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El Xangarrito - Lincoln Square Mexican

El Xangarrito - Lincoln Square Mexican
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  • El Xangarrito - Lincoln Square Mexican

    Post #1 - July 23rd, 2022, 9:34 pm
    Post #1 - July 23rd, 2022, 9:34 pm Post #1 - July 23rd, 2022, 9:34 pm
    My wife and I walked home from my first meal at El Xangarrito last night feeling equal parts elation and regret. While thrilled that we'd discovered a new neighborhood gem, we were kicking ourselves for waiting so long to try it out... how many exceptional meals had we missed out on by waiting until now to try this delightful BYOB Mexican restaurant (which opened during the height of the pandemic in late 2020)?

    I was also surprised to see that nobody had posted about it here on LTH yet, and while I'm usually more of a lurker I felt compelled to share with the community. So here goes:

    Tucked away just a stone's throw north of the Lawrence/Rockwell intersection in the heart of "GNR Alley" in Lincoln Square, we sat on El Xangarrito's lovely sidewalk patio and enjoyed extremely warm, friendly service and elegant, refined versions of classic Mexican dishes. We started with great (complimentary) chips and salsa and ordered the Mar Negro appetizer, a bright, fresh shrimp ceviche plated on a base of what would best be described as a tangy Mexican cocktail sauce (though that doesn't really do it justice). For my entrée I had the steak enchiladas with mole coloradito -- juicy, perfectly cooked steak slices bathed in a wonderfully deep and flavorful mole (one of their two house special moles). My wife had the chicken tacos, which were artfully prepared on corn tortillas topped with mole negro and fragrant Mexican rice alongside a crisp jicama salad. I also ordered a side of rice, which was perfectly seasoned and cooked (I would have been happy making a meal out of that rice alone).

    Reflecting on our entire experience, the word I keep coming back to is "execution." Every dish I saw come out of the kitchen looked like it belonged on a magazine cover (or the pictures on their Facebook page, linked below), and all elements of service and hospitality just clicked for us. I realize this report/review is full of hyperbole but it's really such a rare occasion to find any restaurant (let alone a cozy neighborhood joint) that just seems to be getting everything right. We'll be back very soon (probably this coming week) to tackle more of the menu and I'm very interested to hear what other LTH'ers think.

    El Xangarrito
    4811 North Rockwell
    Chicago, IL 60625
    (773) 754-8069
    https://elxangarrito.org/
    https://www.facebook.com/El_Xangarrito-617462918880209/
  • Post #2 - August 25th, 2022, 3:43 pm
    Post #2 - August 25th, 2022, 3:43 pm Post #2 - August 25th, 2022, 3:43 pm
    We made our return trip to El Xangarrito last night with a large group and I can confirm that this place is still firing on all cylinders. I got to sample a variety of items and pretty much every bite ranged from great to exceptional. This time I decided to take a few pics of some of the highlights:

    Image
    Mini Flautas
    Juicy chicken and cheese filling, crispy exterior, not much more needs to be said.

    Image
    Chicken Poblano Fundido
    Served with warm flour tortillas, this was gooey deliciousness. (Though the use of mozzarella did create a few moments of "cheese pull" hilarity at the table reminiscent of classic pizza joint clichés.)

    Image
    Pork Tenderloin
    This temporary special was described as "Soft pork tenderloin drizzled with morita sauce, accompanied with Peruvian beans, quelites, arugula, and pickled onions". Each component was superb but when mingled together the earthy fresh bite of the quelites, tangy onions, rich warmth of the morita sauce, and unctuous beans all perfectly complemented the pork -- the only minor quibble was that it was cooked just a little bit more than I prefer, but that wasn't enough to wipe the smile off my face. Not pictured: the Enchiladas Morita special, with the same sauce and stuffed with shrimp and provolone (also a big hit at the table).

    Image
    Camarones a la Veracruzana
    "Shrimp, onions, chile serrano, tomato, green olives and cilantro, on a tomato-habanero sauce served with rice and jicama salad". I only got a couple of bites of this one but my tablemates raved about the perfect briny-ness of this dish. As with many of the offerings at this restaurant, it's a traditional dish executed superbly.

    I am already looking forward to my next visit. One thing to note is that while the patio seating area along Rockwell is fairly expansive, the interior of the restaurant (while also lovely) is fairly tiny and didn't seem ideal for larger groups. So I imagine it's a very different type of experience in inclement weather.
  • Post #3 - September 11th, 2022, 8:06 pm
    Post #3 - September 11th, 2022, 8:06 pm Post #3 - September 11th, 2022, 8:06 pm
    We had a wonderful meal there last night. We arrived at 6:30 and all of the outdoor seating was taken - several families with young children. Over the course of the evening more outdoor seats became available so if you are concerned about social distancing there may be a “sweet spot” after 7:00. We agreed to sit inside if they would maintain social distancing and they kept their word even as the place filled up.

    I don’t think you will find nicer staff where ever you go. They are just great.

    We had the guacamole, flautas en mole, and enchiladas morita. I just have to own that as much as I try to appreciate mole, I still have not got there. But this was really very good. The enchiladas morita was a special enchiladas stuffed with shrimp and provolone and that alone would be worth going back time and again.

    I think sometimes gauc can almost be heavy but this gauc was just a delight.

    So, the bad news… the kitchen was so slammed it was well over an hour before we got our entrees. We will go back without a doubt and this is absolutely the kind of place to support and cherish but they do have some kinks to work out.
  • Post #4 - September 11th, 2023, 12:17 pm
    Post #4 - September 11th, 2023, 12:17 pm Post #4 - September 11th, 2023, 12:17 pm
    Unfortunately, El Xangarrito will soon be closing. Their last day of business is September 30th, and during their last week (September 26-30), they will only be open for carryout orders. Will really miss this place, as I enjoyed the food and thought the employees were so nice. Per their Instagram account they are planning "a big project for the future". I will be looking forward to it!
  • Post #5 - September 11th, 2023, 3:28 pm
    Post #5 - September 11th, 2023, 3:28 pm Post #5 - September 11th, 2023, 3:28 pm
    kimzy wrote:Will really miss this place, as I enjoyed the food and thought the employees were so nice. Per their Instagram account they are planning "a big project for the future". I will be looking forward to it!



    If it's true that something bigger is coming I'm actually more excited than disappointed in this news. Per above, I can't say enough good things about this place, but given the high standards they set for their food I think they did seem to struggle to get dishes out quickly with a very small kitchen (and limited staff).
    It was also tucked away in a somewhat challenging side-street location.
    If they can find a way to reproduce what they're great at on a larger and more prominent scale, whatever neighborhood they land in is in for a treat (I'm hoping they take over the Fork space on Lincoln/Wilson).
  • Post #6 - September 11th, 2023, 4:50 pm
    Post #6 - September 11th, 2023, 4:50 pm Post #6 - September 11th, 2023, 4:50 pm
    They're not taking over the Fork space according to what the chef's partner told me this past weekend - too big for them.
  • Post #7 - November 10th, 2023, 1:07 pm
    Post #7 - November 10th, 2023, 1:07 pm Post #7 - November 10th, 2023, 1:07 pm
    Block Club reported today El Xangarrito Reopens In Lincoln Square 2 Months After Closing
    The popular Mexican restaurant is back in business, and its owners said they plan to expand into the storefront next door.


    Marroquin told Block Club the recent decision to close and reopen was due to a negotiation with their landlord over their lease and the couple’s desire to find a larger location.

    “We ended up coming up with an agreement with the landlord, and he offered us the additional space that’s right next to the place we’re at right now, which will allow us to expand,” Marroquin said.

    Marroquin did not have a timeline for when the expansion will be completed, but she said customers can expect El Xangarrito to resume its regular hours in its original location.


    The storefont on the corner has much better visibility and has been for rent for a long time. However, there may be a third storefront between their old location and the corner storefront. There is some ambiguity in my mind as to exactly what space they are adding.
  • Post #8 - November 10th, 2023, 10:49 pm
    Post #8 - November 10th, 2023, 10:49 pm Post #8 - November 10th, 2023, 10:49 pm
    ekreider wrote:There is some ambiguity in my mind as to exactly what space they are adding.

    I can't imagine this would be the prominent Rockwell/Lawrence corner space (formerly a notoriously shady liquor store) as that would be just a massive expansion for this restaurant. But we'll see!

    I will say that the local neighborhood Facebook group exploded with delight at this news. Nothing can top the fanatical devotion to Harvestime Foods on that site, but El Xangarrito has fairly quickly endeared itself as a neighborhood favorite (and deservedly so).

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