An abstract mural with a collage of Mexican themes graces one wall and extends to the upper roof top deck which was closed during our visit but soon to open. Whimsical pinatas dangle from exposed ceiling beams. Seating is divided into communal high tops or tables. The space extends out to the large patio, perfect when warmer weather arrives.
Shortly after opening for lunch at 11:30, the place was bustling with shiny, happy, and young twenty somethings. Located in mega hot RiNo (River North) district, Los Chingones (a Mexican slang for fu __ing great!) holds its own amongst other new and rave eateries such as Work and Class and Cart and Driver. This is our third time trying to get into Los Chingones. I think the key is to get there first thing on a week day as they do not take reservations.
Los Chingones is not fine dining. Drinks are served in nostalgic plastic school cafeteria cups, at least during lunch. No formal flatware here. I don't even think we got knives, just a fork. Napkins are a spool of paper towels on the table to share. However, this does not exclude a true foodie. Menu items cater to the adventurous eater and some verge on the exotic.
Upon perusing the menu, I concluded that tacos were a must have. At Los Chingones, you can choose from non traditional meats such as lamb neck and exotic ingredients such as rattle snake. They offer a selection of lunch specials at $10, one of which is three tacos of your choice. This includes house made aqua fresca (water lightly infused with fresh fruit) or iced tea, and chips and house salsa. Both drinks and chips are refilled to your heart's content. The aqua fresca of the day was a lime and mint concoction so refreshing that I drank two glasses. The chips were golden, crispy, and but unevenly salted. The salsa was an interesting contrast of smoky and sweet.
The kitchen is wide open to better observe the cacophony. I was happy to see cooks donning hair restraints which is a vanishing compliance these days. There was a minor hiccup with our food delivery. A single plate was brought out to us that was meant for another table. Luckily we had not started eating. Our taco trios were delivered shortly thereafter. Heaping mounds of meat with a variety of garnish sit atop flour tortillas. I ordered one of each of the lamb neck, pork shoulder, and mahi. The lamb was my favorite by far. Tender, juicy, and gamey shredded lamb, perfectly seasoned, melted into my mouth. The grilled onions offered contrasting crunch and sweetness. The pork shoulder, although well cooked, had more fat than meat. I was disappointed with the heavily battered and deep fried mahi as I prefer grilled or another lighter preparation method. The accompanying pineapple salsa and Fresno peppers made for a colorful presentation.
Don's taco trio consisted of steak, shrimp, and chicken leg. The steak taco had strips of tender grilled steak with thin sliced avocado, poblano peppers, and oaxaca cheese. The shrimp taco had plentiful small shrimp in a chipotle aioli (garlic mayo). And the chicken leg was slow cooked and shredded and topped with a crunchy green cabbage slaw.
I found the service friendly and efficient. The staff is young to compliment the high energy vibe. We met Mike from Miami, a manager/trainer who gave us the tip of calling ahead with an ETA (estimated time of arrival). This should help with the actual wait time.
This place makes me smile. We'll definitely return to try some of the other items on the menu such as the empanadas and the rattlesnake chorizo taco.
 |
| Interior of Los Chingones |
 |
| Pork, Mahi, and Lamb tacos |
 |
| Shrimp, Chicken, and Steak tacos |
No comments:
Post a Comment