Maxwell's Rubi’s and Manolo’s: What’s the Difference?

Maxwell's Rubi’s and Manolo’s: What’s the Difference?

Rubi’s and Manolo’s share conjoined tents at Maxwell Street: Rubi’s to the south, Manolo’s to the north. They both make their tortillas on-the-spot and they both grill their meat in what seems to be the same way. Their menus are virtually the same. Here’s Rubi’s (with all pix, click to enlarge):



And here’s Manolo’s.



For the sharp of eye, you can see that Manolo’s is less expensive by a considerable factor: for instance, $1.50 for a carne asada taco vs. $2.50.

So today, The Wife and I did a back-to-back tasting. Wouldn’t you know it, the cheaper Manolo’s came out ahead by a hair (“Better seasoning,” quipped The Wife, “though it could be just more salt.”)

Anyhow, the comparison is so close, that for the foreseeable future, my choice will be Manolo’s, which also has the signal advantage of being home to the Masa Madonna (I could not snap Her image, her countenance was fierce, her holiness inviolate, her concentration focused on but one thing: the perfection of the tortilla, hecho a mano).

Incidentally, the strawberry tamales at Oaxaca Tamal are using a different forumulation (much less synthetic and containing chunks of strawberry).

Big bargains on the street today: 11 pounds of Peruvian asparagus for $5.00 and 40 Fuji apples for $7.00 at the spread-out place just north of Roosevelt:



The Wife also bought some smoked paprika (about 4 bucks for 4 ounces) from The Spice Lady, who today was accompanied by Son of Spice:



For bargain tamales, and really very good ones at that, I recommend the nameless place between Taylor and Roosevelt, usually on the east side of the street, in hoc signo vinces:



Never a market so real…and today was transcendental (or maybe I was still hallucinating from an earlier 10K run).

Hey, we ate at Rubi's today. We had a very pleasant day at the market with Sdritz and family. Kinda a greatest hits for me 'cause it was Suzy's maiden.

- rico huarche sin y con asada (but I forgot to get it bandera)

- rico mixed coctail from same place

- birria de res plus a big cup o' soup from the kings of Ocotolan (no joke)

- elotes

- steak and cheese quesadilla, lengua taco and pork en green mole, Rubi's

- churros

I did get a few things new for me. At the elote place, one also known for its empanda de rice puddin', they made a big stack of fresh tortillas, and they could be had with either pork en mole de Teloapan or chicharron con salsa verde. I opted for the former, and it was a greasy, intense mole on top of an excellent tortilla.

Also, at Green House, which "everyone" seems to mostly ignore, we got made in front of us enchiladsa (true enchiladas being chile soaked tortillas around gooey cheese--they nicely comped the kidz an order when they saw them watching with goo-goo eyes), and also a fresh made huarache, a different huarache from above, this one was like an oblong masa canoe, filled media y media with zuchinni blosson flowers and nopales. The Condiment Queen scarfed it down.

Finally, some smooth Italian ices made with genuine wierd Mexican food dye.

I gotta say, the eating was a bit better today than yesterday's beefathon.

Rob

Struggled with which thread to post this in, so mods, please move to it's appropriate place if this isn't it. I was on a taco kick this weekend and no better time to hit Maxwell St. than at 8:30am when it's 40 degrees and raining. Rubi's habañero/onion mix and heat lamp kept me warm inside and out. Fresh hand pressed to order corn tortillas, an ample portion of al pastor, and no line made a great breakfast to start the day. The tacos have increased in price from my last visit to $3 each; Manolo's has also matched the $3 price.

I recently joined Instagram, largely to follow some people and places that are only on Instagram. (Ramen Lord and Tasting India are two examples.) Somewhere along the way, I added Rubi's Maxwell Street. They are doing tacos for pick up on Tuesdays in Albany Park and in Pilsen on Sundays. Thursday is pozole day. I ordered a pozole blanco and a pozole verde, which will be dinner tonight. They also offer taquitos dorados de papa (2 for $1). These fried tortillas filled with potato (and possibly chorizo?) were a perfect snack for the drive home. (don't tell Mr. X!)

I'll report back with the pozole tasting.

https://www.instagram.com/rubis_maxwellst/?hl=en

https://cashdrop.biz/rubisyesyesyes

The GP wrote:I recently joined Instagram, largely to follow some people and places that are only on Instagram. (Ramen Lord and Tasting India are two examples.) Somewhere along the way, I added Rubi's Maxwell Street. They are doing tacos for pick up on Tuesdays in Albany Park and in Pilsen on Sundays. Thursday is pozole day. I ordered a pozole blanco and a pozole verde, which will be dinner tonight. They also offer taquitos dorados de papa (2 for $1). These fried tortillas filled with potato (and possibly chorizo?) were a perfect snack for the drive home. (don't tell Mr. X!)

I'll report back with the pozole tasting.

https://www.instagram.com/rubis_maxwellst/?hl=en

https://cashdrop.biz/rubisyesyesyes

I've done the Rubi's tacos and they were good! Tacos were huge!

The pozole from Rubi's was great. We liked both types with a slight edge to the verde. They were very accommodating to my request to change the pick-up time from 5 PM to 1 PM.

Seems the best place to put this and will cross post in O&C. Rubi's of Maxwell Street is now Rubi's in Pilsen. They open tomorrow at 1316 W 18th Street.

Review: After 25 years, Rubi’s Tacos finally has a permanent home for one of Chicago’s best tacos.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/r ... story.html