Love the food here, I live all the way in the south west side of the city and always have to drive 30+ min just to come here. The portion size isn't big but it's honestly the perfect size, and the quality that they use for their food is pretty good. I always get the veggie jibarito that consists of roasted bell peppers and onions, along with the Puerto Rican rice. If never fails to satisfy me. My boyfriend, who usually eats for like 3 people was left satisfied with the portion size and the jibarito he got. It's almost hidden, and I never really dine, however they have a pretty decent sized space. read more

The experience was great. I made an error when ordering online but they were very helpful in fixing the issue. Would definitely go back again.Arroz Con Gandules, platano Maduro y tostones. read more

The food is very good. Service is a little slow, but nice overall. I recommend their jibarrito sandwiches and Alca Purrais with hot sauce! I have yet to try their drinks but I will be back for the delicious food! read more

If you are going anywhere for puerto rican food you must try this place out! The first time i had borinquen was many years back and it was at the original spot in humboldt park, i could never forget it. but with this one opening a few years ago i believe my senior or junior year of high school (2004/2005) i just had to have it again and again. I always order the bistec jibarito and depending on how dangerous i am i would down it with either a malta india or cola de champagne. the bistec jibarito should be placed in one of the world wonders. steak, tomatoes, onions, mayo, sandwiched in a fried plantain with a spread of garlic on top is amazing. lets not mention the awesome grease this jibarito gives off. so tasty! the jibarito also comes with a side of rice that has beans and pieces of real sausage in it. i dont know if they make their spicey sauce in house but mix a little into the rice and youve got a concoction of goodness. not too spicy but has a great kick to it. the service here is very fast and the waitresses are nice. quick to take your orders and quick to get the food to you. my spot to go to whenever i am craving puerto rican food. read more

Borinquen - Bistec jibarito - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing. I grew up going to the humboldt one. Still excellent. Food was good and pick up was really easy.

Went here for the first time for dinner and I would definitely come back again! Clean inside and the staff are very kind. I got the jiborito and it was amazing! read more

Borinquen - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good place good PR food, as ever other PR place service is slow but food is worth the wait. Couldn't go over 3 stars just because place was really hot inside. read more

Borinquen - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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So cute and clean inside! Great food, prices and staff very welcoming. Would recommend!

So this has been my spot for YEARS !!! However, when you jack up the prices, don't give any bread, and get rid of lunch waitstaff, I'm done, and heading to La Bomba. There I know they won't charge you $10 for a jibarito and some rice. I'm even disappointed with the steak. It was dry and flavorless...farewell for good !! read more

I was introduced to this place when I was in 8th grade (12 years ago), and the quality and deliciousness of the food have not changed. STEAK JIBARITO, ARROZ CON GANDULES with a MALTA INDIA is PERFECTION. I'm drooling right now writing this review as I imagine the cheese drip on the salted steak, slice of lettuce, spread mayo, slowly merging grease, cheese and steak between garlic on top of crisp plantains. The malta india (an acquired taste) adds as a supplementary drink to wash down such an amazing Puerto Rican dish. I'll leave it short and sweet. If you want quality Puerto Rican delicacies with an impression that it was home-cooked, come here. PLEASE. read more

Borinquen - Bistec jibarito w rixe! - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love it here! My go-to is the pinchos, bacaialitos & tostones! I came in here a week ago for a pick-up, and they had tables with signs that told you to use the next table for social distancing, which I loved!! They are now serving alcohol!! We!! read more

I've tried a few different Puerto Rican restaurants in Chicago and this is one of my favorites. I've eaten in and ordered delivery and I've never been disappointed. read more

Best Puerto Rican restaurant in Chicago....... Great service, awesome food and good people read more

Awful takeout meal. Fries were dripping in oil. mofongo was hard and tasteless. Chicken was so over cooked and dry that it went right in the garbage. The beef soup was edible. read more

Had a mess up on my order with Grubhub and the restaurant went out of their way to bring me my extra things. Amazing service and very nice people. Thanks for making my dinner not a waste read more

*FINALLY AFTER TEN YEARS ON YELP MY 200TH REVIEW LOL* I lost my jibarito virginity recently and oh my God I can still smell the garlic! The mister and I met up with our friend and his girlfriend (who suggested the place) for our maiden voyage to this purveyor of delectable delights. From the outside I thought it was going to be a tiny place, but as soon as we got inside I realized it was bigger than I thought which was a good thing because I was afraid I would have to sit on a bar stool and I HATE bar stools! We were seated at a comfortable table in the back of the restaurant. The furniture was a little warm but very homey, and I took it as a sign that there was going to be good homemade quality food. I was pleasantly surprised when we got fresh bread and creamy butter to start out with as I had been quite hungry at the time. There were quite a few specialities on the menu but we were there to try the jibarito, a sandwich made with plantains instead of bread and your choice of meat in the middle, finished off with a slice of cheese and garlic mayo. I selected the steak jibarito  and it came with a choice of white or yellow rice (arroz con gandules) and I suggest getting the yellow because it has a really good flavor. The mister selected chicken breast for his sandwich. I must say that both sandwiches were like the greatest thing I ever had the steak was moist and juicy and had a really good garlicky flavor. The chicken was just as good and moist not dry. It was neat having a sandwich without bread because the plantains were starchy but not so filling that you feel over overstuffed. This place is awesome and I highly recommend it for people who want to try something different and not just any old sandwich. read more

Picked up a jibarito lunch and a few papas rellenas for lunch the other day and damn were they good! Will definitely be back!

We having Puerto Rican tonight. Lechon and rice, the Jibarito (Hillbilly) dinner with a side of morcilla, tostones and a bunch of delicioso... read more

Borinquen - Lechon con arroz - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is the sister restaurant to the original Borinquen in Humboldt Park on California Ave. For those who don't know, Borinquen created the Jibarito. Instead of bread, they use fried plantains, your choice of meat (steak is popular), lettuce, tomato, garlic mayo, and cheese. In my opinion, it's the best damn sandwich ever created. I've been to this location a few times because it's close to my home. Of course, I always order a jibarito. And while I usually order the steak, I've branched out and tried the lechon jibarito, which was excellent. Whenever I get take-out from here, the little devil on my shoulder tells me to order some frituras. As if the greasy, fried jibarito and arroz con gandules isn't enough food, I'm compelled to order more greasy fried goodies. I usually order one or two of the following: Alcapurrias (mashed plantain filled with seasoned meat, then fried), papa rellenas (mashed potato filled with seasoned meat, then fried), bacalaitos (salt cod fritters), and fried sweet plantains. Although I still prefer going to the original location, this Borinquen is a nice alternative for those living in the neighborhood. It's not as crowded AND they serve liquor! *burp* read more

After saving an excess of calories so I could go stuff my face, I came to Borinquen Lounge in anticipation of the perfect greasy, garlicky jibarito. I placed an order to go for the following: jibarito, can of Hawaiian Punch, and flan. I was quoted 15-20 minutes, but received my order in less than 10. They have a nice little area at the bar in which you can sit at while waiting for your order... with TVs so you can watch soccer! This was one of those times in which I prayed to the parking gods for quick and effortless parking so that my hot jibarito wouldn't die a slow, mushy death. Salvation appeared in the form of a rockstar spot! My little jibarito and I hurried through the lobby, to the elevator, and into my unit. Only, little jibarito wasn't so little. This isn't puppy-love; it's a full-grown sandwich! It also comes with a hefty side of delicious rice. I prepared for the juicy explosion of juicy steak, cheese, garlic mayo and pure salt to hit my lips in 3, 2, 1... and... bite... chew... chew... chew... um, see where I'm going with this? The steak was tough and fatty, which unfortunately led me to only have a few more bites before giving up. Also, the plantains were a bit undercooked (I would have preferred more crisp and less sog). But, the flavors overall were really great. Maybe I just got an extra-tough piece of meat? I finished my now small attempt at a meal with the flan. Sweet and rich with a pronounced egg and vanilla flavor. Very, very good. The food here is inexpensive and I'll definitely be back to try some of the other specialties. As for their jibarito: a second chance may or may not be in order. read more

Omg never again! As you can tell, I like Jibaritos. I search different parts of the city to see how different each establishment prepares theirs. I got off work and searched yelp for Jibaritos. A few places came up but to be honest I don't know why I stopped here. I guess it was convenient and on my way home. When I walked in, I sat myself and the waitress came fairly quick. I ordered a "Papa Rellana & Steak Jibarito". FYI don't let the sign the have in their window fool you that says "Home of the best Jibarito". I received my Papa Rellana first and boy that thing was COLD; okay maybe I'm exaggerating a bit but it was not fresh nor was it hot. This sucker was less than room temperature. It honestly looked and tasted like they just threw it in the microwave. So I stabbed it with my fork a few times and pushed it to the side. From my Jibarito adventures I know for a fact it doesn't take 7 minutes to prepare it. I don't know why I paid so close attention to the time but yeah it took them 7 minutes to prepare it which I found very odd and disturbing. The waitress placed this greasy thing they call Jibarito in front of me with the rice. I picked it up and prayed to baby Jesus not to walk away from here with clogged arteries. Ok first bite was deadly to me! This thing was so over salted and greased up that my lips became super glossy and on top of that it was COLD! Yes it was damn near cold only the steak was warm. End of my review! seriously what were they thinking?! What twilight zone do they live on to serve luke warm food (in my eyes COLD) Yeah so guess what; I won't be coming back. If i want microwaved food I can just walk to my pretty microwave and do it myself FOR FREE That's it folks read more

They specialize in an fatty evil plot that I am convinced was dreamed up by Homer Simpson and Lane Bryant. They make sandwiches. But instead of bread they use plantains. FRIED plantains. And then they put a bunch of delicious grease-dripping meat on em. And then they put cheese on it. And MAYO. And it's covered in melted garlic butter. You'll look like a pig when you eat it and there's grease dripping all down your forearms, but you shouldn't care, because everybody else in there has looked like that too. And do get some fried appetizers - the fried pork is chewy and kind of hard, almost jerky-like - fantastic. Also the empanadas and the big mashed potato ball stuffed with meat - look, basically, if they fry it, it's gonna taste good. Oh, and get the orange colored juice in the thingy at the bar - I've been told it is a different fruit every time, so I'm not sure what it is, but it's tasty. It is the jibarito and you should hail it. Steak, chicken, pork - it's all delicious. Wear stretchy pants. read more

Well as some of you may know I'm moving to Australia in the end of March.... awww Some of you also may know I'm a fan of sammiches and good cheap foods of local flavor. So It was only a matter of time before the Jibarito was on my radar (not in the Brittany Spears sort of way). I drive up Western, find parking about 100 yards down the road and go in to order. I was shocked to see it was more of a bar than a restaurant when you go inside. I'm waiting for 2 minutes before a worker realizes I'm standing there with a menu in my hand I picked up from a table. There were like 4 other people there, none of them white with a shaved head so I thought I would be noticed. I order my Jibarito, carne asada, and wait for it to be ready to take home. As I'm waiting for my food the lady offers me a fun-size bas of M&Ms. Hells yeah! I get home, unwrap the fabled sandwich, and take one look..... I can see the plantains glisten from being freshly fried and salted, this is going to be epic. As my teeth sink in, the garlic mayo and meat flavors are apparent. It could use more heat in my opinion but this is Puerto Rican not Mexican food. Perhaps it was the American cheese that threw me off, but it didn't fully live up to my expectations. Then I took out a bottle of hot sauce. A few dabs and holy sh!t the sandwich was complete now. I went through half the sandwich before I opened my rice side. I had a few bites , more sammie, more rice.... I made sure I ended with sandwich to let the greasy, salty, garlicky, taste linger for a little more time. read more

I went there recently and got good service, good waitress, and also food was delicious, filling, and made me sleepy. The price is reasonable for the food I ordered arroz con gandules meaning rice with pigeon peas, and 2 pork pasteles also very good I be back when I am in the area again. read more

Their empanadas are ok, I suppose. I've had better (Cocina Boriqua on Western and Fullerton has the BEST in the city!). But... All the other food I've tried here is excellent. Their milanesa de bistec (breaded steak) is great. Their steak and onions...to die for! YUM! The tostones (crispy, flat plaintain w/ garlic) are also very tasty and chock full of garlic-y goodness. Oh oh oh...and their maduros (sweet plantain) are good, too! And the first place prize goes to... Their rice...wow. Sometimes you go to Puerto Rican restaurants and their rice comes in second to the actual meal because while it's good, it doesn't stand out. The rice at Borinquen Restaurant stands out. Mmmmm. I could eat a whole plateful right now. Waitstaff is friendly. The only drawback aside from the 'eh' empanadas was the waiting time for our food. It seemed a bit lengthy. Thank gosh they brought bread to our table beforehand. I was about to gnaw my arm off! read more

Their steak jibarito with pigeon rice is a must have! it is the only thing I ever tried here. We always come just for that. We haven't tried anything else because this is just THAT good. Their service is good. Waitress always comes and checks up on us. The lighting is dim and the place isn't the nicest, but the jibarito is the reason why I come back. read more

Forget everything you knew about Puerto Rican food and start all over again with Borinquen Lounge. This little restaurant packs a wallop in the realm of taste. And guess what? -- it won't break the bank. Their appetizers and specialty sandwiches are pretty ridiculously priced ($2 for most apps, $7 for the jibarritos). To start things right, we got a potato ball, a meat fritter, a chicken-stuffed plantain, a beef-stuffed plantain, and a Puerto Rican tamale. All of these little guys were awesome, but my faves were the beef-stuffed plantain and the tamale. All this plus the bread and butter that they bring you is almost enough to fill you up. But my buddy and I, total piggies, each had to order a jibarrito of our own. I got the pork and she got the beef. Listen to these guys on yelp, they know what they're talking about. GET THE BISTEC JIBARRITO! Their beef is surprisingly tender. The smashed plantains are crunchy, but also really easy to eat. Mmm it's all so very garlic-y, too. I've totally had bad beef jibarrito experiences in the past (they haunt me at night) but Borinquen Lounge's will only ease you into that food coma you may not be able to snap out of. If you're concerned about your oil and salt intake, eat healthy for a few weeks, save up your fatty points, and pig out at Borinquen Lounge. It's so good ... read more

Visions of my Boricua grandmother danced in my head last night as I enjoyed me some Puerto Rican food at this joint. Of course being Puerto Rican, I have some high standards when it comes to the cuisine--all in all, I was not disappointed in their offerings--it was delicious. I had a pastele for appetizer & seriously--I thought my grandmother had made & for the main course, I tried the Lechon (pork) with arroz con gandules (yellow rice w/ pigeon peas) and of course some maduras (sweet plantain--they are the bomb!!!). The portions are very generous--so go with a some what empty tummy & you will leave satisfied. The decor & ambiance are not great--a little on the dingy side--but if you can get over that, you will love the food. read more

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I grew up in Humboldt Park surrounded by the epitome of delicious Puerto Rican cuisine, so when my mom said that there was a place on Western near Irving Park that served the most delicious jibaritos she'd ever tasted, I was definitely skeptical. Well, kudos to Mommy for finding my new favorite PR restaurant in Chicago! I have had two different jibaritos (one veggie, one steak) and both of them were so delicious that I wanted to be a glutton and get 2 more (I resisted temptation). In fact, the first one I got sparked quite a discussion after I posted its picture on FB. And the prices are so good that being gluttonous would not break the bank. My only advice to consumers is that if you do not eat pork, specify that you want the vegetarian rice with your order. Other than that, prepare to enjoy the most fabulous authentic cuisine you've ever had. read more

I hear that this place has about 2 other locations in the city. If you can't make it to this one, definitely get to the other ones. The margarita was pretty decent here. It went along great with the Pestillos (they are kind of like empanadas to me) and the jibarito I had. The restaurant is known for their tasty jibaritos that they make, which are a plaintain fried bread that is used for the "bun" of the sandwiches. I believe that these are deep fried and covered in garlic. So, it's pretty greasy. I would highly recommend that these are eaten in the company of others that are eating the same thing or else use a lot of mouthwash and brush your teeth! The service was alright, and it wasn't too busy when we were in there during the weeknight. read more

Think I'm going to be driving around this area and not stop for Puerto Rican food? No way. Translate Español: No way, José. I come in here sporting corn rows and a Tego Calderón t-shirt to let them know I mean business, and I want something legit to eat. Then I start freely using the derogatory term "coño" as much as possible. Then I promptly received a delicious lechon jibarito, and a papa rellena. I ordered a Bacardi Gold and Coke and it was $6. Coño! Still not my preferred destination for this particular meal, but a pretty solid option. read more

It would be a lot nicer without the blaring TVs. I don't come hear to be shouted at. Play some Puerto Rican music instead? Get the bistec jibarito & a Modelo. read more

Borinquen is known for the jibarito sandwiches, which according to Wikipedia, was invented in Puerto Rico two decades ago and introduced in Chicago at the other Borinquen restaurant on California. A jibarito has all the typical sandwich components (meat, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, cheese - which can be subbed out, of course) without the bread! The bread is instead replaced with fried, hard plantains. They also add a smear of garlic spread on the top of the entire sandwich. It is definitely something you should try if you think you've tried a lot of Latin food. Here at Borinquen, the jibarito (which comes with a side of rice) is overall a solid 3 stars for $7, but I will probably order the steak jibarito instead of the pork jibarito next time. The pork was shredded and a little dry. I was also expecting the plantains to be sweeter, but they were almost flavorless if it weren't for the garlic. And the cheese is a slice of Kraft singles! Our waitress was extremely nice and cheery. She seemed flattered that we asked her to recommend some appetizers. We went overboard and got 5 fried plantain balls (the size of softballs!) stuffed with steak and peas, 4 fried plantain balls filled with seafood, and 3 Puerto Rican tamales to start with. Then we ordered a jibarito each. I think I gained 2 lbs after that meal. We were able to find street parking pretty easily on a Saturday for lunch, and the restaurant was less than half full. I saw a sign for a weekday lunch buffet for $10. read more

Definitely my kind of place: a mom and pop ethnic restaurant that serves delicious Puerto Rican food at incredibly cheap prices! This is a place to go crazy in and not worry about spending too much, because you won't! When I arrived, Kevin C., my weekly dining companion, was already seated with a couple appetizers already on the table. I was thinking to myself, "Oh man, there goes the bill already!" But as I looked at the menu, the appetizers were in the $2-3 dollar range and that made me a happy camper and changed my whole attitude. Bring on the appetizers! We ordered plenty of appetizers and by the time our jibaritos came, I could barely finish half of it. Appetizers included a chicken tamale, a huge potato ball with ground meat inside, little plantain bowls with steak and chicken, and sweet plantains. All were delicious and the bill came out to be $30 with 5 appetizers and 2 jibaritos! I really enjoyed the bistec jibarito....the meat was so tasty and well-marinated. I had a great experience, although service could be better. I am definitely coming back!!! read more

Oh man. I had this Jibarito phase - it was serious. I would go to the one in Humboldt park one day then this one the next (btw - I live by this one) JUST so they don't notice that this little asian girl has jibarito fever!! To make things worse - I would order extra garlic and mayo, yes extra. I have since then, weened off steak jibaritos with extra garlic and mayo and am doing well (thank you for asking) and have it once in a while for a treat. When I eat in at this one or pick up, the waitstaff is nice and service is pretty quick. My mouth is watering as I type, please go have one!! A wonderful piece of steak laying in between some crispy lettuce and a layer of mayo, melted cheese on one of the plantains, and a nice layer of garlic on the outside of the other plantain. Chase a bite of the jibarito with a mouthful of the rice - and there you have it. A perfect bite. read more

First Let me quote Tina B "They specialize in an fatty evil plot that I am convinced was dreamed up by Homer Simpson and Lane Bryant." Yea that about sums it up. I have lived near the California location for about 6/7 years but I took my Jibarito Virgin of a boyfriend to this location and got greasy. The vegetarian Jibarito isn't bad i actually really liked it (before turning vege I used to get the steak), but I should note I also fell into the worse food coma known to man and didn't move the rest of the day... oh well it was worth it. read more

If you want some good ass food in a comfortable atmosphere, then this is the place. My family loves everything here, especially their jibarito sandwiches. Meat of your choice between fried plantains, instead of bread. I don't like plantains, so I always get a steak sandwich. ......mmmh steaaaake The restaurant is not fancy, but extremely welcoming and cozy . The staff is always friendly and has extreme patience with non Puerto Rican ' s asking 1000 questions. For good real Puerto Rican food, come here! read more

Food is salty, greasy. Twice they've gotten my order wrong. Second time I picked up myself and was unpleasantly surprised to see place isn't very clean read more

We came here a while back because I always wanted to try the jibarito. The sandwich was good. Being gutsy, I ordered the blood sausage too, which I enjoyed, but I doubt I would order again. To be honest, I don't recall what Christopher ordered, but I know he liked it. The service was pleasant. We were there during the day, so it was not crazy crowded. I cannot deal with a crowded bar, so I only will visit a place like this on a quiet afternoon. I wasn't overwhelmed by the food, but I did enjoy it and if I was in the area, I'd stop in again to try more things. read more

The Bistec Jibarito: juicy and hot flank steak with tomato, cheese, lettuce, and a little bit of mayo, sandwiched between two fried green plantains that have been pounded thin and fried. Drizzled with some kind of DELICIOUS garlic sauce. I added some of the green hot sauce which only complemented the tastiness of the sandwich. Comes with a generous portion of puerto rican rice. I also ordered a side of sweet plantains (which perfectly complemented the savory sandwich and rice). I am now a believer in the Jibarito. The place looks small when you first walk in by the bar area, but it opens up to a larger dining room towards the back. Service is alright, but I was too focused on the delicious food to pay much attention to what the waitress was doing (although we did have to call her over to refill our waters a couple times). Definitely will be back again - the food is great and the boyfriend and I only spent $25 (including tip) for a really filling meal. read more