Eating at a gas station usually only happens out of necessity—no one should go out of their way for a hot dog that’s taken a few too many spins on the roller. But not every gas station has an El Tragón Taqueria hiding behind it. Though this Mexican spot in Lincoln Park shares a parking lot with a Mobil, El Tragón Taqueria isn’t just a convenient place to grab some tacos to process the trauma of spending $300 to fill up your gas tank. It’s a destination in its own right. El Tragón is tiny, but the bright atmosphere makes it feel cozy versus claustrophobic. Vivid snapshots of life in Mexico decorate the walls. Upbeat pop music and the clang of utensils hitting the grill reverberate throughout the space. At some point during a visit, the owner might ask how things are tasting, then cover your plate of tacos so that they stay warm while you finish up some chilaquiles. The short menu focuses on a handful of Mexican dishes like tacos and quesadillas, with a small variety of fillings to choose from. This should make deciding what to order easy. But when everything is this delicious, be prepared to feel envious after seeing something that didn't make the cut on another table. That jealousy is brief, quickly replaced by bliss and appreciation after tasting the perfectly seasoned fillings. The chicken and al pastor are given a deep tissue massage with a complex mixture of spices and chiles. Equally pampered is the smoky bistec, and juicy birria develops even deeper flavor after relaxing in a bath of consomé. And it doesn’t matter whether they come in taco, quesadilla, burrito, or torta form—there isn’t a single bad vehicle for the fillings. But one item that always needs to be on the table is the chilaquiles. They come with a spicy salsa that through some sort of culinary sorcery, never makes the chips soggy. El Tragón Taqueria’s only downsides are that it’s small, and that texting people, “let’s meet at the gas station for dinner” can seem like a case of autocorrect. But for a lowkey spot where you can BYOB and eat some fantastic Mexican food, it’s perfect.