Bar Takito

I love Latin food, so this place hit the spot. Their Peruvian Margarita is dangerously good not only for the wallet ($ 12 a pop) but also for the hangover (they go down very easily). I’m a huge ceviche fan, and I wasn’t that impressed on that front, but the Colombian Arepa with the pickled vegetables and the tempura fried chicken as well as the Pork Tacos made up for it by a mile and I’ve been dreaming about them since! the service was also strong. We sat at the bar, and she gave us great recommendations and was on point on refills (thank you? lol). I would definitely go again and soon!

We came to Bar Takito for a friend’s birthday and it also happened to be restaurant week. We started with drinks at the bar — delicious! I had the vodka drink which I really enjoyed and ended up ordering again (I think it had a scandanvian name?). Service was okay. Our waitress was friendly but service was noticeably slow. It even took them a while to clear plates or empty drinks from the table throughout the night although we weren’t in a rush.
The food was overall very good. Most of the table did the restaurant week menu and we added the shrimp ceviche and the octopus as appetizers for the table. The ceviche was good but the octopus was phenomenal! The garlic and peppers together with a perfectly cooked octopus were awesome. The Papas Fritas were very tasty and I’d definitely order them again. I had a bite of the green salad — it was good too but a bit too much dressing for my taste.
For the main, I got the fish tacos and traded one of them for my husband’s pork shoulder taco. They come with 4 tacos and they are good sized tacos (unlike their sister restaurant; the model analogy in another review is a good one). The fish tacos were excellent — lightly fried and I loved the cabbage aioli sauce with the crispy rice. Good combination of flavors and textures. It was definitely the better taco. The pork shoulder taco was just okay. While the meat was tender and a good portion, we both thought the pork was bland and a bit dry. I did not try them but the coffee braised beef tacos earned praise.
The food was reasonably priced and the drinks were in line with the area. We definitely spent more on drinks than the food but the table also ordered a fair number of drinks. It was a little over $ 150/​per couple with tip.
Bar Takito is a solid spot. Since it is related to the Takito in Wicker Park, it is hard not to compare the two. I prefer it over the original Takito and I’d be more likely to return to Bar Takito than the original spot.

Great margaritas made with fresh cucumber purée
The veggie torta was delicious
The potatoes were excellent too, the sauce was nice
Nothing was overly spicy where it takes away from the taste
Mezcal selection too

Finally in the neighborhood and able to try this place. We went in without reservations on a Monday night. We were seated right away. There were enough people there but it wasn’t crazy. I liked the bright lightheartedness of the décor and colors. The menu is pretty small and it is recommended that you order two types of tacos (four per order) and maybe another couple of dishes. We thought eight taco sounded like a lot. Instead we only ordered the fish tacos so that we could try a few other dishes. Though, now that was are experience with Bar Takito, we need to try the Brunkcow Cheese tacos. Ask your server about them before ordering.
Anyway, we went with the fish tacos. They actually came out last, so I remember them firs. They are good sized tacos. Nowadays I am so used to teeny-​tiny tacos. So, pleasantly surprised about this. The tacos were also pretty good. Lightly fried fish with great sauce and cooling cabbage slaw. Not at all spicy. We also shared the green salad. Yummy, and I currently love pears in my salad! And the shrimp ceviche (which I do not see on the menu online). It tasted way better than it looked. The presentation comes out what looks to be a tall ice cream sunday dish/​cup. The red sauce looks very runny and spicy. Yet, when you grab a baby shrimp, add some sauce and maybe a veggie it’s pretty scrumptious.
Our server was attentive and funny. He was very infectious in describing anything from the menu. We also had to try the cowboy coffee. Think camping coffee, made over an open fire in a tin can with not filter. Only, this one is better but for authenticity they leave in some fine coffee grounds. It was a fun nonalcoholic drink to have.
Because we could not leave without dessert, the fiancé had to get the truffles. I was pushing for the butterscotch dessert they had that night, but next time I guess! The four truffles were a prefect thing to end the dinner. Not too filling but you get your chocolate and sweet fix.

I came during Restaurant Week and luckily they had pre-​existing menu items on the Restaurant Week Menu. Service is great. They’re very friendly and attentive. The Peruvian Magarita is super tasty, just the right amount of spice and tequila. I would venture to say it’s a little pricey though.
The first course was Papas Fritas: The garlic accompaniment was FANTASTIC. The papas fritas themselves were fried perfectly and the underlying sauce was flavorful as well.
The second course was Coffee Braised Beef tacos. It came out with four tacos. My one quip is they didn’t use two tortillas with what they called «Popcorn tortillas». I’m just used to double tortilla for anything corn related. Plenty of meat and the flavor was rich and tasty.
The third course was Popcorn Butterscotch Mousse. It was very heavy in my opinion and the popcorn flavor is a little overwhelming. A good way to end the meal though.
Overall, I would like to go back when it’s not Restaurant Week and give them a try.

Bar Takito has quite a small menu, really with only a dozen choices or so. We tried the pork and beef tacos which were quite good but you get 4 per order and they wont let you split them with 2 different kinds so for groups of 4 or more, it is much better than with 2 – 3 people. The margaritas were definitely the best part of the meal. Service was very slow — in fact we waited 15min before anyone even came over and we had to ask several times if we could get a server so we could order drinks. They also weren’t very attentive once we actually got a server. Overall, for a larger group looking for a happy hour and some snacks, it is a great place but for dinner and/​or a date night, skip it and go to one of the other great restaurants in the area that is worth the extra expense.

Great Mexican spot in the west loop. The atmosphere whether you sit at the bar or a regular table it has a great vibe.
The tacos are great but nothing overly creative or weird. Margaritas on the other hand have some interesting combinations and are quite delicious.

This place has become a staple. It’s especially great when the weather is nice to sit outside and enjoy their perfection of a Paloma. Everything on the menu is delicious, though worth noting this location is distinct from Takito Kitchen in that it skews more Central/​South American than strictly Mexican.

Good tacos, cerviche, octopus.
Margaritas with the mezcal flour were potent and delicious.
I asked for a side of avocado and was told they don’t do that, which was weird and slightly irritating as there was avocado in the cerviche.
We ordered a heap of dishes. I just wanted a little avo for my tacos! Not used to hearing no at a restaurant for a reasonable request.
Otherwise would have been 5 star.

I’ve never left a restaurant with such a bad taste in my mouth, and it wasn’t because of the food.
TLDR; good drinks, okay food, nice staff but except one awful server who ruined our whole dining experience.
Was really excited to try out Bar Takito for my sister’s birthday. After I knew they were sister restaurants with Takito Kitchen, I expected no problems.
Bartender, hosts and rest of the staff were extremely kind and welcoming. When we got to the table, I was shocked at how our server treated us with utter disrespect throughout the whole night. I really wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was having a bad night? Was extremely condescending, abrasive, and checked in on us once by asking one individual from our party asking why «his face looked like that» while taking a bite of his food? What?
She then tossed the bill at us saying, «Gratuity is NOT included,» and walked off. OBVIOUSLY it’s not included! Extremely unnecessary, rude, and unprofessional.
Later on, the manager was apologetic and acknowledged the unacceptable behavior from our server. But I’m still appalled and truly disgusted at the amount of disrespect from someone. Granted, nobody should experience what we did at Bar Takito…

I went here after trying one of their taco’s at a Tasting table event. It was only a little after 11:00 and we were the first customers. I like the setup of the restaurant and the service was great.
It’s more of a tapas style place. We ordered the Pork Shoulder tacos, fish tacos, and the Papa Fritas. The tacos were good, but my favorite would have to be the Papa Fritas! They were so unique and I loved the sauce they came with. Definitely will be back to try more items when I’m in the area.

You’ve had That Meal.
You’ve stuffed yourself silly, but you can’t stop nibbling your favorite dish. (That would be the overflowing Beer Cheese Arepa – a Colombian-​style corn cake brimming with chorizo and chicken, warm mushrooms, pickled vegetables and an addictive peanut sauce.)
Your cocktail, a small but smooth glass of gin, pear and turmeric, tastes too good to savor.
You wish you could hire the decorator, who seamlessly combines bursts of color and shabby chic with a touch of post-​mod.
And then you get the bill. Talk about a reality check!
Although I liked the food and drink, I was taken aback by the steep prices, especially on a chilly Monday night when the restaurant was practically empty. Together, my friend and I paid about $ 120 for three small plates, two cocktails, an order of chocolate truffles, and tip. Too much to justify another visit anytime soon!
One big complaint? The tacos come four to an order. Although we enjoyed our $ 18 plate of fish tacos, dressed with cabbage slaw, crispy rice, julienned basil, and a chile ailio, my friend and I would be satisfied with one each. All in all, at a shared plate-​style restaurant, I wouldn’t mind smaller portions with a lower price.
Three and a half stars but rounding down because I can’t stomach the prices. (I spent less at Girl and the Goat!)

Ya know, I have walked by this place a few times over the past couple of years and I never really see anyone inside so I always keep it moving. Just recently me and the gf were looking for the perfect meal and something that would satisfy the both of us as we were in west loop starving. We saw Bar Takito and thought hmmmm…
Walked in and was seated immediately as it was a mild crowd on a chilly Wed night. Décor is pretty cool with the old school typewriters on the wall along with the cool colors, but quite vintage. Our server Erin was very nice and walked us through what was god on the menu. One of the managers even came out and told us some specifics in reference to one of their drinks that my girl had a question about. So happen the guy used to work @ Mercadito and instructed my lady on a particular martini they used to serve @ Mercadito and that they could make it similar to her liking. It was their Peruvian Margarita with Mezcal float which adds a smokey flavor and some spice to it… very good! The classica margarita was nice, but not as good as the peruvian… we pretty much stayed with the peruvian. LOL
In terms of food we started with the Octopus a La Plancha which came with lemon potatoes and garlic… very good. We then orders 2 sets of tacos: the Pork Shoulder & the Coffee Braised Beef. Both were good, but I have to give it to the Coffee Braised Beef as it had an interesting flavor that was quite unique a sit included red onion, jicama, queso oaxaca, jalepeno, cilantro and peanuts. 4 tacos came with each flavor so we were more than full. Good place with a good atmosphere, great service and great food… definitely recommend!

Ceviche: wonderful. Plantains were a bit salty, but I like them that way.
Come on a Friday night for Flamenco singing and dancing.

The best shredded beef tacos ever! You get 3 for $ 12.00 but it is worth the price and is filling.
The arepa was good and had a crazy amount of veggies on top, for $ 19. A bit pricey, but it was a good portion and definitely something you could share with 2 or more people.
Can you believe they had horchata Blue Moon beer? Yum!
The décor was very modern and sleek.

Came here for my girlfriends bday dinner. I love the environment/​vibe of this place and the quality of the food/​drinks here!!! I had fish tacos and cucumber margarita. Yum yum yum!!!
Fish tacos– the fish is so fresh and delicious! There is spice kicking in, which made it so good! But I can’t handle that level of spiciness so I gave it to my husband. He fell in love with it and quickly ordered other types of tacos.
Cucumber margarita– so unique since I never heard of any place serving cucumber margarita. I think it’s the best margarita I have ever tasted in Chicago. I probably finished the glass in less than 5 mins lol!
The food here is pretty overpriced, but I would come back here for a special occasion like bday dinners. If I have to come here on a daily basis, I wouldn’t or unless i won couple million dollars lottery LOL!
Tip: don’t miss out the margaritas and tacos! Really good! Enjoy! :)

I was not a fan of the place. The tacos were not great. The fish taco especially was very hard to bite. The shrimp ceviche was too spicy and the octopus was hard to chew.
The mescal based cocktail that is a twist on negroni was great though! Although the old fashioned was a little too strong for my taste.

Service: 4.5
Our waiter Hugo was fabulous. Knowledgeable, attentive, friendly, and awesome. He split our checks 12 ways.
Food: 4.
Overall a solid choice for food, with some items being better than others.
4.2: Coffee braised beef tacos: I really really enjoyed the juicy, excellently seasoned beef, with the cilantro and peanuts, which added great crunch to an already great taste.
3.5 Chilaquilies had huge portions with two large eggs adorning it. The braised chicken was underwhelming in flavor and texture though.
4: The Huarache is the perfect brunch food, allowing you to cure hangovers and tickle your tastebuds too.
Drinks: 4
4: The cucumber margarita was delicious, with the combier a good twist on the usual triple sec/​cointreau, and the spicy red-​pepper salt giving it a mouth-​watering kick.
4: I got the Papi Greengo, looks like a kale smoothie but packs a wallop. Blanco, crème de cacao, and mint with slight acidity which went down smoother than Chavez.
Cubs vs Packers was on, nonetheless the TV could be a little softer as it was drowning out conversation.

Adorable patio, but the El is very noisy. We stopped by after dinner so only ordered drinks. The caipirinha was delicious. Service was relaxed and friendly. I’ll be back for the food soon.

PROS:
–Great atmosphere
–Love the cucumber margarita
–Pork Belly tacos were delicious
–Parking is easy to find in the area
CONS
–Service was mediocre
–Cannot split bill or do separate checks