I'm not going to lie, I dont want to share the info I'm about to on a family I believe offers some of the city's Top Taco's. Garcia family matriarch Froylan Garcia immigrated to Chicago from San Luis Potosi Mexico. He did what most folks do coming to America looking for jobs and found work in factories and other odd jobs. As the years went on he started investing in real estate around the Pilsen area and now owns a liquor store on Halsted and a corner grocery store called La Favorita #2 in Pilsen. His family is also behind one of my new favorite casual spots for eat and drink called Del Toro which is also on Halsted in Pilsen.
At the corner of 19th and May street in Pilsen
Well the reason I said I didn't want to share is because this is a Saturday and Sunday only operation as far as the tacos go. It also happens to be a "make your own tacos" type of place as you pay for the meat by the pound and buy whichever are your preferred tortillas. Complimentary bags of chopped onions with cilantro and lime as well as salsa verde sits on top of the meat counter.
The butcher shop in back of the store
The star of the show here are their cachete aka beef cheek barbacoa tacos. Again you have to make these on your own, they just supply you with everything you need. At $5.99/lb you can easily get six tacos assuming you use two tortillas to hold each together. A package of tortillas will set you back about .40 cents. So its a great deal.
One of my favorite weekend breakfasts in the city
Why do I eat this for breakfast you ask? Well as I said before the barbacoa is only available on weekends and its usually ready around 7a maybe 8a and gone by 11a at the latest. But rarely will it make it past that. Rosa Garcia has been making her specialty for the last thirty-six years and 600 pounds of it goes quick as her legend has grown. Very little is done as far as seasoning goes. The cheeks are just salted and then placed in a big old simmering pot with garlic and they cook until fall apart tender. The recipe comes from Rosa's husbands father who hails from San Luis Potosi.
Top Taco: Beef Cheek Barbacoa
Oh man that picture is already getting me excited to head over before kickoff this NFL Sunday which has become a tradition of mine the last couple years. If you do go and dont get there on time for the barbacoa, the carnitas are excellent as well. It's never an awful thing when I go and theres no beef left but still some pig. Make sure to ask for some of the ribs. So good.
Carnitas Tacos
It doesn't end there though. If you do go to the grocery store make sure to pick up some of their homemade Mexican chorizo which seems to have alot less grease than most of the brands you find at places like Tony's. It's also got some heavy doses of garlic up in it. I'm actually going to use some of it this week to mix in with skirt steak and make tacos out of. Also as mentioned the family owns Del Toro which I profiled HERE. I think their puerco adobada tacos aka pork marinated in adobo chile paste are just great. They might not be made with the ever trendy pork belly ala Big Star but these are just as good in their own right. Big ups to the Garcia family for putting out some of the city's top tacos.
Puerco Adobada Taco from Del Toro
La Favorita #2
1925 South May Street
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 666-8222
Del Toro
2133 South Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 733-7144
Looks good...Do you just eat the tortillas right from the bag or do they toast them for you?
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