Riviera Maya Taco Tour

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
-Tacos and Fresh Seafood in the Yucatan Peninsula

If you follow any of my social media accounts you may recall I was in Mexico last month. The Riviera Maya to be exact. The wedding celebration of one of my longtime friends was the reason for my visit and as many weddings in Mexico go, an all inclusive package was part of it. We stayed in the beautiful Barcelo Maya Deluxe located about an hour from the Cancun airport in a small coastal town called Puerto Aventuras. It was an amazing resort and that helped make my first all inclusive vacation better than I ever thought one would be. Being with both old and new friends along with unlimited Don Julio certainly helped set the vibe as well. But as to be expected the food was just ok.

View from the balcony at the Barcelo Maya Deluxe

It wasn't that the food was awful but how does someone like me who's favorite cuisine is Mexican go into not just Mexico but one of the richest parts of it food-wise and not indulge in some local eats? It just wasn't possible. As amazing as the surroundings at the resort were I just couldn't sit around all day. So I ended up leaving the grounds on three different occasions and had a nice little taco tour.

Somehow I left this...don't ever question my dedication

The worst part of staying at these exclusive resorts is the price of taxis. They end up getting you good. For example I decided to go eat lunch by myself in town and had to pay $20 US dollars each way and it was maybe 2.5 miles. Still it was worth it as it was the first time I felt like I was in Mexico having only been at the Cancun airport and then the resort up to that point. Puerto Aventuras is small and there's basically one main road in town connecting with the main coastal highway. Lots of spots weren't open yet but a handful of them were. I got at 'em.
______________________________________________________________

El Arbolito 

Puerto Aventuras

I read up on this place online, there's not much on it but someone did mention it somewhere and I was able to find it on Google maps. I made a mental note and asked the guys working at the resort about it and they knew where to send me. Hidden under the highway overpass this open air stand is specializing in tacos de guisado. I told the friendly lady to give me her favorite options and ended up with a nice trio of tacos. The chicken mole was outstanding as were the handmade tortillas.

Tacos de Guisado

______________________________________________________________

Taco Paco

Puerto Aventuras

Another spot with some stuff online I also put this place in my mental notes. When I asked the cab driver where it was he explained to me how to get there. He was kind of shocked I wanted an hour until I wanted him to return, but I needed to get to some spots. This place is specializing is seafood tacos and they were pretty good. Not as memorable as my go-to stand in Puerto Vallarta but they did make a killer fish doradito which is a piece of fresh fish placed into a tortilla which is closed with toothpicks and then fried. As most all taco stands in Mexico go, you dress your own with an array of topping options and they had some really interesting salsas which spiced things up.

Shrimp Taco (L) Fish Doradito (R)

______________________________________________________________

Rica's Carnitas Estilo Puebla

Puerto Aventuras

After hitting up the only two stands with any information online I just wandering down the towns only main road. First stop up was this friendly guys spot where they were frying big hunks of pork in lard in the copper pot pictured below.

Real Deal Carnitas

He was very welcoming and gave me some really nice samples of popular fried pig parts before I even ordered anything. What I did order was an excellent snack I ate later that day on my patio at the resort. Expertly fried pieces of pork will always be good by me.

Carnitas Tacos

______________________________________________________________

Taqueria "Chitos"

Puerto Aventuras

Next stop was an all in the family spot. Mother, Toddler and Grandma all there to welcome me. We talked back and forth as clearly as we could with my broken Spanish and with it I managed to learn they cook their cochinita pibil the old fashioned way in back. That would be wrapped in banana leaves and placed on coal embers in a small hole covered by a blanket. Maybe the best thing I ate.

Cochinita Pibil Taco

______________________________________________________________

La Fogata

Playa Del Carmen

A large group of us took a van cab into Playa del Carmen about 20 minutes away. The purpose of the trip was food and fun. I asked several employees at the resort where their favorite tacos in town were at and they basically all said Fogata. The tacos al Pastor would justify these endorsements.

Taco al Pastor

______________________________________________________________

TaconTenedor

Playa Del Carmen

I asked a few of my followers @tweetsoftacos where to go and someone mentioned this place specializing in seafood tacos. That's what the group wanted and it was right where he dropped us off so we went on over and waited for a table. Then we waited some more until we were seated. Then we waited to order and the we waited for our food. They were packed and had a pretty tiny cooking space to work with. If the tacos were amazing I'd say it was worth the wait but they were just average at best. Low on seafood and not all that inspiring. The descriptions sounded better than the flavors.

Seafood Tacos

______________________________________________________________

Don Sirloin

Playa Del Carmen

I had a place specializing in tacos arabes I wanted to go too but when we got there it was closed for good. Evacuated. However en route we saw a place with two different locations that were both packed and aside from that they were flaunting beautiful spits of meat. As the name suggests one of them is beef and the other is pork aka al pastor. I ended up eating two of each and regretted not getting more. Perfectly executed tacos de trompo. So simple but so good.

Taco al Pastor (L) Taco de Sirloin (R)

______________________________________________________________

Simple

Tulum

On our last day in town we took a van into the interesting town of Tulum. It's a growing community that has all sorts of independently owned hotels and restaurants. A couple of people in the group had been to Tulum before and led us to one of the towns best restaurants. Simple is grilling freshly caught seafood over charcoal and shaking up some strong cocktails to go with them. I can take a taco break for this. We had a wonderful meal here that might not be pretty in pics but was amazing in the mouth. As the name suggests there's nothing fancy about the food it's all about the taste of the ocean mixed with char. Good food, good company, great times. 

Some sights from our meal

Whole Grilled Hogfish

______________________________________________________________

La Fonda Chiquita

Tulum

To end the evening we took in the sunset at bar on the main strip known for their views and then wandered over to another spot our friend had in mind. Not only for the food but also the views.

Oceanside Dining

We were there for the tacos de pulpo (octopus) and they didn't disappoint. Nice chunks of locally caught octopus were chopped up after being grilled and served on fresh corn tortillas. We also tried some excellent fish tacos and others at the table were satisfied with the meat options. After that it was back to the resort and shortly thereafter back to reality as our flight left the next day. I'm already planning my return trip to the area. Stay tuned.

Tacos de Pulpo

______________________________________________________________

Note: I'm choosing not to include the addresses because they're easily found online or easily found right there in town. See ya next time @chibbqking.  

Rueben Sandwich Special

-The Sammy's of Chi

It's St. Patrick's Day week and to celebrate were doing a roundup on a Lithuanian-American sandwich special. Huh? Well the Rueben sandwich does include corned beef which is something many Irish-Americans eat so why not right? It also includes toasted rye bread with melted Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and saurkraut. The exact origin of this now hugely popular sandwich is up for debate but I tend to believe the created in an Omaha, Nebraska restaurant side. But Omaha is a far car ride so I give you five options for one in Chicago. If you prefer corned beef hash check HERE.
______________________________________________________________

Edgebrook Coffee Shop

Popular lunch counter in the Edgebrook neighborhood

Hidden in the Northwest corner of the city is this top notch breakfast/lunch spot. The type of place every neighborhood would be so lucky to have. While everything is here is said to be quality its the corned beef dishes that have stuck out with me. Whether in hash form or via the Rueben sandwich, they're both special. What might be the best Rueben in the city is a near prefect example of one. Whether in the form of the locally sourced bread to the chunky tender cuts of corned beef on over to the excellent hash browns that come with it, it's all good.

Near Perfection

______________________________________________________________

The Bagel

This one is dedicated to a good friend of mine. One of his favorite things to eat is a Rueben sandwich and one of his city favorites can be found at this Broadway deli open since the 50's. The Bagel does sandwiches NYC style by piling the meat high, the corned beef product is a thinly sliced variety that gets tucked in between perfectly toasted bread. A stellar sandwich if I may say so myself.

Big Boy

______________________________________________________________

Harrington's Deli

Locals favorite in Portage Park

Located on Milwaukee Avenue in Jefferson Park in a small strip mall, this Irish deli does it all. Before entering you're immediately greeted with big displays of each day's specials. Stuff like Irish-style bangers and mash, corned beef and cabbage, and a regular Friday fish fry are just a few of the ever rotating weekly home cooked specials on the board. Regularly offered items include a really good Rueben sandwich made with some excellent rye bread. The corned beef is cooked in house and the total sum of this sandwich is a real winner. Not the biggest one ever but a really good one.

Small but Mighty

______________________________________________________________

Li'l Guys Deli 

Locals favorite in Bucktown

I'm a fan of the deep dish pizza from My Pie in Bucktown. Even better they sell it in slices. I get in there now and then for one and on a trip last year I saw a sign form the adjoining restaurant called Li'l Guys (a deli) and noticed it mentioned a homemade Reuben sandwich. Only available on weekends I took a mental note and eventually remembered to go try it on a Friday or Saturday. The baking of their own bread makes this one of the more unique options on this list. Its almost as if the bread is attached to the sandwich. Almost like a corned beef strudel so to say. I enjoyed it.

Homemade Rueben Special

______________________________________________________________

The Corned Beef Factory 

Newly Opened on Lake Street

Ex-cel Corned Beef is one of a few stand-overs left from a different era. They've been providing generations of Chicagoan's with their excellent product for some time now. However as the neighborhood switches from packing district to living area they needed to do something to get the locals in and opening a deli counter was their idea in doing so.

Sandwiches packaged to go 

I'd driven by the new counter a few times and needed to complete this survey with stopping in. Its pretty plain inside with the menu being small. They have regular corned beef sandwiches as well as the Rueben and also an Italian beef, not much else. The Reuben is stacked high with thinly sliced lean meat, not my favorite style for it but still enjoyable. This sandwich was a monster and came with fresh house fried chips on the side. Nice addition to the area.

Large Sandwich 

______________________________________________________________

Edgebrook Coffee Shop
6322 N Central Ave
Chicago, IL 60646
(773) 792-1433

The Bagel
3107 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 477-0300

Harrington's Deli
5685 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60646
(773) 283-8388

Li'l Guys
2010 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 394-6904

The Corned Beef Factory
1009 W Lake St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 666-2535

Eating BIG in Austin Pt. 2

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- A Return to the Big State's Capitol

With SXSW here I thought now would be a good time to share a roundup from my trip to Austin this past January. First things first I already covered the BBQ from this trip in this post. As you may or may not know Austin has the highest concentration of top notch BBQ in the country and I don't think that's even up for debate. Quite a transformation as pretty much all of the renowned spots are new within the last decade. That said there's lots of other interesting stuff to eat in the capitol of Texas and I was on it. You can check out part one of this series HERE. Hope you enjoy today's installment.

Texas BBQ Tour

______________________________________________________________

Lucy's Fried Chicken

Where theres good BBQ there tends to be good fried chicken, not the other way around though. Lucy's is a hip spot in a residential neighborhood away from the usual areas us tourists make it into. I'd heard good things so we went for lunch on the patio which happened to be the only day of the trip where the sun shined. Thus I just had to have their signature drink the Juicy Lucy which is a frozen watermelon margarita.

Juicy Lucy

I know what some are thinking but I must say that they take the frozen margarita serious in the state where it was born. I've had quite a few good ones while there and one thing none of them lacked has been booze. These get you going and the Juicy Lucy had me feeling like I was in the sky. For food we had a basket of fried buttermilk brined livers to start and they were terrific. Almost ordered another round but then the chicken basket came out.

Fried Chicken Livers

The fried chicken was a a tasty rendition. I would say the best characteristic of it was the quality of the bird. The coating was a medium layer that stuck right to the meat and remained relatively crunchy throughout the meal. It was a tad past perfect as far as juiciness. I'd give the fried chicken a B+ and then overall I'd give the lunch experience an A. It was a good meal and we needed that sun.

Fried Chicken Basket

______________________________________________________________

Taco Tour

Austin is indeed a great taco town, breakfast tacos reign supreme with the people but there's plenty of other options to try. I'm just going to share a quick note for each of these spots going down one by one. The breakfast tacos at El Chilito are pretty damn money and easily the quantity of two tacos from most anywhere else. Joe's Bakery is a city icon and was packed with people on a Sunday morning. There was some really good to it's product (the housemade flour tortilla) and there was some pretty bad (pre-cooked eggs) to it. Overall Joe's is still worth checking out if you've never been. FATs (fried avocado tacos) are a lesser known regional taco of the area and Papalote Taco House had a tasty one but not as good as the FAT in Part One of this series.

Charlies Special at El Chilito - farm eggs, chorizo, potato, tomato, onion, serrano

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Taco at Joe's Bakery

Aguacate con Queso at Papalote Taco House - Fried avocado topped w/ black beans, pico de gallo, cabbage, queso fresco

Taco Flats is a semi-new modern day taco shop ala Big Star. I'd been told to try their taco al pastor and did. Not as good as I'd hoped it was going to be. This may be attributed to the fact we got there when brunch was still being served and waited until lunch started and ordered them, resulting in meat not cut from the spit I was told they use. However their frozen house margarita was one of the spiciest, tipsiest, most delightful of it's kind. I'm still getting craves for the brisket taco at Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ doc'd HERE. Last but not least I did a search hoping to find a place in ATX that serves real deal San Antonio style puffy tacos and found a spot outside city limits that specializes in them. I stopped into Tio Dan's in Round Rock on the rebound back to Dallas and tried a ground beef and chicken one of each. So good in that guilty pleasure sort of way. It's probably a good thing for me that these aren't found in Chicago.

Taco al Pastor from Taco Flats 

Smoked Brisket Taco w/ Smokey House Salsa + House Guac on Handmade Flour Tortilla at Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ

Puffy Tacos at Tio Dan's in Round Rock, TX

______________________________________________________________

East Side King's Thai Kun

I'm not big on lists, even if I make them, but I don't hate them. I just take them for what they're worth. Some are better than others though I still think you have to look at them from an objective standpoint. When it says the "best" just look at it as someone or a group of peoples "favorites" and decide if you trust that/their opinion. Enter Bon Appétit. As I'm sure they always do they listed their year end favorites in the December of 2014 issue and I perused through it while at my parents place. Enter Thai Kun which was listed as one of the ten best new restaurant openings of the year in the article, even if it's a truck. Thai Kun is owned by local celeb chef Paul Qui who brought in a chef from Thailand named Thai (no joke) to run the truck that stays put at a cocktail bar on East 6th street.

Waterfall Pork with Sticky Rice

The menu is small so it really wasn't all that hard to decide on what we were eating. Described as"OG Thai" we went with just two dishes since we were coming from a BBQ tasting. First up seen above is the waterfall pork aka Namtok, a favorite of the people of Laos. Grilled pieces of pork are loaded with tons of Thai flavor like fish sauce, lime and lots of chile peppers making this one of the hotter dishes I've ate in a minute. It was right at the peak as far as heat level being just tolerable enough to be enjoyed without breathing hot fire for the rest of the day. The sack of sticky rice sitting behind it helps cool down the flames. As did the peach and bourbon draft cocktail that I was downing. We also tried the Khoa Man Gai which can best be described as the Thai Version of Hainanese Chicken and Rice. Being one of the national dishes of Thailand this version is spicier and the recipe served at Thai Kun included one of the richest bowls of chicken broth you will ever come across. I could barely finish the thing but the glutton in me wouldn't let it escape. Easy gangster.

Khoa Man Gai

______________________________________________________________

I had to stop in and try their locally loved Bob Armstrong Dip and a margarita to go with it. It did get better with each sip.

______________________________________________________________

Mission Dogs

I spied this guy on East 6th street while headed back to my hotel one evening and couldn't resist the smells of bacon and onions in the air. I went with their namesake option which includes grilled onions, jalapenos, ketchup, mayo, and mustard. This is what drinking food is all about. Bacon wrapped hot dogs from a cart at one in the morning on a Saturday night, what's not to like? Stay interesting Austin.

The Mission Dog

______________________________________________________________

Lucy's Fried Chicken
5408 Burnet Rd
Austin, TX 78756
(512) 514-0664

El Chilito
2219 Manor Rd
Austin, TX 78722
(512) 382-3797

Joe's Bakery
2305 E 7th St
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 472-0017

Papalote Taco House
2803 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 804-2474

Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ
600 West 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 221-4248

Taco Flats
5520 Burnet Rd
Ste 101
Austin, TX 78756
(512) 284-8352

Tio Dan Puffy Tacos
409 Round Rock Ave
Round Rock, TX 78664
(512) 246-7733

Thai Kun
1816 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 407-8166

Matt's Famous El Rancho
2613 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 462-9333

Mission Dogs
1412 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78702

D'anardo's

-The Sammy's of Chi

It had probably been over a decade since someone last shed some light on Chicago's lesser known regional sandwich aka the breaded steak. Then last week Ted Berg over at the USA Today claimed it to be the best sandwich in America in an article he did for the publication. Muhahaha. That was my initial reaction. Sorry Ted but until you show us your credentials you don't get to name the best sandwich in America let alone my city. The truth of the matter is it isn't even in the top 50 sandwiches in Chicago. I can show you my accreditation if you'd like to see it. That said there is a tasty breaded steak I like to enjoy when the taste for one comes, it only arrives maybe once a year.

Locals Favorite on 63rd Street

D'anardo's has been a neighborhood fixture for a couple decades now. When driving by you may notice the text that brags about them being famous for their jumbo breaded steak. So what is a jumbo breaded steak? Its a piece of beef, usually sent thru a tenderizer machine that then gets breaded and topped with marinara sauce and maybe some hot peppers and cheese. Its a southside Chicago thing and they're pretty common in Bridgeport where Ricobene's is located. However the best breaded steak isn't in Bridgeport, it's at D'anardo's in Clearing.

a peek inside

What makes this sandwich better than it's siblings? Well believe it nor not, not much, I already admitted too not being the biggest fan of these and it's mainly because of the steak, it tastes like nothing. Sometimes it can be resistant but not so at D'anardo's. What you see below is a regular sized sandwich and one I'm more comfortable eating, the jumbo is too big. Unlike many Chicago pizza places the sauce here isn't all that sweet which gets points in my book. The bread is fresh and the owner behind the counter is a character. You're likely to dine in with kids from the neighborhood as it seems to be a popular stop after school, most of the students opt for a slice of pizza but I'd advise you to stick with the sandwich. If Mr. Berg ever wants to try one he knows where find me.

Chicago Breaded Steak Sandwich

D'anardo's
6535 W 63rd St
Chicago, IL 60638
(773) 586-7373

Rita's

-Grubbing in Chicago (land)
Where the locals eat

Lenten Fish Fry season is in full swing so I thought today would be the perfect day to head up to Rita's in Lake Bluff. Technically in it's own little town just off the Lambs Farm exit of I-94 the closest post office is in Lake Bluff thus that's what their address says. However this isn't a place where you're likely to find the people that live in some of the most desirable houses in Chicagoland. You're more likely to find locals from surrounding towns sitting inside. Rita's is part bar and part supper club. The type of tavern sitting inside a house thats commonly found throughout Wisconsin.

Locals favorite in Lake Bluff

I've been here a few times and each visit in has been a pleasant experience. Each of the times was similar as far as atmosphere. There were a bunch of regulars at the bar and quite a few couples and families too sitting at the tables. There's dining in a few different rooms. While I'm sure Rita's has its fair share of regulars there to drink, most of it's customer base is there to do that and eat. The menu is typical tavern style food with a few specials being the highlights. While no one is driving more than five minutes for potato salad, Rita's does make a really good one it's customer base loves. I think the reason its so satisfying is they keep it real simple. Also of note is the honey crusted fried chicken which I featured in a fried bird roundup I did in 2013. I still need to try their chicken fried steak.

Rita's Famous Potato Salad and Honey Fried Chicken 

One of the more popular nights to eat at Rita's is on Friday's. Partly due to most peoples weekends getting started and then partly because of the popular fish fry. In fact you can get their authentic lake perch plate on Wednesday's and Saturday's too. There's not too many places in Chicagoland that are doing a weekly fish fry with great lakes fish being used but seeing as how Rita's isn't all that far from Wisconsin it's not too big of a surprise to find them doing one. The filets are lightly breaded and cooked thru allowing for the flesh to easily fall apart. The fries are just frozen but they are the skinny variety ala McDonald's. You wont find too many roadhouses like Rita's around this way anymore which is why it's nice to seek it out when in the area. I always have a good time.

Lake Perch Fish Fry

Rita's
13744 Rockland Rd
Lake Bluff, IL 60044
(847) 362-0157

Furious Spoon

-Grubbing in Chicago  
New to the 'Scene'

While the Ramen hype doesn't seem to be dying down anytime soon, my love for it somewhat has. When compared to last winter I've slurped much less ramen this current one. Part of it might be the overall quality but then at the same time the Chicago ramen scene has never been better. Enter Furious Spoon. Anticipation for the new ramen shop located on Milwaukee just east of Damen has been building since the sign announcing its coming was put up. More buzz followed when the news it was being opened by Shin Thompson was made public. Chef Thompson is a well known Chicago chef who had featured ramen on his menu at the now defunct Kabocha.

Newly opened Ramen Shop in Wicker Park

Furious Spoon is the Chef's vision of a traditional Japanese ramen stop. As opposed to his previous places of tenure this is the most casual and moderately priced of the bunch. I believe it was funded via Kickstarter. The menu is pretty simple with ramen being the obvious focus. There's a few small plates like housemade dumplings and char siu over white rice however they were out of the potstickers when I stopped in. The setup is simple. You step inside and wait in line if there is one. After placing your order at the register and paying for it you get a number and go find yourself a seat

a peek inside

Orders come out quick upon seating, speaking of which really is an odd setup. I guess they're going for that authentic Tokyo feel by cramming the place with as many people as they can. The communal tables are up against a wall and if you're sitting on the wall side you can expect to get up a few times as someone else tries to sit down. Luckily for us they were just opening after a brief abrupt closure they had to do in order to make more noodles in the spiffy machine they have on display in the open air kitchen. So what about the product? Not bad! I really enjoyed it actually. I got the namesake ramen which consists of a spicy miso broth with beef brisket, char-siu, toroniku, poached egg, marinated mushrooms and a garlic relish. It was served piping hot and the broth had some deep notes of flavor. The pork was about as tender as I've ever had in a bowl. The beef brisket had a bit of fat clumping it together and I could of took it or left it as it didn't really hurt or help. As long as the line aint crazy I can see myself headed back at some point.

Furious Spoon Ramen

Furious Spoon
1571 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 687-8445
Website

The Big State

-Eating like a Mayan King in the Windy City

Welcome aboard to The Big State. It takes a combination of things to become a place that I visit regularly as far as restaurants go. I like to stay on the prowl and tackle the food scene one by one and doing so only leaves so many meals that warrant return trips. The obvious and foremost reason to garner repeat visits is to have rock solid food. The second important factor is location because the closer a place is to where I live the more chances I can get there. In the midst of a home switch I've been living in the Ukrainian Village area and around the time I moved into my temporary residence a place called The Big State had opened up at Ashland and Erie. If you're just riding by it can be hard to spy as there is no sign hanging in the air only a small logo on each side of the building. It can easily be missed especially with Duk's across the street demanding so much of your attention.

Newly Opened taco spot on Ashland and Erie

The Big State is family run and the young chef at the helm got his start cooking in Houston. If you look closely at the sign you'll see they offer "Mexican Food Texas Style" and while it may be a bit misleading there are a couple dishes that standout as popular Southwest Mexican selections. We might as well start with a bang since the frijoles charros have been one of my favorite things to eat since the new year began. I've been here more times than I can remember at this point and each visit in I've gotten an order or two of this fantastic rendition of a Northern Mexico favorite. Not seen on many Chicagoland Mexican menus this dish is made with stewed pinto beans that get simmered overnight in a broth that can include bacon, onion, chili peppers, tomatoes, cilantro and other ingredients and spices common in Mexican cooking. A soupy consistency at The Big State they include three handmade tortillas with each order. It's my preference to break them into small pieces and throw them into the soup. This stuff has been curing my winter blues since my first sip.

Frijoles Charros

The other menu item popular in Southwest Mexican restaurants (and I'm sure some Texas ones too) is the Mexican Hot Dog. They list this behemoth as their specialty thus it warranted a try from me. First things first they blend a little bit of Chicago into the mix by using a Vienna Beef Polish Sausage, wrapped in bacon. It goes into a bolillo roll and is topped with onions, tomato, frijoles charros, mustard, mayo and their "unique hot salsa." It's a monster that cannot be eaten without looking like one yourself. You must go caveman on it as there's no way to eat the thing without getting some of the condiments on your face. It's pretty damn good in that 'I tried it' sort of way but the bun to meat ratio is a little bit off in my book. Though the day will come when I have the taste for another one.

Mexican Hot Dog

The other star of the show at The Big State has been the tacos thus far. The menu boasts some of the best selections for them in the city. They all come served on the aforementioned made on site tortillas which really help lift these into the upper echelon of taqueria tacos. Then theres the prices. Most are $2 while the fish taco is $2.50. The panza aka pork belly taco is pretty damn similar to another place with 'Big' in it's name, the biggest difference I could tell was in the price as it's half the cost over here.

Panza (pork-belly) Taco

At this point I've pretty much gone thru the taco options and there really isn't a bad one in the bunch. I recently tried the al pastor and I'd say it's the best representation of it I've had that didn't come from a spit. The fish taco is also one of the better representations in the city. It's just boring old tilapia but they they fry it up with a light crispy crust and serve it alongside a spicy chipotle mayo and plenty of crunchy cabbage and limes. The rajas con crema is one of the better non-meat options and the steak is extra peppery with plenty of charred crust on each piece. Even the picadillo aka ground beef with chunks of potatoes mixed in is a terrific option for those that like the filling.

Al Pastor (top) Steak (bottom)

The Big State also does really good breakfast, unfortunately they don't do breakfast tacos but they do make a mean breakfast burrito. All the taco fillings are available as burritos and or tortas. Be prepared to wait a little longer than the norm for taqueria fare as the owner/chef is back there hard at work by himself. Still worth the wait each and every time. Heck I'll probably be back tomorrow.

Fish Taco

The Big State
624 N Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 631-3914