The Journey Home: Los Comales

There are many a night when after a long adventure out with my heathen friends, I get the sudden urge to eat Mexican food. Maybe its my roots calling me, or maybe it’s a subconscious need to feed stereotypes. The point is best conveyed in the words of 80’s hip-hop mega group, The Fatboys, “plain and simple, I need food.” And not just any food, I need tortilla to meat connection. I am sure that everyone who decides to read this has their own late night Mexican food spot , but this isn’t an article about your spot, who knows maybe one day it could be, this is about Los Comales # 3 located on 18th and Ashland, in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. Ask any local about where to get tacos, and you will get a litany of restaurant names. This one sticks out because the flavor is bigger than its comically small tacos. Open till 3 a.m. on the weekends, it’s one of Pilsen’s only local late night food spots. When you walk in you will be greeted by a crowd, friendly and extremely patient waitstaff, and tacos de cecina (dried salted steak) that will rock your socks. Your party does not have to end at the bar as Los Comales is BYOB. Los Comales is dine in or carry out and offers a wide variety of traditional Mexican dishes from huevos rancheros to menudo on the weekends, and all for a reasonable price. If you are lucky, you might even catch a show provided for free by colorful local characters, hell, you might even be a part of one. Los Comales has been in my life since I was a chamaco and should be a part of yours too.