And my friends keep wondering why I like Logan Square so much. It's not just because I live there, but the restaurants mean I don't have to go to Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Lakeview, and Near North. Chips and salsa. Margarita. Vegetarian chimichangas. Tamale. Margarita. Salmon with arroz and frijoles. Flan. Food comatose. Although the chips and salsa were complimentary, the tomatillo salsa and the pica de gallo surprised me. The tomatillo salsa had a nice bite to it and I think the pica de gallo had a bit of mole in it. If you've had a mole sauce on meat at Latin America restaurants, you've probably wanted a smoke afterwards. Love the vegetarian chimichangas, stuffed with rice, tomatoes, onions, and cheese. The fresh guacamole that came with it was a highlight. The tamale was fantastic. The red salsa that came with it had to have been made with habanero sauce. It was hot. The plate of salmon with arroz and frijoles was a true winner. Glad I ordered this instead of the usual enchiladas or tacos. And then there was the coconut flan, smooth as butter, and tasty as bliss. Had me speaking Spanish, and I don't mean butchering the language. Oh, I mentioned margarita three times above. Yep, I had three of them. read more

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Let me start with the only bad thing, and that was our unattentive waiter. We saw him when he took our order, brought our food, and brought our bill. No checking in and never saw him checking his other tables. Now on to the great... The location is perfect and it is impossible to miss. It is RIGHT across from the Logan Square CTA and a couple doors down from Longman & Eagle. The food here was great and the prices are unbeatable. The quality of the food and the quanity are great. Fresh ingredients and the food was served hot and promptly. They also serve you free chips and salsa when you sit down, which is a nice little touch. The atmosphere is great too. Fun and light atmosphere with a nice upstairs dining and bar area. I just moved to Logan Square, but have heard they have a great summer patio area. Will definitely come back again soon, for this nice, good, and affordable Mexican gem in Logan Square. read more

El Cid - Free chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great food, drinks, and customer service! Our server Eduardo gave us great recommendations and was super attentive.

Super cute place with decent American Mexican fare. The shrimp tacos were very good. Service is spot on. Social distancing and sanitary protocols are in place. Sit out back and unwind. It's a nice spot for a quick bite. Nothing fancy, just good. read more

Overpriced for what you get... the drinks and tacos are too expensive and they weren't even that good, mine arrived barely a tad warm and the $18 ripoff margarita was mostly ice and margarita mix. The meat was flavored nicely, too bad the tortilla was tough (borderline stale texture) and meat was room temp. They also need better salsas. Oh yeah! Almost forgot, it took four times of me asking the waitress for my soda, before she finally remembered to bring it .... 45 mins later. I left feeling disappointed, ripped off, still hungry and thirsty. Would have kept ordering but didn't want more "meh" food. read more

Love, love, love!!! I haven't had a better pico anywhere ever! Oh and I have visited Mexico and the best of the best for Mexican restaurants in the Chicago land area. I had 2 el pastor tacos with onion cilantro and Pico de gallo on top. I couldn't resist ordering 2 more. The sweetness of the pico is perfectly balanced by just a enough heat to make you beg for more. I see no reason to go anywhere else for tacos read more

El Cid - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

El Cid is in a great location near a lot of cute shops and the CTA Blue line. Overall, I think this place deserves a solid 4 out of 5 rating, because I think it has some good standard menu options at a reasonable price. The inside on the first floor isn't that large, but there is plenty of outdoor seating during the warmer times of the year. The beer list is relatively limited, but they offer several kinds of tequila you can add to your margarita or cocktail. The margarita was satisfactory, but it didn't leave a huge impression on me. I only did a basic margarita though, and would upgrade the tequila next time for the margarita. I thought that the salsa here was pretty tasty and had the right amount of spice to it. The enchiladas suizas had a balanced flavor. I would rate this dish a 7 out of 10 in comparison to other enchiladas suizas I've had at other restaurants. Something was missing, but I couldn't put my finger on what exactly. The service at this restaurant was pretty quick and they also offer a take out option if you prefer to enjoy your food at home. read more

El Cid - Steak enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is my absolute favorite Mexican spot!. They have the best chicken tacos, piña coladas, patio, and service in the city of Chicago. Although I don't frequent the place as often because of inflation costs, I still try to come out every so often. I recommend coming on Tuesday's for their taco Tuesday special. read more

Fantastic service and excellent food! The owner could not be more warm, gracious, and thoughtful. Take your date or take your family for a wonderful meal. read more

ATTENTION!......ALL AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND BLACK FOLKS DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT GO HERE!!!... The service was absolutely horrible. Me and my friend came in to dine and we waited an hour before we even got water. Even my friend who has been in the food service industry was upset. It took her getting up and saying something to the manager for them to even come to our table. When somebody finally did come to our table the waitress addressed my caucasian counterpart and complimented her outfit and asked if there was anything else they could do and did not address the table as a whole and disregarded me as if I wasn't even there. In addition to that, for this inconvenience all we were offered was free guac and still had to wait another hour just to get tacos. After eating, the service did not get any better for we had to alert them once again just to pay. This is not the first time this establishment has been accused of racist service. Please black folks go to another Mexican restaurant that treats us like people because this ain't it. They only want to impress non-black folks. So please go somewhere you are welcomed and feel valued because it's not here. And the food was very okay I've had way better. El Cid all I have to say is that you need to do better as a minority organization. read more

I liked it! My experience was a little different in that my friend hosted her birthday dinner at El Cid, so all of the food was preordered. As I sat there, the servers kept bringing different kinds of tacos and pitchers of margaritas. It was awesome. The fish tacos were especially good, but I enjoyed the steak, chicken and carnitas as well. The cheese quesadillas were tasty too and don't let me forgot to mention the best guacamole I've had this year. Of the margaritas, strawberry was the best for me, though it had a little too much sugar. Everyone who worked there was pleasant. We were seated outside in the back, and the staff jumped right in to help us carry stuff upstairs when it started raining. I'm not in Logan Square that often, but I would definitely stop by again when I am. read more

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****ANOTHER RACIST ESTABLISHMENT **** I'm only giving this place one star because 0 stars is never a option unfortunately. I come in and the old lady who runs the front counter and answers the phone, immediately asks, "to go?", I told her to give me a second and can I please see a menu. As I'm looking at the menu, she interrupts and asks once more, "to go?" I then responded with, "did I say to go?"... she then went silent; she didn't even attempt to ask if I wanted to dine in or seat me or even give me time to look at the menu. Once I decided to dine in another guy who's not browned-skinned comes in after me, she immediately just greets him. She does NOT keep subtlety attempting to force him to take his order to go but allows him to take the time to respond after she greeted him. I call the waitress who was working tonight( 4/10/22) over to inform her of this incident and she says to me "that's her attitude, I am sorry about that. I, myself treat everyone equally", basically confirming that's the kind of establishment this is, and that lady does in fact show discrimination toward guests. At that point the waitress is cleaning my table without permission pretty much RUSHING me out of there basically as if I'm not welcomed as 2 other people over to the right of me who were also not browned skinned like the guy who came in after me, were eating comfortably at their own pace, with no one rushing over to clean their tables without confirmation that they were finished, but letting them enjoy their dinner. I am REPULSED. Clearly black people are not welcomed here-- smfh. When is it going to end?? I ADVISE YOU TO NOT SPEND A DIME HERE. THANK ME LATER! Edit: THEY HAVE RESPONDED TO EVERY REVIEW ON GOOGLE POLITELY AND RESPONDED TO MINE DISGRACEFULLY and with SARCASM. Point proven. Disgusting. read more

If I could give El Cid less than one star I would. My significant other and I were looking for a place to have margaritas at for CInco De Mayo and decided on El Cid. We were able to get a table right away but our server had only given us dinner menus. It took her between 6-10 minutes to come back around to see what we would like, at which point I expressed that she had never given us a drink menu. After five minutes she comes back around to ask us what we would like to drink, we both gave her our choices but she never asked what size we wanted and only assumed we wanted a large. We were unsure of their sizes and we were never told how many fluid ounces a small or large margarita was. My partner ordered their house margarita while I ordered a strawberry margarita. Our server never asked me if I wanted my margarita on the rocks or frozen, yet she gave me a frozen Margarita. Personally not a fan of frozen margaritas. We decided to get an appetizer (steak nachos) which took fairly long to come out for an appetizer. We requested extra napkins which we never got. Finally we asked for our check which was the fastest item delivered to our table the entire time we had been there. We waited so long for her to come back and pick up the check. The only reason our check was even picked up was because the owner noticed an older white couple waiting on a table so he quickly snatched our check off the table and our server brought it back to us. I would also like to mention how rude the owner was about the young women he hired to play live music. As he walked past our table he said out loud, "next time I am going with the male mariachi". read more

El Cid has consistently great food at decent prices. Good location and hours too! You've got to get the flan...

Not quite sure what the hype is. It's a v v average Mexican spot that happens to have a nice patio. Reasonably priced, but nothing special about their tacos or margaritas. The service left MUCH to be desired. Went around 7pm on Memorial Day and it was just moderately busy, yet nearly impossible to flag down a server. There was a snarky sign on the wall about lowering standards, so I guess we were warned. read more

El Cid - 2 al pastor, 1 steak taco. raspberry margarita - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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If a place could get 0 stars this would be it. Do not come here! We were seated at 8pm on a Saturday night, we ordered our food. At 803 pm. Our group of girls was talking chatting wondering where the water refills were, trying to flag someone down to order drinks and get water. No one came by, when I say no one I'm not exaggerating we couldn't even get the bus boy. Around 8:50 pm we finally got the attention of a bus boy to get water, and inquiring about the meal. He clearly didn't no an answer left then came back when I asked for more chips since we had been sitting an hour he said it he $2.00 so I asked for our waitress instead. At that point the second time seeing the waitress in the night they brought out our cold food. We asked for the manager who then some 15 year old host came and argued with us literally stating "it's crowded no one else complained" we tried to explain that we didn't even complain about the wait for the food until 5 min ago and we are complain bc our food was served cold. We are not eating cold food that is not sanitary and I'm not trying to get food poisoning. It is literally a state law that "hot" food has to be served at a certain temp to be edible. The waitress was super apologetic and I understand she was completely overwhelmed, as there was a large birthday party. It was this host that really set us all over the edge do not tell me to "don't complain and eat your food" when it's cold from the kitchen. No, not okay. Finally I said "wait are you really the manager" to which he said no and went and got the manager. They came by the table and again argued then literally walked away! At this point we tried to get any sort of check so we could leave. Which took another 15 min. Do not come here, if you want food poison and some 15 year old kid yelling at you than by all means enjoy. read more

El Cid is standard Chicagoan Mexican food with delicious salsa (though never enough) right in Logan Square. The customer service was attentive and restaurant very clean. Prices are average at this location. The al pastor was juicy and flavorful. The carne asada was good but could have been slightly less dry. Everything arrived in decent time and with cordial hospitality. Nothing radiating but definitely better than average. A good option for lunch time with friendly service and great salsa. (3.5 stars) read more

Ordered for delivery through Postmates. My mini chimichangas had a literal rock in one of them, that I easily could have cracked a tooth on. My quest fundido that I ordered without chorizo came absolutely covered in it. We don't eat pork. Therefore no part, outside of the Spanish rice and tortillas were even edible. The fact that I paid for this meal is nauseating. I would not recommend to anyone ever. I had high hopes as O felt the reputation of this restaurant was solid but do not be fooled! read more

El Cid - Literal rock found in my mini vegetarian chimichangas. Disgusting and incredible dangerous. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is not a bad spot taco spot to visit in Logan Square. I've eaten here twice and I've always enjoyed the outdoor patio in the back. The salsa that you get is delicious. It has a sweet tangy flavor to it. I think there is a hint of mango. The salsa verde is not too spicy. I ordered the taco dinner with chicken, al pastor, onions, and cilantro. I wasn't blown away by the tacos. The chicken was a little watery and the pork didn't have a huge amount of flavor to it. I also ordered a glass of horchata and it tasted like a powdered drink vs made from scratch. I would still go here if I were in the area. They may have other dishes that are better. read more

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I have lived in the neighborhood for a long time and so I'd like to support this business that has also been here for a long time. I find the food generally consistent and the quality good. I can tell because I don't feel sick after I eat it and I have a sensitive stomach. My main issue with them is the STYROFOAM. I just got carry out burrito and empanadas and both of them had paper around them anyway inside container and now I'm left with two more pieces of Styrofoam to try and recycle. It makes me cringe every time:( I might order more if this was not the situation. I wish they would just use foil that I can recycle and ditch the Styrofoam. It's just too much. Let's face it--we all need to shift our behavior in my opinion. Hey even better think about switching to compostable cardboard but burritos and empanadas would be fine in a paper bag and then I can compost them. Otherwise love you guys! read more

El Cid - chicken burrito - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I use to visit their former location by Congress theater across from the CVS store and that was my childhood. I haven't been to this location since it opened. I have to say it was good! I order the steak taco dinner - the rice and beans were filling portions and the tacos were pretty filled surprisingly. Both were tasty and overall, had a great feel to it. The place is a little small/narrow. I thought it'd be bigger but maybe once the warmer weather is here, there will be an outdoor patio for more space/seats? Maybe? Regardless, on a weekend night like tonight it was perfect. My only con were the tortillas were a little greasy to me and they charge you for additional sauce - which is a little extreme I have to say even if it is just 50 cents more. Their green sauce was decent but it was odd that the mild sauce was a little too sweet for my tastes. Other than that, I'll be back whenever I visit Chicago again. Worth a trip for decent Mexican food! read more

Me and the lady decided to roll to this spot on yesterday's very humid afternoon for some good eating. The front of this place is usually pretty empty, but don't let it fool you because they have a back outside patio that is pretty busy. We went to the back and the first thing we saw on the menu was margaritas, in which we were both in the mood for. I got the strawberry margarita on the rocks which was good and she got the rapsberry frozen margarita which melted very fast due to the fiery sun. For lunch I got the Cuban sandwich (I miss Miami), which was ok, but a little on the dry side. My girl got some kind of skirt steak, quesadilla dish (I obviously cannot remember the name of it) and she loved it. The service was cool and friendly and the back, outside patio was nice. Definately a gem for Logan Square and right off of the the blue line stop for Logan Square. read more

Wowzers! Excellent Food! Excellent Atmosphere! Excellent Drinks! Excellent Service! This is how Mexican food should always taste.......delicious. I discovered this place, because I came in from a flight from Orlando, and I was staying in the lovely Logan Square Area. I was pondering around 10:30 p.m. in the evening on a Thursday, what is open at this time, and to my luck this place was open to 12! Perfecto! I ordered Horchata for my drink, Guacamole for my appetizer, Carne Asada (Steak Taco and Chicken Tostada for Dinner. Chips and Salsa are included with every meal.The Chips and Salsa were fresh and tasty. Everything I ordered from beginning to end was to die for. I even sampled my brother's quesadilla, and that dish alone made my eyes literally roll in the back of my head. All I know is I am sucker for steak tacos and these are some of the best steak tacos I have had in a long time. Even the atmosphere of this place is so cozy and intimate. The waitress did an excellent job of consistently checking on us and making sure that everything was fine with our table. Let's not forget to mention that the food came out extremely fast! The prices were reasonable. Even the Horchata was some of the best I have ever had. Overall, the experience left me speechless and wanting more. Mexican food at it's finest! . read more

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Food was great! Service wasn't.. could've finished 3 margaritas in the amount of time I was there for but the waitress never came back. We also had to ask the busboy to order more food. And when we had originallly ordered , half the order was forgotten about :( read more

El Cid - Taco - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So tonight I learned why it's called the Yelp Beer Garden Club and not the Yelp Dining Club. El Cid 2 pours a pretty good margarita (lots of flavors-both frozen and on the rocks) and keeps the cold beers coming strong without missing a beat! (okay- so there was that "little incident" that sent two frozen margaritas flying all over our server Monica - but that's another story!) The beer garden out back is nice- private with umbrellaed tables and a flamenco playing guitarist. It easily is twice the size of the seating area indoors. Sometime during the night, though, they lit some incense which was weird as it made me feel more like I was in a temple someplace versus a beer garden in Chicago. Very odd! But all in all- sitting outside with a cool breeze blowing sipping on a margarita- my world was pretty good. The problem? The food. Everything that came out seemed to be covered with white gooey cheese. And even though I tried the combo plate- everything tasted the same. Now granted- a place like El Cid is not trying for real Mexican food- but more of it's "Anglo" sister. I get it. But even the Mexican places out in the burbs in strip malls make better enchiladas than this place. So I stand before you- a smarter Yelper today- knowing that if I am enjoying the Beer Garden- I should just have a beer and forego the food . . .at least at El Cid 2. read more

Food is delish, margaritas are fab, staff and owners are fun! Always a good time! No disappointments on my end. read more

El Cid - EL CID'S FAMOUS FROZEN MARGARITA - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

"I want to eat tacos today." I believe those were the first words out of my mouth when I woke up that morning. Fortunately, my partner in crime is always game for Mexican, so we turned to Yelp for ideas. Wanting to capitalize on the nice day, we chose El Cid 2 and we chose well. El Cid has two patios, a small one in the front and a large, nice on in the back. If you can, opt for the back - there are trees to blunt the sun and it's an oasis leaving you to forget you're a stone's throw off of Kedzie. We started out with a pitcher of margaritas, probably the only low point of our dining experience at El Cid. I'm not sure what makes these margaritas famous (as claimed on the menu), but they were downright average in my book and reeked of sour mix. We struggled to get to the bottom of the pitcher because the sweetness was overwhelming; considering the pitcher did nothing to slow down our afternoon of drinking, I don't think they were all that strong either. I would try a premium next time, to see if it's any better; otherwise I'll be sticking to cerveza. When I go to most Mexican restaurants, I'm like a kid with ADD in a candy store - I want everything; fortunately, my partner in crime was able to help me maximize my food intake. Based on our server's gross understatement about the size of their burritos, we went with a veggie for me and an arrachera for him. We also ordered one potato and one fish taco to split. While we waited for our meal we snacked on the chips and salsa; I found the chunky red salsa to err on the sweet side, but quite enjoyed the heat of the salsa verde. The food was good; despite ordering more than anticipated, we both cleaned our plates. Of all of the items I ate, the fish taco was my favorite. Grilled fish, onions and cilantro - simple, but so tasty; I would come back and get these as my main meal any time. The potato taco was good too, but didn't hold a candle to Zacatacos taco de papa; the potatoes overwhelmed every other ingredient on the taco. My burrito was good, but nothing about it made it a standout, not all that unusual for the veggie burrito at most Mexican places. I would take the L'Patron veggie burrito over it easily. He, on the other hand, ate his burrito with gusto. Overall I'd give El Cid 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding up because the patio is hard to beat. I doubt you'll leaving claiming it's the best Mexican food you've ever had, but it is solid. read more

The free mango salsa and chips. I'm sold. My goodness, that mango salsa had me sold. Our table of 4 went through 4 small bowls of that good stuff. They apparently sell it to-go as well. I'm here thinking, why buy it to go when you can just eat it in house for the free. But I guess if you were having a party or something like that, that'd be understandable. I had a tamale and a steak torta. Both were good. Our table ordered a pitcher of lime margarita which was decent as well (can't speak much to it since I'm not much of a drinker) and we all got 2 glasses worth, so for the amount and the price, it definitely was on the cheaper side. read more

El Cid - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I could eat 100 Papa Rellena here and still come back for more. Almost every table ordered a margarita- must be good. I ordered the Steak Wet Burrito with Mole sauce. Sweet, filling, and the perfect amount of kick to it. The patio is the place to be on a hot day. The service is above and beyond. 10/10 would come here again with friends. read more

Really great Mexican food!! Came here with my fiance and his family and we had so much fun! The margs are SO GOOD - definitely up there for best marg I've had. Can never go wrong with ordering guac for the table. I ordered carnitas tacos with a side of rice and black beans and was so happy. We were all so stuffed after we left. The wait staff is so friendly and attentive making sure you have everything you need! But seriously...order the margs. read more

The food was amazing, service was very quick, and there was live music. Everything was super good!!!

Pretty good Mexican. I had the skirt steak, which was a bit overdone. Also had a raspberry margarita, because apparently my drink choices default to "sorority girl" when confronted with a bunch of fruit flavors and Tequila. I think this place would be better when it's warm, and the outdoor patio is in effect. In the colder months, it's simply another pretty good Mexican joint. read more

El Cid has a nice and friendly atmosphere with a great patio in the back of the restaurant. I'm not a fan of the food, partly because I am from California where Mexican food reigns supreme and I'm on a mission to find decent California Mexican food in the Midwest. I've lived outside of California for years and the best Mexican restaurant outside of California was actually in, Biloxi, Mississippi, which was right across the street from the beach. It's no longer there since after hurricane Katrina. However, if I can find good Mexican food in Mississippi of all places, then I can surely find one in a world class city like Chicago. Haven't found one yet, but will let you know when I do. The food at El Cid is fair. I was disappointed when my food came out flat out cold. I think one of their burners must've gone out in the kitchen because the food wasn't even lukewarm. I did send it back only to wait a while. The plus side while waiting? Their margaritas kept us company and happy while waiting on the meal. They claim to use an agave sweetener. It worked for me, but sadly that was all. read more

The chicken burrito was great! The patio is very cute & our server, Eden, was the BEST!

How is El cid not packed all the time? After moving to Chicago from Phoenix, I've been trying to find a good Mexican restaurant like back home. From the moment I walked in I knew this was it. From the Mexican tiles on the walls to the endless chips and salsa, I was in heaven! To make life even better there were plenty of vegetarian options! We started with large margaritas and queso with warm tortillas... both amazing. Followed by simmering black bean soup and crunchy vegechimichangas. Sigh... take me back! Please note. If you only frequent trendy restaurants this is not the place for you, but if you like traditional Mexican food run, don't walk to El cid. read more

El Cid - Vegetarian Chimichangas - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Best Mexican food in Logan square! Super affordable and super friendly unlike a lot of the newer Logan square restaurants! Has a super cute and chill patio in the back during the summer! Drinks are good and never been disappointed! read more

El Cid - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Passed by this restuarant, got take out. I ordered a chicken flauta dinner. It was $13.99... Yeah very expensive! When I got home opened it up and they were 3 super small flautas with a tablespoon of chicken in them. The tortillas were those tiny ones from Comales mexican restaurant. N the chicken though it wasn't that bad was almost non existent. With a small spoonful of rice, but they did stack the smashed beans all the way to the top of the Styrofoam plate. Way too expensive for mediocre kids sized plates of food. I was still hungry n had to go to another restaurant smh! read more

Service is mediocre. Came for lunch and ordered the Tampiquena -- flank steak with the two cheese enchiladas or whatever on top. They serve complimentary chips and salsa which are a nice thought. Um, the flank steak was kind of amazing? It was literally the whole plate long of 2 inch wide flank steak Pretty close cook to medium rare that I asked for. It was very flavorful and mouth-watering to think about. The rest of the plate was average. Salty cheese enchiladas. Side of beans with cheese. Side of some shredded lettuce. Side of nothing to write home about guacamole. read more

This place is completely underrated! Food, drinks, and service is always on point. Being that we live in the neighborhood of several bar/restaurants, this is one place that has outlived others and will always be a good go to in my book. I give this place 5 stars for their authenticity as well as overall quality. read more

El Cid - Chorizo Queso Fundido - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The outdoor tables have plenty of shade at noon. And to my relief, the traffic noise from Kedzie was quiet enough. I brought a leftover Diet Coke from McD's which I didn't want to waste. The waitress graciously refilled it with ice. I ate a delicious homemade cheese and cactus tamale and smothered it with pica gallo. I'm bringing home a 3 quesadilla dinner to test the 3 beef fillings. I strongly recommend this restaurant if you're in the Logan Square nieghborhood. read more