Ramirez Fast Food

-Grubbing in Chicago
Chicago Style Fast Food on Grand avenue

There used to be a ton of spots like Ramirez Fast Food. It's now almost like it's out of place where it rests on Grand just east of Ashland. It's been around forever. I've always meant to ask how long in there but forget. I was probably daydreaming of my childhood spots back in the 90's when visiting. 

Locals Favorite in West Town 

Spots like Ramirez Fast Food remind me of the old Chicago that’s mostly a relic at this point. These spots each had a unique character to them. These days they all feel the same. But you can see in the pic above both on the building and inside there's old pictures and or drawings that make a place like Ramirez Fast Food stand out. They have all the Chicago style classics and also offer Mexican guisados, tacos, tortas, and such. The steak tacos here come loaded with what can best be described as a Carne Asada Guisado. They grill a ton up then it sits in it’s juices like the rest of the guisados on offer. The end product is both juicy and tender. I've never tried the classic Chicago style offerings. 

Steak Taco at Ramirez Fast Food 

The sleeper item(s) at Ramirez Fast Food are the breakfast sandwiches. They open at like 5a M-Sat and close at 4pm each day. You can order a breakfast sandwich in a variety of ways including bacon or sausage on toast, torta, or French bread. The bacon, egg, and cheese on French is a damn good sandwich that comes in around $3.50 which is basically the same price as a franchised fast food sandwich. But you get much more bang for your buck here and you're supporting local when doing so. Seriously this isn't by any means a "special" sandwich but the sum of all of it's parts makes it a mighty fine one. Anyone that grew up in the Chicagoland area had a neighborhood spot like this. 

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese on French at Ramirez Fast Food 

Ramirez Fast Food 

1521 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 666-8331