Taqueria El Pastor - Lyons

A friend who lives nearby mentioned a new taqueria in Lyons. This perhaps may not be major news for the area except for the fact they claim the specialty of the hous is "Tacos al Pastor estilo D.F." Reports (and the menu graphics) indicate the use of a spit.

I haven't had a chance to visit yet but I was treated to a sample taco al pastor tonight. I didn't get to try it until I got home so it was cold and in need of reheating. Not the best way to evaluate but the meat was a mix of tender and crunchy bits with nice seasoning. Both the red and green salsas had a slight kick of heat. The red also had a bit of smokiness.

The menu also includes tacos, tortas, quesadillas, burritos, tostadas, and several plates: carne asada, bistec a la Mexicana, bistec a la Tampiqueña, enchiladas, menudo, and birria en consome.

I mentioned above that my first taste of their fare wasn't the best example given it was taken home and reheated but I definitely plan to stop in some time soon. I really like al pastor and, living in the burbs, don't often find a place the prepares it on a spit.


Taqueria El Pastor
7901 Ogden Ave
Lyons, IL 60534-1396
(708) 447-4677

If you're in the area, you might also wanna try the spit roasted pastor at Zacatacos which is about a 2 min drive from this place. Added bonus is the salsa de chile arbol which is sensational, the standard salsa verde is pretty decent, (when it's hot, it's screamin hot,) and the char broiled skirt steak tacos which, when they are on their game, are some of the best in the land. Turn east on Ogden, right on Pershing, left on Harlem, and turn right into the alley just N of the BP station, and you're in the parking lot in the blink of an eye.

I have my sights on Taqueria El Pastor for lunch tomorrow.


http://www.zacatacos.net/
3837 S Harlem

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll add them to my list.

I seem to recall a Zacatacos planning to open here in Bolingbrook but I haven't seen work being done on the building. The plans were to open last October.

So, I popped in for lunch today. The space is bright and airy, not a grungy dive at all, but lots of bright vibrant colors, wood tables. Definitely not fancy, but a step up from the regular no frills taqueria. The prices are on the standard / low side of the spectrum - tacos are 1.65, tortas 3.75, burritos 4.00, tostadas 2. There are a few standard platillos on offer, and a few standard breakfasts as well. All in all, standard taqueria fare at a low-ish price. The young lady tending the counter today was quite very easy on the eyes, to say the absolute very least. So anyway, no credit cards here, and I only had 8 bux, so I tried what I could. The signage boasted about the house special of al pastor, so I indulged with two pastor tacos, one birria taco, and one steak taco. If I had a few more bucks, I'd have sprung for a chicken and a barbacoa taco to test a little more.

Al Pastor:


I'm a pretty picky pastor eater, and I kinda liked this version, kind of an underseasoned version (which I prefer.) No pineapple (didn't request it, or even see the spit to see if they had any,) but I got some crunchy bits, and also some nicely fatty bits as well. It wasn't oversalted, and had a zing of heat.

Birria (left) Steak (right)


Birria Solo:


The Birria was cooked VERY nicely, indeed. Tender as hell. Again, lightly seasoned, and nicely goaty. Today's rendition might be considered underseasoned for some, but I bet a shake of salt would rectify that if desired. I liked it. The steak was what it was, and what I expected it to be: griddle fried bits that I wouldn't order again with Zacatacos right around the corner.

Salsa:

The salsa was better than you probably think, though not by much at all. The verde was a step up from a joke, and the red was not much better, but still, it was better. Neither had any good flavors popping out at all, but the red delivered a warming kind of heat that built up with repeated usage. If they paid any attention to the salsa, I think the food would have been a great deal better.


Taqueria El Pastor is decent stuff for the price. If I want some pastor or birria in the area, I'd definitely think about it, but with Zacatacos' and Las Asadas steak so close, when I want tacos in this area, those two reign supreme, IMO. I'm just a bigger fan of steak tacos than birria or pastor tacos. This place's birria and pastor were definitely decent imo tho. When I return, I'll probably try one of their platillos of birria en consomme. That birria was very nicely cooked indeed.