The Garage Chicago Gym

The Garage Review - Fulton Market - Chicago - The Infatuation

"Throwback to third grade real quick. Remember when you had your school’s weekly lunch schedule memorized? Monday, sloppy joes. Tuesday, beef cheese nachos (ew). Wednesday, chicken fingers. And if you didn’t like the menu that day, Lunch Lady Sylvia and her butt-length hair would whip together the dreaded PB&J.; Besides being grossly appalled at the severe lack of nutritional value (or maybe you weren't), there was something comforting about knowing the menu in advance. The Garage is comforting like that, except substitute your sloppy joes and chicken fingers for a rotating menu of visiting food trucks, and replace boring PB&Js; with kick*ss tacos. Every day, The Garage offers a split menu: half homemade street tacos, half visiting food truck/restaurant/chef, and everything is made daily in-house. For the homemade fare, that means the tacos, salsas, guacamole, and any other daily specials are brand-spankin’ new and fresh every day. While this is bound to result in a bit of inconsistency, it mostly just rocks your world. Pick two tacos, two salsas, chips, and a drink for $10-$12, and they’ll box it up in a cardboard lunch pail that makes you feel like you’re about to head back to the guys at the construction site. It’s a hard deal to beat. The other half of the menu is supplied by a neighbor and consists of a pre- packaged lunch special. You’ll know what you’re in for based on the large chalkboard calendar on the wall. Fan favorites and common supporting cast include Yum Dum Truck (Mondays), Donermen Truck (Thursdays), or the chefs from Blackbird or PQM. Sometimes The Garage even supplies the other half of the menu, like Fridays, which are traditionally “Chicago Style Day” where you can grab brats, dogs, and tots. We recommend taking out over eating here for two reasons. First, the space is pretty small. They have a few tables, but it’s not huge since it is literally a garage - it’s the resting spot for the Salsa Truck when it’s not roaming the mean streets of Chi. Second, you’d need to be cool with burning all your clothes. Unless it’s summertime and the garage door is open, it seals in the taco aromas a little too well. But if you do stick around, the crew behind the counter is cool. They're funny, friendly, and creativity emanates from their fingertips, which is all evident through the concept, space, and colorful murals on the walls. The Garage blends in well with the warehouse-friendly West Loop and provides a much needed cheap taco respite for the professional yet hipster neighborhood work crowd. They’re open until they sell out, and popular items indeed get crossed off, so head out early and beat the line. It’s the kind of place that makes you happy you’re in Chicago, and even happier that you’re no longer eating cafeteria sloppy joes." - Claire Schlafly