So you don’t have plans for Wednesday night? Ok, now you do. You plan is to go get tacos al pastor at Xoco (449 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL)! Every Wednesday after 5 PM, Xoco’s main draw is the al pastor, made from layers of seasoned pork, topped with pineapple carved right off of a trompo (a giant meat cone – much like the one used to make gyros) Mexico City style. When we went to al pastor day at Xoco, Rick Bayless was even there to monitor and maintain the trompo. Nice – that’s quality assured!
Al Pastor Trompo (partially in hiding) at Xoco
It is $11 for 3 tacos on corn tortillas, which come in a basket with a small side of a spicy chipotle salsa. We thought the price was a little steep, but we figured we were paying for quality – and we were – everything was delicious! The al pastor meat was flavorful and had a deep red color with a nice crispy crust, just how we like it. Each taco was also topped with a crispy slaw (non-traditional) and slices of pineapple (traditional). Xoco’s was probably the best rendition of al pastor we had in the city so far, though it made us mostly want to go to Mexico City. The corn tortillas were a little cold, which was our only knock against the dish.
Tacos Al Pastor at Xoco
We plan on making a visit to Xoco’s Tacos al pastor a Wednesday night tradition. A trompo is the key to delicious tacos al pastor, and they are relatively rare, so finding one is a great thing. We have word that the al pastor tacos will be available at Xoco until March, so make a visit while you still can.
Tacos Al Pastor 3 for $11
Eating The World 