A small spot with incredible food. I'm originally from central Florida and have had my share of Puerto Rican food. We shared plates of fried pork, goat stew, plantains, and steak. Everything was delicious! This rated up there with restaurants back home. The staff is welcoming and kind. I highly recommend this sweet little cafe!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak with Onions, Steak Jibarito, Beans, Yellow Rice, Soup, Fried Pork Chops, Arañitas De Platano, Fried Plantain, Flan and Tembleque, Puerto Rican Rice
Cat Christmas
I absolutely love this place. The steak Jihbarito is to die for. A must if you will. If you’ve never had Puerto Rican food let this spot be your first. Whenever it hits below 40 degrees this is my stop for soup, a good cappuccino and friendly service. (:
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
sean gardner
The food here is absolutely magical! This restaurant is an absolute gem. A time capsule diner... Perfection from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 I wish I lived here... this would be my favorite haunt for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Penny Bermudez
I would give it a 5 stars if they had the puertorican pasteles. I had the Pollo Guisado with white rice and kidney red beans and I enjoyed it. I also had friends who had a veggie jibarito and they loved it too good job. Please don't go to Borinquen at 3811 N Western that place is terrible service, food, and atmosphere. The Cafe Central service is another better, friendlier, and good atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Marilyn Gazikas
I live down in pearson and went to here every other day. A. Handsome guy with the mustache waited on us all the time.. The best puerto rican food I ever ate
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stephanie Noren Nordling
This is probably my favorite spot in Chicago and I'm blessed to live so close by. The roasted pork jibarito is to die for! My husband always gets the Mixtas with roasted pork, yellow rice and peas. Every time someone is visiting I always either order pickup or take them there. Such a hidden gem! I truly hope this place stays open forever
Best Puerto Rican food in the city! And the atmosphere and service both feel so homey and authentic.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
R C
Cozy, down to earth restaurant with incredible food. Staff were warm and hospitable, looking forward to coming back again!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Moises Del Carmen
Delicious Puerto Rican food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jon Gorecki
This is an amazing restaurant! I'm so glad I finally stopped here. Me and my partner stopped in for a late lunch, and we we're blown away by everything. We tried the pork chops, the goat stew, the yellow rice with pigeon peas, and the mofongo. Everything was extremely tasty, and full of flavor. Easily one of my new favorite restaurants in Chicago. The staff were super helpful and very friendly. They are easily serving up some of the best Puerto Rican food in the city. I cannot wait to come back and try more from the menu.
If I could give zero stars, I would. This place has gone straight into the gutter. The only time you’ll see decent food is in reviews from 7+ years ago, back when it was actually worth eating here.
Now? The beef stew came out neon red, like dyed corned beef, and the taste was rotten and foul. The rice was clearly days old, dry and clumpy. Everything screamed spoiled, reheated, or watered down. It honestly made me question if it was even safe to eat.
The waitress was rude, careless, and added her own gratuity. She couldn’t get our basic orders right, claimed they were “out” of half the menu, then brought watery scraps from the back like slop. Absolutely disgusting.
The service is trash, the food is garbage, and the whole place smells like it should be condemned. A complete health hazard and waste of time and money.
Do yourself a favor: don’t eat here unless you want to feel sick.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Venii Monique
D E L I C I O U S !
The beef stew with yellow rice and beans is to die for! I eat here every few weeks. The passion fruit juice has me addicted, and they have this fresh and herby hot sauce that is sooo good!! It literally goes with everything!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Price, Pastelillo, Yellow Rice, Puerto Rican Rice
Lee S.
The pork Jibarito sandwich was amazing! Love the plaintains in place of bread.
The special stew of the day was goat, and it was great! Very 'clean' goat if you know what I mean.
Cafe con leche was perfect!
Mike was awesome and treated us like family. Will be back for sure, when we're in Chicago again.
A small spot with incredible food. I'm originally from central Florida and have had my share of Puerto Rican food. We shared plates of fried pork, goat stew, plantains, and steak. Everything was delicious! This rated up there with restaurants back home. The staff is welcoming and kind. I highly recommend this sweet little cafe!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak with Onions, Steak Jibarito, Beans, Yellow Rice, Soup, Fried Pork Chops, Arañitas De Platano, Fried Plantain, Flan and Tembleque, Puerto Rican Rice
I absolutely love this place. The steak Jihbarito is to die for. A must if you will. If you’ve never had Puerto Rican food let this spot be your first. Whenever it hits below 40 degrees this is my stop for soup, a good cappuccino and friendly service. (:
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food here is absolutely magical! This restaurant is an absolute gem. A time capsule diner... Perfection from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
I wish I lived here... this would be my favorite haunt for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I would give it a 5 stars if they had the puertorican pasteles. I had the Pollo Guisado with white rice and kidney red beans and I enjoyed it. I also had friends who had a veggie jibarito and they loved it too good job. Please don't go to Borinquen at 3811 N Western that place is terrible service, food, and atmosphere. The Cafe Central service is another better, friendlier, and good atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
I live down in pearson and went to here every other day. A. Handsome guy with the mustache waited on us all the time.. The best puerto rican food I ever ate
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is probably my favorite spot in Chicago and I'm blessed to live so close by. The roasted pork jibarito is to die for! My husband always gets the Mixtas with roasted pork, yellow rice and peas. Every time someone is visiting I always either order pickup or take them there. Such a hidden gem! I truly hope this place stays open forever
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Jibarito Steak Sandwich, Beans, Yellow Rice
Best Puerto Rican food in the city! And the atmosphere and service both feel so homey and authentic.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cozy, down to earth restaurant with incredible food. Staff were warm and hospitable, looking forward to coming back again!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious Puerto Rican food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is an amazing restaurant! I'm so glad I finally stopped here. Me and my partner stopped in for a late lunch, and we we're blown away by everything. We tried the pork chops, the goat stew, the yellow rice with pigeon peas, and the mofongo. Everything was extremely tasty, and full of flavor. Easily one of my new favorite restaurants in Chicago. The staff were super helpful and very friendly. They are easily serving up some of the best Puerto Rican food in the city. I cannot wait to come back and try more from the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great food, friendly service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
If I could give zero stars, I would. This place has gone straight into the gutter. The only time you’ll see decent food is in reviews from 7+ years ago, back when it was actually worth eating here.
Now? The beef stew came out neon red, like dyed corned beef, and the taste was rotten and foul. The rice was clearly days old, dry and clumpy. Everything screamed spoiled, reheated, or watered down. It honestly made me question if it was even safe to eat.
The waitress was rude, careless, and added her own gratuity. She couldn’t get our basic orders right, claimed they were “out” of half the menu, then brought watery scraps from the back like slop. Absolutely disgusting.
The service is trash, the food is garbage, and the whole place smells like it should be condemned. A complete health hazard and waste of time and money.
Do yourself a favor: don’t eat here unless you want to feel sick.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
D E L I C I O U S !
The beef stew with yellow rice and beans is to die for! I eat here every few weeks.
The passion fruit juice has me addicted, and they have this fresh and herby hot sauce that is sooo good!! It literally goes with everything!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Price, Pastelillo, Yellow Rice, Puerto Rican Rice
The pork Jibarito sandwich was amazing!
Love the plaintains in place of bread.
The special stew of the day was goat, and it was great!
Very 'clean' goat if you know what I mean.
Cafe con leche was perfect!
Mike was awesome and treated us like family.
Will be back for sure, when we're in Chicago again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
what a treat!!!! great food, great service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loading...