Loved the Arepa... has a great texture and flavor! Loved the smoothies, especially the Chicha! First time eating Venezuelan food, amazed of the great flavors! Planning on going back as soon as possible to try more of the menu. Definitely on the list for dining when having out of town guest. Very friendly service! read more

I come here often. As a Venezuelan, I can say this comes close to what authentic Venezuelan food would be like. The place is cozy and the food is very, very tasty. read more

What a nice surprise ! We were planning to go try Marmalade nearby but it was closed on Tuesday, so we tried bienmesabe & lunch was super as was our waiter. We had 2 lunch specials. We will be back !!! read more

10/10 would recommend this place. A group of us went for dinner on $5.99 Arepa night and we're very impressed with the food, the service and the atmosphere. Our server was so helpful with recommending what we should get (which is important when you know nothing about Venezuelan food) and was so pleasant. The other patrons of the restaurant were also really warm and funny, occasionally chatting with out table, I attribute that to the warmness of the restaurant. I had the beer and gouda Arepa with avocado added, the fried yucca to share and the empanadas for an appetizer. All items were delicious. With the Wednesday deal we were able to feed 3 very hungry people for under $50! The BYOB just makes this place better with the liquor store across the street. And FYI they have wine openers so no need to bring your own or get a twist cap! read more

Food is 3 or 4 stars-- pretty tasty, good deal on arepas on Wednesdays, and the "side" of fries was an enormous plate! I can't speak for how authentic it is, but my GF friend is grateful for some delicious options. Service, however, was atrocious, 2 stars at best. When we ordered, waiter asked if we wanted our drinks out first..? Umm, yes, that's usually standard operating procedure! He did NOT bring them out, I had to ask for them (nothing fancy--two sodas!) We had to wait awhile for food which is ok, but we were brought the wrong arepa (which they came back for and swapped out) and then never checked on again. No beverage refills, and just asking for the check took way too long. I could see our server standing behind the service counter on a phone. Maybe he was monitoring online orders or something (trying to give them the benefit of the doubt) but he was definitely not attending to our two person table. Skimming through other reviews on here and poor service seems to be a popular problem. I would eat the food again for sure, but I'd just come and pick it up instead of experiencing awful service again. read more

This place is legit! I'm Mexican married to a Venezuelan (maracucha) and well I've had my share of Venezuelan food and this place is by far the BEST Venezuelan restaurant that I've been to read more

I really enjoyed checking this place out for the first time. The food was great - although by the time we were done with the Appetizer Sampler we were almost full!! Really nice first experience for a newly opened restaurant! read more

So tasty!!!!! Had the pork arepas with black beans and avocado (made my own) and was great. Topped it off with tres leches cakes-moist and not too sweet. Only downside (and this was not a big deal at all) was the service was a bit slow. Though please note our server was very pleasant. Highly recommend and is a great addition to the neighborhood! read more

Great plantains! Perfect. Had shredded beef, rice and black beans. All very good. Will definitely be back.

LOVE this restaurant. I live a few blocks away and I've gone quite a few times now. Everything is fresh and the food is made to order. Service is wonderful too. Highly recommend! read more

This place is delicious! My husband loved the beef arepa. I had their home salad with chicken! Yum! We will definitely be back to try out their apps and desserts. The service was excellent on top of great food. read more

Excelent Venezuelan food! I recommend the Asado Negro arepa.. I love how this guys created a great concept of Venezuelan street food. The Chicha is delicious as well. The waitress Gaby is such a nice and kind person. read more

Everyone who works here was kind, welcoming and helpful. The food was sooo good--the tequenos were just like we ate in Venezuela almost 40 years ago! My parents, sister and I had a wonderfully fun night. read more

I went to Bienmesabe for dinner and we were seated promptly. The service was great. The food was above average but a bit too salty for my taste. I recommend this place for sharing plates and sandwiches. read more

I am from Venezuela and this is this place bring me back home every time i go, i can't pick a favorite because i am still trying things in the menu as soon as i am done with all i will let you know. So far Tequeños are really good and i have to confess that's my weakness . Keep it going Bienmesabe i am just going to complain because i wish you had Bienmesabe in the dessert menu read more

Very authentic Venezuelan restaurant. Got the apetizer sampler, cachapa, one arepa and empanadas. It was very good, but too much food.Had the empanadas boxed to go and took them to a party. They didn't last a minute on the table. Highly recommended, and I'll go back next time I'm in Chicago. read more

The arepas and sides are delicious and reasonably priced, especially on Wednesdays. However the $15 corkage fee is ridiculous and we will no longer be going because of that reason. We had a group of 10 but only 3 of us did byob. Yet they charged us based on the group's total size. The manager refused to remove it. Also tax and tip are charged on the total including corkage which overinflates it. My dinner group is taking our business elsewhere. read more

It was the first time we came here and it happened to be their 1 yr anniversary and dine in was 20%! I had the bochinche arepa and the cocada for a drink. I highly recommend it. The staff was super duper attentive. I can't wait to come here for brunch one day. Feliz aniversario! read more

Bienmesabe has become our go to restaurant in the neighborhood. The food and service are both consistently excellent. I usually get the pabellon which is available plated or in an arepa. Both versions are great. It consists of seasoned shredded beef, white rice, sweet plantains, and black beans. A great combination. My wife recently had the cachapa which was also delicious. It's a sweet corn pancake stuffed with cheese and then topped with a very salty cheese. Also a great combination. I have had most of the appetizers, the empanadas and mandocas being my personal favorites. Regarding the service, Gaby has been our waitress just about every visit and everything has always been wonderful. She is very knowledgeable about the food and is always very accommodating. Most importantly, she is very kind and is great with our baby daughter. Remember it's BYOB which is always a plus! Oh, and on Sundays they have a chicken soup special which is awesome! read more

Great arepas and very nice staff. The place is BYOB which is nice, and all of the food is moderately priced. I live pretty close so will be back many times! read more

When four Venezuelan friends take you out to diner at a Venezuelan restaurant you had better be sure it's the real deal restaurant. When that happens you in the right place. Well let me tell you the besides authenticity the food was delicious and fresh, I I tried the Christmas dish for dessert you must have the Torta BienMeSabe so delicious Their waiters are super friendly, the prices are very cheap and affordable. I'm so happy Chicago have new Venezuelan food restaurant so far the best I can wait to go back again. read more

I tried the Patacon with chicken and was amazing!! Very well made, just how it is suppose to be!!

Attentive, cordial, delicious food. I will base my review on the food and service i believe it goes hand in hand. We went to Tango Sur and patiently waited for our table. Knowing that we had to wait we weren't expecting to get seated right away however we were told we had to wait 1.5 hours. After waiting our 1.5 hours the host at the door told us we would have to wait another 30 minutes because they were running behind. I'll let you guys make your own judgment to that. My husband and I pulled out our phones and decided to drive a couple minute away to this hidden gem. We are grateful to find places that still value their customers and don't let their popularity get to their head. We were quickly seated and thank God for that because no one likes eating at 10pm unless you eat at Tango Sur you should bring a snack. We've never had Venezuelan food before but we decided to try the sampler and the Churassco entree do yourself a favor and order the entree! Enjoy folks :) read more

Bienmesabe - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is delicious and one of my new favorite local places. I've had a few of the arepas and some of the entrees and haven't had any complaints. The plantains have been cooked perfectly and the cheese is so good! I've been with a few different people and even had room for a stroller next to our table one of the times. Even my picky 10-year-old nephew liked the arepa that he ordered and you can't go wrong with the fries and their different sauces! Our servers have all been extremely kind and take more of a South American approach to waiting tables: they don't pester you every 5 minutes and let you relax and sit back to chat before getting the check. If you need it, just wave them down and they'll bring it with a smile! read more

We went to this restaurant with our two young children on a Wednesday night. The special for the evening were $6 Arepas, which we ordered as well as the sampler platter and a shared plate of the chicken tenders for our kids. Well...the food was fantastic! The rice drink was fantastic! The waiter was fantastic! We are going again very soon. What a gem and so close to our home. I think this will be our new "go to" spot when friends visit. read more

The food feels homemade and well thought, the atmosphete and service are super friendly, and prices are fair- we had a great time. Also good veg. Options- dont skip the deserts! read more

Great byob neighborhood date spot with a ton of vegetarian options. The ceviche was really well prepared and fresh. My Caribbean arepa had about half a pound of cheese in it, which i felt was a little overkill but the cornmeal cake was one of the best I've ever had. I will definitely be back! read more

If you haven't had tequeños, you have not lived! They are like little sticks of heaven. Then try an arepa (like a sandwich) or any of their dishes. The service is great and the drinks are sweet but be sure to save some room for dessert because you you're taste buds will thank you. read more

The After Party arepas are amazing! But Jesus is even better as a server! He was attentive, friendly, and suggested delicious specials. Thanks! We'll definitely be back. read more

Absolutely amazing! Food felt 100% home made and personnel are very charming and genuine. Prices are great! This is a place we will come back to many many times! read more

The food is delicious and service impecable. We are so pleased with both our dine-in and catering experiences. We served their food at our NYE dinner party and our guests didn't stop commenting how delicious everything was. Thank you! read more

Bienmesabe is amazing for so many reasons! I live nearby but hadn't been in to the restaurant. With the pandemic, my friends and I planned a holiday celebration with food delivered to our 3 different addresses. I called ahead and they nicely let me know know that I should do this on the site. I placed the 3 individual orders (and their site had a nice description of each item and a well-functioning checkout process). A few minutes later, I received a phone call from the restaurant to confirm the info, since I'd placed 3 different orders on one card and the two other addresses (besides mine) had same name for the delivery (these 2 friends just happen to have the same last name!). I confirmed all is well - and a few hours later - right on time - the orders started arriving. And I got personalized texts letting me know when each arrived (and one whose buzzer didn't work a picture of where it was left) plus when they delivered mine last (all within a 12 minute window). I would have given this a good review. But then we ate the food. ZOMG - it was fresh, flavorful and still hot! The food was incredible. We had a great holiday dinner - with great thanks to Bienmesabe! read more

The food and service was out of this world fantastic! I had the traditional breakfast; it was so good. Sweet dessert is a nice touch! You have to try this place !! read more

Stumbled into this place in our way to another restaurant and decided to give it a try. So glad we did. The food was amazing and service was great (food can take a bit to come out, but I think that's because it's fresh). They had space for our stroller and have high chairs. The only thing is I didn't see a changing table in the restroom. That's not to say that they wouldn't have made accommodations if I had asked. Definitely going back here! read more

I was so excited to try the arepa here but it was overpriced and disappointing. For $10, I got a cold carribean arepa, which was 90%unmelted cheese, a couple plantains and a small sliver of avocado! The plantains were tasty though. To add any extra ingredients would've made a single sandwich cost over $14. A sandwich not bigger than the palm of your hand. Overall for 3 ingredients and the portion size, this was a ripoff. read more

I have been here twice (for the grand opening and again for lunch.) The tall handsome waiter was very helpful. He patiently explained the menu to my party and I. Both times the food was delicious. The presentation is always great. I recommend trying this place! BYOB. read more

The food is really good. My husband and I have been there twice, already planning to go back. Authentic Venezuelan food, nice atmosphere and friendly staff. read more

Excellent service, delicious food with very generous portions. Glad to have a new restaurant in the neighborhood!

We finally stopped in here and it was awesome. Love the BYOB... We had a starter that was similar to mozzarella sticks but Venezuelan style- delicious. I got the pabellon arepa which was great. It has fried plantains inside! This was my first time having an arepa- it is like a hot crispy yet soft inside pita pocket. It was very filling. We will definitely stop in here again! Great local joint. read more

Overpriced black beans and rice and pabellon better known as ropa vieja. Ceviche was nothing special. Both my wife an I got "sick" the next day. The tequeños was ok but they need to use a higher fat content cheese. This place should be a food truck joint at most. read more