Antique Taco, new local-market taqueria in Wicker Park

I've been hearing about this place on openings/closings as well as through all the foodie email newsletters, and went in last night with my step-dad. It is owned by a married couple, the husband being the chef, and is Milwood B&G space on N Milwaukee.

The interior is quaint and warm, with wooden furniture and plenty of antiques for decor. There are chalkboard and hanging signs for menus (you order at the counter) and they already have their sidewalk/patio seating set up too.

We arrived at 6:30 on a Saturday evening and the place was only half full so were able to get a table right away. We ordered a few taco plates (two for $7) and chose the pork carnitas and market mushroom tacos. We also got a basket of guac and chips along with agua fresca (w/vodka) and their "Rosemary's Margarita" which is just a regular lime margarita infused with fresh rosemary.

All dishes and drinks were very tasty, and we loved the flavor combinations on the tacos. The guacamole was well done, with pickled chile pepper added in.


Drinks (they offer in 16oz and 32oz carafe sizes)


Guac & Chips


Pork Carnitas tacos


Market Mushroom tacos

I highly recommend the mushroom tacos especially, and want to go back and try the crispy fish tacos, and also the habanero popcorn and house "Antique Taco" salad.

1360 N Milwaukee Ave
773.687.8697
http://antiquetaco.com/

This place is the physical embodiment of Pinterest, and I love it. It takes a kinder, gentler approach to the Big Star concept, and executes it about 600 million times as well as Big Star. With tasteful antiques and cork boards. It’s like Big Star passed through fire, deep water, and Milwaukee and emerged as Gandalf the White, except actually as Ian McKellen in a seerksucker suit holding a delicious ribeye taco.

$7-8 gets you two tacos, but instead of being saltcubes on floppy Ritz crackers, the portions are well balanced and very generous. The steak I had was well-marinated and beautifully grilled. Herbs, tomatoes, cheese, and crema were farmers-market fresh. It tasted like a friendly backyard barbecue in August. Then I had the tortilla soup.

The reason it takes ten minutes is because they’re charring the crap out of an ear of corn to deftly slice off the cob right into your bowl in melty eloting glory. Topped with a “tortilla salad” of crisp masa strips and lime-kissed root vegetables. I almost cried with joy when I realized we were flying out of Terminal Three last week so I could hit Tortas Frontera en route, and I have to tell you, this bowl made me ashamed of that mawkishness. (Rick’s was very good, though). First world problems; I’ll send a donation to Next.

The drinks might have been the best part – ice-cold horchata milkshake with almond, banana, and good canela, and a taste of the watermelon agua fresca was ideally refreshing. I can only imagine some things will get even better as the growing season progresses. Or, Antique Taco may break my heart like the last upmarket urban canned-beer-and-pork-belly hipstaqueria. But today, it was pretty.

Santander - thanks for your post. After hearing about this place from various media sources, it seemed too cutesy to be putting enough focus on the food. Now I'll definitely have to try it

Having enjoyed their food at the Randolph Street Market and from their catering business (Antique Kitchen) and knowing their passion for what they do, I have high hopes that Antique Taco will only get better. I went with a group a couple of weeks ago and even though we were a little manic ordering food at different times (and eventually most of the menu), the service was great and the food was execeptional. I don't think there was anything I tried that I didn't like. Because of the drinks I bought to share, I spent as much as I did at Girl and the Goat the night before and was just as satisfied.

i had my first lunch at antique taco and came away generally impressed. the space is sunny and cheerful, the menu very appealing. cookiemonster and i shared 2 mushroom tacos, 2 carnitas tacos and the lobster gravy with masa biscuit. the lobster dish was large, and wonderfully rich and indulgent. it was big enough for 2 to share easily as part of a meal and feel satisfied. a squeeze of lime on it is good, too. i highly recommend it. the mushroom taco was delicious; i like the fact that they use 1 sturdy white corn tortilla per taco; it was messy but the tortilla didn't fall apart. we both had issues with the carnitas taco. in fact, we chatted about it with both owners, ashley and her husband rick, who's the chef. he couldn't have been nicer and clearly happy for feedback. the carnitas taco is really pulled pork with bbq sauce- not as promised. it was very sweet and not what i would have chosen to order. he smokes the pork for 14 hours- which is not typically a carnitas move- i don't know why he chooses to do it this way. so beware when ordering this. i'll be going back to try the fish and rib eye tacos. one change they might be making, rick told us, is to offer tacos singly rather than in a pair which is the only way they sell them now. that makes a lot of sense. business seems to be brisk and i definitely think the place will be a keeper.

We sampled four of the taco varieties on Friday afternoon, and all were quite good. My personal ranking would probably be carnitas (or not-carnitas, as noted above, but delicious) > ribeye > mushroom > chicken.

Also awesome: they're open for lunch! On most weekdays, too.

I'd love to see single taco offerings, as well.

I ate here today and unfortunately was not impressed. I like the ambience of the place and the clean rustic vintage decor. Points for good clean bathrooms and points for the green restaurant touches like recycled dishes and cloth napkins. The guac was very good. The rib eye tacos were very bland and did not taste like the meat was marinated. I did not detect a mexican flavor or even a garlic lime garlic or any typical marinate for the meat which was high quality in and of itself just not very tasty. THe sauce that was in the taco was a clear yellowish type and I do not know what it was trying to be but it missed some flavor notes. The corn salad was good. The pineapple fresca was overly sweet and I expected something refreshing. The bill was 36 dollars for lunch for two and I thought that was quite expensive for what we got. Maybe I might have thought it was okay if I enjoyed the food more. To me its sad because I think it could be a good place but I am glad others enjoyed it. Maybe just an off day.

Another Big Star? No thanks.

NAV MAN wrote:Another Big Star? No thanks.

I get the impression that this place is a more genteel breed of hipster taco joint. Ye Olde Bigge Starre, or maybe L'Etoile Grande, if you will.

Joking aside, I look forward to checking this place out.

I've been to this establishment 3 times and had a good meal, albeit not perfect, each time.

As far as the tacos go, I like all of them and think that each is an interesting spin on using that meat. They are expensive though, $7-8 for two small tacos with no sides at all is a bit steep. I don't mind paying for quality, but I see how this would really turn off some people. It's pretty similar to the discussion we've had about various restaurants, the one that comes to mind is Urban Belly. Expensive, but worth it for me, yet not for others.

I agree with the comments that the agua fresca is too sweet, even when alcohol is added. I much prefer the agua fresca they serve at Native Foods just down the street. I do like the rosemary margaritas at Antique though. In the "premade" genre of margaritas, they are really good, and pair well with the food.

The other items off the menu that I have sampled have been pretty good as well. The habanero popcorn had good flavor, but the popcorn itself was a bit stale (or maybe premade?). The meatball and mole had some good flavor. Not a mole on the level of Rick Bayless, but well above your average authentic Mexican joint. My favorite item I've tried so far is the Chili Cheese Curds. The curds don't feel too heavy despite being fried, and the chorizo chili is fantastic and pairs well.

It's not every day that I spend $20-30 for a neighborhood meal, but I think this place fits into my "once in a while" stable, especially as it's just down the block from my home.

Lancelac wrote:They are expensive though, $7-8 for two small tacos with no sides at all is a bit steep. I don't mind paying for quality, but I see how this would really turn off some people. It's pretty similar to the discussion we've had about various restaurants, the one that comes to mind is Urban Belly. Expensive, but worth it for me, yet not for others.

Since this is getting comparisons to Big Star down the street, please remember that their tacos are $3 each and come without a side. Comparably priced and most folks don't blink an eye there (and cash only). We pay these prices since the quality of the ingredients is higher than, say, Tierra Caliente which is also a few blocks away and quite delicious. We also pay for the ambience, which I really like here. Big Star can be pretty dang loud, and Tierra Caliente is, well, in a convenience store...all good ambiences in their own right, so to each their own.

I need to go back for a second round and try the dishes y'all have been mentioning here. I haven't had one of their agua frescas yet either, or the salads.

Based on this thread, I went there for lunch. I was VERY impressed! This is serious stuff and very high quality (IMHO it blows Big Star out of the park). I had the habanero popcorn (at $4 it is $11 cheaper than Graham Elliot's popcorn), the corn salad (cool and refreshing; very flavorful!), the ribeye taco (high quality meat) and the pork carnitas taco (yum). Really enjoyed it; I was surprised. I was expecting a kind of hole in the wall, mom/pop operation (who knows why I thought that) but it was very lively and in a fairly large space. I spoke with the wife who owns the place with her husband. He is of Mexican descent who went to culinary school at Kendall College and wanted to do something of real quality.

This will be on my regular list of "to go" places. LOVED it. (I told them about LTH forum too)

We were going to make it a twofer taco day with Antique and Big Star but filled up early.


A Good Start Not very strong (liquor and flavor) but refreshing.



Mushroom Tacos Surprisingly Meaty.



Ribeye Tacos Slagel Farms. The sum is greater than the parts as everything worked well in unison.

Caught us by surprise as we were humming after every bite. That hasn't happened in a long time.


Soup and Salsa The soup was almost a stew. Sweet. Salsa mild and the only condiment.

I mean... No hot sauce??? I asked and she said no but thought about it for a minute and got the chef's personal bottle of Cholula.



Nice (and busy) Space! Order at the counter and sit. They bring the food to you. Notice the phone numbers of the local purveyors on the blackboard.

To Go


Habanero Popcorn Stale. Pan popped? The habanero salt was spicy!


Mexican Chocolate Pop Tart Not chock full but a nice layer. Marshmallow on the side.


A hot and potentially stormy day!

Very good! Cannot wait to return.

They have a movie theater-style popcorn machine in the back, making the popcorn. Looks like it sits around a bit, so it might be luck of the draw.

Stopped in here for a bite yesterday and left thinking I'd definitely return. There's a lot to like about the place and even though we'd already had lunch when we stopped in, we really enjoyed the few items we tried . . .


Antique Taco - 1360 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago



Menu Board
It all looks good, right?



Habanero Popcorn | habanero salt, cheddar, olive oil
I loved the seasoning on this popcorn. Compared to 'upscale' popcorns being served at some other eateries around town, this one rates really highly with me. Nice coverage, intense flavor and some serious heat.



Chili Cheese Curds | chorizo chili, beer battered cheese curds, crema fresca, scallions
A distant cousin of poutine? I'm not really sure but I did love this decadent creation. Every aspect of it was enjoyable, from the tasty chili, to the perfectly crispy-soft curds, to the flavorful crema. Even the tortilla strips and pickled onion garnishes were tasty and well executed.



Pork Carnitas Tacos | adodo rub, tamarind glaze, bacon, spinach, onion, avocado and queso fresco
A generous portion of thoughtfully-conceived, well-prepared food. It was bit sweet for my palate but there was no arguing the quality of the dish. My wife, who likes a little more sweet with her pork than I do, really loved it.



Crispy Fish Tacos | tempura, sriracha tartar sauce, smoked cabbage and scallions
Another generous portion of thoughtfully-conceived, well-prepared food. The fish could not have been any better. It was piping hot, crispy on the outside and moist and flakey in the inside. The sriracha tartar sauce was excellent. I really liked the distinctive flavor of the smoked cabbage in combination with the sesame seeds and the fish...at first. After a while, it became a bit overwhelming. So, I took some of the cabbage off my taco and finished it. I'd definitely order this again but I'd ask them to go easy on the cabbage.

Antique Taco is a solid addition to the neighborhood and a place I'm really happy to have show up. Everything we had was tasty, and also indicated that there's a careful eye on quality here. Service was friendly, helpful and efficient. It's not cheap but prices are entirely reasonable and given the quality and the portion sizes, I think it's a very good value. I told one of the staffers that I couldn't wait to come back when I was actually hungry.

=R=

I mean... No hot sauce??? I asked and she said no but thought about it for a minute and got the chef's personal bottle of Cholula.

apparently antique taco is responsive to customer requests. they now have a housemade green salsa on each table. i didn't ask what was in it. it was quite spicy and good, is all i remember...

justjoan wrote:

I mean... No hot sauce??? I asked and she said no but thought about it for a minute and got the chef's personal bottle of Cholula.

apparently antique taco is responsive to customer requests. they now have a housemade green salsa on each table. i didn't ask what was in it. it was quite spicy and good, is all i remember...

This was true when I was there last weekend...a jar of the stuff, almost chutney-like in texture, on every table.

=R=

Tried to go on Friday afternoon. It was about 96 deegrees outside and 100 inside the restaurant and completely smoke filled. Had to take a pass, it was unbearable. It was very disappointing. I really had high hopes and was excited to finally make it there, only to have to leave.

Trials and tribulations of a new business...many restaurants had a rough time last week. Please do give them a try this week now that the weather has mellowed, you will enjoy it.

I understand that a transformer blew in that area and electricity was out up and down Milwaukee Avenue. Not sure if it affected Antique Taco, but if that's the cause and they still kept their doors open, I give them major props.

I've also heard that finding parts to repair damaged air conditioning units was nigh impossible across the entire state last week. (A friend owns a bookstore and had to get a line on a part out of state; it was finally found in Michigan).

Hopefully that stretch of Milwaukee is now ship shape and Antique Taco back to its fighting weight. It really is a wonderful spot.

Yeah, something went down, power-wise, on Friday...our kids' West Loop daycare (and the rest of the block surrounding it) lost power around 12:15pm, and when their interior temp jumped from low 70s to high 70s in 15 minutes, they knew they were in trouble and started making "really sorry about this, but you need to pick your kids up NOW" calls. It was chaos.

If that was the case for Antique Taco, then I'd imagine that was quite the Sophie's choice: cook tacos in a 110-degree kitchen, or lose out on a days' worth of revenue.

While I can't say with any authority, I was there on Sunday and everything seemed fine, while Big Star was still down.

SSDD

ChristyP wrote:I understand that a transformer blew in that area and electricity was out up and down Milwaukee Avenue. Not sure if it affected Antique Taco, but if that's the cause and they still kept their doors open, I give them major props.

I've also heard that finding parts to repair damaged air conditioning units was nigh impossible across the entire state last week. (A friend owns a bookstore and had to get a line on a part out of state; it was finally found in Michigan).

Hopefully that stretch of Milwaukee is now ship shape and Antique Taco back to its fighting weight. It really is a wonderful spot.

Big Star was shut down pretty much the entire weekend, the light at Division and Damen was still blinking as of Saturday evening, and I know the issue blew something on Smallbar's stove hood and caused them to be open only for drinks over the weekend (they're supposed to get the parts and get it fixed today), so the issue was definitely causing some issues over a fairly substantial area of Wicker Park.

Ok, I'll give it another try, but we walked over to Cumin and everything was just fine over there.

On Friday July 6th at approximately 5pm a transformer located behind the 1500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park exploded causing a fire directly behind the Damen Blue Line El Tracks.

http://www.wickerparkbucktown.info/_blo ... out_Power/

There were also random power outages in the area all night long, from complete outages to just blips off/on - as far south as Chicago Ave and as far North as Fullerton.

Stopped in for lunch today. Got there a few minutes after opening, and place was already mostly full. By the time I left, there was a line waiting for tables.

Had the crispy fish taco and the pork carnitas. Both were very good, though I slightly preferred the crispy fish.

The crispy fish taco had a very nice batter - crisp on the outside and airy on the inside. The fish was perfectly cooked. The siracha tartar sauce delivered a nice, flavorful heat. The cabbage was a good compliment to the fish and the sauce.

The pork carnitas were good, but there was quite a bit of grease dripping from the taco, as if they forgot to skim the the fat off the pan juices before finishing the sauce. The heat from the adobo rub was a bit one-dimensional compared to the heat in the fish tacos. These, however, are both minor quibbles with a dish I would gladly eat again (and again).

I think it was the more balanced heat in the fish tacos that pushed my preference to them over the carnitas.

Priced at $7-$8 for 2 good sized tacos, this place is also a great value for what you get. Looking forward to a return trip to explore more of the menu.

We went last night. It was pretty crowded, and just kept getting busier, and it was inefficiently organized for seating. Or maybe it just encourages people to sit selfishly. There were lots of people sitting 2 at a 4-top (and leaving an open 2-top or the end of a larger table empty). We got everything we ordered all at once - we kind of thought they might pace it just a little bit so you got your non-taco foods first. The popcorn was very good, but it also was stale (I think it's just summer humidity getting to it if it sits for more than a minute). The tacos were quite big, I'm not sure we needed to get more than that. I would have liked to sit and drink a little, over our popcorn and guac, first, and then eat my tacos. It definitely felt like we had to eat up and get out to make room for others.

The food was good, particularly my fish tacos, but given the rushed ambiance I'm not sure I'd want to go there for dinner again.

I think I might like this place over Big Star after a single visit. It's quieter for lunch, and my last Big Star visit felt like the kitchen was taking shortcuts or being a bit sloppy. Also at Big Star, your server or bartender seems to disappear for long stretches of time. Not a problem here since it's counter service, seat yourself.

I tried two tacos off the menu. The Grilled Ribeye tacos with House Steak Rub, Heirloom Salsa, Cilantro, Onion, Queso Enchilado were very good. You could really taste the quality of the steak they were using. While it wasn't the most tender cut, it was flavorful. I really liked the Pork Carnitas tacots with Adobo Rub, Tamarind Glaze, Bacon, Spinach, Onion, Avocado, Queso Fresco. It sounds very messy on paper, but I found it to be a good mix of sweet, spicy, cheesy, and meaty. The tamarind glaze was a good foil to the other items, like the spinach. An unconventional taco, sure, but delicious, and it seemed like they were putting a lot of thought and care into the food here.

I'd love to come back and try more things, or some of the drinks.

yesterday a friend of mine & I split two tacos off the menu: the fried fish taco & the mushroom taco. GWiv walked in as we were dining.

While dining I found myself longing for a side of beans & some alpastor, lengua or cabeza tacos. I didn't think it was a great value.
Both the fish & mushroom tacos were very good, not good enough that I'd go out of my way for, but if in the area, I'd stop by again.

Willie,

Think I liked Antique Taco a little more then you, mainly due to the stellar habanero carrot soup with pickled mustard seeds and chard. I used the freshly made habanero popcorn as croutons and, well lets just say, I thought about going back for and having soup for dinner.



Tacos were fine, crisp fish, meaty plentiful mushrooms, but soup was the clear winner. Cost wise, I can't comment as Jared (rubbbqco) picked up lunch. The short wooden stools grew old fast, but I liked the overall feel of the place and service was friendly and informed.

Enjoy,
Gary