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18th (Pink, Blue Cermak)
I am giving this place 5 stars because it saved me on numerous occasions from having to eat in our expensive and crappy cafeteria when working in the south loop. The 10 minute drive earned me many brownie points with my co-workers who craved Mexican deliciousness during lunch hours. I called my orders ahead of time, and they were always done in a quick and efficient manner. They never got an order wrong in the period of 3.5yrs I ordered food for pick up.
The portions are HUGE, albeit, they may give your cubicle neighbor some gas...HOWEVER, they will still thank you for introducing them to this deliciousness. I would highly recommend their burritios, their tacos (get plenty, they are small) and their steak dinners.
Do yourself a favor and park in the rear part of the restaurant to avoid the hassle of parking in the meters. And please tip the old man there a $1.00 as he keeps your cars safe. Alas, it is also worth going on a slow work day on the south loop for lunch.
For the love of all things holy (or however that saying goes)
DO NOT order any pork (al pastor) tacos here. You will not want to eat any meat, perhaps any food at all, for awhile.
If I had never ordered tacos al pastor here, this would have been a 3.5 star review, on account of the cesina tacos with cilantro, lime, and onions (as the Mexicans do, don't puss out and go with lettuce/cheese, etc.)
Otherwise, this is a great place for cheap tacos at their greasy best. But only the cesina. Don't forget the limes!
It was a Sunday and while I was at work in the loop I was craving something different so I figured I would get into my car and head over to 18th and Ashland to find something to eat. Found a parking spot right across the street and brought along a crew of 2 other girls.
I've been here before so I pretty much knew I was going to order 2 aguacate tostadas with the works. YUM!!! Tostadas we're delicious.
The other two gals ordered chicken tacos, tostadas and beans. They we're pleased!
Salsa was great, great service, fast service w/take out.
This was one of my rocks. One of my culinary cornerstones. Cheap, delicious, and with a grand array of picante salsas, I always knew I could drop by Comales to get satisfied. I took more people than I can count to this place, and if they were locals they were now regulars. Many young out-of-towners told me it was the best mexican they'd ever had.
How's that for hype?
A good vegetarian taco, that already comes with guacamole and is cheap. A nice cool cup of horchata. And I was set.
After a night of partying in Pilsen, whether its Juniors on Cermak or a house party, before ending the night we grab some grub at Los Comales. There are 2 things I order from here 1. Torta de carne asada or 2. gordita de queso y frijole (bean & cheese), al pastor or chicharron.
I get the gordita de chicharron if I'm really craving it cause that is the hottest thing I've ever eaten. So hot that I often only eat half, but for some reason its so delish!
And, this place is cheap!
Cheap mexican goodness! I was pretty hungry at 2 am and only had one meal that day and I could have probably eaten cardboard at that point and thought it was great but I beleive that if went again I would still love it!
the ordering process is a little strange. You walk in and look at the picture-board menu and a patient waitress takes your order. You dont a ticket and she doesnt take your name; you find a seat and figure out of it's your order they call out a few minutes later. THEN you go up and pay when you get your food.
I had a taco dinner which filled me up. I couldnt even eat the third taco. I love the pickled veggies that came with my meal. They also had a huge container full of the vinegary goodness on the tables too! The bistek taco was perfection and the chicken tacos were juicy. Other highlights included the horchata and the tortillas they use were very tasty!
After sifting through and trying on dress after dress after dress at Knee Deep, I was hungry and in need of some sustenance. Walking down 18th St, we decided to give this place a try.
The space is very open and cafeteria like. You sit down at a numbered table and then menus will be brought to you. There is an over-sized container of pickled/spicy vegetables consisting of carrots, cauliflower, and peppers. I steered clear of these as my northern European palate doesn't accommodate spicy food.
The menu is not extensive. It consists of tacos, tostadas, burritos, gorditas. Pretty much the basics. I ordered a steak tostada and quesadilla. They came with big slices of tomato and avocado. Overall, they were very flavorful.
Now, I'm picky when it come to horchata. It can't have too much cinnamon flavor or I feel like I'm drinking milky Goldschlager. On my way out I decided to opt for a large horchata. The word "large" is an understatement to the size of this horchata. It was down right huge. So now, I'm really hoping it isn't the milky Goldschlager I've been experiencing lately. I took a sip and my taste buds were in heaven. I may have found my perfect horchata place.
I think I'm still recovering from the horchata overload.
Coming from San Francisco, Its hard to match a mission burrito or taco. That said, this place is one of the closest I've found in Chicago.
My favorite part is you get chips and salsa delivered to you as soon as you sit down. And its good spicey salsa, too. Tacos are best here - pastor, steak, chicken, all good. I go straight meat, onions, and cilantro for $1.50 (2 or 3, depending on hunger), but you can get them topped with cheese, avocado, sour cream, etc. I had a burrito - good if it weren't for that crappy shredded lettuce. My friend had a cheese quesadilla in a corn tortilla - small, but good.
Cheap prices, late hours, and a tacqueria thats great when you're sober .. i'll be back.
Had a gordita de carne asada and I swear that maybe 20 minutes later, my stomach started cramping!
Literally, knotting and in pain!
I actually text-ed my friend who accompanied me and asked her if she felt the same.
She didn't.
What she did have was something that rhymes with "suns"
Did I mention that the carne asada wasn't even all that great??
Twas really over done and just not tasty.
I ordered an orchata and I was just disappointed!
So sweet and watery!
I grew up in Pilsen, so I know me some good orchata when I taste it.
And this wasn't it!
If you happen to be strolling down 18th St. in search of something to eat, just walk on by this place.
Unless you don't mind sitting on the toilet or stomach cramping, then by all means, enjoy!
I had my first Los Comales experience last week and I have to say I'm very impressed. I had heard the food was really good and cheap, but was fearful that it would be 2am really good and cheap. I stopped in for some carryout, ordering the carne asada burrito dinner. Instead of ordering carryout at the counter, there was a server who practically bombarded me at the door. Had I known exactly what I wanted this enthusiasm would have been appreciated, but instead I felt pushed to order quickly, not giving me time to really decide what I wanted to eat. I also tried to pay after ordering which apparently is not how they do things; I had to wait until my food was bagged on the counter. Fine, whatever. So the cashier ran me up a total of $6.60! Yes, that is one steak burrito, rice, beans, marinated veggies, and tax! I got home and ate the whole thing which was totally gluttonous and unnecessary. They give you enough for two meals but it was so good!
Don't get me wrong I love this place, just make sure you check your bag before you leave if your ordering take out. I've had to go back twice for them giving me the wrong bag. But 2 times out of like 100 isn't that bad. ;)
And thank GOD they finally take credit cards!!!
I don't really like Mexican food (it's kind of hard to when I'm vegetarian, don't like avocados, and don't like cilantro)...yet I somehow keep getting dragged back here by more adoring fans.
It is cheap, I'll give it that. AND you get free tortilla chips with salsa and limes, and on each table is a bucket of my fav -- the spicy pickled cauliflower, carrots, and jalapeños (mmm...mouth watering at the thought of it...not that I eat the jalapeños, but the rest, yum yum...)
I liked the flan I had there, and the agua de tamarindo was muy bueno. As far as "regular food", I haven't strayed much further than the tacos and quesadillas, but at $1.40 per quesadilla, you can't lose.
Also, make sure to check out the snacks at the front corner. How I looove "cucharas mix"! A glob of tastiness on a plastic spoon (I got the mango & tamarindo flavor). I bought a whole box (12 ct.) for only $4!
BEST.EFFING.MEXICAN.FOOD.EVER...at least in Chicago.
It was totally random, I met some people to do Taste of Pilsen and ended up experiencing some of the most authentic and delicious Mexican food since I moved to the Midwest...it was like falling in love, only better and far more satisfying.
The seasoning is perfect, the quality of the meat and produce is excellent and the prices are cheap! You cannot go wrong! Oh, and the people who work there are SUPER nice and SUPER friendly!
FYI: when they ask if you want "everything" on your tacos, its going to include a ton of chopped onion and cilantro...so if you plan on making out later that night, you should (for sake of your date) just say no.
Bonus points for serving a spicy salsa verde along with salsa roja on the tables and for having mini vats of pickled spicy cauliflower and carrot.
The only thing that sucks about this place is they are all the way in freakin' Pilsen and I'm a Northsider...though they are right off the Pink line's 18th street stop.
PS! If you're not a shitty Vegan/Vegetarian (like me) and you can resist the delicious queso y pollo temptation...they have veggie options for burritos and tacos.
****MOST AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD IN TOWN*********
So what makes me think this? Well, (1) I'm Mexican and was raised on the border of Texas and Mexico (2) I've been eating mexican food for over 20+ years (3) I've been in Chicago for over 5 years and have been to countless Mexican places, but this one takes the cake!
I first went to Los Comales back in the fall of '03 when I was a first year in College. The night before, I went to my first frat party, and got-up the next day to go to the artist's open-house events on Halsted. I was with a group of my college dorm-buddies, when our Resident Head told me that we were going to eat dinner in Pilsen. I told him that I would only eat at the best Mexican place in Pilsen, and that's when he suggested Los Comales.
Cut to me and my college buds eating our food. As I tried not to laugh watching some of them eat their tostadas with a fork and knife, I noticed all the food they were eating: tostadas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and my favorite menudo. Everything was as authentic as can be, and deliciously satisfying, espcially with my hung-over stomach!
Now, that may have been over 5 years ago, but I've probably been back there more than 30 times since then, and I can't remember a bad moment. Its a crazy cheap place, open late (which served me well after many a volleyball practice), and the restaurant staff is always very friendly.
Ok, time for the Disclaimer: don't go there for a fancy dinner. Los Comales is what it is: a local Mexican joint with good authentic food. Not a place you take your date the first time out. But if you happen to be in Pilsen, and want some good food (and Horchata!) for a great price, Los Comales is for you. De Nada.
The late hours are the only reason anyone should go here instead of Nuevo Leon...just the truth. After a long flight that landed at 11, my starving best friend and I were glad to have Los Comales in the neighborhood, but at any more regular time you'll find us enjoying the mole at Nuevo. Other than that, this place is just alright. I don't eat a lot of meat so I can only comment on the vegetarian burritos and the quesadilla dinner. Both were far from the best I've ever had, but the portions were generous.
Maybe if I ate meat or dairy, I would like this place. I'm giving it 3 stars because my friends chowed down on the standard fare Mexican AND because of the amazing decor.
But my stomach still hurt the morning after having a "vegetarian" burrito.
"Keep Yuppies Out of Pilsen"
The stencil beneath my feet emphatically read.
As I pulled up the cashmere socks my dad passed down in hopes to keep my non-midwest blood warm, I asked myself despairingly:
"Am I a Yuppie?"
A favorite author announced a set of rules "one can rely on when instinct fails":
i. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
ii. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
iii. IF it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
iv. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
v. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
vi. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
So what does this have to do with Mexican food you ask? Shouldn't I have 'cut it out?' Not much, other than curiously finding myself reading about the decline of the English language while journeying on the pink line to 18th. The author, George Orwell, attributes this language problem to political and economic causes. He goes on to say: "A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language."
As Orwell finished mouthing off about not using cliché phrases or abstract words I finally arrived in what appeared to be an early 20th century small eastern European town known as Pilsen. I turned right at the station and was bombarded with prospects of where to enjoy a late night meal. The question swarming around my head: "which one of these places isn't anti-yuppie, just in case I did fall under such title?"
I found the place!
Blaring Telanovela's from humble televisions (the commercials are my favorite part) Taqueria Los Comales serves cheap and hefty portions authentic as you can get. I haven't ventured away from the steak burrito since I've been completely satisfied with it both times I've chosen Los Comales over other decorated restaurants along this clouded street. Warm indoors, the servers are of the utmost courtesy and quick to serve, especially if you show it back through gratuitous tips. There is ample seating and bathroom usage available to customers. OH, and the hours! They don't close until 6AM on Saturday's! They open at 7:30 AM. If you somehow manage to find yourself hungry between that gloomy hour and half they are closed, go to sleep señor. Hungry in the early AM on Viernes o Sabado? You are bound to stuff yourself senseless if you can get over to Los Comales. They close at 3AM the rest of the week.
The book I was reading: (http://www.librarythin...)
Man really cool place to grab a bite to eat after visiting the National Mexican Art Museum. Tacos are really good and tasty, quality of meat is really good and the nopales and poblanos taste fresh and pretty spicy. It has a very good size dining area and kept very clean.
Bonus points include, free refills on pop and they have pickled jalapenos, cauliflower and carrots at every table.
Exactly what I expect from a good taqueria.
Much better than average, though not the best ever, but at a good price.
I had lengua taco, al pastor taco, a carne asada tostada & a horchata. all very good. $7.50 total
service was very quick for Friday afternoon lunch crowd.
Roomie and i were slightly hungover from a black tie the night before so we had this sudden craving for tacos. we saw this place mentioned on the PBS 'Foods of Chicago' special where the host visited Los Comales with Dudley Nieto, the chef from Zocalo, on his recommendation; frankly, if it's good enough for Nieto, it's good enough for me.
i came here for the tacos and i was not disappointed! some tacos i've tasted are kind of burnt, greasy or surprisingly bland (which is why salsa becomes so important) or only ok, loaded up with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream (you can't taste the meat when you have all that junk on it!); these were really good because they know how to keep it simple. small tortilla, meat, onions and cilantro.
(sour cream on a taco should be a flavor crime.)
i ordered the pork/onions (my absolute favorite), the chicken, the steamed beef, and the steak. my friend ordered the gordita with beans/cheese, the steak tostada and a couple of tacos.
what i liked about the pork and onions taco was how you could taste the pork without being overwhelmed by anything else going on on the taco. you could tell the meat was marinated a little, it was tender, not dry and all you needed was the sprinkling of cilantro, onion and a squirt from the fresh limes to bring the 'porkiness' out.
the chicken taco actually benefitted from the lime juice, to give it some extra tang. (that was my least favorite taco; it was a little ho hum.) the steamed beef was thin, tender and came with a thin layer of beans and went really well with a squirt of the red salsa.
chain, schmain. los comales is simple food, made really well. loved it and can't wait to order the party tray of tacos and have a taste off with nuevo leon across the street.
We all had the taco platters -- and we all liked our food very much. Delicious and authentic tacos -- really liked the al pastor, but the steak and the chicken were very good as well. Their Guacamole is also delicious -- very fresh and well prepared.
I would say that the pozole did look amazing and I would certainly give it a try on my next visit.
Seemed to be a popular spot with the locals which is almost always a good sign in my book.
Friendly and efficient service -- though not without a couple of minor misses -- totally understandable given how busy it was -- and I was willing to overlook given the overall quality of the experience.
Great value -- $1.50 for an amazing and authentic taco. $5.99 for the dinner platter -- 3 tacos with rice and beans.......
I would frequent this place if I lived in Chicago. Hope to return.
Went here for some pick up with my brother tonight.
Everything was ok, but nothing so great.
We had the steak burrito, al pastor tacos, steak tostado, chicken tacos and a side of rice.
I do like the spicy carrots and jalapenos that they give! Yum!
Prices are fair. Nice friendly staff.
I'm not a huge fan of Mexican restaurants in general, so it really says something when I think a Mexican place is great! We were in the neighborhood and hungry and happened to walk by this place. It was pretty full and you could see through the window into the spotlessly clean and hectic kitchen, so we figured, why not?
The place looks kind of like a fast food joint, especially at the counter, but make no mistake-- this food is FRESH. From the corn tortillas that tasted like they had been made that day to the perfectly ripe avocado to the crisp shredded lettuce (fast food joints, take note!) everything was great quality.
The restaurant was pretty busy and nearly everyone there seemed to be speaking Spanish, which I guess means that it's pretty authentic. Despite the bustle, the food came out super fast- it must have been less than 5 minutes between when we placed our order and when it came to the table. Most of the things we ordered were great. Highlights included the quesadillas and my boyfriend loved the pork and onion taco. I couldn't resist ordering the tongue taco, as so many Mexican places don't serve them, but found it somewhat bland and underseasoned.
Everything was also crazy cheap, with tacos at about $1.50 and ridiculously large sides of sour cream and avocado for 25 cents apiece. Kind of makes you wonder why other Mexican places charge $1 for smaller portions of the same sides. My only complaint is that every dish and side came with a plastic fork (for a total of 6 forks between the two of us!) which gave me some pangs about the waste.
Overall this place was a great authentic tacqueria- so much better than the big Mexican places with the big sloppy everything platters that always make me hesitant to agree to go for Mexican food. Yay!
Comales is a lot cleaner and a lot friendly than most taquerias, but just as good. Not that poor attitudes or greasy tables mean great food, but it seems that way sometimes, doesn't it? Excellent tender and flavorful steak in the tacos and burritos, delicious horchata, and really good tongue tacos too, if you're so inclined.
I've also got to say, mad shout outs to any restaurant that serves quality pozole. Comales makes my short list of best pozole spots in the city. Drop in on the weekends for that little treat.
Good standard taqueria fare. Tasty grilled steak tacos, plenty of pickled vegetation on the table to accompany said tacos. All of the ingredients were very fresh and the food looked good just sitting in the basket. Nice and cheap with friendly service, so it's a good place to stop in when the need for some tacos hits.
I came here with some friends on a Saturday afternoon, following a trip to the Mexican art museum. First we tried going to Nuevo Leon, but the line for a table snaked all the way around the restaurant and out the door! Basically, this meant that it probably would have taken us an hour to be seated, and even then, we wouldn't have been able to enjoy our meal without having a huge crowd of people hovering over our table. So we left in search of other options, and that's when we found Los Comales.
The food was good and the service was fast. My chicken burrito was slightly greasier than I'd have liked, but for the price, you really can't beat it. This isn't a place that I'd tell people to go out of their way to find, but if you're ever in the neighborhood, you should definitely stop by and give it a try.
I was a little scared to take a big, well huge group in, but right away the waitresses made us feel welcome. I think between all of us we sampled pretty much everything on the menu, from the gorditas to the tongue tacos.
I was completely satisfied with my meal, the manager Hector was more than accommodating to the needs of our group.
The only downside was we individually had to pay at the counter, which was a mess. Overall it was a good dining experience.
I grew up in So Cal so I'm used to eating authentic Mexican food and this place is the closest thing to an authentic Mexican Taqueria. The menu is simple, consisting of basics tacos, burritos, fajitas, carne asada, etc.; all of which is very good. People are down-to-earth and as are the prices. I just wish they had fish tacos on their menu. I recommend this place.
The food usually comes out amazingly fast, and it's open late.
Awesome if you eat meat, get al pastor. One point off for the vegetarian options, which are weak and the occasionally way too loud music.
Great place overall.
If your mexican you know los comales is the place to go after your 3 am binge drinking fiasco. I used to love the place back when i had no idea what good food was even like. I dislike how it doesnt have any vegetarian options. The tacos are very greasy....but i have to say i do miss eating all that junk food. I only go to the one in melrose park for some reason the food tastes better there... this place is fast, inexpensive, and good.
I used to frequent this Los Comales about once a week. My friends from Latinos Progressando/Teatro Americano and I would come here after meetings and rehearsals. A gringa, I didn't even know what a torta was the first time I visited Los Comales. A vegetarian at the time as well, I ordered a torta avocado and hoped for the best. Well, I got the best! That is, until I crossed back over to the dark side and ordered a torta milanesa. Breaded carne asada, refried beans, avocado, etc. on a sandwich roll--it's incredible. Make sure to order a basket of green onions too. Squeeze lime over them for extra divinity. Challenge yourself to eat a few of the spicy pickled carrots and cauliflower that sit in the tubs on the table. Wash your meal down with an horchata or a jamaica. It's especially excellent after 10 p.m.
Pretty good food, you can't beat the prices. A coworker brought me here to show me that Mexican food on the south side is like what I had in Texas. Close, but not quite. Filled with children, which I know they can't help, but it's irritating. I'll probably be back though b/c it was cheap and good and not too much of a drive from the museum for a lunch time break!!
For a "dive" place, I was pretty impressed, especially with the $1.50 cebollitas (grilled onions) - fairly limited menu - prices are reasonable though and the food was of fairly generous portion size. I sure wish they would bring out those chips to have w/salsa like other taquerias do, but this is about the only thing wrong with this place I think.....
The Mexican fast food equivalent. Greasy tacos to toughen up your stomach before a night out (or after). One of my favorite places for a quick and cheap bite. My mama even likes it and if she likes it, it's gotta be decent, even if it is pretty artery clogging.
My favorites here are the chilaquiles con chorizo, they give you an extremely generous portion, usually enough for 2 meals for me (lucky me!)....followed by the carne en su jugo which is amazing. A huge bowl of soup with beans, steak, onions, cilantro and avocado. the tortas and tacos are also excellent here. BUT the best part of this place is the chiles and carrots in vinegar that come with every take out order and are served at every table. best in the city. oh and did I mention how ridiculously affordable this place is !?
I know some people are suspicious of the chain taco restaurants, but this place is yummy, so don't stress out! The chorizo tacos and horchata are always good, the servers are friendly, and everyone in the restaurant is happy because they're enjoying the dining experience.
They have great tacos but the other food is often too salty or sweet. However - the tacos are great. They are also open at all hours.
Free Taco with Combo Order!
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
BYOB optional until 12/30/2009
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Neighborhood: Little Village
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Pilsen
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Pilsen
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Pilsen
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Pilsen
Category: Mexican
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