Taco Places

I was running errands between my parents’ and my sister’s houses when hunger struck. I whipped out my phone to check for nearby taquerias and picked Original Taco. I’ve passed by it a million times but it’s off a busy intersection with 0 visibility from one direction and not much more from the other direction so I never noticed it. It looked pretty authentic outside and inside. The menu was thorough and though I haven’t been paying too much attention to prices at each place, $2.50 for a standard taco (anything under $3) seemed like a good deal. I wanted to like it. I ordered a chorizo and a carnitas (pork) taco and and tamarind water, paid and they said I could have a seat. They didn’t bring any chips. (!) A waiter/busboy brought my food. He was busy serving tables of other hungry customers (Mexican families) too. A white couple even walked in, walked out, then came back in to eat. The workers speak English. They don’t seem like they do and they have heavy accents but they do. My chori...

Low visibility location ✅ Small storefront ✅ Signs in window that they change money ✅ Mexican families enjoying posale ✅ I usually check Google maps for taquerias to go to. Los Huaraches is around the corner from me but on busy Milwaukee Avenue on a stretch I don’t drive down often. And even if I did, I’d never notice it. I walked in and there were pictures of the specials-plates-on the wall. It looked like too much food; I wasn't sure I wanted any of this. There were no single tacos pictured. But the man finished with a customer and asked if I wanted a folded paper menu. Good thing because the tacos and a large variety of other options were on the paper menu. I ordered a chicken tinga tostada and a picadillo taco. I like to dine in to get the full experience so I had a seat. The waitress brought some warm chips and spicy salsa that were delightful. I only had 4 chips before my food came. Now if you have been reading my blog, you know I like my food saucy, seasoned and spicy. I lik...

On the way to Rosemont, where River and Rand/Route 12 meet, is Las Asadas. I’ve driven by it a million times. First time in. I contemplated the menu, saying I usually get chorizo but I see they have barbacoa. The guy’s super friendly. He suggests al pastor (pork) and we chat awhile and also go with a chicken tostada (just guac? he asks when I first try to select one) and mango juice (his favorite other than horchata). I usually don’t get al pastor so I don’t have anything to compare it to but it was just cubes of meat. It didn’t pack a real flavor punch. The chicken on the tostada was plain chunks. The whole tostada felt pretty Americanized. The mango juice was as ok but I probably should have gone with one of my favs: Jamaica. Overall ok. 3/5 Stars Las Asadas, 782 W. Oakton St., Des Plaines Taco, tostada, med juice $12.10

This is a casual sit down restaurant, not really a taqueria, but my friends and I were hungry during a St. Patrick’s Day parade so we decided to check it out. The chips were warm and ok. I ordered a steak taco and a shrimp taco. The steak was plain with unseasoned steak that seemed boiled with strong restaurant-grade pepper. Big flecks of cheap black pepper.  The shrimp taco was ok: diced shrimp but not enough of it. My friends’ taco salads looked very Americanized. I didn’t ask my friend how her tamale plate was but I saw a lot of masa and not a lot of meat. Service was good. It may be the only taco game in downtown Palatine so it will do. 3/5 Stars Mexico Uno, 15 N. Brockway St., Palatine, IL 2 tacos & an ice tea $12.38