Such such good food! I came in with a big group without a reservation and they were so kind and…read moreaccommodating. Thank you guys!

These arepas are AMAZING!!…read more I got the Queen Arepa and my friend got the Divina Arepa. First off, the arepas are huge! Packed with all the stuff. My queen arepa was soo good. The only thing to note was that it was so thick, I mainly ate most of the chicken avocado salad first, leaving the rest of my arepa with just gouda. I couldn't finish the whole thing because it was all gouda and too much cheese for my preference, but I would absolutely get it again. Also, do not miss out on the fries. It is very well seasoned and the garlic sauce it comes with is so delicious. There is a plenty of seating area, inside and outside. We first tried to sit outside, but due to the rain that came a few days beforehand, there were many mosquitos and bugs, so we went inside. The staff were so nice and conversational! Whether you are visiting or living in Chicago, this is an absolute must place to eat! If I could, I would bring this place back home with me.

This place was fantastic! It's a chill, relaxed spot that's great for friends, solo diners, dates,…read moreand double dates. The food was outstanding. My husband, who typically isn't a fan of tostones, absolutely loved the tostones appetizer! Our party also ordered the empanadas. The shell had this delicious, slightly sweet corn flavor that was just outstanding. Everyone loved their food. I ordered the Pabellón dish and it came out looking like a work of art! The perfectly arranged shredded chicken had a hint of cinnamon (at least to my taste), alongside flavorful black beans, gently sweet plantains, and white rice to balance everything out. It was topped with a chunk of squeaky, fried cheese! Everything came together beautifully. I also thoroughly enjoyed the cocada, a Venezuelan coconut drink. It was sweet, delicious, and kind of delicate tasting. It had tons of coconut, which you had to chew. If you love coconut, you have to try it! Overall, a fantastic experience. Great atmosphere and incredible food. I cannot wait to come back!

I liked Bienmesabe years ago when I first went here and have been here a few times since, although…read morethere's been a gap between my most recent visit and the one before that. I'm happy to report that when I went recently, we still really enjoyed it. It was my boyfriend's first time and he is now a fan and we both recommended it to our friend who lives in the area. You can also make reservations if you'd like although the times I've been, walking in is also fine. Last time we got the Bienmesabe Sampler, which is enough appetizers to share with four people lol. Our ranking of the items in the sampler were the tostones (soooo good), tequeño (my boyfriend loved), mandioca, and then the empanadas. The empanadas are my least favorite - I'd prob see if I could sub it out for something else in the future. I do like that they provide an assortment of empanadas. Then we got a cachapa with chicken - the cachapa itself was so good although next time we would try a different protein. Lots of delicious cheeses to be found - lactose-intolerant people should prepare accordingly.

Really cute and excellent little place. I was working in…read morethe neighborhood, trying to find a lunch that be somewhat heart healthy. And on their menu, I saw something called the Rica bowl. Grilled strips of chicken and steak, an actual salad with what I think was Romain lettuce several slices of tomato and avocado and red onion, and some chunks of a light homemade cheese that kind of looks like feta, but was less salty and very creamy. It was a really really nice lunch. I also had a craving for some black beans had a side of that and was excellent. They have a house made creamy garlic sauce that I put on everything and some house made hot sauce that I used a little of. It was very good too. Ate all of the salad and avocado, but taking half of the meat home and half of the beans that I'll have with dinner. I'm glad I chose it. And I would go here again if I'm in the neighborhood.

I've been on an Arepa kick recently. This place has some of the best…read more But more. Their empanadas. They're HUGE. I mean like half-a-football size. I got the fish one. Thought it'd be weird. Wasn't. Delicious. Sauces are to die for. Overall. Would. Every time.

Food and service was amazing! First time traveling Venezuelan food! Estephanie and Ivy were great…read moreservers!

Unreal meal it was so flavorful and delicious with great portion! They have good brunch menu and a…read morereally nice heated patio on the inner building as well as a patio at the front with a few more tables - dog friendly to both! Very nice people also! Will go back.

Highly recommend the best arepas on Chicago I got the pabellón arepa great food gcostumer service,…read moredefinitely I will coming back

I didn't see any White Sox players (that I know of) but I did see a messy, filling, and quite tasty…read morelunch. We ordered the Pabellon and the Tropical arepas. I balked slightly at the prices but stopped complaining as soon as I saw the size of the arepas. Both were stuffed to exploding and were very, very good. I'm full enough that I may not need dinner. The restaurant is small with limited seating and no public restrooms. It's reasonably clean and nicely decorated. It's quick serve - order at the counter and your meal is brought to you fairly quickly. Since this is the Loop they're not open late but there is a $9.99 Arepa Night promotion on Wednesdays. Get extra napkins.

Delicious! I had never been to a Costa Rican restaurant in the U.S. before so always exciting to…read moretry something new. Larger than it looked from the outside which made a walk in dinner easy. Casual friendly atmosphere, the patio was lovely. A friend and I split a skirt steak pepito and the casado, the national dish of Costa Rica, with coconut shrimp. The pepito was my favorite, everything about it was perfect. We had a lot of leftovers of the casado - so much food! Had never had that combination of items in a dish before and loved the combination of flavors and textures. I don't live in Chicago but have several friends that live walking distance from Irazu so I'd been wanting to try it for so long. worth the wait and I'm looking forward to coming back and trying more on the menu!

Another strong delivery…read more Family meal special is a great option, huge portions Chicken and peppers: 4/5. Tasty chicken, lot of peppers. Overseasoned. Gallo Pinto: 3.5/5. Solid base. Chicken empanadas: 5/5. Super flavorful Spinach and cheese empanda: 3.5/5. Well fried, but the separation of cheese and spinach took away. Lizano Salsa: 3.5/5. Fresh, lovely avocado. Gets a bit boring.

Food : 10/10 Service 10/10…read moreAmbiance 10/10 It was great I liked the feeling at first it seems lonely but once you order and it becomes great just give time and a chance and it'll become ur fave cafe

Really delicious breakfast spot! Authentic classic Venezuelan arepas (taste tested by my Venezuelan…read morefriend!) and fresh takes too. I got the Santa Monica and really enjoyed it, very tasty and filling! This is a small place where you walk up to the counter and order of the menu posted on the wall. They've got tea/coffee/refrigerated drinks too. Not too much space to sit but there are a few tables inside and the arepas and drinks came out steaming hot and pretty quick! I went with a group of 6 and they all came out within 10 minutes of each other. Really really enjoyed this place, reasonable prices, I will definitely be coming back!

Carinvale is such a fun and lively restaurant in Chicago's West Loop! This spot was recommended by…read morethe hotel I was staying at, and the decor alone makes it worth it. The space is incredibly cool, colorful, and full of personality. Our waiter was friendly, attentive, and really made the experience enjoyable. The food was okay overall, but the pecan banana butter cake was definitely a highlight. They also provided a side of free cotton candy. How fun! There's a parking lot directly across the street, just a few steps from the restaurant, and they also offer valet. The valet was actually cheaper than self parking but I went on a week day so you may want to compare pricing before you park.

Such a coolly decorated place!…read more Had a work dinner event and happy hour place and was blown away when I walked in. The design is very in your face, with bright colors and large fixtures. Super cool. Staff was amazing, both the bartenders and servers. Very attentive and out of their way to accommodate. We had a coursed dinner. Apps were good. Shrimp ceviche was not my fav, but the smoked mushroom croquettes were flavorful and good. Carnivale Salad was great with little cheese bites and great dressing. I got the filet. Didn't ask for temp, but the crust was flavorful. Not a cake person, but the chocolate dulce de leche cake was one of my favorite things. Would come back for a drink, salad and dessert.

This place was great, I don't know what some of the reviewers are complaining about! I always like…read moreto try Venezuelan food whenever I have the chance to. I tried numerous little items from this place, including the mandocas or corn fritters, pastelitos de queso or cheese pastelitos, and the shredded beef empanada. Everything was really quite good flavor wise, very cheap, and overall just gave a nice street food kind of vibe. The corn fritters were really good. Fried crispy on the outside and a bit oily, but not in a bad way. They were surprisingly quite sweet and fluffy in the inside. Cheap and delicious. The beef empanada came in a large portion, and I really enjoyed it. The beef was well seasoned, flavorful, and had a fantastic texture. It wasn't too bready. I loved the green and slightly creamy sauce they served with the empanada. Great. The cheese pastelitos were probably my least favorite of the few items I tried, I thought they weren't all that flavorful, but definitely weren't bad by any means. Filling was decent with a good amount of cheese, but just not a ton of flavor to them. All in all, a very nice place to get street food type of items and more substantial items too, like cachapas and arepas. I'd definitely recommend this spot.

Venezuelan food is new to me but I've been having it a lot lately. I decided to go try it in a…read morerestaurant and I don't remember what this was called but it was essentially surf and turf and it was incredible. We tried a few different things and everything was good. I already have a list of what I will try next. Also I don't speak any Spanish and I didn't prevent me from getting what I wanted. It is a nice ambiance with a lot of people going in and out rotating tables. Very busy place but even still there was no wait. If you have not tried Venezuelan food you are missing out. Go try this place. Happy Fooding!!

The food was so delicious! I had the Pollo with the rice and it had great flavor!…read more The service was great! Can't wait to bring my parents.

Great service and that's one of the most important things 2…read moreolder ladies helping and super nice. Pan de bono not really good. I would skip those next time. Main dishes ( bandeja paisa and parrilla ) were good as well. Super big and filling. Margarita was good as well Ambience is pretty, this is a small place. Bathroom wasn't flushing ( but overall was clean ) This is a pricy place but overall a place we could come back to.