Restaurant Review: Ravenswood’s Tiztal Café serves Mexican fresh breakfasts and lunch six days a week
Many of us who lived or worked in the Ravenswood area still miss the late, great Zephyr Cafe. While nothing has taken the place of that great ice cream parlor, Rosemary Lucas, a former Zephyr manager, opened Tiztal Café with business partner Teresa Zepeda in 2008, bringing Zephyr’s family-friendly atmosphere and creatively customed, unusual blends to this cozy Mexican restaurant, serving breakfast and lunch every day.
One item on their menu grabbed my attention right away: They are known for their Oatmeal Shake. Oatmeal in a shake? My health-loving 19-year-old might get a kick out of that. Maybe I would, too! A 2017 segment on WTTW’s ‘Check, Please!’ described it best. “Like rice pudding in a cup!”
Tiztal’s Famous Oatmeal Shakes can also be mixed with granola, or bananas, or pineapple, or strawberry…any flavor you want…for a slight upcharge.
But they’ve got so much more than that. The colorful, cheery storefront is revered for their freshly squeezed juices, smoothies and Mexican-style breakfasts, “Where Every Meal Feels Like a Hug,” as they say on their website.
Start with their Chilaquiles, a legend in the making. Every reviewer from Google to The Infatuation are mad for this quintessential Mexican dish. And now, we know why. Here, they’re made with fresh tortilla chips and green salsa, topped with baked chihuahua cheese, chopped onions and fresh cilantro, and served with their special Tiztal Breakfast Potatoes. As Barry Manilow asked, “Could this be the magic at last?”
Other great breakfast finds here are the Mojito Omelet…a protein-solid egg white omelet with chicken breast and mozzarella cheese, topped with a salsa made with mango, basil, onions, & black pepper, with a kick of chile habanero. Spicy, savory, sweet goodness!! Their Tiztal Chorizo Scramble is made by combining scrambled eggs with chorizo, then topped liberally with tomato, onion, cilantro, shredded cheddar, and served with a side of sour cream. Famous Zepher Omelet has spinach, mushrooms, and cream cheese, topped with melted Swiss cheese.
All eggs and omelet orders include potatoes and toast, and they proudly proclaim that they will customize any omelet or scramble order. And let’s mention here that their Tiztal Breakfast Potatoes are topped with cilantro, chopped onion and shredded cheddar.
Lunch items include their own Tiztal Chorizo Pineapple Burger, and their Chihuahua Cheese & Egg Burger.
For breakfast for dessert, nothing beats The Sweet Dream, which is Teresa’s special strawberry cream over a mound of fresh-cut fruit, sprinkled with granola, coconut, and raisins, and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Breakfast? Dessert? Who cares? Just enjoy it!
There’s also a kid’s menu, featuring smaller portions of some of the aforementioned items as well as kid’s favorites.
Google reviewers waxed eloquent in their praise.
“We got Chilaquiles with eggs, steak quesadillas, oatmeal banana milkshake, and a fresh squeezed carrot, mango and pineapple juice,” said one. “The food was delicious, the chilaquiles portion size was perfect for one person! The milkshake and the juice came with a little “shot” glass, that way my friend and I both got to try each other drinks.”
Another wrote: “Possibly the best chilaquiles I’ve had to date, authentic Mexican flavors, fresh and big portions. Staff there are friendly and attentive. We will be back 100%.”
Tiztal Café is located at 4631 N. Clark Street. They are open six days a week, 8am-3pm. They are closed Wednesdays. No reservations are taken, but you can keep track of wait times on their Google page. For more information, click here.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
