Taqueria El Asadero

Friends,
Today I visited Taqueria El Asadero which is located on Montrose and Lincoln in Chicago.  I discovered this restaurant while running from some unruly children at nearby Welles Park (I will have my revenge, Bobby Kaminsky!).  This burrito joint is small, but big on flavor.

This is the restaurant.

I ordered the carne asada burrito with everything. I'd been told that the steak here was "off the hook". I assume this means it hangs on hooks in the back and they take it down to cook it. In any case, they cook it to order. While you wait for your burrito, they give you the best tortilla chips ever. Greasy, yet crisp they are delicious. And the hot sauce they provide is the right blend of spice and flavor.  Since the meat is cooked to order, you get a piping hot burrito delivered to your table. Mine came with the aforementioned carne asada, cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and onions. And it is wonderful. I have heard good things about the guacamole too and will try that at some point in the future.

As I sat enjoying my burrito and bottle of Coke (why does it taste better in a bottle? And why are Mexican restaurants the only ones to catch onto this?) I overheard an interesting conversation at the table next to me. It was two older women one of whom was Asian and the other Russian - at least I think she was Russian. Maybe she was Polish. In any event it was obvious to me that neither of them spoke English very well at all yet that was the language they had in common so they struggled to explain how delicious their respective burritos were. This brought a tear to my eye. Burritos bridging the cultural gap! The world should look to the burrito in times of need.

Until next time,
Burritophile