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Maravillas Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
5211 S Harper Ave(at 52nd St)
Chicago, IL 60615
Neighborhood: Hyde Park
(773) 643-3155
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
44 reviews for Maravillas Restaurant
Review Highlights
"I highly recommend the steak burrito."
(in 4 reviews)
"The carne asada tacos are great and so was the pollo torta."
(in 4 reviews)
"...definitely the best place to get Mexican food in Hyde Park."
(in 3 reviews)
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44 reviews in English
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Review from Krystel M.
Chicago, IL
1/14/2012
I give them 5 because I have heart for them!
Anything with steak in it from here is sooooo good. I love their steak anything... The Fajitas are really good and the Chicken Fajita is the best... I love that it comes with corn tortillas because I hate flour tortillas.... The tacos are the http://bomb.com and the enchiladas.... Marivillas put me on to some enchiladas!
I also like their flan and tres leches....everytime I order from there they get to me in 30 minuets.. I love them! -
Review from Cindy J.
10/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Extremely dive-y or hole in the wall. But for Hyde Park, that's expected.
The burrito and nachos I had were decent. I mean, I am half Mexican and can probably make better stuff than this. However, if you are hungry, this is not a bad place to indulge in some quick Mexican food. -
Review from Toya M.
Chicago, IL
1/24/2012
I just ordered food from there and noticed what look like an insect in my food. I called to complain and the response was... We're sorry, it happens. Come back to the restaurant and we'll give you something else. Me. Thinks. Not.
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Review from LJ R.
Chicago, IL
5/26/2011
You wanna taco? How about a delicious taco? wanna margarita too? Well then this is the place to go.
I went here one random night with one of my girls. We were home on a Saturday night and I wanted some tacos....(call me random). So she told me there was a spot around her house. we commenced to take the five minute walk to the restaurant.
We walked in and were welcomed by the staff at the cash register. The place was small with some booths, nothing fancy. We decided to sit at the bar.
We both ordered a taco dinner which comes with three tacos of your choice, rice and beans. To go with our meal we got strawberry margaritas. Since we were at the bar we got to see the guy making our drinks. They arrived speedily and we were very happy because when we tasted them, my goodness!!! We both looked at each other as if to say, "This is the best margarita I've ever had in my life".
I turned to the pudgy Mexican man manning the bar and professed my love for the margarita he made, he smiled and told me next time I should try strawberry and lime mixed.
Soon enough our food arrived. The taco shells are handmade and so yummy. I was thoroughly impressed with the food, the drink and service. I think it's family owned, not sure. But regardless I loved the food and will definitely be back. You should go too...get a margarita!! -
Review from Serena B.
Chicago, IL
7/11/2011
I only go here cause other than Pepe's it's the only game in town...and I like Pepe's better. Being Mexican and tasting actual Mexican food makes me want to gag just thinking about this place. We order from there cause they deliver...otherwise I would just go to Pilsen, or Pepe's if I'm too lazy to leave the neighborhood.
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Review from Mrs. W.
Chicago, IL
3/10/2011
I am a repeat customer at this business. I order at least once a week, and the last time I called CHRISTINA had an issue with me calling in my order for delivery. She told me to call at 10:45am because their delivery doesn't start until 11am. No problem. I call at 10:45am and she tells me to hold on and rants to a coworker about how I called back to place an order. Isn't that what you told me to do? I told her she wouldn't have to worry about me ordering there again. Never in my life have I had such disrespect from a business to their repeat customers. I usually order for myself and my coworkers so I like to put it in early as their delivery service is slow as molasses. Very disrespectful. Never again.
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Review from lauren b.
Chicago, IL
5/15/2011
Maravillas is wildly inconsistent these days. Sometimes the beans are gross and watery, sometimes classic. Sometimes the salsa fresh, sometimes a little stale. The meat is always great, I hear. The service is sweet and efficient, but often the take out orders get priority. The food is comfort food, it's perfectly satisfying. I wouldn't travel to Hyde Park for it. But it's a totally necessary Hyde Park pleasure.
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Review from Karen T.
3/3/2009
Maravillas is the epitome of every ideal "hole in the wall" restaurant you've ever heard about.
Cheap, chilled beer? Tecate, Modelo and Corona. check.
Crappy yet creative decor? Think giant clear dispenser of horchata, orange Formica diner tables, fluorescent lights, tile/linoleum. check.
Small and hidden? Tucked away underneath Calypso Cafe in Harper Court of Hyde Park, it's unassuming and underestimated. Thank your deity (or lack thereof) it's far enough from the main University of Chicago campus that it's not inundated 24/7 by college students. check!
Authentic Mexican? checkcheckcheck...the menu here is a litany of awesomely priced deliciousness that will make your stomach sing. Maravillas is Spanish for wonders or marvels, and how fitting, because you will marvel at the crispy, greasy, salty goodness that is a tostada ($2) or nacho. You will wonder at the pure, lovely sweetness of horchata ($2), and the bountiful goodness and sheer size of a carne asada burrito ($5) that puts the Chipotle chain to shame. And you will most certainly marvel at the dollar amount on the check when you get it.
You want comfort food? Put back the grilled cheese or Ben & Jerry's. it's time for some Maravillas. And if you're not up for eating out, they do take-out or delivery for $2.50. -
Review from Sixto M.
Chicago, IL
8/29/2008
Usually if I'm looking for good authentic Mexican food, I head over to Pilsen. But seeing as how I don't have a car, I don't get there very often. Luckily for us in hyde park, there is a very acceptable and authentic Mexican food restaurant in Maravillas. It's located on the lower level of Harper Court (just below Calypso), and is a small little place with friendly servers, and good food. Until tonight, I had only dined-in, but their delivery service was great. They gave me an estimate (without me prompting them for one), and were early by almost half-the time! The only 'mistake' they made was that I asked for certain things to be left out of my burrito, and they didn't. But you run that risk with every delivery service.
Try the guacamole appetizer, its delicious! And their different types of chile and salsas will really spice things up. I usually get the burrito, because I think its the biggest bang for your buck. Priced just under 5 dollars, they are very thick and come pakced with lettuce, tomato, rice, cheese, and whatever other filling you choose (my personal favorite is the egg and chorizo burrito). But I am confident that almost anything on their menu will be worth the price and very authentic. So if you live in Hyde Park and are craving a little south of the border cuisine, Maravillas will more than answer the call.Listed in: Hyde Park, Mexican Restaurants
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Review from Jeanie P.
11/24/2009
Ah if I can't get to Pilsen, Maravillas is the only viable option in Hyde Park. I highly recommend the steak burrito. It's not the best you've ever had.. but if you have mexican food cravings like I constantly do, it definitely fulfills it.
the horchata is also yum~! -
Review from Zach H.
New York, NY
9/27/2006
Good Mexican food, authentic, cheap. Huge (really huge) burritos for $4.50. Tacos, sopas, flautas, and all that other fare for about $1-2 a piece. The entrees don't get any pricier than $10 and those are like a four-course meal. Bottles of Tecate and Negro Modelo to drink, reasonably priced. Jarritos and horchada too.
Comparing city-wide, the place is a little sub-par, but it's the only Mexican place in Hyde Park and it ain't half bad. -
Review from Gloria E.
Chicago, IL
11/4/2008
Sometimes I think this place is pretty decent and I order something new (but not since I know what I'm getting) off the menu, and I'm always disappointed by just about everything that isn't the steak burrito.
On the bright side, you can get a Corona or a Mexican Coca Cola. That's right... Mexican! It's made with real sugar and not high fructose corn syrup! You can also choose from an assortment of drinks you won't find in most restaurants, as they're usually imported.
The decor is something else I can't stand here. It's probably a personal thing. I think some family members of mine are a little into baroque art, and I hate it, but there's a little bit of it here. There's a portrait of the pope and the virgin Mary (or maybe it was Jesus or Guadalupe, in any case...), and it is RIDICULOUS.
Service is SOMETIMES slow, and delivery can be super slow. It is, in my opinion, the best Mex. you'll find in Hyde Park.
My steak burritos are usually about $7Listed in: You know you live in Hyde Park…
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Review from Joe W.
Oakland, CA
9/18/2010
It's either Maravillas or Pepe's, all you in Hyde Park. And guess what? Neither of them are worth it. Instead, get out of the UChicago nerdosphere for a night and head to Pilsen.
But if you can't, won't, or don't know how to get out of HP, than here is the lowdown. Maravillas is pitched uncomfortably between a sit-down and a dive. The prices are far higher than they should be, considering the food quality is not significantly better than Pepe's. The service is either (a) awkward and attentive or (b) absent. Burritos are totally uninspired, the tacos are tiny, the tortas are forgettable, and the horchata is watery and insipid. They have a bar toward the back but I have never once felt inclined to drink in Maravillas. There is no salsa bar and the free chips are always stale.
One thing going for it: it is a decent place for group outings, especially later at night. But other than that, I would ignore the rave reviews because there are 100 MUCH better establishments if you just go up to 18th and Ashland. -
Review from Sarah S.
Chicago, IL
8/31/2009
MMMMMmmaravillas. The new location at 55th and Lake Park is great - I believe the old location is now officially closed.
Like most Hyde Park restaurants, Maravillas is unpretentious. The restaurant itself is small, and while a step up from the blue formica tables and chairs of the previous location, is not exactly expertly decorated.
But they have the best darn guacamole in Hyde Park, and good, cheap burritos - $5 for a small, which is plenty large, if you ask me.
Plus the deliver, AND they're open until 2 AM. What more could I ask for? -
Review from Jeff L.
Chicago, IL
2/20/2010
There was a time where I thought Maravillas was a decent option for Mexican in an otherwise desolate Hyde Park, but now I've decided to never go back.
After noticing they raised their prices on my most recent visit. I order two barbacoa tacos and "chicken flautas" (listed on the menu at $2). The food had decreased in quality, the corn tortillas were oily, mealy, and limp, and the barbacoa was boiled and tastless. My two companions' burritos were decent but rather bland.
The real kicker came with the bill. They had charged $5 for the flautas and when I enquired, they said "prices were subject to change without notice" and charged me for the unseen, unlisted price. No matter what BS legalese they print on their menu, incorrect prices are still considered false advertising.
If you want edible food and semi-human service, don't go to Maravilla's. -
Review from Torry S.
Chicago, IL
6/14/2007
This place is good and friendly, I use to go o Kenwood Academy and this was one of my favorite places to go. Good food, great old school style atmosphere and good service, can't ask for more. I think the tacos are a tad overpriced for those portions though.
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Review from Jessica H.
New York, NY
1/13/2008
BREADED STEAK BURRITO. There is nothing else to say. Well, get the guac too. But the breaded steak burrito changed my life. I asked it to marry me. But alas, it is still not legal for us to marry in the United States.
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Review from Anne S.
6/17/2008
This used to be our after school hangout. It's cheap, service is quick, and the food is decent. These are my favorite nachos, they're simple but nasty. Freshly made tortilla chips, covered in refried beans and the chihuahua cheese. They are so good! I always split those and get a tostada and Orchata.
Listed in: Hyde Park, Top Restaurants, Great lunch spots
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Review from a m.
Chicago, IL
3/8/2009
This place is awesome. The burritos are so much better than anywhere I've had in the city at this price, especially the barbacoa. I should take away a star for inconsistency: sometimes I will come in and receive a burrito that is not quite as succulent and tasty as that to which I am accustomed. However, this reduces it from 6 stars to 5.
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Review from Omari T.
Chicago, IL
5/6/2011
The food here was always good and tasty. I use to go a lot because I lived not far from here. They were always nice and fast as well as leasrt when it came to take out. I think the food use to better here so that is why it gets more stars.
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Review from Ruth M.
Chicago, IL
4/20/2009
Love, love, love the chicken tostadas. I am addicted to them. The new location is nice and closer to my apt which I love. It's great to be able to walk. I don't like the salsa though. When you order for delivery they toss like 5 chips in your bag and give you the most watey salsa ever. you can pour it on your chips but you certainly can't scoop it. Also the flan is great but last time I went it had chocolate cake on the bottom...Uhhh...no. Stick to the regular kind, it's not broke so don't fix it! Overall it's pretty good, tasty reasonably priced food made and delivered quickly to kill your cravings.
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Review from Casandra G.
Charlotte, NC
3/12/2009
Best Mexican in Hyde park. Delicious creamy and refreshing horchata. My friend usually orders the steak burrito, I go for the steak sopes or tacos. Prices are quite reasonable, thouh fans of the divey décor will mourn the place's relocation and redecoration at 55th and lake park. I've been going here for... coming up on 9 years I've been a student in varying capacities in Hyde park. Tasty, bit greasy, overall satisfying.
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Review from Kelly A.
Austin, TX
8/15/2007
Great small Mexican restaurant that will definitely satisfy your craving for a huge chimichanga or a couple of tacos. The carne asada is delicious and the guacamole makes everything even better. Very authentic Mexican for pretty cheap. Plus they are open till 1 on the weekends!
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Review from Elle L.
Chicago, IL
5/15/2011
After a very long and stressful day, my husband and I decided to order delivery. We've had food delivered from a variety of restaurants in Hyde Park and never experienced a problem, well tonight that all changed. First of all, the driver calls and says "yea, come downstairs I have your delivery". I say o.k. are you coming to the door? Him: "I'm in my car". My husband went down to get the food as we'd already paid with credit card. Secondly, I called the restaurant to complain and was told "we can't control them they do what they want". To make matters worst, the food was horrible! Never ever again!!!!
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Review from Jessica D.
IL
1/24/2007
If you have a taste for Mexican and you're in Hyde Park, go here. All of the dishes aren't excellent, but they do have a few with the Chicken Quesadillas being one of them! It is a small restaurant and the ambiance isn't the best, but it gets the job done!
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Review from Jeanelle S.
Chicago, IL
10/14/2009
This is nowhere near the best Mexican in the city, but it's still pretty solid (and the best show in the neighborhood). I've been frequenting this place since it opened back when I was in high school. The carne asada tacos are solid, I love the chorizo sopes, and the nachos are fantastic. I also love that they have jarritos and Negra Modelo now that I'm of age. Did I mention they also deliver? Seems they were able to keep the integrity of the food in the new location on Lake Park. For that, I'm happy.
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Review from Allison T.
Allston, MA
2/11/2007
Not going to lie--was not the biggest fan of this place during my time in Chitown. When I first moved I was a vegan (as I am now) and back then Maravillas liked to put cheese on everything whether you asked for it or not. A few months into living there a few friends convince me that I should get over the screen doors and flies buzzing around the interior to give it a whirl. Sure the burritos were cheap and huge, sure I didn't mind the cheese (b/c by then I was poor and someone else was buying anyway), but was it memorable? Not except for the heartburn afterwards. If you want good Mexican there are better places in the city. If you're poor, hungry and not discriminating. then go right ahead.
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Review from Suzanne E.
Chicago, IL
8/27/2009
The location on Lake Park Avenue is cool in and of itself--it's nice to have some commercial activity on that block--but the food tastes like my late adoptive Norwegian-American grandmother's idea of Mexican cooking circa 1929, i.e., way underspiced and generally uninspired. I'd rather make the trek to Maxwell Street market or learn to make the stuff my (damn) self. It gets an extra star for friendly service. But would it kill them to invest in a corkscrew? We ended up chasing around the ugly mall across the street trying to find one. I could also lose the flat-screen TV in the corner tuned to Channel 11, perhaps in some bizarre homage to my 'hood's perceived pervasive intellectual snobbery.
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Review from Jermaine W.
Chicago, IL
4/13/2011
First off, the food is good, customer service is not, staff can be unfriendly, not welcoming. The cheapest product they could provide was the tortilla chips. They were delivered in a basket that contained no more chips than a bag of doritos for the entire table. Additional $1.00 for extra tortilla chips afterwards. And you only get chips when you place your order. No appears to be apart of their regular vocabulary. Clearly the owners need to take notice of customer satisfaction. Take-out is prob a better option, there are people coming and going constantly picking up their food while we dined. In the future, thats what me & my baby will do if we so decide to frequent the place again.
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Review from Gil N.
Chicago, IL
6/12/2008
Friendly and fast service. Not the best mexican food in town, but it's still pretty good. Great for take out and for dining there, actually the place is kind of small and it feels like you're eating in a basement. I usually get the food to go, late hours and good prices are definitely pluses in my book.
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Review from J P.
San Francisco, CA
5/25/2005
This is the burrito, and nothing but the burrito. A huge meat filled tortilla, nicely spiced and salsa'd, with some veggies, but none of that pesky filler (read: rice,beans) that seems to be so popular some places. Beans in a burrito kind of reminds me of the stories about sawdust being added as filler to processed foods like hotdogs. ick. Anyway, this is their new location, and a campus favorite. The original is way out in the south side.
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Review from Lee-Han H.
Chicago, IL
12/4/2005
The UC students are always in here. To me the food isn't that great. If you skipped breakfast and you look at your watch and see that it's 3pm then the food tastes extra good because your taste buds would settle for anything. It's aiiiight!
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Review from Danny T.
New York, NY
10/8/2008
The best Mexican Food in Hyde Park! But since theres only two in HP its not saying much... I give it 5 stars because Im comparing it to Pepe's which is worse than Taco Hell!
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Review from luis a.
Chicago, IL
2/28/2010
This place sucks. Hyde park needs better Mexican food.
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Review from Elisabeth S.
Chicago, IL
6/4/2011
This is the worst restaurant. They charge you for salsa, chips, and things that you didn't receive. We had a large party and someone ordered a torta. It was delivered BENEATH another person's meal, so they thought it was part of their dinner and ate it... they then told us that if we wanted it we would have to buy a new one, despite the fact that they can't keep their dishes straight. I mean, I'm not used to having to police my own plate so that I don't accidentally eat my friend's food.They have a bad attitude, you have to ask for literally everything and they are cranky about the fact that i might want a lil bit of salsa on my burrito, not trying to bust their bank but... also the margaritas are overpriced and from a bad mix. Don't buy the margaritas mine tasted like cat pee with salt. hmmm. Oh yeah, I live above Pepes and the decor is not like, a thing, but they are friendly and cheap. Maravillas has some kind of pretension of being a nice restaurant because there are a bunch of old people in east hyde park who put up with nonsense like that. But they are so annoying. Also they don't even let you use their wifi. Even though we called ahead to see if they had wifi and they said yes and that we could use it. Lies!
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Review from Martin C.
Chicago, IL
7/30/2009
Used my bf's spoonerfish and discovered that Hyde Park actually has a Mexican restaurant. What what? This is place took me back to Guadalajara. The carne asada tacos are great and so was the pollo torta. They also make their salsas in-house and they are the bomb. The orxata was not very spicy, tasted kind of like melted vanilla ice cream. Otherwise the people were really nice, and they are open late. I will be going back!
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Review from Milan C.
Chicago, IL
2/9/2011
What to say....Although Maravillas cuisine may be tasty the customer service definitely leaves a lasting bad taste in your mouth. I ordered from them once for delivery to my job and tonight I decided to go in and try the food in person. The woman that came to our table was snappy and rude from the beginning of our interaction. Which was completely unwarranted since my cousin and I were definitely on the quieter side of the guest spectrum. Our food comes to the table and my cousin who clearly said all I want on my tacos is sour cream and cheese was surprised to find onions and cilantro on her tacos. She asked the male waiter if it would be possible for her to have flour tortillas instead when her tacos were remade and two seconds later out comes the female waitress bowling towards our table with an attitude that you could see coming a mile away. Who said they asked for flour tacos and no onions? Because thats not what you said. My cousin began to shrink into her seat after being accosted in such a manner in a restaurant. After snatching the tacos off the table the woman sends the male waiter out with the same tacos with just some of the onions scraped off. Oh yeah did I mention that she told my cousin that she was wrong and that she must be confused all while shoving her notepad in her face telling her that the way they write down the order is the way you had to have said it. Oh yeah and before she sent the tacos out she went to the kitchen and very loudly in spanish called my cousin crazy a liar and a few other choice words. (spanish is offered in many schools and is a requirement in many as well its not so smart to insult people in any tongue thats so commonly taught) Then they brought back the bill and wanted me to pay for the cold tacos with onion flecks in it. I will never give this establishment money again and I suggest you don't either.
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Review from J L.
Chicago, IL
4/18/2009
This is a review for the Maravillas at 55th and Lake Park--it was awful!
The food wasn't really that bad, but it wasn't that good, but what I couldn't get over was how awful the service was.
Not that I expect a lot, but it was almost like the two girl working there were doing everything they can to make me and my boyfriend feel awkward. AND they brought out my boyfriend's plate a whole 5 minutes before mine, and being a server myself I don't know if I would even expect a tip if I did something like that.
But oh well. Stick to the original location! -
Review from cb b.
Oak Park, IL
7/14/2005
This place is legendary on the UofC campus. It is a two handed burrito that well you can't put down or you'll never pck it back up. The orignal is worth going to, but the burrito is the best. I've actually never had anything else here - i don't know if any has ...
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Review from jaime m.
Chicago, IL
11/7/2008
sopes.. mmmmmmmmm
chiken enchiladas...mmmmmmmmmmm
chile rellenos.. 'eh.. the best o nes I have had are @ g & g or la pasadita
.. . I love guacamole, but they make it too damn hot! so it gets an 'eh as well.. whats the point of eating food where u hant taste it becuase ur tongue is f'n numb!
