Sure, this place is nothing new to you. It’s not a hidden secret yet it consistently flies under the radar. For Oaxacan, for example, people will almost always recommend Guelaguetza, which we love but judging on the merit of food alone, Gish Bac is even better.
They stand out especially because of their weekend special of super long roasted Barbacoa made of lamb or goat. Sometimes you get lucky and get some of it during the weekday. This is barbacoa de chivo or goat
satisfying and rich without being overly fatty or salty. The broth, i swear i could live in it. When you pair it with their tortilla and top off with some salsa it’s seriously next level. You taste just enough of the goat to know that it’s goat but the funk is perfectly muted
Tlayudas is another thing you should always consider but this time I had to try the memelas with cecina. Really awesome, it is one of those 1+1 = more than 2 dishes.
…people were begging Maria to open a restaurant, so the Tlacolulan community would have a place to enjoy goat barbacoa on the weekends — in 2010, Maria and David opened an Arlington Heights spot called Gish Bac , which means “Tlacolula” in Zapotec. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
My one experience there was unpleasant. The food was okay. The service was terrible – I remember looks of bewilderment that we might share certain items – and the atmosphere was joyless. I would not go back. I enjoy Sabores Oaxaqueños much more, followed by Guelaguetza.
Joyless is a good description. Yep, I think you have to temper your service expectations at hole-in-the-walls & mom pops’. As long as they’re not rude. You’re there for the food. If a place has good vibes it’s a bonus.
It’s weird. I like everything about the place, people are kind of whatever, some of the servers are more engaging than others. But i never noticed until this thread that being in there is only about the food… like there’s zero atmosphere… a speaker playing quiet music would easily solve it .lol… need vibes… really love their food.
It’s what makes the nondescript box, La Cevicheria, fun. Their spot has even less comfort than GB but the funky soundtrack and the gracious owner make it a party. Plus you can bring beer!
visited for lunch on a tuesday, got the barbacoa enchilada, which also came with pancita.
the fact that you can get barbacoa of such quality on any weekday for lunch is wild! of the heavily spiced/flavored barbacoa broths/consommes i’ve had, this takes the crown pending repeat visits.
even more so, the fact that you can get pancita of such quality on a weekday for lunch is insane! the pancita had a delicateness which is hard to put into words - usually i find pancita too offally and single-note for my personal taste, but this was surprisingly good.
also got the gish bac torta - very good, ingredient quality pretty high.
