Mercadito Tiene no Burrito

Last week I went for a “bro date” with a couple of college buddies at Mercadito.  Mercadito is located at 108 W. Kinzie Street in Chicago’s River North Neighborhood.  Like many things in River North, this place is a bit trendy and overpriced.  It was so chic that it didn’t even have a sign outside indicating the restaurant’s name.  Despite these detractors, this restaurant did have a nice atmosphere and good Mexican food.  If you are looking for a nice place to impress, possibly for a suitor or business client, this is a perfectly good place to go.  If you are looking to have a burrito, this place sucks.

The thing that sucked the most about the burritos here was the fact that they didn’t have any.  If you are going to get a good rating on a burrito blog, it’s simple, you have to serve burritos.  The tacos were delicious (and they should be given that a plate of tacos, guac sampler, and 2 margies were $70), but the fact that they didn’t serve burritos hurt.  I realized ahead of time that there were no burritos on the menu, but for an old burrito pro like me, I figured with a little wink and a nod, they would make me a tasty burrito.  I was appalled to learn that they didn’t even own a tortilla large enough to wrap a burrito.

In summary, if you are looking for a nice place, Mercadito would suffice.  If you are looking for a burrito, it will disappoint; mainly because their burritos are non-existent.  If you are really looking to impress in River North, though, I recommend steaks or seafood.