Their new specials as of last Friday are: Artichoke & Red Pepper Salad (good), and Banana Pudding. Also note that Foie Gras & Fries has been added to the permanent menu.

They were doing a brisk business on Friday night, which makes me very happy. We enjoyed the truffle fries, but they got VERY salty toward the bottom of the basket. Watch out for this.

Since I posted too late to attract others to Big & Little's today, my ordering power was unfortunately low. However, everything other than that was great!

I got a crab tostada - the crab meat was extremely fresh and sweet, as others have mentioned. I also ordered the special mahi taco, after asking the woman taking orders whether it was substantially different from the regular fish taco. She said yes, so I went for it. Not having had the regular fish taco, I can't say whether it was different, but I can say that the fish had nicer texture than tilapia, and tasted good in combo with the sauce and cabbage (they seem to have remedied their over-cabbageing ways). A grapefruit jarritos was a perfect accompaniment for the two.

I work about a mile away and would welcome a return trip with more ordering power any day soon!

Hit Big & Little's for the first time on Saturday...my only complaint is that I can no longer complain about not having any good, cheap, casual, go-to takeout places nearby.

Between the three of us, we tried the fish & chips, fish (tilapia) taco, shrimp taco, fried egg burger, and truffle fries - all were excellent and polished off very quickly.

With the weather finally starting to turn pleasant, I'm sure many of our upcoming weekends will include a stroll to Big & Little's.

pamiam wrote:Since I posted too late to attract others to Big & Little's today, my ordering power was unfortunately low. However, everything other than that was great!

I got a crab tostada - the crab meat was extremely fresh and sweet, as others have mentioned. I also ordered the special mahi taco, after asking the woman taking orders whether it was substantially different from the regular fish taco. She said yes, so I went for it. Not having had the regular fish taco, I can't say whether it was different, but I can say that the fish had nicer texture than tilapia, and tasted good in combo with the sauce and cabbage (they seem to have remedied their over-cabbageing ways). A grapefruit jarritos was a perfect accompaniment for the two.

I work about a mile away and would welcome a return trip with more ordering power any day soon!

Plus you heard one of my coworkers make a "your mom" joke

edited to add: foie gras fries now only have two medallions instead of four, and they've got cups of merkt's cheddar for $1.

gleam wrote:
Plus you heard one of my coworkers make a "your mom" joke

edited to add: foie gras fries now only have two medallions instead of four, and they've got cups of merkt's cheddar for $1.

Damn, I knew I should've stuck around and tried to steal one of your foie fries....

I guess I'll just have to come back soon.

Went here for lunch today and ordered the mahi special taco and a shrimp taco. It's not the quickest moving line but Big and Little were definitely doing their best to keep up with a pretty steady lunch rush. It's a pretty intimate little spot and you are right next to all the action of them cooking. The tacos were actually pretty amazing. The cocktail sauce added to the shrimp taco added just the right note and the mahi was definitely fresh and well cooked. My only gripe is that they deep fry the shrimp for the shrimp taco. It's not breaded so why not toss it on the grill like the fish. Little also pulled it out of the fryer and tore at the shrimp to check for doneness at two different points. Granted it was perfectly cooked but just squeezing it should tell him that. I will definitely be back to explore that menu more.

LTH,

Early lunch at Big & Little, empty when I walked in, filling up with a line when I left. Crab tostada had a surprising amount of crab for the price, tasty and a good value to boot.

Big & Little Crab Toastada




Liked the mahi taco, nicely grilled fish, lighter on the slaw, as mentioned up thread, but an overabundance of sauce masked the mahi and the single tortilla disintegrated almost immediately. Hard to eat, overly sauce, still at $4 for a perfectly griddled mahi mahi taco a lunch time winner.

Big & Little Mahi Mahi Taco



Took me over 2-months to get back to Big & Little, way too long given the reasonable prices for fresh flavorful food.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:LTH,

Early lunch at Big & Little, empty when I walked in, filling up with a line when I left. Crab tostada had a surprising amount of crab for the price, tasty and a good value to boot.

Big & Little Crab Toastada

that crab tostada does look good. The crab looks almost like a crab salad, is that correct?

Big & Little is at the top of a currently really short list of places I havent been that I need to get to.

jimswside wrote:that crab tostada does look good. The crab looks almost like a crab salad, is that correct?

Si, that's Spanish for yes.

G Wiv wrote:

jimswside wrote:that crab tostada does look good. The crab looks almost like a crab salad, is that correct?

Si, that's Spanish for yes.

It is a crab salad, but it's made from fresh cracked snow crab, not canned stuff, so it's got a lot more going for it than a lot of stuff that's billed as crab (or, heaven forbid, Krab) salad.

" but it's made from fresh cracked snow crab, not canned stuff"

David,

Youv'e seen the staff cracking crab? Or, you got a piece of shell? Cracking crab for salad in house would add a huge amount of labor cost to a $4.00 menu item. Frozen snow crab meat is a good option, for example.

Evil Ronnie wrote:" but it's made from fresh cracked snow crab, not canned stuff"

David,

Youv'e seen the staff cracking crab? Or, you got a piece of shell? Cracking crab for salad in house would add a huge amount of labor cost to a $4.00 menu item. Frozen snow crab meat is a good option, for example.

Ronnie, I know you speak from vast experience, and you may be right, but I thought that's what Little told me. I'm going to call later and double-check that.

David Hammond wrote:

Evil Ronnie wrote:" but it's made from fresh cracked snow crab, not canned stuff"

David,

Youv'e seen the staff cracking crab? Or, you got a piece of shell? Cracking crab for salad in house would add a huge amount of labor cost to a $4.00 menu item. Frozen snow crab meat is a good option, for example.

Ronnie, I know you speak from vast experience, and you may be right, but I thought that's what Little told me. I'm going to call later and double-check that.

Just called and talked to Little, who confirmed that the crab is, indeed, "fresh cracked," however the legs come in frozen (predictably, as I don't think you can get snow crab in Chicago that isn't previously frozen). Little said he adds about a tablespoon of mayo per pound of crab, which seems very moderate, and that he comes early to crack the legs: "no big deal," he says.

These guys are something.

That looks awesome, definately have to give this place a try sometime soon.

I stopped in for a late lunch one day this week for the first time.

I'm extremely enamored of the crab tostada, but the shrimp taco I ordered was somewhat so-so, I suspect because of the slightly stale tasting tortilla & bland iceberg lettuce. I'm look forward to trying more on the menu & will definitely be doing so - B&L's is a short walk from my home & its definitely a nice addition to the neighborhood for something casual & quick.

Hope everyone knows you can get the seafood tacos fried instead of just grilled. Had a fried calamari taco last week.

Went here with some coworkers today, who all agreed that the mile each way walk in the 90 degree + humidity was worth every step.

Crab tostada was incredibly fresh with a hint of lime and a tostada that kept its crunch. Truffle fries were outstanding as well.

G Wiv wrote:Spotless minimalist interior, some seating though when Big & Little really catches on, and it will, space and seating will be a tough ticket at peak hours.

There is now an outdoor dining area at BIG & little's. Gotta love those potted plants. Really lends a touch of class to the whole space.



Actually I quite enjoy eating out there with the L clattering by and the big buildings in the background. Very urban.

great news, if only because it makes it easier to eat there with a group of more than 3-4..

I finally had the mahi taco (soon to be a permanent menu item, little says, if it isn't already there..) a week or two ago and it really was pretty great. Quite substantial, and I didn't have any problems with the tortilla losing structural integrity when I ate it.

Big and Little's is on my short list for the next GNR season.. I just hope it keeps attracting LTHers and keeps pumping out tasty food.

Wow!! I have been to B&L's about 5 times and have always been happy. Today was off the charts....G Wiv...I think the guys read LTH since I told them about the site not long after they opened. They apparently headed your advice and the mahi taco is now served on two warm tortillas and a nice balance of red cabbbage and sauce. I actually may have liked a tad more sauce but there is not another place in the city, maybe USA, where you can get a $4 mahi taco that has a 4-5 ounce filet of mahi-mahi.

Also had the crab tostada which has a very generous amount of crab and the fries which were awesome as always.

I wish nothing but the best to these guys....they are just down to earth dudes trying to make a living serving great casual food.

The wife and I finally tried this place, and we were left very impressed.

First off, the neighborhood can be a little off-putting, as it is a little rough. Other than that, we can't say enough good things about the place. The staff were all very friendly and engaging. We ordered a couple of the mahi tacos, fish and chips, foie gras and fries, and a crab tosada. The food look a little bit of time to come out, but everything turned out great. The mahi tacos had a big, generous chunk of fish in it, a steal for 4 bucks each. Fish and chips came with good, nice, fresh tasting flaky fish. I found the batter to be a little too dense, but was still enjoyable. The crab tosada had a good amount of toppings, with bright citrus notes to offset the crabmeat. The foie gras and fries hit it out of the park. Nice generous lobes of foie gras, perfectly seasoned and cooked. We'll definately come back for sure.

We were there for an early lunch today - stellar mahi tacos & crab tostadas, enjoyed outside in the lovely weather. I'm usually there much later in the day so was astounded by the lunch time line at 12:30 pm - glad this plece has caught on, but, boy, I'll make sure to avoid the lunch rush in the future.

I had a late-ish lunch there on Tuesday (around 1:15.) There were a few people waiting for their orders and a group of about 6 or so came in right after me. Somehow, their order got in front of mine, which is my only quibble with the meal. I had the mahi taco and a shrimp taco. The mahi was hot off the grill and was fantastic. I was less enthused about the shrimp, but the mahi had set the bar pretty darn high. Burgers looked great and will be part of a future order for me.

Interesting to read this thread after visiting Big & Little's to see the evolution of some small but important details on their food. I had the Mahi taco and my wife had the calamari taco. We thought both were a couple of the best seafood tacos we've had.

First, I saw GWiv's picture with the massive pile of red cabbage and said we didn't get that. Then, I read GWiv's later post about too much sauce and the taco falling apart, followed by another post about the use of two tacos.

What we had was, in my view, a prefectly balanced taco. A lucious hunk of perfectly grilled fish, the right dose of a mildly spicy sauce with some citrus (I think lime), a small pile of cabbage for crunch, wrapped in two warmed corn tortillas.

Whether they are reading this or just adjusting on their own, they hit a home run in my book.

Jonah

I went to Big & Little's for the first time today for lunch. I should've read this post before I went because I circled around looking for street parking and would've appreciated knowing there was a parking lot. Really wish this place were in a less sketchy neighborhood.

Anyway, once I got in, I was greeted warmly by the guys behind the counter. I ordered the mahi taco, the crab tostada, the truffle fries, and foie gras and fries. The mahi taco was covered by the red cabbage as someone had earlier posted. It has some fresh ground black pepper on it, which gave it a little kick. I enjoyed the sauce, and with two tortillas, mine stayed pretty together as I ate it. For $4, I thought it was a good deal. The crab tostada was fresh tasting, very limey. I really enjoyed eating it together with the fried tortilla, but I did find that the tortilla would get soggy. The truffle fries were phenomenal! The fries are more like frites, thin cut, and they are generous with the truffle oil. I don't think they pour it over the top either since the fries in the middle and bottom were just as truffley as the ones on top. The foie gras and fries were a disappointment to me. The foie gras itself was really tasty, cooked perfectly, and very flavorful. I didn't care for the fries underneath though. I didn't feel that it soaked up flavor from the foie gras though it did soak up a whole lot of oil. The fries were drenched in oil and became very soggy with it. I much preferred the truffle oil fries.

By the way, they do have a bathroom, you have to ask them behind the counter. The first door marked "Employees Only" is a bathroom.

I think (don't quote me on this) that they use truffle salt, much like elakin does at Edzo's. That's part of the reason they're so good.. truffle salt is vastly superior to truffle oil.

Jonah wrote:A lucious hunk of perfectly grilled fish, the right dose of a mildly spicy sauce with some citrus (I think lime),

Yeah, the chile aioli they use on those fish/shrimp/mahi tacos is really great. I suspect it's little more than mayo, hot sauce and lime, but all in just the right balance to create a happy little tingle in the mouth. I enjoyed my first visit to Big & Little's, and will certainly be back.

snap203 wrote: Really wish this place were in a less sketchy neighborhood.

I know, all those retail zombies from Oak Street and the condos to the east completely skeeze me out too. And the seminarians from Moody. Don't get me started. At least there are still some decent Paki cab places left to pray and eat, plus Club Lago, and some kids from the old neighborhood. A shrimp shack on Orleans is essentially of that neighborhood and fits right in (see Goose Island Shrimp and dear departed Farmer Brown's), even if it is new and gourmet. Big & Little appreciate the neighborhood and the neighbors.

JeffB wrote:

snap203 wrote: Really wish this place were in a less sketchy neighborhood.

I know, all those retail zombies from Oak Street and the condos to the east completely skeeze me out too. ....

don't forget the hobos stumbling out of the bar at MK or Kiki's Bistro around the corner.

Finally got around to trying this place and i'll start by saying, if it were within walking distance, i'd be there 3x a week.
I was able to try a few items mentioned above and the highlights were the mahi taco (great portion, balance of toppings, cook job on the fish, price), crab tosta (portion, price, freshness of crab, lightness of mayo) and truffled fries (intense truffle flavor, nicely fried, portion, price).

The place isn't what i'd call close enough to my office, but it's close enough and good enough to draw me back for some extended lunch breaks in the future. Can't wait to get back and try that burger.

Edit: As for the bad neighborhood nonsense, lol.