My Favorite Restaurants

Since I got some grief for my Calculated "Best of Omaha" list, I realized this week it's past time I did a dedicated post listing MY Favorite restaurants in town. And for those of you that don't really read all of the context and just skip to the list portion, I'll try to keep the wordiness down to a minimum.

This compilation is just from the past few days. (I like my variety)!

The real question now is where I’ll end up for dinner tonight… because after writing this post it's very hard to decide! As part of this list, I went back through my Yelp list of favorites and started to update many of my Yelp reviews, but after about 10 it was lunchtime and I realized if I updated them all it'd take weeks [or months]. All in all, again, this post ended up being much more time consuming than I planned. But it was a labor of love, so I hope you enjoy. It was harder than I thought to come up with 100, and the order gets a little less 'important' as it goes on.

But for right now, these are my favorites in Omaha, for one reason or another. Generally static, sometimes changing, always delicious. 

Sarah Eats Omaha – My Favorite Restaurants 

Last Updated 4/23/18. Kind-of in order... almost.

The Grey Plume

Sushi Japan

Block 16

Stella's Bar & Grill

Jams

Shuck's Fish House & Oyster Bar

The Jaipur

Au Courant

Twisted Cork Bistro

Dante Pizzeria Napoletana

J. Coco

The Boiler Room

Mark's Bistro

Tasty Pizza

Kitchen Table

California Tacos & More

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant

New Gold Mountain

El Basha

Zio's Pizzeria

Flavors Indian

Benson Brewery

Barrett's Barley Corn

Railcar Modern American Kitchen

Le Quartier Baking Company

Vietnamese Asian Restaurant

Blatt Beer & Table

Bailey's

Jackson Street Tavern

Dudley’s Pizza & Tavern

Salween Thai

Wilson & Washburn

7M Grill

Marrakech Gourmet

Big Mama’s Kitchen

801 Chophouse

Avoli Osteria

For the Love of Food Truck

Jack Binion's Steak House

Maru Sushi & Korean Grill

Hiro 88

Abelardos Mexican Food

Crescent Moon Ale House

Pitch Coal-fire Pizzeria

Dundee Dell

Thai Spice

Gerda's Bakery

Three Happiness Express

Upstream Brewing Company

Mai Thai Aksarben Village

Taqueria El Rey Truck(s)

Los Portales

El Rancho

Saigon Surface

Amsterdam Falafel & Kabob

B&G Tasty Foods

La Casa Pizzaria

Brazen Head Irish Pub

Dario’s Brasserie

Joe's Café

King Kong

Mangia Italiana

Sage Student Bistro

Taxi’s Grille & Bar

V. Mertz

Wave Bistro

China Palace

Frank’s Pizza

Goldbergs in Dundee

Hartland Bar-B-Que

Laos Thai Market

Mediterranean Bistro

Nosh Wine Lounge

Orsi’s Italian Bakery

Taqueria Tijuana

Runza

Surfside Club

Varsity Sports Cafe & Roman Coin Pizza

Bronco's

Razzy's Deli

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My "Best of Omaha" Calculation

My friend Courtney gave me this great idea to do a post on which area of town has the best restaurant. It may come as no surprise to some that I have my biases already (Midtown for life!) but being of an analytically-inclined mind, I had to do the calculations to be sure.

Then things got a little crazier.

Inspired by the Yelp 100 list, and the popularity contest that is the annual 'Best of Omaha' I thought it would be a good idea to also figure out what the top places to Eat in Omaha were!

This list was created with Yelp's listing of the restaurants in Omaha, sorted by 'Highest Rated'. I made a spreadsheet an took the top 200 listings, and calculated a score for each based on the average rating and number of reviews. This was a little tricky and is totally arbitrary, but I think came up with a reasonable result which didn't unfairly rank places with 5.0 ratings and 5 reviews higher than places with 4.5 rankings and 100 reviews.

I didn't include the Culvers and Which-Wich chain-type places that were included in the top 200. Or things that I don't think qualify as 'restaurants' - awesome though they maybe - like Howlin' Hounds, International Bakery or Jacobo's. I also tried to exclude places that have more than 5 locations (Bonefish Grill, Sullivan's Steakhouse) in an attempt to answer the "what qualifies as a chain" question.

Also, I deleted duplicates (sorry Abelardo's and the many iterations of Blue Sushi) and - this was a difficult decision - places with less than 10 reviews (sorry Mariscos los Willy's). To handle score ties I also sorted by average rating, then # of reviews. I also feel the need to point out that these are NOT my favorite restaurants, or even necessarily an endorsement, but it's certainly a better indicator than rating alone or popularity alone.

Here's what I came up with for our Top 150 (because 100 just wasn't enough!) Interestingly enough, I have only been to 127 of these restaurants. There are probably better ways to do the formula, so bear with me on this first 'Best of' iteration.

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The 150 "Best" Restaurants in Omaha 

Rank	Yelp	Restaurant	Avg.	#	Score
1	33	M’s Pub	4.0	222	622
2	3	Stella’s Bar & Grill	4.5	167	617
3	108	Upstream Brewing Company	3.5	266	616
4	9	The Drover	4.0	214	614
5	7	The Boiler Room	4.5	144	594
6	2	The Grey Plume	4.5	130	580
7	5	Block 16	4.5	125	575
8	37	Pitch Coal-fire Pizzeria	4.0	173	573
9	11	Dario’s Brasserie	4.5	104	554
10	15	Amsterdam Falafel & Kabob	4.0	149	549
11	6	Lot 2 Restaurant Wine Bar	4.5	88	538
12	46	Plank Seafood Provisions	4.0	135	535
13	8	Kitchen Table	4.5	77	527
14	21	Leo’s Diner	4.5	73	523
15	14	Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant	4.5	72	522
16	17	Mother India	4.0	121	521
17	95	Blue Sushi Sake Grill	3.5	170	520
18	12	801 Chophouse	4.0	117	517
19	30	Saigon Surface	4.0	114	514
20	4	Mahogany Prime Steakhouse	4.5	59	509
21	18	Taqueria Tijuana	4.5	58	508
22	16	Crescent Moon Ale House	4.0	104	504
23	10	Laos Thai Market	4.5	52	502
24	19	La Buvette Wine & Grocery	4.0	100	500
25	26	Mangia Italiana	4.5	48	498
26	49	Marks Bistro	4.0	98	498
27	31	Big Mama’s Kitchen	4.0	98	498
28	39	Avoli Osteria	4.5	43	493
29	122	Twisted Fork Grill and Bar	3.5	141	491
30	38	Taita	4.5	40	490
31	75	Korean Grill	4.5	38	488
32	65	Lisa’s Radial Cafe	4.0	87	487
33	20	The Salty Dog Bar & Grill	4.5	35	485
34	27	Hartland Bar-B-Que	4.0	85	485
35	62	Dixie Quicks	4.0	85	485
36	107	California Tacos & More	3.5	131	481
37	22	Maru Sushi & Korean Grill	4.0	80	480
38	69	McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe	3.5	129	479
39	43	Nicola’s	4.0	78	478
40	66	Espana Restaurant	4.0	78	478
41	60	Pizza King	4.5	27	477
42	28	Twisted Cork Bistro	4.0	77	477
43	23	Thai Kitchen	4.5	26	476
44	51	John’s Grecian Delight	4.5	26	476
45	24	Blatt Beer & Table	4.0	76	476
46	64	Hiro 88	4.0	75	475
47	45	Jackson Street Tavern	4.0	73	473
48	34	Golden Palace	4.5	21	471
49	59	Shuck’s Fish House & Oyster Bar	4.0	71	471
50	68	El Basha	4.0	71	471
51	89	Time Out Foods	4.5	20	470
52	71	Bangkok Cuisine	4.0	68	468
53	52	Localmotive Food Truck	4.5	17	467
54	41	Jams	4.0	67	467
56	86	Star Deli	4.5	14	464
57	83	Zio’s Pizzeria	4.0	64	464
58	168	Sam’s-Leon Mexican Supplies	4.5	13	463
59	187	Harold’s Koffee House	4.5	13	463
60	85	Dinker’s Bar	4.0	62	462
61	189	Morning, Noon, & Night	4.5	11	461
62	74	Salween Thai	4.0	61	461
63	47	Wilson & Washburn	4.0	58	458
64	78	New Gold Mountain	4.0	58	458
65	84	Bailey’s	4.0	58	458
66	35	Flavors	4.0	57	457
67	57	Louie M’s Burger Lust	4.0	56	456
68	88	Flatiron Cafe	4.0	56	456
69	105	Marrakech Gourmet	4.0	55	455
70	73	Abelardos Mexican Food	4.0	53	453
71	123	11-Worth Cafe	4.0	53	453
72	100	Sakura Bana	4.0	52	452
73	167	Vivace	3.5	101	451
74	145	Bohemian Cafe	4.0	50	450
75	104	Dundee Dell	3.5	100	450
76	56	Swine Dining	4.0	49	449
77	29	French Bulldog	4.0	49	449
78	102	Azteca	4.0	48	448
79	157	7M Grill	4.0	48	448
80	114	Spezia	4.0	46	446
81	36	Boxer Barbeque Co	4.0	46	446
82	127	Lazlo’s Brewery and Grill	4.0	45	445
83	90	Dudley’s Pizza & Tavern	4.0	45	445
84	32	Ragazzi’s Pizza	4.0	44	444
85	98	Oscar’s Pizza & Sports Grill	4.0	43	443
86	110	Eat the Worm	4.0	43	443
87	148	Roja Mexican Grill + Margarita Bar	3.5	93	443
88	164	Tokyo Sushi	4.0	42	442
89	87	Sushi Japan	4.0	42	442
90	42	Mai Thai	4.0	42	442
91	82	Wave Bistro	4.0	40	440
92	141	Netties Fine Mexican Food	4.0	39	439
93	131	Brazen Head Irish Pub	4.0	39	439
94	97	Taxi’s Grille & Bar	4.0	38	438
95	109	Nosh Wine Lounge	4.0	37	437
96	161	Railcar Modern American Kitchen	4.0	36	436
97	58	Dolce	4.0	36	436
98	76	Worker’s Takeout	4.0	35	435
99	150	V Mertz	4.0	35	435
101	99	Canton House	4.0	35	435
102	134	Thai Spice	4.0	34	434
103	112	Over Easy	4.0	34	434
104	101	Mantra Bar & Grill	4.0	34	434
105	48	Katie’s Restaurant & Taverna	4.0	34	434
106	195	Malara’s	4.0	33	433
107	106	Tanduri Fusion	4.0	32	432
108	192	Pla Too Thai	4.0	32	432
109	55	Orsi’s Italian Bakery	4.0	32	432
110	166	Kobe Steakhouse of Japan	4.0	31	431
111	61	Ethiopian Restaurant	4.0	31	431
112	116	Le Voltaire	4.0	30	430
113	152	Bulldog Burgers	4.0	30	430
114	165	Le Bouillon	4.0	29	429
115	151	Legacy Gyros	4.0	28	428
116	113	JC Mandarin	4.0	28	428
117	124	Pudgy’s Pizzeria	4.0	26	426
118	179	Okinawa Sushi	4.0	26	426
119	156	Jim & Jennie’s Greek Village	4.0	25	425
120	178	China Buffet	4.0	24	424
121	139	Beyond BBQ	4.0	24	424
122	153	Rivera’s	3.5	74	424
123	197	Thai Orchids	4.0	23	423
124	162	Shirley’s Diner	4.0	22	422
125	184	Vietnamese Restaurant	4.0	21	421
126	128	Gerda’s Bakery	4.0	21	421
127	103	Caribbean Delights	4.0	21	421
128	190	Vidlak’s Brookside Cafe	4.0	18	418
129	129	Taqueria La Esmeralda	4.0	18	418
130	147	El Rancho	4.0	18	418
131	193	El Alamo	4.0	18	418
132	135	Dante Pizzeria Napoletana	3.5	67	417
133	137	Los Portales	4.0	16	416
134	130	House of Hunan	4.0	16	416
135	163	Ethnic Sandwich Shop	4.0	15	415
136	144	The Jaipur	3.5	64	414
137	169	La Casa Pizzaria	3.5	63	413
138	136	Jimi D’s	3.5	61	411
139	132	J Coco	3.5	57	407
140	125	Ponzu Sushi & Grill	3.5	56	406
141	94	Sinful Burger Sports Grill	3.5	55	405
142	154	Rice Bowl	3.5	54	404
143	172	Vietnamese Asian Restaurant	3.5	51	401
144	121	Benson Brewery	3.5	48	398
145	138	Sgt Peffers Cafe Italian	3.5	47	397
146	115	Guaca Maya	3.5	47	397
147	158	Wheatfields Eatery and Bakery	3.0	97	397
148	171	Three Happiness Express	3.5	46	396
149	117	Salt	3.5	46	396
150	159	Mama’s Pizza	3.5	46	396

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Neighborhoods

And what about that neighborhood thing? From the list above, I next needed to list which neighborhood each were in. (Luckily I could do this mostly from memory, which saved some time).

To do this, I had to decide which neighborhoods to use, and to keep it simple I originally used the Visit Omaha website and was going to use:

Downtown Omaha

20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east, and Leavenworth Street on the south to Cuming Street on the north.

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North Omaha

Cuming Street on the south, Read Street on the north, 72nd Street to the west, and East Omaha and Carter Lake, Iowa to the east

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East Omaha

The Missouri River on the east, the Carter Lake and Carter Lake, Iowa on the south, and Florence Boulevard from Jaynes Street north to Read Street on the west.

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South Omaha

Dodge Street on the north, Harrison Street on the south, the Missouri River on the east, and 72nd Street on the west

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Midtown Omaha

Cuming Street on the north, Center Street on the south, 24th Street on the east, and Saddle Creek Road on the west.

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West Omaha

Traditionally all areas of Omaha west of 72nd Street, but by the early 21st century 72nd Street to I-680 is often considered Central Omaha

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But that seemed too simplistic, plus the definitions were a little arbitrary and up for debate. So, I decided it'd be much more fun to just make a big Google Map of these restaurants and let people decide for themselves. It's kind of a toss-up depending on where you draw the boundaries. Enjoy!

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For the Love of Food... Truck!

I've had this place on my radar since the OWH article back in May, and just today found the time (on a Saturday) for a visit!

Driving all the way to Bellevue to hit up this truck felt a bit like a road trip, but I had a hankering for watermelon and some time to kill.

It also felt a little wrong going to Bellevue and not going to Stella's, but this was still well worth the trip in and of itself.

Since the truck is located in - what else - an O'Reilly Auto Parts parking lot, I stopped in the store to purchase a couple replacement bulbs for my car before lunchtime... Win, win!

Plenty of parking (lot).

I already had my eye on the Green Chile Smoked Cheddar pasta from yesterday, and it was still on the menu but did spend some time waffling between it and the other two items du jour (Carnitas Pulled Pork Burrito and Playa del Carmen Beach Brat), before I want for it, with the encouragement of the staff.

Today's menu-board

Plus, of course, the watermelon salad. Apparently there was a honey-mint version previously available that  sold out... but who cares, I had zeroed in on the Lime Chile Tamarind variety already. (Sensing a theme here?)

Note that if it's your first visit, the super friendly folks inside the truck will also offer you a free beverage (at least they did today!)

And though there were several tent-covered tables available for onsite seating, I opted to take my order to go. So I sipped my cold complementary cream soda in the shade of the truck canopy and waited...

It came up in pretty short order, and I was on my way (after taking pictures of course)!

Green Chile Smoked Cheddar Pasta w Grilled Chicken

Lime Chile Tamarind Watermelon Salad

Everything made the trip home nicely. The chicken stayed hot and the watermelon cool - though I did pop it in the refrigerator at home while I noshed on the pasta, which was a pretty perfect summertime dish. Hard to achieve with pasta.

I'm easy to please when it comes to watermelon, but this was something to write home about. Or maybe to make at home. Either way, I was happy. A bit of spice, plenty of sweetness a hint of citrus and that weird but wonderful tamarind flavor.

Now let's talk about value. This place has it.

The watermelon was only $2. So next time I'll probably get both flavors. Though honestly I'm such a fiend I'd probably get 5 orders if they had that many varieties.

And the $8 pasta was enough for two people. Cheesy macaroni topped with plentiful chicken and tons of summer veggies... green beans, mushrooms, squash, zucchini, peppers... It filled the entire to go container and weighed in at over 2 pounds (yes, I busted out the kitchen scale to check). I really enjoyed it as-is, though it was even better with the Cholula hot sauce I had at home.

Now I have both a full tummy and a half a container of pasta to eat later!

Nicely done, FTLoFT. I'm looking forward to my next visit - and maybe coming up with a new acronym. Based on the other delicious things they've been posting on their Facebook page, that next visit won't come soon enough, but I'm happy to have found another solid food truck option.

For the Love of Food Truck on Yelp

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Tour de Taco (2014)

2012 - Tour de Taco

Let's travel back in time a couple years to 2012... this was back in the dark ages of Yelp Omaha, before we had a community manager or Events page and had to plan everything through the Talk Boards. 

This idea was fueled by meat and drinks at 801 Chophouse. So why not swing all the way to the other end of the spectrum and spend a day eating a belly's worth of value in South Omaha? Props to Matt M. for the name too!

Our first tour took place on Saturday, July 7th, 2012 and there were t-shirts and everything.

Locations included:

Sam's Leon Mexican Supplies - yelp.com/biz/sams-leon-m…
Taqueria Tiiuana - yelp.com/biz/taqueria-ti…
Tacos el Peligro - yelp.com/biz/tacos-el-pe…
Taqueria El Paisa - yelp.com/biz/taqueria-el…
Don Gaby's Restaurant - yelp.com/biz/don-gabys-r…
Paleteria & Restaurant San Luis - yelp.com/biz/paleteria-a…

We walked to them all (map here) except TT, which was sadly closed, and I was ridiculously full afterwards. - Then I went on a patio ride! (Note to Patio Ride Omaha, a taco tour would possibly be a good investment if they ever expand out of downtown). 

Taqueria Tijuana was closed

We were sad about that.

This was also the day I first was introduced to Horchata! A day that changed my life... thanks Aimee P! This year was also my first ever trip to International Bakery. Another place you just kind of have to go with the flow at... nothing is labeled, and they have a huge variety from jalapeno-cream-cheese filled pastries to regular 'ol sprinkle donuts (and nearly everything in between). Though note: "International" doesn't mean you'll be finding any macaroons here. Read up on your Mexican pastry (or Pan Dulce / sweet breads) here:
http://www.pinedasbakery.com/mexican-bakery-glossary.html
or
http://andrejabrulc.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/mexico-project-mexican-cuisine-pan-dulce-sweet-bread/

But basically, just grab some tongs and a tray. Load up and enjoy.

All in all, we had such a great time, another tour was planned for shortly thereafter. 

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Taco Tour - Redux

A little over a month later on August 18th we were at it again. This time, we started at Taqueria Tijuana (who by this time had their electrical issue / fire repairs completed), then headed back to two favorites from the previous tour (Taqueria el Paisa and Tacos el Peligro) and rounded out at Jalapeno!

No pictures of this one, but I did go get a tattoo right after (plus a bonus black squirrel)!

Squirrel logo tattoos are only $25 at Black Squirrel Tattoo

2013 - Tour de Taco

Our third tour... second annual, took place on July 13, 2013. 

We visited:

El Rancho - yelp.com/biz/el-rancho-omaha
Taqueria El Paisa - again, since this and el Peligro were my favorites
El Rinconcito - yelp.com/biz/el-rinconcito-omaha-2
Tacos el Peligro - again
Taqueria La Esmeralda - yelp.com/biz/taqueria-la-esmeralda-omaha (where I couldn't eat another bite and had to throw in the towel). 

This time I tried to eat all the chips.

And, of course, we stopped at International Bakery

2014 - Tour de Taco

And then suddenly it was 2014! This year's tour was hosted on the brand new Yelp Omaha Events Page, but the funny thing about that is that once an event has passed... it's like it never existed. (Or I just can't find it). But that's okay because this one is still relatively fresh in my memory since it only happened 3 weeks ago on July 12, 2014!

(Never-mind, I found the event listing after all... thanks Google!)

Oh this is also probably a good time to mention I have also written a taco primer for anyone thinking about orchestrating their own tour: saraheatsomaha.com/2014/…

So Here's What Went Down...

La Casita 

First stop on Tour de Taco is usually somewhere we can gather and wait out the stragglers. There were definitely some stragglers this time... (April R. I'm looking at you!) 

But no matter, we had plenty of time to peruse the menu, order food and then consider ordering more while I slugged down a large horchata. 

The problem with taco tour is what usually I get so excited that by the time we start ordering at the first place I usually over order. This is probably compounded by the fact that I try to eat a small breakfast on tour days - after the gym - so I'm typically ravenous at the first location also. 

I kept it in check and just ordered a couple tacos to start while I satiated myself on horchata. They also bring out a complimentary warm bean dip with chips here. Pretty nice! 

chips here were good, and salsa's are pretty spicy.

my staple Al Pastor and I think a Cachete

I'm going to write a more detailed review of La Casita since we've been back several times since the tour, so hang tight for more details on this place. It was definitely a winner for food, but not so much for friendliness.

Dos De Oros 

De Oros has two trucks, which led to some confusion on our part. Both are on 24th Street, but one is in the O'Reilley Autoparts parking lot at Vinton Street) and the other - the one listed on Yelp - is at G Street in the Envios de Dinero parking lot. You can see it on Google Streetview and everything.

This was an interesting stop for several reasons... first, it was super busy and on a busy street. Second, because this was the first time in my life I've met a quesadilla I didn't like (old grease explosion is how I'd describe it) and third, because when I went across the street to use the restroom I considered using the mens single-holer since there was someone in the women's... DON'T. That mens' restroom is one of those restrooms you may have nightmares about. (Probably best to either pee before you go, or just drive right on by here in general).

As you may have gathered, I wasn't enamored with the food. It was just kind of rough. Everything was a little too mushy and greasy, the Al pastor appeared to be topped with canned pineapple and even the shells weren't really palatable. The coke was good and cold though.

Waiting in line... keep a sharp ear to the food calling too.

Al pastor, is that you?

Mushy greasy meat... 

The coke was good.

Driveway Tacos (S 23rd St & N St)

On to the next stop, or so we thought. This was one of Matt M's finds, a husband a wife team who apparently make tacos in their driveway. The cart was there, and there was some kind of swap meet going on across the street... but no tacos could be found. Scratch that one off the list for now. 

That was the kind of hazard I was hoping to avoid on this tour, which after La Casita, was really all trucks or food of a similar mobility. Speaking of which...

Maria Bonita Foodtruck

In June I was in touch with Maria Bonita via their Facebook page. Truck #1 was otherwise occupied, but Truck #2 (aka Taste of Sabor) was available, as I was told. My directions were to text them and either find the truck or it would come to us.

Even though I did text and Facebook message, neither of those things happened. Scratch that. 

Interesting anecdote about the Taste of Sabor truck... I didn't know this was Maria Bonita until recently. So while I've still never had food from Truck #1, I have eaten from Truck #2 and I wasn't impressed.

Mariscos Los Willy's

I've already written a detailed review singing my praises of Willy's, so you can check that out here, follow them on Facebook here, add your own reviews on Yelp here, and generally we can all thank Dale L. for this because this place continues to knock it out of the park when it comes to seafood. Tostadas Mixtas and Fish Tacos, and I was a happy camper.

Tostadas Mixtas!

The crowd chowing down (some)... Love the canopies and tables. (and music).

Some were still ordering...

Nice variety of hot sauces available

Tacos de Pescado!

Restrooms are in this building to the East (customers only!)

International Bakery

Yes, we also went to International Bakery again. I do so love traditions.

pastries!

Helados Santa Fe

Apparently we were on a roll for sweets at the end of this year's Tour de Taco, so we audibled to Helados Santa Fe for a closer. I will say that if you don't mind moldy dank smells, feel free to enjoy your ice cream and pelatas inside. William G. and I ventured outdoors and commenced some kind of accidental speed eating competition to finish before our treats melted.

I enjoyed a paleta (think popsicle) of the pineapple-chile variety, and since this was also my first time having paletas... I see more of these in my future with all the interesting flavor options!

Here's what they have on tap here.

Paletas:

Arroz - Rice

Bolis

Chicle - Bubble Gum

Choco-Chip 

Coco - Coconut

Esquimales - Eskimos?

Fresa - Strawberry

Fresas c. Crema - Strawberry w. Cream

Frutas Secas - Dried Fruits?

Galleta - Cookie

Limon - Lemon

Mango c. Chile

Mango 

Mangonada

Melon

Nuez - Walnut

Pina - Pineapple

Pina c. Chile - Pineapple w. Chile

Sandia - Watermelon

Vainilla - three guesses on this one

Helados (Ice Cream):

Choco-Chip

Chongos - cinnamon and milk

Coco

Fresa

Fresas c. Crema

Fruitas Secas

Galleta

Gansito - a Mexican snack cake that's covered in chocolate and filled with strawberry & cream

Mango

Mantecado y Chocolate - Shortbread and Chocolate

Nuez

Rompope - Eggnog?

Vainilla

Zarzamora c. Queso - blackberry cheesecake?

More great informaiton on Helados here: http://www.thrillist.com/eat/chicago/avondale/the-weird-and-wonderful-flavors-of-mexican-ice-cream

Only after the fact did I remember that the OWH said this place had some kind of amazing 'bread ice cream'. Maybe that's the Mantecado y Chocolate? Maybe I can go back tomorrow?

Just writing this post has me all ready for tacos and pastries all over again! And the best part is that there are still places I haven't even tried yet. Onwards!

The exterior kind of gives you an indication of the upkeep on the interior...

Pretty cool signs greet you upon entry.

Feast your eyes on this!

Elote makes a good dessert too!

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