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- Hours:
Tue-Thu 12 pm - 1 am
Fri 12 pm - 2 am
Sat 12 pm - 3 am
Sun 12 pm - 12 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
36 reviews for Bullhead Cantina
36 reviews in English
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Review from Jason K.
Near North Side, Chicago, IL
5/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Excellent. Best tacos in chi. Great service. Could use slightly better decor. But it's simple, and works fine.
$6 - taco, shot, tallboy!!! Whawhawhat!
A welcome taco joint alternative -
Review from Channyn W.
Chicago, IL
5/11/2012
While standing around at the dog park, the conversation among the adults turned to food as it does when it's almost 7 pm and clearly no one is cooking. A new place located nearby was highly praised and thus we found ourselves walking into Bullhead 30 minutes later.
My first impression was certainly a good one. We were greeted warmly upon entering and it was immediately clear that this isn't a typical, overly loud, hipster bar.
We decided on a variety of tacos, because seriously, EVERYTHING sounded awesome. Brisket? Southern Fried Chicken? Roasted Veggie? Um, yes please. This is a great place to go to satisfy both your carnivorous and plant-eating friends.
The cheese quesadilla could have been a meal on its own considering the order comes with 3 cheese stuffed tortillas and generous servings of guac (soooo good!!), sour cream and pico de gallo. Oh, and the tortillas! House made. The BBQ pork was hands down the winner among the tacos, but there wasn't a bad choice.
Our order was to go so we didn't drink, but the cocktail list looked good and whiskey fans should be very happy with the selection.
Would I go back? Absolutely! The food was still good by the time we got to the house, but I can only imagine how much better it would be when served fresh. The staff was incredibly friendly and happy to answer questions. The overall vibe was low-key. The prices were more than reasonable.
Happy belly. -
Review from Ellen L.
Chicago, IL
5/1/2012
We wandered in upon a recommendation from a friend's hairdresser and we're all in agreement that Bullhead is going to be a regular addition to the rotation.
$6 for a pbr, a shot of whiskey, and a taco? Heck yes! Friendly servers? Heck yes! Non-obnoxious noise levels? Heck yes!
I tried the tilapia taco and the pulled pork taco and both were amazing. Their guac is cheap and delicious. Life is good at Bullhead. -
Review from Erin P.
Chicago, IL
4/12/2012
Great new place with exciting taco options, fresh ingredients and good beer. It is also affordable with great daily specials.
I plan on spending a lot of time here this summer.Listed in: The Patch (border of Ukrainian…
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Review from Brent W.
4/17/2012
The Short:
Mexi (v freshi) meets Hipster (not so freshi) meets Whiskey (def, shi got it) meets the HP (got nothing)
The Long:
It'll come later.
In sum, it was good. And cheeeeeeeaaaap! -
Review from Jena K.
4/17/2012
I went here with a friend who had a Groupon, and it was delicious.
The Groupon was for chips and guacamole, a whiskey flight, and a taco sampler - 3 fillings, 12 tortillas. Sound like a lot of food for two people? It was.
The whiskey flight was interesting; it started with a bottom-shelf Evan Williams (ouch!) and ended with Buffalo Trace (yum).
For the taco sampler, we picked the carnitas, the tilapia, and the sweet potato. All were great, but I think the carnitas and sweet potato outshined the tilapia, which despite coming with a "tamarind bourbon" glaze, tasted a lot like plain tilapia.
In any case, the food was all really good - even the slightly boring tilapia was cooked perfectly. They served it with a bowl of veggies (cabbage, lettuce, salsa) as well as a few sauces (chipotle hot sauce I think, a creamy-avocado one, and sour cream).
This place is pretty close to where I live so I'll probably be back. It's cash only, though. -
Review from Matt L.
4/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Do you like salsa? Do you care to be able to distinguish between tacos of differing contents? Do you enjoy good cocktails?
If you answered yes to any of the following questions, Bullhead may not be the place for you. If, however, you want to eat and drink on the cheap, you should put it on the radar.
Decent food and basic drinks make this a take it or leave it kind of situation. If they'd put some fucking salsa on the table, I'd probably drop a 4 on them. If they also either stepped up the cocktail game (3 of the cocktails utilize sweet vermouth, which I generally like, but found these depressing - so emo) or lowered the prices on the decent whiskey just a tad, I'd probably make it a 5. -
Review from Melanie M.
Chicago, IL
4/17/2012
I love seeing more places on California Ave.! This is a great little bar with an ample beer list and FANTASTIC taco options. I went with a few friends after an afternoon in the Park and we went for the taco sampler. It's $19 and you get a choice of three different taco fillings. I'd say it ends up being about 3 tacos each for four people so it's a great deal. We did a couple of these and it was cheap and delicious!
Server was new and not quite sure of what was happening but she was very nice and efficient.
I'll be back to try all the different tacos! -
Review from Bridget S.
Chicago, IL
3/31/2012
Easy parking.
No line.
Friendly, accommodating staff.
Delicious food, served quickly.
Great prices.
Might not be my *favorite* part of town, but who cares? Great addition to the taco scene. Is there a taco scene? Well there should be one. -
Review from julie a.
3/12/2012
I really enjoyed the food here - I had a great experience, my friend went the following week and had a horrible experience!
Regardless, I really liked the brisket, carnitas, and the chips and salsa.
I will for sure be back, my friend will not. -
Review from Drew F.
Chicago, IL
5/8/2012
Very good but I tried going back for lunch and they were closed.
Website says they open for lunch @ 11am but this wasn't the case. -
Review from Jason W.
Chicago, IL
2/24/2012
Bullhead Cantina is like Big Star's cooler older brother. To sum it up in a couple words, it is a Taco/Whiskey bar. They have 12 different tacos (4 veggie) including Carnitas, Brisket, Southern Fried Chicken, and blackened sweet potato. Each one that i tried was delic.
Street parking is easy, right out front, and if you are scared to go into HP, then your loss, nerd.
They have a daily special that cannot be beaten. Taco (your choice) + Tall Boy (your choice) and a shot of whiskey for $6. How do they even make any money on that? You will be able to find me here at least once a week as long as I have legs and can leave the house.
Boom. -
Review from Jonathan W.
Chicago, IL
2/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
After my Bigstar debacle I'm a little skeptical when someone calculatedly opens a dive bar, especially one that's off the beaten path a little. However the formula sounded appealing and simple enough - whiskey and tacos - so I gave it a shot. I would say Bullhead has appropriately scratched Humbold's itch; relatively inexpensive good food in a laid back "cool dive" atmosphere.
I came with my brother and we sat at the bar after we determined that our table was too wobbly to actually use. The bartenders were awesome and make a mean Buffalo Trace Manhattan. We asked them to set us up with three of what he considered to be the best tacos (carnitas, avocado, and some form of beef); solid. The homemade tortillas deserve accolades as well as with the fiery house picante.
I will be back for sure.
PS - I'm not down with cash only. -
Review from Johnny W.
Chicago, IL
2/21/2012
Some may say that Big Star has the best tacos but this little gem I stumbled upon has made it's mark on my guts besides it's tasty meats Bullhead also offers a bigger veggie option for the urban omnivore and vegetarian and their Margaritas are on point.
-Truths from a Texan. -
Review from Ariel L.
2/8/2012
2.5 stars.
I ate lunch here today. It was 12:30 and there was one other patron in the bar. I wasn't drinking, but i did appreciate the $3 shot special. The menu looked great, with such a wide selection of tacos, but i was also fearful that with having so many tacos, the quality would suffer. I ordered the Steak taco, the Beer Can Chicken taco and the Grilled Tilapia taco. The bartender said they were fairly large and i wouldn't need more than that.
Well, she was right about the size. Three tacos was plenty of food. But all of my tacos came out cold? What was up with that? My friends tacos came out luke warm at least. None of the cheese on the tacos had melted. One other customer in the restaurant and we weren't getting hot food? That is unacceptable (sound the gong!).
Anyways, the flavors were ok, but getting served cold food is just a big no-no. My other comment is that for a place that just opened, the place looks pretty dumpy. Is it supposed to be a dive bar? I didn't get that sense, but that's what it felt like. I could eat there again if necessary, but in a city with a lot of good taquerias (sp?), i am not rushing back. -
Review from Ian H.
Chicago, IL
3/22/2012
As a relatively new pescatarian, I'm always interested in places that can cater to my needs, at a reasonable price. All the better if it's right in my hood.
Went there with the Mrs and the Kids after work for dinner. Kids always like a cheese quesadilla, but don't always ask for seconds. They devoured both helpings.
For the adults, we pretty much kept it coming Tapas style. Can't remember exactly what we had but I remember enjoying fresh ingredients that were perfectly grilled with earthy and aromatic combinations.
This is not a schmancy joint, you're not going here for the decor. You go here for the hipster-beer selection and edgy vibe offered as Humboldt Park redefines itself as a culinary destination. -
Review from Marie K.
Chicago, IL
2/13/2012 1 photo
A restaurant that focuses on tacos and whiskey, just a block from my house?! what did I do to deserve this?
Went up on a Friday night with a friend and was pleasantly surprised that all custom cocktails are only $5 on Fridays. The bartenders were super cool, too. 3 old fashioneds (tasty, by the way) and 3 old styles, accompanied with a spicy avocado taco & carnitas taco, and we were sold. We loved it so much, we spent Saturday afternoon there, and brought more friends.
We tried over half of the menu, and not one item was disappointing. Everyone had a different favorite, too, which was kind of cool. They do not skimp on the delicious stuffing, but the homemade tortillas are what really make the tacos! Holy crap they're amazing! The owner stopped over and bought us a round, which was awesome, and the sign of a guy who appreciates his customers.
These guys have excellent specials, killer tacos, tasty whiskey, cold beer, friendly waitstaff (seriously awesome). What more do you need?
Big Star's got some Big Competition! - And so does the Boiler Room, for that matter: $6 for a taco, beer, and shot. Can't beat that!
P.S. I still think you guys should call that special "The Superstation" (TBS). -
Review from Lois A.
Chicago, IL
2/12/2012
When I saw they had a beet taco on the menu I raced here and I am so happy I did. For a neighborhood bar and taco joint this place suits me even better than a place like Big Star. The service is really friendly and the food was great. The sweet potato taco I had was even better than the beet taco thanks to a delicious avocado creme . The fried chicken taco had a spicy BBQ sauce on it that tasted awesome.
They have a nice beer list that includes favorites of mine like Daisy Cutter. Coke comes in bottles like it should. For anyone looking to eat and drink on the cheap they have some awesome specials like the every day special of one shot of whiskey, one tallboy PBR and one taco for six bucks. Hard to beat. They also have burgers and chicken sandwiches. I am already planning to return in the next few days.
I'd also like to say how much I enjoyed eating in a bar that played good music wihout being harassed by television screens. That is a huge bonus for me as I feel televisions suck the soul out of far too many places in this city. This is a great addition to the neighborhood! -
Review from Rocio L.
Chicago, IL
4/5/2012
Food was good, good price and cocktails but nothing really over the top.....it is that kind of bar you would go often if you lived near, for me it's about 30 min and I don't think is worth the trip.....
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Review from Laur N.
Chicago, IL
2/13/2012
Unique taco selection - only $3 a piece - for example, who can say they've had a beet taco?! not beef, but beeT..... surprisingly super good!
Nice drink specials every night
Reasonable price, exceptional taste, friendly staff, classic music.
Try it!
*** similar to big star (which I love) but seems overall to have better prices, bigger quantity, much less crowded, although obviously not central hub wicker park...but if you don't mind a slight trek it's worth it to go out of the way to stop here -
Review from Vrati B.
Skokie, IL
5/10/2012
Great food! Great drinks! Great service! The tacos were PHENOMINAL and had a great variety of different combinations! Very veggie friendly!
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Review from Emily T.
Chicago, IL
2/22/2012
Our neighborhood block association dines out together once a month to support local businesses. With no heads up that we were coming, the servers at Bullhead were very accommodating for a larger group than they were prepared for.
The menu is impressive with a full list of tacos on one side, all for the bargain price of $3 each. I had the Grilled Tilapia, Southern Fried Chicken, and Grilled Sweet Potato (my favorite) tacos. They were generously filled and tastefully mixed, but offering flour tortillas would have really kicked up my enjoyment level. I just don't like the flavor of soft corn tortillas, even freshly handmade corn tortillas.
The back of the menu offered a very reasonably priced chicken sandwich, hamburger, salad, and chili... The drink offerings are plentiful. Service is attentive. The music selection was excellent and not too loud to enjoy a conversation. (Velvet Underground!?) All in all, this is a very welcome addition to the neighborhood and I can easily see myself becoming a regular. -
Review from Evan t.
Evanston, IL
2/18/2012
New bar opening in Humboldt with a $6 shot, tall boy and taco? That was all I needed to hear to get me in the door, and Bullhead does not disappoint. I tried the sweet potato, carnitas and southwest chicken tacos. All were fresh with good meat, veggies and sauce. The sweet potato was also great for veg-heads.
Having a choice of Olympia, PBR, Schlitz and Old Style was nice. My only complaint is that the shots of Evan Williams were more like half shots.
Aside from an odd and disjointed ambiance, this place is worth a trip and your hard earned money. I will be back and hope to see you there! -
Review from Chris C.
Chicago, IL
2/7/2012 2 photos
My friends went here on opening night and kept raving about their taco selections, so I decided to go there and check it out for myself.
Everything on the menu sounds delicious so it made it that much harder on choosing my tacos. After about 10 minutes I finally decided and picked the Grilled Portabello taco and the Fried Chicken taco, both of them were delicious.
I'm planing on going back soon to the try the Sweet potato taco and the Roasted Beets taco.
Welcome to the neighborhood Bullhead. -
Review from Jorge A.
Chicago, IL
What a pleasant surprise, a real gem serving simple imaginative tacos at a reasonable price. I highly recommend the tacos alpastor; pork tacos with tangy pineapple served on hand made corn tortillas.
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Review from anna k.
Chicago, IL
3/12/2012
Didn't really like anything. The Server was nice enough. But food took a really long time, so long that I thought we were forgotten. Everything came out cold. Burger came out extra well done. Seasoning for tacos was at a minimal and cold maize tortilla taste like little sponges. Cocktails are over sugared and tequila does not reign. Tables are scatters and it just feels like a crappy dive bar. Will not be back. Big Star still owns this neighborhood.
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Review from Christy S.
Chicago, IL
4/14/2012
I'd give this place a solid "good." Not great, but good. The decor is route 66 reproductions. The music is an internet juke box. Their craft cocktails are really just regular cocktails. And the tacos are good. A solid spot to grab a bite, but not really a place I would get my drink on.
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Review from David A.
Chicago, IL
2/26/2012
I came here expecting a generic, cheaper version of Big Star--like Lockdown is to Kumas. Lockdown is OK, the burgers are good, it's cheaper than Kumas, but the whole situation feels so cheesy and unauthentic I almost feel guilty dining there.
Refreshingly, Bullhead Cantina lacks this air of tackiness. It's not as "hip" as Big Star, but doesn't feel as contrived as Lockdown. The taco, beer and shot combo for $6 is fun and a good deal. Also important, the tacos are quite tasty, and possibly a bit larger / more overstuffed than their Big Star counterparts. Plus, there are 12 taco varieties and 3 crappy tall boy beers to choose from for the deal. The shot is Evan Williams.
I showed up on a Saturday night, and the place was crowded around 8:30. The layout is somewhat confusing and lacked a host area to check in. They should straighten this out, and also add some double doors to keep people sitting by the doors from freezing in the winter. I'm interested to see what kind of al fresco dining opportunities they offer once it gets warm out. By 10:30, the crowd had mainly dissipated, which I found a bit confusing.
All in all, Bullhead makes a solid casual dinner / drinking experience. There is room for improvement and I plan on going back to see if they take it. -
Review from Angelina E.
Chicago, IL
2/14/2012
Just checked out Bullhead and the food AND atmosphere were perfect! Just what the neighborhood needed.... A great spot to grab a beer and dinner. We had sweet potato taco, carnitas, steak, beer grilled Chix, and tilapia and all were delish. That along with chips and salsa were plenty for 2 ppl!! Bartender made awesome margaritas that went down smooth and owner introduced himself.... Classy business move. Will be back for sure and telling everyone it's worth coming west of western for for sure!! Also great prices.
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Review from simona s.
Chicago, IL
2/27/2012
What a great addition to Humboldt park! Really good food and cheap beer. Roasted beet taco was amazing, as well as tilapia taco. Carnitas taco had this amazing pickled cabbage that I could just eat by itself in buckets! Freshly made guacamole was super good and my child was happy about cheese quesadillas too(3 of them for only 4$).
All in all, love this place and will be coming back to try the rest of their food. -
Review from Ben L.
Chicago, IL
3/21/2012
I got a Groupon gift from a friend and walked into this neighborhood Taco/whiskey joint not really expecting anything. I'm so glad I did! We had an amazing experience that was wholly positive, from the service (excellent), the food (I'm not sure I've ever tasted tacos that had such a rich palatte of flavors), the prices (cheapest night out in the area), and the atmosphere. It's kind of an Austin bar, transplanted to Chicago. You've got your kitchy Americana Coke coolers, Rte. 66 signs, etc., combined with modern decor that is comfortable. They have tons of whiskies at reasonable prices and a large selection of tacos (the carnitas and brisket were divine). There were at least half a dozen Vegetarian options. Cash only is a downside, but I can overlook that because the positives were numerous. It's a perfect hangout for this area: It bows to the neighborhood's hispanic heritage, but has hipster appeal that fits in with the Logan Square and Wicker Park set. This place is a "must try".
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Review from Chad L.
Chicago, IL
4/4/2012
Its a nice addition to the neighborhood. I live a block from Bullhead and always find myself going east on Division to eat and drink. The food and drinks are inexpensive and delicious; the service is always great, and how can you beat a taco, beer and shot of whiskey for $6.00.
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Review from Nicole B.
Chicago, IL
3/21/2012
Good food, decent service. Great addition to the neighborhood. Prices were very reasonable! Had the taco sampler and it was definitely enough food for 2 people. Cash only. We'll definitely be back.
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Review from Maribel Q.
Chicago, IL
2/3/2012 5 Check-ins Here
It's opening night and in the spirit of supporting local business, the hubby insisted we have dinner and a drink at Bullhead Cantina, a new Taco and Whiskey Bar in our neighborhood. I, being the skeptic that I am, was hesitant. Did I really want to be the guinea pig of a restaurant bar on their opening night? And to top it off, he wanted to be there around the time they opened. What? No time to troubleshoot with other patrons? So, off we headed.
There were already a couple of people there and we made our way to what ended up being 2 very wobbly tables. The waitress informed us there was courtesy PBR & Miller Lite for the 1st hour so I went ahead and asked for a Lite (don't judge) and the hubby had Jameson on the rocks. As expected, our waitress pointed out a handful of appetizers from the menu that weren't available for the night. Being the critic I am, I thought 'No chips & salsa and no quesadillas in a taco bar on opening night?!. But fine, I moved on.
I settled on the Al Pastor and Fish tacos. The hubby chose steak and pulled pork tacos. We waited what we thought was quite a bit for our food. In the meantime, we watched the frenzy of the staff while they figured out quirks on their first night. All to be expected, of course. Forgot to mention - the waitress pointed out shortly upon arrival their system for debit/credit wasn't running so it was Cash Only.
Anyway, after waiting a while we finally got what it all came down to, the deciding factor...the food. I really wanted it to be good so that it could be worth the wait and motivating enough to want to come back to support local business.
First, I bit into the Al Pastor taco and I must say it was tasty. Yum :) The meat, pineapple, trimmings and handmade tortillas all worked well. Good sign! Food is good so far. Then, on to the fish taco. My initial thought as I bit into a piece of fish sticking out with no trimmings was 'Oh my. This is really fishy.' I kept going and when I finally had a bite with all the trimmings, it worked out. Still, it wasn't all that great, but do-able. Of course, I also take blame as I'm not a HUGE fish fan but it caught my eye on the menu. Now, I must mention the best is yet to come.
Being that the hubby and I could still fit in another taco, we ordered more. He ordered the Southwest Chicken taco and I ordered the Sweet Potato taco the waitress had recommended upon arrival. Here's where things to a turn..and for the BETTER.
One bite of that Sweet Potato taco and my goodness. My mouth was in sweet potato heaven!! Something about the way the sweet potato, corn, avocado, grilled red onions, etc all came together was AMAZING. I can't quite explain it. I would not describe it as a punch of flavor, however, it all just came together oh so nicely that I relished each and every bite of it. The sweet potato was filling, meaty, yummy delicious. Oh so good. My husband took a bite and he completely agreed that that was one good taco. Next, I took a taste of his Southwest Chicken taco and the first thing I tasted was a delicious smoky sauce flavor on the chicken. Again, a really nice, balanced, flavorful taco.
These 2 last tacos were such great balances of natural, fresh and flavorful ingredients that they truly did the job. They sealed the deal. We are all in. We will definitely be going back to Bullhead Cantina!
I decided next time I will go with the clear winners for the night, Sweet Potato, Southwest Chicken and Al Pastor tacos. So good, I'm savoring them as I write this review. Happy taco-ing! :)
P.S. The hubby really enjoyed all 3 of this tacos. His spin on it: loved how fresh and well balanced everything tasted. -
Review from jeremy h.
Chicago, IL
2/18/2012
What a great addition to the neighborhood, tasty tacos, affordable drinks (mixed + craft beers) and friendly staff. Went for dinner on Friday and loved every bite. Giving it only 4 stars as there is room for improvement in perfecting some of the dishes + setup, but what a fantastic start. Roasted beets on a taco? Give it a try, pretty darn amazing!
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Review from Angela O.
Chicago, IL
2/11/2012
Had the Sweet potato, Pastor, and the Fried Chicken. Great tacos. Good replacement for el taco jaliciense on Chicago Ave.
