Mezquite Pollo Express

A spot I have been waiting to open finally opened recently and I had the chance to carry out a dinner. The name hinted at possible chicken grilled over lump charcoal and my suspicions were confirmed upon my visit. Although I do not have photos, the Yelp page has plenty of pictures including the live charcoal grill, but interestingly no reviews.

A full chicken meal which easily feeds at least four was around $15 dollars which is in line with other similar places. A few other things that stood out were the homemade tortillas given instead of the standard microwaved tortilla pack and interesting accompaniments like pickled red onions and free chiles toreados [grilled jalapenos].

All in all, the meal was very enjoyable with the distinct charcoal taste to the chicken and the excellent value. Will become a regular spot in my rotation when need quick dinner for multiple people. They also mentioned they have another location in Pilsen but could not get the exact details so not sure if everything is identical in their sister location.

Mezquite Pollo Express
2809 W 55th St

Laikom introduced me to Pollo Express in Pilsen a while back and it was delicious. Thanks for the reminder--gave me a good idea of something to pick up to bring to my MIL's tomorrow to supplement her Easter specialty--shoe leather ham

I've been thru here a couple times now and hope this can become a trend as El Pollo Real in Little Village is another gem grilling chickens over real charcoal. What's different about Mezquite Pollo Express from El Pollo Real is the fact they also offer steak. So to my knowledge they're the first place in the city offering real deal tacos al carbon on a regular basis.


The Grill....on wheels, I need one of these

I was happy to see they weren't f-ing around when I finally stopped in after driving by quite a few times. I look forward to returning for a carne asada dinner cooked to order. On my first visit I got a couple tacos, the meat in the chicken ones comes from the charcoal grilled birds so they're actually pretty good as are the steak which had an extra black pepper kick to it. While not cooked to order they did cook it over the charcoal when it was made, if only they didn't let it sit and steam. Maybe on weekends they get a rush and cook and chop to order. Either way, this is a chicken movement I'll happily ride behind. Also of note all these Mexican chicken spots do a free half chicken deal with the purchase of a full one a few days a week. They make for one of the best bang for buck meals in Chicago.


Steak Taco al Carbon

Mezquite Pollo Express
2809 W 55th St
Chicago, IL 60632
(773) 424-8100

After a barrage of "ya gotta go here and try the chicken and arrachera" from my co-workers, my wife and I paid a visit last night and were pretty much wowed by the flavors, the service, and the clean organized nature of this new opening. (By the way - this is a "city worker" haven at lunch, so you know it has to be good!).

The indoor grill with mesquite wood is a wonder in itself. It is so well attended by the staff, that we got tired just watching them work so hard to keep the fires burning with fresh coal, and keeping a watchful eye on the chicken grilling on the suspended wire rack.

Then there's the guacamole guy. He mashes the crap out of the avocado with a cup in a huge bowl for a long time, producing an incredibly creamy dish. Absolutely the best guac I have had in the city!!

I had the Arrachera Combo of a 10" steak, cebollitas, guac, charro beans, and not-your-typical Mexican rice for $13.95! The steak was so tender and flavorful from the mesquite grill. My wife had the Chicken Bowl ($6.65), that is basically everything you put on a taco, but assembled diced up in a bowl for you. All you have to do is make your own tacos if you want, or just eat out of the bowl. The mesquite chicken is so juicy and tender.

The restaurant is modern and very clean. The workers labor very hard in the open kitchen, manning the grill and dicing up the fresh ingredients. It was nice to go into a clean, modern, ungraffiti-ed bathroom!!

This place really does steak and chicken right. Go and enjoy "the show" and a great Mexican meal.

wish i was eating that steak for lunch

I tried the arrachera combo this Saturday for lunch, and it was outstanding. Definitely the best skirt steak I have had in Chicago. Everything else was also fresh and delicious. I especially loved the home made tortillas.

The place was nearly empty at noon on Saturday, and I got the feeling they could really use more business. I would urge everyone to get out and try this place. I know I will be back as soon as possible.

We stopped in for dinner last night. The place was quite; a couple of tables taken and they were also preparing some take out orders. Still pretty quite for a Saturday night. The waitress was very friendly and welcoming. We had:

Chips and salsa: they put this out and the salsa had a nice mild kick. (We were recently in Mexico City and never got chips)
Guacamole: Made fresh, and well seasoned. They ask if you want it spicy or mild.
Chicken and steak tacos: That's all they had because that's what was on the grill. Both were good. I actually preferred the chicken taco; it had excellent flavor. Both the accompanying green and smokey red salsas were quite good. The corn tortillas did appear to be house made, but I'd guess they came from a stack made earlier. Still, an above average tortilla.
Steak quesadilla: This was terrific (and quite large). It tastes like they grill it.
Grilled onions: A nice side order.
Alfajores: They have these at the counter. They are good, not great.

All in all, a very worthwhile visit.