of Cholula. Overall, I'd avoid this place if you're looking for tacos or Mexican food. I ate one taco and had three bites of the remaining two, and left hungry.

Quick quibble--like its sister store Lulu's, I sometimes feel like the food is overpriced. That said, those jalapeños are terrific (quick tip: add a bit of cotija or at least some Parmesan). If the heat is too much for you, trim out the seeds and pith. The tacos are really good and there is a nice variety to choose from. I might ask for one more vegetarian option, though. The chips and guacamole are very good, well worth the order.

My husband and I tucked in at the bar for margaritas and sharing an order of tacos. Day 2 of the reopening and the place was hopping. Bartenders Rachel and Joe were great, as they managed the rush of carryout orders, served local brews, and shook a whole lotta margaritas. Great service. Good to be back.

Taco Diablo is a nice spot if you're in the mood for decent tacos, tasty drinks, and dropping a huge tab. $16.50 for 3 street sized tacos was pretty bizarre to me. After reading the menu, the "family style" served sides was what redeemed that price in my eyes, but as you can see in the photo, they must be catering to very small and low appetite families. Overall, my experience was just all around good.. not great.

Delicious! I absolutely love their chips and salsa verde. The chips are very light and crunchy and you can taste the corn flavor in them which I really like. The Pork Carnitas taco and Braised Beef Tacos are both amazing, super flavorful and fresh. I also had the Chicken Tinga taco which was good but didn't blow me away like the other two. Taco Diablo is consistently yummy and we stop by wherever we are in the area!

Come here weekly's overall a good spot but had some really poor service the last visit unfortunately. That's and there was a mouse killed right in front of us. Hate to see this because I like this spot but this visit was not pleasant.

This was a stop chosen for an after-work colleague collaboration session. The family style rice and beans allowed us to enjoy a bit of togetherness. The place itself is huge, no prob in being seated immediately. The food, Veggie friendly and very yummy.

Delicious food and great service! The tacos tacos tacos was a huge portion, could definitely do those family style.

Taco Diablo is part of a restaurant group that also includes Lulu's and Five and Dime - I find this to be pretty ironic because of just how much Taco Diablo nickel and dime's you. While I certainly don't think the food is "bad" here (I would describe as mostly unremarkable), my main qualm is with the constantly escalating prices. Three tacos should not cost $16.50 no matter how bad the rent is getting in Evanston. Rice and beans on the side should be an expectation and not a justification for the price (any statement to the contrary should be considered gaslighting). In addition, it is silly to me that there is no option to order less than 3 tacos. If we can mix and match tacos, I really struggle to see why this minimum exists - no one is trying to eat a meal of just rice and beans. Having to pay for refills of chips is just icing on the penny-pinching cake. Unfortunately, there are really no good taco places in Downtown Evanston so us Evanstonians just don't have a choice sometimes (Tomate is the best bet but has limited hours). If you find yourself here, the best aspects of the restaurant I feel are the service and the drinks. Hot tip though: they serve the exact same drinks upstairs at Five and Dime.

Art | Vibes | Crowded | Chips Art - the dia de los muertos paintings and decor are consistent throughout. They give the bar and restaurant the Mexican ambience which reenforces the name of the restaurant. Vibes - the service and overall demeanor of the staff was extremely positive and gave us good vibes our entire time. From the hostess that greeting us with a smile, to the bartender who greeted us with water and chips, to our server who had recommendations. Everyone brought positive energy. Crowded - the two top tables in the back had very little space between them. Therefore it was loud and you felt like you were in everyone's conversation and not just yours. It also made it a bit difficult to order because I had to repeat everything to our waiter. Chips - those chips DOE!!?? warm salty fresh chips and handmade salsa were delicious! They definitely made up for the blandness of the pinto beans, rice, and taco flavors. Nate has two fried chicken tacos and one shredded chicken taco. He liked both of his and gives them 5 stars. Monica had the pork carnitas, beef brisket, and chicken Tinga and thought they were 3.5 out of 5 stars because they all tasted the same. Lost a star?: For lack of privacy/space in the area we sat in. Monica got hit three times during our date by our neighbors. The table we sat at made having a conversation difficult. Pro tip: no northwestern discount. Pro tip: definitely ask for a booth so you can have some privacy on dates. If you don't ... you will feel like you are hanging with 4 strangers. Pro tip: if you are looking for a place to sit down and relax for awhile, this is not the place for you. If you want good quick service, then this is your place.

Really like the options for tacos and drinks! Classic chips and salsa are always a hit here. Love how you can choose from the menu in the attached restaurant upstairs, and you can easily move upstairs whenever! Staff has been friendly every time we've gone!

3.5 stars All right, let's level set on a few things before getting started: - This is not authentic Mexican, so don't come here expecting that and leaving disappointed. It is fusion. My review will solely be based on the food from the perspective of it not being authentic Mexican. Food: I enjoyed the appetizers more than the tacos (entrees). Friend also enjoyed the drinks. If I were to suggest anything, it would be to come here for the drinks and appetizers but not necessarily entrees! Atmosphere: Great for a girls' night out or for a Friday night out, but I probably wouldn't recommend Taco Diablo for a date night as it's difficult to converse over the loud music.

Just the most average tacos ever. Not necessarily bad but I feel like chiptole has just as good tacos for a quarter of the price

Some of the best tacos you'll ever have. Great variety of mix and match options. I've enjoyed everything we have had from taco diablo. A key thing to note is that this restaurant is three in one and includes an Asian restaurant and tavern food. All are good, so flexible for choices that will satisfy everyone in your group.

Perfect combo of interesting tacos, Rick Bayless- esque Mexican food, and a fun sit down environment. Party of 2: Dinner started immediately with free chips and salsa, green and red. The red was nice and smokey! We continued to munch on the chips throughout dinner. We each got the 3 taco set so we could share and try 6 different tacos -- belly fat, duck chorizo, chicken tinga, brisket, shrimp, and chicken mole. They were all good! Our least fave was the chicken mole as it felt like it needed something creamy or cheesy to balance it, but overall still tasty. The tacos came with rice and beans, so we got both black and pinto. The sides were all great. We ended with the churros, which were perfect. They weren't too sweet, which made you want to dip them into the sauces and whipped cream. My partner said he could hear the crunch from across the table. Get the churros! The service was outstanding. Everyone was so fluid, attentive, and upbeat. We were tight on time and needed to leave in about an hour and the server made it happen.

Taco Diablo and five and dime are still open. Lulus is going to become a tavern. They are completely adhering to Covid regulations with all staff wearing masks, no menus and roped off sections inside. We had a delicious array of food from the Mexican street corn, tacos, chips and salsa, a special shrimp dish and flan. My favorite was the Mexican street corn and the shrimp dish but everything was delicious, looked fabulous, and the flavors really come through. I know this is a family owned business so please support them as much as you can! If you feel uncomfortable being inside you can still be outside on the roof. We need more places like this!!

Fun place. Torta was so good! Good tacos and margs. Nice comfortable place tho a bit dark inside

I wish they took reservations, but they communicate rather well about availability, and often provide easy spill over seating. The tacos are good, the guac is great, and the elote is pretty good. Margaritas are delicious. Just be warned, the restaurant is super dark, but worth going to! You can pick and choose tacos which is definitely a nice bonus

Love this place!! Always so good!! Food has been consistent and servers have always been pleasant and accommodating

I love the food here it tastes amazing the waiter was amazing they were really nice and cool! The Shirley temple was amazing it was sweet but the right amount! Me and my daughter really enjoyed it here highly recommend for people who like tacos!

Two restaurants side by side with same owner. Recently we visited and only Taco Diablo was open, however the server said both menus are available to choose from.

Stopped by here with some friends after hitting the beach all day. Food was great. We all had three taco meals some that we tried were barbocoa, carnitas, asada, spicy shrimp, potato, bacon, and Crispy chicken. All of which were a hit with the table so it doesn't look like u can go wrong here. The waitress was also very attentive to the table and our needs. The food was full filing some of us didn't even eat all three tacos we ordered. As a desert we got churros which were also amazing. Would definitely stop by again if in the area and looking for tacos. Have to try them all.

We had both steak tacos and fish tacos. Both were great, quality of the ingredients, The black beans .... Delicious, We had our food to go ... it traveled well, they use good to go containers. Thanks for the very good meal

1 1/2 stars. I called ahead to ask about gluten free options, was told the chicken salad would work. $17 later, my friends picked up a salad with breaded chicken strips that my son with Celiac could not eat. An extensive alternative menu isn't expected, but a little knowledge to help customers goes a long way.

Taco about delicious!! My husband I were planning a date night and decided to have a picnic at NU park on taco Tuesday. We ordered three tacos each from taco Diablo and they told us that it'll be a 20 min wait for pickup. No problem- we took our sweet time driving into downtown Evanston. There was plenty to street parking but you have to pay for it. We didn't know much about Taco Diablo except that it had greats reviews but once I was walking up to pickup our food, I couldn't help but notice how slammed the place was!! I picked up our order and headed to NU Park. My husband ordered the carne asada taco, chicken Tinga taco and ground beef taco and I got the carne asada taco, chicken Tinga taco and shrimp taco. I absolutely loved loved loved the shrimp taco, it was so savory and the spices were on point! The chicken tinga was really good too but the chicken was just a little dry but my least favorite is the carne asada. There is nothing wrong with the meat itself as much as it is a personal preference, there's a certain way I like the meat cooked for my carne asada. The rice and beans were really good as well and were a perfect compliment to the tacos. I highly highly highly recommend the tacos here!

I had heard of this place through a Yelp event and stopped by on a Sunday afternoon to check it out since they were participating in North Shore Restaurant month. I had the taco platter (3 tacos, rice, and either pinto or black beans). They also offer a lunch special 2 tacos with side salad for a little cheaper. Based on our waiter's suggestions I went with the spicy shrimp, smoked brisket, and pork carnitas. Even though the tortillas are small they definitely stuff them to the max and I really enjoyed the flavors. I had the black beans and tried some of the pinto beans and recommend those over the black beans. The rice was decent, more tomatoe-y than others I've had. As part of the restaurant month we got the bread pudding, even though we were stuffed. It's very good and you can definitely taste the Kahlua in it. Service was great, they brought out water, chips and salsa almost as soon as we sat down and before I even got my jacket off. They also refilled our waters and checked in with us a good number of times throughout our meal. Definitely give this place a try for a good selection of tacos both traditional and nontraditional!