Mis Compañeros! A La Placita the Taco Quest Begins

Two days have past since “Busco Tacos,” a quest for some of the best tacos on the South Side of Chicago, went live. A great big ¡Gracias! to anyone and everyone who has glanced at my adventitious craving for tacos.

My co-workers will testify to my continuous taco rantings (I’ve become possessed by the aroma of tortillas on the comal). Where do I buy one? Who makes it? Homemade tortillas? Plain? Con cilantro? Spicy? That did it! My co-workers went into TACO MODE about “my favorite places are...” 


We came to the conclusion that there were definite local favorites and then there were others that were synonymous with “¿Oye! mejor vamos a otra, no?”  But we were caught in a greater question. What defines a “great” taco? No one could agree. Yet, this is exactly what I had hoped for- a cluster of distinct taco cravings. After all, I’m in search of places that sell authentic and tasty tacos that make our stomachs grin. 

As of today, I am letting my friends, fellow bloggers, and “Busco Tacos” readers lead my stomach on a grinning taco quest. So it was that my co-workers Evy, Marty, Roy and Manny, hungered by my incessant discussion about tacos, brought me on our lunch break, to “Super Mercado La Palcita,” located in the McKinley Park Neighborhood (near 35^th and Damen). 

Let’s talk tacos. At “La Placita,” a local corner grocery store, with a traditional hanging bell on the door, alerting the entrance of customers, is where we tried:

·        (2) tacos de asada (grilled steak) con onions, cilantro, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, and queso chihuaha, and salsa verde (4.98 each)

·        (2) Tongue (lengua) tacos with onions, cilantro, 
tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, and queso chihuaha, 
and salsa verde/ salsa roja (5.98 each)

·        (2) dos tacos de asada con cebolla (onions) y cilantro (1.99 each)

·        (2)  dos tacos de al pastor con onions, cilantro
and salsa verde/ salsa roja  (1.99 each)

·        (1) Un agua de horchata (rice water) y (2) refrescos (coke). 

On the very corner, in a small portion of the grocery store there are two cooks at the comal preparing the meat, vegetables, and salsa (keep in mind they prepare platillos, breakfast, burritos, tortas, and gorditas). But, the tacos are the business! 


The prices may seem a bit scary at first (4.98! Eep), but from my tasting of the tacos de al pastor, the tender meat, perfectly seasoned with the right amount of charred heat and spice rubbed on the nicely portioned chunks of meat, with a sprinkling of onions and cilantro (keeping the onions tasty, but not overpowering), these medium size tacos are worth the price. AND- from what my taco crew implied with the sour cream smeared on his cheek (uh-hmm Roy), and her reproaching GET ME SOME CHEESE, SOUR CREAM, and ALL OF THAT (uh-hmm Evy), I take it that the extra ingredients add a real refreshing counter to the already heat power-packed flavor of the salsa verde or rojo.

Now, las señora cocineras, who have worked there for 10 years, would not let me know the recipe of any of their dishes, but they informed me that all the recipes have been around since the beginning of this humble store front; a total of 15 years. If I had to say one of my least favorite parts about this experience is the TORTILLAS, yes they were the perfect medium size (one and you're pretty full) and they had a great crispy comal tasting bite, but they were not freshly made, they were packaged “El Milagro” tortillas.

La Placita, the store filled with the sound of crinkling bags, clinking glass bottles, moving traffic, chattering people, is definitely a spot that I would return with my taco gang and try some of the other tasty taco choices on their menu, and for the friendly cooks, free parking, and timely order delivery.