Tallboy Taco brings fun casual dining to Nacional 27

Nacional 27 has long been one of my favorite spots in River North for Latin American cuisine – both excellent cocktails and superb food. One of the most popular items on their appetizer menu has always been their tasty tacos, and they have now taken advantage of that by opening their own casual taqueria in the front of the restaurant located at 325 W. Huron Street.

The new taqueria is called Tallboy Taco and now offers an assortment of tacos for both lunch and dinner, as well as carryout. The name “tallboy” derives from the restaurant offering a large selection of cold tallboy beers along with the excellent tacos. They have reconcepted that portion of the venue to look like a funky, outdoor cantina complete with strings of colored lights, slatted blinds, and a beautiful new bar.

Chef/Partner Tim Hockett, who also oversees Nacional 27 and M Burger, created Tallboy Taco with a desire to serve the neighborhood great tacos on homemade tortillas in a quick, casual and funky environment.

 “Nacional 27 has always been passionate about tacos and we’ve never been open for lunch, so an idea was born to serve a variety of the portable Mexican street snack out of the bar area,” says Hockett. “Tacos are perfect to share and historically speaking, going back to the Mexican cowboy days, they were also meant to eat on-the-go.”

Made with fresh, handmade corn tortillas, Tallboy Taco’s menu offers eight varieties:

  • BEER-BATTERED CRISPY FISH TACO (beer-battered tilapia, pico de gallo, lime)
  • SHREDDED ADOBO CHICKEN TACO (slow-roasted pulled chicken, salsa roja, cotija cheese, pickled onions)
  • COWBOY 12HR SMOKED BRISKET TACO (smokey meat, salsa arbol, cilantro)
  • PORK AL PASTOR TACO (marinated pork shoulder, onions, lime)
  • GUNTHORP FARMS CARNITAS TACO (traditional slow-braised pork, pico verde fresca)
  • PANCHO VILLA STEAK CARNE ASADA TACO (skirt steak, fire-roasted corn, pico de gallo)
  • CRISPY AVOCADO TACO (beer-battered avocado, pico de gallo, shredded lechuga)
  • CHORIZO CON RAJAS TACO (chorizo, roasted poblanos and caramelized onions, queso)

The menu also features starters (Chips & Salsa; Guacamole; Charred Corn Fundido; Cheese Crisp) and dessert (Choco Taco; Tres Leches). Drinks include cold tallboys, bottled brews, cocktails, tequila and agua frescas.  The full Nacional 27 beverage menu is also available, so there are plenty of great wines and awesome seasonal cocktails to be sampled.

I was recently invited to sample the menu. The guacamole comes either mild or spicy. Be warned, the mild is still fairly high on the heat scale, so if you are not a fan of spicy heat, you might want to try something else. Otherwise, it is some of the best fresh guacamole in the city. I was able to try out all eight of the tasty tacos. My favorites were definitely the Crispy Avocado and Pork al Pastor, but all eight were excellent – messy – but excellent.  Although I am not much of a dessert eater, I highly recommend trying the Tres Leches Cake.  It’s not a large portion, and if you are with a friend it’s a great shareable bite of dessert – luscious, creamy, and perfect to end your meal.

Tallboy Taco is located at 325 W. Huron Street and is open for lunch (counter service), Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and for dinner (full service) Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 3 p.m. to midnight; and on Saturday, 4 p.m. to midnight. For more information, call 312-664-2727 or visit tallboytaco.com.


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