Food was phenomenal! I can't wait to bring my Cuban mom here when she visits next…read more Everything was delicious, authentic, and generously portioned. The staff was warm and welcoming, and the Cuban art, décor, and music made the whole experience feel immersive and special. Service was a bit slower, so it's best to come when you're not in a rush... sit back, enjoy the atmosphere, and take it all in.

Allergy friendly!! Thank you, 1492 Cuban Fusion!…read more I love that my kid can get a safe gluten-free/nut-free/peanut-free meal here, every time! And via UberEats too! I know this is one restaurant near his home where I can have a couple of meals delivered and I know he will be safe. I went for the first time myself a few weeks ago and really enjoyed the experience! The servers are knowledgeable and friendly, made us feel so welcome. Highly recommend ordering one of each of the flans for dessert, and sharing them! There were 4 of us sharing 4 flans, with enough for 5th person.

After a day shopping on Magnificent Mile north of the river in Chicago, we stopped at nearby…read moreCafecito on Chestnut. It was early Sunday afternoon, and we were too large a group to arrive without calling ahead. You walk up a lovely old half-flight of stairs under an ornate ceiling. After a short wait, half of our party went elsewhere, and the remaining four of us were quickly seated. The front area is mainly a café, with maybe 10 seats at tables for two. Farther back is a hallway and a larger room with seating in booths and at high-tops for maybe 40, and maybe 6 more at a small bar. The staff is quick and friendly. The food is delicious and fresh and hot! And the music is loud and festive :-) We had the thin-cut savory palomillo steak, a generous serving, pounded to tenderness, served with classic wet black-beans and white rice, sweet soft platanos maduros plantain pieces, and some greens and tomato. We had a lovely colorful medium-sized Mojo Shrimp in tart garlic citrus mojo sauce, with sateed red onion crescents, tomato chunks, and parsley. And we had the huge slow-cooked tender shredded-beef Ropa Vieja pressed sandwich, sauced lightly with slightly-tangy creole sauce, served with platanos maduros and black beans. All of their food delightfully authentic. We liked it so much, a few days later we ate at their South Loop location, too!

My cousin recommended this spot for lunch, and I'm glad I checked it out. I ordered the Ropa Vieja…read morePlatillo, which came with black beans, rice, and sweet plantains. The portion size was generous--I couldn't finish it all--but everything was flavorful and well prepared. I also tried the café con leche, which was rich, smooth, and a perfect complement to the meal. The service was quick and friendly, and the spacious booths and open interior made the restaurant feel comfortable and inviting. Overall, it was a great lunch experience, and I'd definitely come back to try more items on the menu.

This place was amazing!…read more Came in a few weeks ago to grab dinner with friends, and was easily able to get a reservation same day on a Saturday night at 7 PM. From the very beginning, we were taken care of very well. We were quickly seated when we got in, and our server was very attentive. The restaurant was jampacked too, I'm surprised we were able to get in so quickly! The food was delicious; for dinner I had the pollo a la cubana which was so good. Our server had mentioned to me that this was his favorite item on the menu, and I could not agree more. The chicken was perfectly cooked, and very juicy. Great vibes in the restaurant too, very upbeat feeling here. Everyone was very friendly, and the music added a very tropical feeling. Overall great time and would happily come back.

Delicious, a highlight of our stay in Chicago. Chimichangas and roja vieja are both very good…read more Server offered for us to use their private room to change our son's diaper (no changing table), itemized the receipt for us, and refilled our water as needed.

I have drive past this colorful place and finally go to try it. Sat outside on their dog friendly…read morepatio. Clean and spacious outside. Food is amazing. The empanadas were the best. The chicken one was great. The best one was the seasonal shrimp. Amazing and so much shrimp and the sauce was bomb. Service was good. Server came many times to fill water and all staff were nice.

Colorful, casual neighborhood spot for Cuban food. I stopped in for a late lunch and sat outside on…read moretheir sidewalk patio. There's street parking or a small lot in the back. I didn't get anything to drink but they do have a full bar and coffee beverages. For food, I ordered the Cuban sandwich with papa fritas. The sandwich was good, especially the meat, but the fries were not good - wish I had gotten the maduros as a side instead. Service was ok, and food came out relatively quickly. Overall a good option for Cuban food if you're in the area.

I'd never had Cuban food before until I came here. I got a fried tilapia platter which came with…read morerice and a spinach salad. I genuinely cleaned this plate off. The spinach had a kind of sauce with it that when mixed with the rice and fish tasted absolutely divine. The plantains were perfectly fried. My friend got the pork sandwich which she also enjoyed. We also got two vanilla lattes which were very good. This place has both indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for outdoor because the weather was nice but the vibes were good inside as well. They have a pastry counter indoors that looked good. I would highly recommend making a reservation because the place was packed on a Thursday morning! In the future I would bring friends and family here.

I saw this place was close to my hotel, so I decided to give it a shot. I noticed they had a lot of…read moregood options, but I decided to stick with the pollo chimichurri. My food was ready within minutes and while I was hoping for a mouthful of flavors, I got anything but. The chicken wasn't really seasoned. In fact, it was lukewarm and bland. The plate could have gone without the tomato's as it made the maduros mushy. The plate itself was rather meh and I was pretty disappointed. Also, I was expecting the chimichurri to already be on the chicken and not for me to have to add it myself, especially considering I didn't get very much. Maybe they had an off day or I just chose the wrong dish.

Really cute diner! We went around 930AM on a Saturday and while an inside seat would've required a…read morereservation, we were able to sit outside immediately! They have a good beverage selection and the vanilla latte was delicious. For two people, we got a Pinoy Burrito and a half order each of croquetas, lumpia, and beef empanadas, two items coming in each half order, and it was the perfect amount of food. Our favorite was definitely the croquetas. I couldn't even tell you what was in them but the inside was soft and mushy in the best way with a crisp outside and a really yummy sauce. I also really like the empanadas with tasty tops vieja and a creamy, ranchy sauce. The Pinoy burrito was also really good, especially the bites with a good chunk of sausage and the sauce that came with it was also super tasty (as you can tell I'm big on good sauces). The lumpia was probably my least favorite but still good and crispy with a decent sauce, just liked the other things better!!

Had a delightful time at BKD! I went in a party of 3 for happy hour right at open (5PM). They had a…read morevariety of $10 cocktails (the frozen ube drink was an 8/10- solid) and $5-10 bites. We ordered the wings and beef empanadas and both were very good. The wing glaze was sweet and very flavorful- I recommend. It was also super cute inside! Good vibe overall. Where it fell short for me was the service. There were 3 staff members in FOH, and it was literally just us in there until 545, yet it was nearly impossible to catch our server's eye. He was perfectly polite but very much absent. We have to wave him down (by leaning into his path, lol) for a second round, as well as for the check. A few people had streamed in by the time we left around 630, and if it had been that busy the whole time, I'd have understood. But he did walk by our table multiple times, scanned it for empties (which were there) but blatantly avoided eye contact when it was clear we needed something. Overall, other than that clear staff training issue, everything was great.

Tried El Cubanito and also had their steak sandwich. I'd rate it about a 7/10 -- still good, just…read morenot something that completely wowed me. Service was quick and efficient, and the vibe inside was nice and relaxed. Solid spot overall.

I love el cubanito! I love their Cuban sandwich! It has Sliced pork and ham INGREDIENTS: cheese,…read morepickles, mustard. So good! I have tried most of their empanadas but my favorite is the steak ones service is always friendly. The place is nice and clean they always have good music playing which can be pretty relaxing after a long day of work! And their prices are reasonable! Don't forget to get the delicious sauce to pour it on the Cuban and your empanada!

This unassuming little spot in a veritable United Nations of Food strip mall is a hidden gem in…read moreChicago. Friendly, helpful, busting their butts service (I'm talking to YOU Anna and chef owner!) will ensure you have an excellent meal, perfect drinks and a great time at incredible value prices. Standouts were: the soup of the day (plantain and cilantro-- never had anything like but would like to have it again !), the lechon with a side of make taro that put mashed potatoes to shame--we didn't know that pork could be that juicy and garlic-ful. Also had the eggplant starter (almost like fried green tomatoes) and then the bread pudding with coconut ice-cream. We had a couple of well balanced creative cocktails, a great Spanish red, and some premium rum to round things out. It was crowded and we didn't have reservations (with make that mistake again) but were squeezed in at the 4 seat bar and well served by aforementioned Anna who didn't steer us wrong. Appropriate Latin music and tasteful tropical wallpaper and greenery made for a lively atmosphere. We don't live far so will be back. No matter where you live, you should make a reservation and go too! Small crowded parking lot, street parking, as always-- recommend public transit.

We made a reservation since there were six of us. It is very small inside so plan ahead. My friends…read moretried to eat here on Sunday night, but they were told the restaurant had run out of food. So we tried again on Friday. The service was exceptional. We loved our waitress. Everyone enjoyed their food. The craft cocktails were also good. If you are looking for authentic Puerto Rican food, you should try this spot.