4 Hermanos Too [Proximity Dining - Niles Costco]

LTH,

Never shop Costco hungry, least not if you don't want to leave with 22-lbs of peanut butter and 9-lbs of deli sliced meat. To this effect I have a few proximity joints to the Nile's Costco, not destinations, but perfectly fine for assuaging over purchase hunger inducing pangs, Papa Chris hot dog stand being my usual stop. I am happy to have another arrow in the quiver in the form of Steve Z recommended 4 Hermanos Too.

$5 Tuesday special three tacos rice and beans, decent, if not great, griddled steak tacos with a choice of onion/cilantro or lettuce tomato, on doubled up tortillas, slightly moist rice and smooth refried beans. Comfortable, if basic, physical space and friendly efficient service. I plan on exploring the menu further, in particular the daily specials.

Enjoy,
Gary

4 Hermanos Too
6145 W Touhy
Chicago, IL 60646
773-775-2550

Papa Chris' Place
6235 W. Touhy Avenue
Chicago, IL 60646
773-631-4322

G Wiv wrote:Never shop Costco hungry

Ahhh, the majesty that is the Costco cafeteria? Never shop hungry again.

We tried this place, also, hoping for a hidden gem (on our way home from gardening shopping at Meinke's and Wal-Mart) I found it to be, not surprisingly for the location, semi-americanized Mexican - which is not to say bad - but I don't remember much about the meal except it hit the spot (I'm vaguely remembering nicely charred beef.) The place itself is very cute, clearly lovingly decorated by the owners.

The language switch in my brain was jammed to English that day (Wal-Mart will do that to you;) I'm wondering if speaking Spanish would have made a difference.

Mhays wrote:We tried this place, also, hoping for a hidden gem (on our way home from gardening shopping at Meinke's and Wal-Mart) I found it to be, not surprisingly for the location, semi-americanized Mexican - which is not to say bad - but I don't remember much about the meal except it hit the spot (I'm vaguely remembering nicely charred beef.) The place itself is very cute, clearly lovingly decorated by the owners.

The language switch in my brain was jammed to English that day (Wal-Mart will do that to you;) I'm wondering if speaking Spanish would have made a difference.

They make no bones about the fact that it is Americanized Mexican food. The sign even says so. We've been going to the original 4 Hermanos for many years because it's the closest place to our house to get a decent (if not great) taco. The place on Touhy recently opened and is run by the same family. I normally order the al pastor which, although not cut from a spit, features some nicely charred bits of pork. I also occasionally get a chile relleno. As Gary and Mhays have said, this isn't earth shatteringly good/authentic Mexican food, but they do the basics well enough. If you ask for the tacos Mexican style, they will leave off the lettuce, cheese and tomato. That is always the way I order there.

stevez wrote: If you ask for the tacos Mexican style, they will leave off the lettuce, cheese and tomato. That is always the way I order there.

Now I remember! We had an awful lot of fun with the paper placemants "explaining" mexican food to gringos in that wonderful 1950s style. Now we know how to order - it is awfully convenient; certainly we'd go again, as there aren't many options on that strip for a quick lunch; (unless you count Noodles & Co. )

We had a very respectable delivered lunch today at the office from 4 Hermanos. Corn tortillas were aromatic and tender. Lengua was the best of the 3 tacos I tried. It was tender and intensely beefy. Steak was plenty flavorful but a bit dry and chewy. Al Pastor (aka 'seasoned pork' on the menu) was a bit mushy and too sweet for me. I like the inclusion of pineapple but there was just too much of it for me. Guacamole was very tasty, as were 3 types of salsas (red, green and a fiery arbol). Chips were nothing to write home about. As is posted above, tacos come standard with lettuce and tomato so be sure to request cilantro and onions only, if that's your preference.

I look forward to trying their breakfast items and working my way through the other non-taco offerings. Sure, this is no La Chaparrita but it's the right fit for some weekdays when we want some nearby Mexican without a (long) trip to get it...and it's far better than any of the taquerias near my former office in Highland Park.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Sure, this is no La Chaparrita but it's the right fit for some weekdays

No La Chaparrita, that's for sure, but the original 4 Hermanos hit the spot this afternoon for a quick, inexpensive pre grocery shopping lunch.

4 Hermanos, Central Ave

Tacos: Lengua, Chile Relleno, Carne Asada


4 Hermanos
5239 N Central Ave
Chicago, IL 60630
773-545-2294

Had a nice little lunch over at the Touhy location. Not mind-blowing but it certainly scratched the itch. And with my office soon moving back to Niles, 4H will definitely be finding its way into the regular rotation . . .


Lengua, Carnitas, Al Pastor (left to right)

The corn tortillas were fresh and light. I especially liked the lengua, which was cut into small cubes and then crisped up. Rice and beans were both better than average. Both red and green table salsas were tasty. Not pictured was a queso fundido with chorizo that was pretty rubbery and which I'd probably not order again. Topo Chico is available in 12-ounce glass.

=R=

6145 W Touhy Ave
Chicago, IL 60646
(773) 545-2294

ronnie_suburban wrote:Had a nice little lunch over at the Touhy location. Not mind-blowing but it certainly scratched the itch. 6145 W Touhy Ave

Exactly, tasty three taco lunch with rice and beans. Server seemed surprised when I asked for tripas, lengua and chorizo but they hit the spot, in particular crispy tripas. Solid pre Fresh Farm's/Costco stop to prevent over purchase.




4 Hermanos, count me a Fan.