Mouth-watering goat is basically the only thing on the menuherebut that’s all diners really need. The Zaragoza clan serves birria, a barbacoa variant from Jalisco, Mexico that features roasted goat in flavorful consommé. Order a small or large plate and make some of the best tacos in town with corn tortillas and fire-roasted salsa.

This South Side family-owned restaurant has gone through a remodel and slight tweak of its name. Solazo is about more than tacos, but the restaurant has capitalized with Taco Tuesday specials and a solid assortment including a sweet and spicy chicken tinga.

Attached to a grocery store,La Chaparritadelivers one-of-a-kind tacos de fritangas. This Mexico City specialty features fried meats cooked in a circular metal pan called a charola. Cuts include suadero, longaniza, and the popular tripas — crispy, flavor-packed pieces of cow intestines that even the most picky eaters should try.

The tortilla is sometimes an afterthought at taquerias but not here. Head to Samuel Linares’s restaurant for fresh corn tortillas made from scratch. Guests can watch the masa masters at work up front and then taste the difference by enveloping a variety of proteins that range from traditional — carne asada, shrimp — to gamier choices like alligator, rattlesnake, and bull’s testicles.

Jose Luis Gonzales’tacos are a paragon of the form, seasoned just right and grilled to order. The carne asada and adobo-rubbed al pastor are always good decisions, but don’t skip the more offal-y cuts, such as beef tongue and tripe.

Carne asada is the name of the game at this North Side spot. Perfectly seasoned, tender chunks of steak are thinly sliced and cooked to order. At just $3 per sizeable taco, it’s also a great bargain.

This contemporary Mexican spot, opened by beloved chef Dudley Nieto, has expanded to a few locations in Albany Park and Ravenswood. The fried fish and Korean BBQ are classics and go well with the mezcal selection.

Chicago doesn’t have much for breakfast tacos. This isn’t Texas. But Taqueria Jarabe, which is currently operating a stall on the Near West Side in the Medical District, inside Dr. Murphy’s Food Hall, is an exception. The Numero Uno, with eggs, chorizo, and fried potatoes, is a perfect morning pick me up. For more heat, the Machaca with shredded beef and pickled jalapeños will do the trick.

Located just down the street from Carnitas Uruapan, Taqueria El Mezquite goes in a different direction by utilizing every part of the cow. The Cruz family’s secret recipes yield top notch tongue, tripe, brain, and beef head tacos.

Eaters will find only one type of meat at thisEater 38 spot. The tender pork carnitas — slow-cooked for more than two hours — reflect the street fare found in Uruapan, Mexico. It’s sold by the pound alongside other items like chicharonnes and cactus salad. Spicy pork brain tacos are available on the weekends for adventurous eaters. A second outpost recently opened in Gage Park.

Shrimp tacos seldom get top billing. The ones from thisWest Side taqueria, though, are worth raving about. Each taco is built on housemade tortillas with plump, crispy, beer-battered crustaceans, slaw, spicy habanero ketchup, and creamy aioli. For diners who don’t do shellfish, the al pastor is also a solid bet and is shaved straight off a spit.

The legendary taco stall lasted 20 years at Maxwell Street Market before the city closed the weekly mainstay due to the pandemic. That accelerated Rubi’s search for restaurant space, one that they found on Pilsen’s main drag on 18th Street. The mole rojo (braised pork on a fresh corn tortilla) stars. The pastor is also worth ordering. But anything tastes better due to the delicate yellow corn wrappings. These are some of the best tortillas in the city.

There’s usually a line at thisPilsen spotand for good reason. Carnitas are (predictably) the star of the show, cooked in rendered pork fat until crispy. Order the meat by the pound and build tacos with the complimentary condiments and tortillas, but make sure to get there early before it sells out.

Taco崇高是一個流浪的快餐車,現在been popping up all across the city from Royal Palms Shuffle Board to Marz Community Brewing. The concept is simple: fresh beef, shrimp, and chicken with zesty salsas tossed upon a modest bed of griddled cheese. The results are sensational. Check Instagram from their latest residency and visit ASAP or learn to live with regret.