Cilantro Taqueria is the Late-Night Bite Cleveland Needs: Best Restaurants 2023

Every city needs a late-night taco joint. Bonus points if it’s next to one of the best music venues in town. Thank you, Cilantro Taqueria, for fueling post-Grog Shop concerts with your cheap, beloved menu of tacos, beers and bomb-ass elotes.

It’s no wonder that the shop has found quick fans in Northeast Ohio, expanding with four additional locations in Lakewood, Shaker Heights, North Olmsted and Chesterland. 

Nights of debauchery usually call for greasy carbs, and sure, you can get that kind of thing at Cilantro. But dig deeper into the menu and you’ll find some flavorful, authentic eats lurking there.

Always, always start with the elote: If you’re feeling feisty, opt for the Hot Cheetos coating ($4.50). Beyond beers, the fruity peach frozen margarita ($8.99) impresses – as does the freshly muddled minty mojito ($8.99). Or, opt for a creamy, lightly sweetened horchata ($3) instead.

We recommend the build-your-own tacos ($3.99+). Customize to your liking with chicken tinga, shrimp, al pastor and carnitas and toppings like mango pico de gallo, salsa verde, queso, cheese and, of course, the restaurant’s namesake — cilantro. Quesabirria tacos ($13.99 for 3) are also available, with dunks into a slightly spicy consomme giving a nice finishing touch.

Cilantro’s dessert options don’t disappoint either. Chocoflan ($6) gives a rich cocoa flavor base to the Hispanic dessert, and the tres leches cake ($7) is a creamy, scrumptious final bite.

Inside Cilantro’s first location, you’ll see hints of its former life as a Chipotle. The restaurant reused much of the furniture and built-in decor, likely keeping costs low when it moved into the Coventry space.

But those costs translate to the customer experiences, too. A big meal at Cilantro Taqueria won’t break the bank. It’ll taste good. And, best yet, it’ll always be there for you until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. cilantrotaqueria.com

Explore more of Cleveland's 34 Best Restaurants, meet the chefs behind them and check out this year's reader-voted Silver Spoon award winners.