La Chingonita
Mexican restaurant · Fishtown
413 E Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Highlights
Birria tacos, cemitas, and churros are highlights. BYOB cafe.
Birria tacos, cemitas, and churros are highlights. BYOB cafe.
"When you’re having a bunch of people over or don’t plan on going grocery shopping for a week, consider La Chingonita’s Try It All Box. It’s like a greatest hits album for this Mexican spot that has two birria, two tinga vegana, and two suadero tacos, two stalks of street corn dripping in crema, two tacos dorados, and two classic tortas all for $55. Come here the next time you’re looking for an exciting quick meal, or stop by and look out on Girard Ave. while going knuckles deep in some consomme." - candis mclean, alison kessler
"There's no shortage of fantastic Mexican restaurants in this city, but there is a shortage of great cemitas. Lucky for us, there's El Chingon, an all-day Mexican cafe and BYOB restaurant. It's a plant-filled corner spot perfect for grabbing coffee and conchas before work or sharing a bunch of tacos and tostadas for a casual date night. The whole menu is worth exploring, but the real specialties here are the Pueblan-style sandwiches. We can't stop thinking about the clásica, which comes stacked with crisp fried chicken, avocado, chipotle peppers, and stringy, salty quesillo cheese, all on housemade rolls. Chingon's chef/owner started the bread program at Parc, so you know those buns are good." - candis mclean, alison kessler
"At his all-day BYOB in South Philly, Carlos Aparicio filters specialties from all over Mexico through the lens of his experience working extensively at some of Philly’s top restaurants. Thus, the chef who developed the baguette recipe for Parc now fills sourdough flour tortillas with chorizo, al pastor, or vegan arabes made of oyster mushrooms and tangy chipotle, among other treats. The team is currently working to expand to Fishtown." - Maddy Sweitzer-Lamme
"Cemita is at the center of this beautiful all-day BYOB cafe just off Passyunk Square. It’s the name of the signature sandwich as well as the bread itself, made by chef Juan Carlos Aparicio (who developed Parc’s highly regarded baguette). Try the choriqueso featuring house-made pork chorizo or the arrachera tatemada al pastor, which includes cured beef and recado negro, a spice from the Yucatán. El Chingon also serves incredible starters like lamb meatballs and rabbit tinga tostadas. Bring a six-pack of your favorite beer and order some michelada mix-ins to round out your meal." - Ernest Owens
"Carlos Aparicio spent years cooking in popular Philly establishments — one of his claims to fame is developing the secret baguette recipe for Stephen Starr’s Parc. Now as the chef-owner of El Chingon, he’s wowing Philly with cemitas (Mexican sandwiches on crispy, seeded rolls), tacos, horchata, ice cream-filled churros, and a lot more. This bright, all-day BYOB has quickly become a neighborhood go-to since opening in late 2022." - Ernest Owens
