El Farol

El Farol
6136 South Archer Road
Summit Argo, IL 60501 MAP
(708) 563-1022
Hours:
24 hours

October 27th, 2007. 4:30 p.m.

Is it El Farol or El Faro? In the phonebook and anywhere on the web it’s El Farol (the lantern), but the restaurant sign and employees’ shirts say El Faro (the lighthouse). Signage and marketing materials don’t lie, however I’ll leave the “l” on the end as long as it’s known that way on Google.



A big pile of sizzling steak drew me in as I entered the restaurant. Asking for everything on my burrito got me beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and a bit too much sour cream that dominated quite a few bites. I found the burrito to be pretty good although the steak could have used more seasoning.



I’m not sure if chips and salsa are complimentary at El Farol since I got my burrito to go. If anyone knows, please comment so I can adjust the value rating (it would be 11/10).

Give El Farol a shot if you’re in the area.



Weight: 25.9 ounces
Length: 7 inches
Circumference: 10.75 inches
Price: $4.05 or 15.6¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No

Flavor: 8/10 sombreros
Value: 9/10 sombreros

Taqueria Los Gallos

Taqueria Los Gallos
6222 South Archer Avenue
Chicago, IL 60638 MAP
(773) 585-8835
Hours:
Sunday - Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Friday - Saturday: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 a.m.

October 27th, 2007. 3:00 p.m.

Cockfighting is commonplace in Mexico, and Taqueria Los Gallos (the roosters) has depictions of these events on their walls and menus. That’s all I have to say about that.

Pickled cauliflower and carrots are at each table for your enjoyment, but there are no complimentary chips and salsa at this taqueria. If you absolutely have to have them, they are available for $2.50.

The steak burrito was not that flavorful and contained too much fat. It was merely OK and filled with beans, rice, lettuce, tomato, cheese (almost unnoticeable), cilantro, and sour cream. Thankfully the sauce in the squeeze bottle was pretty good and helped this burrito go down the gullet.



Dispite its relatively large size for the money, the lack of chips and salsa and sub par flavor of the burrito make this place skippable.



Weight: 24.4 ounces
Length: 8.5 inches
Circumference: 10 inches
Price: $4.50 or 18.4¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No
Flavor: 6.5/10 sombreros
Value: 8.5/10 sombreros

La Loma

La Loma
2501 Chicago Road
Chicago Heights, IL 60411 MAP
(708) 754-4808
Hours:
N/A

October 24th, 2007. 5:00 p.m.

I had hoped that the steak burrito at La Loma would be as good if not better than the one I got at La Balanza seeing as they are both grocery stores with fresh meat and produce. Unlike La Balanza, you can dine in at La Loma and get chips and salsa and grab a beer from the cooler if desired (or needed). I ordered to go, so I cannot comment on the chips and salsa.

Asking for everything to be thrown into my steak burrito netted beans, rice, lettuce, tomato, onion, sour cream, and cilantro. Unfortunately, the burrito didn’t taste as good as it looked. The steak was not that flavorful. It was tough, a little dry, and contained too much gristle. The two tubs of roasted salsa/veggies were miniature buckets of yuck and are to be avoided at all costs in my opinion.



Great value and not so great quality and taste are what you get at La Loma. Go about 10 miles northeast to La Balanza instead.



Weight: 21.5 ounces
Length: 8 inches
Circumference: 10 inches
Price: $4.35 or 20.2¢ an ounce
Beer availability: Yes
Flavor: 6/10 sombreros
Value: 10/10 sombreros

Los Alteños

Los Alteños
6736 Kennedy Avenue
Hammond, IN 46323 MAP
(219) 845-0500
Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

October 22nd, 2007. 5:45 p.m.

Los Alteños starts you out with excellent tortilla chips served up warm with a thin red salsa that was fairly hot as far as spiciness goes. You could order pico de gallo for $1.00 or guacamole if the salsa is not to your liking.

The steak burrito was pretty average which is good in my book. There wasn’t any fat inside although there was the usual greasiness as you get to the end of the burrito. The beans, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and sour cream were all fresh and it good quantity as well as distributed fairly well throughout.



Like quite a few other places I’ve visited, Los Alteños serves up a good steak burrito at good value. Check it out if you feel like it…or don’t.



Weight: 16.5 ounces
Length: 7 inches
Circumference: 10.5 inches
Price: $4.75 or 28.8¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No
Flavor: 7/10 sombreros
Value: 8/10 sombreros