This New River North Spot Serves Tacos 24/7

The walking dead who drift through the morning work day or in desperate need of a late-night pick me up after leaving the River North bars has a new option. The new 156-room Moxy Hotel debuts today at 530 N. LaSalle Drive and so does the hotel’s restaurant and bar. Zombie Taco is inspired by a food truck and its pick-up window outside the hotel will be serving burritos and tacos 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The restaurant hopes its behemoth zombie burrito (pork confit, adobo grill chicken, charred corn, black beans, pico de gallo, slaw all wrapped in a flour tortilla) becomes its signature item, according to hotel food & beverage GM Kayla Arthur. The pick-up window will serve a scaled-down menu of five to six items. Breakfast items, like an egg white and avocado taco, will also be available. Zombie Taco is working with Pilsen tortilla maker El Popo as its supplier. They’re not going for authentic Mexican food here as Korean tacos with bulgogi and taco bowls would suggest.

Zombie Taco [Official photo]

Bar Moxy, which also serves as the hotel’s check-in desk, also serves Zombie Taco’s food with full table service. The bar’s offerings include coffee from local roaster Passion House and draft cocktails. Smaller appetizers (nachos, taquitos) will be available during dinner service to complement the tacos and burritos served for lunch and dinner. Lunch will also feature grain and veggie bowls.

The interior features plenty of USB plugs for workers during the day and a mural full of Chicago references. This is Moxy’s first Midwestern location; it’s a boutique brand from Marriott International. There’s no horror theme, Arthur pointed out. “Zombie” is more about folks who stare at their phone and computer screens constantly or folks in need of a snack after leaving the bar. Zombie Taco will compete with Dough Bros Pizzeria pizza pick-up window for their affections. Take a look at the menu below.

Zombie Taco, 530 N. LaSalle Drive inside the Moxy Hotel, open 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. for weekday breakfast, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for weekday lunch; 4 p.m. to midnight for weekday dinner; 7 a.m. to noon for weekend breakfast; noon to 4 p.m. for weekend lunch; 4 p.m. for midnight for weekend dinner; take-out window open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.