Authentic Mexican tacos al pastor, fresh guacamole and pico de gallo at Lucero's
Spring Valley • Illinois • Family-run since 2009

Authentic flavor,
since 2009.

A family-run Mexican grocery and restaurant in downtown Spring Valley. Fresh-cut meats, homemade chorizo, and the tacos our neighbors drive from three towns over to eat.

Visit us
211 W St Paul St, Spring Valley
Open today
Mon–Sat 9 AM – 8 PM · Sun closed
Call ahead
(815) 663-8425
Nuestra Historia / Our Story

A neighborhood
market with a kitchen.

Lucero's started as a small grocery serving Spring Valley's growing Mexican community — a place to find masa harina, dried chiles, and fresh cuts of meat without driving an hour. The restaurant came next, built on family recipes that hadn't changed in three generations.

Today the shelves are still stocked, the meat counter is still run by the family, and the menudo still hits the stove every weekend. Friendly service, fair prices, and food that tastes like home.

2009
serving Spring Valley
$10–$20
typical plate
6 days
open every week
Handmade gorditas stuffed with carnitas
Menú Completo / Full Menu

The full menu.

English / Español. All prices in USD. Ask your server about daily specials and weekend favorites.

Appetizers

Aperitivos

  • Guacamole & Chips

    $8
  • Salsa & Chips

    $8
  • Chips & Queso

    $8
  • Loaded Nachos

    $10

    Tortilla chips smothered with nacho cheese, your choice of meat, lettuce, tomato, cheese & jalapeños.

  • Regular Nachos

    $8

    Tortilla chips smothered with nacho cheese & jalapeños.

  • Elote / Street Corn

    Sm $6 / Lg $8

    Sweet corn in a cup with mayo, cotija cheese & chili powder.

  • Chicharrón Preparado

    $8

    Large chicharrón with mayo, lettuce, tomato, cheese & your choice of pork skins or meat.

  • Tostada Preparada

    $6

    Crunchy tostada with beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese & your choice of meat.

House Specialties

Especialidades

  • Carne Asada

    $17

    Thinly sliced chuck roll served with rice & beans, corn or flour tortillas.

  • Arrachera Preparada

    $19

    Prime skirt steak served with rice & beans, corn or flour tortillas.

  • Bistek a la Mexicana

    $17

    Chuck roll sautéed in tomato & onions, rice & beans, corn or flour tortillas.

  • Fajitas de Bistek

    $17

    Steak strips sautéed with bell peppers & onion, rice & beans, corn or flour tortillas.

  • Fajitas de Pollo

    $16

    Chicken strips sautéed with bell peppers & onion, rice & beans, corn or flour tortillas.

  • Pollo Asado

    $14

    Chicken breast grilled with onions, served with rice & beans, corn or flour tortillas.

  • Milanesa Res / Pollo

    $14

    Breaded beef or chicken cutlet, golden & crispy, with rice, beans & warm tortillas.

  • Birria con Consomé

    $17

    Slowly cooked marinated beef stew served with rice & beans, corn or flour tortillas.

  • Chilaquiles

    $13

    Tortillas with green salsa topped with egg, lettuce, cheese, avocado & sour cream.

  • Huevos Rancheros

    $13

    Scrambled eggs, beans, salsa, cilantro, cheese & avocado.

Made to Order

Hecho a Pedido

Tacos $3.49 each • Premium meats $5.99

  • Tacos

    $3.49 ea

    Corn or flour tortilla, Mexican style (cilantro & onion) or American style (lettuce, tomato, cheese).

  • Burritos

    $10

    Large burrito stuffed with your choice of meat, beans, lettuce, tomato & cheese.

  • Jumbo Quesadilla

    $8

    Jumbo flour tortilla folded with cheese & your choice of meat.

  • Lucero's Quesadilla

    $7

    Freshly handmade corn tortilla stuffed with your choice of meat & cheese.

  • Torta

    $10

    Large Mexican sandwich with beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, jalapeño & your choice of meat.

  • Torta Cubana

    $16

    Mexican sandwich layered with milanesa, ham, egg, sausage, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, chiles & crema on toasted bread.

  • Sope

    $7

    Thick masa shell with beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese & your choice of meat.

  • Gordita

    $7

    Handmade gordita stuffed with your choice of meat, beans, cheese & lettuce.

Dinner Plates

Cenas

  • Taco Dinner

    $13

    3 tacos of your choice with rice & beans.

  • Burrito Dinner

    $14

    1 burrito of your choice with rice & beans.

  • Lucero's Quesadilla Dinner

    $11

    1 Lucero's quesadilla of your choice with rice & beans.

  • Sope Dinner

    $11

    Handmade sopes with your choice of meat, beans, lettuce, tomato & cheese, with rice and beans.

  • Caldo de Res

    $11

    Hearty beef soup with tender beef, corn, potatoes & vegetables, served with rice and tortillas.

  • Tilapia Frita

    $12

    Breaded tilapia fillet fried golden & crispy, with rice, beans & warm tortillas.

  • Gordita Dinner

    $11

    1 gordita of your choice with rice & beans.

  • Enchilada Dinner

    $14

    3 enchiladas of your choice with rice & beans.

  • Torta Dinner

    $14

    Torta of your choice with rice & beans.

  • Churrasco Dinner

    $16

    Traditional Guatemalan grilled steak with rice, beans, and corn or flour tortillas.

  • Caldo de Pescado y Camarón

    $16

    Traditional seafood soup with fish & shrimp in a savory broth with vegetables, served with rice and tortillas.

  • Quesabirria Tacos

    $14

    Crispy tacos filled with slow-braised birria beef & melted cheese, with rice, beans, and consomé for dipping.

Drinks

Bebidas

  • Bottled Soft Drinks / Refrescos de Botella

    $3
  • Bottled Water / Botella de Agua

    $1.50
  • Soda Can / Refrescos de Lata

    $2
  • Horchata

    Sm $3.50 / Lg $7

    Traditional Mexican rice drink blended with cinnamon, sugar & milk.

  • Aguas Frescas

    Sm $3.50 / Lg $7

    Refreshing traditional Mexican fruit drinks.

Beer & Cocktails

Cerveza y Cócteles

  • Imported Beer

    from $4

    Corona, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo, Pacífico, Victoria, Dos XX, and more.

  • Michelada

    $11

    Mexican cocktail with Clamato, hot sauce & your choice of beer.

  • Margarita

    $11

    Lime, strawberry or mango — rocks or blended; sugar, salt or Tajín on the rim.

  • Cantarito

    $9

    Tequila cocktail with citrus juices & grapefruit soda over ice, salted rim.

Customize

Choice of Meat

Pick your protein for any taco, burrito, quesadilla, torta, sope, or gordita. Premium cuts +$2.50.

Toppings (free)

Cilantro · Onion · Lettuce · Tomato · Cheese · Sour Cream · Avocado +$1

Tortillas

Corn or Flour

Sides

Rice & Beans $4 · Double Rice $4 · Double Beans $4 · Chips $3

  • •Asada / Steak
  • •Al Pastor / Pork
  • •Pollo / Chicken
  • •Molida / Ground Beef
  • •Chorizo / Sausage
  • •Carnitas / Braised Pork
  • •Chicharrón / Pork Rinds
  • •Milanesa Res / Breaded Beef
  • •Milanesa Pollo / Breaded Chicken
  • •Cabeza / Cow Head
  • •Tripa / Cow Intestine
  • •Lengua / Cow Tongue
  • •Camarón / Shrimp
  • •Birria / Braised Beef
Especialidades de la casa

What to order.

A few of the dishes our regulars come back for. Tacos start at $3.49, dinner plates from $11.

01

Tacos Al Pastor

Marinated pork, pineapple, cilantro, onion on warm corn tortillas.

02

Homemade Gorditas

Hand-pressed masa stuffed with your choice of meat, cheese & salsa.

03

Quesabirria

Slow-braised birria & melted cheese with consomé for dipping.

04

Lengua & Carnitas

Traditional cuts, slow-cooked the way abuela taught us.

05

Fresh Guacamole & Pico

Made daily — with that little kick our regulars love.

06

Homemade Chorizo

Ground & seasoned in-house at our deli counter.

Fresh homemade chorizo at the Lucero's meat counter
Mercado · Deli · Carnicería

More than a restaurant.

Lucero's is a full Mexican grocery — fresh produce, pantry staples, and a full-service butcher counter cutting steaks, fajita meat, and our famous homemade chorizo to order.

  • Fresh-cut meats
    Custom cuts & marinated meats.
  • Homemade chorizo
    Made in-house, never frozen.
  • Pantry staples
    Masa, chiles, sodas, candy.
  • Salsa to-go
    Guac, pico & salsa by the container.
Carnicería

Fresh Cuts / Cortes Frescos

Cut to order at the meat counter. Call ahead and we'll have it ready for pickup.

  • Cecina / Cecina
    Thin cut.
  • Bola (Beef Round) / Bola de Res
    Lean round, cut to order.
  • Diezmillo (Beef Shank) / Diezmillo
    Thin cut, boneless.
  • Homemade Chorizo / Chorizo Hecho en Casa
    Made in-house.
  • Al Pastor / Al Pastor
    Marinated pork.
  • Taco Meat / Carne para Tacos
    Fresh, not seasoned.

Lo que dicen los vecinos.

"The freshest guacamole and pico in the valley. That salsa has a little kick — exactly how I like it."
— Maria L.
"Fast service, friendly staff, and prices that don't break the bank. Our family's go-to."
— Tom R.
"Their menudo on Sundays — wait, Saturdays — is the real deal. Worth the drive from Peru."
— Jess M.
Visit Us

Stop by, stay a while.

Downtown Spring Valley — just 4 miles from Peru. Free parking in the lot and on the street. Casual, quiet, and great for kids. Credit cards and NFC mobile pay accepted.

Address
211 W St Paul St
Spring Valley, IL 61362
Hours
Mon – Sat: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday: Closed