- Address:
- 4760 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625
- Phone:
- 773-769-5600
- Overall User Rating:
-
(11 ratings)
- Hours:
- 10-1 a.m., Monday through Thursday; 10-3 a.m. Friday; 10-4 a.m., Saturday; 10-12 a.m., Sunday.
3 forks (out of four)
Fork ratings key:
4: Don't miss it
3: One of the best
2: Very good
1: Good
First impressions
The main dining room of this 13-year-old Lincoln Square restaurant emits a cozy ambience, with elaborately carved, dark wooden chairs and tables surrounded by Mexican-inspired murals. If you're a smoker, you'll enjoy sitting here. Non-smokers are not so lucky. They're corralled into a drafty, unappealing area on the Lincoln Avenue entrance; we ate with our coats on. On another visit, we took our chances in the comfortable main room, and enjoyed a smoke-free meal, though that could have changed at any moment.
On the plate
Garcia's large lineup includes a greatest-hits list that leans toward American palates: tacos, tostadas, burritos, enchiladas and combination plates. Portions are generous and ingredients fresh. Diners start their meals with a complimentary bowl of fresh, mild salsa and a basket of crunchy corn tortilla chips.
Second helpings
The kitchen takes a mild approach to seasonings, so if you're averse to excess heat, you'll love this place. The guacamole is all about the avocados; there's little support from seasonings, but because they're wonderfully ripe avocados, this creamy spread becomes a treat, especially when teamed with the house salsa. (You'll still want to add salt and pepper.) Quesadillas are not much more than grilled tortillas and Chihuahua cheese, but again, the simplicity works. The tacos are as pretty as they are tasty: Petite flour tortillas hold towering layers of filling (ground beef, steak, chorizo, chicken or pork), shredded cheese, lettuce and onions; sour cream and guacamole each is 25 cents extra. We liked the spicy (relatively speaking) and slightly smoky chorizo best. Fajitas arrive as sizzling as they ought to be; the meat is teamed with sauteed onions and bell peppers. We preferred the richer flavors of tangy marinated skirt steak over the bland chicken strips. Desserts are not to be missed, particularly the rustic, creamy flan swimming in a syrupy caramel. The beautiful tres leches cake, offered plain or mocha, sports a buttercream frosting that complements the firm but moist cake.
Take a pass
The meatless combination plate showed a serious lack of interest on the kitchen's part. The avocado taco consisted of a soft corn tortilla holding two avocado halves and some iceberg lettuce, while the bean tostada sported a large layer of the same refried beans that appeared as a side. The cheese quesadilla, hidden beneath the taco, was the only item we liked.
At your service
The polite but stoic staff doesn't exactly gush over the customers, but most requests are quickly accommodated.
Thirst quenchers
A full bar is available, as is the familiar lineup of sodas and coffee. The fruity, tangy sangria showcases a perfect harmony between the fruit juice and wine, and makes a better choice than the generic-tasting margarita. Twenty five tequilas are offered.
