I got to Xoco today around 11:20 and was done ordering right at noon. The line grew longer as I was standing in line so I have to assume some people were waiting close to an hour for their lunch.
It was really nice to see Rick working in the kitchen. He was very calm and appeared to be enjoying his work.
I ordered the Aztec hot chocolate which was unlike anything I'd had before, though my dining partner said you can find something similar in most Mexican markets, under the Abuelita label. It was nicely spiced with a definite mouthful of thick umami flavor and just enough chile to excite the taste buds. I liked that it wasn't sweet, though I think I would've enjoyed it even more on a cold day.
For the main course we split two tortas, the cochinita and the ahogada both ordered hot as apparently the kitchen recommends. The highlight of the cochinita (suckling pig with achiote, black beans, pickled onion, habenero) was the pickled onion which had a distinct creamy, limey flavour that blended well with the heat and the shredded pork. I probably would've liked the sandwich more if the pork were more smokey, but maybe that isn't the way it's meant to be (though it is wood roasted). Still it was definitely a high quality sandwich and something I would gladly order again.
While the cochinita was very good, the ahogada (golden pork carnitas, black beans, tomato broth, spicy arbol chile sauce, pickled onions) was incredible. The crunchy torta bread just melted when dipped in the tomato broth and exploded in your mouth. The heat was a perfect complement to the sour tomato and pickled onion flavors in the soup. This was one of the best sandwiches I've had in Chicago.
I should add that one of the people working in the kitchen recommended the milanesa torta served on untoasted bread, to provide a textural contrast. I can see myself going for this next time, though I might have to order the ahogada again.
Another nice touch is that they offer free filtered and sparkling water. Though the fountain on the filtered water is a little slow, it was nice to have clean, refreshing water to wash down our spicy tortas.
We also ordered three churros to top off the meal and they were just about perfect. Crunchy on the outside, chewy on this inside, and sprinkled with just enough brown sugar to form a nice crust without being too sweet. Simply delicious.
I'd say a 40-minute wait is probably longer than I'd be willing to wait again, though that breakfast menu definitely merits some attention as well, but if I'm in the area and the lines come down a little, it would probably be my top choice for a quick meal.