Self-proclaimed “big foodies,” Israel Garcia and Aide Marquez came from a small town in north-central Illinois, saw an available space in Montgomery and decided to open a restaurant.
“There was a restaurant here, and we thought, ‘Why don’t we do tacos?'” Marquez said. “The menu started off with stuff we love. We had a 1,200-square-foot restaurant at the time and people were lined up out the door. It started off as a dream!”
Taco Madre offers build-your-own tacos, tortas and burros, along with the rice bowl, which is Marquez and Garcia’s spin on the burrito bowl. “We have a lot of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options — pretty much everything is gluten free,” said Marquez, who eats gluten-free herself.
Marquez said every Taco Madre will someday expand to have an ice cream shop next door. “Taco in one hand, ice cream in the other. It’s balance or the epitome of happiness.”
She and her fiancé opened Algo Dulce in January next to the Naperville restaurant and will put coolers in each location. Algo Dulce means ‘something sweet,” Marquez said.
Taco Madre has different meanings, as Marquez explained:
“One is the mother of all tacos. The matriarch of Mexican culture, she’s the glue who holds the family together and calls the shots. Also, Mexican mothers won’t eat at Mexican restaurants because they can make it at home, so Taco Madre means it’s ‘so good even your mother would eat here.'”
On the menu: Tacos, tortas, burros and rice bowls.
About the owners: The Montgomery location was the first to open in 2014, followed by North Aurora in 2016, Naperville in 2017 and St. Charles in 2018. The couple also owns Algo Dulce, an ice cream shop that opened in January next door to the Naperville location. The plan is to add those shops to every location, but for now, they’ll put coolers at each place.
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Philosophy: “Quality ingredients, loving what you do, cooking with love and serving with a smile,” Marquez said.
We’re different because: “We’re like a normal taqueria in Mexico. We stay true to our authentic roots with fusion,” Marquez said.
Price range: Snacks from $3.50 to $9.29. La Madre’s tacos in 11 varieties are $3.69. Tacos are $2.79, tortas are $7.99 and burros are $8.49; all come with a choice of carne asada, chicken asado, picadillo, soychorizo, al pastor or carnitas. Rice bowls are $8.29. Sides from $2.29 to $5. Dudley’s cemita is chicken milanesa, avocado, onion, shredded Oaxaca cheese, jalapenos and chipotle aioli for $9.99. Kids’ menu is $5.99. Desserts are $4.99. Drinks from $1.99 to $2.49. Daily specials.
Delivery options: Curbside pickup and free delivery available for any orders called in to Taco Madre locations directly. Delivery also offered through third-party platforms UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub and ChowNow.
Logistics: Taco Madre is at 2112 Baseline Road, Montgomery. Hours are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. Call 630-229-6481 or go to tacomadrechicago.com. Also locations in North Aurora, St. Charles and Naperville and hours may vary by location.
Shonda Talerico Dudlicek is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.
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