Cheap Eats - El Norteno’s smokin’ pollo asado worth a detour
“That place has been there forever,” my husband remarks, without fail, each time that we pass El Norteno driving west as Chamblee-Tucker crosses Buford Highway. “It’s got to be great for being always packed,” I always respond, looking wistfully at the omnipresent column of smoke issuing from the restaurant’s hood vents.
En route to errands a few weeks ago, the meaty smoke is particularly strong, wafting its way into my car as I drive by. It’s lunchtime and the perfume of roasted chicken — with all the caramelized skin and tender flesh it implies — stirs my always-hungry animal heart. One U-turn and a few canceled appointments later, I’m sinking my jaws into the juicy bird.
Busy bodies: Much loved by Latino families, the restaurant packs ‘em in from its breakfast opening to its late-night dinner closing. Weekdays are a bit calmer than weekends, when the scene is trading-floor chaotic, particularly near the takeout counter. Service is whiplash fast and friendly, and although non-Spanish speakers might experience a certain difficulty communicating, menus are in English.
Chicken supreme: Standard favorites such as enchiladas and tortas are excellent, but pollo asado (dark meat quarter, $4.99) is the raison d’etre at El Norteno. Capped by charred, smoke-infused skin, the buttery flesh falls apart at the slightest nudge. Tear off a piece of corn tortilla and have a grab at the chicken. Douse with irresistibly fresh pico de gallo and try to chew a few times without inhaling the handfuls of meat and tortilla whole. Sigh. Repeat.
El rey de los sandwiches: The runner-up in the best carb and meat combo category goes to the beef barbacoa torta ($4.99) for its rich meatiness and glorious squishiness. Wedged into a fresh, airy bun at once soft and crinkly topped, you’ll find a mountain of shredded, deliciously fatty beef cheek, braised to sweet succulence and browned at the edges. Avocado slices and a generous hand of mayo add a layer of unctuous decadence, while tufts of shredded iceberg trap the meaty juices. It’s everything sloppy joes wish they could be.
Night-after nosh: El Norteno’s fried cheese enchiladas ($7.99) may be the city’s best hangover food. Stuffed with asadero cheese, the tortillas are then fried and doused with a peppery enchilada sauce that soaks through the paper plate it’s served on. No revelation of the senses here — just hearty, satisfyingly greasy eating that a body partying too hard needs.
Finally getting to El Norteno may have taken some time, but chowing down there is already a habit.
Cynthia Wong