Tacos & Pupusas Esperanza
Tacos & Pupusas Esperanza — top-tier mexican in Back of the Yards. Order the Sauces. Feels like it's been there since before the neighborhood changed. Joseph Soto: "Best Pupusas in the city they were fresh and so delicious really liked the slaw and the spicy sauce"
What 259 diners keep saying
What 259 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“The pupusas are amazing. The steak is delicious. Definitely recommend the "pu-pu taco". All of the salsas were great. Pupusa de loroco is my all time favorite!”

“I’ve never had a pupusa before, but it reminded me of a gordita (I had in Mexico City) and this just rocked my world. First, the service was hospitable and kind. The space was super clean, but obviously small. That was no problem for me, I ate takeout. The pupusa was CLEARLY cooked fresh for me, it was piping hot when I got it and nicely packaged. The ingredients were top notch, and the salsa was CRAAAAZY good. Like I could drink it. Same with the traditional slaw, SO tasty. Cheesy goodness. And only $4.99 + tax 😍 The 4.9 stars lived up to the hype. It’s greasy, good, and great value. Highly recommend.”

“The hot sauces are great. The habanero one hits. Birria pupusa is very good!”

“Very tasty, lots of unique menu items, and friendly service. Definitely coming back!”

“Absolutely LOVE this place! The place is lovely, with nice decorations and comfy seating. Upon entering we were warmly greeted and the man at the register gave a very detailed description of their items. After ordering and sitting down, came the salsa platter. Oh my gosh, if you enjoy salsas you’ll love this place. Lots of variety and all freshly made and flavorful and lovingly explained by staff. The food here is freshly made to order and to die for. The meat melts in your mouth - so flavorful and fresh. The drinks are worthy of praise as well; all freshly made and with real fruit. I’d especially recommend their dragonfruit mango lemonade. We had their specialty, popusa taco dinner pictured below. I’ll definitely be telling my friends and family about this place and see myself returning with my boyfriend often.”

“Very delicious food! Having different types of salsa for all type of people is very unique and not something a lot of restaurants do, from the traditional awacate to a very creamy habanero one.”

“They have a lot of different natural water drinks. Today I mixed their Mango and dragon fruit drink, absolutely delicious!!!! The green one is pineapple cucumber mixed with dragon fruit as well!!”

“My family and I fell in love with this place as we were visiting Chicago. Try the Putacos and the Puputacos! Con esa salsita Habanero, it really hit the spot. 10/5 stars. Plus the service was incredible as we weren’t sure what to order, they helped us and made sure we got exactly what we were looking for and more.”

“🔥🔥🔥🔥 Very very good ... I was surprised by the Sazòn and Sabor in each item from the Main Dish Putaco Dinner to the Sides Rice n Beans even the Chips all had distinct Flavors ... Also a large variety of Fresh Made Sauces ranging from Mild to Hot”
Sounds like your kind of place?
Star it — your hit list is where dinner decisions get made.
One email a month — new openings, hidden gems, and where locals are actually eating.
More Mexican in Pilsen & Chinatown
See the ranking →In the same lane · Mexican
If it's packed, walk to…



More good rooms in Back of the Yards, minutes away.








