Five of a Kind: Tacos de Cabeza

- The 'Chicago Taco Tour'

Welcome back! Year number seventeen of Smokin' Chokin' & Chowing starts now and we're jumping on the Chicago Taco Tour to kick it off. I really despise the word authentic. It's overused and often times it's misused. Especially when it comes to Mexican food and tacos in particular. What's authentic to you might not be to me and more than that food is regional (especially Mexican) so it's useless to argue which Cuban sandwich is "more authentic" as that's usually going to be the one you know better. But what do you know about tacos de cabeza? You may know of them and you may even love them and if so you more than likely got introduced to them in Mexico. Tacos de Cabeza are tortillas filled with steamed beef head. The head meat can be anything from the lips to the tongue or cheeks and sometimes even the eyes. Cabeza meat is typically a mix of different parts of the head. I refuse to use the word authentic so I won't but I will say tacos de cabeza remind me of Mexico in that they taste like Mexico. Some of the best tacos I've had down there were from the cabeza carts you'll find scattered across cities and small towns. I still think about a plate of tacos de cabeza I ate while being dwarfed by a historic church at Tacos Santo Goyote in Guadalajara. It was a holy experience. You can find tacos de cabeza carts in Chicago but today we're going to hone in on five taquerias where you can find it in different forms. If you're unsure about trying cabeza it's basically a beefier barbacoa. 

A Tacos de Cabeza Stand in Chicago 
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Birrieria Estilo Jalisco (Logan Square)

Our first stop takes us to the border of Logan Square and Bucktown where Birrieria Estilo Jalisco remains a neighborhood fixture at the corner of Western and Lyndale. As the name of this place implies they make birria de chivo (goat) in the style of Jalisco. It's pretty damn good but it's the tacos de cabeza (beef) that draw me in on a weekly basis. The meat is so tender and so beefy and they really pack it in for around $5 a taco. They come served on warm El Popocatepetl tortillas. I've talked about this before but I do believe that certain Chicagoland corn tortillas work better with certain taco fillings and these two are a perfect pairing. You'll know you had a real deal taco de cabeza when your fingertips are a bit sticky like they are after eating one from here. All due respect to the popular taco spot next door but these are the best tacos on the block and my favorite taco in the neighborhood. 

Taco de Cabeza at Birrieria Estilo Jalisco
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Birriería y Taquería El Arandas (Back of the Yards)

This family run spot has been serving tacos on 47th street for at least a couple decades if not longer. Arandas is a municipality of the Altos Sur region of the state of Jalisco in Mexico and the area has a strong connection to tacos de cabeza and also to Chicagoland. So you can commonly find tacos de cabeza at taquerias with Arandas and or Jalisco in their name. El Arandas specializes in goat meat but I'm not sure I've ever had any and that's because they also make tacos al vapor (steamed tacos) including cabeza (beef). Specifically for tacos de cachete (cheek) and tacos de labio (lips). They have cabeza (beef head) too but I'll order the lips or cheeks if a place is making them. Pay the upcharge for the made to order corn tortilla and take note it's best to visit on the weekends.

Taco de Labio at Birriería y Taquería El Arandas
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Birrieria La Tapatia De Ocotlan (Little Village)

There's also quite a few taquerias that use Ocotlán in their names. It's also a city and municipality in Jalisco that has strong ties to steamed meat and Chicagoland. If you see a spot with Ocotlán in it's name you might find tacos de cabeza inside. This spot is on Cermak and they too specialize in birria de chivo (goat) but they also do barbacoa de res and have tacos de cachete (cheeks). The meat on these is almost like mush but in a good way as it's so well steamed and tender it basically turns into one big piece. The meat pairs perfectly with a warm corn tortilla and some nicely spiced salsa roja. 

Taco de Cachete at Birrieria La Tapatia De Ocotlan
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Taqueria Los Altos de Jalisco (Cicero)

I've sniffed out some good tacos in this area from time to time with this being one of the more recent ones. Taqueria Los Altos de Jalisco makes sure you know they specialize in tacos al vapor and cabeza specifically by telling you on their awning. The google reviews do too as cabeza is the most mentioned word in those reviews. I felt like I may have come here years ago and was underwhelmed but a recent visit resulted in a steamy and juicy taco de cabeza that warmed me up on a windy day. It also gave me flashbacks to Mexico which is always a major plus. Is "Jalis-go" a thing when referring to people in Chicagoland with connections to Jalisco? If not it could be. The connections run deep. 

Taco de Cabeza Taqueria Los Altos de Jalisco
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Birrieria y Taqueria Sebastian (Stone Park)

Our final stop takes us out to Stone Park. Birrieria y Taqueria Sebastian is connected to a grocery store. They attract locals with warm bowls of birria and also some phenomenal tacos de cachete y labio (beef cheek and lips). The Birria (goat) and cabeza (mixed head) are also good but I loved the lips and cheeks as each is extra tender with deep beef flavor. Very good salsas here too. These just might be the best tacos de cabeza in the Chicagoland area if you ever find yourself out by O'Hare. 

Tacos de Labio / Taco de Cachete at Birrieria y Taqueria Sebastian 
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See ya next time @chibbqking