Jesse's Mexican Grill

I don’t think Jesse’s Mexican Grill has gotten a single mention on the board since our very good Evanston Lunch Group™ meal there last year. So I made it my business to revisit it last Friday. It was hitting on all cylinders (or maybe I could think of a an even more clichéd term to say it was good?)

Jesse’s occupies that space between the high end Mexican restaurants and the little tacquerias. It’s an ambitious menu, without the ambitious prices. For a Friday night, it was, sadly, not very busy.

The meal started out with three salas – a rioja, a verde, and a pico de gallo. Each was distinctive, with varying heat levels.


After the salsas, we really didn’t need another starter, but I remembered loving the Cocktel de Camarones y Pulpo from our Evanston lunch. Served in what appears to be an old-fashioned milkshake glass, it’s a ceviche-type preparation in a flavorful, tomatoey sauce – perfect for spooning over the supplied saltines (or the chips, or eaten plain …)


The Pechuga was a nicely grilled (I could taste the char), flattened chicken breast with a thin layer of tomato and chiles under the cheese topping.


Tilapia (not one of my favorite fish) was topped with a chunky tomato sauce. The fish was its perfect carrier. And the roasted potatoes accompanying it also were well flavored - possibly boiled in a rich stock before roasting?


Portions were generous, so there was no need for dessert. It's BYOB, and the tab for two, before tip, was under $30.

I like Jesse’s, and I hope to hear of others’ experiences there.

Jesse's Mexican Grill
6950 N. Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60645
tel: (773) 856-6050

nr706 wrote:I like Jesse’s, and I hope to hear of others’ experiences there.

My family and I have eaten at Jesse’s a few times—it’s in our neighborhood and we hope they can make it because the restaurants in that space have not been able to hold on. We like the friendly service very much and the food well enough, although we frankly haven’t found the food all that special. The last time we were there, the cheese inside my chile rellenos was cold. Perhaps that wasn’t the right thing to order there since their specialty seems to be meat. I remember that one of their soup specials (can no longer remember what it was) was outstanding and a huge bowl for the money.

After your nice review, nr706, we will have to go back soon. Your coktel looks luscious. I do wish them well—they are very nice people.

EvA

Somehow I forgot to post, but I have been back a couple times for the sweetbreads, which remain excellent. IIRC, 'spouse had the chicken, the breast of which I found to be a bit dry. Everything else was very good, though; it's a solid sit-down place for Mexican.

Thanks for posting, nr706!

Given Jesse's background as a butcher, it's definitely a place to go for the meat. And I'd forgotten how good the sweetbreads were - thanks to Mhays I'll have to make a repeat trip soon.

I'm so grateful for this post. I've passed Jesse's seveal times on the bus and something about it made me think it might be worth investigating. But I'm not up there very often. I have friends just over the border in Evanston, and a doctor a bit south, so the opportunity hadn't arisen. But now I'll make a bit of extra effort to give it a try.

I've never been to Jesse's, but based on the pics and descriptions I might surmise that the owner/ chef is from Veracruz or thereabouts. The presence of tomato-ey ceviche served on saltines is the first clue, and the other tomato-based dishes tend to represent that cuisine (which, to be frank, is not my cup of tea). Are these dishes fairly representative of the menu? (i.e., does Jesse's have largely tomato-based preparations?)

[(or maybe I could think of a an even more clichéd term to say it was good?)

"Spot on" is one that I am quite fond of.

Kennyz wrote:I've never been to Jesse's, but based on the pics and descriptions I might surmise that the owner/ chef is from Veracruz or thereabouts. The presence of tomato-ey ceviche served on saltines is the first clue, and the other tomato-based dishes tend to represent that cuisine (which, to be frank, is not my cup of tea). Are these dishes fairly representative of the menu? (i.e., does Jesse's have largely tomato-based preparations?)

IIRC, there are a lot of tomato-based dishes, but the place is much more meat-focused (that is, red-meat focused) aren't veracruzian dishes more fish-based? Many of the items I recall were simply grilled.

Jesse is from Michoacan, not Veracruz. I got to know him when he was a (first rate!) head butcher at Rogers Park Fruit Market. Since he left, the meat section is no longer the same. I definitely recommend meat as opposed to seafood -- not bad, but hardly his forte. I will second Mhays' fondness for the sweetbreads, which Catherine does not usually like, but in Jesse's case makes a major exception. I haven't been bnack in a while, but every time I pass by I remind myself I want to go back. Thanks, nr706, for calling attention to Jesse's again.

We had dinner at Jesse's this evening, and it was excellent. Unfortunately, the sweetbreads are no longer on the regular menu. However, they had several specials this evening, so maybe they still feature them as a special from time to time.

We loved everything we ordered - chiles rellenos, carne asada, pozole (a special), and pastel tres leches (another special) for dessert. The PTL was the very best we've had lately.

A comment about those three salsas is in order. Yes, they are all very different from each other, and all are at least somewhat spicy. The star of the show is the red salsa, which is made from guajillo. It has an incredibly full flavor - not just spiciness, but flavor - and is slightly sweet, not sweet like in a fake Mexican restaurant, more like the subtle sweetness you find in mole. It is quite hot indeed, too, hotter than most. It's wonderful. The other two are also nice (and nicely spicy, although not as intensely hot as the red one) - the one that's chopped tomatos and cilantro based, and the green tomatillo salsa.

Also, a note about portion sizes: they're huge. The pozole is a huge bowl, at least a quart of soup if not more. We barely touched it (it's in our refrigerator and will be dinner tomorrow). I ordered the large horchata and it was like a Big Gulp at 7-11, at least a quart and maybe more.

Oh, and the bill for all of this (before tip) was $37 - immensely reasonable.

This is a great place. The food is conventional Mexican fare, extremely well prepared and the ultimate in freshness. Highly recommended.

Husband, son, and I ate at Jesse’s a few nights ago. We live in the neighborhood, I want to like the place, and I want them to succeed. That said, I have to say I won’t be returning to Jesse’s. I posted up-thread about a less-than-stellar chiles rellenos, but we have given them several more chances. The other night I had a grilled chicken dish that was the special (pollo sinaloa) that was obviously reheated, overcooked, dry, and stringy. And that was the dark meat. The white meat was difficult to cut with a knife and fork. The best things by far were the freshly grilled strips of onion and green pepper. The steak in my husband’s steak quesadilla was somewhat rubbery. The special fish-vegetable soup was a bit oily and surprisingly bland. I wish the situation were otherwise, but it’s not.

Evy

Five of us went to Jesse's Mexican grill. The Guacamole was excellent as the rest of the entree were also good. Shrimp, chile rellanos and the flautas. I ordered the ceviche tostado, which just tasted weird, my tongue tacos were dried up as were my beef tacos.
Our server although was a nice person, did not know how to wait tables, nor the items on the menu.
Jesse has to take his business more seriously and realize the whole package matters. There are too many other good Mexican restaurants to choose from.
This was my second visit not too different from my first hence once a year visits, and this was to cater to our friends who wanted something ethnic nearby.

Not trying to shill for this place ... I just like it. Lunch yesterday for two of us was a large bowl of (obviously house-made) vegetable beef soup, a pulled pork torta, and two tacos - beef and lengua. Not to mention the chips with red and green salsa, plus pico de gallo. Huge portions, with many leftovers to take home, for about $12 for two of us.

Jesse won't be driving Bayless or Mixteco out of business any time soon, but his place is a huge step up from a typical neighborhood tacqueria, especially if you're in the mood for red meat.

Once or twice was enough for me before I crossed the place off my list as worthy of a visit. I didn't even take the time to post the pictures I've taken there.

Because...?

nsxtasy wrote:This is a great place. The food is conventional Mexican fare, extremely well prepared and the ultimate in freshness. Highly recommended.

We've been back to Jesse's several times since this post, and is still consistently excellent (as well as an excellent value). It has become our "go to" place when we're in the mood for traditional Mexican food.

Any more recent experiences here?

This has been one of our go to places for several years, but with increasing issues. For awhile there was a waitress whose ineptitude nearly drove us off (drinks that never arrived, having to ask for things repeatedly - not subtle issues). But we liked the food, and kept going, always hoping for the best.

Last night we went back for the first time in awhile, and had a very competent waitress but the food was not so good. The guacamole, which has generally been terrific, was inedible - tasted like the avocado was rotten, an off taste that was just wrong. The waitress tasted it and claimed it was fine -- she seemed to think it was just a "different kind of avocado, maybe" but we couldn't eat it, and she took it away and did not charge us. The dab of guacamole that came with my tacos was the same. The meat in my tacos was a little dry, and spouse said he would not order the torta he had again.

Very much hoping this was an off-night, as we have liked this place. Anyone else has recent experience?