Asian fusion at its best... reminded me of my moms home cooking but now feeling it's cool to eat this style of food lol. Went with a friend who's been before but never with a Filipino.... I gave her insight into some of the dishes and she appreciated so much more. The service was top notch as to make sure we were taken care of without the feeling of being rushed to clear the table during peek dinner rush. read more

I was not impressed with the food here. Service was just ok - server was nice and friendly, but my friend ordered a soda he didn't bring until she reminded him quite a while later, and we did the pre fixe menu which included dessert, and after our entrees he came by and asked if we were done or if we were considering dessert. We said, well we did the pre fixe, doesn't it come with dessert? Portion size was good, and the price wasn't bad. I just didn't think anything was that good, honestly. In our group we tried the empanadas and the veggie lumpia for appetizers (I did appreciate that there was a pork-free lumpia!), and the pancit and ropa vieja for mains. The pancit was REALLY SALTY. All 3 of us felt the same. I did like the chili oil they brought when I asked for hot sauce - like a hotter but more flavorful version of sambal. The ropa vieja was fine. I am spoiled by Cuba 312 where the ropa vieja is truly what dreams are made of. Here it was... fine. Not bad but nothing special at all. For dessert we got the ube sundae which was pretty good. We also got the flan, which all of us thought was "interesting" (and not especially delicious). The texture was more like a cheesecake and the flavor profile was pretty weird. Sounded much better on the menu. I normally never leave a bite of dessert behind but none of us wanted to eat much of this. The menu is pretty pork-heavy so perhaps I missed their best dishes since I don't eat pork. Who knows. I'm glad I tried it but I won't be back. read more

I tried Bayan Ko for the first time on a Friday night. The restaurant is small, but with a short wait (made shorter because we called ahead) my boyfriend and I were seated on the patio out front. Though the patio is close to the El, noise wasn't a problem at all. I was torn between both vegetarian mains while my boyfriend was eyeing the Adobo Chicken Wings. After our waitress explained that two mains and two appetizers would be a good amount of food for the table, we decided to get both veggie mains and the chicken wings (and no appetizers -- only one appetizer is vegetarian and it didn't sound particularly special). The wings came out first (food is meant to be shared and served as it becomes ready). The portion size was more generous than we were expecting based on other reviews + what we could see on other tables -- a pleasant surprise. My bf said the wings were great. As for the vegetarian entrees, I enjoyed the Crispy Pancit Chow Main, but the Ginataang Gulay was the stand-out. The variety of vegetables worked well with the coconut milk in the sauce. I'd definitely get it again. Portions were large enough that we took home some of the Chow Main, and it seemed like most of the tables around us also walked away with leftovers. For dessert, we tried the coconut saffron flan, which was INCREDIBLE. It was very pretty, with basil, white chocolate pearls, dried flowers on top, and had a unique taste. read more

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I arrived about 20 minutes early and thankfully our table was ready so I was able to sit and wait for my friends to arrive. The restaurant is small with limited tables, but they have outdoor seating which helps add extra table service. The portions are small so we ordered a few dishes to share. Here is what we got: croquettes-good but small wings--okay not crispy at all ropa vieja w/rice--tender meat, sweet plantains (I'd order this again) luglug noodles--good flavors but noodles were too al dente for me ube sundae--good ox tail kare kare w/rice--ox tail meat was very tender and good peanut sauce--this was my favorite of them all (but my friend did not enjoy this dish) Street parking in the area is limited but its easy to get here via the CTA brown line. They offer BYOB with corkage fee which we took advantage of. Service was good throughout our dining experience except things started to feel a little rushed towards the end as if they had another group waiting for our table (but we didn't see anyone waiting). read more

The vibe was great and the service was wonderful. The food was just okay though in my opinion. Based on all the positive reviews I was expecting amazing food, and while I wouldn't complain about the dishes, they were also nothing to write home about. We ordered the chow mein with shrimp, beef brisket with sweet plantains, and duck confit tots. The two main dishes were a tad cold by the time they got to our table. I would also agree with the other reviews on here that the chow mein was greasy and a bit too salty. All the dishes were also a tad dry. It honestly felt like average takeout foods that's been left out for a while. Overall, I enjoyed my time there because of the vibe and service, but I probably won't be back for the food. read more

I'm always intrigued when a modern Filipino restaurant opens. I already scoped out the menu and had my heart set on a few items. We had the crispy adobo chicken wings, luglug noodles and the oxtail kare kare. I felt like the adobo flavor was lacking in the chicken wings, but they were still good. I really liked the luglug noodles because the flavors were strong and I love scallops and uni. I can imagine some people would not like this dish since the textures and flavors can be unusual for first-timers. The oxtail kare kare was super heavy, creamy and filling. I appreciate the bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) being served with it. Again, this is another dish that first-timers might have trouble with, but love that it's being introduced to the food scene in chicago! This was a bit too much protein for two people, btw. We had the ube sundae for dessert. It was delicious, but pretty small for the price! It would have been nice to serve it with just a little shaved ice to lighten it up a bit. Can't comment on the cuban items on the menu. Like others have said, it's not a fusion restaurant, it's a restaurant with cuban food and filipino food. read more

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Really good food! We ordered the croquetas, empanadas, lechon, wings and the two desserts - everything was delicious :) Especially the lechon. Service was really friendly and attentive. We did have to wait around 20-30 mins to get seated as it was Saturday night, but after that, service was pretty efficient. read more

Bayan Ko - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This review is based on my delivery orders via Tock. I haven't had a bad experience from Bayan Ko. Everything I've ordered tasted so good. It reminds me of home - I'm Filipino born and raised. Here's what I've had: lumpia shanghai, bbq pinchos, pancit, lug lug, camarones al ajillo, adobo chicken wings, bayan ko lechon, ropa vieja, and flan. I'm getting hungry just writing this review. They have an outdoor patio for social distance dining but if you're not able or not comfortable going out - their delivery through Tock is seamless. I can't wait to order again soon! read more

What an amazing gem. First of all, the chef is just a super cool guy. Service was great, friendly, quick. The food was all so good. Standouts for me were the best chicken wings of all time and the desserts. The ube ice cream was so flavorful and the flan had a texture unlike any I'd ever had before. We will definitely be back. read more

The key to enjoying meals with them is to have the right company to share with. The restaurant is small, approximately four tables and spaced out. A heated outdoor tent allows for more on the sidewalk. Food is so divine having the right people with you is key and I recommend sharing so that you can try it all. Our waiter, Alex (I think, I don't remember hearing a name only seeing it on the receipt) was spot on with recco's. By the time we had our reservation some plates were already sold out. Food quality, plating and taste were so good we were willing to look past some minor difficulties. Although the spot is tiny, one waiter inside and the other outside. A runner could have helped out. There were lag times with minuscule details which I think should/ could be managed better. ie Missing cutlery because as dishes were cleaned off the table, so with it went forks and knives. Those small details should be returned since you will be dining on multiple courses. (Depending.) Also, empty water glasses or water carafes. A bummer is that it is byob. (A plus is that there are bars within a short walking distance to get your pre-game in motion.) I prefer buying cocktails from a restaurant rather than going to a liquor store prior. With this mention; if a glass goes empty, it's great when a waiter notices these minute details and always has a refill, napkin or necessity handy. Everyone was hungry so I didn't waste time. Went straight down the (available) appetizers list: Lumpia Shanghai (Filipino egg rolls which usually offers a large qty) Meh. Croqueta tots w/ dunk confit. So divine & wanted more! Chicken skewers. Yum. Beef empanadas w/ mojo chimichurri. Yummers! And the BK Paella. Contains lobster tail, longganisa & quail eggs. Finished! As plates started dropping, ordered the Ginataang gulay - eggplant w/ shrimp and my company added their dinner requests. By the time we divvied up the eggplant, everyone was starting to feel stuffed! The following dinner orders tantalized; ropa vieja (divine), bistec (perfectly cooked) and the burger. Well, by the time it arrived I was just way too stuffed to notice. Good thing I asked to share with a friend, she killed that burger. Packed my portion to go and also requested packed desserts; Cream cheese flan and Ube sundae for late coffees on the couch. The desserts should not be missed. My favorite? If I ate solo, the Ube for sure. #halohalo OMLordy food was outstanding. If I didn't motivate my dining group to go so hard on appys may have had more space for the Ropa. I would repeat this or carryout, certainly. read more

Love the vibe here. It's a small space, but it's a very loud and vibrant atmosphere. I made a reservation for 8:30pm, but arrived at 8 and was able to be seated for a party of 2. It seems like a great place to go in a group. BBQ pinchos - pork shoulder, very flavorful and filling appetizer. Luglug noodles - It comes with an egg yolk that you mix in with the noodles. Great seafood dish - the scallops are nicely seared and the uni is delicious. Tastes just like the salty sea. Ropa Vieja - beef brisket, maduros, black beans and rice. The beef was tender and it was a very well done take on the classic dish. Flan - Soo delicious, rich and creamy. I hear great things about the ube sundae too so I'd love to try that next time. I really enjoyed the combination of Filipino and Cuban flavors in the dishes and style of the place. It made it a very unique dining experience and I'm looking forward to going back and trying other things. read more

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Atmosphere: very small dining space but didn't feel overly crowded Food (lumpia, croqueta tots, adobo chicken wings, pinoy burger, ube sundae): - everything was pretty meh - although the adobo chicken wings were raved about, they weren't much better than chicken wings you'd find at a pub - the pinoy burger was a little dry and lacked flavor, the egg was overcooked - ube sundae was good and the best part of the meal read more

great blend of flavors... the pancit was outstanding (better...ok different than what mom would make ;) ) - i still tasted the traditional filipino flavors with the added robust cuban touches. the space is very small - don't let that deter you. it might be tough in the winter as it does get chilly if seated by the door... a great laid back, like you're eating in your friends living room after school vibe. will be spreading the word to give this place a visit! read more

I've been hearing such incredible things about Bayan Ko and trust me when I say it exceeded expectations. We shared the pancit noodles and ropa vieja and I honestly couldn't decide which I liked more because they were both so delicious. The ropa vieja has such depth of flavor and the pancit noodles had all the right textures. I can't wait to go back. Also get dessert! The ube sundae was such a great treat with the decadent flan and the texture of the red beans. The space itself was very small, maybe ten or less tables. So it was a very intimate environment, but I enjoyed that. The plates are meant to be shared and the space really helps encourage that spirit of community in the cuisine. A great location in Ravenswood right off the Montrose Brown Line stop. My only critique for Bayan Ko is to expand so more people can enjoy! read more

Bayan Ko - Ube sundae - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Do I want Filipino or do I want Cuban? Yes! It's 2019. Who has time for decisions?! My dinner group usually consists of about 7 of us. For whatever reason, we only had 4 that evening. I'm really thankful we weren't rollin' with all the homies when we came on a Friday night, because it was crowded. It's not that Bayan Ko can't accommodate larger groups, but it's a bit hard since their seating is limited. We did see a really big party there when we came, but that was kind of the only table that could hold more people. We ended up waiting a while, despite having reservations, for a 4-top. We were seated and then waited a bit and didn't get menus. Also, our table was still sticky, but both issues were fixed when we brought them to the attention of our server. All is right with the cosmos and we're ready to order all the things! Unfortunately, we're only so many people and can only handle so much. This is when having a big group would have its advantages here. Nevertheless, we put a good dent in the list of options. We'd intended to order 2 appetizers of Lumpia Shanghai, but they only have so many orders per day and were only able to give us 1. Thus, we went with the Crispy Adobo Wings as the second appetizer and I am not mad about it. I'd have loved more Lumpia, but those Wings are really freakin' good and I'd get them again. As far as entrees, we went pretty HAM. We'd agreed to share family style, so we wouldn't feel we're missing out too much. The server made sure to mention that they bring out dishes as they are made, so they would be coming out one by one and are intended to be passed. We has the El Cubano (so tasty!), the Bayan Lechon (pretty good, but they forgot to bring the signature sauce), the Ropa Vieja (way more delicious than it had any right to be), and Luglug Noodles (aka Pancit Luglug, which is so rich and hit all the right notes). The Luglug Noodles were the winner of the dinner. If you're attempting to eat your way through the menu, you'll want to round things off with dessert. We got both the Flan and the Halo Halo Sundae. You can't go wrong with either. It was one of the best Flans I've had. Ambiance is beautifully eclectic and understated. It very laid back, but also very loud and hard to hold a conversation without shouting. I would not suggest this for a first date or if you want to speak at length with anyone. It was hard to hear the person directly across the table from me, so I can't imagine trying to catch up with our crew if we'd had all 7 of us in attendance. That's not particularly their fault, but just something to mention. The only FOMO you'll experience is not being able to eat everything on the menu in one visit. The good news is that you'll want to return, so it's not an impossible feat. read more

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Finally was able to get reservations on a Saturday night! We were excited to try this place out and we were not disappointed! The place is pretty small and a bit cramped but gave you that I'm in someone's kitchen feeling. And to walk to the bathroom you actually do walk through their kitchen and say hello to the chefs! Which adds to the laid back vibe. The staff is friendly and you get to actually talk to the owners who are down to earth and pretty cool! Now on to the food! lumpia shanghai - these are very good. crispy but not heavy and tasty. pancit noodles - simple but done right. no overpowering flavors just what pancit should be. mussels - delicious! amazing broth! I swear I thought my wife was going to drink it lol crispy adobo chicken wings - our favorite of the night! fried wings with that familiar adobo flavor?! a well done original twist. SO good el cubano sandwich - SO good. again simple, but done perfectly! ube sundae - a really cool twist to an old Filipino favorite. No shaved ice and some sea salt...was interesting and worked! A really nice dining experience and with it being BYOB won't break your bank! Delicious for anyone but especially if you are Filipino due to the familiar flavors with a twist! read more

Bayan Ko - adobo chicken wings - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Attentive staff! Chef Lawrence was cool. Tried the short rib bistek, lumpia, and lechon. A+ for having that Mang Tomas on deck. The lechon kawali also came with some tasty mojo sauce. They were thick-cut, golden brown and served with a little bit of achara. The halo-halo dessert with what tasted like homemade ube ice cream was surprisingly addicting w/ the sprinkle of sea salt. Staff was genial. Space is cozy - they did a great job adding artistic elements to the dining room like the floating fake/real indoor plants, a mural covering an entire wall and decoupaged tables. It brought joy to my heart that 90% of the people who were there were non-Asians. Yay, for another Filipino food spot in Ravenswood :) read more

The place: you need reservations for this quaint, but bustling fusion restaurant. It only seats maybe 25, and every seat was taken when I met a friend there for a 7:15 dinner date on a Tuesday night. The service was fantastic. Stopped by often to check in, was open to explaining any menu questions we had. That's what earns this place its 5th star. The taste: it might be surprising to you that this non-pork, non-shrimp eater had such a good experience, because probably 75% of the focused menu includes pork and/or shrimp, but there were enough dishes that I could taste - and even some I'd go back to taste. We shared the ropa vieja, the pancit noodles and the chicken wings. She got the lumpia Shanghai. And then we split the ube sundae with red beans. It's worth going back just for that - it's rich, creamy, with a complex texture throughout - some mango I think and a few other surprises- plus the salt atop the ice cream mountain add just enough of a savory pop that you might desire from a dessert. My face: a bigger smile than I came in with, after my dear friend helped me destroy the ube sundae. $33 with tip per person for a really awesome meals Will be back soon! read more

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My friend and I had finally had dinner here after weeks of talking about going. Intriguing concept for Filipino and Cuban but the items on the menu were either of the two cuisines instead of a blend. Maybe a good thing. Seating is quite cozy so get comfy with your neighbors at the communal tables. There's also some seating in the front patio but that day there was a torrential downpour during service and those folks had to move inside. There were two friendly servers taking care of everyone inside and outside. Service could be a little slow at times and it took a while for the dishes to start coming out for us. Portions are quite small, enough for 2 people to taste at most. My friend and I shared 5 dishes, 2 sides, and 1 dessert. We ended up having a little left over for both of us to take home. Didn't care for the Croqueta Tots (6 balls/order). They were filling but not really complex in flavor. Lumpia Shanghai was standard fare. Garlic sauce was good. Luglug Noodles were on the salty and greasy side. Crispy Adobo Wings and the Bayan Lechon were both okay. We also ordered a side of Jasmine Rice and Maduros, which was the only Cuban dish we ended up trying. I thought the best dish was the Ube Sundae. It was a perfect take on the Halo Halo and just the right size for 1-2 people. Also a good intro to Halo Halo for a newbie without overwhelming him/her with all the traditional fixin's. read more

I'll start by saying I wanted to LOVE this place. I'm really excited that Filipino food is making a bigger presence in the city, & ever since I saw this place featured on Time Out Chicago's Instagram, I had been dying to try it. That being said, I was a bit disappointed. Firstly, I personally think the portion sizes here kind of suck. My boyfriend & I ordered the Bayan Lechon, the Short Rib Bistec, and a side of the Maduros. This was barely enough for the two of us. They give you the tiniest portion of rice imaginable (the rice pictured is a "double serving") and they charge you $2 per additional tiny portion. If anyone knows Filipinos, you would know that we love our rice. I thought that 4 pieces of Meduros for $3 was a total rip-off. Also, the entrees were described to us as being "family style" but they were on the smaller end as well and definitely not big enough to share. Taste-wise, the food was pretty tasty. The bistec was marinated deliciously and the lechon was perfectly fried. I have no complaints in this area, other than the fact that I wish I was served more food. Also, I came into Bayan Ko expecting a Filipino-Cuban fusion experience, but after examining the menu, it appeared that most items were either one or the other. Will I come back to Bayan Ko? Probably not. Especially not until the reservations-only restriction is lifted. I'll likely be on the lookout for the next Filipino joint to pop up, which I hope will be soon. read more

Bayan Ko - Bayan Lechon, Short Rib Bistec, Maduros, pathetic "double portion" of Jasmine rice - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Why hello there new friend! Went here for a GNO. Super cute space. Small, quaint, inviting. Staff. Super nice, helpful and attentive. Food. Whhhhoooooaaaa. This shit is good! BBQ pintxos-yum! Little bites that are on skewers. Nice flavor and spice. Mussels-my fav dish of the night! Perfectly cooked mussels piled a top a heavenly coconut base with amazing flavor. Yuuuuummmm Pinakbet-this dish was just ok for me. The veggies tasted a little mushy and not a ton of flavor. Wings-yes ma'am! Full disclosure, 3 of us ended up ordering 2 rounds of these Liquor. BYOB. What's not to love!?! They take reservations and it's a small space so id def opentable it. read more

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This place is SMALL, so unless you are totally fine waiting, I would recommend making a reservation just in case. We did not, but fortunately there were only two of us so we were able to sit right down. This place is cuban and filipino fusion, and the two are a match made in heaven. It's also BYOB with a $5 corking fee. Honestly, I find corking fees to be a little annoying, but considering we only paid $5 to consume 2 bottles of wine - Not a major complaint, and they are far from the only restaurant to have a fee. I think the best way to eat at a place like this is to consider them shared plates - None of what we got would have been enough as a stand-alone meal, in my opinion. We got 4 plates and dessert. Lumpia shanghai - These are basically little filipino egg rolls filled with pork. They are delicious and tasted so fresh. We loved the accompanying garlic dipping sauce so much we ended up saving it for our wings later. Ropa vieja - This is a classic and one of my favorite cuban dishes, and it didn't disappoint. The shredded beef was tender and flavorful. This came with rice, black beans, and plantains. Oxtail kare kare - This was my second favorite (after the wings). The oxtail literally fell right off the bone. The sauce comes with this shrimp paste, that was basically fermented shrimp I believe. They serve it on the side so you can have as much or as little as you want. I was very conservative, but I wish I had added more. It adds a delicious unique umami flavor to it. I could have had a giant plate of that sauce and I would have been just as happy with the meal. Crispy adobo chicken wings - The STAR of the show. We originally were not going to order these but we noticed EVERYONE had them on their table. I was thankful I did - They were amazing! You get a full wing (drum and flat) but they are not huge wings (smaller than the wings from Crisp, anyways). The skin was perfectly crispy and the sauce they were tossed in was just sweet enough. We dipped them in the garlic sauce left over from the lumpia. Flan - Oh, I love flan. The flan was just amazing. My only complaint was service was really slow for us. We were fine to sit and chat and were not in a hurry, but we were sitting at the table with empty plates (wanting to order more food!) for quite a while. There looked to be only one server, but it's really not a huge place, so I'm not sure if I just caught them on a bad night or not. read more

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Wonderful experience here at Bayan ko. Reservations are recommended as there are limited seats. Service was super attentive and friendly. Ended up ordering 4 dishes to share and a dessert. 4 was the perfect amount for 2 people. Ceviche was fresh and refreshing to start the meal. Also the short rib bistec was superb. Everything on the menu was prepared to perfection and I highly recommend checking this place out. read more

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After dining here several times now, Bayan Ko is my favorite Filipino restaurant in Chicago and one of my top 5 restaurants in the city. Being Filipino myself, I'm admittedly critical of Filipino restaurants because I can't help but compare the food to my parents' and relatives' cooking. However, Chef Lawrence Letrero's dishes are in a category all on their own so there's no need to compare. Everything is so flavorful and cooked so well. I have yet to have a disappointing bite of anything here! My favorites are the Bayan Ko Lechon (crispy pork belly, mojo, Mang Tomas sauce, atchara) and Adobo Chicken Wings (soy caramel vinegar glaze). I also really enjoy the Lumpia Shanghai which is filled with scallion and carrot, but what really sets it apart from other Filipino restaurants' lumpia is Lola's garlic sauce. On the Cuban side of the menu, I really like the Croquetta Tots (smoked ham hock, jufran aioli) and Ropa Vieja (beef brisket, maduros, black beans). The Ube Sundae is also a must so make sure to save room for dessert! It comes with flan, red beans, and young coconut and is topped with black sea salt. It's the perfect ending to your meal at Bayan Ko! Additionally, I love the look and feel of the restaurant. The decor is minimal but makes the space very cozy; like you're dining in someone's home. There's also a beautiful mural on the main wall. Chef Lawrence, his partner Raquel, and their entire staff are such genuinely nice people and really take care of every guest that walk through their doors. My husband and I have made a pact to dine here at least once a month because we love the food and the people who work here that much! read more

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I want to support filipino businesses, so I sought counsel from fellow Elite about not writing at all. I was reminded that it wouldn't be right if I withheld lower ratings to boost certain causes. So here we go: 10/18/18 The space is small and they didn't do reservations upon our visit (which for their size, makes sense). When we arrived though, much to our surprise, there were 2 empty tables reserved, so we were told to wait. My mom's hypoglycemic so we decided on takeout, until another waitress alerted us of a table opening. YAY GREAT! But then... not so great. We sat down only to be abandoned by the 2 ladies aforementioned, who instead entertained all other existing patrons AND people after us. My mom was getting whoozy, so we hailed down a younger server standing idle in the corner, only to find out she was actually in training. Still she was nice and took our order: BEEF EMPANADA $3 each: Not filipino style so assuming it sways more towards Cuban. With that said, liking the taste is up to your preference. The stuffing is a small amount of soupy ground beef only. They have vegetarian option as well. BAYAN LECHON $12 (pork): I think this is supposed to be Filipino kawali style? The size was disappointing, as it was more of a 1 person appetizer as opposed to an entree. The skin was not crunchy, rather tough/chewy. All you Filipinos know what I'm talking about - if you get Lechon Kawali and the skin is rubbery (hindi na malutong/makunat), it's disappointing. Don't recommend. LUGLUG NOODLES $24: they highlight ingredients scallop, uni, chicharron, and saffron. my mother said it was bland but the scallops gave it slight taste so it turned out as an 'okay' dish. It was a bit greasier than traditional Filipino luglug. I was only able to find 1 small solid piece of chicharron and couldn't see or taste saffron. The size for the price was even moreso disappointing than the Lechon. Achara $2 (pickled papaya): the size is comparable to a soy sauce plastic container you get from chinese restaurants. It tastes different from traditional Filipino achara, it doesn't quite balance tart and sweet. Don't recommend. Oxtail Kare Kare $16 (peanut butter soup): Recommend. The taste profile of the soup was on the milder side, but the meat did have a nice smokey taste to it. A pleasant surprise. **Halo halo $6 (dessert): the main ingredient of filipino halo halo is shaved ice. This isn't halo halo, just ube (purple yam) ice cream over small amounts of bean, corn, coconut and flan. They also place big granules of sea salt(?) onto the ice cream, which actually tastes good. The home-made ube ice cream is delicious and the only thing I loved during our visit. Very rich and creamy and didn't melt easily - wish we got bigger scoops for the price, since all the other ingredients were smaller amounts than regular halo halo. As we ate, we were continually being ignored. Even the male Filipino chef/owner? handed us our shrimp paste/bagoong, and quickly left. Then came back out to ask everyone else's experience except us. It was the weirdest and most offensive feeling. We waited a while after finishing to have someone give us our check. I humbly shared with her how no one asked how we were doing or needed anything the whole time we ate. No apologies, just stood there nodding. I gave feedback on the Lechon kawali's lack of crispiness. She responded with: What do you mean? The outside wasn't crispy? It wasn't crispy already when it came out? I wasn't sure if she was implying why I didn't say anything (but that's because no one cared to come back to our table) or if the crispness may have disappeared the longer it stayed in the skillet. But 1) no, it wasn't crispy off the bat 2) Lechon kawali isn't supposed to be crispy on outside just the skin 3) if done right, it's not supposed to lose crispiness in mere 30 mins. No apologies, just look of speculation. Tip to establishment: please don't target certain patrons and leave out others; have a dedicated host to seat people so you don't have to keep looking up and ignoring my questions about menu when people come in; if you plan to reuse your cute menus invest in having them laminated; you claim to not take reservations, so please dont take reservations from certain groups to sacrifice convenience for people who are already there waiting for seats; rename "halo halo" to Ube ice cream fiesta :) ; hire a Filipino server who can properly explain the dishes and understand issues, separate/categorize Cuban and Filipino dishes on menu and/or explain if something is a fusion of both. The [filipino] food is 3 Stars, but we were ignored and made feel like an inconvenience the whole time, so service was 2 Stars. Regardless, I urge you to stop by and try their home-made ube icecream! They open at 3pm. There is street parking, and they're located just outside the Montrose brown line. They have a tip calculation on their receipt, but just a note, it calculates tip for price post tax. read more

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This is our first time coming to this place. Its not even 2 weeks old but it does have potential! It's a cute little restaurant. My good friend recommended this place to eat for some good Filipino and Cuban food. When we arrived the place was getting packed at 5pm on a Saturday night. The table layout were snug, there was a couple of long tables with benches for big groups up to 8 people or it becomes a community table for people to share table space. They started taking reservations so at least if it's a table for 2 or 4 you will get a table that will fit your party unless you don't care to share your table space with others. Walk-in are still welcomed. When we looked over the one page menu, it was simple and easy to read. They have some favorite known dishes of Filipino or Cuban and fusion of both cultures. We ordered the Shanghai Filipino egg rolls which was good full of meat, Lecheon pork pieces in a small cast iron, that was pretty tasty. Others ordered empanadas Cuban style which you get 2 pieces per order which they said it was good. Now on to our main dishes. The portions were just enough for 1 person so if you really like a more family style size portion, you may have to double your order. I ordered kare kare oxtail. Its came with 3 medium size oxtail pieces and yes I ate it all. It's a peanut butter type soup dish that came with green beans and eggplant. Don't forget the salted shrimp paste on the side. The meat was cook very well that you can easily separate it from the bone but of course with oxtail you want to get your hands dirty and naw on it like bbq ribs, get all that meat lol! The thing I had to comment a couple of my green beans was a bit crunchy, blanched too short and a couple still had the stems on it, cut those off please. The eggplant was nice and soft. So the overall flavor and thickness of the soup was just how I like it, I would order this dish here again. Hubby got the beef steak with onions. They were thin slices of beef short ribs which he liked. He didn't share lol! Others from our table got the adobo chicken wings which were whole pieces which was good but wanted more adobo flavors, it was on the sweet side (maybe Cuban flare)? Each main dish came with a side of white rice but of course a couple of us ordered more rice cause we're like those rice loving Filipinos lol! The staff were very nice too and accommodating served in a timely manner. Besides of ordering a coupe more of white rice, we also ordered some fried sweet plantains love the burnt ends (each order comes in 3 pieces). For dessert we shared an ordered thick and creamy flan topped with fresh blueberries which was tasty. That was hubby's birthday "cake" the whole restaurant sang him happy birthday! we also ordered Ube ice cream delight which was good, it's a scoop of creamy ube ice cream and it had Filipino halo halo ingredients around it, like sweet red kidney beans, sweetened coconut strips, pieces of flan without the shaved ice and milk. Overall it was a nice experience, I'd go back here again when I'm in the area and try other dishes off their menu like the Cuban sandwich or order my kare kare oxtail dish again! read more

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Awesome service! Didn't make a reservation and just wanted a small bite but the waitress managed to get us a 4 seater for an hour. We had the paella, wings, and pork shoulder apps! Loved all of it and my fav was the ube ice cream dessert (perfectly sweet and salty I don't know how to explain) with corn red beans and coconut jelly. read more

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Everything about this restaurant is amazing!!! The atmosphere is warm and inviting, the staff is friendly and helpful, and the food is EPIC!!! They manage to take 2 very different styles of cuisine and blend them into a wonderfully delicious, homey comfort food experience!!! Unfortunately, I can only give it 5 stars because the app won't let me rank it any higher but it deserves at least 10. I would, seriously, fly to Chicago just to eat here!!! read more

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The empanadas were perfect! There was more meat that crust (a very uncommon thing). The shredded beef was seasoned perfectly & the sauce with it was great. The lumpia rolls were perfectly crispy and had great flavor without being greasy. Bayan Ko was at my local farmers market. I'm so glad they popped up! I will be going to the restaurant soon. read more

Anticipation was high because we had been trying to go here for a while before we found a time that worked out. Walking in, the locations and vibes are great for what this restaurant is. We were seated right away, and ordered quickly. Unfortunately, the food took an extraordinarily long time to come out. But we could get over that with the quality of our dishes. We got the gulay and a cuban sandwich. The sandwich was pretty standard, but good. That gulay though. The veggies were cooked perfectly and very flavorful. And those Japanese sweet potatoes were such a treat! It was the kind of dish we kept thinking about afterward for a while. read more

Overall good food. The concept is interesting! Looking forward to trying other menu items when I'm back in town. Only gripe was the nigiri, it just fell/crumbled apart not able to pick it up like the server suggested. read more

Excellent service and a perfect meal! Will definitely go back for another celebration soon.

Food was okay. The place is small (maybe 24 seats max) so reservations are a must. It's BYOB. But the food was just okay. I've had better at my local Filipino take out for a lot less $. The one bright item was the Cuban sandwich appetizer. Otherwise the menu skews totally Filipino. Good but not great read more

Ordered the lunch special. Really bad idea. The croquetas were filled with some undercooked pink mush. The Cuban sandwich pork was undercooked and really poor in texture. The dessert was super salty, to the extent that it was inedible. And then of course they charged me a good 30% of mandatory service fee AND tips, on top of that. At a pinch I'm OK with a mandatory 20% tip, but what is a service charge on top of that then? read more

Wowowow this is amazing!! The food is so flavorful! They have patio seating that is covered due to Covid which is nice and heated. I highly recommend the mussels as most of the other reviews will tell you. We ordered way more than we needed but I have no regrets! read more

Bayan Ko - Mussels - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food here was awesome! I'm pescatarian, so couldn't eat everything the rest of the group ate, but they were all happy with the meat dishes they ordered and I really enjoyed the veggie curry and prawns. We brought our own beer, and that's always a bonus to BYOB read more

I wasn't going to write this review until I saw the 20% gratuity that was automatically added on to our check. Really wanted to like this place but wanted to share my feedback for others to consider. Sisig Nigiri - Creative concept. Traditional sisig is savory and fatty with sour/citrus notes and crispy pieces of meat in a sizzling hot plate. I know because sisig originated from the same city/province my family is from. I grew up eating this dish and is always served in family parties. The sisig at Bayan Ko was way too sweet. It tasted like chopped up pork with teriyaki sauce. Also, the 1 bite felt like we were eating mush. No texture to offset the soft sisig meat. Unfortunately, this dish was poorly executed. Bayan Ko Lechon - disappointing. The fat didn't crisp up so we ended up having to fight through chewy pieces of fat getting stuck to our teeth. It was like eating toffee. Serving size was okay but that's because they slice up the lechon in smaller portions. Not worth $17 in my opinion. Bistek - the meat for the day was hangar steak. Meat was flavorful and tender. Right amount of acid with the mojo sauce. This was probably our favorite dish. Service - it was okay. Understandably, there was only 1 server working both the indoor and outdoor dining spaces. So, yes service was slow. Prior to ordering, we made a point to ask if the main dishes came with a side of rice. We were told yes, besides the noodle dish pancit. Our Pan Con Bistek was not served with rice and we had to ask for another order later on after we finished the rice that the lechon came with - no big deal. The 20% gratuity was certainly not deserved considering the overall experience. Creative dishes but we weren't blown away. Pricey for the portions you are served with. read more

Got reservations for a Saturday night. Glad we did because the other pace was booked - they had to turn people away. Friendly and helpful server made some good recommendations. Menu prices are great, nothing over $15 and most things under $10. The Filipino food was good but many of the Cuban dishes lacked flavor especially the ropa vieja. The bbq pinchos were the best most flavorful dish of the night along with the mussels. read more

Absolutely fantastic !!!! The food was unbelievable and full of flavours !! The service by Hanna was very pleasant and she was very accommodating!!! We would definitely return !!!! read more

Incredible 1st visit to Bayan Ko, everything we ordered was sinfully delicious! Adobo wings, Empanadas, Lobster Fried Rice & Cumin Lamb with Yucca were all stellar dishes with layered favors & beautiful presentations. Host Alfredo is extremely conscientious, service was impeccable, very relaxed & pleasant ambiance with great music. I'll definitely be a repeat offender!!! :) read more