I have family coming to town from the South next week and "real" Mexican is right there on the list for them with "real" Thai. Given how close RT is to me (will be nice after a day of walking downtown I figure) I think this will be a good place to let them see what Mex in Chicago is really like. Hope they can last till next week with all the doom and gloom here!

I'm not a fan of Geno Bahena restaurants. So I wouldn't take my own guests to Real Tenochtitlan. Instead, I'd be take them to Sol de Mexico.

Sol de Mexico
3018 N. Cicero Ave.
Chicago, IL
(773) 282-4119
Website: http://soldemexicochicago.com/

Bill, are you aware that the chef at Sol De Mexico is Geno Bahena's mother and that the owner is his cousin or nephew? I cannot remember which.

Stagger, I think that either Sol or Real would be a great introduction to Chicago Mexican. Real has a bit more flair to its dining room. But, both are culinary winners in my opinion.

Bill wrote:I'm not a fan of Geno Bahena restaurants. So I wouldn't take my own guests to Real Tenochtitlan. Instead, I'd be take them to Sol de Mexico.

I know Sol de Mexico and I do think it is excellent (from my one visit)... Still... Have you been to RT? Not all of Bahena's restaurants have been exactly the same on multiple levels. I can understand if you have been there and had a bad experience but why tell people specifically not to go to a restaurant, especially when others here have said it is quite good, without direct experience. Also, one of the main attractions of RT to me is that I don't have to get in a car to get there and after a day of trucking around downtown, I know we aren't going to get in a car and drive anywhere. If you know something specific about RT, I'd love to know it but the menu loos pretty interesting and I'm going to make a leap of faith and say that the staff is probably different from other GB places so why knock till you have tried it.

YourPalWill wrote:Bill, are you aware that the chef at Sol De Mexico is Geno Bahena's mother and that the owner is his cousin or nephew? I cannot remember which.

Yes, I'm aware of those things. What's your point? If I thought Sol de Mexico was a "Bhaena" restaurant (as in "Geno Bahena") it's likely I wouldn't return to eat there . . . probably because it would have been shuttered long ago.

Stagger wrote:

Bill wrote:I'm not a fan of Geno Bahena restaurants. So I wouldn't take my own guests to Real Tenochtitlan. Instead, I'd be take them to Sol de Mexico.

I know Sol de Mexico and I do think it is excellent (from my one visit)... Still... Have you been to RT? Not all of Bahena's restaurants have been exactly the same on multiple levels. I can understand if you have been there and had a bad experience but why tell people specifically not to go to a restaurant, especially when others here have said it is quite good, without direct experience. Also, one of the main attractions of RT to me is that I don't have to get in a car to get there and after a day of trucking around downtown, I know we aren't going to get in a car and drive anywhere. If you know something specific about RT, I'd love to know it but the menu loos pretty interesting and I'm going to make a leap of faith and say that the staff is probably different from other GB places so why knock till you have tried it.

Yes, I've eaten there. I didn't "tell" anyone "specifically not to go to a restaurant." I expressed my opinion and said what I would do with guests of mine. My opinion of Bahena restaurants is that he's almost always too interested in his possible future ventures to pay attention to the one he's already started. His back of the house operation is often shoddy - including very inconsistent quality, over a very long time period now - and the front of the house is often disorganized to the point of being annoying (which seems to be a trademark of his). I also think he's not a very smart businessman, but lucky to have people who, for whateve reason want to give him money for his next "thing."

If you're in search of "real Mexican" food in Chicago, you won't find just one variety/type/style that represents the country - Mexico's offers so many different things to eat. Settle on a restaurant that truly has a reputation for quality and good overall environment and is convenient for your and your guests . . . or, I suspect, you're going to be very disappointed.

Nobody here is obliged to follow lock-step in line with the recommendation or preferences of others. Feel free to do what you want - and enjoy yourself.

So you have been there... I am far more interested in experiences with the actual food and service than an analysis of Geno Bahena's business sense or his perceived attitude. I have known (and worked for) owners that "did everything" right and either made lousy food or failed to turn a profit and people that really don't care as much as they should but, for whatever reason, have a system that works and is largely successful. I always understood the focus of LTH's exchanges to ultimately be about the end result. If the food is good and the service either doesn't get in the way or is a overall positive, all the better. If the owner is in the back flogging his staff I may want to know (just as if he/she is sending them to cooking school on the restaurants dime or other big-hearted gesture) but beyond that I'm not too concerned so long as they do good food.

Second... It isn't my first time at the rodeo... I'm well aware of the regional differences in Mexican cooking and I don't pick many of my dining choices by location but I'm not just thinking about my desire to find the best meal at any cost here and I'm seeing some positive reviews (with specifics) for people that have palates that I trust here.

Bill wrote:

YourPalWill wrote:Bill, are you aware that the chef at Sol De Mexico is Geno Bahena's mother and that the owner is his cousin or nephew? I cannot remember which.

Yes, I'm aware of those things. What's your point? If I thought Sol de Mexico was a "Bhaena" restaurant (as in "Geno Bahena") it's likely I wouldn't return to eat there . . . probably because it would have been shuttered long ago.

I guess my point is that the menu at Sol is much like the menu served at other Bahena restaurants in that it focuses a great deal of its offerings on the seven moles as does the menu at Real. The first time I walked into Sol and picked up a menu, I was reminded of the relationship between its owner and Bahena. I thought that you would have been too.

While I agree with you that one of Bahena's restaurants. Ixcapuzalco, has suffered from inconsistency. I can honestly say that I never had a meal short of delightful at his wonderful, though poorly located Chilpancingo.

My one experience at Real, before I departed Chicago was quite good. It reminded me far more of Chilpancingo that Ixcapuzalco.

Bill wrote:My opinion of Bahena restaurants is that he's almost always too interested in his possible future ventures to pay attention to the one he's already started. His back of the house operation is often shoddy - including very inconsistent quality, over a very long time period now - and the front of the house is often disorganized to the point of being annoying (which seems to be a trademark of his). I also think he's not a very smart businessman, but lucky to have people who, for whateve reason want to give him money for his next "thing."

That description fits perfectly for Tepatulco. I'd disagree strongly though with RT which I've thoroughly enjoyed every time I've been there. (I'd also disagree with its application to Chilpancingo.)

While I haven't been to all of his restaurants I have been to RT and Sol and had great meals there.

It shouldn't matter if he opens a restaurant and then passes it on. If you want a great meal, just go now before he moves on.

Well worth our support.

Went to real Tenochtitlan on Sunday and unfortunately was underwhelmed.

Started w/ the tableside guacomole as the lady had the taste for it. Better than average, but $8.50 for a baseball size amount of guac makes me a little annoyed. To be fair never been a fan of the "Guac Show" anywhere. It did give us the opportunity to get some info on the menu (eyes rolling)..."Dry packed scallops equals VERY fresh." That sums up the knowledge of the waiter. Not a good start at all.

I had the lamb w/ black mole. Lady had the shrimp/scallop cocktail ap.

The mole negro was wonderful. Bahena is a master. Lamb was cooked well, but could have used some more sear. Corn tortillas were heavy and had a pasty texture. Not good.

The shrimp/scallop cocktail smelled fishy and tasted fishy. Had to send it back and had no drama (good thing). Had the lobster soup instead that was OVERWHELMED by salt....maybe used to cover up any fishyness (just a guess). Contemplating sending it back, but just wanted to get out of there.

So sad, so sad. I had been to Chilpancingo and had a delightful (although pricey meal) and wanted to really like this place. Unfortunately, I won't be back.

Bahena should consider bottling his mole and just selling it on its own. I'm sure the packaging would be delightful and I would happily buy the Costco size.

Long story short, if you go, go for the mole and avoid the seafood. I think part of the problem is low traffic/turnover. So sad, so sad.

YourPalWill wrote:Bill, are you aware that the chef at Sol De Mexico is Geno Bahena's mother and that the owner is his cousin or nephew? I cannot remember which.

Stagger, I think that either Sol or Real would be a great introduction to Chicago Mexican. Real has a bit more flair to its dining room. But, both are culinary winners in my opinion.

I'm pretty sure Carlos is Geno's brother-in-law.

Thanks. I couldn't remember the exact relationship between the two. I do remember that Carlos was qucik to point out the relationship between the two on my first visit to Sol.

I don't know why it took me so long to finally check out this place, but I finally did. Many similar experiences as posted above - when we came in at 6:30, we were the only two people in the place. When we left around 8pm, there were at least 20 others.

The complimentary chips and salsa were great. The blue corn chips were served up in a coronet with a garlicky salsa verde and a pleasant red salsa.

I had a decent Sopa Azteca - very similar to the one I had at Sol de Mexico/Topolobampo..

The highlight however... I asked our waiter if we could get a sampler of their moles - well, they brought us out tasting portions of every mole they had - FOR FREE!

In order of preference:

#1 - Mole Negro (Black/Red) - Amazing complex flavor. Very cinnamonny
#2 - Mole Teloloapense (Red) - Their house red. Delicious. Less cinnamon - more anise.
#3 - Mole Manchamanteles (Red) - made with pineapple for a hint of sweetness.
#4 - Mole Coloradito (Red) - Not as complex as the above three, but a solid mole.
#5 - Mole Blanco (White) - It was great to try this, but couldn't picture it as my main dish - made with white chocolate. Definitely worth tasting.
#6 - Mole Verde (Green) - Honestly, the only mole I didn't like. But then again, I'm never too keen on green moles.

This was definitely the highlight of the meal for me. I would've been happy to make an entire meal out of those sauces and a side of their homemade tortillas.

Still, had the Teloloapense with Duck Breast. The duck was very good (and plentiful), but still took a side stage to the mole.

Bottom line - it's great to have this place nearby. To be honest, I'd probably go there over Sol de Mexico solely due to proximity and the range of moles.. I'll definitely have to go back on a Sunday for the mole negro.

Hello out there,

Any recent reports?

I'm intrigued.

An incredible deal on Dealfinder: http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php ... fc3bb70479

Accompanied by the purplest prose; shoot the copywriter, please.

Experience the spotlight or at least what it felt like to be an extra in the Desperado movies with today’s Mexican sensation: $20 for $50 Worth of Steaks, Fresh Seafood, Mexican Cuisine, Drinks and More at Real Tenochtitlan Restaurant & Bar.The name Real Tenochtitlan suggests the artisan use of original ingredients; there are no cooks in their restaurant, but full time culinary artists bringing the best of Mexican cuisine to the Chicago area. Their goal is to immerse you in a memorable culinary experience the likes of which you have never tasted.

Their entire staff looks forward to sharing with you the rich complexities of Mexican cooking, culture and spirit. Come and surround yourself with warmth, imagination, talent and unrivalled Mexican heritage. Stuff your face with enchiladas verdes, spinach quesadillas, arros a la tumbada and trio de moles and satisfy your starving palates, today.

I've eaten at Sol, and my gosh maybe they were having a bad day, but you can't be serious about that place. I've eaten in Mexico City and loved the food there. What I was served at Sol, was not even in the same league. Things on the menu sounded great but execution is lacking. Frankly had better food off the street in Mexico City. Way better.

Oddly enough, I went onto Foodler today to order some dinner & spotted Real Tenochtitlan. Guess they need to hustle a bit for business in this economy. In any case, we ordered a Carne a la Tampiquena and a Milanesa de Pollo and were very happy with our meals, particularly considering that it was less expensive than ordering from, say, Philly's Best. The Carne, in particular, was excellent, cooked medium rare with an abundance of grilled jalapeños & scallions on the side in addition to guacamole, a salad of sorts, rice, a mole enchilada and some enjoyable black beans served in one of those silly, colored, deep fried tortilla cups. The fresh tortillas that came with both meals were also particularly good and, by all appearances, handmade. Total with tip and delivery - $29.50.

I only make it into the restaurant every 6 months or so although I have always liked the place, but as it is now a quality and inexpensive delivery option - at least in Logan Square - I'll certainly be ordering from them on a regular basis. I really do find it odd that they've branched out like this, has anyone else tried them for delivery v. dining room?

I was surprised when I noticed recently that they are now on Grubhub and delivering to our area - North Mayfair. Will have to give them a try soon...

This has to be the bast darn delivered Mexican food in my radius, and the food is plenty good enough to encourage an in-person visit to Real Tenochtitlan soon. My meal started with terrific handmade tortillas, which had the darker color and earthier flavor of tortillas made with fresh masa rather than masa harina. Refried beans were herbaceous and thick, and the rice with them tasted fresher (and greasier, for better or worse) than other versions. Shrimp al mojo de ajo featured plump specimens cooked perfectly, along with toasty brown garlic slivers and strips of darkened dried chiles that lended a smoky element.

I liked everything an awful lot, save for one item. I hesitate to post this picture, because it's the only one I took of this meal.

Tlayuda with vegetables:


One of the reasons I posted this is that there are lots of mentions of this famous Oaxacan specialty on the forum, and there don't seem to be many places offering it here. It might be that this is a very authentic version, but I simply didn't get it. The rubbery flour tortilla was fine, but then on top of it was a layer of sweet cheese glop with the texture of watery ricotta, and a whole bunch of raw bell peppers and raw onions, and then some barely melted yellow stuff. I could find nothing appealing about this thing, and it went straight into the trash after a few bites.

Tlayuda aside, I think Real Tenochtitlan is a real winner.

When a Real Tenochtitlan delivery/takeout menu arrived a month ago, I was impressed with the range of low cost offerings. The menu at RT hasn't changed much since opening and resembles menus from previous Baheno restaurants.

We went to the restaurant for dinner, expecting a new menu. Wrong. The new items are only for delivery. I ordered the sopa Azteca and my SO had a beef dish. The only note here is that there appears to be a different chef than our last visit and I tasted more/different seasoning in the dishes.

A few weeks later, decide to order from their takeout menu. Like Kenny, we also wanted to order tlayudas. We were told they ran out of masa and were not making them. That flour tortilla version is seriously wrong - feeling lucky they wouldn't fulfill that order. Instead, we had the Torta Ahogado, Torta Carne a la Tampiquena, and a few tacos. The Carne was a winner - moist grilled skirt steak served like a jibarito with plantain instead of bread. Of the tacos, the al pastor was best- there are better in the city. The sides: guac, rice and beans were ample portions and tasty.

I will be adding RT to our delivery rotation.

Any recent comments? Considering a dinner here...

Ate here for the first time recently, and unfortunately my experience was more negative than some of the above.

Let me say that I'm not the kind of authenticity snob that turns his nose up when the chicken in mole is all white meat. The breasts were moist enough, had good flavor, and anyway matched the decor. What I did have a problem with is that someone in the kitchen has a very heavy hand with the sugar - at least that night. The salsas provided with the chips should have been a hint. The shrimp in the coctel de camaron were very nice but the actual cocktail tasted like dessert. The various moles we tried may indeed have been made with dozens of different ingredients, but mostly they tasted of sweet, to the extent that it was hard to distinguish between them. It was all like that: good proteins, properly cooked, then ruined with cloying sauces. After a while, palate fatigue took over in a big way.

I've had issues with Sol de Mexico on occasion, but would much rather go there than come back here.

With some fresh media coverage lately, as well as a generous Groupon offering, I treated my family to Real Tenochtitlan on Saturday evening. We were very impressed with the food quality and knowledgable service, and thouroughly enjoyed our evening. Actually, we are excited to return in the near future.

I believe the ownership has transferred to Jorge Pizana now. You can see that the restaurant is very well run these days.

We received very good service from Alfredo. He was very passionate in his descriptions of the moles they offer. We appreciate when a waiter takes his time in explaining what goes in to making such a complex sauce, and also which meat or fish may best compliment each one. We also appreciate that they make all their tortillas by hand - and not just the maize, but the harina as well!

We started with the Ceviche Pescado. I liked that this wasn't the typical ceviche that you might find in Mexican restaurants. It was a different in that it was slightly sweetened. It went well with the salsa verde that accompanied it.




Since we could not decide on which mole we wanted, I noticed that they offered a tasting "flight" for $4. What a great way to get to know each sauce!

Left to right - Mole Manchemanteles, Mole Verde, Mole Colorodito, Mole Negro. The mole Mancemanteles is accompanied by chorizo and plantains on whatever is ordered.



I had the Mole Manchemanteles with grilled chicken breast. To me personally, this is the most flavorful of all moles.


My wife had the Borrego en Mole Negro. This one is spicier, but gets an incredible flavor from it's 28 ingedients



My daughter had the Tilapia en Mole Verde. Not personally being a fan of anything with tomatillo, their's is one that I would order in a heartbeat because the usual acidic quality that goes along with the tomatillo was not evident. It had a great, earthy flavor from the epizote, toasted bread and pumpkin seeds. I could have enjoyed it just as a soup!

Tilapia en Mole Verde



For dessert, we shared the Nevado Chocolate', along with a generous Cafe de Olla. The dessert was excellent with it's deep chocolate flavor.


If you really enjoy mole as we do, I'd recommend giving Real Tenochtitlan a a visit. Just don't wear anything white!


.