I'd take a picture but the empanadas didn't last more than 30 seconds. This is my new favorite place, by far! I got the chicken, pastor and beef empanadas and the chicken burrito bowl. ALL were amazing. But the empanadas.....holy moly. Unreal. Keep in mind, it's a corner place and there isnt a lot of signage because they just opened, but the place was super clean and they were SO nice. This place is the real deal so I know they'll do very well-everyone please go support! (Pastor empanada is probably my favorite. I could literally eat it every day. Highly recommend!) Thanks again guys! read more

I love empanadas because they are filling and inexpensive. At Lito's, there's also a nice variety to pick from including savory, sweet, and some meatless options. I had one pastor and one spinach and mozzarella. They were fried to perfection and served piping hot. Lito's is casual; it's more of a grab and go than sit and linger kind of place. There are a few tables, positioned closely together, and drinks are available in a small cooler. It was also hotter than hell inside, so as hungry as I was, I didn't want to stay too long. One perk of this small spot though is that they DO accept credit & debit cards. read more

Pretty good! I've been wanting to try this place for a while and I finally did. I got 3 empanadas: Champion Chicken, Spinach and Veggie. Wasn't a fan of the veggie...too many potatos. I enjoyed the spinach and champion chicken. These empanadas are HUGE. I def though they'd be smaller. Around $2.30-$2.80 per empanada. Only thing I didn't enjoy was the fried aspect. I know empanadas are orginally made fried...but I did not enjoy the shell of it. Albeit, I'm comparing them to 5411 empanadas which have a doughy shell which I enjoy WAY more. read more

Lito's Empanadas - Litos stamped on the empanada - Empanadas Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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great food great service great setting suggest Lito empanadas to anyone visiting Chicago great lunch spot for you chicagoians as well eat some empanadas soon hurry please !!! read more

Woah! Delicious! Cant say much else. I ordered delivery for a group of 5 this early evening and the order arrived hot and fresh. Every empanada we had was great, including the apple cinnamon. Only thing I would recommend would be to get stamps for your empanadas. You sent the majority of them all in one bag and they were not marked. How are you supposed to know what is what?? They all look the same! read more

I've lived two minutes from here, and I can't believe that it took me so long to try this place out! We got: champinon chicken, Hawaiian, spinach, al pastor, chorizo, and apple caramel. For 6 empanadas it came out to $20 even. The highlight of the meal was hands down the al pastor. I have never had an empanada so flavorful, I would have gone back and ordered just the al pastor that's how much I liked it! The others were good, but didn't wow me away as much as the pastor. If getting the apple caramel, it is very messy, so beware! read more

I got the Chicken Champion - chicken, onion, mushrooms and the Al pastor. Not a big fan of shredded chicken so I much preferred the Al Pastor since it had chunks of pork and it was very flavourful with the pineapple. I'm not an empanada connoisseur but I thought the crust was very flaky and enjoyed the sauced which came with it. I preferred the green salsa, but friend preferred the sweeter orange sauce! read more

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I just had Lito's Empanadas for the first time, and I will definitely be back They're approximately $3 per empanada, and they are absolutely delicious and also quite filling! I got the vegetarian and I was so pleased with their spices. I haven't tried their sweet empanadas yet, but definitely something to look forward to--that caramel apple one looks very tempting. read more

I love empanadas, especially Filipino ones. I decided to try the caramel apple one since Taco Bell decided to get rid of the ones they sold. I was excited to try it. Lo and behold, I was disappointed to find out that it lacked flavor and could not find any caramel goodness in it. The apples were severely sour when they should be sweet. It was as if they were were made with granny smiths instead of red delicious or a similar sweet apple. The filling, I guess that was supposed to be the caramel, was a funky beige color that was overpowered by the bitterness of the apples. The only good thing about the empanada was the cinnamon sugar coating on the outside, but even that was not enough to save the flavor. I was very disappointed because I thought I had found a new empanada establishment. read more

Lito's Empanada's is the perfect place if you just need a snack or want to make a dinner of empanadas. There's a nice variety of empanadas--beef, chicken, BBQ chicken, ham/pineapple, chorizo and cheese, beef and rice, spinach. Plus a couple dessert choices made with nutella or fruit. I had the beef/rice and the chorizo/cheese. We didn't have to wait long for our orders and they come out piping hot with little containers of salsa and/or hot sauce, depending on your order. There is also a sauce/aioli on the table for sharing as well. I loved the empanadas. They were full of said ingredients. well cooked, not burnt, but with a nice crispy pastry shell. The green chili salsa was good, as was the chipotle sauce. The table sauce also added a nice flavor layer. The empanadas were good on their own, but adding one of the sauces definitely added some great flavor. There is a small array of drinks in the cooler--water, soft drinks. The space is tiny and I don't know about the rest of my group, but it got freakin' hot in there. And I know it wasn't just the sauces making me feel sweaty. Service was friendly. I appreciated how they re-did my chorizo empanada because the first "popped open" in the fryer. read more

We love this place. Prior to going here, we had only been to 5411, which I think Lito's blows away. What I loved most is that the DELIVER. So key when you're feeling lazy, but want some delicious empanadas. I'm good with the ground beef, but I love all the others as well too. My fiance especially loves the dessert empanadas. I liked the apple pie one a lot too! One thing I'm confused about is there still a location on Taylor? We used to order from there all the time and some sites say its open and others say it's not. Would love to give them my money if they are! read more

Exceptional. Only $2.99 each. We wanted an afternooon snack. We ordered 3 varieties to split between 2 people. Beef #1-ground beef, raisins, potatoes, peas, and olives. Beef #2 - ground beef, oniond, rice and tomatoes. BBQ chicken - bbq chicken and potatoes Totally stuffed. Their beef number one is by far my favorite. Great food. Great deal. read more

Love this place. Quick service, delicious food, great prices, and attentive employees! There are 12 different empanadas; I've tried 6 of them and liked everything I had: Beef & Rice, Champinon Chicken, BBQ Chicken, Spinach, Choco-Banana, and Apple Caramel. Highly recommend eating at Lito's Empanadas! read more

Little pockets of fried fluffy dough Interior seating a little small but pretty empty Tons of different menu choices that should serve all cravings Opt'ed to go for the cinnamon caramel apple empanada Sweet and savory flavours, with TONS of caramel Everything tasted great, hot and fresh right from the fryer My only thought is for maybe some bigger apple slices to make it a bit more 'appley' Probably will try out another menu offering on the next visit About 2-3 minutes is how long it took the food to cook Nothing really bad to say about the visit, staff was quick and friendly Anytime of the day, these empandas would make a good snack to curb off the munchies Didn't have any real complaints and excited to try some more Another thing I almost forgot, their salsa is bomb. So if you're still trying to figure out where too eat, check out Litos, enough variety for anyone in the party read more

Passed by here a couple times and finally decided to stop in! The place is small and has a couple seats and tables for maybe only a little more than 10 people so I decided to get to-go. On the wall to the left of the cashier, they have a menu, that tells what is in each empanada. I decided to order the beef and rice empanada, and the al pastor empanada. Both were extremely flavorful and all the empanadas were absolutely filled. However, the shell was the breaker for me. It was way too thick and while eating the second empanada, I ended up just digging the meat out and throwing the shell out, it was just too much. The green sauce was really good, but was a bit too spicy for me! read more

Hurray!! Yelpers...you got me into this little place down the street from me that I usually walk right by, and I am SOO glad that I stopped in. The empanadas came out FAST- Fast as in 1 min and it was already in my mouth. Oh boy was my mouth happy. Choco Banana....:::melts:: - perfect size for a mid day snack. I WILL be back soon to try all the other delish things on the menu, cant WAIT!! :) read more

Oh mah gah! So good! I don't know why I have not been to Lito's yet considering it is just down the street from the lovely little jewelry store I spend my days in. I just couldn't decide what I wanted for lunch today so I wandered down the street and popped in. The gentleman at the counter was super nice and recommended a few of the more popular empanadas. I chose the beef with potato, raisins and who knows what else, the chicken and rice, and the vegetarian. I think the veggie one was my favorite with its nice smoky chipotle flavor. All three were very flavorful and for about seven bucks you cant go wrong. I think my review is swayed by a star or so based on my state of boredom with the current lunch options on this stretch of Clark. I'm pretty happy to have found something else to add to the menu folder. read more

How nice it is to have something so simple be so good. Lito's is a great because it is so simple. They have about 8 different empanadas, i have tried 5 and they have all been great. What I really like is that for $2.09 each, you can get either a snack (1 empanada), lunch (2 empanadas) or dinner (3 empanadas). Carlos, Lito's master mind, has told me he is perfecting a sauce to put on top of the empanada. I am extremely excited about this. Without some hot sauce or salsa the empanadas are a little dry. I have been using Frank's Red Hot and it has been a nice compliment. read more

DEEP FRIED AND DELICIOUS I'm usually more verbose, but that pretty much sums it up. read more

You have to think of Lito's as just a sort of fancier way to get a snack to go, rather than a restaurant or anything like that. It is terribly small, so definitely think along the lines of take out. There are like 4 stools and a very thin counter running along the wall, and they are mostly used by people waiting for their take out order, so it wouldnt make for the most pleasant of dining experiences anyway. The location is great if you are walking, terrible if driving. Definitely walk or take the bus! I have only had the beef and the chicken empanadas at this point and I can say the beef is fabulous. Dont be weirded out by the addition of raisins into the mix, you dont taste raisin so much as just an overall sweetness that complements the beef nicely. The chicken ones are just OK, they could have been a lot better with some hot sauce, plain they are a little bland. But for just over $2 these little pockets are a good size, one is perfect for me, someone with a bigger appetite could handle two. They had an apple cinnamon one on special the day I was there, I should have gotten it. I'm thinking it would have been like a delightful apple pie. My two wishes: That they would expand to have more locations (hello, Andersonville?) and that they would expand the menu. read more

Cheap, fast, delicious eats. Lito's is a tiny storefront with 4 stools at a counter, so getting these empanadas to go is pretty much a given. We went in, ordered, and paid $5 for a couple of empanadas. Within 2 minutes we were munching the beef empanada and chasing that with the choco-banana. Both were great! Splitting 2 made for a good snack, having both to yourself would be a great meal-plus again, it's totally fast and cheap. read more

Lito's: Place of the glorified hot-pocket. A VERY small place, with seating for about 3 people, with a VERY limited menu. They have something like 5 varieties of empanadas to choose from- all of which are pre-made. So don't try to ask for "hold the" anything. The beef & rice one was ok, kinda bland, and so was the chicken. The spinach and cheese one was extremely cheesy. I am a fan of the fried shell, but I just can't get on board yet with these things. Maybe good every once in awhile for a quick bite, or if you feel like a fanta- they have FANTA here, whoa. read more

Fatty Empanadas. That's what this place should be called, since their hot crispy empanadas are packed full of tasty filling. A couple of these will for sure satisfy your hunger. The choices range from sweet to savory, so I tried one of each kind. I went with the Chori-Cheese, which was packed with cheesy chorizoness and a good amount of potatoes. That really filled me up, especially since I had a couple tacos next door). But the Choco-Banana I like the best, which was oozing with nutella and bananas. With fast friendly service and t about $2 an empanada, I like this place. read more

Wow. Litos Empanadas - why did I fail to visit you when I lived in Lincoln Park? I only discovered them on a return visit after moving to Pittsburgh....and that is a cryin' shame. My boyfriend stopped in here for a quick bite on the first day of our trip. When I met up with him later, he told me how delicious they were, and I had to try some for myself. The next day he went back and came back to our hotel with a bagful of deliciousness. My parents ate some, and we ate some, and we were all incredibly happy. We ordered the empanadas online - I think they took a tiny bit longer than the website said, maybe by 5 minutes? But they were made fresh, crispy, and hot so that is worth waiting for. I tried the chorizo and cheese empanada, which was unbelievable. Cheesy, flaky, gooey, hot, wonderful. My boyfriend loved the Champinon Chicken, which contained chicken, cheese, and mushrooms. I don't even LIKE mushrooms, and I still thought it was delicious. We doused them with the green hot sauce, which will put you back an extra 25 cents, but I'd say it's worth it. Finished up with the Nutella banana empanada - how can that not be amazing? Hot and delicious, I had Nutella on my face and my fingers and I was in heaven. Also - they are SUPER cheap, maybe about $2.50 each with tax? Two of them makes a meal, and one is a great snack. The price, the flavor, and the freshness - all perfect. We will absolutely stop in here again next time we are in Chicago! I don't know anywhere else you can get something so good for so little money! read more

The BBQ Chicken empanada is the best. The home made hot sauce for an extra twenty-five cents is worth it- it's amazing- I could practically drink the stuff. The chocolate banana one is also amazing. The staff are super nice, and the prices are very reasonable, especially for Lincoln Park. read more

I swear, the 2500 block of N. Clark Avenue must be one of the tastiest stretches in Chicago. You've got Aloha Eats, Molly's Cupcakes, Del Seoul, and Lito's, all on the same side of the street, no less I love coming here for Columbian empanadas that are deceptively filling and very tasty. My favorites are the chori-cheese and champinon chicken. If you want to switch it up and want a lot of variety for not too much cash, definitely give Lito's a shot. read more

Ive been dying to try this place out for a while now. I'm leaving for Buenos Aires in a few weeks so I decided now would be a good time to try it. I bought a bunch as snacks for some friends getting together at my house and it was a big hit. We all munched and tasted all the varieties. The shell was a good buttery taste that kept you wanting more. The different fillings we had were beef, BBQ chicken, and cheese/spinach which were all quite scrumptious. Very, very good, but didn't necessarily knock my socks off. However the banana & chocolate was definitely my favorite !! It tasted as decadent as a Nutella crepe ! Quick and good snack food. read more

I work near Litos Empanadas && have always meant to go check it out....What a great place for a snack! I got the hawaiian(pineapple,cheese, ham) and choco banana (chocolate&&banana) ones, and they were FANTASTIC. A vitamin water plus my two empanadas only set me back 6.58$ && kept me super full all afternoon. The staff is both cheery and accommodating && the space is super clean and tidy. The place is pretty small (only sitting about 6 at a time) so it's not really a hang out place, but if you're on-the-go, GO GO GO!!! read more

A haiku: Lito, your food's great but my digestive system seems to disagree read more

Oh Litos, you may be my new grab and go cheap lunch spot. You are savory as well as sweet wrapped in a fried shell. I spent way to many months just walking by and not stopping to enjoy your deliciousness. Now I know better. Pros for Litos: -cheap average $2.25/piece -lots of varieties -easy online ordering -fast and friendly Mix it up with savory and sweet (the Choco-Banana really is as good as it sounds) but most importantly try this place out. It may be small, but it's mighty! read more

I don't get all the 4 and 5 star reviews, I give it about 2.5...I had been wanting to try this place since it opened and today I was walking by and decided to stop in. I tried 3: hawaiian, spinach and cheese, and chocobanana. All were okay, but did not knock me out. The two savories needed spices or something--to me they did not have a kick or a wow factor, they were kind of bland. And as someone mentioned, they are pre-fried (I would rather wait a minute or two and have them fried when I order), so they didn't have the fried snap I wanted, I thought they were too soft. I don't think I would bother going back unless they start frying them to order, and add some sauce or spices. read more

I was nervous to go here, because people keep saying how "sweet" the empanadas were. And I also have a lust for Argentine empanadas, of which we can't really find anyone replicating here in Chicago. They definitely aren't like empanadas from Buenos Aires, but they were delicious in their own right. My wife and I shared a bunch of different ones on the menu and they all were pretty tasty. Next time I'd probably get the "sauce" they say is like 75 cents extra or whatever. I saw that on the menu but assumed that was for something extra I wouldn't need. But some of the empanadas can be a little dry and probably need this sauce they are talking about. read more

Not Authentic Colombian Empanadas! When I heard about this place I knew I had to try it for two reasons. First my father is Colombian and second, my nephews call my dad Lito, which is short for abueLITO (grandpa). I was not impressed at all. We ordered about two dozen empanadas to take home. I opened one of the bags in the car because I just could not wait until I got home. I should have turned the car around. First off they were not even made with the correct flour, precooked corn meal is what they should have used. Second the fillings were all funky. Don't advertise as a Colombian empanada place! You serve empanadas? yes. Were they decent in flavor? yes, kinda if you like all those eclectic, non-traditional fillings. Are these Colombian empanadas? ABSOLUTELY NOT! read more

Small little place that I've been wanting to go to for awhile. Finally went in a couple weeks ago and pretty much already knew what I was going to order since I had seen their online menu. I ordered the Veggie and Choco-Banana Empanadas. I ordered a side of the cilantro hot sauce too which was just amazing and spicy and a great addition to the Veggie one that I had. My friend ordered a Veggie and a Spinach & Mozzarella. I tried a bit of the Spinach & Mozzarella one that she had and it was pretty good. My only gripe is that they claim that the Choco-Banana Empanada was made with Nutella, I tasted nothing resembling Nutella at all, more like just Melted Chocolate. It was definitely good though. Pretty good on the go snack food for cheap if you're close by. read more

I've been to Argentina, and had 'the real deal' and these aren't quite that, so if you're an expert, dont expect what you had back home. However, they are delicious. I tried them all and my favorite was the beef and rice, which was oddly a LOT more yummy than the beef alone. I also loved the chicken. My friends loved the spinach and cheese best, and they also have a vegetarian that was good. Best of all, its fast.. Walk in, place your order, and walk out with hot yummmy easy to eat food. Perfect for on the go. read more

One of the best empanadas I've ever had. Just go here, trust me. You will not be disappointed. However, it is very small inside so don't be shocked if you don't get a seat at their window bar area that only has like 6 seats. Come prepared to order carry-out, but if you are able to snag a seat then great! I love their champion chicken, BBQ chicken, chorizo and potato, and their Hawaiian empanada! They also have sweet empanadas, my favorite being the nutella and banana empanada! Soooo good! I usually order 2. If I'm really really hungry I can probably down 3.... 2 savory + 1 sweet haha! read more

Went today for something portable to munch on, got the beef and rice and thought they were fantastic. The crust was a little different than what I'm used to with a fried empanada, but in a good way. I had hoped to sit and eat there, but the 4 or 5 stools were all taken :( I was going to get regular beef, but it said they have tomato... who puts tomato in a beef empanada?? That's just weird!! They were also out of ham and cheese, which I probably would've had one of otherwise. No Saltenias? No Tucumanas? I mean, I don't really go for those anyway, but it seemed odd not to have them... I guess it struck me as Americanized empanadas, adjusting them to the local audience, or something... but hey, I was extremely pleased with my beef and rice guys, and will definitely be going back for more soon! read more

I've been passing this place for the last couple months, always wondering what it's like. I received a buy 2 get 1 free coupon in the mail and decided it was finally time to check it out. I'm not an expert on empanadas, but these were delicous! I got the champion chicken, bbq chicken, and chori-cheese...all three were very tasty. I definitely plan on going back in the near future for some golden fried pockets of goodness! I would have given them the 5th star, but you can't get anything sans an ingriendient. (Side note-I'm not a huge onion fan, but still got one with onions. They weren't overpowering, so for you onion haters...don't shy away!) read more

Popped in here after my boyfriend and I found out Aloha Eats is closed on Mondays. It's a really small place but they only serve empanadas so that's understandable. But if you do want to dine in there are self tables and stools along the window and wall. I tried the choco-banana and the beef with rice empanadas. They were both so good. The choco-banana was gooey and warm. Perfect for a chilly day. The beef with rice was super filling and flavorful. I also tried my boyfriend's baby back ribs, chicken with rice, and chori-cheese empanadas. Also amazing. I think my favorite of those three was the chori-cheese. The cheese definitely made it for me. I also like that the ratio between the dough and the filling was just right. A lot of empanada places like to skimp on the fillings and make it mostly dough but not here. The empanada was nice and plump. I'll definitely be coming back for more! read more

I somehow made it to the ripe old age of 29 without ever having tried an empanada. And I live by Lito's. Yeah, so? Sue me. I'm not sure what made Lito's cross my mind but I ended up in there on my way home from work. Being new to this, I wanted to stay as safe as possible. One chicken empanada and one beef and rice. Done. They worked pretty quickly, only one commercial break passed on the television before they brought me my order. $5 and some change, that works for me! I picked up my bag and headed home. Aww, empanadas are so small and cute. I take a bite of each and I'm pretty impressed! This version of the empanada reminds me a bit of the Jamaican beef patties that I used to love during my days living in more tropical climates. Not exactly, but somewhat similar. Given, I have no basis of comparison, I can't say if empanadas are supposed to be more flavorful, but I wasn't complaining. And two did me just fine, I wasn't hungry at all after I finished them. So yes, if you're in my boat and are an empanada first-timer, be gentle....go for a chicken or a beef option. Or the spinach, I think that's next on my list. Fair warning, these, of course are fried. So if you make too much of a habit out of coming here, your waistline may never talk to you again. read more