Aztec Dave's Cantina

"Not only is the Mexican food here delicious, but the Dave’s in Humboldt Park is also a low-key bar where you can easily avoid eye contact and watch a game while murmuring noncommittal responses like “totally” and “one hundred percent”. The menu is mainly tacos, burritos, and tortas, with a variety of filling options. Our favorite dishes are the spicy guajillo shrimp taco, carne asada burrito (perfectly constructed with an ideal ratio of meat to beans to cheese), and the mole de pollo dinner—which is rich, sweet, and comes with creamy refried black beans, rice, and tortillas so you can make your own tacos." - adrian kane, john ringor

"Aztec Dave’s in Humboldt Park offers several proteins (steak, shrimp, pork, fish, and chicken) with varied preparations to fill their burritos, tacos, and tortas. But our favorite at this cantina is their asada burrito, which is loaded with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and sour cream. It strikes an excellent ratio of juicy, charred meat to beans and cheese, and Dave’s carefully wraps it like they’re swaddling a newborn baby. " - john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen, adrian kane

"Dave’s began as a food truck in Pilsen, and now has a brick and mortar location in Humboldt Park. And not only is the Mexican food here delicious, but Dave’s is also a low-key bar great for hanging out with friends, watching a game, or dining solo. Like the original, the menu is mainly tacos, burritos, and tortas, with a variety of filling options. Our favorite dishes are the spicy guajillo shrimp taco, carne asada burrito (perfectly constructed with an ideal ratio of meat to beans and cheese) and the mole de pollo dinner—which is rich, sweet, and comes with creamy refried black beans, rice, and tortillas so you can make your own tacos." - josh barnett, john ringor

"If you’re sport-averse, eating dinner at a place where the primary purpose appears to be drinking and/or watching a game might not be your first choice. But Aztec Dave’s Cantina in Humboldt park—a dark narrow space with beer signs and multiple TVs—has great Mexican food that will make anyone want to stick around and figure out why that person wearing a jersey on TV is crying. Aztec Dave’s feels like a Polly Pocket Food Truck that unfurled and started serving tequila. Which makes sense, it started out as a truck in Pilsen, and this is their first brick and mortar location. Like the original, the menu is mainly made up of tacos, burritos, and tortas, each with a variety of perfectly cooked fillings loaded with flavor. photo credit: Kim Kovacik Freshly fried chips are the vehicle for crispy chorizo and queso fundido that could stretch to the ceiling if you had a ladder and the inclination, and the spicy carne asada burrito is constructed with an ideal ratio of juicy, charred meat to beans and cheese. The sweet mole de pollo dinner comes with rice, tortillas, and refried black beans that are so rich and creamy you’d swear had to be made with lard and dairy, but after a conversation with our server and a phone call to the owner (they’re really creamy, OK?) we can assure you they’re not. The tortas deserve their own sentence and here it is: Each one has caramelized chihuahua cheese seared directly onto the soft griddled bread, which is a thoughtful (and delicious) touch. The crispy cheese on the tortas is why we find ourselves randomly thinking about Aztec Dave's when we’re standing in line at CVS. And while getting food here can take a long time (a peek into the kitchen will show one person operating the grill and your server is just as likely to be your bartender) we don’t care. Freshly fried chips, spicy marinade for tender carne asada, and burritos wrapped with more care than a standard baby—all of it makes us want to grab a seat at the bar and hang out to watch some sport we hopefully know the rules to. Food Rundown Queso Fundido The queso fundido comes with warm tortilla chips, and melty cheese that you’ll want to wrap around your body like a toga. Plus, you can add some crispy chorizo without the meat overtaking your cheese. photo credit: Kim Kovacik Asada Burrito Dave’s offers several proteins (steak, shrimp, pork, fish, and chicken) with varied preparations to fill their burritos, tacos, and tortas. We’ve liked every combo, but when it comes to the burrito we like the asada loaded with beans, rice, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and sour cream. Carne Asada Torta Between the spicy medium-rare steak and the bonus of caramelized chihuahua cheese seared right onto the toasted bun, this is a perfect torta. Which, by the way, also comes with lettuce, tomatoes, beans, avocado, and sour cream. Guajillo Shrimp Taco The grilled guajillo shrimp has enough heat to let you know it’s arrived at the party, and the taco has pico de gallo that gives it a pop of acidity. This is a refreshing taco. Al Pastor Taco Another great taco option is the al pastor. It’s delightfully spicy and the pineapple offers a counterbalance of sweetness. Mole De Pollo Dinner The mole at Aztec Dave’s is sweet, which is offset by spicy heat. The rich sauce coats tender pieces of chicken, which work wonderfully as a taco or burrito, but we prefer it as a dinner. It comes with creamy refried black beans, rice, and tortillas." - Adrian Kane

"After six years of driving around Chicago, the food truck and caterer Aztec Dave’s is finally settling down into a permanent restaurant in Humboldt Park. Owner Ramon Torres had been searching for an appropriate spot for several years, but he wanted to wait until he found the right space at the right price. He found that perfect spot, the former Bullhead Cantina space, 1143 N. California Avenue. But now he’s still waiting: although he signed the lease in February and is almost done with renovations, he doesn’t want to set an exact opening date for Aztec Dave’s Cantina until he’s fully staffed. 'Our clientele and people in the neighborhood are very anxious and have been asking us about opening,' Torre says. 'I’m asking people to have patience. I didn’t want to rush for a less than 100 percent opening.' Since debuting in 2015, Aztec Dave’s has grown from one food truck to three and its tacos and Dave’s Loaded Papas (waffle fries covered in queso, sour cream, and avocado) have won a devoted following. The menu at Aztec Dave’s Cantina will be an expanded version of the food truck menu: Torres plans to include dishes he learned how to cook from his grandmother, who immigrated from the central Mexican state of Michoacán, such as blackened guajillo shrimp, arrachera steak, pineapple devil salsa, and, especially, her mole 'Ours is not chocolatey,' says Torres. 'It’s not sweet. It’s more smoky and savory, and we pair it with chicken. It’s very unique to us. I haven’t had any mole in Chicago like ours.' He also plans to serve churros. There will also be a bar serving beer and craft cocktails, with a focus on tequila and mezcal. The restaurant itself is 1,500 square feet, which isn’t large, but Torres has the option to buy the building, and he eventually hopes to expand Aztec Dave’s by adding an event space on the second floor. He’s decorated it in what he describes as a rustic style, with hardwood floors, a wooden bar and tables, and a mural of an Aztec serpent. The serpent is not the original Aztec Dave; the name was originally chosen because, Torres says, 'everyone knows a Dave.' Also, Aztec Dave’s sounded better than Aztec Ramon’s. Mostly, though, he wanted customers to feel comfortable. Inclusivity has always been part of the ethos of Aztec Dave’s, Torres says. 'When I was growing up,' he says, 'people would get the idea that Mexican food is cheap, late-night food and not the best quality. I wanted to change that.' Despite moving into a Puerto Rican neighborhood inside a space that overlooks Humboldt Park, Torres says the menu will remain primarily Mexican. He would be open to adding a Puerto Rican or fusion item or two, he says, but there are already plenty of establishments in the area serving that kind of food, and he doesn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. Instead, Aztec Dave’s will contribute to the community by hosting regular events, like salsa night, and including neighbors in the planning. 'I hope the community will appreciate what we can put together in terms of a six-day-a-week restaurant with curated events, nice music, and a good food and drink selection,' he says. 'We want to be here for a long time.' Bullhead Cantina closed in 2018 in Humboldt Park." - aimee.levitt