El Jardin brings popular urban cantina to Lake Zurich
El Jardin sits on a busy corner in Lake Zurich, but you can't tell from the inside. The sound of the road never pierces the lively, colorful restaurant. In the summer, there's an outdoor patio, but in the colder months guests can choose to sit by the full bar or in the main dining room. The suburban outpost of the popular Wrigleyville cantina boasts a specialty margarita menu in addition to a huge tequila list, large wine and beer menu, and decently sized cocktail offerings. The restaurant's specialty is carne asada, a grilled skirt steak. There's also traditional Mexican food (burritos, tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, and so on) plus a selection of seafood, as well as tortilla soup and a dinner-size taco salad.
When we walked into the restaurant, we were greeted by an incredibly friendly staff and seated at a table with chips served in an adorable mini fryer basket. The chips come with spicy salsa that has a great flavor but was a little too hot for me. Be careful if you eat all of it though — the menu says in tiny print that the first serving of chips and salsa is free, but refills cost a $1 each.
We ordered the queso fundido with chorizo for our appetizer. Overall it had a good flavor, but it wasn't much more than a ton of chorizo with a layer of melted cheese on top that wasn't really melty anymore. It seemed like it had been sitting for a while and the top layer somewhat solidified. It came with flour tortillas and tasted reminiscent of a mild adobo seasoning. Other appetizers on the menu include jalapeño poppers, chicken wings, guacamole, a shrimp cocktail and ceviche.
For our entrees, we ordered the steak fajita super burrito with tomato sauce and chorizo enchiladas with mole sauce. All the entrees come with your choice of six sauces: chili ancho, chili verde, tomato, mole, diablo and ranchero. If you're like me and not a huge fan of spicy, beware. Only two sauces are mild, the mole and tomato.
My best piece of advice for El Jardin diners is to read the menu carefully. I made the mistake of glossing over some important details about my burrito, like the fact that everything that's usually served on the side — guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, tomato; all that good stuff — was stuffed into the burrito itself before it was cooked. I have a fundamental problem with mushy tomatoes and wilted lettuce, so I couldn't eat the giant burrito and sent it back after only a few bites. In addition, the menu mentioned I would have a choice of black or pinto beans, and I didn't. Our waiter, Jason, handled the situation with grace though, and took the meal off our bill.
The table next to us ordered the fajitas, and I am definitely going to come back for those — they looked and smelled delicious and came out sizzling loud enough for everyone in the room to turn and watch. I was jealous! Flautas are another favorite that I might try on a trip back.
The enchiladas were another victim of our not reading the menu closely enough — we assumed it would come with side garnishes, like beans, sour cream, lettuce and rice. But it didn't come with anything. Aside from that, the chorizo was slightly spicy and very good quality, and the mole sauce was delightful. We paid extra for a side of refried beans to go with the enchiladas, and they were a pleasant surprise. A robust, smoky flavor hits you all at once in your first bite and you'll find yourself eating the whole dish without even thinking.
We ordered two desserts and were glad we did. The flan had almost a cheesecake texture — dense and caramely, and quite good. My favorite thing at the restaurant was the second dessert: homemade cinnamon churros. They were warm and crunchy on the outside, and even warmer on the inside. The doughy goodness pocketed inside practically dissolved with every bite. Ridges held an ample amount of cinnamon sugar. It was like an incredibly fresh, perfectly toasted cinnamon funnel cake.
By the time we finished and left, the restaurant had filled up almost completely. Be sure to get there early, as they don't take reservations.
• Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.
El Jardin
500 Ela Road, Lake Zurich, (847) 847-1081, <a href="http://eljardin-norte-lakezurich.com/">eljardin-norte-lakezurich.com/</a>
<b>Cuisine:</b> Mexican
<b>Setting:</b> Casual cantina
<b>Entrees:</b> $10-$24
<b>Hours:</b> 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday