One Great Dish: Tacos al Pastor from Abuelo's

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Aug 17, 2010 5:40PM

It bears repeating: you can stumble into a place that serves a good al pastor taco anywhere in this city. It's the benchmark by which any taqueria should be measured.

One of the best around — certainly in my top five — can be found in the kitschy environs of Pilsen-based Abuelo's, which could be the equivalent to Big Star if they served drinks, had a standing room only outdoor patio and played copious amounts of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. Abuelo's al pastor is rich in flavor, tender like a barber giving a boy his first haircut, spicier than eating a dried chili with the seeds. Topped with fresh onion and cilantro, Abuelo's also doesn't skimp on the meat. These tacos come loaded in rich, marinated pork.

If there's one drawback to Abuelo's tacos (and it's minor) it's that they're served on one corn tortilla, instead of two. But that's why fingers were developed over millions of years, to pick up the pieces. Abuelo's al pastor tacos are just one item on a simple menu of tacos, burritos, tortas and platters made with great care and flavor.

Abuelo's, 2007-09 S. Damen, 312-733-0329.