I first became familiar with the pambazo after going to a food festival in Pilsen last summer. This guajillo salsa soaked sandwich is traditionally served with a chorizo and potato filling. The sandwich is commonly found in Mexico City and is quite similar to another sandwich soaked in salsa called Torta Ahogada. I’ll get into the Torta Ahogada in an upcoming post for another restaurant. I have a feeling these two sandwiches have a regional rivalry with one another considering Torta Ahogada comes from another city in Mexico called Guadalajara. Chicago is unique and lucky to have such a large quantity and variety of Mexican restaurants in the city. This has allowed me try both a Pambazo and Torta Ahogada, which is something that isn’t possible in many U.S. cities.
The restaurant, Aztlan Mexican Grill, is tucked away in a quiet storefront on the northeast side of the busy intersection of Kimball and Montrose. It’s certainly a spot you have to keep your eyes peeled for as you walk down the street. As I walked in to the restaurant, I was greeted to the sight of an open kitchen. I saw the fresh cilantro being prepped for dinner service and I knew that the flavor was going to be off the charts for this meal. The menu itself is sparse and highly affordable. My sandwich was only around 7 dollars. Obviously prices will continue to fluctuate, but this was an extraordinary deal compared to other places I have visited. I was even provided chips and salsa with the sandwich. The salsa rojo was just slightly spicy with an intense complexity and smokiness. The salsa verde was vibrant and oh-so fresh.
The pambazo that followed the chips and salsa blew my mind. I actually prefer this sandwich to the Torta Ahogada. The guajillo salsa is much mellower than the arbol based sauce that coats the Torta Ahogada. The bread also retains a much crisper structure than the Guadalajara-based Torta Ahogada.
So come to Albany Park and try out a pambazo at Aztlan. You won’t be disappointed and you’ll certainly be seeking out pambazos elsewhere on your travels. I certainly know I will be doing that.
8/7/22 Update: We revisited Aztlan Mexican Grill and ordered the pambazo, steak taco, alambre taco, and a side of rice. I’ve never had an alambre taco before and this was delicious. It was filled with steak, bacon, chorizo, bell pepper, onion, and cheese. Aztlan hits all of their menu offerings out of the park!
