Authentic Mexican near Elmhurst?

Am meeting up with a friend who is visiting from out of town. She grew up in Chicago and is missing some good authentic Mexican. Is there anything in the Elmhurst area (where she is staying)? Outdoor seating would be a plus, but not necessary!

GNR Pollo Vagabundo

El Pollo Vagabundo in Northlake on Grand and Wolf road.. but it is a carryout out /pick up restaurant. No patio.. they have a couple of plastic seats inside.. but the food is exceptional.. you can always order the food.. if you want chicken call ahead to see how long the wait is.. and take to a park or back home to eat.

Sorry.. but the food is great.. ambience.. .. no frills pick up place.

5 minutes away from Elmhurst. But authentic

Do you enjoy A Toda Madre in Glen Ellyn? Kitchens (barely) closer to Elmhurst with some game include Los Dos in Downers Grove (http://www.losdosrestaurant.com/) and Axcan in Forest Park (http://www.axcangrill.com/), the latter with a front overhung patio.

There is a tolerable Islas Marias in Villa Park (https://www.groupon.com/biz/villa-park- ... las-marias) with some regional seafood specials. Also in VP is Montecasino (https://www.facebook.com/Montecasino-Ca ... 216836821/), a BYOB dive elevating norteño through competence rather than imagination, nice family, excellent flan. I'd say these are authentic by (immediately) local expectations, at least places where practicing your Spanish can be useful. But at that point I'd say just go to Vagabundo as mentioned above, or into Melrose for Gorditas de Don Angel or Carnitas de Don Alfredo.

Quesabroso in Hillside is better than Chipotle but not worth the special jog (and if you're willing to go there, go to Tamale Hut Cafe). There is always the Uncle Julio's Hacienda in Oak Brook for Tejano with a patio.

Of potentially irrelevant note: Elmhurst is home to the "oldest continuously owned restaurant in DuPage County" (http://www.macksgoldenpheasant.com/), the schnitzel of which I can vouch for, and is a stone's throw / former boundary away from the York Tavern (http://yorktavernoakbrook.com/), the "oldest continuously operated restaurant in DuPage County," which has good tavern-style pizza. If the area actually celebrated history, the #1 restaurant on TripAdvisor might be something other than Portillo's (which, admittedly, is the epitome of "authentic" by some measures).

Great suggestions.... even though we live in Glen Ellyn, have not been to A Toda Madre yet, although we have been to the sister restaurant, Bien Trucha in Geneva a few times.

El Pollo Vagabundo sounds amazing, but we are definitely in need of cocktails with dinner. It's now on my radar for carryout!

Have been to Monte Casino many times and really enjoy their food.... that was one of my first thoughts. And have never heard of Los Dos, very close to us... will need to try that also! We've also enjoyed Axcan!

And yes, we've also enjoyed many meals (and $1 beers) @ Mack's! Haven't been to the York Tavern in years... might be time for another visit!

So far, it looks like we may do Barbakoa.... not quite Mexican, but close enough. The location is easy for everyone to get to, nice bar area & conversation friendly for catching up.

wineaux wrote:So far, it looks like we may do Barbakoa.... not quite Mexican, but close enough. The location is easy for everyone to get to, nice bar area & conversation friendly for catching up.

FWIW, I've eaten at Barbakoa several times (always for lunch) and really enjoyed it.

However, I don't understand why you call it "not quite Mexican". The food spans the range from traditional Mexican to contemporary Mexican. If anything, it's more similar to nicer restaurants in Mexico City than in most cities this side of the border.

Depending what side of Elmhurst your friend is staying, maybe Alejandro's in Northlake on North Ave. I've never been, but friends have and love it, plus its always crowded every time I drive by.

What about Montecasino Café Grill in Villa Park? It's on Ardmore, just north of the train station.
630-359-3525

I'd vote for Montecasino as well. Excellent food. But, it is a small place that is always filled on the weekends.

I've only been to Montecasino once, but my food was quite good and it was the first option that came to mind for me in that area.

It's also right next to Ardmore Station Liquors, a shop with an excellent craft beer selection that any beer enthusiast should enjoy looking through.

Here's some where-to-eat calculus: full service Mexican (stiff margs please), in between 294 and the Fox River, not straying too far from 88, 4 adults, 3 children: 1 rambunctious 10 y.o., a table-mannered 12 y.o., and an easily park-able infant. The in-laws are Canadian, so wifey concedes that Uncle Julio's would do the trick. Maybe I'm the problem– I'm not allergic to Ameri-Mex but will need at least one hot table salsa. Who knows, maybe slumming it as a tourist could be fun? But Uncle Julio's?!

Is A Toda Madre big party/children friendly? I haven't been able to peel my loyal affection away from mothership Bien Trucha.

Jefe wrote:Here's some where-to-eat calculus: full service Mexican (stiff margs please), in between 294 and the Fox River, not straying too far from 88, 4 adults, 3 children: 1 rambunctious 10 y.o., a table-mannered 12 y.o., and an easily park-able infant.

Barbakoa.

Jefe wrote:Who knows, maybe slumming it as a tourist could be fun? But Uncle Julio's?!

Alas, we landed at Uncle Julio's. Classy joint for a interstate offramp chain: under-stated Texmex kitsch, all dark wood and tile, Patrón-option margs, table-side guac. And those chocolate piñatas, like something straight our of the Achatz playbook! We were seated at a breezy table on the back patio with a shimmering sunset view of the adjacent Embassy Suites' reservoir fountain with I-88 humming in the distance. Service was a bit scattered, though you have to ask yourself what the compensation is like at such an establishment. My Canadian father-in-law was scandalized by the idea of a 20% tip, so there you have it.

And the food! Not so bad!

Chips were not great, flimsy and brittle like Tostitos®, this must be the type of "restaurant" they derive their "style" from. Table salsa, a thin Marinara-like affair with a faint whiff of cilantro. I did ask for something spicier and was provided with a crock of a brick-colored, smoky salsa that brought the heat and suggested that the chipotles were augmented by bitter-hot chiles de arból. Respectable, I'm not kidding! Guac was garlicky and fresh and nostalgically served on a bed of shredded iceberg– I've always been fond of scraping the last of the green stuff off the plate with the lettuce as a palate cleanser. Queso, hmm, maybe this northern gringo does not appreciate this tejano delicacy. Or perhaps Uncle Julio is lazy in doctoring up the melted cheese food. Frankly, I prefer the Tostitos® rendition. Canadians insisted on ceviche, which I wincingly sampled in fear of the state of my GI tract later that evening. Though it was surprisingly fresh! It consisted of mostly, if not all little shrimpies. I'd guess it was dressed to order, all vegetal elements retained crispy brightness.

Entrees? Fajitas, you better damn believe it. More nostalgia at play here, when my parents finally let me order off the adult menu, nothing made me feel more grown up than the spectacle of that sizzling platter parading across the dining room and landing at my place setting. And then the garnish plate– piled high with a kaleidoscope of brightly colored guac, shredded cheddar, and the like. A meal fit for a king, indeed. Perhaps I'm apathetic in my old age, but Uncle Julio's fajitas somewhat failed in the pageantry department. No sizzle, no trail of meaty perfume wafting across the dining room. What it lacked in pomp, it made up for in flavor town. Our skirt steak (which was thicker and likely, actually flank) was seared whole, properly to a medium rare and sliced to serve, rather than your more typical ersatz strips of beef cooked to a rubbery finish on that personal skillet. The meat was beefy, succulent, and redolent of soy. Strips of poblano rather than bell were also a nice touch. Their famous house-made flour torts left something to be desired. Of note- their prominently displayed tortilla machine was not it action. Though the torts were unevenly shaped and supple, suggesting their made-to-order-ness, the texture was a bit limp for me and could have benefitted from an extra few minutes on the griddle.

That Uncle Julio has some tricks up his sleeve, a pleasant surprise. I mean, with some recent disappointmentsaround town in the TexMex department, I can't think of anywhere else to get a good platter of fajitas in Chicago-land. Maybe I've spent too much time in the suburbs, but I'm beginning to believe that sometimes its okay to do whatever common people do!

Uncle Julio's
1831 Abriter Ct, Naperville, IL
(331) 444-1300

Jefe wrote:My Canadian father-in-law was scandalized by the idea of a 20% tip, so there you have it.

There is less consensus about tipping percentages in the States these days than years ago when a standard tip was 15% everywhere. The most recent advice from The Globe and Mail, a Canadian newspaper, says that in the United States, "In most cases, a 15 per cent tip is the minimum that’s expected, and 20 per cent or more is appreciated for extraordinary service", and in Canada, "A minimum 15 per cent tip is expected in most restaurants." Their extensive analysis also notes that in Canada, restaurant employees receive the standard minimum wage, unlike in the States where there is a lower minimum for those who receive tips.

Your post was interesting to me to read, Jefe, because an Uncle Julio's recently opened by me, at the Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills. After reading your post, I'm more optimistic about checking it out than I was before.

There's also an Uncle Julio's at Old Orchard in Skokie, but I've never eaten there. Maybe it's good, I don't know. There are so many great Mexican places in and around Skokie (Yolo, Libertad, Wholly Frijoles, El Tipico) that it takes multiple raves to get me to try something new, especially a chain. I'm glad it worked out for you, though!