El Gallo Tapatio

El Gallo Tapatio
13642 S. Cicero Avenue
Crestwood, IL 60445 MAP
(708) 371-9668
Hours:
Sunday – Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.
Friday – Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m.

September 9th, 2006. 1:00 p.m.

After introducing my wife to the train wreck that is Swap-O-Rama in Alsip, southbound on Cicero we went in search of a place to eat lunch. After about a mile we came to El Gallo Tapatio.

If you order at least $3.00 worth of food you’ll get an unsalted basket of chips that have a nice crunch to them. Extra chips are $1.00 per basket more. The accompanying pico de gallo is hotter than most. Additionally, there is a mild salsa and a smokey/ashey-flavored salsa. Both of these are in squeeze bottles.



The steak burrito came to be an excellent value and was very good overall. Beans, lettuce, cheese, and tomato along with two pieces of non-offensive fat rounded out the filling. Nothing spectacular, just a good meal. If you’re in the area, give it a shot.



Weight: 19.3 ounces
Length: 7 inches
Circumference: 10.75 inches
Price: $4.00 or 20.7¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No

Flavor: 7.5/10 sombreros
Value: 10/10 sombreros

Camino Real

Camino Real
6821 Grand Avenue
Hammond, IN 46323 MAP
(219) 554-1626
Hours:
N/A

September 7th, 2006. 2:30 p.m.

In the shell of a late ‘70s/early ‘80s Taco Bell stands Camino Real. Unfortunately, as you’ll soon see, I would have been better off going to Taco Bell for a burrito than this place.

Upon ordering, the waitress informed me that their burritos come with sauce and cheese on top. I stated I wanted to eat the thing with my hands and she offered to have the sauce and cheese put inside. Dandy. What I got as you can see from the picture below was a gooey bean burrito with some steak thrown in. What little there was of the steak was unflavorful with a pot roast-like texture and slight amounts of gristle. No thanks.



The chips were fresh and had a nice thick crunch. The salsa was acceptable with medium/medium-hot spiciness.

Camino Real – skip it.



Weight: 14.4 ounces
Length: 7.5 inches
Circumference: 8 inches
Price: $4.75 or 33¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No

Flavor: 5/10 sombreros
Value: 7/10 sombreros