Hal & Al’s was on the official CU review go-see list for a long time. Too long: it closed its doors this summer and became Tatoheads Public House.
Hal & Al’s served only vegan-friendly food. Tatoheads does not — it puts meat on the plate. For eaters, the change isn’t necessarily a bad thing unless you’re the sort of vegetarian who can’t tolerate being in the presence of meat. This is actually a legitimate complaint, vegan friends have testified that the smell of cooking meat is nauseating — and that seems like an entirely plausible concern.
For an omnivore, however, Tatoheads Public House is an interesting little hole in the wall that serves junk and bar food off of Parsons on the South Side.
Here is the place to start with Tatoheads Public House: be ready to embrace the low brow. If you want al dente noodles; if you want biscuits made from duck fat, go elsewhere. Go away, because this place isn’t for you. In fact, it’s a good idea to just stop reading now, because if you can’t find something enjoyable about downscale dining, you’ll just be outraged at the notion that anyone can like it.
Outrage isn’t good for your face.
The place is a bar. The draft menu is written on a big chalkboard at the center of the joint. It’s dark, there are no windows, and the paint is peeling on the pillars. Meanwhile, the staff is very nice and engaging, no one seems like a jerk.
So, might as well dig in with the meaty stuff, right? There’s a Chorizo Cheeseburger ($11), it’s a good-sized burger, lean enough, with the addictive savory features of chorizo.
There’s also Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie ($10). It’s a very junk-foodie version, with biscuits (cut and grilled) nestled against a briny, white-sauced pile of shredded chicken and mixed veggies — the peas, carrots, corn combo. The kitchen puts lots of shredded chicken meat in the mix, not gross chunks. Points for that.
Your reaction to the Shepherds Pie ($12) depends on your priorities. The Lamb Fan will like the generous mix of mild, seasoned lamb that forms the foundation of the classic. The Mashed Potato Fan will find that the potatoes taste on the heavily processed side. One team wins, one team loses.
Truly, though, it’s the little fried things that Tatoheads does best. Consider Fried Guacomole Balls ($7). They’re served on fancy greens, and the fried bites are green inside – as you’d expect guacamole mixed with breading to be. True to form, they deliver that distinct avocado-smooth flavor. And there’s a nice spiky sour cream on the side. It’s like dip on dip.
Or load up on Tatoheads potatoes: they come in fried, sweet or tater-tot form. You can customize your order with different seasoning blends. Sweet potato with curry worked well ($6); as did the parmesan on the tator tots (also $6). The kitchen can potato-up salads too. The menu offers combos that stuff potatoes with fresh greens, while other variants pile fries on top of greens. It’s the anti-health-food salad experience.
You can find Tatoheads Public House at 1297 Parsons Avenue. It opens Mondays through Thursdays at 4pm and stays open until midnight. On Fridays and weekends it’s open at noon and stays open until 2:30am. On Sundays it closes at midnight.
For more information, visit www.tatoheads.com.
Photos by Mollie Lyman of www.fornixphotography.com. Photos are taken at a different time than review, so discrepancies between photos and review may occur.