Bien Trucha Restaurant - Geneva, Illinois

It couldn't be more fitting that my first entry is for a Mexican restaurant. I freaking love spicy food and Mexican cuisine is an all time favorite of mine. So when the missus and I met up with some good friends for dinner they recommended Bien Trucha.

Bien Trucha is a small restaurant on Geneva's State Street. And when I say small...I mean small as in the you literally have to walk through the kitchen (which is the size of my wife's walk in closet) to use the restroom. The place is TINY. Seriously the place has about 6 tables and you better be willing to wait because on any given Friday or Saturday night the wait can be up to two hours (they don't take reservations).

Bien Trucha is basically a taqueria but unlike your average taqueria, Bien Trucha takes an interesting spin with an upscale vibe complete with ambient music, well dressed servers, hip decor and of course the hum of fellow diners taking in the amazing food and unique margaritas. The atmosphere is fantastic.

But what about the food? The first thing I really found interesting...they serve their food Tapas style. Great for sharing and trying several things on their menu. First up was some Guacamole del Dia. Cool factor note: Their guac of the day contains fresh fruit! What an amazing touch to the standard guac you can find at most Mexican restaurants. Today they were serving it with freshly diced mango (note my Cucumber Margarita).

Next we ordered the Rajas con Crema which if you're like me you failed Spanish in 7th grade and have to refer to the description: roasted poblano strips, onions, crema fresca, over a bed of melted chihuahua cheese. Yes ladies and gentlemen...start your engines...

The roasted poblano pepper melted in your mouth and the melted chihuahua cheese and crema blend was mild but so tasty.

Now...let's step it up for some spice. You basically have two choices to choose from once you get to the main courses. Tacos or Tortas. The tortas are kind of like mini paninis but they use telera bread. Telera is similar to a flat bread with a little more substance. It's good stuff...trust me. The tacos come in an order of 4 which is perfect for two but a little light for the four of us. Then again I'm a pig so I'd prefer 4 tacos to myself. I asked our server what's the spiciest item on the menu. He immediately replied, "Camaron, Amigo." Or translated into: Tacos with sauteed shrimp, lime, chipotle-mojo de ajo, avocado slice. Seriously...my mouth is watering again just thinking about this dish. They weren't as spicy as I had hoped but they had PLENTY of flavor and the chipotle-mojo sauce made up for the lack of heat.

Several tacos and margaritas later we hit the freaking mother load of tacos. Their namesake, The Bien Trucha, is by far the best taco I've ever had. I'm not kidding. It all starts with a finely chopped grilled skirt steak, add some homemade chorizo (that's sausage men...yes more freaking meat!!), manchego cheese, and topped with a roasted tomatillo-serrano sauce. The picture doesn't do it justice but for your viewing pleasure:
I know what you may be saying...Mexican food is Mexican food. I mean next to Chicago's famous Frontera Grill how could you get any better. Well folks I'm here to tell you that you don't have to drive 40 miles to Chicago for some amazing Mexican cuisine. Despite the possible hour+ wait and the enjoyable stroll through the kitchen to take a potty break, Bien Trucha dishes up some of the most creative and flavor intense food this side of the Chicago River.

Oh and did I mention they offer over 40 types of tequila? Um yeah...you heard me.

Bien Trucha Restaurant
410 W. State Street
Geneva, IL
(630)232-2665