Great Tacos: Tortilleria Y Taqueria Near Ruby St. Gets It Right

JOLIET, IL — Tacos Tuesdays. Who doesn't love Taco Tuesdays? The last time I wrote about an authentic Mexican restaurant in Joliet, the leaves were still on the trees and I was able to enjoy my meal sitting outside. On Tuesday, I visited a place I've never been before. It's along one of my favorite restaurant roads in all of Joliet, Ruby Street.

Tortilleria y Taqueria occupies the two-story brick building at the corner of Ruby and Kelly. It's address is 805 South Kelly Ave. You've probably driven past it thousands of times and didn't realize it existed.

Tortilleria y Taqueria opened three years ago right next to Thayer Brothers Deli, one of Joliet's most endearing restaurants.

Nowadays, fewer and fewer local restaurants offer $1 tacos for Taco Tuesdays, but Tortilleria y Taqueria does.

I visited around 2 p.m. and selected a half-dozen different tacos to bring home to my family for an afternoon snack. Even though I stopped by after the lunch rush, it was still pretty busy.

The Taco Tuesday lineup includes:

• Asada / Steak
• Pastor / Seasoned Pork
• Pollo a la Mexicana / Shredded Chicken
• Chorizó / Mexican Sausage
• Carnitas / Fried Pork
• Barbacoa / Beef
• Chicharrón Verde y Rojo / Pork Rinds in Green or Red Sauce

My favorite tacos were the Asada and the Pastor. Lime wedges provided with each order brought out the flavor. And for extra zing, the two hot sauces hit the spot.

The green sauce was milder, but bright in flavor. The reddish orange sauce was fiery.

All the tacos were topped simply with fresh cilantro and onions.

But the star of this show were the fresh, handmade tortillas. The Tortilleria y Taqueria Facebook page includes many videos and photos showing their tortillas being made in-house daily.

If you're not in the mood for tacos, the menu includes burritos, huraches, tortas, gorditas and quesadillas. They also sell fresh tamales by the dozen.

I do have one regret, and it's a big one. While I was waiting for my takeout order, I noticed a large batch of chicharron. I didn't know what they were at the time, but my wife later pointed out the obvious: these were pork rinds.

Now, it looks like I'll be making another trip back to Tortilleria y Taqueria in the near future. Who doesn't like fresh pork rinds?

Tortilleria y Taqueria is open daily for carryout from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The restaurant phone is 779-379-5233. There's a parking lot available across the street along Kelly.

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