Chayote Mexican Grill

New name: Chayote Mexican Grill
Same owners

WOW!!

I'm coming out of Yelp retirement for this one. I've been driving around the Pilsen area near my new(ish) job looking for a cheap, yummy lunch spot, and boy did I find it!! Having eaten at a Mexican joint just a week ago, I decided to venture a little further south, hoping to find something less tourist-y and, well, mediocre. I decided on Chayote, which has quite a unique decor of national geographics, record albums, a chalk board with specials listed (kind of), and even a deck of tarot cards up on the wall. It's definitely a little busy and mismatched, but it clearly doesn't advertise itself as a romantic getaway from the outside.

Walking in (free parking on side streets), I was first pleasantly surprised by the salsa bar. It is self serve, which is awesome in my opinion, because it means you can go up and get more whenever you want and don't have to wait on anyone. There is also a jug of water at the salsa bar where you can get more water, but my waitress, who was extremely friendly, was happy to refill mine up for me.

First things first: YOU HAVE TO TRY THE JALAPENO AVOCADO SALSA!!! Holy crap was it good. I liked the other salsa as well, and they complemented each other quite well, but once I got a taste of that jalap/avocado salsa, there was no going back (you can even buy some to take home for $2). Fair warning, it is advertised as medium spicy (I didn't think it was overly spicy).

Second thing: Burritos and tortas for $6.50!! Well, approximately. I don't eat meat except for fish and seafood, so I got the shrimp burrito. Yummy!! The shrimp are almost prahn sized.. tiger shrimp that were so plentiful they fell onto my plate with each bite. When adding the jalap/avo salsa to it, it was simply delectable...for $7!!! They could stand to have more veggie options...it was either shrimp or veggie in choosing a burrito or torta.

Which means that after purchasing some salsa to take home, my entire bill was around $9. They also have cards where if you purchase six of the SAME thing (e.g. six burritos OR six Tortas), the 7th is free (meaning the 7th torta you eat is free). I'll definitely be using that up, as I plan to go back.

Oh, also the place is literally across the street from the Damen Pink line, so it's very easy to access by mass transit. Well done, Chayote!!

I wasn't sure if I was genius or crazy deciding to meet my lunch companion at Abuelo's during NATO weekend. I'm going to go with genius; our plan to meet halfway-ish meant we avoided any street closures and traffic headaches we were warned about.

I nearly drove by the place where Abuelo's was supposed to be; the awning out front now reads El Fua. I stopped in to confirm Abuelo's hadn't moved and learned the restaurant (under the same ownership) was now called Chayote. I have no idea how El Fua fits into the mix. I'm not sure if the menu has changed, but the decor in Chayote has not; National Geographic magazine covers and Latin and American record jackets pepper the place.

If I had one complaint about my experience, it would be that I wish it was explained up front that it was self-service. Had I known about the water jug up front, I wouldn't have let my near empty water languish for so long. There's also a salsa bar up front where you can help yourself to chips and about 10 different salsas.

The menu offers a lot of breakfast, lunch and dinner selections with options for veggies and meat eaters. I ordered a shrimp burrito and my companion the enchiladas. Our food came out quickly and looked really tasty; the only oddity was the handful of doritos served on the side of mine. My companion really enjoyed her enchiladas, she said the salsa verde was great and later visited the salsa bar for an option that closely resembled it. Unlike many enchiladas, hers looked delicate and not laden with tons of cheese. My meal, on the other hand, was just ok. Without adding salsa, I found it erred on the bland side; with salsa it was fine, but not outstanding. I think my opinion might have changed, had I tried a salsa with a bit more zip. That's not to say it wasn't good, just more mild than I was looking for.

I wavered between three and four stars, but I'm rounding up; knowing this is the brainchild of the Abuelo's owners, I expected to be gobsmacked by how good the food was, but was not. Don't get me wrong, the food was above average, but not phenomenal. Next time I plan on ordering differently, next on my hit list is those enchiladas - I had a serious case of plate envy. Located right across from the Damen pink line stop, Chayote is an easy destination by car, bus or el.