Logan Square Produce & Tacos

I'm in the process of moving from Andersonville to Logan Square and I'm unfamiliar with the best options for two necessities in my life: 1) Groceries/produce; 2) Tacos.

I currently shop at Edgewater Produce and/or Harvest Times and am looking for a similarly-oriented independent grocer/produce mart. I'm aware of the Strack on Elston as well as the Costco.

Re tacos, I'm clueless except that I've got a lot of places to explore.

Anyway, I'll be trying out various places in the upcoming weeks and would appreciate hearing anyone's favorites. Thanks in advance.

I lived in Logan Square for 7 yrs before relocating to noble sq./east village/river west/ west town or whatever you want to call it. I still shop at Joong Boo Korean market at Kimball and the highway (N of Belmont) for veggies, Asian goods, meat, and seafood. Great prices and some really high quality stuff if you shop around. I am also partial to the Polish delis for bread, smoked meats, pickles, etc. Up MIlwaukee you'll find Kurowski's. Cub Foods was the major grocery over on Elston S of Logan, back in my tenure, now its Strack & Van Til, but I've only been in there a few times, and seems on the cheaper side. There are a handful of Mexican groceries scattered about the 'hood. I'd say Danny's on Western is probably the most consistent and well stocked. Taqueria-wise, I am partial to Don Chema on California, which is a bit of a diamond in the rough. Tortillas made by hand, salsa de molcajete, grilled birds like quail and game hen, good birria, this place has great comida guerrenese. Las Asadas on Western for best steak tacos. You won't be far from Cemitas Puebla, either, for best tortas in town. There are loads of little storefront Mexican places on western stretches of Armitage and Fullerton that are probably worth exploring. Good luck!

Joong Boo
3333 N Kimball Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 478-5566
www.joongboomarket.com

Kurowski's
2976 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 645-1692

Strack & Van Til
2627 N Elston Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 252-6400
www.strackandvantil.com

Danny's
2140 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 235-0999

Don Chema
2331 N California Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 276-0127

Las Asadas
2045 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 235-5538

Cemitas Puebla
3619 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 772-8435
www.cemitaspuebla.com

Thanks Jefe. Joong Boo & Kurowski's look great. I've never been to Don Chema, but you had me at handmade tortillas. I will be sure to report back.

Oh, I forgot Taqueria Oaxaquena, just up the street from Kurowski's. It's been a board favorite and I used to eat there all the time, but its kind of fallen out of the limelight and I just simply don't get up that way too often these days.
Great mole, interesting things like game hen and rabbit in adobo. Fatty tortas, absolutely killer salsa trio. Its about time I head back up that way.

Taqueria Oaxaquena
3382 Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60641-4006
(773) 545-8585‎

+1 for Cemitas Puebla

Jefe wrote:Oh, I forgot Taqueria Oaxaquena, just up the street from Kurowski's. It's been a board favorite and I used to eat there all the time, but its kind of fallen out of the limelight and I just simply don't get up that way too often these days.
Great mole, interesting things like game hen and rabbit in adobo. Fatty tortas, absolutely killer salsa trio. Its about time I head back up that way.

Taqueria Oaxaquena
3382 Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60641-4006
(773) 545-8585‎

I went for the first time about a month ago. It was a Saturday night about 7:30 but the place was only half filled.

I was blown away. I had the mole of the day with duck breast. Perfect. Good guacamole also.

I might go here before Mixteco.

Logan Square has sort of recently gotten a food co-op... The Dill Pickle Co-op. It's right at Sacramento and Fullerton. I actually haven't been there yet, but heard lots about it opening from the farmers market last summer. I'm sure they have some great produce and organic options (great, albeit probably on the more expensive side)

Thanks. I'll definitely have to check out the Dill Pickle. Had lunch at Don Chema on Saturday and just had basic carne asada tacos. Very good, particularly the grilled knob onions included with each order. Only disappointment was that the tortillas, while well handled, were store bought. Saw a tortilla jar come out with a bowl of posole and am wondering if those were handmade.

When I lived in the sq, I used to trek just a tiny bit West on Fullerton to the Jimenez and Tony's.
There are actually a BUNCH of little fruit markets and taquerias throughout, you'll be trying plenty if you dare. Las Asadas on Western will probably be your friend if you like steak tacos, tho. Great neighborhood. Close to everywhere, and there's an on ramp to the Kennedy 50 yards from wherever you are standing at any point, it seemed. Used to love that Logan Blvd exit, the California exit, the Belmont exit...Target, the Jewel up around Addison, and there used to be a Del Rey (fruitmarket) and a Dominick's right on Belmont and Kimball (ish) which was right down around the corner from Chicago Food (Joong Boo - but it'll always be Chicago Food to me, sorry.) For produce, tho, if you have a car, my suggestion would be to take the really quick trip down Fullerton to Tony's or Jimenez.