Author and Photographer: Cate Weiser

Big Star Tacos is tucked away on a side street in Wicker Park. A friend and I visited the area for a vintage festival, and we decided to stop by Big Star for a late lunch. The restaurant describes itself as a “honky-tonk” place with a new take on authentic Mexican street food, and they did not disappoint.

We were lucky enough to have a wonderfully warm and sunny day, so we opted to dine outside. The environment was lively, with lots of families around for Sunday brunch. If I turned in my chair, I could look through the restaurant window and see back into their kitchen, which adds a nice level of connection between diners and chefs.

Starters

The first thing we ordered was the chips and salsa platter with an added side of guacamole. The platter comes with chipotle salsa and salsa verde, which are the perfect pair, though I did wish that pico de gallo was included as a third salsa. Normally I am not one for a salsa verde, but Big Star’s was delicious — the spiciness was never overwhelmed by the other flavors in the salsa. The chips were classic; nothing particularly special, but they are the classic and typical vehicle for salsas and guacamole. Their guacamole had shredded radishes and parsley sprinkled on top, which added a spectacular punch as well as being very visually appealing. The platter also came with free refills, which was a nice surprise.

Drinks

I never thought I would rave about a drink, but I ordered one limeade and then another. It was the perfect blend of flavors. Not too sweet and not too sour. It was so refreshing that I have to recommend this drink to anyone who visits Big Star.

Mains

For our main course, we ordered a taco platter to share. You can select any combination of tacos — they are all individually priced. We ordered two Barbacoa, one Pollo, one Al Pastor, and one Panza — beef, chicken, and two pork tacos, respectively. My friend was kind enough to let me take a small bite of theirs, so I was able to try them all. Normally, I am not a pork person, but the Panza taco surprised me; the pork belly was crispy enough to add a surprising crunch, and it paired well with the tomato-guajillo salsa it was dressed with. The Al Pastor and the Pollo tacos were relatively standard for me, though the pickled red onions on the Pollo taco added a nice touch. The Barbacoa taco was my absolute favorite — it has been a few days since we visited Big Star, and I have literally been dreaming about this taco. The first bite was mostly refried beans, and they were the best I have tasted. The spices added were immaculate, and the ratio of refried beans to the rest of the taco was ideal. The beef was braised to perfection and was wonderfully juicy. The taco also had an ancho salsa that tied the whole thing together.

Conclusions

I would absolutely recommend Big Star to anyone visiting Wicker Park. Everything was phenomenal and relatively reasonably priced — especially as a college student. The waitstaff was kind, and the environment made me really feel like summer was coming. Make sure to stop by the next time you are in Wicker Park!