A Mexican and a Brazilian walk into a restaurant....
Well, actually, there's no joke here. This is about the marriage of two great flavors! I grew up eating Mexican food. But I haven't had much occasion to sample the flavors of Brazilian food until now. And believe me, this fusion of food will have me coming back for more.
A friend had been raving about the food at Changarro and invited me to join her for dinner one evening. I ordered Enchiladas Verdes, the standard entree I order to compare with other Mexican restaurants. They only offer chicken filling, which was fine by me. Overall, they were pretty good and had a decent amount of heat. The dinner plate came with four enchiladas, rice and beans.
Now, I don't typically eat a lot of red meat. I do like ground beef in my enchiladas on occasion, but there's no ground beef at Changarro. Instead, they have Brazilian chopped beef and, seriously, you have got to try it!
My friend ordered Memelitas, something I had never heard of. Memelitas are homemade corn flat breads with your choice of topping. When my friend ordered hers with Brazilian beef, I immediately assumed the meat would be tough, chewy and hard to swallow like some steak tacos I've had at other Mexican restaurants and taquerias. But, WOW, this was some awesome beef! Full of flavor, tender and definitely something I will order in the future.
By the way, we tried three of their Margaritas too. The Mangorita was probably the favorite. They had one with guava which was a good second choice. The Fresa Fresca had  strawberries which were a bit chunky, but still good. Not too overpowering with the alcohol and not your "fishbowl" size either. These seemed more classy. There were a handful of other creative drink concoctions to try too.
I stopped back in for lunch on another day and tried their Chicken Enchilada Soup and a chicken taco with avocado. The soup was hearty, full of chicken and large enough to suffice for lunch. Maybe a bit too much salt in the soup for my taste preferences, but still good nonetheless. The chicken in the taco was juicy and tender, the perfect compliment to my soup.
Decent guacamole too, in addition to their complimentary chips with avocado-cilantro sauce and another red sauce to which they add a bit of honey.
On their menu, I'm already eyeing their Ensalada de Jicama, which is a salad with Jicama, pear, cress, lettuce, hearts of palm, pine nuts and cilantro vinaigrette. You won't find that in a typical Mex restaurant, let alone in West Chicago.
Changarro has united the flavors of Mexico and Brazil and brought them to a suburb that needed a unique twist on good food and flavors. Here's to a long and happy union!
Only got 3 stars because husband raved but I was disappointed. I came wanting beef tacos and only beef option was steak. So I got the chorizo taco dinner, disappointed. Husband got the chimichurra? (pardon the spelling?) burrito and really liked it. I tasted it and wasn't impressed. Poor service, not many customers here and when the customers leave they take their time cleaning the table (the one next to us left 30 minutes ago and it's still not cleared off). I'll go here if I'm craving a burrito but not regularly. Coke bottles are $2 so we spent $8 just in drinks. Asked for a container 3 times, can't stress enough how bad service is.
Review Source:Let me begin by saying that the restaurant is no longer located at 1400 Nelnor.. it has moved and is located at the corner of Rt59 and Rt 38 next to a big liquor store. Â
The food here is as authentic as it gets. Â We bought a groupon so decided to check it out. Â They brought out chips right away along with guacamole that was included with our groupon. Â The salsas had some kick to them which I enjoyed. Â The green salsa was by far the best. Â The guacamole tasted fresh but was not spicy at all. Â We ordered the burrito dinner, chicken fajitas, taco dinner, milanesa dinner and quesadilla with fries. Â Food didnt take quite as long as other yelpers mentioned. At least I didnt think so. Â Everything had lots of flavor and perfectly seasoned. Â The only complaint we all had were with the beans. Â I dont know what burned beans taste like, but I would say the beans that came with our dinners were burned. Â I didnt bother to mention it to the waitress because everything else was delicious. Â The Mexican rice was very good as well.
I always like to try chorizo and steak tacos on the side so I ordered one of each. Â Both were flavorful but the size of the tacos were small. Â There was definitely plenty of meat which made up for the small taco.
The waitress talked us in to ordering dessert. Â Our kids split the churros and ice cream dessert. Â I had a bite of one and had I not been so full I wouldve fought the kids for the dessert! Â Yes! It was THAT good!
I will def make the 40 minute drive to come back and fill my belly!
The food here is very good, and incredibly reasonable. Service was not amazing, mainly due to insufficient staff. However, the food was excellent, and I will return. At a non peak dining time.
We had the guacamole and nachos as two appetizers to start. Both were outstanding. The nachos had a perfect mix of toppings. Chips and salsa, verde and regular, were also served. A very nice touch was having the chips and salsa replenished multiple times. Both salsa were very good as well.
Our entree included tacos, burrito, And memelitoS. The chicken, chorizo, steak and beef tongue were tasty. Especially the steak and beef tongue.
Excellent food, reasonable prices, result in a great dinner. One more wait staff, and their service issues would be solved. I recommend this restaurant.
This restaurant has lots of promise.
On the positive side, the drinks were awesome. I had the Pepino Caipirinha and my husband had the Ahumada Margarita, both strong and flavorful. The salsas and guacamole were all very fresh and flavorful, we especially liked the green hot salsa. The staff was very nice and accommodating.
On the negative side, service was really slow. There was only one waitress on a Saturday night at 6:30, with the owner helping out occasionally. Our dinner lasted 2 hours, which is fine if you're not in a hurry. We decided to try the Memelitas, as they got good reviews. I had the Chicharrone. They were okay, but somewhat bland. I expected more flavor from the pork belly, but there was very little meat on it. The rest of the ingredients were good. My husband had the Picadinho, and he said it tasted like bacon, and liked it better than the pork belly. Others had the Chorizo, it was good, and the Chicken Mole, which was very good.
The prices can't be beat-very reasonable. Not a bad start for this restaurant, but they need more help during peak times and maybe better quality meat.
Great food (Mexican & Brazilian) and very attentive service. Â What's missing is the buzz of a full house. Â The western suburbs needs this place to survive. Â The Pescado (Fish) Tacos and Frango a Passarinho (Brazilian Wings) are spectacular, with the spicy Mole con Pollo (chicken with mole sauce) close behind. Â Great drink selection, and make sure to finish off with the Passion Fruit Custard. Â Don't just go by yourself - take your friends or family with you! Â The location is a bit tricky to get to, but knowing that beforehand can eliminate some of the frustration - it's worth the work.
Review Source:While the food was pretty good, the service was almost non-existent. Â From the time we got in and the bartender/owner had us seat ourselves, we found that this wouldn't be our night. We were served chips and Salsa fairly quickly and from there, it became either long waits or self-service. We had to get our own menus, silverware, and plates. The waiters seemed untrained and lost. Our drinks took about 30 minutes and it took another 25 minutes to get our bill (I literally had to grab the waiter - who would rather clear empty tables than serve paying customers). Our total meal of 3 entrees, 2 mixed drinks, 1 can of soda, & 1 guacamole appetizer took 90 minutes. Unfortunately, we will never return because of the service. The music was also extremely loud - you couldn't hear the people next to you. For my time and money, I would rather go to one of their competitors and get good food and service. Â It is a shame that the service was so bad that it overtook the food so drastically that we won't even consider returning.
Review Source:Everything that I've had here is totally fresh and delicious. I live across the street so I try and eat here at least once a month. They are constantly adding items to their menu and their fresh made margaritas are delicious as well. Efficient, polite service and delicious food is something much needed in this area-- my favorite torta is the loma con pina which is pork loin and pineapple... their fish tacos are also fantastic... yummmmm
Review Source:It's rare when  a restaurant gets 5 stars from me but the food, drinks, and service were all excellent. There was one minor issue, it was very hot inside the restaurant of course it was 100 degrees outside so, that may have had something to do with the heat factor inside.
I would defintely return and highly recommend to anyone who loves tasty food and drinks. I wish they would open up one closer to my neck of the woods. I look forward to going back and trying some of the items we didn't try the first time.
Wonderful! My new favorite place in the Western burbs. Fantastic margaritas, made with fresh ingredients. I had the strawberry one, which was not overly sweet - just the way I like.
The food is fresh and he favor is unique and authentic. I had the tacos Pastor and was very pleased.
Be sure to try the guacamole and the passion fruit mousse for dessert!
My husband and I have been here several times since they opened last fall. They have excellent food, excellent service and it's a great value! I highly recommend it!
Meals begin with complimentary chips and salsa. Â The salsa tastes fresh and delicious, and the chips are just okay.
The menu is not very large, but I believe there is something for everyone - including vegetarians. I enjoy the memelas, which are kind of like tostadas but thicker and softer. The Rajas Con Queso are my absolute favorite item on the menu! Usually they have specials when we are there, which have included portobello mushroom memelas (very good) and shrimp (not so much).
My husband is a huge fan of their Tortas.
We have tried the classic margaritas (on the rocks, they way they are supposed to be made!) And they serve our favorite Mexican beers.
We have always had excellent, attentive service. The woman who serves when we are there is always eager to share her recommendations if you ask.
The inside of the restaurant seems to be a work in progress. Â Recently they changed the lighting to make it much softer - a huge improvement when you're there for dinner. The music is always enjoyable. Â I agree with the other reviewer that it does feel cold inside. Also, every surface is hard - large windows, granite(?) tables, wooden chairs, painted concrete(?) floor. Â Whenever I am there I think they should find ways to incorporate some textiles/fabric - maybe that would make it feel warmer?
If you are looking for Mexican food that is covered in cheese or soaked in enchilada sauce, there are other options. But if you like to taste fresh flavors, check it out!
I would give 4 and one half stars if I could. This is a surprising little place with great food, yummy margaritas and good service.
We started the evening with two different fabulous margaritas: the mangorita and the Ahumada. They are both made from fresh ingredients, not sweet-n-sour mix, and were crazy good! The mangorita packed some heat (chipotle paste) and was welcome on a cold dark February night. The Ahumada had a splash of Mezcal that gave it an unexpected depth of flavor.
The guacamole was fresh and chunky. The salsa was a nice change, not heavy in tomato flavor and kind of amber in color. The chips were nothing special, just your average commercial tortilla chip.
We had the fish tacos and the pork belly memela. Wow! The fish tacos (3 for $5.95) are lightly seared tilapia portions served on small tortillas with guacamole and green cabbage slaw. They were wonderful and compared favorably with the fish tacos at Bien Trucha in Geneva, but much cheaper and the fish portion made them an entree rather than an appetizer! The memela was something new to me and seemed like perfect comfort food. The "crust" was made from masa; about 1/8 inch thick. It pretty much fills your plate and is topped with beans, onions, pork belly braised in tomatillo salsa, queso fresco and sour cream. Oh man! And so affordable at $5.95.
Super nice service too from a darling young woman who was warm and welcoming. A young man who looked like Rod Serling in his younger years asked about our experience. He may well be an owner; he definitely was the bartender and the creator of those great margaritas.
Only complaint? The environment was a bit cold (we kept our coats on the entire time) with glass walls and ceramic floors and it had that echo-y feel to it. But they played great modern latin music (some Neo-Tango, latin rock, etc.) at a reasonable volume. No mariachi band here, thank goodness.
You may have trouble finding this place at night. They share a building with a liquor store. The building is wrapped by the south cloverleaf access between Roosevelt Road and I-59. Changarro Cocina is in the west end of the building. I hope they do more with signage as I really want them to stick around for a long time! Especially since my husband drives by it every day and they offer take-out.
To sum it up...The food is fresh and is not your usual tired rice and beans fare. The margaritas are delicious and are not your usual sweet and sour mix cocktail. I would call it upscale Mexican that's very affordable!
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