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Chilacates
There are plenty of places to go for tacos and burritos these days. But there's only one Socrates Abreu.
Socrates Abreu: "Everyone is here is like family and that's the way I feed my family. So I'm not going to feed anyone else any other way."
Socrates is the heart and soul behind Chilacates, a casual, quick-service spot in Jamaica Plain.
Socrates Abreu: "Chilacates, It's a family Mexican street food restaurant. The background is about 2010, my wife and I, my family, we went down to my brother's wedding. It was in Sonora, Mexico. We just started seeing the food and the way they cooked and the way they served everything, and how flavorful and good it was and we decided that we could bring that flavor to the states. We want them to feel a little bit of Mexico, but a little bit of us."
Socrates is a fun and friendly kind of guy. So much so, that he can't help but say hello to his customers, even during an interview.
Socrates Abreu: "Haven't seen you a while!"
So, Chilacates is a place for new flavors, and old friends.
Socrates Abreu: "Call me, you have my number!"
And it's not just a cliche, customers here really are treated like family.
Socrates Abreu: "Take care!"
So, aside from the friendliness, what exactly makes Chilacates stand out from the all the other taquerias out there? It all comes down to one thing: their obsession with freshness.
Socrates Abreu: "We keep all our ingredients as authentic as we can. We do everything fresh, we don't do anything from cans or anthing like that. We don't use frozen avocados, anything like that. There's not one day we don't go food shopping. So we don't keep a freezer, so that way, we're buying fresh every day. This location, we're here at 7 in the morning. Our first location, we're there 5 in the morning. We don't open until 11. So we're doing everything from scratch. We're making our refried beans, black beans, we're making our rice. We're chopping all of our vegetables, we're making our tortillas daily. There's not one thing, one sauce that you won't eat, that's not made by us."
So, the tacos are served on corn tortillas that are mixed and grilled in small batches throughout the day. And that makes all the difference.
Socrates Abreu: "It sounds corny, but it's just the love brother! If you don't cook with love, you don't cook with passion into it. And just buying the tortilla, it just so easy, it's simple. Once you put that extra love, man, that's what makes it better. A taco is a treat, man. They make you happy. You're able to taste so many different flavors and not get full. So it's that, us as Americans, we love eating with our hands. Hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza. So it's something you can just grab, eat it, and really it's healthy."
Yup, you heard that right. Apparently, TACOS ARE HEALTHY! He said that right??? Let's hear that again.
Socrates Abreu: "...and really it's healthy."
Sweet! So apparently, they're delicious and nutritious. And I guess that means you don't have to feel guilty about ordering everything else on the menu... like handmade tamales, fresh chips and salsa, big burritos overstuffed with rice, beans, cheese, and meat, chicken tinga quesadillas, addictive enchilladas smothered in salsa verde, a taco salad with grilled shrimp, and crunchy tostadas topped with grilled chicken. Plus, there's the elote, or Mexican street corn.
Socrates Abreu: "Elote, oh! It's a wonderful process. We take the corn, we boil it... a bit of butter, we grab it, take it, grill it, so now it's on the grill getting that nice char flavor to it. Top it off with chipotle mayo. And we have a combination of different cheeses, one is cotija cheese, and then we top it off with chili powder. Very good."
And for something really great, feast your eyes on the Carne Asada Torta, sort of a Mexican-style steak and cheese sandwich that's Socrates' personal favorite.
Socrates Abreu: "This is Mexican tallera bread. Every day we make it here. This one is made in a secret location. Just for me. This is our secret ingredient. Putting some butter on it... starts toasting the bread. This is where the magic happens... cheese makes everything better. We're gonna put refried beans on it. Put the meat on top of the bread... then we're going to take the rest of the bread and we're going to continue to layer it. I personally like the guacamole, it gives that extra flavor... chipotle mayo with a little jalapeno in it as well. Spread that on. We throw some lettuce on it. We like to put pico de gallo gives it more flavor. Torta carne asada. I think it's that Mexican hamburger, like it's huge and filling you know? From 1 to 10, I'd give it an 11. If you don't like it, I'll eat it."
So, it's easy to see why the crowds keep coming to Chilacates, where the food, the freshness, and family-friendly vibe are all served up according to the golden rule.
Socrates Abreu: "Treat people the way you want to be treated. I want fresh food. I go to places, I expect the best ingredients. So why would I turn around and do something else? We make a mistake, let us know, we're going to fix it, no matter what. It's my mistake, your mistake, it's all good. At the end of the day, if you walk out of this place, and you're happy, it's a better experience for all of us."
