If you want people to be rude to you, and to pretend not to know English, this is the place for you. You walk in and they don't greet you. You order for pickup and give them business and they treat people like complete crap. Foods good though, just have to get patronized to get it. What a joke. read more

Looking for a place open late on a rainy Monday night, Brasa Roja was bright and welcoming. Inside there was a carryout counter with the rotisserie set up behind it. Further back was a large dining area with many tables, some large and small. The walls and ceiling were bright and colorful with intricate murals. There were a few occupied tables, and the waiter in the back motioned us to a table towards the back. There were some large family groups dining in, so they can easily accommodate a larger group. The food was very good, humble and traditional, hearty fare. You won't leave hungry. We had the churrasco, chicken soup, Colombian tamale (huge), and empanadas. All were delicious and homemade. The tamale was one of the largest i've had, it was the size of a brick. Unique and delicious flavor, with plenty of pork. Bone and skin included, fyi. The soup also had some interesting cuts, like neck, liver, and hearts. The steak was huge also, and served on a sizzling metal platter. Service was quick and very friendly, he made some suggestions which we appreciated. I'll return to try the chicken, also the lamb and rabbit dishes which sounded pretty exotic. read more

They have cheap specials -$5.95 for chicken or steak- which comes with rice, beans and greens. Make sure to ask about it since it's not on the menu (they have signs on the windows). My steak special was tasty. The empanadas were great as well! read more

Brasa Roja - $5.95 steak special. Yum!! - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Columbian comfort food at very inexpensive prices. Everything is tasty. Staff is friendly. Large seating area, never had to wait. Tons of street parking. I love eating here before/after a movie at the Music Box which is about 10 minutes away in a car. read more

Really good Colombian food. Very wholesome. Servers definitely got more attentive hence why I left 4 stars. Before it took a while for them to be a lot more helpful,but employees got better and food comes out AMAZING! read more

They're good. The food is good. Lots of flavor. Across from their old location. The meat and chicken are delicious! Love! totally recommend! The green hot sauce so Bueno and the prices are great! read more

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Just tried them for carry out but I will be back soon! I got the chicken breast with rice and beans deal for $6 and it was delicious. The chicken was very tasty and the rice and beans were perfect with it. I want to try the rotisserie chicken next time. read more

Very disappointing. The entire meal was exceedingly overcooked, and the waiter was indifferent about it.

wonderful staff! food was delicious we were seated right away and greeted wonderfully. the pork belly was super crunchy i loved it! would def recommend read more

Brasa Roja - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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"bawk bawk bawk" (dances like a spazz ala Arrested Development) Rotisserie chicken! Yup. $11 for a whole chicken w fried plantains. And this motherclucker is juicy and succulent. The empanadas are bitchin as well meaty and with a masa (some call it corn) crust, what the cluck they're just a buck. Cafeteria blech atmosphere and mundane service. However the chick tastes so good whenever I'm in the area I'm livin la brasa roja. read more

Best rotisserie chicken I've ever had, hands down. You can feed two very hungry adults $10 -- whole chicken, plantains, a couple of small potatoes, and a corn cake. I'll literally go in here on Sundays and get two chickens -- one for us to eat that night, and the other to shred for lunches for the rest of the week. Easy peasy. Chicken -- So good. So, so good. Plantains -- Usually good. Sometimes a little undercooked. Potatoes -- Usually good, but how can you mess these up? Corn cakes -- I can always do without these dry disks. Blech. I haven't had anything else here. I don't really think I could go there WITHOUT getting the chicken, so... I'll leave that to someone else to review! Oh, here's a tip when ordering takeout so you don't look like an amateur: Walk straight to the back to place your order. Then bring your receipt to the front and give it to the guy at the counter to get your chicken. read more

How is this not 5 stars I have no idea. This place is amazing for the value I go here for lunch a couple times a week and they have an amazing quarter chicken special with rice and beans for under 5 bucks! They even have a rib eye special for the same price and the rib eye they give you is a good size. The rice is very tasty along with the beans but the chicken tastes amazing and you can really taste the smokey taste from the rotisserie fire as they use a combination of coals and wood to cook the chicken. I have yet to go back for dinner but I plan too soon. I mean where else can you get rotisserie rabbit? read more

If you order to go make sure you order ! Listen only ROASTED CHICKEN everything else went downhill. They changed so many chefs flavor is all over the place. From a perfect juicy flavory steak to a tasteless unseasoned piece of meat. The dine in experience is HORRIBLE... it was bad now escalateD TO THE WORST POSSIBLE. 2 waiters for 15 tables seriously.. never come back for a. Dine in experience . read more

Here is a very brief list of things you can get for $10: 1. 10 large Cokes from McDonalds. 2. Two feet of sandwiches from Subway. 3. 5 Double Stacks from Wendys. or A WHOLE FREAKING CHICKEN, POTATOES, A CORN CAKE AND A FRIED ASS PLANTAIN. So I just moved back to Chicago, my city of choice. And lo and behold down the street is Brasa Roja, which loosely translates to HOLY SHIT BALLS THIS PLACE IS AMAZING. For $10 (plus $2 for an extra corn cake and cheese) we got an entire chicken with enough accouterments to satisfy anyone and it was fresh, delicious and fast. You pay, they give you a receipt to take to the chicken dude in front and you leave with a motherfucking awesome chicken in a styrofoam box. It's really that easy. The chicken was a little dry, altho considering it's roasted that's not unexpected. Still, the food is amazing, fast and so, so good. I see getting a lot of chicken from Brasa Roja. A dinner most fowl never tasted so fucking good. read more

I came here after seeing several cop cars lined up out front for lunch. I usually use this as an indicator of fine ethnic cuisine. My instincts were correct and the chicken here is mighty delicious. I usually order the whole chicken. Moist, crispy/blackened skin are what you should be looking for at La Brasa. Get there early for the fresh stuff! Friendly service, great food. Love this joint! read more

My husband and I went and got a whole roasted chicken which comes with plantains and potatoes to go. The whole order was around $10.86 or something w/tax. We got it home and it looked/smelled/tasted so good we literally inhaled it. I mean we started eating it before even sitting down. We have our own BBQ sauce at home and had some of that w/the chicken. The potatoes were roasted or something and I didn't think I would like them but they were mild and satisfying and I felt they went well w/the meal. It made me realize I never have roasted potatoes these days. The plantain was enormous and sweet -we were both loving it. My only qualm is that their to-go packaging is styrofoam which I know is common, but technically you are not supposed to eat hot food from styrofoam (and definitely not hot liquids) as it can release toxins. So, maybe next time I'll ask them to put it into my own container, or maybe I'll just be in denial and enjoy the food. We will for sure be back. It's really a crazy value and very satisfying. As one reviewer mentioned it is a little confusing going in to order. You actually have to walk all the way back. There's a cash register and also a kitchen window in back. A waitress was by the cash register so I paid w/her, she gave me a receipt to bring up front, then I watched them chop up my chicken and assemble my order in seconds. That looked cool. read more

Terrible service. They brought the menus and they never came back. After 20min of waiting at our table we asked if we can place our order. They messed up our order and never brought the empanadas. read more

We had a slow and careless waiter. He wouldn't bother to split a bill of six people into two. Apparently that was too complicated. Don't expect clean bathrooms either. As far as the food. It's not the worst but definitely nothing to come back for. Certain items lacked seasoning while others were not cooked adequately. The best thing I had was the chicken and yuca fries. read more

Was recommended this place by fellow Yelper Jacob J. Went there, and the place was pretty crowded. A nice mom and pop restaurant on a very busy strip of Kedzie. Driving to this place, I recognized a ton of other Yelp winning restaurants...Noon o Kabab, and Al_Khameyieh to name a few. This area is Foodie Galore, cheap, good eats!!! Ordering is kinda confusing, as you place your order in the back, and not the front, where they have the rotisserie grill being manned by two workers. Was in and out with my 2 quarter chicken orders in less than 15 minutes. By the way, each order, only $4.99 each!!! WOW The chicken is phenomenally affordable chicken. Tender, sweet, succulent...kinda makes you want to stop reading this review and run there huh? Rice is very nice and fluffy, but flavorful too. Has a nice rich, buttery taste. Yum! Side salad was wilted, probably because it was put in the same box as hot items. Forgiveable. Your prize fighter is in the chicken. read more

So, I dine in this restaurant 2 days in a row in an attempt to try their special roasted chicken. First attempt, I went with Kevin C. and we were so excited based on all these yelp reviews. Unbelievably, they didn't have enough chicken!! We were seriously thinking of leaving.....how could a restaurant that specializes in roast chicken run out of it? But we decided to stay and try something else. We instead ordered their garlic chicken breast and that was pretty amazing. Very very good. It was grilled and definitely garlic-y with fried plantains (not the sweet kind) and potatoes all around it. We also ordered the corn pancake with cheese and that was heavenly....put a dab of some of their mouth-watering green salsa on it and it's perfect. The service could have been better though. Second attempt, I come in with the fiance a couple hours earlier than I did the previous day and lo and behold, I see rows of roasted chicken lined up....mission accomplished! I ordered the delicious corn pancake again and the roasted chicken. The roasted chicken was pretty big. I think that it would be good enough for 3 adults because we had a good amount of leftovers. They chop it up for you so it's not hard to get it yourself. The chicken was very very good, even better with the green salsa. It was very meaty and the skins were amazing! The chicken also came with a sweet plantain and a corncake (minus the cheese). The total for everything, including tax, was just under $14! read more

I work about a block away from here, and we eat here frequently. I always get the chicken lunch special. The total with tax is like $5.??. All I know is, it's a pretty good deal for the amount of food you get. You get two huge pieces of chicken, salad, rice, and beans. For $.50 more you can get an entire pack of heated tortillas. This cannot be beat. OMG, the chicken is so good too. It's roasted rotisserie style over hot coals and seasoned to perfection. If you haven't tried this place - you are missing out. The special also comes with a steak option. Instead of chicken you get a big piece of thin sliced steak that is also seasoned. BTW, don't you dare walk out of there without ordering some of their hot sauce. It's made with tomatillos and is just effin' delicious. Also, I am giving them four stars strictly because they don't speak english in there too well. I mean, I know it's a columbian place, but I want to eat there too, and it's really hard to order sometimes when they don't understand what I'm saying! Other than that, the place is fantastic...dining in or taking out. read more

(Note, I had just returned from dining here when I wrote my original review. I felt that I was unfair, and used an unreasonable amount of profanity - even for me. I've had some time to reflect and have decided to clean it up a bit. In reading, wherever you see the word "pleasant", substitute it with your favorite profane word. I recommend one that starts with 'f' and ends with '-ing'). Here you go: I only give them a whole star only because they didn't physically assault me. And Yelp doesn't allow negative stars. This place pleasant sucks. The waitress is a pleasant dipshit who doesn't have a pleasant clue what to do when people sit at the table. Glasses? Water? What the hell is that? I was going to try the chicken. Guess what? They pleasant had only THREE of them and they were selling those to walk-ins before we even got to order! Want those pleasant corn pancakes with cheese that everyone's talking about? Good luck, they're pleasant out of those, too. They have the damned pancakes but they apparently can't pleasant scrape up some pleasant cheese. So we're 0 for pleasant two on the food that was recommended. In the end, it was $8 per person, so that didn't completely suck. But McDonald's is only $4 per person and they don't pleasant run out of damned burgers. What a pleasant piece of shit restaurant. Hope they close soon so something that doesn't suck can take over the space. If this place was on fire, I wouldn't pleasant piss on it to put the fire out. On a positive note, the parking was good and there was no corkage fee. Though the corkscrew that they have is from the pleasant ice ages. Eat before you go because they're pleasant out of everything. Maybe if they didn't suck so bad they'd make enough pleasant money to air condition the pleasant place in the middle of the damned summer. This place blows. I'd rather pleasant eat a dead man's balls than go here again. read more

2nd time around for cinco de Mayo.. and just the perfect meal to wind down the day! Invited a friend (Chef & professor at Culinary Institute) who's been itching to try out the spot & he liked it a lot! The Chicken and Steak Combo. Can of Diet Coke. With a side of Extra extra garlic paste. This time around, I managed to finish 85% of plate. I was prepping my stomach for this feast. Sigh... their chicken is seriously so tender, and I really enjoy that charcoal grilled taste. Service was friendly and I ordered another chicken and steak combo to go, which came out in a jiffy. It's like they knew I was going to order another meal! lol Next time, I swear.. I'll try something else. No no... I'll get the chicken and steak combo with a side of empanadas. Yea.. that sounds divine. read more

After an amazing trip to Colombia, I was in the mood for some Colombian cuisine. I immediately went to Yelp to see what Helpers recommended aside from the normal "Las Tablas". A quick browse showed Brasa Roja as the top spot! After reading the reviews, and looking at the numerous pictures I figured this would be the perfect place to visit. Upon walking in I immediately took in all of the delicious smells and did a quick scan of the restaurant. The restaurant was crowded, and cumbia could be heard playing over the speakers. Right as you enter, there's a giant grill with pollo asado (grilled chicken) constantly going. I was so distracted by the chicken that I pretty much forgot why I was there. As I stood there, a waiter came by and asked whether I wanted to eat there or take the food to go. After saying I wanted to stay, he pointed to a table and told me that I could seat myself. Once seated the waiter brought over the menu (there are 2. The red menu is in Spanish, and the black menu is in English). I came in with the intention of ordering everything that sounded remotely tasty, and I just about did it haha The food: I started off with 2 empanadas(meat filled pastries) and an Arepa con queso (like a corn pancake filled with cheese). To drink I had a Jugo de Maracuya(Passion fruit smoothie). When you order this drink, you have the choice of having them make it with water or milk. For the main course I ordered the Bandeja Paisa (traditional dish from Medellin, Colombia.. Pictures to come later). Within 5 minutes, the appetizers were out, and they looked amazing. The empanadas were filled with just enough meat and potato, and the arepa was just the right temperature, and the cheese wasn't overwhelming. The passion fruit smoothie added just the right touch! Not too long after, the main dish arrived, and man was I surprised. The bandeja paisa is my "go-to" dish when I order Colombian food, but this one looked like it had taken a year's supply of steroids. There was so much food I literally had no idea where to start. As I sat there literally like a deer in headlights, I figured I would make life easier and just eat everything at the same time. My taste buds literally went crazy!! Every single thing was delicious! From the rice, to the steak, to the pork. I'm usually the kind of person to finish everything on their plate, but this time I couldn't even get through half of it and that says a lot!! The service: As I mentioned before, the place was packed and people we're constantly coming in. The staff did a good job of getting folks seated and taking orders. After that, it pretty much seemed like folks were on their own haha. I observed a few other tables and noticed that they had to keep reminding their servers to bring things (napkins, drinks, etc). Even at my table, the waiter never came back to check on us or to refill the water. In the beginning I understood since it was pretty busy, but it seemed to be a trend throughout the whole place. Overall Brass Roja gets good recommendations from me! The food is good and plentiful, and you don't have to wait forever for it to come. (I actually ordered more food to go haha). I can't really complain about the service although it could be a little better, but since the food was good I'll just ignore it haha. read more

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We have been going to brasa Rojas for quite some time and there aren't too many "al carbon" restaurants that live up to this place .we always get the chicken special with beans , rice and salad for just $5.95 i always judge a place by its beans , and these are great ! The chicken is seasoned well and charred JUST right . HIGHLY recommend it read more

Maybe it was reheat Monday's - the arepa, plátano appeared to be reheated, stale and actually the plátano was cold and hard. Def not fresh cooking. The ribs were tasty. read more

It's still the best roasted chicken in the city. I had a half chicken the other day that was a bit dry. It was still awesome. I'm only mentioning that because even on their worst day, it's still awesome. I recently tried the empanadas while waiting for the chicken, they are good. read more

Still the best after all these years. Great Columbian cuisine: fantastic empanadas, tamales (made on site), and roasted chicken. Quick take out for parties, or if you just are too lazy to cook but want good food. read more

TIP: DON'T get the $6 lunch special, order the 1/2 rotisserie chicken for only .95 cents more!! What a dope I am, I shoulda, woulda, coulda, but didn't doa, when it came to ordering the 1/2 rotisserie chicken with potato, corn pancake and plantain for $6.95, at this location today. Instead, I ordered the measly lunch special for $6, which was 1/4 of a drumstick and a 1/4 of a thigh (I swear it was smaller), that came with chewy and delicious rice, a whole boatload of beans and a small nondescript salad, I ordered a corn pancake separately, for an extra $2. Although most of the meal was tasty, I would've been better off if I got more of the chicken, because it was the stuff dreams are made of, succulent, crispy and mouth-watering. It was that great. Corn pancake though was a little leaden, but maybe it's suppose to be like that, I don't know?? If somebody could let me know on that one, I'd appreciate it. But if only I ordered the 1/2 chicken, but because I was in such a hurry and so hungry, at that point I could've eaten the wooden tables, and for some reason didn't even bother reading the menu, just went by what I remembered from the Yelp reviews. Okay here's the reason, it was hot and muggy,plus I couldn't find the Citibank I was looking for and the parking around there is atrocious! Next time I'll definitely get the 1/2 rotisserie chicken and be a little more patient. Honorable mention: get the flavorful Columbian soda, orange. Waitress was helpful though, considering there was a little bit of a language barrier. read more

Dear Potential La Brasa Roja Carry-Out Patron, Would you like some delicious and quick rotisserie chicken to carry across the street to the bar? How about some decent, and massive, empanadas with green salsa? Yes? Well, then walk to the back of the restaurant, put in your order, then walk to the front and pick-up your chicken. Done and done. read more

Amazing chargrilled chicken and one helluva combo deal! For like $5, you get it all. My friend Max lives across the way from this place and he goes weekly. I would too if I lived in his 'hood. They've got a green sauce to put on your steak or chicken which is magnifico! Give this place your dollars and you won't be sorry. read more

I feel like I am majoring in Comparative Roast Chicken Studies here, or at least Comparative Cheap lunches, having just reviewed Brasa's neighbor Pollo Volador, and trying the $4.95 1/4 chicken special at each location. Brasa Roja offers no choices with their special. The plate comes with a small piece of thigh and a small drumstick, rice and beans which have been slopped on the plate, and the most anemic, lame excuse for "salad" you've ever seen. It looks like left-overs from someone else's plate. A few slices of iceberg, a small sliver of tomato, and one slice of cucumber. The brown beans were overly salted and the chicken itself was delicious. I know for $5.00 I shouldn't be so critical, but for the same price you get much more at Pollo Volador: a choice of white or dark (the white meat choice is a healthy serving), a choice of potato or plantain, and a delicious accompaniment of salsa verde. I would like to return to Brasa Roja to try their full price dinner menu, because there are many selections of meat, fish and poultry dishes, and the chicken was very good. Skin-eatin' good! read more

My family and I have the goal of dining in each Colombian restaurant in Chicago; this one we will go back to. The roast chicken was EXCELLENT, everyone loved everything (which is hard when you take 3 of your kids), and it was so reasonably priced; even with five of us, we ordered a ton of food and it was only about 50 bucks. We got arepas, empanadas, patacones, and some other things and loved it all. Everything was just the way I like and remember it except I excitedly ordered an agua panela with cheese and the cheese melted in the bottom (what the heck?). Otherwise, it was GREAT! Addendum, third visit, 8/14/09: a few weeks ago, I told my husband I would take him for dinner wherever he wanted to go. It was about 4 in the afternoon, and he tells me to hurry up and get in the car. We hit the freeway and two hours later, we were in Chicago for dinner! Must be worth the drive. read more

Too...stuffed...too...type.... Amazingness. The fact that this place has been down the street from me and I've never checked it out is incredible....although when considering the stellar yumminess (and ridiculous cheapness) of their empanadas my waistline is happier! Honest. I was stuffed after 2 of them and STILL had to tackle part of the mouth watering half chicken (whatever they're seasoning these chickens with? muchas gracias!) potatoes, plantain, and arepa that came with generous green sauce. Needless to say I was glad I had gotten take out so I could change into comfy sweats and collapse on the couch! read more

I've been living next to this place for as long as I can remember, but I only stepped in the first time a few months ago. I was sad that this has been here for so long and I'd never eaten her, but glad I finally did! Two words to describe this place: CHEAP and YUMMY. What more can you ask for? You can get a whole roasted chicken, plus sides, for $10. Since a few months ago, I've spent many an afternoon greasing up my fingers and happily unbuttoning my pants. The garlic chicken is also fantastic---it's served on a sizzling platter. It's very good value for what you get and what you pay. I also like the ambience here--it's not too dive-y, like Mexican taquerias or some other Latin American places can be. It's a casual restaurant, and the service is good. Come here! (Especially if you live nearby!) read more

"So What'cha, What'cha, What'cha Want?" If I had to guess, I'd say Mike D, Adrock and MCA rolled a fat one and rapped their asses over to La Brasa Roja to indulge in some chicken before they scratched down the lyrics to Finger Lickin' Good. The birds at LBR are marinated in some crazy Colombian nectar-of-the-Gods and slow-roasted to perfection. My mom said, "What do you think they marinate this delicious chicken in and do you think they would give me the recipe?" I said, "Mom, there ain't nuthin' in the world that could make chicken taste so good--it's heavenly! And, I think they would have to kill you if they told you the secret to their success!" Despite what a lot of foodies think, you don't have to pay and arm & a leg, or sell your one-of-a-kind Mickey Mantle card, nor do you have to promise your first born, to enjoy a fecking delicious meal here in Chick-a-go. The proof is in the pudding, kids. Or, in this case, el pollo. Sure, this place is the size of a NYC studio, and yeah, the cold air takes y'er breath away when someone opens the door, but you can get a 1/2 chicken dinner with all the sides for like $4.95. In fact, I think I heard Bob Barker yell out from the kitchen, "Let's make a deal!" If you want some traditional food, ask for el calentado con los heuvos y el carne...or los patacones (fried green plantain cakes) or las empanadas and jugo de lulo con leche (a Colombian fruit made into a juice blended with milk). The only thing I was kind of disappointed about were the arepas (Colombian corn cakes and the Colombian version of the Mexican tortilla); I have eaten better hockey pucks with more flavor. Spanish 101: La Brasa Roja means The Red Coal and is quite apropos when you see how the succulant chicken is prepared. read more

For $10, you get a whole chicken and several sides. The restaurant is pretty bare bones but I'm not really going there for the ambiance. I'm looking for some tasty chicken and they definitely have that. I don't know what combination of spices they use, but the chicken has tons of flavor and isn't dry. One of the interesting things about this place is the girl manning the rotisserie occasionally drags the bag of real charcoals (not the stuff most of us use in our Webers) and will throw them into the oven. I guess that's how they get their name. read more

I'm willing to try anything once or twice. But with this restaurant I'm willing to eat it EVERYDAY. And the fact that it's within walking distance of my home is even better. I love the fact that I can walk in to this place see the chickens rotating in the charcoal oven. Add a side of beans and rice with fried plantains and you're ready for a good time. And the homemade salsa is a must. And if you manage to not finish it all, don't worry. It even tastes good if you have to reheat it in the oven or microwave. But I seem to never have any left to reheat ;) This is definitely one of my top places to go for affordable and delicious food in Chicago!!!!! read more

Brasa Roja - Rotisserie white chicken with beans and rice - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Since my life has just become checking things out that I find on Yelp.com I decided to pick up carryout from La Brasa Roja tonight. If I just say PERFECT is that enough? This was the best chicken I have ever had. I have driven past La Brasa Roja prob 500 times in the last month and have never even noticed it! What is on that chicken? Do they bottle it? I bought the full chicken meal, when I brought it home I got a quick "oh, I am not into Columbian Food, what else did you get" from hubby. Then he tasted it and wanted to go back to pick up another! read more

I don't know what is lately going on with this restaurant but it keeps going downhill for me. :( The broiled chicken is extremely dried, over cooked and sometimes I get chunks of dried extra hard meat. Why? The plantain is never soft, always hard and dried. Maybe that's the way they eat it in in Colombia and I'm not aware of this? :/ I have tried plantains or maduros from other places like Fina Estampa or D'Candela and boy are they good! Then again Fina estampa and D'Candela are Peruvian restaurants. The only thing I do enjoy is the 2 small boiled potatoes that comes when you order a whole broiled chicken. read more