Tasty Thai Treasure at Tac Quick

By Staff in Food on Oct 29, 2010 4:00PM

Some of the best Thai food in Chicago can be found in a pocket of Lakeview just north of Wrigleyville bordering Buena Park. There you’ll find this tasty Thai treasure, Tac Quick. Unlike most dilapidated Thai restaurants, Tac Quick (Tac is an acronym for “Thai Authentic Cuisine”) is sleek and modern inside, with dark reds and blacks adorning the walls and dim lighting throughout. Don’t let this slick interior deceive you, as it still charges low prices for large portions.

There are just a few small steps necessary to enjoy the optimum Tac Quick experience:

• Step 1: Before heading to Tac Quick (located three steps south of the Sheridan redline stop), take the three steps north to Sheridan L Liquors. BYOB is best!
  
• Step 2: Peruse the Tac Quick menu. It’s filled with familiar favorites like Pad Thai and Panang Curry, but note, the best item on this menu is the Crab Rangoon appetizer, which is made with real crab and has a subtle black pepper kick.
  
• Step 3: Don’t choose your entrée yet! Hail down the wait staff and insist you receive a copy of the secret menu, a menu of traditional Thai dishes translated from their Thai language menu and available only upon request.
  
• Step 4: Be adventurous and don’t hesitate to ask questions. The secret menu is filled with Thai dishes you wouldn’t see in most stateside Thai restaurants. Don’t hesitate to ask for suggestions, as the menu is large and may be difficult to navigate.

On a recent visit to Tac Quick, we decided on a soup to warm ourselves from the gusts of chilling wind outside. After asking our waitress on what was best, we chose Kuay Teaw Tom Yum Maa Sab, a spicy and bitter soup dish filled with rice noodles, ground pork, BBQ pork, pork wonton and bean sprouts. Be warned - when we say big portions, we mean it. The soup arrived at our table in a bowl as big as a whole head of cabbage, filled to the brim with spicy soup, slurpy noodles and, as promised, a full pound of pork. A filling meal of an appetizer and entrée is a steal, costing on average less than $15 a person.

Tac Quick, 3930 N. Sheridan Rd.

By Minna An