Corn tortillas areused for tacos, which are most commonly ordered in quantities of two or three,while flour tortillas are reserved for burritos (school-lunch taco shells nevereven enter the picture). Menus are posted next to the order window, althoughthey may not always be current. If meat options are not listed, chicken, tripe,asada, al pastor and lengua (beef tongue) will likely be your choices, thoughit’s best just to ask. Be sure to speak loudly, however, as the passing carsand humming generator may drown out your inquiry.
Cielito Lindo Taqueria is parked directly next to Pete’s Fruit Marketon 17th Street and Greenfield Avenue. Cielito Lindo tacosare topped with chopped white onions, cilantro, shredded lettuce and tomatoslices ($1.50). Orders are wrapped in foil and accompanied by lime wedges and afew small cups of salsa. In addition to choosing from asada, lengua, chicken,al pastor and tripe, barbacoa (slowly cooked goat meat or cow cheeks) is alsoon the menu. Cielito Lindo also has two restaurant locations on the South Side.
Taqueria Damiani on Ninth Streetand Lincoln Avenueis another great taco spot. Tender and flavorful meats are covered with onions,cilantro, melted queso fresco and crema Mexicana ($1.50). Tostadas are madewith the addition of pinto beans, shredded lettuce and a crispy corn tortilla.Two different salsas are offereda thick red chili salsa and a tasty greenchili variety. Depending on your tolerance for spiciness, the “a little bitgoes a long way” philosophy could be applied to the green chili salsa.
At El Cabrito (20th Street and Mitchell Street;and Greenfield Avenuebetween 29th and 39th streets), the tostadas can only be described as hearty.Mounds of meat are piled on a thick layer of pinto beans and topped withshredded lettuce and avocado slices ($3.25). And at “The Little Goat” (Englishfor “El Cabrito”), you can order goat, along with the usual selection of meats.Each order comes with salsa and a small baggie of spicy pickled carrots,cauliflower and jalapeños. If the jalapeños have your nose running and yourtongue burning, El Cabrito serves horchata, a sweet Mexican drink made withrice milk and flavored with lime and cinnamon. The drink, served over ice, isconsidered by some to be a hangover cure.
An icy beverage likehorchata is not as desirable when the weather is cold enough to freeze your cardoor shut, but a good sandwich is always appreciated. A tortais a Mexican sandwich served on abolillo (a soft white roll).
At Freddy’s (13th & Burnham), tortasare packed with lightly seasoned asada, chicken, lengua or tripe ($3.25).Shredded lettuce, queso fresco, avocado and tomato fill out the messy sandwichand a simple salsa of cilantro, onions and chilies is provided. Primos Tacos, parked on 40th Street and Lincoln Avenue,replaces the bolillo with two fried corn tortillas and adds a layer of pintobeans ($4.50).
A good burrito canbe found at Taqueria Zacatecas (Greenfield Avenuebetween 35th and 36thstreets). The al pastor is marinated andcooked slowly, allowing the annatto, cumin and coriander to seep into the pork,which is then wrapped in a thick, homemade flour tortilla ($3). Taqueria Zacatecasalso serves “gringas”tacos al pastor served in flour tortillas instead ofcorn, which, gringa to gringa, is funny because it’s true.
