Poco Loco is located ina place that once housed a small diner and later a coffee shop. It is not alarge spacethe interior has two horseshoe-shaped counters that seat a grandtotal of 20 patrons. When the weather is warm, customers can also make use ofan outdoor patio. The décor is colorful Mexican bric-a-brac, including a largecollection of Day of the Dead figurines. The man behind the restaurant is DeanGardner, who once owned three different locations of the La FronteraRestaurant. Though a lot smaller, Poco Loco is more fun than any of the LaFrontera diners.
The Mexican-based menuis not large, but it has a few twists. A few vegetarian items are available,and daily specials offer some of the best items served here. Chips and salsacome with an extra charge ($1), but the salsa is a good one with rich chipotleflavors instead of flavorless fresh tomato. The chips are pre-seasoned, which tome is a minus, but the seasoning manages to miss at least half of the chips, soit’s a suitable compromise. The same chips arrive with an order of guacamole($6) that is freshly made with tomato and a tiny amount of cilantro.Unfortunately, it is very mild, making for one of the few dull items on themenu. A daily soup is offered as well. The black bean ($2.95/cup) is especiallygood with a dash of sour cream and some chopped cilantro. Chicken tortilla soupsimply is too salty.
The tacos, filled withchicken, steak, lamb or grilled fish, are very popular items. A pair of steaktacos ($8) arrives filled with beef, chopped lettuce and mild white cheese.Most steak tacos consist of slivers of meat with little substance, but thisversion is more of a slab of marinated tenderloin. Ditto for the Strauss lambtacos ($10), which are just as meaty. However, the meat is slightly tougher anda knife will be needed. Grilled tilapia ($7.50) tacos are usually available,but check the daily fish specials for other entrée possibilities. One optionmight be butterfish, also called escolar, and lately lake perch ($10) has beenavailable, too. Each taco has a large grilled fillet with no breadingit’s nottypical Mexican streetfood, but it’s very good nonetheless.
There are two entréescentered around chicken breasts. One is Yucatanchicken ($9), a grilled breast that is served in slices with a bit of cilantrolime crema. The chicken is succulent, but is actually outshined by theaccompanying rice. It is the standard Mexican with a hint of cumin, but therice is long-grain basmati that handles seasoning so much better. The otherentrée is chicken mole ($12), a boneless breast in a rich brown sauce. This isone of the best moles to be found locally, with rich yet subtle flavors ofdried chiles.
On the specials boardthere likely will be cowboy steak and even duck breast. Be on the lookout forthe blue crab quesadilla ($10), filled with plenty of crabmeat, mild cheese andfresh corn kernels. The amount of chile pepper is perfect for the crab and thequesadilla is topped with a bit of crema. This exceptional dish alone is worththe drive.
Poco Loco also functionsas a bar. The beer list is good enough, though the wine list is small. Thereare far more tequila choices, many on the pricey side. The jumbo housemargarita ($7.50), made with fresh lime juice, is served in a large pint glass.Coca-Cola is served in the classic bottles of the 1950s.
The small size of PocoLoco has pluses and minuses. The most obvious minus is finding a seat,especially when the outdoor patio is closed. On the plus side, when you do finda seat, it is highly enjoyable to sit at a counter. People are more sociable inthis type of setting, especially the servers. n
Poco Loco Cantina
4134 W. River Lane
414-355-9550
$$
Credit Cards: None (ATMAvailable)
Smoke-Free
Handicap Access: Yes
