La Licor shares Latin American culinary traditions with Logan Square | Eater Chicago
"Inspired by the Pan-American Highway and brought to life by owners Abraham Ramírez and Javier Arroyo, this Logan Square destination centers a lively bar and a sharing-style menu that traverses Latin America and the Caribbean. The space greets guests with a striking huacales display and handmade textiles and artifacts that evoke a road-trip aesthetic, while Chef Juan Jiménez—whose résumé includes Sky, Roister, and the Chicago Club—executes dishes rooted in Indigenous, European, Asian, and African traditions. Small plates include pão de queijo, Salvadoran-style fried yuca with pickled cabbage relish, chuzos (Ecuadorian grilled skewers), East Coast oysters with michelada seasoning, a jícama salad dressed with yuzu vinaigrette and finished with radishes and sesame, empanadas (cheese or spinach), Honduran pollo chuco with plantains and pickled red onion, and a Peruvian tiradito. Mains range from a grilled pescado zarandeado seasoned with red adobo to the 4AM Burger featuring chistorra on a buttery brioche, and desserts spotlight a cachaça-spiked lemon mousse and a modern nicuatole paired with chocolate ice cream and corn foam. The beverage program dives beyond agave to showcase singani, Peruvian and Chilean pisco, cachaça, and house-brewed mamajuana, plus regionally inspired cocktails such as the Cacao Fashioned (2012 barrel-aged chocolate pu-erh and bourbon, fat-washed) and the Alba Martini (pu-erh, cold brew, and rum); playful touches include a Pisco Sour garnished in Peruvian-flag colors and a Clericot Platense served in penguin-shaped pitchers. Nonalcoholic cocktails receive equal care—options like the Zeroni, Notini, I See Red (soursop, dragon fruit, high-mountain mango tea), and the Retox (cucumber, spinach, lime, bell pepper, with optional CBD/THC) make the list—while a curated selection of Pan-American beers and future wine offerings round out the program. With late-night hours, Sunday brunch, a focus on community events such as Hanal Pixán and mixology competitions, and reservations via Resy, the restaurant aims to be both a culinary tour and a cultural hub." - Brenda Storch
