Tacos El Tio — Restaurant in Joliet

This place is amazing! I'm not just biased because I live close, even if I lived hundreds of miles away, when I came back, this would be my first stop. it is always delicious, and timely. Like celebrity chef's have their go to's, this is mine. I have lived in Ohio (irrelevant), but, also Arizona and Florida. This place trump's any Mexican restaurants I've been to in all 4 states, plus the others I have traveled to or through. I don't need to really substitute anything, ever. I was missing the Arizona sun and heat (I used to have a farmers market right next to me. I would weekly go to get hatch, poblanos serano, green and red Tabasco, Brazilian hot peppers, what ever was local and they were growing, once a week I would roast my peppers on a grill. I would cook for my kids, but always throw my peppers on my food after putting their dinners together. Long story short, I went out on a limb tonight not expecting it to happen. They do everything so great. I asked for grilled peppers instead of guac, not thinking it would even be ready. They sent me a plate of grilled peppers, 8 beautiful jalapenos to be exact, and they got the rest of order right too. As a 30 year restaurant employee, I can't say enough good things...

I am a Joliet local and usually go to Le max for all my Mexican restaurant cravings, but I figured I’d try something new today.

First of all this is definitely not a comfortable sit down place. It is extremely small and crowded inside and not very many seats to sit at where you’re not crammed near others.

My plan was to order some tacos à la cart, but for one taco that only includes cilantro and onion (which I don’t even eat) it’s $4! Because of that I immediately walked out. The menu is definitely way overpriced. Had been told that by a lot of people in the area who no longer go there after their first experience, but I witnessed it myself, and neither will I be.

For the price of 2 à la cart regular tacos, I could buy 1 pound of ground beef and a packet of tortillas and make them at home myself. They used to have a drive-through, but that is now closed to so you have to go inside to order, and it’s very small. Can’t comment on the food, but at first appearance of the prices, I walked in...

Generally when it's 1am, you've been drinking, and craving a burrito, all tacos/burritos are good when those criterias are met. Not here! Lol!! They went out of their way and ensured they provided the lowest possible quality of food for maximum profit! $4 a steak taco or $10 for a burrito. I went for the $14 burrito dinner.

Look at the picture I posted. It looks delicious doesn't it? But the glowing radioactive orange rice doesn't taste great, the beans have a case of the runs and the steak burrito... I mean the gristle burrito was lacking seasoning and flavor. I ran through an entire bottle of salsa trying to pump some flavor back into the gristle burrito but it didn't work. Chewing through that gristle burrito was difficult but I needed to sober up therefor it had to be done.

The parking lot is awarded the 1 star for its unparalleled ability to keep cars exactly where you left them. Truly, the pinnacle of parking...