LITTLE VILLAGE — Quesadillas, and plenty of them, for $2.99 a pop.
That's all customers will find at Las Quecas, the quesadillas-only shop at 2500 S. Christiana Ave., from chef/owner Ambrocio Gonzalez, who also runs the adjacent La Cathedral Cafe.
OK, so maybe there's a few items that aren't quesadillas. Like the Cafe de Olio (a handshaking-inducing blend of coffee, brown sugar and cinnamon) and homemade dulce de leche empanadas. But other than that, it's all quesadillas, all the time.
Gonzalez opened Las Quecas in January with business partner Angelica Atondo, a broadcast anchor for Univision Chicago. At that time, Gonzalez said his goals were pretty straightforward: provide people with a traditional-style Mexican quesadilleria and give it to them cheap.
"We tell people they have to try this, because it's cheap and good. It fits perfect with the community," said Gonzalez, 27.'
Having Atondo — who has close to 50,000 Twitter followers — on board with the restaurant has definitely helped spread the word spread within Chicago's Latino community, Gonzalez said.
With its plain counters, sparse decoration and lack of servers, Las Quecas has also attracted neighborhood customers: something Gonzalez said he was struggling to do at La Cathedral, which he said many local residents perceived as too expensive.
The $2.99 quesadillas at Las Quecas are about as large as a human head and are made with homemade corn tortillas and a high-grade Chihuahua cheese. Gonzalez said more popular quesadillas include Papa Con Chorizo (potato/chorizo sausage), Tinga de Pollo (shredded Chipotle chicken) and — for the vegetarians out there — a Flor de Calabaza squash blossom quesadilla.
In addition to locals, Gonzalez wants to attract folks from other neighborhoods to counter any negative publicity from violence in the area.
"You need to give it a try. We have great restaurants here and It's not all what you see on the news. It's not as bad as you think," he said.
In June, Gonzalez debuted a second Las Quecas in Melrose Park and said he's currently working on plans for a third restaurant in Berwyn.
Currently, the Little Village location is open daily from 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
