Mystery Diner: Huntley’s Tacos Locos impresses with guacamole onion rings, zesty entrees

Salsas and special broth bring out best of tasty, hearty Mexican fare

Not every restaurant offers the chance to try an appetizer that combines two classic snacks – onion rings and guacamole with chips – into one single starter.

Huntley’s Tacos Locos does just that, and I knew my friend and I had to sample a serving of guacamole onion rings ($7.25) after spotting it on the menu when we recently ordered takeout for dinner.

To be honest, I wasn’t too sure what to expect at first, and my curiosity was a huge motivator to give it a shot.

I was wondering if it would be served simply as onion rings and a side of guacamole to dip into, which I predicted would be pretty good.

What actually was prepared beat all expectations and became my favorite appetizer of recent memory.

The guacamole onion rings were a remarkable blend of crunchy breading and gooey, mashed avocado, with a single, thin-sliced onion hoop giving each disc its structure. A zesty orange sauce drizzled on top left every diner wishing for another piece.

Dishes like this can miss the mark if their breading is a little too delicate, because a heavy filling like guacamole can end up falling right out of the morsel and splattering onto a plate, table or clothing. But this one stayed strong and held the green superfood together so all the flavors could be enjoyed at once.

Our strong first impression of the restaurant didn’t fade as we turned to our nachos with ground beef ($11.05), also ordered to share.

The amount of food piled onto the chips in layers was immense, yet they didn’t grow soggy at all, compared to some other hefty nacho orders that flagged on the way home. Beans, cheddar nacho cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and jalapeños brought a punch to this hearty dish.

Somehow, we each made room to sample our entrees.

My companion wanted to try something else new and opted for a quesobirria taco dinner ($14.75), which comes with three crunchy tortillas in essentially a mashup between quesadillas with gooey cheesiness, and tacos filled with mouthwatering shredded meat. They are meant to be dipped into a dark broth provided with the meal. Rice and beans came as sides.

A squeeze of lime from the slices provided by the restaurant added to the quesobirria tacos combined well with a dunk of the cheese-filled shells into the tasty broth, delivering a fun and delicious experience.

A young diner with us was plenty satisfied with the chicken quesadilla ($5.05) from the kids’ menu, and enjoyed its side of crispy fries. This meal accomplished exactly what was needed, as it filled a child’s belly enough to induce a bit of a food coma and an early bedtime.

When I was placing my order, I debated between the Burrito Suizo with steak ($10.05), and the restaurant’s signature Burrito Loco ($9.25), which comes with a tempting trio of meats – steak, Mexican sausage and roasted pork.

I was convinced by the staffer taking our order to go with the Burrito Suizo, and I’m glad I did. The burrito came with the most appealing coating of melted cheese I’ve ever seen on a tortilla, and the inside was stuffed to the brim with lean steak and all the fixings.

It was so filling, I could not have imagined taking this enormous helping down in one sitting, even without having gorged on appetizers that were true treats just before. The last quarter of the burrito was just as good warmed up for a midnight snack a few hours after our takeout experience. After those last few bites, Tacos Locos put me in a happy food coma of my own.

We’ll certainly be heading back, and may take advantage of the Taco Tuesday deal with a choice of chicken, roasted pork or ground beef tacos for $1.50 each.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at the Northwest Herald. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff when ordering or picking up the food. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Huntley’s Tacos Locos

WHERE: 12132 Route 47, Huntley

PHONE: 224-569-6790

INFORMATION: huntleystacoslocos.com