Jaclyn’s Pick:

Tu Familia
5402 N 90th St
Fare: Mexican
Cost: $34 for one appetizer and two meals.
Reservations: Not needed

Greetings, Eaters and Readers!

I was mad craving some good ‘ol fashioned Mexican food. But I wanted to find a place seemingly off the radar. Was there a diamond in the rough? A taco in the Tuesday, perhaps? (We did, in fact, go on a Tuesday.)

I took to Reddit, my favorite source for all things local. I started to see mentions and upvotes for Tu Familia. It seemed like a quiet, beloved classic Mexican place according to a handful of users. Sitting on the corner of 90th and Fort, this area isn’t exactly flush with non-chain Mexican restaurants. So it met my criteria for unassuming.

We pulled into the parking lot, seeing plenty of cars. A good sign. Walking in, though, we only saw a handful of patrons spread out in the large dining room. We worried not, for we’ve had plenty of great meals in near-empty restaurants.

Table Chips & Salsa | Queso Dip, Small ($6) – A blend of spices and melted cheese.

Like most Mexican joints, the chips and salsa were complimentary. These were good, but nothing remarkable. (Miranda’s Taqueria y Pupuseria still holds that title for us.) We liked the queso dip. Not too thick, which we both liked. Martha put some on her fajitas, too. She proclaimed it a solid choice.

Chicken & Steak Fajitas for One ($15.99) – Grilled with bell peppers, onions and tomatoes and served with rice, beans, lettuce and toppings.

Despite bouncing all over the menu and considering trying something she’d never had, Martha landed on Tu Familia’s fajitas. Who doesn’t love the sounds and smells of a hot sizzling plate coming to the table? The three flour tortillas came in a small, condensed tin foil wrapping – which was a little odd at first (we’re all used to the tortilla warmer, right?) but the tin foil kept them warm and fresh while she ate. She found the meat to be flavorful and tender – not chewy or tough. She piled meat, onions, peppers and a smattering of toppings (refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and a drizzle of that queso) and every bite was really satisfying.

Steak Fajita Burrito ($11.49) – Stuffed burrito with sautéed bell peppers, onions and tomatoes. Served with rice, lettuce and toppings.

When you say the word burrito to me, the picture I conjure in my mind is a large tortilla stuffed to the max. This was not that. Rather, it was a burrito-sized tortilla loosely filled with fajita meat and veggies. I basically had the same meal as Martha, except way less … well, everything.

In order to hold it in my hands, I had to empty the tortilla to refill and refold it. Not a big deal, but I wanted to hold it like a burrito!

Logistics aside, this was a very good dish. The steak was tender and well-seasoned. And I love me some sautéed peppers and onions. Topped with forkfuls of lettuce, sour cream and guac — I really did enjoy it. If you want to get your money’s worth though, just get the regular fajitas.

Final Bites

Now, here’s where Tu Familia left us wanting more. We planned to order dessert. Two, actually – the churros and sopaipilla. We waited and waited for our waitress to come back. It was easily 20 minutes after we finished eating before we saw her again. And she brought the check with her.

Martha and I exchanged looks. I guess … we’re not ordering dessert? I mean we could have, but it didn’t seem like our waitress wanted to wait on us anymore. Actually, it didn’t seem like our waitress had wanted to wait on us at all. Once we got our food, we weren’t checked on again. No water refills or asking how things were tasting.

So we signed our checks and left, heading to Dairy Queen for Biscoff Blizzards (which wer excellent, by the way). But we were bummed. The churros and sopapilla had sounded so good.

So how do you rate a restaurant with great food and less-than-mediocre service?

We’re going to give Tu Familia the benefit of the doubt. Maybe our waitress was having a tough day. We all need a little grace from time to time, don’t we? We want to come back for seconds, and hopefully a service do-over. For that reason, we’ll give them two forks up.

Cheers!
The Good Bite Gals

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