Emilia Guerrero and Anthony Solis opened Prime Tacos in December, bringing their award-winning tacos and Hot Cheeto-coated dishes from a food truck to their first brick-and-mortar location at 5836 S. Harlem Avenue in Summit.
The restaurant marks the next chapter for Guerrero, from the Pilsen area, and Solis, from Cicero. What started years ago as cooking in a garage evolved into a food truck business in 2020, which built a following across Chicagoland festivals and events — largely on the strength of their unconventional Hot Cheeto twist on traditional Mexican food.
“We needed a restaurant to water the flowers and grow,” Guerrero said. “After looking for several months, we decided on this location. It just needed a little work to make it ours. Summit has been good to us.”
The restaurant occupies a former Pizza Hut. Lines formed out the door soon after opening, and business has remained steady and growing throughout the day.
Their award-winning arrachera tacos won Best Tacos at Lakeview’s 2025 Taco Fest. The menu also features grilled chicken tacos, chicken al pastor tacos, and ribeye tacos. Appetizers include elote, chips and salsa, and loaded fries.
But the Hot Cheeto items are what set them apart. The Hot Cheeto Birria Balls — an explosion of nacho cheese, fresh rice, Mexican cheese, and birria, all coated in Hot Cheetos and fried — went viral on TikTok and rank among their best sellers. Customers can also add Hot Cheetos to burritos, burgers, tortas, and wings for extra flavor.
“We take authentic Mexican food and add our own Chicago style twist,” Guerrero said.
“We have our loyal customers that have been with us since the garage days, and we are thankful for our new customers that are just finding out about us,” she added.
Prime Tacos is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and closed Mondays.
