Blue Taco

So to start off, I have to say I struggled to pick out a restaurant this week. I was looking for some food on a budget that was local and out of the box. I only had an hour to go get lunch and $30 to spend on food; but what kind of food? It was like I was having the typical "well where do you want to eat?" dispute with my significant other, but it was just me internally arguing with myself over Mexican or Italian food. I scrolled through Yelp for a solid 20 minutes until finally deciding on Blue Taco. Mexican food had won today.

Although located right next to St. Francis's downtown campus, it was actually a bit hard to find. Google Maps and Yelp list different locations for the eatery and there is no distinguishable sign on the building. Inside it looks like a 10 year old picked out the color scheme and definitely was not what I was expecting, including the lack of customers... I quietly reviewed the menu near the counter and waited for somebody to take my order. Somebody? Anybody? I started to question leaving, where they even open? After about a five minute wait somebody finally came to take my order.

This week I decided to indulge in an elote rice bowl, with three tacos, each as exciting as the last. As I went to pay, the person taking my order exclaimed "That's a lot of food, I know you're taking this to go. No way you're eating it all!" Nope actually I was not, but I guess I am now. Rather than get offended, I was more-so surprised that this was my first time getting this response, considering how frequently I got out to eat. In my defense, I did underestimate just how huge this "bowl" was going to be. I think my brain has become conditioned to the Chipotle burrito bowl world we live in, to expect just that.

This elote "bowl" was GIGANTIC. It was full to go container filled to the brim with rice, lettuce, grilled chicken, corn, butter, lime, Parmesan, and sweet chile. I think that the addition of chicken was a mistake as I didn't ask for any, but nonetheless, it was a pleasant surprise. The rice and corn were cooked perfectly and overall everything tasted amazing. Each element of the bowl worked perfectly together and could easily compete with Chipotle. Especially at $7.50 a bowl, you're getting the more bang for your buck with this option.

To start the pork belly taco had quite a punch of flavor, deeply saturated with sweet pineapple juice, with red onion and peppers to give a little heat. I would have preferred fresh pineapple over canned as it would have detracted from the syrupy canned flavor and overall given the taco that essentially sour pineapple taste.

The next taco, the Caribbean chicken taco was my least favorite overall. Mangoes are entirely unappealing to me unless they’re mixed in some sugary smoothie. The taste, the texture; everything! Although I appreciated the freshness of the mangoes they used, the mango salsa did not work for me at all. Without the salsa, it would have been much better.

Last was the Cajun taco, by far the best taco I’ve EVER had. Although looking like a regular street taco (except with the addition of lettuce), the smokey flavor that you get biting into the chicken was otherworldly! Now, if you take anything away from this post, it should be that this taco needs to be on your food bucket list!

To sum it up, if you're looking for a place that's cheap, has great food, and located in a lively downtown area, this is the perfect spot. Although it may not seem like much from the outside, this place is full of funky creations so you are bound to find something you like.10/10 would revisit. Blue Taco is located at 79 N Chicago St, Joliet, IL 60432 and the menu can be found here.

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FOOD RATING: 9.5/10

PRICE RATING: 10/10

ATMOSPHERE RATING: 6/10