Tacos Guanajuato — Restaurant in Kildeer

I've been a fan of Tacos Guanajuato (aka Tacos G) in Kildeer since it first opened a few years ago. The decor is bright & cheerful, staff are always helpful and friendly, and the food is delicious.

I typically will get an Al Pastor taco at any new place I try as that's sort of my benchmark, and because it typically packs more flavor than some other typical offerings at Mexican & taco places.

The Al Pastor taco at Tacos G is one of the best around, with an incredibly savory sauce and of course including the signature grilled pineapple on top, along with shredded jicama, some diced onion and cilantro. The tortillas are flavorful without being greasy, and they usually hold together, which I appreciate since nobody wants their taco filling to fall through while they're eating.

One of my other favorites is their lamb taco: The lamb is very tender and slightly crisp, and it's served on a flour (instead of corn) tortrilla with cilantro and a sauce that's similar to tzatziki, and a bit of feta-style cheese, lending a Greek flavor to the whole thing.

Every once in a while, Tacos G will have a duck taco on the menu, which is always a treat (I love duck!) but today, I had the duck taco and it was different than the last time I remember having it. Served with shaved cucumber, carrots, pickled onions, black sesame seeds and a homemade tamarind sauce, this was, without question, the best taco I've ever had in my life. Savory, slightly sweet, a bit of tang, and a wonderful element of heat - all in combination with a very tender duck and the crunch of the carrots and cucumber - made for an exceptional taco that can hold its own against the best anywhere.

I'm hopeful that the owners of Tacos G will consider making this version of their duck taco a permanent menu item.

I should mention, too, that other things I've had here are excellent as well, including their chips & salsa, guac, tamales and even their salsas (both red & green).

If you haven't tried it, do yourself a favor...

We were the third table seated around dinner time so I want to make it clear that they weren't slammed. First the chips and salsa aren't free and that's fine but know this in advance. Seated without a problem but this was the easiest part of the evening. We did not get set ups (knives/forks/napkins) and when we needed them later we were brought 1 set up and no extra napkins. It's like the service staff consistently heard the first thing we said but didn't bother to stay long enough to hear the rest. Keep in mind all of this on its own wouldn't stop me from coming back for a second visit, its actually the food. The food is expensive for what you get when what you are getting is supposed to be Mexican street food, which its also not. The burrito suizo was decent enough, there was a fish burrito ordered that was given a rating of "ok" as well. As for my tacos, they started decent enough with the al pastor, it was good, was it better than other al pastor I have had, nope. I can literally get GREAT al pastor tacos at 20 different places in the NW suburbs. The bacon chorizo was salty, which i expected but it was ICE COLD as was my carnitas taco, which was the worst of the bunch. The carnitas lacked flavor AND were served cold AND were greasy/hard chunks; its like it was the last bit from the bin or had been sitting on grill forever, it was not good at all. The tacos, the thing that they are known for were average at best and the meal was expensive overall - 2 drinks, 2 burritos, 1 margarita was ~$65 with gratuity. People rave about this place and I absolutely don't get it, granted places have off nights but I can't see myself returning to try again there is too much competition for my hard...

My wife had seen it and we've been trying to get out more to new places... So when she suggested we come here - I was excited to try out a new place. I was expecting a little more of a warm/comfort vibe from the place. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful restaurant that is decorated nicely - but there is a disconnect somewhere - it lacks that inviting feeling. Staff is friendly and pleasant.

I was a bit surprised that it didn't have any meal offerings (tacos and rice together, etc). Everything here is a la carte. There's nothing wrong with that but there is nothing indicating that either. I ordered a steak taco (which comes with red cabbage, cilantro, onions and avocado) but it's 3.75 for one taco. I think they just need to have their staff state that more clearly.

The food looks delicious and makes a good first impression. As our meal progressed however; we were left with an underwhelmed feeling. It's not that any of it was bad - but it didn't leave me with a feeling that I need to come for more. I had my two tacos and rice (which was good) and then my wife was giving me most of the steak from her Chihuahua Burrito. Unfortunately, it had no flavor despite being covered in some sauce. For three of us with an appetizer and drinks we were just shy of $40.

In all, it's maybe a nice place to bring a date but not really inviting otherwise. Food is beautiful but may not leave you wanting more. I really want to like this more than I...