Darren72 wrote:I had an excellent lunch at Martinez Taco Store in Kankakee last week. I picked it randomly from the handful of Mexican restaurants in town and was not expecting much when I saw that the large lunch buffet. But looks can be deceiving: while the buffet had a couple of boring American-Mexican staples, most of it the offerings were interesting and flavorful. (I wish I had pictures and proper names for the dishes.) There were three soups - a green chicken pozole, a red pork pozole, and a second rich pork soup with slices of skin. One of my favorite bites was a red chile cabbage salad. There were a handful of braised meat dishes as well that were excellent. Overall, a great lunch. (And like $8!)
From their Facebook page, it looks like they also have a taco stand at their local farmers market.
Martinez Taco Store
322 E Station St, Kankakee, IL 60901
(815) 939-7817
https://es-es.facebook.com/MartinezTacos
Hi,
After years of talking of meeting for lunch halfway between our homes, my family and I had lunch on a Sunday at Martinez Taco Store. Other places under consideration was:
- Jimmy Jo's BBQ, but it was closed on Sunday,
- Blue’s Café sounded great if it were earlier in the day, but I doubt they would have tolerated a table that lingered when others waited for a table.
- Monical's Pizza open on Sunday.
- Did not really seriously consider Jaenicke’s Root Beer Stand for two reasons: I have had their hot dog before and it is a style you had to grow up with to appreciate. I did not drive that far to eat and leave so quickly. If I was by myself, I might be willing to revisit.
- Annie's Eggrolls and Bier Stube (near Peotone) highlighted in this thread are closed. Missing both when they were both still in business was disappointing, because they both looked terrific.
The northern group arrived 45 minutes before the southern. The restaurant had no patrons present, though it had a steady take-out business. The buffet tables were visible in the rear. The waitress advised they have not resumed buffet service since the pandemic.
We politely waited until Mom just was ready to eat the wallpaper. We order steak quesadillas for Mom and two elote for the table. Mom's quesadillas were plump, crispy, cheesey and declared delicious. The elote was the styrofoam cup version, better than most, and my sister's first ever.
When everyone else arrived, then we ordered the balance of our meal:
- I had a chimichunga with al pastor. I have rarely ordered this and was surprised by the presentation (probably related to my being uninformed): crispy chimichunga with the plate arrayed by shredded lettuce, chopped onions and queso fresco. I cut the chimichunga in half to allow eating by hand, then added the condiments at the open tip and taking a bite. I enjoyed.
- An omelette, but no meat and other stuff was declined, so it was onions, cheese, and eggs plus some tortillas. Recipient was not thrilled, but I think it was an issue of ordering.
- Guacamole, which I never tasted until the end was under seasoned and no sense of lime or salt. If I had sampled it earlier, I would have amended it. Nobody complained, so what do I know?
- An array of tacos: chicken, al pastor, beef and chorizo.
- Flautas with chicken, rolled and deep fried. Topped with sour cream, lettuce, tomato, potatoes, carrot and cheese. From reading the menu, it sort of suggested nachos type presentation. This recipient is a rather fussy eater, so no idea from her feedback whether it was good or not.
Glad Darren highlighted this place and took a random chance, it is so much appreciated.
Regards,
Cathy2