By Donna Price

dprice@americanpress.com

Story by Donna Price

dprice@americanpress.com

When coworker Maria Torres and I first stepped into Shorty’s convenience store at the corner of Oak Park and Enterprise boulevards, I almost forgot we were there to do a restaurant review. There was so much merchandise in every direction.

Shorty’s carries jewelry, watches, glitter fanny packs, caps, hats and shoes. They also carry a large and colorful selection of bong filtration devices. T-shirts and men’s trousers hang from the ceiling.

But I digress. We soon hung a left to head to Casa Sabroso, the Mexican eatery tucked inside Shorty’s.

California transplants Daniel and Renee Lopez opened Casa Sabroso about six months ago, serving Mexican food and burgers.

There are four tables with chairs, but most people were getting their food to go.

We ordered. Maria decided on the carne asada taco plate for $9.99 which includes three soft tacos served with rice and beans.

I ordered the chicken quesadilla plate: flour tortillas stuffed with shredded chicken and cheese and served with sides of rice and beans for $8.99.

The day we went turned out to be Taco Tuesday. Crispy tacos were only $1 all day, so we each got one of those to try, too.

We took a seat at a table. A T-shirt hanging above my head was adorned with a tiger image and the ominous message, “Trust no one.”

Despite that message, I was trusting that the food at Casa Sabroso, which Maria said translates to “tasty house,” was going to live up to it’s name.

First came the homemade chips and salsa. I thought to myself, “Here comes the test.” That’s because Maria makes her own salsa and everyone at the American Press knows it is excellent. I was curious to see if the Casa Sabroso salsa would measure up to her high salsa standards. It did.

“I could have devoured that whole thing of salsa,” she said later in the car. I took that as the highest praise the salsa could possibly get. Maria
liked it.

My chicken quesadillas were excellent. Casa Sobroso is quite generous with their meat. These quesadillas were packed full of delicious, shredded chicken. They were twice as thick as any I’ve ever had.

Maria’s carne asada tacos were showy and pretty, topped with fresh green cilantro and garnished with lime.

The $1 tacos were excellent, with light, crisp shells.

As we both enjoyed our meals, Maria was the first to say what I was already thinking — that the food at Casa Sabrosa certainly lives up to its “tasty house” name.

Daniel Lopez said the restaurant will be relocating to a home of it’s own on Enterprise Blvd. near 14th Street in the next several months.

Until then, visit them inside Shorty’s at 1200 Oak Park Blvd. or order their food on Waitr.

Hours are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 7 a.m -5 p.m. Wednesday. Casa Sabroso is closed Saturday and Sunday.