Traspasada Review - Noble Square - Chicago - The Infatuation

"There are some things you can never have too many of in your life -sweatpants, friends with pools, friends with boats, and saved up airline miles to name a few. You should stockpile those things like it’s your job, especially if your life goal is to attain a job that allows you to wear sweatpants. Reliable taco joints are another one to add to the mix, because there’s no such thing as too many tacos. And Traspasada is one of the taco joints you should have in your life. Located on a stretch of Ashland that has a lot of great Mexican food, Traspasada is a cash-only, small, counter-establishment. One glance at the place and you should know exactly what to expect. It has two small counter areas, about 15 stools, and there are usually two people working the grill while another mans the register. We’ve tried a whole lot of things here (like the tortas, caldo birria, and burritos) and the tacos are for sure where it’s at, particularly the chorizo and al pastor. They are two of our favorite tacos around, and since they are on the small side, we can easily down four in one sitting at a little more than $2 apiece. We’re also giving honorable mentions to the sesos, carne asada, lengua, and tilapia tacos as well. But for us, the chorizo and al pastor are the real MVP’s. The other all-star quality of Traspasada is the fact it’s open until 3:30 am Friday and Saturday, plus 1:00am every other night of the week. So come any time during the day or at night for a quick bite, but especially consider Traspasada in the early morning hours when you know a bunch of drunk tacos will really hit the spot. Food Rundown Chips and Guacamole Our biggest complaint at Traspasada is that you can only get guacamole if you get the large appetizer portion with chips for around $7.50, which kind of makes Chipotle’s guacamole policy look generous. You can still get plain avocados on a burrito or torta if you’d like, but that’s the best you can do. Chorizo Taco Give us four (or an aggressive five) with cilantro and onion and call it a day. It’s finely chopped with just enough kick. Get the green salsa involved too, which we like to heavily apply on everything. Al Pastor Taco Another favorite of ours, and a for sure order if you’re going the taco route. Tilapia Taco Going the healthy route? These grilled tilapia pieces are simply prepared and make you feel nice and fresh. Caldo Birria Meaty broth with both lean and fatty pieces of goat. It’s good stuff. Carne Asada Burrito The burritos are packed with a ton of meat, plus get the “con todo” version with onions, cilantro, cheese, avocado, beans, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. Sorry, no rice, but we don’t think it’s necessary. The heavy dose of carne asada is all you need. Chicken Torta The torta’s here aren’t bad, but we also don’t think they are that great. Unless you live or work close by and are a regular, we’d stick to the tacos or even burrito." - Sam Faye