Chayote Mexican Grill

New name: Chayote Mexican Grill
Same owners

WOW!
I’m coming out of Unilocal retirement for this one. I’ve been driving around the Pilsen area near my new (ish) job looking for a cheap, yummy lunch spot, and boy did I find it! Having eaten at a Mexican joint just a week ago, I decided to venture a little further south, hoping to find something less tourist-​y and, well, mediocre. I decided on Chayote, which has quite a unique décor of national geographics, record albums, a chalk board with specials listed (kind of), and even a deck of tarot cards up on the wall. It’s definitely a little busy and mismatched, but it clearly doesn’t advertise itself as a romantic getaway from the outside.
Walking in (free parking on side streets), I was first pleasantly surprised by the salsa bar. It is self serve, which is awesome in my opinion, because it means you can go up and get more whenever you want and don’t have to wait on anyone. There is also a jug of water at the salsa bar where you can get more water, but my waitress, who was extremely friendly, was happy to refill mine up for me.
First things first: YOU HAVE TO TRY THE JALAPENO AVOCADO SALSA!!! Holy crap was it good. I liked the other salsa as well, and they complemented each other quite well, but once I got a taste of that jalap/​avocado salsa, there was no going back (you can even buy some to take home for $ 2). Fair warning, it is advertised as medium spicy (I didn’t think it was overly spicy).
Second thing: Burritos and tortas for $ 6.50! Well, approximately. I don’t eat meat except for fish and seafood, so I got the shrimp burrito. Yummy! The shrimp are almost prahn sized. tiger shrimp that were so plentiful they fell onto my plate with each bite. When adding the jalap/​avo salsa to it, it was simply delectable… for $ 7!!! They could stand to have more veggie options… it was either shrimp or veggie in choosing a burrito or torta.
Which means that after purchasing some salsa to take home, my entire bill was around $ 9. They also have cards where if you purchase six of the SAME thing (e.g. six burritos OR six Tortas), the 7^th is free (meaning the 7^th torta you eat is free). I’ll definitely be using that up, as I plan to go back.
Oh, also the place is literally across the street from the Damen Pink line, so it’s very easy to access by mass transit. Well done, Chayote!

I wasn’t sure if I was genius or crazy deciding to meet my lunch companion at Abuelo’s during NATO weekend. I’m going to go with genius; our plan to meet halfway-​ish meant we avoided any street closures and traffic headaches we were warned about.
I nearly drove by the place where Abuelo’s was supposed to be; the awning out front now reads El Fua. I stopped in to confirm Abuelo’s hadn’t moved and learned the restaurant (under the same ownership) was now called Chayote. I have no idea how El Fua fits into the mix. I’m not sure if the menu has changed, but the décor in Chayote has not; National Geographic magazine covers and Latin and American record jackets pepper the place.
If I had one complaint about my experience, it would be that I wish it was explained up front that it was self-​service. Had I known about the water jug up front, I wouldn’t have let my near empty water languish for so long. There’s also a salsa bar up front where you can help yourself to chips and about 10 different salsas.
The menu offers a lot of breakfast, lunch and dinner selections with options for veggies and meat eaters. I ordered a shrimp burrito and my companion the enchiladas. Our food came out quickly and looked really tasty; the only oddity was the handful of doritos served on the side of mine. My companion really enjoyed her enchiladas, she said the salsa verde was great and later visited the salsa bar for an option that closely resembled it. Unlike many enchiladas, hers looked delicate and not laden with tons of cheese. My meal, on the other hand, was just ok. Without adding salsa, I found it erred on the bland side; with salsa it was fine, but not outstanding. I think my opinion might have changed, had I tried a salsa with a bit more zip. That’s not to say it wasn’t good, just more mild than I was looking for.
I wavered between three and four stars, but I’m rounding up; knowing this is the brainchild of the Abuelo’s owners, I expected to be gobsmacked by how good the food was, but was not. Don’t get me wrong, the food was above average, but not phenomenal. Next time I plan on ordering differently, next on my hit list is those enchiladas — I had a serious case of plate envy. Located right across from the Damen pink line stop, Chayote is an easy destination by car, bus or el.

Okay! Hey! Ya know! I really like this place.
I really do
I like that it’s a little bit upper scale, it’s nice, the food is reallly really good. I really love the food here.
This place is actually pretty amazing
decorated with records…
but. I distinctly remember not getting chips. actually. I think I got bread. that’s cool ya know. I’m just allergic.
SO THIS PLACE IS GREAT OKAY?!! there just wasn’t… chips…
BUT IT’S GREAT!
ANYWAY!!! THIS PLACE DOSEN’T EXIST ANYMORE!!! It’s el fua now. and I hear it’s great
El Fua is this made up word by a drunk. I think it means Extra. So if you want THE FUA. THE EXTRA. Abuelo’s renamed El Fua should be fine. If you don’t get chips just ask for el fua, but I think you have to yell fua. like FUAAAAA. like other reviews will say, you just gotta youtube it.
ps. don’t actually yell at them.

I read a few reviews and was so excited to eat here. There was only one waiter and he was really nice. He had three other tables and told us to sit anywhere. His charm and hard work made up for us having to wait to order.
As we were waiting to order, he brought over some chips and salsas. The salsas were the star of the show. The green was spicy and the red was just rich. I would have to say that these two were the most unique salsas in Chicago. 5 Star for both of the salsas.
And then everything kind of went down hill from there. We started out with the guacamole because many people raved about it in there reviews. I was not really happy with it. It had shredded iceberg lettuce in there. It kind of made me think it was added to make it look like a lot of guacamole. I was not a fan of this being added.
Also my steak taco meat was just charred beyond recognition. If I had to describe it, I would call it Crispy Steak Bacon. This was such a letdown. I hate to say this but it was the worse steak taco I’ve ever had in Chicago. Maybe the cook was having a bad day and if he wasn’t he sure ruined mine.
For the price of the food I would have expected a little more. I think the menu is a little over priced too for Mexican food.
It is so sad because I walked in thinking 5 stars and I walked out feeling like I just wasted my lunch on that. I would only come back here if they would sell me a mason jar full of those salsas!!!
The waiter was nice but the food really did not stand up and in the end it is with a heavy heart I give them 2 stars. (I did notice they had a plaque on the wall from the Sun-​Times and the Sun-​Times gave them 2 stars too. So maybe that is good here. Honestly why did they buy the plaque for only two stars I would be embarrassed to hang that on the wall until I had 4 or 5 stars… but that is just me!)

OMGOODNESS! I LOVE this restaurant!
First of all, any Mexican restaurant that fries their own chips is by default delicious. There are too many places in Chicago that don’t. Abuelos not only has delicious chips to start but everything I tried was awesome! Plenty of flavor which other Mexico restaurants around Chi lack, the salsas were amazing, spicy, but not so much they over power or are the only flavor the food has. Sooooo Good,. DEF a must eat place in my hood!

Having never been much of a Unilocaler, the fact that I got on here merely to bitch about Abuelo’s should be enough. However, allow me to be slightly more informative:
First off, the food is bad. The veggies are soaked in oil, their beans lack flavor, and everything is pretty wildly over priced. Given those reasons alone, I would avoid Abuelo’s. But here’s the thing: Abuelo’s is desperately near to my work, one might say crawling distance, and I’ll never step foot in there again. They have seriously offended me for the last time.
The assholes who run this restaurant do not care to give decent customer service. I’m a painfully polite person by nature, and I’ve almost told the stumpy looking dude to stick it where the sun don’t shine. They are pricks about nearly everything a restaurant can possibly be pricks about; in addition to giving me food with cheese on it more than once when I specifically (and politely) requested they not, they have also refused to stamp a regular customer card because I «looked like i’d already been in today» (inherently ridiculous).
I wouldn’t step foot in Abuelo’s if it was the last place with a working bathroom in the entire city and I’d spent the whole morning drinking coffee. Though on second thought, they’d probably make me buy something before using the bathroom.
Go to ANY OTHER taqueria in the city. If you want fancy food hit up Mundial Cocina on 18^th for infinitely better food, service, and prices.
Full disclosure: I’m a vegetarian. Maybe their meat is great, but i wouldn’t know because I don’t eat it. However, they’re still assholes — so go at your own risk.

Flavor Country. If you are interested in fresh ingredients, variety, and unique flavor — jump off the damen pink line and go to abuelos.
The food is great, the staff is engaging, they support local artists — you can find one of a kind pieces hung on the wall, and chalk art underneath the register.
SAUCES — i havent asked whats in them because my tongue was to busy scarfing down more sauce — 2 kinds — these are not salsas, they are sauces. You can’t get em anywhere else in the city.

No, no, no. No, no, no, no, NO!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
This place epitomizes what I didn’t want to happen to Pilsen. The food isn’t bad, yes, but nothing about it at all warrants the 75% price jump from everywhere else around. The décor is cute, yes, and the crowd is hip, yes, and it couldn’t be any closer to a train station, yes, but it’s precisely these things that disturb me. This is the first place I’ve found in this part of the neighborhood that can thrive on these qualities.
My friend tried to sell it to me by mentioning the red cabbage in the burrito, instead of the obligatory lettuce. Oh wow, somebody stopped at a different stall at the grocery store! The odd stiffness and bitterness does not add to a burrito, in my opinion.
I’ve been three times, the first two really wanting to like this place. Third time was the anti-​charm, and that’s it for me.
Check out Taco Bueno (2057 W Cermak) for more «authentic» food and a great value, La Michoacana (2049 W Cermak) for incredible carnitas or Los Alamos (2157 S Damen) for total taqueria experience. Any of these places blow Abuelo’s out of the water in terms of food and value.

The chilaquiles from this place have become my #1! The food is simply delicious.
The location is great and the décor is cute and original. I will definitely go back again. It is a small place so not ideal for large groups.

Abuelo’s is a cool place. The food is good, the interior is interesting, and the service is good. It’s definitely a bit pricey for being an average Mexican restaurant in Pilsen. At least it’s BYOB.
We went there with a big group of people and everyone seemed pretty happy at the end of their meal. I don’t think anyone, including myself, was wowed, but content. A bunch of us got the Carne A La Tampiquena, which they highly recommend. The meat is kind of like nice, not greasy gyro meat. I like my gyro meat. But, it wasn’t great. It was just average, and for a ~$ 14 Mexican dish I was expecting a bit more.
I’m definitely up for going back to Abuelo’s to try out some of their more typical fare to see how it stacks up. It’s definitely a fun place.
If you drive there, be prepared to drive around for sometime to look for parking. It ain’t easy.

I pretty much run around town talking about what an old man I am, so why wouldn’t I go to a place called Abuelo’s, especially considering that it’s so close to my (nursing) home. Sooo the owner isn’t really a grandpa (Abuelo is just his nickname), big whoop. Neither am I. Time to stop my geriatric ramblings and tell you about the food.
We started with some guacamole, which at $ 6.50 is a little cheaper, albeit smaller, than some of the fancy competitors out there, and boy is it good. Lots of lime, lots of onion, lots of cilantro, lots of spice. All perfect together. I plowed through the pastor burrito, my second burrito ever (see my Garcia’s review for the hilarity of my burrito ignorance). The meat was definitely the star, but the refried beans were black beans, not that icky brown slop, there was just enough cheese, the tomatoes weren’t a wet mess, and I enjoyed the crisp cabbage. I’d give it another shot, or try the carne asada one next time. Boyfriend seemed to enjoy his veggie burrito, if not as voraciously as myself.
Service was quick and friendly, and when there was a sour cream snafu, it was remedied right away. The décor was casual and fun, with National Geographics, album covers, and loteria boards lining the walls as well as a large chalkboard menu. I’ll definitely return since Abuelo’s is so close, and next time I’ll try one of their flavored waters (they were out this time) and maybe a taco or two.

Saturday morning arrived and you guessed it, I wanted CHI-​LA-​QUI-​LES! Since I vividly remembered a voyage to Pilsen (thanks to Unilocal) about 1 year ago where I had some memorable chilaquiles, the experience stayed with me and every time we headed over to relive my experience it was a Sunday and Abuelo’s was closed. I made my desire known to the bf, and in his effort to please his princess, he insisted we head out immediately — sans shower!!! So with a quick brush of the teeth and brush of the hair, we headed south, where we are merely two among many of our kind :-D Abuelo’s in Pilsen was the destination and chilaquiles was the objective.
The décor is fun and you can’t help but get lost in the awesome National Geographic covers that adorn the walls or the 60’s-80’s wallpaper-​esque album covers that include everyone from Sonny and Cher, to Luis Miguel, and José José.
Now, these are the best chilaquiles I have ever had. Note to all other chilaquiles enthusiasts, these are authentic to the states of Morelos and Estado de Mexico, so if you’re not familiar with the preparation style, please heed my advice as they may look or taste slightly different, but are better than others you’ve had.
Make sure you try the agua de perejil (parsley water). I’m sure you scrunched your eyebrows and repeated «parsley water?» Believe me, overcome the fear and plunge into this refreshment of green, fresh, goodness – you’ll be inspired to send me a Unilocal message to thank me for it.
Post Script: Say hi to Miguel for me – the awesome and very kind server.

We had a group of 7 and truly enjoyed everything from the salsa/​guac chips to the tilapia entrée with salad and refried beans. I found the shrimp quesadillas to be very light and flavorful. I’ve never seen shrimp offered in a quesadilla but the way Abuelo’s serves it, you’d ask what the hell took so long? The shrimp was quite fresh and soft and is a natural fit.
The guacamole satisfies and is on the spicy side. It *nearly* matches the expert offering of a personal friend’s recipe (very hard to do). I wish more people would incorporate tomatillos into their guacamole!
Abuelo’s served 3 – 4 huge chunks of delish tilapia in a $ 13 dinner special. I found the portion size along with the pear salad quite generous and tasty.
It’s BYO and quite friendly. Easy to get to by transit (across the street, Pink line Damen stop.)

At first sip of the water, I was puzzled — What is this? Melon? Strange… Orange mint water it turns out… huh…
Super friendly waiter, low-​key, but fresh décor, I’m buying…
I am always amused at how a burrito — usually made with the same 5 things — can taste so different at different places. This place is both something old and something new. It’s familiar but funky.
I had the Alambre dinner, and my wife had the Abuelo burrito. Both were better than they looked on paper. The waiter showed me the Alambre before serving it to someone else, because he felt his description didn’t do it justice… gotta admit, a little awkward, but I appreciated the gesture.
We started with the cream of asparagus soup — the best I’ve ever had. It didn’t need a thing, and I like doctoring up my food.
We finished with the chocolate drizzled tres leches — shared, rich but perfect.
After dinner we sampled the parsley water, different and refreshing. Definitely a must try.
Great limey guac, nice homemade salsas. Only a couple blocks from work… looks like my new spot.

Great if you’re in the area, but not a destination restaurant.
Based on positive reviews by a couple of Unilocal Friends, we picked up dinner from Abuelo’s on the way back into the city one evening. The menu is extensive. Everything was fine and tasty. But nothing was exceptional. Other than the service — they were very friendly. But I can’t see going out of my way to stop here.

I came back here with my foodie Brother-​in-​law (BIL) and was blown away again. I have to upgrade this to 5 stars. This is simply THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD IN CHICAGO — take a backseat Xoco! Move over Big Star…
I returned to have the tacos al pastor, fish, chipotle chicken, dried steak, and pork in sauce. The pastor and skirt steak were again wonderful. I didn’t think it was possible for anything to be better than their skirt steak — I was wrong when I bit into the dry steak. It comes simply with onion and cilantro, but is bursting with flavor. The pork in sauce was my BIL’s favorite — it is a great mix of spicy and sweet. The fish taco actually was my least favorite — but I guess they can’t all be winners.
For people who complain of «poor service» — this is a chill place for chill people who love good food. You will not be waited on hand-​and-​foot. But the people who work here are really friendly and genuine. Keep up the great food Abuelos! I will definitely come back and bring all my friends!

Taking quickfix Mexican to a whole brand new level.
Have you ever wanted to sip a beer while waiting for some killer Mexican food instead of walking into a Mexican joint glazed eye at the end of the night? Welcome to Pilsen and welcome to Abuelo’s!
On a Friday night I found myself surrounded by over a dozen math PhDs frenzy feeding and dishing out bottles of beer and wine in the dimly lit restaurant talking about the latest developments in math and all sorts of alienspeak. I got to watch their strange language and the TV featuring Extreme Eats and people performing feats of eating mastery on the TV set adorning the wall.
The menu you came and the booyah reflex was uncontrollable and automatic: shrimp tacos, fish tacos, and shrimp/​fish quesadillas were here and I wasn’t going to be convinced to get ANYTHING else! Most Mexican joints in Chicago have shrimp for their fajitas but refuse to hook it up in their tacos and quesadillas so I was sure what I wanted.
What I wanted soon came, delicious battered fish taco and texturized shrimp taco to blow my mind away into food bliss. My senses satiated, I then attacked my quesadilla! Y-​U-​M! Cheesy perfection with beautiful shrimps packed deep in the tortilla making for one satisfied customer enjoying the madness called Abuelo’s.
Desserts were in a glass counter but I ate my fill and left like a john finishing his business. Oh, I can’t wait to do it again!
PS Abuelo’s is right across the street from the Damen Pink Line stop. NO EXCUSES!

Can a humble little taco joint be a five star establishment? YES!
The other day, I left my bubble to ride the Pink Line where I’d never been before. West Side, represent! As I was walking back from my appointment to the L on Damen I spotted this brightly painted little place right smack across from the station. Feeling hungry, I thought I’d stop in for a couple quick tacos.
I wandered up to the counter, asked «can I order?» thinking I’d just get a couple of standard steak tacos. Then, I looked around and realized, not only do they have table service, the décor of this place is really fun! There are Nat’l Geo covers as well as a wall of 50’s album covers — some hilariously un PC (a nude woman in a sombrero kneels in front of a man with a guitar, the album artist, no doubt).
Oh! Okay, I sit down and a smiling, cute guy takes my order. I get a pork in sauce taco and an al pastor taco. And a lime flavored Jarritoes soda. The guy doesn’t seem to understand my drink order. Oh, E. .. that is because you are a silly gringa who never took Spanish in school and saying «JARritoes» instead of the correct «HARritoes». We get that straightened out and he gives me an amused smile.
The tacos were just delicious. The seasoning was hot without being overpowering. Obviously made fresh and delicious just for me. The taco list was longer than at most little Mexican taquerias that you see everywhere. And I now know that this word is prononuced «tak-​er-​E-​a» not «tak-​e-​AIR-​a» as me, aforementioned silly gringa had been pronouncing it. (Thanks, M.S.)
There is both standard Mexican fare (yeah, you know standard Mexican fare, you gringa!) and more unusual dishes. I want to come back and try them all. Oh, and the menu was appealingly designed. Some real thought went into this place.
The servers were attentive and utterly friendly. Muy guapo! Yeah, this gringa knows that much Spanish — just enough to get in trouble, right, chica? They chatted me up, asked me where I was from, encouraged me to come back, really made me smile. Great place for kids, the service was outstanding. And the price was. .. whoa, CHEAP.
Sorry, Rick Bayless. .. Frontera can wait for me, I’ll be at this place eatin’ $ 2 tacos and dishing with the workers!

Since I got a job in Pilsen I quickly found out that it was the Mexican food capitol of Chicago. I have been to many a taquiera and restaurant since I started and have been well-​pleased.
However, this particular restaurant blew my socks off. The décor is clean and bright, and the service is superior. I never expected for my burrito to be presented like it was a gourmet dish, but was pleasantly surprised.
The biggest items on the menu that differentiate Abuelo’s from other Mexican joints in Chicago are the ones you don’t even have to pay for: the salsas. Every day there are two different salsas to choose from, and the chef changes them based on whatever he feels like that day. You’ll get their spicier salsa for your bowl of chips (free), and if you ask nicely they’ll give you a bowl of the other one. They also change their water flavor on a daily basis. When my friend went they had parsley water, but when I went they had cucumber water (my favorite).
By far my favorite Mexican restaurant in Chicago.