Sunday, March 31, 2013

La Pasadita

Location: 1141 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL 60622
La Pasadita Restaurant on Urbanspoon
A Quick Word:
At the start of college, one of my friends introduced my group of friends and I to La Pasadita.  This place defines "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant.  Six years later, the restaurant is still open, but I have surprisingly stopped frequenting it.  They offer a very simple Mexican menu with only three different types of meat and one vegetarian item.  The food itself is made quickly... probably because it is cooked in bulk and kept in warmers until ordered.  By doing so, the food isn't served that hot and some of it actually tastes old.  The atmosphere is nothing special.  Just a few booths with cameras placed all throughout (kind of making me wonder why?).  Prices are outrageous these days with burritos over $8.00 and tacos around $3.00.  The steak burrito still has good flavor, but because of an old tasting chile relleno and expensive cost, I decided on giving them a 2.5 mile rating.  This may be on the high side still, but college memories are memories and of course they influence my decision.

What I Ate:

Carne Asada Burrito

This is the must have item when eating at La Pasadita.  A lot of people consider this place "late night food," but it is better than that.  The carne asada burrito is made extremely simple... just a grilled steak, chopped onion, and cilantro wrapped inside a toasted flour tortilla.  They serve their salsa verde on the side.  Definitely ask for the salsa because it adds a great spice to the burrito.  The meat is seasoned well, but it isn't as tender as I would like.  Honestly, I started going here about 6 years ago, and it has gotten worse over time.  Not only that, the prices have skyrocketed to now $8.00 a burrito.  A tasty burrito with an outrageous price makes the burrito just average at best.  I guess I expect more when I fork out that kind of cash for a steak burrito.

Chile Relleno Taco

I always enjoy chile rellenos, especially when in Mexico.  However, the one at La Pasadita is AWFUL.  I wasn't sure if I was eating corn dog or a chile relleno.  It was pre-made, cold, and soggy.  The pepper itself tasted old and the cheese solidified into an unappetizing texture.  There was literally no flavor complexity and no spice.  I couldn't eat the whole thing.  The tortilla was the best part, probably because it wasn't made here.  Please do NOT order this.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- There are quite a few burrito places around this area of Ukrainian Village.  Make sure to choose the correct one.  Lots of imitations out there.
- Order at the counter and wait there for your food to be ready.  Everything is pre-cooked so the folding process takes less than a minute or two.

DON'T:
- Stay away from chile relleno
- Don't expect to escape with a cheap bill.  The prices have increased throughout the year which is disappointing.


How far would I walk for this food?


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