About

Taco Rio is a taco stand and bar at *457 E Riverwalk* in Chicago, on the east end of the Riverwalk near Lake Shore Drive. It's owned by the team behind *Urban Kayaks*, the kayak-rental company next door, founded 16 years ago by ski instructors who met in Colorado. After about a decade running kayaks on the river, the owners bid on the empty lot beside their shop and spent four years bringing in utilities before Taco Rio could open; it's now in its fourth season.

The restaurant is open daily from *11 a.m. to 10 p.m.* and holds a *4.4-star* average across more than 700 Google reviews. Chef *Miguel Rodriguez* runs the kitchen — his first time leading one after years working in other restaurants — and GM *Matt Nicano* runs the bar program. The decor leans bright pink and blue, aimed at a younger, louder Riverwalk crowd than the area's older restaurants.

What to expect

The menu is built around tacos, led by *carne asada* — steak, cilantro, and onion — alongside nachos made with fresh-fried tortilla chips. A weekday *lunch special* (Monday–Friday, noon–4 p.m.) pairs two tacos with rice, beans, and a small drink for *$15*. Every cocktail uses fresh-squeezed lime juice and no artificial sugars or syrups, including a strawberry margarita, frozen margaritas and pina colada, and a Riverwalk Long Island made with fresh strawberry puree.

Next door, the team's *Rio Burger* food truck serves a wagyu beef burger with thick-cut bacon, American cheese, and caramelized onions, cooked in avocado oil or beef tallow instead of seed oils. This year it added breakfast burritos and fresh coffee on select mornings. The truck runs *Wednesday through Sunday, 2–10 p.m.*

Highlights

Taco Rio's *500-seat patio* sits directly on the Chicago Riverwalk, with open seating and no reservations required for casual groups — a rarity for waterfront dining in the area. Thursdays bring *live music*, including recent Afro Rave house-music DJ sets, and the bar shows soccer and football when the seasons call for it.

The kitchen and bar avoid artificial sugars and syrups in favor of fresh-squeezed lime juice — enough that, per the owners, their produce supplier says Taco Rio squeezes more limes than most Chicago nightclubs. All staff start at Chicago's full *city minimum wage* of $17.80 an hour rather than the lower tipped minimum.

Pricing

Google places Taco Rio around *$$*, with reported per-person spending in the *$10–$60* range depending on food and drinks. The *lunch special* is the clearest fixed price on the menu at $15 for two tacos, rice and beans, and a drink; a la carte tacos, nachos, and cocktails are priced individually and not listed with fixed amounts online.

Good to know

The patio is *first come, first served* for parties under eight — no reservations needed, just walk up or call *(773) 500-6544*. Groups of eight or more can book ahead through the site's Book a Party page or by emailing *party@tacoriochicago.com*, and a group-pricing guide is available for corporate events and private parties.

Taco Rio is *dog-friendly*, per the business's own posted customer reviews, and sits on the east end of the Riverwalk near Lake Shore Drive — reachable on foot along the Riverwalk, by car, or by water taxi. Reach the team by email at *eat@tacoriochicago.com* for general questions.

Hours

Monday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Thursday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Friday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Recent reviews

This place is really nice, drinks are good. I have 2 steak tacos which it was good but the meat it was really overcooked. I really love my pina colada, my husband had the chips and salsa but we didn’t liked it. In 2…

Cynthia · 5/5 · a month ago

Rio Burger has one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. I’m from California and it reminded me so much of In n Out on the west coast, but with a homemade flare. I’ll be raving about this burger to my friends back home!

Hannah Johnson · 5/5 · a month ago

I give the food a 6/10. Some of the people weren't friendly. It was my first time there. Sitting by the water will always make the experience better.

Tamara Rashelle · 3/5 · 2 weeks ago

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