Finally, Nick and I got to experience Rick Bayless’ popular new, (more affordable) Mexican eatery XOCO for brunch (Pronounced Sho-Co)!
I have been dying to experience Rick’s take on (non-burrito) Mexican cuisine, and to try to figure out THE top chef masters’ culinary magic.
On a Saturday at 12:30 (brunch time), the wait was around 45 minutes. Nick and I stood in line the whole time watching the chefs cook in open kitchen beside us and pretending to ignore our growling tummies. Near the windows, Rick Bayless had thoughtfully put up some cook books of his as if he anticipated our wait would happen. There were also 3 blackboards with the exact same message in case you miss the first 2. Bravo.
Not so thoughtful: There was only 1 cash register open (there were 2 total) and it literally took the whole 45 minutes to work through about 15 parties. I assume it was a combo of a small kitchen (1 little wood burning oven only!) that prevented too many chefs to be in the kitchen at once AND that people took their sweet time ordering.
They have an extensive menu or tortas (Mexican sandwiches) either oven-grilled or from the griddle. They also have soups served after 3pm and a mini selection of sides – a salad, chips and salsa or chips and guac. My favorite part is their list of desserts and hot chocolates! Their “bean-to-cup chocolates” are made from Mexican cacao beans ground on premises. I caught a picture of the churning chocolate machine…smells so good when you’re hungry.
Thoughtful: A fountain of complimentary water AND another tap of sparkling water!
We were seated after ordering – something I appreciate is not having to fight over seats with other diners. Xoco has worked out a system where you order only after you get a place card from the server (they make sure you get one before you order!).
We started off with Guacamole and Chips at $4. If you want salsa, you gotta order it separately. Yes, you’re charged for it separately too!
Tastiness: A! for how crunchy the chips were and the lovely guac didn’t disappoint though it wasn’t a rock star. They were not greasy at all and not overly salted (a pitfall for many Mexican places). The guacamole was fresh, creamy, smooth, delicious, but not so much better than chipotle’s or Adobo Grill. I actually think it tasted better when I added the Rick Bayless brand of hot sauce sitting on the table. I would highly recommend you do so too!
For my main, I went for the Gunthrop Chicken $8.50 – Wood-roasted red chile chicken pickled white onions, black beans, avocado, tomatillo salsa.
Tastiness: B+. I thought after reading the ingredients this would be a smoky, bold flavorful sandwich…which is wasn’t quite. It looks great however and I did love the toasted crunchy crusty bread (except one might say that it is REALLY dry without sauce.) In general, the seasonings seemed to be lacking in many of the torta ingredients! I wasn’t a fan of the pickled onions because they didn’t add much flavor (surprisingly! I love onions and I like pickled vegetables!). I was really disappointed that the chicken was a little greasy didn’t have more flavor. The avocado was ripe and creamy and there were less black beans than I had liked.. I ended up dipping my sandwich into Nick’s tomato broth to soften the bread and give it more flavor. The salsa went better with the chips! (I feel like I’m going to get beaten up for writing this.)
Nick went for the Ahogada $9.50 – Golden pork carnitas, black beans, tomato broth, spicy arbol chile sauce, pickled onions
Tastiness: B. Nick’s biggest complaint was that the bread got WAY too soggy soaking in the soup. It would be smart to serve this torta with a plate on the side so diners can remove the sandwich from soaking while they eat the other half. The flavors were good, but I felt the pork was a little gamey. I was a sucker for the presentation though.
For dessert, Xoco is actually so thoughtful as to bring the chocolate and churros hot to the table if you ordered it! You have to remember to ask for it when they take your plates away though.
To end our meal, Nick and I picked the Aztec Hot Chocolate $2.50 – Fresh-ground chocolate + water + chile + all spice. I was so excited about it I knocked the cup and some precious cocoa spilled onto the table 😦
Tastiness: A. This isn’t your traditional creamy rich hot chocolate. Instead, it is literally semi-sweet cocoa powder with hot water kicked up with some spice. I loved the bitterness of the drink and thought it went perfectly with the churros. I didn’t miss milk or creaminess in this at all! It’s a perfect drink to end a meal. Slightly sweet without overdoing it, comforting on the stomach and the taste buds.
And of course, the famous CHURROS!!! They deserve cap locks because these were the best churros I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. Never mind how authentic they are. For $3, you get 3 piping hot churros!
Tastiness: A. I wouldn’t consider myself a huge churro lover, but I enjoy them from time to time when I’m reliving my childhood at an amusement part. Rick’s churros are churros to be remembered. These had a cakey, moist, soft interior that melts in your mouth, which is contrasted by the perfect crunch that makes up the crust of the churro. I have to admit there was a little bit of a sugar overdose, and there was a tad too much grease on the inside, but this is a treat worth indulging in! Without the hot chocolate, this dish would have been too sweet and rich, but with the drink’s semi-sweet and bitterness, they complimented one another PERFECTLY.
Needless to say, we were fans of dessert (somewhere we rarely order when eating out!)
RATINGS:
Taste: 4/5 (Entrees not a wowser, but desserts definitely worth checking out)
Originality: 4/5 (You have your usual Mexican fare, but the combinations of sandwiches and the selection of desserts and drinks makes Xoco a unique restaurant)
Plating: 3/5 (Nothing fancy but clean and new. No complaints here)
Value: 4/5 (A filling multi-course meal that was hearty but didn’t cause too much damage to the wallet. Definitely nowhere near as pricey as Rick’s Topalobampo or Frontera Grill)
Service: 3/5. (Not amazing, but there was order in an otherwise could-have-been chaotic qeueing system. Definitely did NOT like the single cash register system though. That could take some re-engineering!)
Overall: It was a really fun, casual restaurant with some unique foods and great dessert! I wouldn’t be up for another 45 minute wait for the sandwiches, but the churros and hot chocolate are something to be remembered! Totally worth coming to if you can come on a day with a smaller crowd or you don’t mind the wait!
That looks like such a fun restaurant. I’d feel so honored to eat a Top Chef’s food but at a cheaper price than the alternatives.
That restaurant is a great idea- like a more toned down version of a fancy top chef place! I agree they need to work on the whole wait, cash register biznass! Your reviews are so in depth and detailed i’m obsessseedddd 🙂 ha and then drooling over it cuz it sounds soo good! I’ve had authentic churros (more like doughy, hot doughnuts) with hot chocolate in spain- omg to die for!!!!
Have a great week M, can’t wait for your next foodie review!!!! xoxox
The chocolate machine looks awesome! So do the churros–I don’t think I’ve ever had those. Looks like a fun restaurant 🙂
JEALOUS!!! I haven’t been to Xoco yet, but man is Frontera amazing…
OMG I love your reviews. I tried to comment on your kefir post but things were being glitchey for me. Anyway, as a former Chicago girl, I have to say , I wish I could go to Rick’s restaurant w/ you now. But I’m in AZ. Sister is in Lincoln Park and hub’s family all still in NW burbs.
Kefir. Make your own on your countertop for like 4 bucks. No work whatsoever
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2009/09/coconut-milk-kefir.html
I am LOVING this place!!! How unique and fresh the food looks and what a posh vibe. Organic, Healthy, Mexican? Now that is a place to wait 45min in line for! 🙂
Oh the Name is so interesting – why not just call itself XOXO ? :-))))
This place is really unique, I love that cute little blackboard and their chocolate pot — they are fancy!!! Guacamole and Chips now looks pretty healthy too 😛
your reviews always read so much fun ! thanks!
btw those CHURROS are so so dessert type . they must be really a sweet ending.
I LOOOOOOOOOOVE Rick Bayless. Seriously he would be on my list of people to put in my pocket and take with me everywhere…or just when I want a good meal. Weird? maybe but not haha
Churros for real remind me of Costco. When I was younger we used to be bribed with churros at Costco if we behaved hahaha. nice Deej.
glad you had a good time and what’s the deal with the HUGE brunch waiting time in Chi! not cool
WOWOWOW this place looks so great!!! Chocolate machine!? The last time I had a churro it was filled with caramel YUM
Oh yayyyy thank you SO much for this review! haha I wish you’d called me to let me know you were going. Johnny and I want to go so badly, we were going to go my birthday week, but it slipped away. J LOVES Rick, esp. so much more since he won Top Chef masters. We’re working our way through his “One Plate at a Time” show on DVDs right now, we watch an episode on a night where there’s nothing on TV or before we go to bed.
I had no idea it was walk up and order. I would have been totally shocked going there w/o knowing that first. I have this odd apprehension of ordering off the wall. It bugs the crap out of me, I much prefer a menu and to sit and browse instead of a panicked decision while the cashier hovers her fingers over the buttons. haha Now that I’m prepared ahead of time, I know!!
I love your restaurant reviews 😀
Oh my…do those churros look amazing or what?!? As does the hot chocolate 😀
❤ jess
xoxo
you lucky, lucky duck!!! Sounds amzing!!! I love Rick Bayless, and his creations are always fabulous!
This place looks good–love the idea of a sparkling water foundtain and the fresh made cacao. But the chips and salsa deal seems like a bit of a rip!
However, any place that serves churros automatically gets at least 3 stars in my book! 😉
ooh look at those churros! i love splitting a churro with my mom every once in a while at costco. cinnamon/sugar, match made in heaven 🙂
All that food looks amazing! I am so jealous that you have soo many awesome places to eat around you–we have only the basics. Boo!
YUM!! those churros looks so delicious. It’s been so long since I had one of those. And, the golden pork carnitas are making me drool over here!
Oh my goodness, why don’t I live in Chicago??? The churros, hot chocolate, chips, and chewy bread sounds amazing! I don’t like super sweet and creamy hot chocolate either. Spicy hot is more my style 🙂 I also appreciate where these people get their food as well!
What an awesome meal! While living in Houston for two years, I got a tad spoiled by the authentic Mexican fare. I’m thrilled to be back in Boston, but man do I miss some of the food down there!
My husband and I went to Topolobampo for the first time last week. It was easily the best meal I’ve ever had!
Can’t wait to try out this place. Thanks for the review.
OMG! You went, you went! I’m so jealous 🙂 That hot chocolate and those churros definitely look AH-mazing. You and I must have a date there some day — capeish?!