Home > Chicago Restaurants > Restaurant Review > Brunch at Zapatista

The scene: In case you haven’t been reading the headlines, the economic forecast is looking rather grim these days. We’re not stuffing Benjamins under the mattress just yet, and we’re certainly not suggesting that anyone forego steak dinners or four-martini cocktail hours—everyone knows the worst thing you can do in a crisis is panic. But you can give your wallet a little break with brunch at Zapatista (hours | maps ), where every entree is just five bucks. Viola, economic crisis averted.

With a deal like this, you’d think the South Loop spot, which draws a healthy dinner crowd with its mix of traditional and modern Mexican fare, would be packed. But that’s the beauty of the still-growing South Loop. Though brunch here is popular among neighbors in the know, even large parties can easily get a table.

The cuisine: What you gain in savings, you sacrifice in choice. The brunch menu features just six entrees, most of them predictable. There’s a brunch burrito, of course, which arrives stuffed with scrambled eggs, asadero cheese, salsa roja, refried black beans and crisp lettuce. Another usual suspect: chilaquiles, served with your choice of grilled steak, chipotle chicken or roasted pork. For a bit of a twist, try the flaky Manana Chimichanga. It’s just a deep-fried brunch burrito, but that dip in the fryer makes all the difference. On the sweet side, go for the Mexican-French toast, four half-slices of cinnamony French toast topped with diced seasonal fruit (we had pineapple, mango and strawberries) and served with piloncillo syrup, a Mexican cane-sugar syrup that tastes more or less like maple syrup with an added hint of molasses.

Better than a bloody mary: El Bijote Famoso ($8), an icy blend of a pina colada, a mojito and a margarita. Yeah, it sounded weird to us too, but the coconut from the pina colada, the mint from the mojito and the lime from the margarita came together for a surprisingly smooth cocktail.

Loved it: Chips and salsa with brunch!

Hated it: You’ll have to search hard for parking, since a $5 meal doesn’t seem like such a bargain after you fork over $10 to the valet.

Brunch time: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday; noon-2 p.m. Sunday

Cost: $8-$10 per person

Wait: None

M. Kathleen Pratt is the Metromix print editor.  metromix@tribune.com

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