Pilsen is rife with taquerias. I randomly picked one and walked inside the other day. It was Gloria's Tacos. Now, perhaps I should have gone with what was advertised...tacos. But I didn't. I couldn't help myself. I felt like being greedy and getting a fat burrito. Gloria was nice and she let me know all the different choices I had. They make everything right there when you ask for it, so it does take a little bit of time. But, in the end, I was a little disappointed in my overall experience. The burrito wasn't particularly full of flavor and I immediately get confused and slightly turned off when I bite into the half crunchy-half chewy joint of a chicken. Which I could have overlooked actually, but the taste just didn't really do it for me. For the most part, I can be satisfied with the presentation of a dish as long as the taste and flavor hits the mark. It was just a little bland for me, even with the salsa. I would give this place another chance and try their tacos though.
The place is very simple and modest. It looks like a quick corner street deli. There are a few booths if you order your food to eat there, but I took mine with me as I was on the go.
There are so many taquerias in Pilsen sometimes it is hard to decide which one to go to. Â Certain places have better asada, others have great chicken, it seems like each places has it's specialty and it is hard to find somewhere that is good across the board. Â Well, I'll let you in on a little secret... Gloria's Tacos - just east on Wood on 18th Street. Â Gloria's is not for someone looking for a haute dining experience, in fact it's more like a burger / sandwich shop than any of the other taquerias in the neighborhood. Â But what Gloria's lacks in ambiance they make up for in FRESH, DELICIOUS tacos. Â Everything is made to order by the older couple that runs the place so it takes a little bit of time, it's worth it to eat meat that hasn't been sitting on the grill for a couple hours. Â The asada is great, as are the veggie tacos (with potatoes!) but I think the al pastor takes the cake. Â It's my favorite al pastor outside of Maxwell Street and now that it's too cold for a Sunday morning taco feast Gloria's is the only place I'll go!
They also sell belts, knick knacks, burgers, gyros, and many other random goods. Â The best part is the price, 2 friends and I went there for lunch today and between the 3 of us we spent just over $20 - that's ten tacos and 3 sodas! Â To top it off Gloria is extremely nice, she makes you feel right at home. Â Skip the wait at Nuevo Leon and head over for the closest thing to home-cooked Mexican I have found in Pilsen.