The acclaimed El Chingón is ready to open its outdoor Fishtown location, complete with a ‘jardín de agave’
Chef Carlos Aparicio is setting up a year-round outdoor location of El Chingón with about 70% of his menu from South Philadelphia.
El Chingón, one of Philadelphia’s most creative Mexican restaurants, will open an outdoor-only branch in Fishtown on Wednesday. It is expected to be open year-round.
Chef-owner Carlos Aparicio said about 70% of the menu from his South Philadelphia restaurant will be available from the order window at Frankford Avenue and Marlborough Street, including his popular cemitas (a sandwich on a sesame-seeded roll); tacos made with house-made sourdough tortillas (quesabirrias, choriqueso, and vegan hongos al ajillo); starters such as elote, choripapas, and vegan aguachile; and desserts such as arroz con tres leches and a rotating selection of conchas (sweet rolls stuffed with fillings).
Of the cemitas, Inquirer critic Craig LaBan calls the clásica “a towering masterpiece of contrasts on a bun: freshly breaded chicken milanese layered atop creamy green wedges of avocado, citrusy pápalo leaves (and pápalo aioli), topped with spice bursts of smoky whole chipotles, and a fistful of cool, shredded quesillo that cascades over those warm cutlets in milky white threads of tangy cheese.”
El Chingón Fishtown’s outdoor setup, previously a taco stand called Heffe, includes seating for 45 people, some shaded by umbrellas, in a gravel-covered yard beneath a “Welcome to Fishtown” mural. Its immediate neighbors include Wokworks and Suraya.
In the side yard on Marlborough Street, Aparicio is constructing what he’s calling the jardin de agave — his spirited version of a beer garden. Pop-ups in collaboration with Bluebird Distilling are expected to start later this season.
El Chingón has been ranked on The Inquirer’s lists of top restaurants since its opening in late 2022; in 2023, the New York Times named it to its list of best restaurants.
The Pueblan-born Aparicio is a two-time James Beard Award nominee who in 2008 helped create the bread program, including its signature baguettes, at Parc restaurant on Rittenhouse Square. He also was executive chef at the former Serafina Philadelphia and Zavino Wine Bar.
El Chingón Fishtown, 1431 Frankford Ave., opens at 4 p.m. June 18. Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 2 p.m. to midnight Friday, and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.