whole roasted goat

I am looking for a place that would cook and prepare an entire goat. Ideally this place might be on the West or Northwest side of the city. I am open-minded on the type of place - Mexican/Middle-Eastern/whatever.

I am a teacher and this is a reward for my students, many of whom are of Mexican descent and tell me birreria is among their favorite foods.

Any suggestions you might have would be much appreciated.

Um…why not just go for birria?
http://www.yelp.com/biz/birrieria-y-taqueria-el-carmen-chicago
http://www.birrieriazaragoza.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/birreria-reyes-de-ocotlan-chicago

.....and birria is not equal to whole roasted goat. I don't think goat from a Pakistani, Greek, Lebanese or even Mexican place (not selling birria) will scratch the birria itch. Also, the traditional Jalisciense birria recipes I've seen/used involve a very specific arrangement of goat parts in the cooking vessel. It's not left whole and intact, usually. I'm sure you could get a big tray of it from one of the trusted places or make your own -- see prior threads for fresh goat sources in town.

Though I've seen pig at a few joints, the only restaurant I can think of that will do a whole goat is Frontier.

edit: I just reread and saw you were looking for a place on the West/Northwest side. My apologies if this doesn't work for you.

May I suggest calling these people and seeing if they have any ideas?
I am assuming they would be the ones supplying the goat.
http://www.floppyearfarm.com/

Try a Serbian place. They usually do whole lambs or pigs, but I'll bet they will do a goat (especially Zoran Lalich):

Sandy's Bakery & Deli
5857 West Lawrence Avenue
Chicago
(773) 794-1129

Lalich Delicatessens
4208 W Lawrence Ave
Chicago, IL 60630
(773) 545-3642

edit:
For Barbacoa de Chivo, Supermercado Morelia has my favorite. It is not cooked in a hole in the ground, but it is wrapped in banana leaves. I am sure they will sell you a whole goat's worth. They also make their own fresh Tortillas throughout the day and sell a large variety of fresh store- made salsas, several styles of crema and guacamole. They even fry their own chips, made from their freshly pressed tortillas. Those are totally addictive.

Morelia Supermarket
4833 W Diversey Avenue
Chicago, IL 60639
(773) 622-0995

Morelia Supermarket
7300 N Western Ave.
Chicago,IL 60645
(773) 761-3291

bseigle wrote:I am a teacher and this is a reward for my students, many of whom are of Mexican descent and tell me birreria is among their favorite foods.

SCUBAchef wrote:Um…why not just go for birria?

As a teacher, bseigle is using their fondness of birria as a bridge to expand their horizons. This is the future we're talking about...

I was at a party at The Hideout a couple years back, and there was a whole roasted goat. It came from somewhere up on Kedzie near Salam. The name escapes me. Anyone have any clue where it might have been from?

Frontier came to my mind as well although probably not what you're looking for. I have a feeling though a place like Birrieria Zaragoza will work with you on your request.

I believe Chopal Kabab on Devon is at least one place that is willing to cater whole-goat (prepared in Indian/Pakistani style) if its ordered. And it is, of course, on the north-side.

(Iam sure there's a couple more Indian/Pakistani places that do whole-goat and whole-lamb too.. maybe Anmol too, and a few others - one would have to call and ask..)

c8w

I know Balkan roasts whole Lamb on Saturday in their big dome (stone?) oven which is right in front of the restaurant, so you can see it rotating on the spit. Since they only do the lamb on Saturday, any other day you may be able to talk them into doing a whole goat in a similar style.

Balkan
2321 W Lawrence Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 878-7764

I've seen a sign at Jaafer Sweets a few times indicating that they do whole roasted... lambs or goats (I can't remember exactly). They're about the nicest folks in the world, and the quality of their sweets is incredible - given this is the one savory thing on offer, I'd be willing to bet it'd be good.

Jaafer Sweets
http://www.jaafer.com
4825 North Kedzie Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 463-3933

-Dan

Feyrous will also do a whole lamb, and perhaps a goat on demand, and do a damn good job of it. Located just North of Kedzie on Montrose, Feyrous is one of the overlooked, but oldest and most consistent Palestinian groceries, bakeries, take-outs on the North Side. The owner is a friend of the family, and has been at it since at least the late 70s. I have fond memories of picking up falafel sandwiches there in the late 90s on the way home from "Arabic School" (aka get your-ass-beat-by-cab-drivers school) at the Muslim Community Center on Elston.

Feyrous Pastries
4510 N Kedzie Ave
(between Sunnyside Ave & Wilson Ave)
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 478-4230

Those on the far southwest side are lucky to be located to Chicagoland's, if not the U.S.'s finest Palestinian caterer and bakery, Grapevine Foods. An aunt of a friend, yes, but their cuisine is absolutely divine. Get a whole lamb stuffed with stuffed grape leaves. Really. Get basmati rice with spices and veggies on the side. Their bakery items are about as authentic and homemade as I've tasted in Chicago, including pies stuffed with fresh zaa'tar leaves and onion, something rarely, if ever, seen at Palestinian bakeries.

Grapevine Foods
14402 John Humphrey Dr
Orland Park, IL 60462
(708) 403-7100
http://www.grapevine-orlandpark.com/Menu.html

d4v3 wrote:Try a Serbian place. They usually do whole lambs or pigs, but I'll bet they will do a goat (especially Zoran Lalich):

That reminds me of the Serbian students at my campus in college in the late 70's. Every once in a while they'd cook a lamb outside on a huge spit.

call Zaragoza and see what they can do for you. if your students want birria, that is the place to get it from; i don't think a whole goat done in a different style will cut it. call and see what they can do:

www.birrieriazaragoza.com
4852 South Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60632
(773) 523-3700

^^^ This is the point I was suggesting. The whole roast goat idea is very thoughtful and whole roast animals are cool, but birria is a very specific dish that is not a simple whole roasted animal. Maybe their favorite part is the consome. It is mine.

I couldn't agree more, as much as the where to get a whole goat conversation is fun and informative, your students would appreciate zaragoza the most!

But...But...

Sweetbread wrote:This is the future we're talking about...

Feed them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty birria possesses inside