Here's another place that's dangerously close to my house. They make it way too easy to walk around the corner and buy 2 empanadas for an instant dinner! And a cheap dinner! I haven't tried all of the varieties, but the beef & rice, chicken & rice, & chicken bbq are all very good :) I didn't really care for the banana-chocolate one, but that's fine I don't need the extra calories anyways. I'll still be going back for some dinner empanadas. read more

From the pictures online, I thought this place was bigger inside. But once you step in, there's a only small counter to eat your empanadas. Regardless, their empanadas are terrific. The spinach one was soft and creamy on the inside, crusty and tender in the outside. But undoubtedly the best part is this: they have a "Choco-banana" empanada that includes nutella. YUM! So far, these are the best empanadas I've had in Chicago. You certainly won't find a "choco-banana" empanda in Latin America, which is what makes this place even more special. If it had more room to sit in, I would give it five stars. But the empanadas alone are compelling enough to make go back again and again. read more

I went here a few months back and I must say, there was nothing special about their empanadas. In my experience, I am all about the dough! Most fillings are standard, but the dough is what really sets it apart. Their dough however, was a little less than good and even their filling could've been better. For the meat and rice, I felt there was A LOT more rice than beef. I know we went there looking to get full and left looking to eat something else. Not my favorite. 2.5, but 3 for new business and friendly staff read more

Believe the hype, Litos is awesome! Our order consisted of Champinon Empanada (hands down favorite), Chori-Cheese, and Apple Cinnamon Empanada (least favorite). To me, the Apple Empanada tasted very much like apple sauce in a hot pocket, it wasn't delicious, it was very runny, and it just didn't taste great. The other two were excellent and there were no complaints. The dough itself is very good and better than some of the others I've made at home/ate elsewhere. My only -1 star stems from the back that the service is kind of slow. We were in there and the staff didn't seem happy to be there. Moreover it took about 10 minutes to package 3 items even though the cashier said that all of the items were made and just heated up to order. I guess since this isn't a sit down restaurant, it doesn't really matter all that much about the service. Would I come here again? Yes. Would I put more money on the packing meter? Absolutely. Would I get the desert empanada again? No, but I would definitely stick to the meats and order a few more plus the ones I had today. Must try if you're in the area (and at $2.50 a piece they are very affordable!) read more

You're best off getting take out or grabbing a quick bite to eat at Lito's Empanadas. If you do dine in, there's a shelf table that runs along the window and wall with 8 stools, so in theory 8 people could fit uncomfortably in the dining area. I'm a fan of the fact that these empanadas have a good amount of filling. I like the chori-cheese, beef and rice, and beef empanadas, though the latter should be avoided by people who dislike olives and or raisins. I didn't care for the Hawaiian because the cheese was soupy inside the pastry. Two to four empanadas are enough for a meal. Tap water and some kind of ketchup/mayo sauce can be provided upon request. read more

Lito's Empanadas is small. Their menu is even smaller. The taste, however, is huge. Everything at Lito's is fresh, delicious, filling, and affordable (the most expensive thing on the menu is $2.59). Their menu consists of 10 different empanadas, and, as far as I can tell, they are all made of magic. My personal favorites are the BBQ Chicken (BBQ chicken and potato), Chori-Cheese (seasoned Chorizo with potato, cheese, tomato and onion), and Choco-Banana (Nutella and bananas). Their homemade hot sauce is also a must. Made from green chilis, onion and cilantro, it is $.25 a cup and worth every penny. read more

I hesitate to write this review, I don't want too many people finding out about this place. If only I could keep it a secret so it doesn't get too crowded... But I would be doing you, the public, a disservice to not share this with the world. If it was closer to my house, I could live on a steady diet of Empanadas. It's a hidden gem in Lincoln Park, & the only reason you'll ever see me in Lincoln Park. Be warned you cabbies better stay out of my way when I'm headed there... Cause I'M HUNGRYYYY!!! I recommend the Chicken Champinon. read more

I love that this store is a carryout empanadas place. Where else can you go to get a Hawaiian inspired empanadas at the same place as getting a chocolate one or a apple cinnamon one. Love the businesses on this block. read more

Wow. Ok. I came looking for Del Seoul. I left almost more impressed with this place. A really small joint right next door, they have some really good empanadas here. I figured, well, we might as well drop in since it's next door. I ordered one with Chorizo, some desert empanadas that had a nutella / banana filling. I also had a chicken / cheese one and one other one I can't remember because I was too busy downing these bad boys. Man the banana / nutella was soo good, I didn't even notice the nutella oozing out and onto my shirt. Haha. I didn't care though and proceeded to finish it up and on to the next one! read more

Of all the places I miss in East Lakeview (okay fine, it's Lincoln Park but barely) Lito's tops the list. I'm gonna say it - best empanadas in the city. And I've had a lot. A LOT. I even make a pretty mean chipotle pork empanada myself so while I may not be an empanada connoisseur I'm damn close and feel I can say they're the best with confidence. The beef with raisins, beef with rice, and chicken and mushroom have always been my favorites, but I have never tried one I didn't like and I've tried them all (new additions within the past six months notwithstanding). Their homemade hot sauce is worth the extra cost but warning - it will do a number on your breath so if you're thinking of grabbing one for a snack before a first date or dinner party, it will likely be your last invite. Ever. You've been warned! I see they opened a second location on Taylor. Nothing could make me happier than knowing the empanada love will be felt in more than just Lincoln Park, because nobody should live without them! read more

Absolutely delicious place to grab a quick bite. Affordable, filling, and scrumptious

Yum! What a great little place in Lincoln Park. I went here on a Friday night to grab a quick bite before meeting some friends at a bar and I really enjoyed the spinach and cheese empanada. I also had the beef & rice one that all the Yelpers are raving about, but I think mine had been sitting for too long because it was not nearly as good as I would have liked. Regardless, this place is great for a quick bite to eat. Be aware that there is limited seating, so it is a better take-out option. read more

Lito's Empanadas are amazing! I have enjoyed every single empanada I have tried here! The choricheese is my favorite! The chicken one and the Hawaiian one are super yummy as well! I can't believe that I have yet to try a dessert one. The banana/Nutella one is on my list! :) I have to say this is a DANGEROUS street...I eat at Aloha Eats...grab Molly's cupcakes for dessert...and then grab Lito's Empanadas for my next snack/meal! Haha! The only thing is that this is not a sit down place...they only have a few seats at the window...very small location, which is why my empanadas are always to go. Writing this review is making me want to go right now! Soooo yummy! read more

I went to this place today. Can we say BLINK AND YOU'LL MISS IT?? haha. This place is soooo tiny, but I guess it does make sense considering that it's just empanadas and beverages. Anyways...I ended up going in and ordering to go, while my friend stayed in the car so she could park in a tow spot. I ordered the Beef, Chicken, Spinach, Hawaiian and Beef and Rice. They were all really good and tasty...and so addicting at the same time! It's a great place for a snack on the go, and I love how that's all the sell! For one thing, empanadas aren't that easy to find, and some of them aren't good at all! But they specialize in these AND they're scrumptious! 5 STARS for me...because I'm an empanada addict! read more

Hot empanadas - a good reason to be excited about cold weather. Tiny little place that serves this latin delicacy. The veggie, spinach and nutella are my favorites. Nominal rate and delicious empanadas, ok Chicago winter, I'm ready for you. read more

What a little gem for the area. This place stood the test of time and I see why they have. The key to a great empanada is the dough, and they got this down right along with deep frying it. At that point... fill it up with anything you want and it's good to go. We had the #2 beef w/rice, #3 chicken, and #12 al pastor and they all did not disappoint. Waited till dinner to eat them... so upset I didn't order more since we live out of the way from there, I'll definitely be back for a batch order to store in the freezer. read more

K, so I was hearing all the ooo's and ahhh's about this place, which obviously made me want to try it. First of all, if you blink you might walk past the storefront. Really, I'm not kidding. Also, if you're driving here, you might as well just park about 10 blocks away and walk, there's little to none parking. Now, to the empanadas....I love empanadas and I have a step-mother from South American, so I know empanadas. These are pretty good, although I have two complaints. First, the empanadas are pre-made, so if you don't want a certain ingredient you're SOL. Second, the empanadas aren't fried right away, rather they are fried earlier in the morning and then kept in a warming box. So, unless they were freshly fried there's a chance it'll be soggy. With all that said, I would recommend the Hawaiian Empanada, really the thing just melted in my mouth. The Spinach and Cheese one was also good, but not nearly as good as the Hawaiian one. If you plan on eating at the restaurant don't bring a big group, there are maybe 6 stools that face the window that allow people to eat in the restaurant. If it's more than two of you, good luck and I'd suggest taking it to go. If I were in the neighborhood and felt like a snack I would stop in and get one. But I wouldn't go out of my way for one. read more

Situated in the heart of Lincoln Park, Lito's Empanadas sells empanadas on a bustling street. It's hard to call Lito's a restaurant since the space is very small, but it's hard to call it anything else. Feel-good music plays in Spanish, while 2 people work the kitchen. Six stools face the window, and there's a counter for customers to order food. To the left, a colorful chalkboard lists the 12 options for empanadas, both savory and sweet. After reviewing the menu, we each decided to order one savory and one sweet empanada: beef, spinach, choco-banana, and apple-cinnamon. The cashier told us that it would take around five minutes for our empanadas to be ready. In the meanwhile, we took our seats by the window, while people watching and chatting. Before we knew it, our empanadas were straight out of the fryer and delivered to us in small baskets. The cashier who was also our server gave us a bottle of creamy red sauce and cups of water as well. First and foremost, you know an empanada is good when the crust is flaky, and this crust was seriously flakey. The beef empanada was stuffed with ground beef, olives, potato, tomato, onion, and surprisingly a few raisins, which balanced the other flavors well. The combination of spices and ingredients gave the empanada a full-bodied flavor with just one bite. This beef empanada made us feel like we were truly eating traditional Colombian empanadas. The filling in the spinach empanada consisted of mozzarella, onion, and spinach, obviously. The cheese was warm and very cheesy. The best way to describe this empanada was Greek meets Colombian, like a spanakopita empanada. Two sauces came with the empanadas. While we couldn't identify the exact ingredients, we thought that tomatoes were a part of the red creamy sauce. The green sauce cut through the rich flavors of the empanadas and came with a small kick. While both sauces paired well with the empanadas, we preferred the creamy red sauce. The choco-banana empanada is a chocolate lovers paradise. Take one bite, and the gooey, melted nutella immediately makes you smile. The consistency of the nutella is just the right consistency between thick and liquid. The nutella is very rich, and the desert dough is perfect for keeping all the melted chocolate inside. Dusted with cinnamon sugar on the outside, this apple cinnamon empanada puts you in the mood for the season. The empanada is like a hand held apple pie and will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. While most catered towards ordering empanadas to go, Lito's has the service and homey space that makes for a fun place to eat, that is if there is enough space to sit. Lito's certainly knows how to make traditional empanadas the right way. Nevertheless, their experimentation with creating new empanada flavors is highly successful. Savory or sweet, traditional or new, dine-in or order to go, you can't go wrong when it comes to Lito's Empanadas. read more

The Choco-Banana empanada was absolutely delicious and the perfect dessert after dining at Del Seoul next door. I also had the Chori-Cheese empanada, which I wasn't impressed with at first. Rather than eating it immediately, I took it home and ate it a few hours later. Maybe the extra time allowed all those wonderful flavors to get acquainted with each other because it was killer when I ate it later that night. The prices are definitely reasonable, and the empanadas come out fairly quickly. Lito's is a nice little spot to satisfy your empanada craving! read more

I basically write a review if I believe the place is worthy. This place is definitely worthy. Their empanadas are fantastic. I've had the beef and rice, BBQ chicken and the Hawaiian empanadas. These three are my favorite and I recently catered empanadas to family event and they were such a hit. Everybody wanted to know where these were from. I wish I could take the credit and say I made them, but I'm definitely not talented enough. This by far are the best empanadas I've had yet. Tips: Take it to go, no room to sit. read more

Lito's is great. I've tried a few other empanada places, but wasn't impressed. They tried to get too fancy. Lito's keeps it fairly simple, the different empanadas are pretty standard but are still delicious. I usually go for a chori-cheese and a spinach. If I'm feeling extra adventurous, I'll add a choco-banana or an apple. read more

Here's the deal. I spent a lot of time in Spain and fell in love with the simplicity of an empanda. This place has it perfected. You can either eat in- although there is very limited bar seating. Take-out or get delivery. The empandas run about $2.50- two per person seems to do the trick. Suggestion: Pay the extra 0.25 cents for the home made salsa. You've just been yelped in. read more

We loooove hole-in-the-wall places and this is one of those perfect small little joints that sells one thing only. You KNOW it's gotta be good if there is only ONE thing on the menu...empanadas!!! Every time we are in town, we have to...just HAVE to...pick up at least one of their tasty, toasty, cozy empanadas :) Sooooo comforting! We are partial towards the CHORI-CHEESE empanadas...mmm....drooling just thinking about it... The other flavors are spectacular as well...can't go wrong!!! read more

This place is AWESOME!!! The owner's are here 24/7, and who doesn't appreciate people working hard to start their own business. Especially when that business is making deliciousness to fill my tummy. The hawaiian, while probably not the most authentic of empanadas, is damn good, and another fave of mine is the beef and rice. Actually, I have tried them all, and have fallen in luuuuuuuuub. The homemade salsa that you can get with them is a WONDERFUL addition and SO tasty. Banana and nutella for dessert. Heaven. read more

I've only tried their Chicken Empanadas so far, but I'll definitely be coming back. Like others have mentioned, the filling-dough ratio is on point. My only complaint is that the chicken itself was pretty chewy/overcooked. Other comments: - The empanadas are pretty big (2-3 for a meal probably) - I wouldn't recommend dining in. The place is pretty bare with very little seating. - Service was on the slow side - Ask for the hot sauce (the green one is worth the extra 50 cents or so) read more

This place was an awesome break in a day full of errands and responsibility. The empanadas are cheap (most are around $2 a pop) and so so delicious. It's a small family restaurant (and I do mean small, there are about 5-6 stools against a bar by the window for the only seating), so the care is evident from the first bite... You can even see them preparing the day's stock in the kitchen, so you know it's gonna be good! Clean, cheap, fast, and delicious... Four ingredients for a quick escape from everday life to Latin America. read more

Litos Empanadas serves only delicious, hot, authentic empanadas, but in this singular focus, they have achieved street-food perfection. Perfectly priced at approx. 2.50 each, hot-fried-to-order and served with a side of fresh homemade verde salsa, these 'nada's are pocket perfection. I have had most varieties by now, and so I must recommend the beef or Champinon Chicken. The beef empanada is a savory combination of beef, potatoes and olives, with raisins for a subtle touch of sweetness, and the chicken is more of crowd-pleaser with mushrooms, cheese and tomato. Also, if you have room, either dessert offering will be worth the guilt. With only five or six seats inside, and four outside, I would advise stopping in for a 'nada or two and continuing on your stroll down Clark. Staff is friendly and fast, and the storefront is very clean. read more

I LOVE Lito's!!! I went there for the first time the other day with my boyfriend. We split 4 different kinds of empanadas. Three savories: spinach and cheese, beef and rice, beef and ?? something else - all were delicious. Don't forget to ask for their spicy sauce which is kind of a chunky salsa type of sauce; it definitely adds a kick. Its extra and you have to ask for it; the woman ringing us up didn't mention it though she was very pleasant. We also split the choco-banana dessert one and really enjoyed that. In all, we had 2 empanadas each and that seemed pretty filling. As other reviewers have said there is not a lot of room to eat in. Only a counter with four or so stools and the room gets crowded quickly. We actually stood and ate ours! read more

I just had Lito's empanadas and they were life changing. I was having an extremely lazy day and I decided to order Lito's from GrubHub. I honestly wasn't expecting much especially considering I ordered it as delivery. Boy was I blown away. The empanadas arrived perfectly crisp and flaky on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside. I had the BBQ chicken, the chorizo and cheese, and the veggie. I didn't know how ambitious ordering 3 was! They were so filling! It's a tough choice but I think I would have to rank them: 1. Chorizo and cheese (partially because of my deep love of cheese) 2. BBQ Chicken 3. Veggie Although the veggie was good, it paled in comparison to the BBQ chicken and chorizo. It ended up being sacrificed due to sheer lack of room in my stomach. I will DEFINITELY be returning to try more of their empanadas and will be recommending it to all of my friends!! read more

We are frequenters of the Clark location --- so when we were planning our wedding, we knew that we must have some mini-empanadas for a late night snack! The menu of minis was offered by Carlos, and he was helpful in making recommendations for our event! We were able to accommodate our vegetarian guests, too! We opted out of hot sauce due to the formal affair, but usually this would be a must have for a spicy kick! The minis were served warm, crispy, and flavorful! Total hit! So glad we thought to include Litos in our wedding festivities! Thanks Eve and Carlos! read more

Just opened two weeks ago and they must be very confident of their empanadas because that's the ONLY food on the menu!! I've only eaten empanadas a few times so I'm no expert but they were tasty to me! The entire menu consists of five empanadas (2 kinds of beef, chicken, vegetarian and another that I don't remember) Vitamin Water and canned soda. They're fried to order and were still warm after my two block walk home. They do have five or so stools to eat at. read more

I walked into Litos starving, around 5ish on a Sunday. Thank god there was no wait! It was the first thing I'd eaten all day - the result of a raucous night out. And so I ordered 4 empanadas: the champinon chicken (fave 1), bbq chicken (fave 2), spinach (okay), and Hawaiian (not a fan). I also got a pop and walked out of there ~$15 poorer. It's more of a takeout joint, although they do have a few barstool spaces to eat & enjoy. The service was friendly and quick, but overall I prefer 5411 Empanadas. Not to say I won't be back to Litos to try more of their menu! read more

Litos empanadas....what can I say about thee? Taking my thoughts back to the moment last night where I bit into a championes chicken empanada. Immediately *face palm*. That Empanada was what little tiny babies are made of if you're a cannibal. It's what warm vaseline is made of if you're a chapped bottom lip. It's what arrows are made of, if you're Cupid. A few days ago, I read a review of a fellow yelpper. He was pretty enthusiastic about this spot, and when I found out that there was a restuarant that sold NOTHING.BUT.EMPANADAS I had to try it. So, I didn't wait at all, and headed over to Litos' after quitting the workday. We ordered about 7 Empanadas for 2 people (because we were hungry. #dontjudgeme). -Beef and Rice -BBQ Chicken -Spinach and cheese -Championes Chicken -Choco Banana (to split. See, I'm not all bad) I have to say, my favorites were the Championes Chicken and the Spinach and cheese. 7 empanadas and 2 vitamin waters for 20 bucks?!?! You better sit down somewhere and tell me it ain't so! Litos is solid....solid as a rock. And last night, I definitely said, "I'm going to eat good from now on". Yeahhhhhh... I think I'm headed back today to get one of those spinach and championes chicken. *Big Sigh* good food is going to be the obesity of me. read more

Champinon chicken, my favorite!!! So tasty and delicious! Reminds me of those Filipino empanadas back in Cali!! Rarely see these around Chicago. Now I know where to go whenever I have craving for empanadas. I minus one star cuz its $3 each. So pricey! It wasn't that expensive in Cali... read more

I ordered Litos last night using their online ordering system. It was easy and accurate. The quoted delivery time (that I got to request) was 30 minutes. 30 minutes later, my empanadas arrived. I basically ordered at least one of each, and we enjoyed all but the veggie empanada - that one was a little bland and in a doughier shell compared to the others. The favorites were the bbq chicken and the basic chicken. None of ours were salty like other yelpers have mentioned. They are a little greasy on the outside, but you must realize they are fried so you have to expect a little grease. Let them sit on a paper towel for a minute and most of that issue is gone. The choco-banana was delicious and loaded with bananas. The apple was good too, but not as special. We'll definitely keep ordering! read more

I'm a big fan of this place and have been back here twice over the last week. Each time I get two empanadas. Yesterday it was two beef (ground beef, olives, raisins, potatoe, tomatoe, and onion) and today it's two types of chicken (BBQ chicken and just chicken). I'm seriously thinking that I'll have to find a 12-step empanada program, these things are GREAT and ADDICTIVE! The home made garlic salsa verde enhances the flavors even more. You've got to try it! read more

I love this place and am sad that I don't live closer anymore. Although, I think, my waistline disagrees. The choco-Banana and apple cinnamon are musts - 100% goodness. I personally loved the BBQ chicken and Champinon Chicken, I've had the beef and chicken and thought they were a little dry. Everything is fried to order and hot. So even though there isn't a lot of room to eat there, they will stay hot until you get home. The people that work here are super nice, too. They don't make me feel like a whale for ordering the amount I order. :) read more

With such a high ratio of yelp reviews to seats, you know it's got to be good.... Well, it is. I picked up food for five here once. after reading the Yelp reviews we decided to get ten empanadas, which set us back all of $25. We got the beef, chicken, vegetable, and spinach ones. The beef was my favorite - the filling tasted so rich! The other ones were good as well, and I like the sauce yo can buy on the side for a quarter (note: it's not a lot of sauce per serving - like 1.5 oz. Get several). As for the amount - ten empanadas was probably on the light side for five people - in retrospect twelve or thirteen would have been perfect - but no one really complained. They can't really add any more seating, but I'd really like it if I could eat my food there comfortably, so I'm deducting a star... read more

Flaky dough, melting cheese, and well seasoned meats - what's not to like??? I bought 2 empanadas yesterday: Champion Chicken and the new one, Chorizo-cheese. Both were delicious and the salsa they came with elevated it to the next level. The whole meal only cost me $5.40- What a deal!!! I would definitely go back again and try the desert empanadas next time! read more

Full Disclosure: I've never set foot inside this establishment, so I have no idea what it looks like or where it is and make no claims about the quality of the dining experience inside its 4 walls (this number is just a guess, I can only assume the business resides in a square-shaped layout). However, I've ordered delivery from here many times and it always offers a cheap and different alternative from the usual landscape of delivery food options. Below I will paste my typical order: 1 Champinon Empanada $ 2.49 1 BBQ Chicken Empanada $ 2.29 1 Chori-Cheese $ 2.39 1 Apple Cinnamon Empanada $ 2.29 1 Choco-Banana Empanada $ 2.29 1 Beef Empanada $ 2.29 I left the prices on there because that is an important aspect of its rating. Each empanada is roughly 3.5-4 inches long in the typical half-moon shape. The above is more food than I usually eat in one sitting, but when viewed as 4 for dinner and 2 for dessert it doesn't seem nearly as embarrassingly gluttonous. The Champinon Empanada is, in my opinion, the best and the Choco-Banana is not nearly as good as it sounds, you've been warned. read more