Eating out: The best takeout by cuisine

With the current state of our world, making weekly grocery trips for home-cooked meals is becoming more difficult. With many turning to take out, let’s take a look at some of the best takeout places by cuisine.

It seems that the three most popular cuisines for takeout include: Mexican, Chinese, and Italian (pizza). Within each cuisine will be a list of two popular or local restaurants to be sure to try now and even after all this craziness in the world is over!

MEXICAN

Taco Burrito Express: Mundelein, IL

The first restaurant on the list of Mexican take-out is a place called Taco Burrito Express. It’s local to my hometown and definitely looks like your typical hole-in-the-wall type of place; however, they have some of the BEST Mexican food that I’ve ever had.

They serve a variety of tacos, burritos, tostadas, Mexican dinners, and so much more! Some staples to order are definitely chips and guac, chips and cheese sauce, some sort of burrito (one of my favorites being the Ham and Turkey or Mundelein), some sort of taco (one of my favorites being Chorizo or Bacon), or some sort of Mexican dinner (one of my favorites being the Chile Rellenos or Flautas).

A lot of places like this tend to get overlooked, but never do! Places like this tend to serve the best food that tastes the most like homemade meals that are extremely authentic!

Taco Bell: Nationwide, USA

I know, I know! A lot of people may argue that Taco Bell isn’t ‘real’ Mexican food, but to me, if you’re in a pinch, tight on money (which a lot of people are during these times), Taco Bell is the way to go!

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They have quite the wide variety of meals and drinks to choose from, having something for everyone; their menu is super customizable to your likes and dislikes. They’re always releasing new menu items and resurrecting old menu items that have been crowd favorites as well.

Some staples here that I think you must try, include: Crunchwrap Supreme, Chalupa (can’t wait to try the Triple Chalupa), any taco, rice and beans and the various dishes they have with potatoes, like the Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Fiesta Potatoes, the Cheesy Potato Griller, and then for breakfast, the Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito. Who knew that potatoes and cheese could taste so good in taco shells and burritos?!

CHINESE

China Court: Mundelein, IL

Moving on to the next cuisine, comes Chinese. Chinese take-out is pretty typical in American households and is absolutely delicious as well. Much like the section on Mexican food, I am including a local Chinese restaurant for Chinese take-out as well.

Here, at China Court, the menu is huge, the food is delicious. I mean, what more could you want. They have everything from soups, to beef and pork, chicken, various starters, noodle dishes, seafood, sushi, and so on….. the list (and menu) is absolutely endless. Upon delivery, the food is always hot, fresh, and tastes nice and authentic.

Obviously, a staple to order at almost any Chinese restaurant is rice. Much like most Chinese restaurants, China Court serves White Rice with every dish you order on the menu. China Court probably has my favorite Chinese take-out that I’ve tried thus far in my life. A few of my favorites to order from here include: Chicken Fried Rice, Egg Drop Soup, Crabmeat Rangoons, Egg Rolls, Orange Chicken, Sesame Beef, Chicken w/ Snow Peas, Beef w/ Broccoli or Green Peppers, and of course, their traditional Almond Cookies (if you’ve never tried them, you must; they go great with some post-dinner coffee or tea)!

If you live nearby, definitely give this place a go!

Panda Express: Nationwide, USA

Much like the section on Mexican take-out, I feel like Panda Express gets a bad reputation for being ‘real’ Chinese food. For me, it’s a convenience thing as well, and again, if you’re in a pinch, Panda Express is very affordable for all.

In case you’ve never been to a Panda Express, they offer a style of ordering where you can see all the dishes and sides in front of you, and you essentially tell the worker how you’d like your food, such as in a bowl or as a plate, and then what you’d like. For example, one of the newer things and best things on their menu is to get a bowl with Fried Rice and Grilled Teriyaki Chicken. If you’re not into the bowl style and would like a plate, their Black Pepper Chicken, Honey Walnut Shrimp, and SweetFire Chicken are the way to go.

Two facts here: (1) Currently, Panda Express has modified their menus to only be serving their best sellers. (2) When it comes to sides, there is a way to ask for half and half of two different ones if you can’t decide (much like myself most times)!

All in all, definitely give some of these recommended dishes a try to let us know what you think! You can also suggest some of your personal faves at Panda as well!

ITALIAN (PIZZA)

Slyce: Wauconda, IL

When most people think of pizza, they think of the typical pizza that you see at most pizza places; however, I feel that the best type of pizza is one made in an authentic Sicilian wood-burning oven. My favorite place for that is a place called Slyce. It’s located in the heart of downtown Wauconda, IL, and they’re only open for dinner.

There’s just something about the slight burn and crunch to the crust that is like no other. They have a bunch of speciality pizzas to choose from, but there’s always the option to create your own. My personal favorites on the specialty pizza menu include the #4, which consists of fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato, and basil; my second personal favorite is also the #11, which consists of a light cream sauce base, prosciutto, an egg over easy, and arugula.

Their specialty pizza menus are split up into two sections, Original and Bianca; on the Original side of the menu, all of the pizzas come with their classic red sauce base, and on the Bianca side, all of their pizzas either have an olive oil base or a very light cream sauce base.

They’re not only good for their pizzas, which is important to find a place that’s not just super one-noted. Their cream of mushroom soup is absolutely out of this world, followed by their Sicilian salad (which is a staple for my family whenever we come here).

Come to slice to experience what authentic Italian/Sicilian pizza is like! They’ve also got another location in Highwood, IL as well, so if you’re local or looking for a road trip, definitely check them out!

Luigi’s:  Mundelein, IL

While this is another local place to the area, I couldn’t write an article without talking about Luigi’s. It’s been in its location for as long as I can remember with a different previous name. This place is one of the places that is an absolute must on our list of options when doing carry-out pizza.

They have one of my favorite crusts and cheeses on any pizza I’ve had. They have so many toppings to choose from that you just don’t know where to begin. Of course, they’ve got specialty pizzas, much like Slyce, but it’s always more fun to make your own creation and enjoy it!

What I like most about this place, is that they also offer a wide variety of appetizers, salads, Italian dinners, and calzones as well!

Definitely stop by this place if you’re craving pizza and just looking for some good comfort food.

Let us know your favorite cuisine and take out! Let us know if we missed any on this list as well!