Looking for Mexican food in Evanston? This is the complete local guide — the town’s best taquerias and sit-down spots, where to go for tacos vs. burritos vs. a full dinner, margaritas, vegetarian options, and quick takeout. Want a live rec? Ask Evanston locals right now where the tacos are best this week.

The best Mexican restaurants in Evanston, IL

Evanston has a genuinely good, varied Mexican scene — from taco specialists to fast-casual to sit-down. Local favorites (by review consensus, not a single ranking):

Taco Diablo

Taco Diablo is the taco destination — a low-key spot with a focused menu of a dozen taco varieties (lamb barbacoa, duck-and-pork chorizo, a standout crispy chicken taco with cabbage and aioli), served three to an order and mixable, with family-style beans and rice. A local go-to for a fun, flavorful taco night.

My Little Kitchen

My Little Kitchen is the small-but-mighty favorite — fast, fresh, and beloved for veggie tacos and carne asada burritos, often ready in about ten minutes. The pick for a quick, high-quality lunch.

Zentli & La Principal

Zentli and La Principal round out the higher-rated end for sit-down and authentic Mexican — the spots to know for a fuller meal with a margarita.

More local favorites

Comida, Taqueria Cd. Hidalgo (an authentic taqueria), The Supreme Burrito, and Tomate Fresh Kitchen (fresh, healthier fast-casual) fill out a scene with something for every craving and budget.

Tacos, burritos & sit-down: which to pick

For a taco run, Taco Diablo and the taquerias lead. For a fast burrito or bowl, My Little Kitchen, The Supreme Burrito, and Tomate are quick and fresh. For a sit-down dinner with margaritas, Zentli and La Principal are the move. Knowing what you want — a $3 taco, a fast burrito, or a full dinner — points you straight to the right door.

Margaritas & drinks

The sit-down spots (Zentli, La Principal) are where to go for margaritas, tequila, and mezcal with your meal — a welcome perk in a town that was dry until the 1970s. For a casual taco-and-cerveza night, several spots serve beer, and the taquerias are BYOB-friendly at times (confirm each spot’s current policy). Cinco de Mayo and warm-weather weekends get busy, so plan ahead.

Vegetarian, vegan & healthier options

Evanston’s health-conscious, university-town character means great meatless Mexican: veggie tacos, bean-and-cheese burritos, guacamole, and grilled-vegetable bowls are everywhere, and Tomate Fresh Kitchen and My Little Kitchen are known for fresh, lighter options. Most kitchens can build a vegetarian or vegan plate on request — just ask about lard in the beans and rice if you keep strictly plant-based.

By occasion

Taco night: Taco Diablo. Quick lunch: My Little Kitchen or The Supreme Burrito. Sit-down dinner & margaritas: Zentli or La Principal. Authentic taqueria: Cd. Hidalgo. Fresh & healthy: Tomate. Whatever the craving, Evanston has it — and the community feed below knows which spot is peaking this month.

Takeout, delivery & the campus crowd

Much of Evanston’s Mexican food is built for speed, which suits a busy college town: My Little Kitchen, The Supreme Burrito, and Tomate turn out fast burritos, bowls, and tacos for takeout, and most spots deliver through the usual apps — a go-to for a quick lunch near Northwestern or a weeknight dinner at home. For a group or office order, call ahead so the kitchen can prep a taco or burrito spread. It’s affordable, filling, and quick, which is why these spots stay busy through the school year.

What to order

New to a menu? A crowd-pleasing spread covers tacos (al pastor, carne asada, barbacoa, plus veggie), a burrito or bowl, chips with guacamole and salsa, and elote (Mexican street corn) when it’s on. At Taco Diablo, mixing and matching the specialty tacos three-to-an-order is the move; at the fast-casual spots, a build-your-own burrito or bowl lets everyone customize. Wash it down with a margarita, a Mexican beer, or an agua fresca.

Mexican food near Evanston

Want even more range or deeply traditional taquerias? A short trip opens up the neighbors: Skokie and Chicago’s Rogers Park add more Mexican and Latin options minutes away, and Chicago’s legendary Mexican neighborhoods (Pilsen, Little Village) are a train ride south for a full destination-dining experience. But for a solid taco night, a fast burrito, or a sit-down dinner with margaritas, Evanston’s own lineup has you covered.

The bottom line on Mexican in Evanston

For a town its size, Evanston delivers — a genuine taco destination in Taco Diablo, fast and fresh favorites in My Little Kitchen and Tomate, sit-down and authentic options at Zentli and La Principal, and more, at prices that suit a student budget or a family dinner. Whatever you’re craving — tacos, burritos, margaritas, or a healthy bowl — the neighbors below will tell you where it’s best right now, the one thing a guide can’t keep current.

Authentic vs. fast-casual: what to expect

Evanston’s Mexican spots span the spectrum. The authentic taquerias (Cd. Hidalgo and similar) do traditional tacos, tortas, and specials the way you’d find them in a neighborhood taqueria — simple, fresh, and affordable. The fast-casual spots (My Little Kitchen, The Supreme Burrito, Tomate) lean toward build-your-own burritos, bowls, and quick tacos with fresh ingredients. And the sit-down restaurants (Zentli, La Principal) offer a fuller menu, table service, and a bar. Knowing which experience you want — a $3 street taco, a customizable burrito, or a sit-down dinner — helps you pick the right spot for the night.

Families & groups

Mexican is an easy win for families and groups: kids happily fill up on cheese quesadillas, bean burritos, and rice, while the adults get something more adventurous, and most spots are quick, casual, and budget-friendly. Taco Diablo’s family-style beans and rice and the build-your-own fast-casual spots are especially group-friendly. For a birthday or a big table, call ahead — and for a taco spread at home, the takeout options make it easy.

A note on Evanston’s dining history

Like the rest of Evanston’s food-and-drink scene, the margarita side of Mexican dining is relatively young here — the city was legally dry until the 1970s (home of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union). That shaped a culture centered on the food first, with tequila and margaritas now a welcome part of the sit-down experience. It’s a fun bit of local context for a town that now has a genuinely enjoyable Mexican scene.

However you like it — a quick taco between classes, a fast burrito on a weeknight, or a leisurely dinner with a margarita — Evanston has a Mexican spot for it, and a neighbor happy to point you to their favorite. Bookmark this guide and let the community keep it current.

Where Evanston’s Mexican spots are

You’ll find Mexican food spread across Evanston’s commercial strips — downtown, along Chicago Avenue and Dempster, near Main Street, and down toward the Howard Street border with Chicago — so wherever you are in town, a taco or burrito is close. Most are walkable from a neighborhood or a short hop on the Purple Line or a bus, and the fast-casual spots cluster near campus for the student crowd. It’s an easy cuisine to work into any day, whether you’re grabbing lunch, feeding the family, or planning a taco-and-margarita night out.

Pair a Mexican dinner with the rest of an Evanston evening — a walk to the lakefront, a movie downtown, or a drink at one of the breweries — and you’ve got an easy, affordable night, nearly all of it walkable or a short train ride from wherever you start.

From a quick taquito to a full sit-down feast, Evanston’s Mexican restaurants punch above the town’s size — grab a table or a to-go bag and dig in, and let the neighbors below steer you to this month’s best tacos.

Buen provecho — and save room for the guac.

Whether it’s a fast lunch near campus or a leisurely dinner with margaritas, Evanston’s taquerias and Mexican kitchens have become one of the town’s most reliable, affordable pleasures — and there’s always a neighbor with a favorite to share.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best Mexican restaurants in Evanston, IL? Local favorites include Taco Diablo (tacos), My Little Kitchen (fast, fresh burritos), and Zentli and La Principal for sit-down and authentic Mexican.

Where are the best tacos in Evanston? Taco Diablo, for its dozen mix-and-match taco varieties; the authentic taquerias like Cd. Hidalgo are great too.

Is there vegetarian Mexican food in Evanston? Yes — veggie tacos, burritos, bowls, and guacamole are widely available; Tomate and My Little Kitchen are strong for fresh, lighter options.

Where can I get margaritas with Mexican food? The sit-down spots, Zentli and La Principal, for margaritas, tequila, and mezcal.