La Presa's boasts small prices, big menu

When food is as economical and flavorful as La Presa's, it's hard to understand why anyone would eat at the McDonald's next door. With menu prices topping out at less than $14, La Presa is a solid cheap-eats option in Palatine.

OK, so they don't have a $1 menu. But you can get a taco for less than $2. They even have a drive-through.

The small spot on Rand Road was formerly La Granja, a Peruvian chicken roaster, and before that Chicken Inn, a fried-chicken joint. Now you'll find it swimming in Mexican-style seafood and snacks.

It's still nothing fancy: The dining room seats fewer than 50, with a cheerful orange and yellow color scheme and decor dominated by a counter displaying the eatery's beverage options: Mexican soda pop (including the sought-after Cocas and Pepsi Mexicanas, imported Coca-Cola and Pepsi made with real sugar); juices; licuados, or milkshakes; fresh lemonade; horchata, a cinnamon-flavored rice drink; jamaica, iced hibiscus tea; and beer.

La Presa has a long menu for such a little place. More than a dozen taco options include cecina, tripa, lengua and chicharron (dried beef, tripe, tongue and fried pork), along with the typical grilled steak, chicken, sausage and pork. You can buy tacos separately or in a threesome with rice and beans.

Other antojitos - gorditas, huaraches, sopes and quesadillas - offer similar filling choices. Burritos, tortas and Cuban-style pressed sandwiches feature too, along with savory, comforting enchiladas under a blanket of dark, rich Oaxacan-style mole or green or red salsa.

The mariscos section of the menu presents chilled seafood cocktails, oysters on the half shell, charales (tiny, silvery fish), entree-sized fish soups, shrimp dishes and the ubiquitous red snapper served fried, in garlic sauce or with a Veracruz-style topping of tomatoes, peppers and olives. Bass and catfish are also available.

The trio of cocteles (coctel de camaron, vuelve a la vida and campechano) differ mainly in seafood content. We tried the campechano, a brimming goblet holding a refreshing mix of diced shrimp, octopus and mild white fish with wedges of avocado and chopped cilantro in light, soupy tomato sauce, zipped up with lime juice and served with the customary saltines. (I've never been able to determine why saltines, the most boring of crackers, come with Mexican seafood cocktails, but that's the tradition.)

Shrimp, served with rice and salad, come in a half-dozen entree styles, including a la plancha: butterflied, seasoned and grilled in the shell. We had four of these plump, medium-sized crustaceans as part of the "Durango" combination plate, which also came with a half order of flavorful carne asada, fried potatoes, rice, beans, salad, and a grilled jalapeno and spring onion, all for $12.

Surprisingly, our server inquired how we wanted the skirt steak cooked. We ordered it rare, just to see what would happen, and it came out, as expected, lightly charred and well-done throughout, in typical taqueria style. The shrimp, too, was just a little overcooked for our taste.

Carne asada is one of 10 beefy platillos at La Presa. Additional entree choices include fajitas, stuffed peppers, breaded chicken and fried Cornish hen and quails.

On weekends, several hearty soups, such as menudo and caldo de res, expand the entree selections. Le Presa also opens daily for breakfast with a menu of Mexican-style egg dishes.

Sweet finishes include a dense and satisfying flan and mulitas, fruit-filled tortillas, served with whipped cream.

Servers are friendly and speak reasonably good English, although they aren't always up to detailed explanations of menu items.

We found that the hours as announced on the door and menus don't always coincide with the hours the restaurant is actually open, so call first if you're going early or late.

You won't want to come a long distance just to eat at La Presa, but it's an agreeable option if you're in the neighborhood.

• Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. Our aim is to describe the overall dining experience while guiding the reader toward the menu's strengths. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.

Tacos y Mariscos La Presa

Facts: 1572 Rand Road, Palatine; (847) 963-2189

Cuisine: Mexican

Setting: Freestanding taqueria, across from Wal-Mart, south of Dundee Road

Price range: Appetizers $2.50 to $13.50; tacos and sandwiches $1.75 to $8.99; entrees $6.99 to $13.99; desserts $2.50 to $2.99

Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 8:30 a.m. to midnight Friday; 8 a.m. to midnight Saturday; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday (hours are apparently variable, so call first)

Accepts: Mastercard and Visa

Also: Beer available; free parking; drive-through service