The tacos Chicago drives across town for.
Al pastor carved off a live trompo spit. Carne asada from the flat top. Real ingredients, honest prices, no shortcuts. Fast, because it has to be, but never fast food.
Why most tacos fall short
Chicago tacos should be better than this.
You've had the ones that look great in a photo and arrive cold. The ones priced like a sit-down dinner but cooked like a drive-through. You shouldn't have to choose between speed, quality, and price.
Assembled hours ago
Most spots prep their meat in bulk, chill it, reheat it. By the time it hits your tortilla the fat has seized and the smoke is long gone.
Honest price is treated as a premium
A few spots have cracked the craft game but now charge $7 a taco like it's a cocktail bar. Handmade shouldn't mean inaccessible.
Great but inconvenient
You found the right taco spot. It's 40 minutes away. You go twice a year. That's not a neighborhood taqueria, that's a pilgrimage.
Style over substance
The tortilla is dyed black for the photo. The protein is a name-brand cheese blend. You pay for an aesthetic and eat a disappointment.
By the numbers
"I've eaten tacos in Mexico City, Los Angeles, and half the taquerias in Chicago. TROMPO's al pastor is the one I keep coming back for."
The al pastor actually tastes like it came off the trompo, not a steam tray. I drive in from Avondale every Friday and it is worth the trip.
Avondale
Catered our office party for 60 people. Showed up early, the line never stopped, and there were zero leftovers. Everyone asked who did it.
West Loop office
The quesabirria with that consome is the best in the city and I have tried all of them. Crispy, cheesy, worth every cent.
Wicker Park
Carved, not assembled
The TROMPO Method
The marinade, 48 hours out
Dried chiles, achiote, pineapple, and time. The al pastor gets two full days before it ever touches the spit. You taste that difference, even if you can't name it.
Live fire, every day
The trompo runs from open to close. The outer layer stays caramelized. Each slice is carved to order so nothing sits, nothing steams, nothing loses that char.
Handmade tortillas, pressed fresh
Masa ground in-house, pressed to order, cooked on the comal right before your taco goes together. Nixtamal corn, real corn flavor, no filler.
Your table in under four minutes
Craft doesn't have to mean slow. We've built the line to move. Order at the counter, grab your number, sit down. Your tacos arrive before the ice melts in your drink.
Al Pastor
$3.75Pork shoulder marinated in guajillo and achiote, carved off the live trompo spit. Pineapple, white onion, cilantro. The one that started it all.
Signature
Carne Asada
$4.25Skirt steak hit hard on the flat top. Lime, sal, salsa verde. The char is the point. Comes double-stacked on handmade corn tortillas.
House Favorite
Pollo Adobado
$3.50Chicken thighs marinated overnight in chile negro and Mexican oregano. Crisp-edged from the grill, never dry. Topped with salsa roja and crema.
Most Ordered
Suadero
$4.00Beef brisket slow-rendered in its own fat until it collapses. Crispy-edged, deeply savory, no add-ons needed. A Mexico City classic, Chicago-ready.
Chef's Pick
Quesabirria
$5.00Braised beef birria, Oaxacan cheese, pressed on the comal until the cheese blisters and the tortilla goes crisp. Consome for dipping on the side.
Weekend Special
Veggie Trompo
$3.50Seasonal squash, corn, charred poblano, and black bean cooked on the flat top with the same adobo as our al pastor. Genuinely good, not a substitution.
Plant-BasedFed 350 guests. Zero leftovers. One live trompo.
We catered a Logan Square wedding last September: 350 guests, outdoor venue, one live spit running from 5pm to close. The trompo was the entertainment and the food. Every taco made to order, in front of the crowd.
"People kept walking past the buffet to stand in our taco line. I don't know whether to call that a success or an incident." Jordan K., event planner, Chicago North Shore Weddings
Get a Catering Quote
Ready when you are. Tacos in four minutes.
Order online for pickup at any location. Call ahead if you've got a big order. Walk in anytime, we're ready.
No reservation needed · Open late · Catering inquiries: hello@trompochicago.com
Hours
Mon-Thu: 11am - 11pm
Fri-Sat: 11am - 1am
Sunday: 11am - 10pm
Flagship Location
1742 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
All six locations