What's the deal with the Mexican food in Lakeview? (Chicago: gated, live)

[Attrill]

It is tough to find decent Mexican in Lake View. There are some decent nearby options - Los Nopales and Mixteco are worth checking out. Overall Pilsen, Logan Square, and Ukrainian Village have the highest concentrations of good Mexican in the city.

Originally Posted by andrew61

I have noticed that quite a few Mexicans like to eat there, though. On the other hand, maybe they're just very well assimilated.

Americans know hamburgers better than anyone in the world, and McDonald's is the most popular burger place in the US. Large numbers of Mexicans eating at a Mexican place doesn't necessarily mean a place is good.

[long101]

Is there not a chipotle in lakeview?

[urza216]

Originally Posted by andrew61

I mostly stay away from those little hole-in-the-wall taco and burrito joints. The prices are cheap, yes, but the burritos tend to be very greasy and give me stomach trouble.

In other words, the places that working class Mexicans can actually afford.

Mexican food is really not that complicated. And it's not expensive to make at all.

[Garfieldian]

Originally Posted by long101

Is there not a chipotle in lakeview?

I am hoping that is a joke.

[Garfieldian]

Originally Posted by urza216

In other words, the places that working class Mexicans can actually afford.

Mexican food is really not that complicated. And it's not expensive to make at all.

That couldn't be farther from the truth. That's like saying all americans eat are hamburgers/hot dogs and french fries...yeah "not complicated". But would you call that all of mexican food? Mexico has regional cuisine from all of it's 31 states both low end and high end. Mexican food, just like ANY other cuisine can be very expensive depending on the ingredients. You know they eat a lot of lobster in Baja right? Most of what you get in lakeview or anywhere in Chicago is going to be highly americanized. Burritos for instance are not popular in mexico, only in a few northern areas, and they aren't like what you get served in the states for the most part. Hard tacos generally are non existent also, maybe somewhat similar to a tostada...And that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Working class mexicans for the most part make their food at home and bring their own lunch. Haven't you ever seen them with a lunchbucket then go use a microwave to heat it all up.

[Alacran]

Yes. We eat home made food and turn everything in to tacos by wrapping it in tortillas.
Beans in tortillas, eggs in tortillas, carne asada in tortillas.

"I was raised on beans and rice" :3

spm - spm vs los with lyrics - YouTube

[Aleking]

long story shot, ethnic food in Lake View and Lincoln Park, pretty much sucks.

[Lorielicious]

Originally Posted by long101

Is there not a chipotle in lakeview?

Ha!

Seriously now, this thread is great. When I saw the title, I knew it had to be a complaint about the watered-down yuppie Mexican food they serve there. I expect those kinds of shenanigans in Duluth, Minnesota, but there's no reason for Chicagoans to tolerate this kind of foolishness. There are way too many Mexicans in the city for people to accept shredded lettuce on ground beef tacos. Lakeview, get your sh*t together!

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Aleking

long story shot, ethnic food in Lake View and Lincoln Park, pretty much sucks.

Lincoln Park has good *high end* ethnic food, but not much particularly reasonable.

I'm with the fella who is shaking his head about how you can say Lake View isn't diverse, though. Walking on Belmont from Clark to Sheffield yesterday there is a soon-to-be-opening Mexican/Asian restaurant, Indian, Thai, Middle Eastern, Swedish (Ann Sathers) and a few chains. The Middle Eastern place I decided to hit had the best falafel sandwich I've had in years outside of Pita Inn.

Now, come to Avondale, where we are DYING for the variety Lake View has - lots of Mexican places, but most of them are lard-using and extremely generic. I agree with the poster who mentioned that there are a lot of Mexican regional sub-cultures, alas, my neighborhood doesn't seem to have them (and I'd love suggestions).

[Aleking]

The indian, middle eastern and thai food in Lake View is all pretty garbage, exception Tac Quick which is barely Lake View. Does the area have "ethnic" food, sure, it just sucks.