Taqueria Poncitlan

Chicken sandwich was lacking in flavor. I expected a little more from the photos. I am American but always order in Spanish from Mexican joints out of mere respect, but once I broke the accent, they took advantage of me and my lack of authenticity for my potential ethnicity (Spanish). What I mean is White persons should not receive less product than others in food orders and often too many times this has been the case for me in similar situations when ordering Mexican food.

Food is Amazing. I would have gave 5 Stars but the service is not very good. Hopefully the owner shows these the waitresses how to properly serve people.

Food is good but the service and attitude of waitress is the worse i have ever experienced

Never have I ever been to a place where they are so rude! they are also passing off tacos as quesadillas and telling people that they are Mexican and since I’m not i don’t know what I’m talking about. (This was said by Alejandra, the one with the pink hair) I was a regular customer for the past 5 years and delt with this so called «family» restaurant getting my order wrong on multiple occasions, being rude and over charging. In the world of customer service if I tell you what you gave me is not what I ordered, it’s your job to fix it not come to my table with an attitude telling that I’m wrong. Today was the last straw. Taking my business elsewhere.

they never skimp on meat, possibly the fattest tacos i’ve ever had

Great authentic Mexican food. The steak tacos are amazing! Juicy meat and they fill up the tortilla up to the top. The horchata is one of the best I have tried.

Been here a few times and love it. I think their Horchata is second best (first is Atotonilco) but their tacos are spot on. I recommend this place to anyone.

The food here is delicious, the margaritas are wonderful, and the atmosphere is great! We happened to go there on karaōke night (Thursday, mostly Spanish) and had a blast. It is a restaurant in a Spanish-​speaking neighborhood, so it does help if you know at least a bit of Spanish.

Came here specifically for the weekend menudo, only to be told that they ran out!!! I was heartbroken ;(. So I ordered some tacos instead.
I’m surprised to see how much this place has changed. I remember when they first started out, on the corner of kostner and armitage in a tiny run down hole in the wall. They eventually moved to the corner of where they currently are. As the business got bigger, the quality of the food declined. They don’t even give u any lime with your tacos anymore, but instead give you one tiny slice of lemon with your modelo beer!!! What kind of Mexican place gives a slice of lemon with beer!!! Other than the goofy new changes, and lack of flavor in the food, the service was very good. But I don’t know if I will be coming back anytime soon. Sad. Since I used to come here when I was a little girl

4158 W Armitage Ave (773−486−1424) — In the heart of the Hermosa Neighborhood, light gleams through the windows and the smell of steak escapes through the open doors of Poncitlan and into the dark street on a cold Chicago night. This home of the Poncitlan Restaurant has evolved into a chain of ‘eat and go’ places in the neighborhood. It offers a near to perfect authentic taste to the traditional dishes of Mexican food. You can be sure to walk out the door full and satisfied having spent under $ 15.
Being greeted at the door with the smell of meat on the grill and the sound of live music are sure to put you at ease. The wooden chairs carved with country scenes and wrapped with bright colors are sure to catch your eye. Having an option to sit where you like comes in handy if you’re trying to avoid a screaming kid. Greeted by a familiar smiling waitress and complementary soup within the minute assures you the food will be there quickly. If you don’t speak Spanish you might struggle a bit when ordering, especially if you try a phone order but skip the language barrier and you’re likely to find a patient waitress.
The menu matches the authentic themed restaurant. With an image of the food, description and price it isn’t hard to guess what you’re ordering. A beverage is first. Something hot you shouldn’t miss is the Columbian coffee freshly brewed with the taste of cinnamon and a price you can’t beat. The Jamaica and Horchata, two Mexican favorites, are delicious served cold. A must try appetizer on the menu is the Mexican nachos. Steak topped nachos with sour cream, guacamole and melted cheese looks like a party on a plate. A dinner specialty they are well known for are the «parilladas», grilled meats and vegetables brought to the table on a hot skillet. However, I’d skip the grilled greasy meat and go with the other specialty, Stuffed Poblano Peppers along with a side of rice, beans and salad.
Waiting for the main dish I look around. Mexican soap operas are playing on the TV’s in each corner of the restaurant so the conversations around you tend to be a bit bland. However, the upbeat music playing helps keep the mood alive. The food arrives sooner than anticipated and I indulge in the sight and smell. Poblano peppers stuffed with cheese and fried with an eggshell come blanketed with a tomato sauce and a side of tortillas warm in a basket waiting on the side. A slice of the pepper goes onto the tortilla. The combination of all the flavors makes the taste incredible but the comforting sauce brings it all together. Halfway through the plate, I realize it’s too much and ask for a box to take it to go.
There are some interesting and just as good items on the dessert side if you have the sizeable stomach for it. The custard cake with melted brown sugar is heaven to your mouth. Skip the deep fried ice cream, wrongly named as it’s nothing more than ice cream with frosted flakes and a caramel waffle bottom. A return is already anticipated but make sure to practice your Spanish to have a pleasant experience. (Entrées $ 4-​$ 22.)

The best carne asada in town!

I like it here. I come alot. Good food. I’ve generally had good service too even if I do think they need one more daytime waitress. It’s pretty clean too.

I’m a really big fan of this place. The «burrito al pastor» is awesome! I live pretty far away, but make it a point to come down and buy some takeout (its usually pretty busy –I’m okay with savoring it at home) whenever I want some real Mexican food!

I’ve been living in the Hermosa area my whole life and have tried many Mexican restaurants. In my many years of living here I have to say that Poncitlan is hands down the best Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood. The service is top notch and the food is grade A and authentic! The restaurant is always very clean and the workers very polite. Definitely try their Tampiquena Dinner it is to die for. If you want great Mexican food check this place out A.S.A.P.

We’ve lived down the street from Poncitlan for a little over 2 yrs now –its our default Mexican restaurant and our place to go if we are feeling like a mexican breakfast –wish i could say i love it, but i cant. The food quality as far as taste and preparation has gone down considerably since we started to go. everything seems to be cooked on the grill now with a large dousing of oil so any meat dish u order is greasy (noticed today that they even do the ‘bistek ala mexicana’ on the grill. i dunno but ive always known it to be a dish of steak cubed with a sauce). the guacamole is great and the breakfasts are by far now my favorite dishes from them. the rice can vary from terrific to totally bland –and as i said, anything meat related is going to have u tilting your dish off to pour off the oil (yes, i literally did that with my fajitas recently)
Wait staff is ok — at times they have difficulty if u dont speak spanish –this is especially true if u are calling in an order for delivery or pick up .we have called in for a torta dinner, coke and a large cup of ice. my spanish is far from flawless. after much wrangling and word picking, i got a torta dinner, coke and a large cup of rice. i have also had the person answering the phone just flat out say they dont speak english so please call back later
on a personal neighborhood note, i have to say these guys are always great about keeping their sidewalk cleared in the winter and ive seen the manager come out to tell a group of guys who were hanging outside the restaurant after their meal and gettingn loud to keep it down so as not to disturb the neighbors and that was nice .
will i keep going? yes, but ill kno what to choose =D

Their tortas de pechuga de pollo are great! Make sure you actually request a «pechuga de pollo» so it’s an actual piece of fillet chicken breast… enjoy!!!
Zion

I assume we selected the wrong day to visit. We were hoping to find, «hands down the best Mexican food in the city» or our soon to be «favorite Mexican restaurant» unfortunately, neither of these occurred.
We entered this bustling restaurant and were a bit overwhelmed. There didn’t seem to be a hostess stand or a marked area to wait to be seated. Menus were not on the table and I use that as a sign that it’s not a seat yourself establishment. Multiple waitresses breezed past us each making eye contact, but never smiling or speaking. Finally, we were acknowledged and led to a table in the center aisle of the restaurant. We take a seat and begin to look over the menu. A half empty basket of chips and a small bowl of salsa were placed in front of us. We quickly polish off the basket of tasty chips while we wait for someone to take our drink order. Our waitress appears again and we both order margaritas, a side of guacamole and some additional chips. As we wait for these items we are asked if we’d be willing to move to a booth against the wall. Sure. I noticed this happen to at least three couples that had previously been seated in the center.
It took quite a while for the guacamole and margaritas to make it out to the table. Unfortunately, we still had no chips. As quickly as items were placed on our table our waitress was gone. I understand that it was busy, but we deserve a little attention here. We waited and waited. I had finished my margarita before food orders were taken or the basket of chips ever made it to the table. We sat there staring at this delicious looking guacamole, but nothing to sample it with. Such a bummer. When the food did arrive it had a nice flavor. Nothing that blew our socks off or made us rationalize the ridiculously slow service.

Hands down best mexican food in the city. It used to be a smaller little shack on the opposite side of keeler and was better then (as usual) but still the best place I have ever eaten at. Oh get the rice water or the strawberry milkshake they are also great!

This restaurant quickly became my favorite Mexican restaurant the first time I visited, replacing… what was it called? It doesn’t matter, this place is TOPS. I work close by and so I come here regularly for my steak tacos and/​or cheese quesadillas.
Parking is available in the back off the alley behind Armitage, but it does become congested at times. Parking is almost always available for a fee of course on Armitage (Pay To Park). The complimentary salsa they serve is simply the best salsa I have ever had, period. It is hot, so beware! Plenty of freshly-​chopped jalapenos and cilantro, it goes down great with any of the main dishes. As I mentioned, I love their steak tacos, and this is one of the only places where you won’t find fatty peices of gristle. Order a Mexican Coca Cola out of a glass bottle (natural sugar in place of high fructose corn syrup) to top off the experience. The waitress staff is very helpful and cheerful.

I love this place. I work near here. Everytime I go there the food is great and fresh. I have had an tostada with Avocado… yummy. It’s cheap also. The waitresses are always friendly. I would recommend this place.