A Burrito to Remember: Abuelo’s Mexican Grill

A Burrito to Remember: Abuelo’s Mexican Grill

A few years ago, I did a six-part series for the Chicago Reader entitled Beyond the Burrito , in which I examined regional specialties and intentionally excluded the more pedestrian white flour tortilla stuffed with beans that most high school cafeterias convinced kids were the non plus ultra of Mexican cuisine in the days before Chipotle proved to many that a burrito could contain more than just gloppy beans and meat-that-really-should-have-been-ground-into-sausage.

I've almost never ordered burritos, but last night (ironically again on assignment from the Reader), we stopped in Abuelo’s Mexican Grill and the wife asked, provocatively, Do you want to order a burrito? Throwing my usual caution to the windswept streets of Pilsen, I said sure, and knocked back another glass their basil and lime tinctured water.

I don’t eat burritos often, so maybe I’m too easily impressed, but these pork-filled pipes of chow looked pretty damn good the moment they met my eye. We ordered the Burrito Dominguero, which contains carnitas, queso, lechuga, frijoles, jitomate, cebolla, salsa and crema.



The carnitas, which I’m guessing where griddled before serving, were crisp without being oily and browned without being even slightly burned, very tasty shreds with enough residual moisture to ensure the burrito avoided DRYNESS, the great enemy of all sandwiches.



Owing some to the season, the lettuce was perfect; it had been slightly dressed before being included into the sandwich, so it brought lots of flavor and crunch to the buritto, and iceberg was just one of maybe several leafs included, some of which were a rich green and provided a bitter balance to the rich meat. Tomatoes, which at some Mexican joints are sometimes inexplicably white and moribund even in season, were at peak. The beans…well, I’m not a huge fan of bean-laden burritos, so I’m pleased to say the beans in these little burros were almost invisible…though I seemed to sense their presence.

The side of jicama, radish and carrot looked great and provided some contrasting textures and flavors; a nice touch, unexpected, like the herby water they serve.

A more complete review of more dishes at Abuelo's is coming in the Reader , but I just had to write about this burrito which has been much on my mind today.

Abuelo's Mexican Grill
2007 S. Damen
312.733.0339
Breakfast, lunch & dinner

That looks really terrific, David. So good, in fact, that I was making plans to head there tomorrow when I noticed they are not open on Sundays. I'll try to give it a run for lunch on Monday, thanks for the great tip and I look forward to reading your full write up.

Wow. I'm heading there this week. I've passed this place a hundred times and never had the gumption to stop. Great pics too.

looking good... sounds like a tasty burrito, thanks David!

I have long been looking for a decent burrito on the South side, can't wait to try this one. Thanks for posting it!

Based upon this thread, we went today for lunch.

Verdict?

A WINNER! I had the same burrito as pictured in the OP, and it was absolutely fantastic. My partner had two sopes, and they were great as well.

The place has only been open four weeks. They have a bright future ahead of them from what I can see. The (small) place was fairly full around 2pm today.

I'm going back soon.

I went last week for a late lunch with a vegetarian co-worker and had a very nice time.

I had the burrito highlighted above and my friend had the veggie torta. Both really tasty. Place is clean (very modern with cool album cover art wall coverings), service was pleasant and fast and reasonably priced. And we even grabbed a free parking space out front.

We'll definitely be back. My only complaint was I didn't love the salsa that came with the chips. Anybody try any of the deserts/pastries in there yet?

--Dirk--

groovedirk wrote:My only complaint was I didn't love the salsa that came with the chips. Anybody try any of the deserts/pastries in there yet?

--Dirk--

Surprisingly, the red salsa comes from Canada.

We had the tequila mousse (an interesting option, though forgettable) and the red velvet cupcake (better); both, I'm pretty sure, were made elsewhere. They had some trays of cookies out when we were there, and they looked like they might be good.

I had the plain Mexican Wedding cookies (at least that's what they were called in LA and the gentleman seemed to know what I was talking about) and they were quite tasty if a bit plain.

It pains me; it tears at my gut (metaphorically speaking, of course)...nay, it even alarms me to do this. But I must dissent.

Based solely and completely on David's recommendation, I shlepped down here the other day from errands occupying my time on the north side (Niles, to be precise). The Kennedy at lunch hour is not a small obstacle. But I was happy to do it.

I found Abuelo's with no difficulty and even managed to find a parking spot relatively close by. The restaurant is a lovely little spot: spotless, comfy, and open. There are plenty of tables, an overhead tv (showing, of all things, Martha Stewart!), and lots of decorations. A lot of thought has clearly gone into the decor, the menu, and so forth. It feels wonderful to sit and spend a bit of time there, watching the world out their front windows, and I hope it earns a place as a neighborhood spot.

I decided, in the interest of science (or some such) to follow David's lead and so ordered the burrito Dominguero. It was fine. By which I mean it was perfectly ordinary. Nothing about the burrito stood out, I'm afraid. Not the pulled pork, which had little char and not much more flavor. Not the salsa in the burrito, as best I could tell. Now, they give you a little take-away cup with green salsa that was nice. Surprisingly mild (to me, anyway) but nice flavors. Perhaps that was what was inside the burrito: I couldn't tell. The take-away cup was a nice addition, though nothing extraordinary.

I concur with David's finding that the meat was not dry and that the tomatoes were pleasantly discrete. That is to say, they hadn't turned into mush and become lost in the whole. Indeed, their chunkiness added a nice note to the burrito. Sadly, the whole didn't add up in my book to more than a somewhat better than average burrito. I'd give it a good, solid B, no more.

That said, I'm glad I went. I am pleased to know about this place. I will be back (it is exceedingly conveniently located in the shadow of a Blue Line stop) and I am, in fact, looking forward to trying other items on the menu. But I don't see repeating this particular little burro.

Gypsy Boy wrote:It pains me; it tears at my gut (metaphorically speaking, of course)...nay, it even alarms me to do this. But I must dissent.

Based solely and completely on David's recommendation, I shlepped down here the other day from errands occupying my time on the north side (Niles, to be precise).

I decided, in the interest of science (or some such) to follow David's lead and so ordered the burrito Dominguero. It was fine. By which I mean it was perfectly ordinary.

GB, as I mentioned at the picnic, I felt sorry your experience didn't match mine. I was just reading comments on the Reader site about my review of Abuelo's and found this from someone who also made a trek to taste Abuelo's burritos:

After reading the above Reader review, my son and I dined at Abuelo's last week. The tastes were magnificent and the seasonings had been bumped up from the usual. The service was good and the prices unbelievable for the quality of food. I drove from Lakeview to dine here and will do so again without hesitation. Peter VH

This proves nothing, of course, except perhaps that different eaters have different responses to the same food (not shocking) OR that the same restaurant can turn out food on one visit that is sub-par and on another, superb.

A lot of smaller places, especially those that stay open long hours and so go through several shifts of cooks/crews every day, may be especially prone to this inconsistency.

An idea that applies here comes from Longinus, my favorite Greek aesthetician (next to Aristotle), and I paraphrase: sublime restaurants are sometimes inconsistent; if you want consistency, go to McDonald’s.

GB, this is not at all to diminish your take on this place, but I liked Abuelo's enough to resist allowing a mediocre experience there to be the last word.

David Hammond wrote:GB, this is not at all to diminish your take on this place, but I liked Abuelo's enough to resist allowing a mediocre experience there to be the last word.

Agreed completely. I hope and expect to return--as, indeed, I said in my comments. Perhaps not as soon as I might go somewhere else and perhaps not with the same degree of anticipation. But I was taken with the place itself--as I think my review made clear--and I agree wholeheartedly that one mediocre experience should not the last word. I posted largely because my experience was so unexpected given your enthusiasm that I thought people should know that others (or maybe one single lonely other) had a different take.

I really really really wanted to like this place. It's right down the street from my office (hooray!) and friendly staff, great basil lime water(!) and a clean open space.

I tried a few things, the burrito mentioned by David, an echiladas special, steak tacos, and the vegetarian burrito. None were great, but all were decent. I don't think I have to expect much more than that. I've been there enough in rapid succession, during workweek afternoons that I think the two primary waiters recognized me. I finally spoke to one, and asked for a burrito recommendation.

"The al pastor" he said. "We put a whole apple pie in it."

"What?" I said? I was sure I misheard him.

"Apples in it, it has apples, pie." He replied.

I'm sure I got it wrong, but this was enough to sell me.

This burrito was pretty damn good, and I've been thinking about all weekend. The pork was very pink, almost salmon colored, and very sweet. I didn't get a huge apple taste from it, but definitely cinnamon and sugar. A mild mix of onion, cilantro balanced and black beans as well.

Points off for being very greasy. That dark orange grease saturated the ends of the burritos, and pooled around the plate. I ate the whole thing though.

lookjerk wrote:
"The al pastor" he said. "We put a whole apple pie in it."

"What?" I said? I was sure I misheard him.

"Apples in it, it has apples, pie." He replied.

I'm sure I got it wrong, but this was enough to sell me.

This burrito was pretty damn good, and I've been thinking about all weekend. The pork was very pink, almost salmon colored, and very sweet. I didn't get a huge apple taste from it, but definitely cinnamon and sugar. A mild mix of onion, cilantro balanced and black beans as well.

Pineapple is standard on al pastor, do you think your server confused the two words? Cinammon and sugar is found in some recipes for this spitted meat.

Glad to hear you liked the burrito, whatever was in it.

I just came back from lunch, having ordered the burrito Dominguero. I enjoyed it very much and go with Hammond's critique above. While waiting for my order I was speaking with the owner "abuelo" (his nickname). He told me the chorizo was made in house and when I expressed interest, he offered to make my order 1/2 and 1/2 so I could try them both. The chorizo was spiced very nicely and between the both of them, made for an excellent lunch at a very reasonable price ($7). It reminded me (quality wise) a bit of the vegi/mushroom burrito @ Irazu. I'd say this place deserves some LTH love.

David Hammond wrote:

lookjerk wrote:
"The al pastor" he said. "We put a whole apple pie in it."

"What?" I said? I was sure I misheard him.

"Apples in it, it has apples, pie." He replied.

I'm sure I got it wrong, but this was enough to sell me.

This burrito was pretty damn good, and I've been thinking about all weekend. The pork was very pink, almost salmon colored, and very sweet. I didn't get a huge apple taste from it, but definitely cinnamon and sugar. A mild mix of onion, cilantro balanced and black beans as well.

Pineapple is standard on al pastor, do you think your server confused the two words? Cinammon and sugar is found in some recipes for this spitted meat.

Glad to hear you liked the burrito, whatever was in it.

Isn't it most likely someone for whom English is not the first langauge was getting hung up on the English word for pina -- "pi[n]e apple" ---> "apple pie[n]." I've surely transposed words in other language to similar effect.

JeffB wrote:

David Hammond wrote:

lookjerk wrote:
"The al pastor" he said. "We put a whole apple pie in it."

"What?" I said? I was sure I misheard him.

"Apples in it, it has apples, pie." He replied.

I'm sure I got it wrong, but this was enough to sell me.

This burrito was pretty damn good, and I've been thinking about all weekend. The pork was very pink, almost salmon colored, and very sweet. I didn't get a huge apple taste from it, but definitely cinnamon and sugar. A mild mix of onion, cilantro balanced and black beans as well.

Pineapple is standard on al pastor, do you think your server confused the two words? Cinammon and sugar is found in some recipes for this spitted meat.

Glad to hear you liked the burrito, whatever was in it.

Isn't it most likely someone for whom English is not the first langauge was getting hung up on the English word for pina -- "pi[n]e apple" ---> "apple pie[n]." I've surely transposed words in other language to similar effect.

Yes, that's what I was getting at. I'm pretty sure that no version of TaP has any apple or pie in it.

I like that it's called Grandpa's Mexican Grill

Chitown B wrote:I like that it's called Grandpa's Mexican Grill

The "abuelo" is actually a young guy, and I think it may be a term of affection (like "bro" or "cuz") rather than an actual designation of position on the family tree.

David Hammond wrote:

Chitown B wrote:I like that it's called Grandpa's Mexican Grill

The "abuelo" is actually a young guy, and I think it may be a term of affection (like "bro" or "cuz") rather than an actual designation of position on the family tree.

Do they serve tacos or other Mexican food there as well as the burritos?

stevez wrote:Do they serve tacos or other Mexican food there as well as the burritos?

Si.

I stopped at Abuelo's for dinner a few weeks ago but never got around to posting here. It's the second-closest Mexican restaurant to my apartment (I think, behind Chicago Mex Grill at Damen and 18th). My meal was very nice, reasonably priced, and the owner and his cook were both pleasant.

They've done a great job rehabbing the space, which was a grilled chicken joint before Abuelo's moved in:

abuelo's, chicago


The cucumber-basil-lemon water, which I think Hammond mentioned, is delicious -- up there with Bombon Cafe's lemon-lime water as my favorite in the city:

jamaica and cucumber-basil-lemon water @ abuelo's, chicago


My food:

chorizo sope @ abuelo's, chicago

tampiquena @ abuelo's, chicago


The sope was a little pricey at $3, but very well executed. The carne asada was the all-too-rare (in Pilsen) outer skirt, not butterflied, cooked to order. Add in some de-slimed nopales, and an excellent enchilada and I had a lovely dinner.

One quick correction to Gypsy Boy's post: It's in the shadow of a Pink Line stop, since Blue Line trains stopped running towards Cermak a little over a year ago

Abuelo told me he's been called that since he was a teenager.

Every time I open this thread I get hungry, and that's a bad thing since this place is nowhere near me.

Anyway, there was a small piece in the Red Eye about Abuelo's today. I didn't get a chance to read it and I can't find it on their site. Did anyone catch it?

We had another nice dinner at Abuelo's tonight. Two cochinita and one carne asada taco for me, and a tinga sope and pastor taco for Beth. The pastor isn't off a spit, but Beth liked it fine. I thought the cochinita was a tiny bit dry (barely, really), but the flavor was very good. At $2 a taco, the level of quality is very nice. The asada was char-grilled, still had a bit of pink, and plenty of moisture -- my only complaint there was that it was served on a single tortilla, and the tortilla disintegrated after one bite.

I had a parsley-lime agua fresca which was surprising and delicious. Total for 4 tacos, a sope, and the agua fresca, with tax, was $14.25... a very nice deal for the quality offered. If the tortillas were handmade, I'd be in love.

David Hammond wrote:

stevez wrote:Do they serve tacos or other Mexican food there as well as the burritos?

Si.

I hope you meant "sí"

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:

David Hammond wrote:

stevez wrote:Do they serve tacos or other Mexican food there as well as the burritos?

Si.

I hope you meant "sí"

Maybe with the anticipated LTHForum upgrade of 2021, we'll be able to insert diacritical marks, videoclips, etc.

David Hammond wrote:

I hope you meant "sí"

Maybe with the anticipated LTHForum upgrade of 2021, we'll be able to insert diacritical marks, videoclips, etc.

¿Porqué postergar hasta mañana lo que puedes hacer hoydía?

gleam wrote:I had a parsley-lime agua fresca which was surprising and delicious. Total for 4 tacos, a sope, and the agua fresca, with tax, was $14.25... a very nice deal for the quality offered. If the tortillas were handmade, I'd be in love.

Agreed. Handmade tortillas elevate any dish...but somehow I don't see that happening here any time soon. For one thing, this seems like it might be an all-guy operation, and tortilla-making seems traditionally to be the special province of las mujeres. I'm sure it happens, but I'm not sure I've ever seen a guy making tortillas by hand. Same for tamales.

gleam wrote:If the tortillas were handmade, I'd be in love.

Agreed. Handmade tortillas elevate any dish...but somehow I don't see that happening here any time soon. For one thing, it seems like Abuelo's might be an all-guy operation, and tortilla-making seems traditionally to be the special province of las mujeres. I'm sure it happens, but I'm not sure I've ever seen a guy making tortillas by hand.