Pilsen's Modern Regional Mexican
5 Rabanitos on 18th Street is chef Alfonso Sotelo's modern Pilsen Mexican — careful regional cooking at a neighbourhood price, with the kind of fresh-masa tortillas and from-scratch moles the cuisine demands.
The cooking is regional Mexican at neighbourhood standards: fresh-masa tortillas, considered moles, slow-cooked proteins, the kind of careful regional cooking that distinguishes a serious neighbourhood Mexican from a generic taquería.
What to Order
Mole sampler when on — the kitchen rotates several moles built from scratch. Tlayudas with fresh masa; seasonal vegetable preparations. The salsa programme is taken seriously.
The Format
The dining room is small, comfortable, and unfussy. The crowd is overwhelmingly local Pilsen.
Best Occasion: Solo Dining
5 Rabanitos is one of Pilsen's most natural solo-dining rooms. The format requires nothing; the cooking is among the city's better inexpensive meals; the room is unintimidating.