Taylor’s Tacos Is Offering Tacos And LGBTQ+ Representation On The West Side

GARFIELD PARK — Taylor Mason’s journey to opening her own taqueria on the West Side began with a simple need: She wanted to create a place where she could fully be herself and make sure others could, too.

Mason, born and raised in North Lawndale, founded Taylor’s Tacos, which operates out of the Hatchery, 135 N. Kedzie Ave., in 2016. The business offers up delivery and pickup options — but its specialty is catering. Customers can have its food truck swing by, get a taco buffet or order up a live experience where a cook makes tacos to order in front of customers and guests.

But key to Mason’s business — and her community-building — is being visible as a queer entrepreneur and helping put together safe spaces for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“It was super important for me to create spaces where I could just be myself,” Mason said. “That’s how Taylor’s Tacos was born.”

Mason went to college in California, graduating from Pepperdine University. That exposed her to Los Angeles’ famous street taco scene — and when she returned to Chicago, she wanted to bring that to her home city. Of course, Mason also sought to give her business a Chicago-style flair.

“I wanted to bring that in and make something delicious, something easy, something humble, so we could keep the party going,” Mason said. 

Mason eventually launched the business with her wife, Maya Mason.

They offer up signature options like extra juicy chicken tacos, savory steak, “really sexy” shrimp and sweet poppin’ potato tacos. They’ve developed a “secret salsa” and also offer up more seafood and vegetarian options.

The two opened a more traditional retail spot on Taylor Street in Little Italy in 2023. But as the taqueria’s catering operations grew and became their primary focus, they only had the restaurant open to the public one day a week, Taylor Mason said. They determined that maintaining the storefront was no longer practical, and they closed the location and moved into the Hatchery — where they’d previously worked 2019-2022 — last year. 

Taylor’s Tacos will return to retail one day — but the owners recognized “what wasn’t working” and pivoted so they “can come back even better,” Mason said.

The Hatchery, a nonprofit food-business incubator, provides kitchen space and resources to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. It also provides Mason a chance to participate with others working toward the same dreams.

“I’m all about community,” Mason said. “Being here in this community space with my people is incredible. It’s great to connect with others who are working toward the same kind of growth, and that’s really special.”

But also special to Taylor’s Tacos is Mason’s dream of showing the strength of the LGBTQ+ community and how queer people are contributing to Chicago’s community.

“I’m honored to be in this space and to be a business owner who can support people and show that quality service comes from the LGBTQ+ community just as much as it comes from anywhere else,” Mason said.

Growing up on the West Side, Mason didn’t know of any LGBTQ+ business owners or role models — and she can’t recall queer representation, she said.

“I really wasn’t around gay people that I knew about until I went to college, and I don’t think I even knew I was gay until I was in college,” Mason said. 

Now, Mason is building something that can inspire future LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, she said.

“I feel like Taylor’s Tacos has made a mark, certainly,” Mason said. “People know when you search Taylor’s Tacos, you see Black-owned, woman-owned, LGBTQ-owned, and that’s super important to me, to be known as an LGBTQ+ owner and just representing the community with a place that is affordable, super convenient and super memorable.

“Adding to 2026 gives it a different meaning because now everything is so out and proud, and it feels like it’s really celebrated to be who you are.”

Mason is grateful she followed her instincts in opening Taylor’s Tacos and is proud of where the business’s journey has led.

“We’re all about building community, one taco at a time,” Mason said. “Community can be wherever you feel you belong, and that’s something that’s really important to us. We also want to show that someone from the lesbian community can build something meaningful and successful.”