La Quinta de los Reyes, Berwyn

You can’t miss this new Berwyn restaurant driving down Cermak on a weekend night. Cars are lined up to drop people off and cruising around looking for parking anywhere in the next half mile. A colleague went and raved about it, but a) we could never find parking, and b)she doesn’t like cilantro so what does she know from Mexican food?

Tonight there was a parking space.

It’s a big place, probably seating 175 in the bar and the two dining rooms, plus who knows how many more in the upstairs banquet room(s?). We were in the big dining room, which was maybe a third filled on a Thursday night. The smaller dining room, separated from ours by large columns, was also where the stage was. There was a singer, slightly flat, and then a routine by a couple of clowns, and then three co-eds trying out their karaoke skills.

All the entertainment is in Spanish only (or was tonight). The menu is in Spanish first and then, mostly, translated into English. The wait staff and even the bus boys appear to all be bilingual—a plus for the monolingual English speakers among us. We were the only non-Hispanics there.

They feature tableside preparations. A woman with a mortar and pestle comes to your table and makes your salsa to order (and yes, my colleague gets it without cilantro). If you order guacamole, she’ll make that too. They also suggest crepes for dessert, again made at your table. Like Mi Tierra they feature parrilladas for two or four, with the seafood version running $16 a person. More interesting menu items include codorniches a la parrilla "two grilled quail”, and “Birria de cabrito al horno "the traditional baked baby goat marinated with out own special sauce served over a maguey leaf.” In addition to the crepes, and the usual assortment of cakes, the dessert menu includes “ flan de elote” and “gel", a creamy gelatin with fruit.

Though both the goat, at $14, and the quail, at $10, tempted me, I stayed even cheaper by getting the four tamal plate for $8. Bill got 3 al pastor tacos for the same price, with the result that even after several refills of Bill’s Coke, our tab was under $20. The tamales were excellent, with lots of well-cooked pork inside and about a cup of crema on my plate to dress them with. Bill said his tacos were among the best he’d eaten and they were delicious.

First impression? Mi Tierra for the slightly more sophisticated crowd and with better food. The prices are darn close to what you’d pay in a linoleum floored taqueria. I’ll be interested in others’ opinions, but, in the meantime, it’s our new Berwyn favorite—at least when we can find a parking place.

La Quinto de los Reyes
6431 W. Cermak
Berwyn
708 484 5373
(also in DeKalb)

I have been to La Quinta a hanful of times now and have enjoyed it every time, except on Mother's day this year.

My wife and I grew up in Cicero so we took our moms to La Quinta for Mother's day and they were jammed packed. It took us about 2 hours to get seated and the service wasn't what it would normally be but it is forgivable given the situation.

I have tried the parrillada with seafood and thought it was great. My favorite though is the “Birria de cabrito al horno " - I can't get enough of it. The fresh tortillas are amazing too - I believe they are made on the premesis. And the tableside salsa is great too - I love the green tomatillo salsa.

Our parents always have a great meal and a great time and I would say is the best place to have a decent family mexican dinner in the area. Beats out Lalo's and Guadalajara as well as the new arrival in Cicero on Cermak, La Serenata.

Stopped by a La Qunita de los Reyes for lunch today -- hay caramba this is a big place, capable of seating literally hundreds.

I was on the prowl for cabrito al pastor, but didn't find it and so had the carne en su jugo, which was fine though not transcendent.

The gimmick here, as noted, is the strolling salsa seniorita, a well-put together gal (meaning very neat hair, nails, cute maid uniform) offering to whip up some salsa or guac tableside.

They do make the tortillas a mano here, though mine may have been made the night before: they were more resilient than assembly-line tortillas but somewhat drier than I'm accustomed to with fresh made.

Though the food was passable, a real allure of this place could be the stage show, though I find Mexican clowns somewhat more sad and horrifying than most of their kind...