Restaurant Details

Catercorner from Portage Park, Taqueria Amigo Chino is a cozy, bustling, cash-only neighborhood joint. Complimentary chips come with three stellar salsas: a sparkling house-made pico de gallo, a creamy orange one that delivers a quick clean burn, and a marvelous green jalapeno number. In addition to the standards the menu offers several more unusual items and preparations. We saw chilaquiles, the breakfast comfort food, ferried out to many dinner tables, dressed in red or green sauce, with eggs, chicken, or steak. For the lunch crowd there are tortas; I took a calculated risk and tried the Hawaiiana, which featured ham and pineapple with lots of mayo and lettuce--odd, though not bad. The Cubana sandwich was a big surprise: the ham and breaded pork were there, but so were an omelet and a hot dog, a combo inconceivable on the streets of Havana. Huachinango a la Veracruzana came mounted upright as though for display on a fisherman’s mantel but apart from this received a fairly traditional treatment with olives and tomato salsa; it's one of the better renditions I’ve had in Chicago. Horchata was superb, frothy and not too sweet--I’d recommend a tall glass of it (there's no alcohol served, and you’re not allowed to bring your own).

— David Hammond

Features: Carryout, Open Late, Open Sunday, Open Monday

Price: $