Don't let the exterior of this restaurant fool you, its unassuming appearance downplays the fact that they serve fantastic Colombian food with some Mexican food (and jibaritos) thrown in for good measure. This family-owned restaurant has been in this location for many years. The first thing you notice when you walk in is the array of meats and empanadas under heat lamps. Don't let this deter you; the food is quite good. During my visit, I saw just-fried chicharrones, empanadas, pork ribs, and roasted chicken thighs. A few customers came in and ordered some of those goodies. I ordered the steak Jibarito. As someone who grew up eating the original Jibarito at Borinquen restaurant, I'm usually wary of other restaurants who recreate this sandwich. But I was VERY happy with my Jibarito here. The plantains were perfect - crispy and a little greasy (as they should be!). The fried plantains were filled with thinly sliced steak, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sauteed onions, and mayo. The sandwich was huge. You can easily split it with a friend. Not only that, it came with a generous amount of arroz con gandules. This rice was so good, it's delicious on its own. It was perfectly seasoned and studded with bits of pork (always a good sign). You're also given a quarter avocado and a spicy, fresh salsa. Wow! This meal was effin' good. And cheap - it only cost me $7 for this meal plus a drink (I had Inca Kola). I'll definitely be back, as this is my new favorite restaurant for this amazing sandwich. Edit 9/30: I have gone here a number of times after my initial review and am still in love with their Jibarito, arroz con gandules, and homemade salsa. They have left out the quartered avocado a couple times, but overall the food is consistent and delicious! I also liked the Columbian chorizo and arepa appetizer, which was great with their homemade salsa.
(5)
Dolly V.
If I could, I would give this place 5 more stars!! I haven't had a meal this phenomenal in a loooong, loooong time! (and to think i was just going to eat leftovers lunch! Hell no!) This place has the most amazing Jibaritos I have ever tasted in my entire life - albeit this being my first time having it. For $6.50 you get a massive Jibarito with a generous portion of rice and a quarter of an avocado. Now that's a deal! Get your butts in there and try a Jibarito! If you dine there, beware of the salsa, it'll put you in a heat coma.
(5)
Katie B.
There's something about walking around Albany Park in the fall that makes me feel like I'm on vacation, I never know what I'm going to wander into, but it always seems to be something new and totally awesome. Monday afternoon was even better because I had my first jibarito. I've always wanted to try one because I love salty and sweet together, and a jibarito is a sandwich that uses plantains in place of bread. The pictures I've seen make it look like strips of plantain laid over sandwich filling, but really it's many many strips of plantains that have been deliciously smashed together and fried into a thin pancake. Although the roasted chicken and pork looked really good on display under heat lamps (I just realized that might have sounded sarcastic, but for realsies, it looked good), I opted for steak. I expected it to be either chopped or cubed steak, like at a burrito house, but it was huge delicious slices of "sandwich" steak, which I later observed at the market next door. Regardless of your meat decisions, the jibarito is just like a sandwich should be, layered with lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions, and (garlic) mayo. Oh, except for the whole smashed-plaintains-instead-of-bread thing. So I urge you, my dear yelpers, let go of your jibarito virginity. Embrace its sweet and salty combination with love. Unless you are planning a trip to Flavour Spot in Portland, you may have to jibarito that salty sweet fetish of yours. My local photos cannot alone cannot capture the taste sensation.
(5)
Daniel G.
They used to be good, I used to go there for food on occasion and it was not that bad, however, their quality has taken a nosedive for the worst. My last time I ordered a plato paisa, the meat did not taste right and the yuca was spoiled.
(1)
Carolina E.
Great food!! You should definitely visit this restaurant. Their food reminds me of my moms cooking. That's a good thing!
(5)
Zion R.
Not so organize.... Waited about 25 for tacos. That's a pretty long time... kind of lowend
(2)
Keith Y.
i've really only tried the jibarito, the green salsa, and the empanadas, but everything is delicious. they have an open kitchen, so you can watch your food being made. unfortunately their english isnt always the best, or my spanish is atrocious, but they often think im saying (...)burrito so make sure they get your order correct. they double charged me on my debit card once a few years back but they were more than happy to fix the problem (once i went to my bank and got a print out of card activity, language barrier again). none of this takes away from the dining experience, and they have always been friendly and helpful. their jibarito is ridiculously large compared to what you'd find at the most well known jibarito spots. its a nice neighborhood stop and pretty close to the brown line also.
(4)
Cristina V.
Just saw the Jibarito picture someone posted on here and went straight over. Thought it was Puerto Rican food until I saw the empanadas. The empanadas were yummy! Jibarito was okay, not Puerto Rican, but it was good.
(3)
Derrick P.
I tried this place once and I will not come back. I Chicago we have hundreds of taco joints. This ine is below average. It's ok but nothing above. It was very hard to communicate. Veggie burrito was made with lettuce, beans and rice. Dab of cheap cheese and one tomato slice . Not impressed. Sorry guys. Try harder. ...
(2)
Mark V.
We wanted great jibatitos, this place gave us great jibatitos PLUS really awesome rice and 1/4 avocado. We opted for carry out because it's not a particularly amazing dining environment, but they do have a decent amount of counter and booth seating. Big caveat: you will have a much easier time if you speak Spanish, and speak clearly to make sure you get jibatitos instead of burritos.
(4)
Milena I.
This place has delicious, authentic Colombian home cookin' food! We shared the empanadas with ahi, arepa costeña, and chicharron to start. We were there on a Sunday so we had the Sancocho special! A hearty chicken soup with potatoes, yuca, and plantains. The service was great too. Can't wait to go back! Great for take out
(4)
J V.
I die for their empenadas with their green salsa. Their beans are also delicious. Everything else, no thanks. You may also wait a while for food if you don't order something quick (like empenadas). The empenadas are pre-made so there is no waiting, but I have waited up to 20 minute for beans. I used to live about two blocks from this place and I miss it so much. If you're in Albany Park or driving down Lawrence for any reason, stop in and get some empenadas.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
Y V.
Don't let the exterior of this restaurant fool you, its unassuming appearance downplays the fact that they serve fantastic Colombian food with some Mexican food (and jibaritos) thrown in for good measure. This family-owned restaurant has been in this location for many years. The first thing you notice when you walk in is the array of meats and empanadas under heat lamps. Don't let this deter you; the food is quite good. During my visit, I saw just-fried chicharrones, empanadas, pork ribs, and roasted chicken thighs. A few customers came in and ordered some of those goodies. I ordered the steak Jibarito. As someone who grew up eating the original Jibarito at Borinquen restaurant, I'm usually wary of other restaurants who recreate this sandwich. But I was VERY happy with my Jibarito here. The plantains were perfect - crispy and a little greasy (as they should be!). The fried plantains were filled with thinly sliced steak, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sauteed onions, and mayo. The sandwich was huge. You can easily split it with a friend. Not only that, it came with a generous amount of arroz con gandules. This rice was so good, it's delicious on its own. It was perfectly seasoned and studded with bits of pork (always a good sign). You're also given a quarter avocado and a spicy, fresh salsa. Wow! This meal was effin' good. And cheap - it only cost me $7 for this meal plus a drink (I had Inca Kola). I'll definitely be back, as this is my new favorite restaurant for this amazing sandwich. Edit 9/30: I have gone here a number of times after my initial review and am still in love with their Jibarito, arroz con gandules, and homemade salsa. They have left out the quartered avocado a couple times, but overall the food is consistent and delicious! I also liked the Columbian chorizo and arepa appetizer, which was great with their homemade salsa.
(5)Dolly V.
If I could, I would give this place 5 more stars!! I haven't had a meal this phenomenal in a loooong, loooong time! (and to think i was just going to eat leftovers lunch! Hell no!) This place has the most amazing Jibaritos I have ever tasted in my entire life - albeit this being my first time having it. For $6.50 you get a massive Jibarito with a generous portion of rice and a quarter of an avocado. Now that's a deal! Get your butts in there and try a Jibarito! If you dine there, beware of the salsa, it'll put you in a heat coma.
(5)Katie B.
There's something about walking around Albany Park in the fall that makes me feel like I'm on vacation, I never know what I'm going to wander into, but it always seems to be something new and totally awesome. Monday afternoon was even better because I had my first jibarito. I've always wanted to try one because I love salty and sweet together, and a jibarito is a sandwich that uses plantains in place of bread. The pictures I've seen make it look like strips of plantain laid over sandwich filling, but really it's many many strips of plantains that have been deliciously smashed together and fried into a thin pancake. Although the roasted chicken and pork looked really good on display under heat lamps (I just realized that might have sounded sarcastic, but for realsies, it looked good), I opted for steak. I expected it to be either chopped or cubed steak, like at a burrito house, but it was huge delicious slices of "sandwich" steak, which I later observed at the market next door. Regardless of your meat decisions, the jibarito is just like a sandwich should be, layered with lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions, and (garlic) mayo. Oh, except for the whole smashed-plaintains-instead-of-bread thing. So I urge you, my dear yelpers, let go of your jibarito virginity. Embrace its sweet and salty combination with love. Unless you are planning a trip to Flavour Spot in Portland, you may have to jibarito that salty sweet fetish of yours. My local photos cannot alone cannot capture the taste sensation.
(5)Daniel G.
They used to be good, I used to go there for food on occasion and it was not that bad, however, their quality has taken a nosedive for the worst. My last time I ordered a plato paisa, the meat did not taste right and the yuca was spoiled.
(1)Carolina E.
Great food!! You should definitely visit this restaurant. Their food reminds me of my moms cooking. That's a good thing!
(5)Zion R.
Not so organize.... Waited about 25 for tacos. That's a pretty long time... kind of lowend
(2)Keith Y.
i've really only tried the jibarito, the green salsa, and the empanadas, but everything is delicious. they have an open kitchen, so you can watch your food being made. unfortunately their english isnt always the best, or my spanish is atrocious, but they often think im saying (...)burrito so make sure they get your order correct. they double charged me on my debit card once a few years back but they were more than happy to fix the problem (once i went to my bank and got a print out of card activity, language barrier again). none of this takes away from the dining experience, and they have always been friendly and helpful. their jibarito is ridiculously large compared to what you'd find at the most well known jibarito spots. its a nice neighborhood stop and pretty close to the brown line also.
(4)Cristina V.
Just saw the Jibarito picture someone posted on here and went straight over. Thought it was Puerto Rican food until I saw the empanadas. The empanadas were yummy! Jibarito was okay, not Puerto Rican, but it was good.
(3)Derrick P.
I tried this place once and I will not come back. I Chicago we have hundreds of taco joints. This ine is below average. It's ok but nothing above. It was very hard to communicate. Veggie burrito was made with lettuce, beans and rice. Dab of cheap cheese and one tomato slice . Not impressed. Sorry guys. Try harder. ...
(2)Mark V.
We wanted great jibatitos, this place gave us great jibatitos PLUS really awesome rice and 1/4 avocado. We opted for carry out because it's not a particularly amazing dining environment, but they do have a decent amount of counter and booth seating. Big caveat: you will have a much easier time if you speak Spanish, and speak clearly to make sure you get jibatitos instead of burritos.
(4)Milena I.
This place has delicious, authentic Colombian home cookin' food! We shared the empanadas with ahi, arepa costeña, and chicharron to start. We were there on a Sunday so we had the Sancocho special! A hearty chicken soup with potatoes, yuca, and plantains. The service was great too. Can't wait to go back! Great for take out
(4)J V.
I die for their empenadas with their green salsa. Their beans are also delicious. Everything else, no thanks. You may also wait a while for food if you don't order something quick (like empenadas). The empenadas are pre-made so there is no waiting, but I have waited up to 20 minute for beans. I used to live about two blocks from this place and I miss it so much. If you're in Albany Park or driving down Lawrence for any reason, stop in and get some empenadas.
(4)