Taquerias: Highland Park and Highwood [Project LTH]

Taquerias: Highland Park and Highwood [Project LTH]

A while back ett094 inquired about my surveying taquerias in my locale of Highland Park and Highwood. I promptly collected the information required, then like a hen have been sitting on it for a while.

TACOS EL NORTE, Highwood

Years ago at a St. Joseph’s Day Dinner I won a $10 gift certificate to Tacos el Norte in Highwood. This small gesture converted me into a regular customer for over 10 years and running. My favorites have shifted over the years. Initially I regularly ordered tortas usually with steak asada or lengua (tongue). Later burritos filled with pork al pastor or chili rellenos consumed my thoughts. During Lent I often get the shrimp de ajo and a friend has fried fish filet, which we then share. We especially like eating the fish in tortillas dressed with their salsa. Costilla de res is another favorite, though it was better when first offered because they included cebollitas or grilled green onions. Probably due to cost, they discontinued cebollitas though I have them grill white onions instead for my order.

My current favored order is a la carte: a tamale, taco al pastor always, then either one or more tacos filled either with cecina, lomo or barbacoa and occasionally an enchilada. They no longer offer sesos (brains), which probably delights my family who carry on about mad cow disease. They do offer chili rellenos tacos, which I like though there is a minimum order of two pieces. While no place in my locale has an al pastor spit with the pineapple on top, Tacos el Norte does the best grilled version.

Taco el Norte’s Gordita and Taco both served Al Pastor plus a tamale in the background


Until two years ago, they charged $1.50 for chips and salsa, which is now offered free. Their salsa is made in-house and wildly inconsistent, you never know what to expect until you’ve dipped your chip in for a taste. When they got a liquor license, the refrigerator space for beer came at the expense of dropping Mexican Coke, which was my usual drink.

Tacos el Norte
118 Washington Ave
Highwood, IL
(847) 432-1730


TAQUERIA LOS MOGOTES DE MICHOACAN, Highland Park

Largely because my favored lunch friend isn’t fond of this restaurant, I don’t go as often as I prefer. If you come around 10:30 any morning, there is usually a lady forming masa for huaraches, quesadillas, gorditas and sopes.

Huaraches al pastor and quesadilla huitlacoche


Cebollitas


When I come to Los Mogotes, I am not there for tacos. I am there to get the stuff I used to think I needed to drive to Chicago or visit the Maxwell Street Market: Quesadilla flor de calabaza (squash flowers) or Quesadilla huitlacoche (corn smut) with a side order of cebollitas (grilled green onions). I am also especially fond of the huaraches with al Pastor my favored choice, though they offer other meats, my other favorites are nopales (cactus) and rajas con queso (pepper strips with cheese). These items and sopes are not offered by Tacos el Norte, which is why I gravitate to them.

For this survey, I did order tacos al pastor, steak asada and chorizo, which were fine in every way. Their choices of taco fillings are not as varied as Tacos el Norte, though as I stated before I don’t go to Los Mogotes for tacos.



They do not have a liquor license. They offer a fairly wide range of Mexican soda pops as well as fountain drinks.

Taqueria Los Mogotes De Michoacan
2069 Greenbay Rd.
Highland Park, IL 60035
Tel: 847/ 432.5667


LA UNION, Highwood

La Union is not a restaurant, rather it is a Mexican grocery store with a take-out counter. I was unaware of the food offerings provided until I took a tasting tour of Highwood last summer. There is a lot packed into this relatively small space. There is a fresh meat counter adjacent to a steam table with ten different prepared foods from roast pork with skin-on to pork verdi ready to pack up and go. They also offer tacos, burritos as well as a pollo dinner to go:




La Union offers elotes and fresh fruit cups, which if I was in Chicago I would obtain these from a pushcart. Since I was driving away, they very kindly sliced the prepared corn kernels into a Styrofoam cup adding a bit more mayo and cheese on top. It was great to learn I don’t have to drive to Chicago for this treat.

If you are not going home, then you can sit in your car or go to Moraine Park on Sheridan Road (east and south of La Union) complete with picnic benches and full service toilets with running water.

My friend Helen and I brought our selections from La Union to the park recently for lunch. Helen really liked her steak asada tacos. While I thought they did a poor job with my al Pastor taco, I absolutely loved their tripe tacos which frankly looked like pig ear cross-sections to me. While I prefer eating elotes off the cob, I was not unhappy eating it out of a cup because it had been a long time since my last elote. Afterwards we had flan and fresh sliced mango for dessert.



La Union Grocery Store
489 Sheridan Road
Highwood, IL 60040
847-926-8340


LA CASA DEL GORDO, Highland Park

La Casa del Gordo would have been a subject for comparision in its former life and location where Pancho Viti’s resides now.

When La Casa del Gordo moved to its new location.Their owners from Once Upon A Bagel made a decision to hire a chef and do a more upscale treatment from the lunch room like taqueria at its former location.

I went to La Case del Gordo specifically for this project. When I scanned the menu, I found most of the offerings much different and higher priced than before. Tacos were not available a la carte, instead you had to buy a plate meal with only two tacos, rice and beans for approximately $9. While they may be super duper absolutely stunning tacos, they are priced beyond tacqueria level and I left for cheaper pastures.

While Highland Park does have Pancho Viti, Las Palmas, Hot Tamales and La Casa del Gordo plus Las Tres Hermanas in Highwood, they were not included in this survey because they represent pricing and ambitions beyond modest taquerias. I did not ignore the obvious, I simply consider them a different category of restaurant.

While Tacos el Norte is my default choice of long standing, I am equally comfortable suggesting either La Union or Las Mogotes. Fortunately they all offer something unique from the other with some overlap, ultimately final choices are made by whim.

Regards,

Excellent report, C2, and as always, an enjoyable read. I'm sure to happen to stumble upon one of these places soon.

-ramon

Ther's a tacos el norte in Lake Zurich (at 22and Rand road) that has a very similar menu and also does a great grilled al pastor... My favorite Mexican place in the area. Wonder if these are related?

HI,

There is also a Tacos el Norte in Waukegan and a bunch of other places. Tacos el Norte is an umbrella name for various tacquerias each managed (owned?) by a different sibling. While the locations have the same name, the menus and food quality varies. When Tacos el Norte has been discussed in the past, people have chimed in where to go and where to avoid. Of course all these things change over time, so I'm not going to rehash those experiences relying on people to update us if they care to.

While the Highwood location is near me and I have no complaints. I happen to like Waukegan location on Grand Avenue better because of the more varied menu. Maybe this is an issue of economics or competition, the Pozole I pay maybe $3.50 in Waukegan is $6 in Highwood. If I spent $6 for Pozole in Waukegan, I would receive a bathtub size bowl. I try to postpone my Pozole desires for Waukegan.

(Ramon - thanks!)

Regards,

You know, C2, I think you're right about the "tripe" being pig ears.

Is it possible that the generic term "tripa" may refer to offal in general, which might include many less common cuts including guts as well as ear, brain, etc. I've never had pig ear at a Hispanic place, but I have had them in Chinatown and elsewhere, and they looked pretty much just like the picture.

I notice La Union has steamed goat -- that probably would have been my choice, but I jump for goat whenever I see it.

Hammond

Hammond,

Thanks for the information, I kept thinking this really didn't look like tripe but it was what I ordered. On the tacos menu, they offer "buche," do you or anyone else know what that is?

Regards,

C2,

Buche, I believe, is stomach...which would be tripe, right?

When you ordered the alleged tripe (and got what I'm pretty sure is pig ear), what was the name of the thing you ordered?

David "Headed back to Spanish class in the Fall" Hammond

Hi,

Tripas.

Regards,

Cathy-
I agree with you about Tacos el Norte and Los mogotes. I go to TeN regularly, where I usually get the tostada de Ceviche along with a couple of tacos or else a gordita de Chicharone (sp?). What is the "lomo" taco? I have only been to Los Mogotes a couple of times, because it is smaller and seems more inconsistent. I get the more unusual stuff there too, though I found the flor de calabaza very oily. My favorite thing to get at La Reunion are the tamales. They seem to always have good pork and chicken ones, and occasionally more unusual ones, like a cheese, pepper and onion one that I loved. It is also a good souce for cheap skirt steak. -Will

WillG wrote:What is the "lomo" taco?

Lomo is beef loin. For a taco, it is sliced thin and grilled or griddled.

Best,
Michael

David Hammond wrote:You know, C2, I think you're right about the "tripe" being pig ears.

Is it possible that the generic term "tripa" may refer to offal in general, which might include many less common cuts including guts as well as ear, brain, etc. I've never had pig ear at a Hispanic place, but I have had them in Chinatown and elsewhere, and they looked pretty much just like the picture.

Tripas are (in culinary usuage) normally intestines, not 'tripe' (stomach) nor 'variety cuts' in general.* I think JeffB wrote about this topic somewhere as well.

Antonius

* Apparently in a general and non-specifically culinary sense tripas occurs as 'guts' or 'innards' but an extension to include ears and such would surprise me, though I wouldn't say such an extension in some speakers' minds can't have happened.

David Hammond wrote:C2,

Buche, I believe, is stomach...which would be tripe, right?

Yes, buche is used in reference to pig's stomach, but in English we don't refer to a pig's stomach as 'tripe', which is, I believe, reserved for the stomachs of ruminants. To my mind, tripe is from sheep and cows and such, but pig's or sow's belly is a 'maw'.

By the way, one nice Mexican recipe we have for tripe refers to the different kinds each as panza (with then the further, more specific qualifiers being used when needed)-- none is referred to as tripa (which is 'intestine').

Antonius

HI,

Last year I learned La Union also offers tamales Oaxaquenos:



Is it the best variant I ever had, not quite though it is close, convenient and beats a trip to Chicago.

Regards,

Cathy,

Very nice reports on all these places and dishes.

... About the tripas/pig's ear mystery meat: was there any trace of the funkiness associated with intestine?

Antonius

Antonius wrote:was there any trace of the funkiness associated with intestine?

Glad you found this report of interest.

That was the thing, there was no funkiness to this. In fact I thought it was pretty darn great tasting tripe, which happened to look like a pigs ear! I wonder if they snuck in carnitas for the tripe expecting I might get all unglued if I really knew what tripe was.

I'll get back there this week and see what happens next.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:That was the thing, there was no funkiness to this. In fact I thought it was pretty darn great tasting tripe, which happened to look like a pigs ear! I wonder if they snuck in carnitas for the tripe expecting I might get all unglued if I really knew what tripe was.

I'll get back there this week and see what happens next.

Thanks; I am curious: maybe it's possible to get the funk pretty much out but that doesn't seem like it would be easy. Anyway, pPlease report back, if and when...

I think I'll sample some tripas tacos down this way over the next week or two. Guts are good...

A

Cathy...Thanks for the great report!

kuhdo...Were you aware that there is a Tacos El Norte in Buffalo Grove on 22 as well? You might want to do a compare/contrast to the one in LZ and see what you think. There's also one in Palatine on Rand Rd. just south of Dundee Rd. right near Whole Foods.

You might want to do a compare/contrast to the one in LZ and see what you think.

Sounds too much like work!

I'm quite content for people to comment whether or not the Tacos el Norte in their area meets their pleasure or not.

Regards,

I had a light lunch today at the Tacos el Norte in Glenview with my law partner, who is a Glenview resident and considers this the best Mexican option in his neck of the woods. I was favorably impressed by the large, well-kept and managed space, friendly service and quite nice taco al pastor and horchata that I enjoyed around noon today. I had already had a late Steak Bagel at McDonald's, so my appetite wasn't up to anything more, but I could see going back here. Regarding the taco, although there was no al pastor spit in evidence, the meat was grilled or griddled or whatever to a nice donenes and included an adequate blackness. Served with institutional corn tortillas, onion and cilantro and the welcome presence of decent commercial hot sauces, green and red, on the table. The horchata tasted fairly generic, but that's nothing to complain about; it was cold and sweet. My dining mate got a nice looking taco platter, served with lettuce and tomato on the tacos (I think Tacos el Norte assumes you want the extras unless you specify otherwise; I asked for just onion and cilantro, and that's what I got; my pal said nothing, and got "The Works"). The whole deal was under $10; not bad at all.

Cathy: Thank you for the write-up on Highwood eateries.

I finally made it with my wife to the Tacos el -Norte in Highwood. We were both very happy with our meal. We had an assortment of Tacos, a gordita and tamales which were all less greasy than similar shops on north clark (donna lolis, tacquria uptown,....) and quite tasty. I will have a better write-up when I visit the place more.

We will definitely be back anytime we are in the neighborhood (we also brought home some cookies from Il Mulino--- delicious). Thanks again.
Elie

HI,

Hot Tamales closed in downtown Highland Park a few months ago. I learned the owner is in bankruptcy. An employee is in the process of re-opening it. This may happen as early as mid-January.

Regards,

We were doing some driving around this afternoon around the North Shore and other places in Lake County. We ended up in Highland Park around dinner time and tried Tamales.

The food looked really great. We were not intending to grab dinner in HP but the food at Tamales looked really promising.

Ah, how looks are deceiving. We both ordered soup. The tortilla soup was unusual. The top inch of the soup was very spicy hot ... but the rest of the soup was bland and reminded me of the red pepper soup from Trader Joe's that was horrible.. My wife's corn chowder was really thin. Either the cook substituted milk for cream or failed to use any roux in its preparation.

I ordered chicken nachos as the kid at the next table had them and they looked great. No chicken. The cheese was not melted. Sparse toppings.

Service was inconsistent. We were given dirty silverware and it took nearly 20 minutes to get it replaced. Our beverages were empty more often than not.


Tamales... A Mexican Joint
493 Central Ave
Highland Park, IL 60035
(847) 433-4070

jlawrence01 wrote:We were doing some driving around this afternoon around the North Shore and other places in Lake County. We ended up in Highland Park around dinner time and tried Tamales.

The food looked really great. We were not intending to grab dinner in HP but the food at Tamales looked really promising.

Ah, how looks are deceiving. We both ordered soup. The tortilla soup was unusual. The top inch of the soup was very spicy hot ... but the rest of the soup was bland and reminded me of the red pepper soup from Trader Joe's that was horrible.. My wife's corn chowder was really thin. Either the cook substituted milk for cream or failed to use any roux in its preparation.

I ordered chicken nachos as the kid at the next table had them and they looked great. No chicken. The cheese was not melted. Sparse toppings.

Service was inconsistent. We were given dirty silverware and it took nearly 20 minutes to get it replaced. Our beverages were empty more often than not.


Tamales... A Mexican Joint
493 Central Ave
Highland Park, IL 60035
(847) 433-4070

Joe,

I work in Highland Park and we used to enjoy Tamales back when it was still Hot Tamales, under the previous ownership regime. This past week, after probably more than a year, we ordered it for carry-out lunch and it was pretty disappointing. Everyone felt that it was bland and flavorless. Given the size of our group (7) and the variety of items ordered, the consensus was a notably uncommon occurence. It was so forgettable, I'm sitting here struggling to even remember what I ordered (chicken fajitas). Even the least picky people in our office commented on how much they didn't like it.

This used to be a reliable spot with better-than-average tamales and an assortment of other distinctive offerings. The menu is virtually unchanged but none of the dishes taste like they used to. It pains me to say it but Tamales is now on my 'no longer go there' list and that's a pretty short list.

=R=

I have to stand up for Tamales. Went there two weeks ago and really enjoyed it. I love that they start out the meal with chips and pico de gallo (as opposed to just salsa), and the steak tacos are great.

Dan K wrote:I have to stand up for Tamales. Went there two weeks ago and really enjoyed it. I love that they start out the meal with chips and pico de gallo (as opposed to just salsa), and the steak tacos are great.

The guys who run this place are very nice so I'm happy to hear that we may have just experienced an off day.

What else do you typically order here?

The next time someone in the office suggests it for lunch, I'll give it another shot.

=R=

The wife and I had an abysmal meal at Tacos el Norte in Highwood last night. I was craving tacos and should have trusted my initial instincts to go south. Instead, laziness and the desire for convenience took over and I found myself in nearby Highwood. Sad to say, the meal did not come close to scratching the itch. The place was bustling at about 7:30 so I can't even begin to figure out why the chips we were served were hard and stale but they were. The table salsa served with them had all the bite of apple sauce. We asked for some spicier salsa, and a red and green, which were both better, were brought over. Guacamole was fresh-tasting but also fairly devoid of flavor.

We ordered tacos of lengua, asada, chorizo and pastor. None of these were very good but pastor was an absolute horror. The meat was dry and chewy -- almost like it had been boiled -- and coated with a mild, barbecue-like sauce. Blech! Chorizo was the best of the lot in that it had nice brown, crunchy bits throughout but the chorizo itself was standard issue. Asada was also dry and chewy. Lengua was tender but bland and nothing to come back for. Beans and rice were remarkably flavorless, so much so that I found them . . . well . . . remarkable. All in all, we left a lot of food on the table -- almost all the rice and beans and about half of the taco we ordered.

I remember liking this place but my last 3 experiences (this one and 2 carry-outs) have all left me wondering what the deal is. Have they changed? Have my standards improved? Or maybe a little of both? In any event, I can't envision returning anytime soon.

=R=

I was in Highland Park at lunchtime today and tried Los Mogotes Taqueria. I had the huitlacoche quesadilla and the al pastor huarache. The quesadilla was tasty; the canned huitlacoche was better than I expected. I wasn't as happy with the huarache, as the masa was a bit too greasy. The pork was tender and had good flavor but was not in the same league as meat sliced off a trompo. Even though Casa de Isaac is more expensive, I would pay for that quality when in the area again.