I'll start off by saying the ambiance was very nice. I liked the decorations and setup. Empanadas are stamped with what's inside so that was a nice touch. Needless to say, It's usually hard to find vegetable on a menu so I was delighted to find grilled asparagus on theirs . I ordered it and when I got my food; no asparagus. Thr waitress went back and when she returned, they told me they were out. Kinda disappointing to eat steak without a vegetable :( also, it was a carousel of waitresses so you had a different person you spoke to each time. No menu, you gotta QR code it which I'm not a fan of. I probably won't return. read more

El Nandu Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Generally, I wouldn't consider empanadas as a main dish, but we decided to order a bunch of flavors as our dinner with the Potato Salad as our side. The exterior has a nice crisp and flakiness, while the filling was abundant. The green salsa pairs wonderfully with their empanadas. I can't remember which was my favorite, but of the ones I tried, I don't think there was one I didn't like! read more

El Nandu Restaurant - Traditional Potato Salad, Empanadas - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is the second time I came to this place. I love their chicken Milanese. The chicken is thin and well seasoned. The sangria is delicious. The server is very welcoming and the interior design very warming. The paintings inside are breathtaking. Would recommend family and friend to come to this restaurant. Street parking. read more

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HORRIBLE SERVICE my wife specifically asked for a virgin piña colada due to her being pregnant. My wife takes a sip and it has alcohol!! THE OWNER LOOKED AT MY WIFES STOMACH AND STILL GAVE IT TO HER!! when we ask for more bread they said no!?! and then she asked for a steak well done for the same reason and they give it to her RAW!! never gave us more napkins or water always skipped our table!! read more

Loved this locally-owned Argentinian spot when we stopped through for a quick drink and appetizers while waiting in the area for an event! The Molleja, sweet breads (which is meat, FYI) and the empanadas we tried were awesome! Fav empanada was the Tucumana, but jamón y queso and the pollo were worth it too. The chorizo was not our fav, I think it had fennel in it, which isn't a personal fav of mine. We were hoping it'd be spicy too. I'd love to come back when I can order entrees too! Appreciated the kind, warm service and a visit from the (female!) owner!!! If I lived in Chicago, I'd come back. read more

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El Ñandú has gotten noticeably worse in recent years. We got the combination for two, parrillada Argentina para dos. Dish came with skirt steak, short ribs, grilled chicken, sausage, and sweetbread. Skirt steak and shorts ribs were cooked well but very very bland. Table top salt and pepper helped salvage the two. Grilled chicken was super chewy, with large portions of fat. Fat is flavor, fat is fine. However, it made the chicken inedible as you're chewing nonstop and getting nowhere. Sausage wasn't bad but wasn't great. Sweet breads were the saving grace. It came with sides, we picked mash potatoes and house salad. Again, very very bland. Mash potatoes were clumpy. Salad was your very basic lettuce, onion, tomato without any dressing. read more

El Nandu Restaurant - Parrillada Argentina para dos - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Quality has diminished significantly, service was only so so... Live music was vibrant, but way too loud.

Great chimichurri and bread come to the table at the start. There's lots of choices in the fillings of empanadas - I recommend the Criolla. I love the ambiance and service, very friendly, and I can tell there's a story with the surrealist art and Mr. Nandu on the walls. I got the pollo limon, expecting something mediocre because it was one of the plain-er dishes on the menu, but it was cooked very well and came with an incredibly juicy lemon - enough I commented on it at the table. read more

Went to El Nañdu today, been a customer 30 years. Waiter could not take the order because I was standing up? What? Became combative and stated I was stressing him out. Didn't get his name, but had a beard. This is the first time in 30 years that I have an issue here. Absolutely pathetic! read more

We came for dinner. We made a reservations even though I kind of felt a reservation really wasn't going to be needed. It's a decent size dining area but there was only four parties the whole time we were there. Service was great, which is kind of expected since they weren't busy. I like these Argentinian restaurants that start you off with bread, salsa and chimichurri. Both sauces were good. The salsa has a nice kick to it and as always a chimichurri that never fails. We also ordered their Criolla empanada as well as their Tucamana. Both were good, but I might say the criolo was a tad bit better. The Tucamana had sliced steak, green onions and eggs. The Criolla had ground beef, red bell peppers, onions, yellow raisins and olives. My wife ordered their Pollo a la Chimichurri. It was good but I'm honestly not a big fan of ordering chicken at restaurants. Unless it's fried. I ordered their Entraña. I love love love skirt steak and was kind of disappointed in this one. Although it was tender, it missed on flavor. Almost flavorless. Luckily there was still salsa and chimichurri, because that's what I used to have a more enjoyable bite. There's a few other Argentinian restaurants that I would want to try before taking this place off my list. It will definitely be a while before I consider returning here though. read more

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My husband and in-laws came here at 4:30 on a Friday and it was a empty but great for us. We got to choose where to sit and got our waters and bread right away. We ordered a bunch of empanadas (shrimp, spinach, beef). Our server gave us ham empanadas by accident but corrected them by bringing us the shrimp a few minutes later. We got 2 pitchers of their sangria because it was sooo refreshing, especially on a hot day. We got our entrees, I got the chicken in chimichurri sauce. It was a bit salty but the fries were good. The steaks were very good. Our waitress always checked up on us. Place was very clean. Chicken was cooked very well but the saltiness sorta ruined that. I would definitely recommend this place. I would probably order the steak next time. read more

El Nandu Restaurant - Pollo al Chimichurri - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great family owned Argentina spot that's easy to get to from the train, Uber or driving. Ample parking nearby which makes it easy to get to from downtown Chicago with indoor and outdoor seating. Amazing fresh and healthy food with excellent spices and grilling based on what you prefer. Must try the empanadas (with delicious chimichurri), house salad with vinegar and , asado a la partial (decadent short ribs) or entrana. And don't get me started on their sangria. Carafe please! If you're lucky enough to be there on one of their music nights, it's a total blast and completely chill. Great servers you see every time as it's family owned. Don't walk but run to check out this neighborhood gem! read more

Service was excellent and the food was also wonderful. The chimichurri is probably the best I've ever had. The waiter said it's a family secret. It was wonderful. My daughter had the Milanesa and she loved it and I had a ribeye that was so delicious. We both shared the tiramisu after dinner and while it wasn't the best I've ever had. It was very good. read more

We carried out the short rib and skirt steak. We also had the fries, yellow rice and a few of the empanadas. The meat needed a little salt, which is probably the chimichurri does in place of salt, but the meat was absolutely perfectly cooked. The rice was really wonderful. We will be back again and again. This is an absolute gem. read more

Our server made. Great recommendations, the ambiance was relaxed, and the food was outstanding.

Excelente servicio y comida! Great service and the food is just great! A place you have to go and get some empanadas! read more

El Nandu Restaurant - Parillada - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I absolutely love this restaurant. The vibes in here are so special, it feels like everyone is family. The live music is fantastic, and the food is incredible. I highly recommend this restaurant. The service is also amazing. 10/10 read more

Delicious!!! We started with some empanadas and our favorites were shrimps and spinach this one in particular is so SO good. Our main dish was entraña and was huge so we split in order to not feel stuff because was dinner. Medium rare was just perfect. We ended up our dinner with a tiramisu that came with dulce de leche, I'm not huge fan of tiramisu, but my bf is and he said was extremely good and i guess it was true because there was nothing left. They have beers, wines, sangria (really really good) and a wonderful staff too. Especially the girl, she's super nice. read more

El Nandu Restaurant - Entraña with rice and mash potatoes - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

LOVE love love this place! The food never disappoints. The skirt steak is mouthwatering, the empanadas are amazing, the chicken chimichurri is delicious!! And I can't forget about the sangria!! One of the best ever! You really can't go wrong with anything you order. The art and the live music are a perfect touch. The service is always great with staff that has been there for years. read more

Overall score: 4.5/5 First and foremost we were greeted by a very friendly staff and immediately felt welcomed. The restaurant is very nice and casual, and very ideal for a nice date night dinner or just lunch with friends. To start off, I definitely recommend to try ALL the empanadas. Each and everyone was rich in flavor, crispy and don't forget to add their chimichurri which added a whole different taste of Argentina. For dinner I ordered the entraña with rice and by far one of the best cuts of meats I've ever had. Very juice with a charbroil taste cooked to perfection. Dessert was also amazing as I ended up getting the cheesecake with dulce de leche which comes with a caramel very very VERY delicious. Overall Nandu deserves a high rating of 4.5/5. Would I come back? Most definitely so please come check them out as they really put passion into their dishes . read more

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Absolute disappointment. Food was good- but the service was so bad. I mean, absolutely horrid. We were ignored, & were met with borderline hostility. Our friend got here an hour late & we still hadn't ordered our food. When we were asked how our evening went- & when told honestly that the service was bad, were met with a cold "oh well, we had a wedding, that's just how it is." Will never come back. read more

Nice little place, lots of potential. We enjoyed the food, not exceptional. We had a variety of empanadas, te dough was a little tough. I enjoyed the mollejas and the stake was not the best quality. It feels as if food is precooked and then heated which it takes away the freshly grilled taste. read more

El Nandu Restaurant - Menu - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This one is an oldie but goodie! Service is great! The food is always delicious & satisfying. My favorite is the empanadas! read more

El Nandu Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very friendly staff! Lots of great art on the walls and music being played. Food was delicious. 10/10 would recommend!

I'm very disappointed at the Nandu restaurant, I used to go there in the past, but lately the service has become poor. Last Sunday i went there to celebrate a birthday party, and the lady there appeared not engaged or having the desire to serve us. then, when the time came to pay she ask me if I would like to add the tip and i said "yes" she brought me the receipt and it was 20% tip charge, which I nor the people who were there with me agreed to the tip charge because of their attitude. I paid her half of the receipt with cash and added the tip, but the other guy there, took my credit card and charged the rest, and I added 0.00 for additional tip, and the guy asked me in a very sarcastic tone "why you did not give any tip, was the service that bad" and when I responded that the tip was given to the other server he did not apologize, but became more angrier. Later, the lady there approached me and apologize for the other server's attitude, but it was not him who came to apologize. More likely, we will not return. read more

I've been coming here for years and they never disappoint me. Their Argentinian empanadas are terrific. My favorites are the shrimp and cheese and the spinach. They have a nice variety. Their churrascos are really good! And the pitcher of sangria is so tasty. The ambiance is perfect for the whole family especially on Thursday nights when they have live music. read more

I came to El Nandu Saturday evening at 6pm. Parking was a breeze. I was able to find street parking close to the entrance. When I walked into the restaurant, I was greeted with upbeat music and open dining. There was maybe 2 other tables during this time.The host/server let me pick whatever table I wanted. I took what I thought was the best seat in house which was elevated and right next to the window with blue lighting. The blue lighting was cute at first but soon became a distraction when I couldn't tell what color my food was. The server brought out bread, butter, authentic chimichurri, and a tangy spicy sauce. You can smell the warmth of the bread but I resisted. I ordered the Churrasco ($21.95) with a salad and my dining companion ordered the Entrana ($27.95) with mash potatoes. The Churrasco tasted fine it was a bit bland but the chimichurri helped a lot. I asked for medium rare and the texture indicated that it was indeed medium rare but I was unable to confirm by looking at the color of my steak. This really bothered me because I want to see what I'm eating. The salad was very basic: iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and white onions. They did provide olive oil and possibly a vinegar. The Entrana was very tender and barely fit on the plate. I would recommend the Entrana over the Churrasco. The plating could use a little help as it looked like the mash potatoes was scooped with an ice cream scooper in a cafeteria line. Overall the food was priced fairly for the Chicago area. The restaurant was packed by 7:30pm and the atmosphere was very lively. This place had at least two groups during this time. A good place for groups as they tables can be easily pushed together. You'll find the bathrooms through the kitchen. The women's bathroom was very nice, clean, and large. I don't think I'll be back as there are so many restaurants to try in Chicago but you will definitely leave full with tummy filled with meat. A pretty good value! read more

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The food, service, and ambiance were all top notch. Their short ribs with chimichurri were delicious.

We go to Nandus when really craving that "hard core" in depth flavor. Everything from beginning to end is remarkable. Attentive staff. Just love love love it! read more

Located in the Logan Square area, it was my first time eating an Argentinan restaurant/steakhouse. I was advised by friends and their waiter to try the entraña, which is an Argentinan style skirt steak with a side of mash potatoes. I was amazed by the tenderness of the skirt steak very easy to cut and had great taste with each bite. I ordered mine medium rare and they got it right on point. The steak is so huge that they have to fold it so it can fit on the plate! For a $30+ meal with tip, I left satisfied. Definitely will come back again. Good service and nice ambiance for dinner to have with friends or on a date. Parking can be tough around the area, but it is definitely the effort for the meal! read more

El Nandu Restaurant - Medium rare Entrana - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The staff was visibly stressed and it's clear this place needs more waitstaff or to pause Grubhub at moments when the kitchen is getting overwhelmed. We were a group of 12 and had to wait an hour to even get a menu- drinkless. Literally had to chase waitstaff around like a beggar! The worst part of this visit was the owner- she literally looked annoyed at every turn, every request, and it took another hour before we could get our food ordered (again met with her snarky comments the entire painful time as she struggled by the bar). If she was at all nice about anything we could have felt better about the experience- but she literally felt entitled to our money and looked irritated every time we asked for a drink or to order food! At the hour and a half mark I got up to the bar and literally begged someone to take our food order bc we had left the kids with sitters to have a relaxing night out. Took over an hour to get drinks- we got there at 7 and left at 10:30 and not because we were lingering with drinks in hand enjoying the evening. We would have ordered more drinks if someone could have come by the table and we didn't have to get up to order them. Food came without utensils, empanadas came without chimichurri even though we asked for some like 5 times! It came out when everyone finished with the empanadas. We felt like things were thrown at us just to have something on the table. 1,000$ later, and one mediocre extremely long meal later, we got out of there with the owner still stressed and snarky, even though we were nice and didn't complain once, trying to be positive. This may be better suited as a date night out rather than a night with a big group. Also if the owner had been kinder- this review would probably not have been written. But we literally felt like by being there ordering, we were ruining her night and we could not have been a friendlier, more understanding group. Advice: Up the staff, kill the Grubhub if it's busy, and keep the owner in the back managing the books and not waiting on tables! Her irritated looks and comments are the only thing that I truly remember about the night. The waiter tried his best and was the only friendly face there- thank goodness for him! read more

I loved the empanadas. I had the Criolla and the Tucumana. Awesome chimichurri sauce. The sangria has to be the best in the city.

The food here is good. The service is okay. By all means there's nothing wrong with the site or it's location. However nothing particularly stands out. Each empanada is 2.50 and they're not quite worth it. Overall, come and see for yourself. The Milanese pollo (basically chicken parm) is delicious and large so that made up for the empanadas. read more

I have been at the Ñandú restaurant since the 80's multiple times, we dined in for New Years Eve with the family , we ordered empanadas which were delicious and waited for over an hour and 15 minutes to get our main order and this was after we asked why our order was taking so long, the waiter looked puzzled and their manager came to us and said the the ticket/order didn't go to the chef and that it would be 30 minutes, we were very disappointed. Btw the food was delicious read more

Food is excellent, my favorite Argentinian restaurant for the last 20 years. Service is amazing. Ambiance is so cool read more

El Nandu Restaurant - Empanadas-Churrasco- asado- milanesa - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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MINDBLOWN!!!! Stopped in Tuesday Feb.28th and my god the skirt steak here was seasoned, salted and cooked to perfection. Comes with fries and honestly 10/10 on the steak. The empanadas I tried were the cheese one and the jamón and queso one. They were fried crispy on the outside and had a flaky crust on the outer portions (the side and handles) of the empanada which was AMAZING!!!!!! lol I haven't tried very many good empanadas in Chicago that aren't soft and mushy. They make them crispy here. Honestly service isn't over the top friendly but they are polite and courteous and comply with all requests in a speedy manner. The ambiance is full of colorful art works on the wall and brick walls that give it an industrial rustic feel. Lively music playing gives it a good energy and vibe when the restaurant is full you can feel the energy of the people and you can feel the crowd without it being loud at all and you can still have a solid conversation at the table. It was overall epic. They have like 6-7 dessert selections and I was impressed with the flan. read more

My husband and I have lived around the corner for 4 years and finally gave El Nandu a try. We tried 4 of the empanadas and split the potato salad. I loved the spinach empanada and my husband enjoyed his steak empanadas but the shrimp empanada was quite icky. The shrimps were very small and all needed to be deveined. They had big black veins running through them and it just turned me off. The potato salad was tasteless and had frozen peas and corn mixed in. I would like to try the other empanadas but they seem to be hit or miss. read more

I have to say this place is good. I was born in Argentina and I love empanadas and asado. I got a Quilmes beer, it was very cold and the I got an empanada and asado with chimichurri. all good, I'll visit again ! read more

El Nandu Restaurant - Empanada Tucumana - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I hosted my graduation party here. I was in contact with Adriana months before the event and she really took care of me. The day of the event, my guests were completely thrilled with the food, the ambiance, the service... and there were about 30 people!! The empanadas were DIVINE!! We also had chicken, beef, French fries, and the potato salad. Highly recommend! read more

El Nandu is my favorite Argentinean restaurant in Chicago. I saw this place on Check Please several years ago, and each time I've been the food/staff/ambiance has been legit. So with all due respect to Tango Sur (another one of my faves) this is my go to spot. One of the better places to check out in Chicago if on a date b/c of the layout and price point. And if you're lucky enough to be there when live music is being played, you're in for a real treat! I always get their shrimp and ham empanadas for an appetizer...so tasty. For the main course - definitely check out the Entrana steak if you want to know what heaven tastes like. And if you're a fan of sangria, try their red sangria. You're welcome. read more