Amazing food! This place is inventive and delicious! We got to speak with Bea after having our…read morelunch and she shared a bit about her and her drive toward her career as a chef. Her marinades are delicious and I hope they become widely available. It did take some time for the food to come out but it was worth the wait. The presentation also made it exciting. There is plenty of indoor seating for groups as well

This review is so well deserved but I also wish it was my secret place! Little spot in the…read moredowntown Elgin area. Empanadas are excellent. Filled with picadillo and paired with some great sauces. I had the lechon and wow some of the best lechon I've had - paired up with some sweet plantains and tostones. Other dishes were the steak and the steak sandwich. Everyone loved their food. (Secret here - it's BYOB). The husband and wife Combo are great and take great care of you.

Colombian food in the suburbs is not easy to find. Taste of Colombia is excellent if you don't want…read moreto drive into Chicago, though the parking lot is sometimes reminiscent of something in Chicago. Everything we had was perfect, from the bandeja, the mixed grill, to the mini empanadas appetizer. The service was friendly, and the food came out quickly. I had been here once before when it was at a smaller space in the same strip mall. This new space had several more tables.

I ordered a side of rice to go with some soup I had for lunch! This little bit of rice cost me $4…read morealmost what a small bag of rice cost and the container is barely filled! This isn't the first time I order to go and they end up packing the bare minimum, never again!

Excellent Food! Excellent service!…read moreMy wife had the tuna and I had the salmon. Both creative and just spicy enough. Highly recommend

My husband and I went here for lunch, it's been awhile since we've been here and we remembered it…read morebeing decent. It was pretty empty when we got there and we couldn't get a hold of anyone to seat us for awhile because she was in the patio area and didn't see us. It wasn't a big deal though. The elotes were way too acidic for us, too like forward. The mussels were decent, but the sauce was very strong tomato flavor...and nothing else. The pork tacos were very tough and dry. We were not fan of that one. The shrimp tacos were pretty good. The sauce was good and seasoned well. The steak tacos were super cheesy! I liked the tomatillo avocado salsa for it too. The churros were okay haha nothing too crazy special about it really. We didn't know it was raspberry flavored though, it didn't say on the menu.

Owner needs to update there pictures. They no longer offer the menu that is listed and essentially…read moreit is just empanadas by day and a catering hall on the weekends.

LOVE this restaurant! They have so many different foods and they're all delicious. If you want to…read moreplace a carryout order I suggest you call ahead of time. Otherwise you might have to wait a bit. The people that work here are so nice! I love going here & the food is always good.

Food 4.5/5: we got the chicarron and lomo saltado and both were incredibly flavorful. Both came…read morewith shoestring fries on the side which were really good. The hot sauce that also came on the side was so good and had a nice kick. Only wish is that the saltado had a tad more meat. Service 5/5: friendly and prompt service Ambiance 4/5

This place will surprise you. Its unassuming appearance in a strip mall and the relatively generic…read morequick-dine area is reminiscent of old generic counter serve burger and fries places. When we pulled up we thought it was closed because it was a little dark inside. But we saw the interesting menu on Yelp and tried anyway. Once inside, we were welcomed by the man behind the counter. We ordered off the big menu on the wall, and were told to choose a table. We both ordered cemitas (shredded sandwiches on ciabatta rolls) with the quinoa salad side instead of fries. (Neither tried the empanadas.) My wife had cicerone and I had the adobo. A nice lady brought out our red plastic trays with tall plates of food. I went to get up for napkins, and was told to sit and relax. The sandwiches were delicious. The pork was obviously slow cooked all day in flavorful pots of goodness. They had about 8 to 10 options of sandwich fillings. And the quinoa salad on the side was outstanding. As the lady was bringing food to another table, I told her the food was great and she said her son is a good cook, and he waved from behind the counter. Apparently family run business, just mom and son, not investing in the decor, but keeping the place clean and investing in providing tasty food fast and casual.

So good I came back within a week to try something else, which honestly, I never do…read more I've been keeping an eye on this place on Lake Street for some time. I initially thought they were a Cuban place (given that a Cuban is the first thing on the menu) but no; they do Puerto Rican food. And they do it really well. First time around, I *did* order that Cuban. If you haven't had this before, it is an odd mix; cheese, ham, mustard(?), panini bread, pork, and... a dill pickle? Yeah, this works, and the reason it works is because of the lechon: the most seasoned, flavorful, tender, and moist pork I've had in a long time. I could order it separately and bring my own Mang Tomas sauce and dip it, it's that good. I also got a side of madruros (fried sweet plantain) which was delicious. They will make patacones but I don't think they had any unripe plantain today. This was all so good that I came in again after I learned they wrap sandwiches in plantains. Of course I was going to try this. The jibarito was delicious. Toothy-tender plantain as bread is a winner, it turns out. I got ropa vieja, and the beef was shredded, tender, and moist. It was served with a ridiculous amount of Puerto Rican rice, which... I'd never had before, but liked a lot. Service was friendly, although I wish there were pictures to go with the menu. (I would've gotten a jibarito the first time and to be honest I'll probably never get another main). Plenty of places to sit, and the seats are comfortable. As a bonus you'll hear a lot of Latin American hits over the speaker.

The food was very delicious just took a bit. The owner is such a great guy and very friendly. The…read moremaduros and tostones very fresh and delicious. The mieda noche sandwich was very delicioso and the jibarito and arroz con gandulees very tasty.

This was such a beautiful place. I'm surprised it wasn't packed on a Friday night. Located right in…read morethe heart of showplace 16 plaza. Very authentic tasty food, all made with family recipes and it doesn't get much better than that. The walls and artwork are so pretty. Food menu items from Argentina, Mexico, and more.

Ok I'm officially done with Katrina. 2nd visit months and months later and it's still just blah…read more Bland food, servers are nice but inexperienced and always seem like they don't know something simple. Really want this place to be good because I love the location and ambiance but the food is just so bland and lacks any love. Too bad.

First discovered their food at the Geneva market where their empanadas became a weekly treat I…read morelooked forward to. This time I brought my uncle who was visiting from out of town. I had the Majadito which is a beef/steak rice with eggs, plantains, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. A relatively simple dish when described, but the combination of flavors was delightful. And a big portion I ended up bringing some home to have for breakfast the next day. My uncle had the asada en olla, a roasted beef stew with rice that had my uncle pausing repeatedly to comment how delicious it was. And he is less of a foodie than I am, so for him to comment like that was a big compliment. We shared some steak and chicken empanadas. A bite of empanada with some of their house made hot sauce is a bite of heaven. Service was so sweet and kind, attentive but in a respectful way. This is truly a family run spot and I felt like I was a guest in their home being given a home cooked meal made with love. The restaurant is clean and cozy. The bathrooms included. And there is plentiful street parking in front and the surrounding areas. A gem in the suburbs that shouldn't be hidden. While I always look for them at the markets, I will definitely be back to this place.

We had previously tried the empanadas from Alice's Corner last summer at the Aurora farmer's…read moremarket. We loved them so much that we decided to visit the restaurant. We shared the lomo saltado, which was perfect. It features juicy beef with crisp veggies in a salty savory sauce that pairs perfectly with the fries and rice. We also had one of each empanada. The crust on all of them was light and flaky. The stand out flavors were the cheese and chicken, but you can't go wrong with any of them. We also had the guava lemonade, which was very refreshing. Alice's Corner is a gem in downtown Aurora, and we hope to be back soon!

$50 for fake Puerto Rican food the community deserves better"…read moreI need to write this review because people in Elgin deserve to know the truth, especially those who may not be familiar with authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. Let me start with the Papas Rellenas potato balls that are supposed to be made with real mashed potatoes, seasoned properly, and filled with well-seasoned meat. What I got was clearly made with INSTANT mashed potatoes. You can taste the difference immediately. It was bland, gummy, and honestly embarrassing to call Puerto Rican food. Then the Alcapurrias which should be packed with flavorful, well-seasoned meat filling. Instead, mine were stuffed almost entirely with green banana (guineo) and barely any meat at all. The only thing that had any flavor WAS the little bit of meat in there, which tells you the issue the base itself had zero seasoning. Eating an alcapurria that tastes like a plain pound of banana is not it. I spent $50 on this meal. FIFTY DOLLARS. As a Puerto Rican, this is a disgrace. This is one of only two Puerto Rican restaurants in Elgin, which means people are counting on places like this to represent our food and culture and this is what they're getting? Authentic Puerto Rican food is rich, flavorful, and made with love and the RIGHT ingredients. This was none of that. Do better. The community deserves authentic food, not a watered-down imitation at premium prices. Not recommended.

I recently tried a Puerto Rican spot out in Elgin and had really high hopes going in…read more I ordered a jibarito with a side of rice, plus an alcapurria and a pastel to try a little bit of everything. Starting with the jibarito, it was honestly a bit of a letdown. The meat was a little chewy and the overall sandwich felt dry, which took away from what should've been a really flavorful dish. The rice also missed the mark for me. It lacked flavor and had a bit of an odd aftertaste, which made it hard to enjoy. For the pricing, I was a little surprised $15 for a small jibarito and $5 for a small side of rice didn't quite match the quality or portion size. That said, not everything was a miss. The alcapurria was definitely the highlight fresh, well-made, and full of flavor. I'd absolutely order that again. The pastel was just okay in my opinion there were a lot of potatoes and not as much meat as I would've liked, so the balance felt a bit off. Overall, it was a mixed experience. There are some strong items on the menu, but between the inconsistency and the pricing, I'm not sure I'd rush back.

Excellent food, great service, everything was wonderful. Close to where my bf is staying for the…read moreoutages and will return!

Great Price! Great food! What else can I say? Nice trip for lunch on a motorcycle ride. It's a…read morecouple hour ride for us and I can't wait for warmer weather.