Big Star: I Don't F*ck With You, JK I Do
Taco de panzas & taco al pastor @ Big Star
[this is an archived post from my old blog. I will be slowly migrating, and editing, these posts]
Big Star
Recommended by: Kaylarz and literally every other person on the planet. Also, Thrillist
Location: 1531 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 (EDIT 8/5/19: They now have a location in Lakeview too)
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: Trendy
Hello! And welcome to the official start of Taco Tour 2016! The blog where myself and fellow Taco connoisseur and Ride or Die babe, Sara Seibt, embark on this daring journey to celebrate Taco Tuesday every. single. Tuesday.
Then, we report back to you, with joy in our hearts, what we have discovered and found so that YOU will always know the best place to get tacos - wherever you may be!
Sara and I have been doing this for a couple weeks already but decided to go OFFICIAL as of 1/1/16. YOU. ARE. WELCOME.
Our rating system is not a simple average, but it isn’t all that complicated either. Feel free to read more here, if you wish. Or blindly follow us. I promise there is a method to the madness.
Well, I think that’s about all the intro we need. Let’s eat!
So, I've been to Big Star before. I'm a 26 year old woman living in Chicago - I'd have to be living under a rock to not have given it a try. However, my first experience left me unimpressed. The food was only okay and the vibe, while delightful, only slightly made up for it. Definitely not something I would wait hours for.
However, since I decided to be officially OFFICIAL about this taco tour. It only seemed fitting that I give Big Star a second chance.
Before I dive into my review. I should explain the categories I am using: Trendy, OG, or a hybrid of both.
OG features traditional Mexican tacos with some flexibility for creativity and are generally served in a traditional taqueria. Bonus points for authenticity.
Trendy is exactly what it means - trendy. There's usually a rustic/chic/hipster vibe. Most people who work there look like they were born with a mustache and a beanie. And, a lot of the time, they throw a lot of random shit that don't belong on tacos on their tacos. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it doesn't. (I’m looking at you pickled onions)
Mixed is whatever falls in between.
Big Star, without a doubt, errs on the side of Trendy. It's set in a white-painted garage that looks like it might have been a Jiffy Lube back in the day. There's lots of unfinished wood and the beer garden even has string lights. Very picturesque - the hipster haven of your wedding location dreams.
Obviously it is better to be there on a beautiful summer day, rather than the dreary January evening that we went. However, because of the bleak weather, we were able to walk in and be seated right away - I don't think that would have been an option in the summer.
We had been told by Thrillist to try the Taco de Panza - which we did. And I quite liked it actually. It was the first taco on the menu and not what I ordered the first time I had been there. The meat was flavorful - though I do wish there was more cheese.
I also got the Taco al Pastor. Which was good and not overwhelming. I asked for cheese on that too, because cheese.
Also we ordered Queso Fundido (because, again, cheese) which was just fantastic - though definitely could have been split by a third person after we ordered the tacos.
In short, it was great. The server was good and the environment was lovely. But I really want these reviews to be focused on the tacos themselves. These were the best "Trendy" tacos that we've had yet, closely followed by Antique Taco. So, all in all, I'm happy I gave Big Star a second chance.
As for me recommending it... for the food alone, I can't bring myself to STRONGLY recommend. But, the location is obviously phenomenal and for sitting outside drinking a few margaritas in the summer, there are few spots that beat it. So for location alone: Recommend.