Pipo's Argentina Grill

I'm planning a trip to Buenos Aires this summer, so decided it was time to brush up on my knowledge of Argentina's culture and cuisine. What a fine place Pipo's was for starting this endeavor last week!

Located in a nondescript strip mall across from Lane Tech High School, and having no sign to speak of, Pipo's does not seem to be doing it's best to attract passerby traffic. The characterless exterior belies what's inside - a quite charming, colorful room with simple decor and a semi-open kitchen in which excellent traditional food is prepared.

To start, we had a trio of empanadas: maiz, pollo, and criolla. The corn was sweet, still crunchy, and quite tasty, but nothing compared to the other two. The shredded chicken was very moist, flavorful, and really delicious. It seemed to be loaded with herbs and just a touch of cayenne or other pepper to provide balanced heat. The criolla (ground meat, raisins, hard boiled egg, and more) was a near perfect balance of rich flavors cut by the tangy potato salad served on the side. All three were surrounded by a nice flaky crust about the size of a fist.

Then it was on to meat, meat, and more meat. We had the Mixed Grill for 2, which included blood sausage, another kind of sausage, short ribs, flank steak, marinated chicken, and ham. All had the smoky flavor of real charcoal, and were served on a small tableside grill. I liked this presentation, but didn't like that the grill continued to cook the meat after it arrived at the table, so I removed most of the food quickly. The short ribs and flank steak were both cooked perfectly (medium rare for me), were tender and full of flavor. I didn't care for the blood sausage (never do), but really enjoyed everything else. The platter "for 2" served 2 hearty eaters that night, and 4 more the next night!

All entrees come with a choice of fries, rice, or mashed potatoes. Get the mashed potatoes! They're awesome and unlike any I've ever had. New to me was the addition of what I'm pretty sure was a healthy amount of cinnamon to the decadently creamy spuds. Mmm.

The owner was gracious, and seemed to enjoy helping me with my Spanish and teaching me tidbits about the culture. The place has no liquor licence, but seems to encourage byob, as evidenced by the lack of a single non-imbibing table.


Pipo's Argentina Grill
2550 W. Addison Ave
773-305-3333

Thanks. I've always wondered about this place. I looked at their menu while out for a walk recently. It appears that they serve American beef cooked Argentenian style. The prices are too low for grass fed Argentine beef.

I'm looking forward to giving it a try.

Kenny, BA is a lovely place. I have a good friend that spends quite a lot of time there at some sort of pied a terre. Let me know as your plans develop. In the meantime I encourage you to talk with the people at El Mercado/Tango Sur, the Penguin, and the consulate.

Turns out that there has been a significant influx of Uruguayans into Chicago recently, due to a really bad economy, explaining perhaps the minor boom in "Argentine" style restaurants. Some of the folks at Mercado are Uruguayan and many of the waitstaff at the Mexican seafood place El Barco are/were.

It's an unusual phenomenon in today's world: these people are both really Western European and really poor.