Borinquen

Puerto Rican restaurant · North Center

Borinquen

Puerto Rican restaurant · North Center

5

3811 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

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Highlights

Home of the jibarito, authentic PR comfort food, festive vibe  

Featured in The Infatuation
Featured in Eater

3811 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60618 Get directions

google.com
@borinquen_jibarito

$10–20 · Menu

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3811 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60618 Get directions

+1 773 442 8001
google.com
@borinquen_jibarito

$10–20 · Menu

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Last updated

Sep 23, 2025

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@infatuation

The Best Jibaritos In Chicago - Chicago - The Infatuation

"We had to pay homage to the original. Borinquen Lounge, formerly Borinquen Restaurant, is where the jibarito was adapted by Juan C. Figueroa in 1996 in Humboldt Park. For that, we are forever grateful. The “Home of the Jibarito” remains the standard, making it nearly impossible to decide between the original steak, lechón, grilled chicken, fried chicken, or vegetarian. It’s so nice, they had to do it twice, so they also serve the jibarita, which uses maduros instead of the savory green plantains used for the jibarito. Both come topped with slightly creamy garlic oil that takes the already flavorful sandwich to another level. That’s with or without the accompanying arroz con gandules, which are comforting enough to be a meal on their own." - jessica rome, john ringor

https://www.theinfatuation.com/chicago/guides/best-jibaritos-chicago
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@infatuation

Borinquen Lounge - Review - North Center - Chicago - The Infatuation

"Borinquen Lounge, formerly Borinquen Restaurant, is where the jibarito was adapted by Juan C. Figueroa in 1996 in Humboldt Park. For that, we are forever grateful. The “Home of the Jibarito” remains the standard, making it nearly impossible to decide between the original steak, lechón, grilled chicken, fried chicken, or vegetarian. It’s so nice, they had to do it twice, so they also serve the jibarita, which uses maduros instead of the savory green plantains used for the jibarito. Both come topped with a slightly creamy garlic oil that takes the already flavorful sandwich to another level. That’s with or without the side of accompanying arroz con gandules, which are comforting enough to be a meal on their own." - Jessica Rome

https://www.theinfatuation.com/chicago/reviews/borinquen-lounge
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@eater

Where to Eat and Drink in North Center | Eater Chicago

"If you’ve been looking for Puerto Rican food that hits the spot, look no further than this inviting lounge filled with Puerto Rican flags and tons of natural light. Borinquen Lounge proudly markets itself as the home of the jibarito, and after trying one it’s easy to understand why." - Brandon Summers-Miller

https://chicago.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-north-center-roscoe-village-st-bens-bricktown
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@eater

How Creative Ingenuity Begot the Jibarito, a Modern Chicago Staple - Eater Chicago

"There’s little doubt that the jibarito was born of Chicago, though no one can agree on its exact origins. Many cite the late Juan Figeroa, the owner of Humboldt Park restaurant Borinquen, as its inventor circa 1996." - Naomi Waxman

https://chicago.eater.com/2020/9/8/21427321/jibaritos-y-mas-puerto-rican-sandwich-chicago-invention-photos-images
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@chitownfrog

getchu a jibarito! (Puerto Rican sandwich invented in Chicago)

Chicago EPIK HIGH COME THRU
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karina k

Google
A big sized and beautiful mom and pop puerto restaurant with lots of good salsa music that is not blasting and loud. I love the a la carte option bc you can make your own personalized plate of your favorite dishes. Carne frita (fried pork) was good w onions and just right for the portion size at $6.24. If you get the platter it’s $16 that includes one side of white rice and beans, gandules, maduros, tostones, or mofongo. So I would say that’s a bit pricey. The jibarito vegetariano was $12 for green and red peppers, onions and tomato and lettuce sandwich in between with tostones. The tostones were a but dry and hard and barely any garlic sauce and some salt. There werent much veggies but there was a lot of rice bc it comes on the side. Rice was good and fresh. The dessert was tembleque which is coconut jelly w cinnamon powder. It was good $3.64. It is vegan and daily free bc it’s And the flan was good but not too smooth $3.64. The owner and staff were very nice and chill and it was a relaxing environment. The prices in the menu were slightly less as it was marked up 4% maybe bc we paid by credit card. This is a place that definitely has the feel for a mom and pop place where you are eating the food your aunt and uncle cook. Home made. Not great but good enough. Another nice thing about the staff? The waitress warned me when i tried to order the beans on the side that it was cooked in pork bc she noticed i ordered the vegetarian jibarito. I really appreciated that! Plus Free Street parking.

D Moyeno

Google
Absolutely loved this place. It gave family home vibes. Food was very good. Staff very friendly. Good amount of space. Plenty of street parking I look forward to going again.

Mags S

Google
The food was amazing! Just as I remember. This stop was on my list to revisit for the past 10 years. Thank you so much!

Tanya Zajicek

Google
Absolutely love this place. Never disappointed when we come here and i always order food for later. Tastes just like Puerto Rican food from the Island. 🇵🇷🇵🇷 Had to come back and edit this post. Yes the food is AMAZING, but the people that work here are hit or miss. Last night my partner went in at 9:10pm to order my food, and was told the kitchen was closed. 50 minutes before closing. After putting a review on here the owner only comments about the time they close, not how the staff acted, or even offering an apology and to come back another time. This is poor professionalism especially coming from a place that is supposed to be a local eatery. This place has been here forever and the food is great, but why go somewhere and get treated less then? Il take my business somewhere else. Il make sure to tell all my family and friends not to come here either when we can go to a place closer to home with better staff and care.

Carmen Alvarado

Google
I was disappointed with the bistec Jibarito it lacked a lot of flavor. The meat mainly was very dry and had no seasoning, it seemed. It was very hard to chew. The rice was ok it tasted like Mexican rice. Very nice and friendly staff

efrain quiroz

Google
We went in really late, but they took us in and wow. Every is so tasty, the service very quick. The drinks are delicious. I would definitely go again if I'm around that area again.

Kiss kiss

Google
Absolutely love this place. Drove all the way from Indiana because we wanted to celebrate our anniversary here with their amazing food and I was craving their delicious alcapurria appetizer. The alcapurrias are absolutely delicious. Ended up taking 8 of them home. 🫶🏼

SAMUEL TURRUBIARTE

Google
Oh my God, This Place is Really Cute! Let me start off by saying, oh my God, this place is really cute! If you happen to be on the north side of Chicago, this is a must-go restaurant. It’s about 10 minutes west of Wrigley Field, and it has such a charming Puerto Rican atmosphere that immediately makes you feel at home. The food was amazing! I had the jibarito with a side of rice and beans, and it was just perfect. The flavors were authentic, and every bite brought me back to my roots. I remember when Borinquen Jibarito had a location near my childhood home in Humboldt Park, and dining here brought back so many good memories. The ownership is top-notch. Angel, the owner, is an amazing guy who truly cares about his customers. The pricing is on par with the quality of food and experience, and I completely recommend coming here if you're in the area. You won’t regret it!
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Lilian T.

Yelp
This is my very first time visiting this place. Dito!! I just tried the best chicken jibarito and alcapurria. The waitress was very friendly and helpful. The place was kind of quiet but I love the decoration and very clean overall. Definitely recommend!

Doug H.

Yelp
Food and service were great. Had pastelitos for appetizers and lechon jibaritos. We will be back!
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Mike W.

Yelp
First time at the restaurant but have ordered delivery before. We went on a Friday at around 7 and it wasn't super busy. Service was fast and hospitable. The restaurant is well lit and decorated tastefully with a Puerto Rican vibe. Latin music playing but not too loud. I got the Lechon dinner with mofongo. The pork was well seasoned and juicy. I had never had mofongo and was pleasantly surprised. Very tasty. My wife got the lechon jibarito and she enjoyed it very much. She asked for extra garlic and she said that took it over the top. We both got a side of maduros and they were just ok. Overall our experience at Borinquen was amazing and we will be back.
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Jeffrey T.

Yelp
The food. Not like it used to be. The pork is dry. Beans have no flavor. Rice is always cold.Tostones so soggy. Over salted. Sorry I tried over n over.
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Alvin T.

Yelp
I don't have much experience with Puerto Rican food and I went here basically 45 minutes prior to closing so I may have had a biased perspective here but I was left pretty whelmed after eating here. The good about this place is that the food is pretty inexpensive and with all the carbs you're gonna get will fill you up. I just didn't think there was much flavor anywhere, and most everything, from the jibarito, to the rice, to the pastry was largely flavorless and dry. Pretty much needed to drown everything in their hot sauce to taste anything. TL:DR it's affordable but bland.
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Xavier H.

Yelp
"If 'How'd you know I was Puerto Rican?' was a place, it would be Boriquen." That's why my cousins and I made a point to stop by Boriquen over the weekend for a quick jibarito hangout. Trust me, you can't go wrong with their steak jibaritos - they never disappoint. The music at Boriquen is so lively and festive, it feels like you're at a family party. And let me tell you, the Domino Menus are a brilliant and creative idea. Not to mention, the tables have Coquís in the Puerto Rican flag, which adds a nice touch. We'll be back soon :)
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Allyson U.

Yelp
A friend of a friend suggested we visit Boriquen for their Jibaritos. This friend used to go to the Humboldt Park location. The Humboldt Park location no longer exists, but it is the same family. We arrived and they brought us a basket of soft baguette served with little packets of butter. I was hungry and really enjoyed it. We ordered a pastel and two Jibaritos, one with bistek and the other with pork. The service was so great and prompt. The pastel came out in less than 5 minutes and Maria suggested we eat it with some ketchup, which was really tasty, some of that sweet and savory. The Jibaritos came out a few minutes later and they were also DELICIOUS. We're presented their salsa Jibara, which was a phenomenal hit of acid. Delicious on the rice and Jibarritos. The meats were both really tender. I loved all of the garlic smeared on the top. The mayonnaise, so scrummy! The bill came out to about $38 bucks, but well worth it! I look forward to coming here again.
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Jim R.

Yelp
Every time I go here the food is amazing The service is always great. Love their hot sauce that can bought at restaurant to take home. I always keep a bottle of their hot sauce at home and I am not much of a hot sauce person.
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Gesselle C.

Yelp
Well, this is a local gem that screams PR vibes. It's a quiet joint with a bar, music and tvs. Sweet family or date spot. The food is legit PR. I started with the antojos: bacalaito and alcapuria. Both were served fresh and hot. The flavors are authentic and delicious. The pollo guisado was also served piping hot and with a little salad. So tasty. The service is polite, quick and sweet. The food comes out hot and made to order. Wait for it - don't complain about waiting for fresh antojos; it's worth it. Omgosh, the Alcapurra is so good and a great size. I totally recommend this PR gem.
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Ian M.

Yelp
Do you love Puerto Rican food? Look no further than Borinquén! They have all the PR classics that you know and love. The flavors are rich and deep. Staff here is great to interact with; they always have a smile on. I haven't eaten in here, have only gotten takeout a handful of times. Will update once I go back and sit in!
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Michelle G.

Yelp
I've only done takeout/delivery from this place, but the five stars is for the bacalaito itself. It was so good and I could have it again - I am a fan of Puerto Rican food and know different establishments do different things well, so wanted to highlight the strengths. We also liked the shrimp mofongo and pollo guisado.
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Patti M.

Yelp
I use to go here years ago when I lived near by there and the sandwiches were great. But this time not so much. Maybe it being a Sunday night and they were trying to use up remaining platanos because they were so hard it made it very difficult to eat AND they could have added more dressing to the sandwich. But the service was great and it was a really cute little restaurant.
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Diosmery R.

Yelp
Amazing food but the service needs improvement! Got the shrimp mofongo to go with the red sauce. When we got the plate and got home there was no sauce. We went back to the restaurant to let the redheaded cashier know that we did not get sauce, she said that the sauce is in the mofongo. It was odd because we've never gotten the sauce inside with no container of sauce before. We went home and the sauce was not in the Mofongo either. The lady is also just rude on any encounter! The mofongo was delicious. The texture was soft and the flavor was the right amount of salty and sweet. It definitely would have tasted better with the red sauce though! We also got an alcapurria and it was delicious!
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Rubi T.

Yelp
Love this restaurant I have been coming here as a kid, the owners and staff are so sweet and attentive. The food is always great, we got mofongo relleno and pollo frito con bacalao !!!! Can never go wrong with this place, and you don't have to make the drive to Humboldt if you're in the north side Gracias por todo y feliz año nuevo !
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Gregory S.

Yelp
After a night of drinking excessively, my friend pointed out this place was nearby, so we wandered over. It's fairly nondescript outside, but larger inside than you'd expect. It was pretty quiet when we arrived, maybe two or three other groups were in. The server brought our menus and water and we both got steak jibaritos with the rice and beans (my PR ex used to make rice and beans and I always forget how good it is until the next time I happen to eat it someplace, I should start making it at home). Anyway, my prior jibarito experience wasn't that great, so I was taking a chance, but I've decided wherever I got the first one was clueless. This sandwich was crazy good, not too dry, flavorful, plenty of garlic, nice tender meat. Rice and beans were good like they always are and I put a generous amount of hot sauce on them and my sandwich. I was pretty full afterwards, but wanted another. I didn't get it because I actually managed to have some self control this night. We left, full and happy. I want to come back. The end.
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Lateef A.

Yelp
Order take out here pretty often. My favorite is either the Jibarito Sandwich or the Steak sandwiches. Order the rice! It's delicious and reheats very well. Prices have gone up over the years and the portions have gotten smaller. But overall, I like supporting a business so close to home. Service is always quick and food is always fresh. I've never had a bad meal here in 4 years. Would highly recommend!
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Jane V.

Yelp
Had to stop in to the "original Borinquen Restaurant: home of the jiberito" @borinquen_lounge We remembered the original location near Fullerton and California,  and were excited to try out the location at 3811 N. Western.   There's a banner sign above the restaurant that is easy to miss,  just look for the steady stream of people going in and out of the restaurant. Colorfully decorated in neon and bright colors,  the restaurant is a fun place to enjoy a meal for the whole family or a refreshing drink. The jibarito sandwich (steak plantain sandwich) with rice was just as good as I remembered.    The baked lechon (pork) platter came with rice, beans, and salad was good,  but, was a little too salty for my taste. Will definitely be back for the jibarito sandwich! Glad we decided to stop and enjoy a tasty lunch!
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Brie B.

Yelp
My boyfriend and i will drive 45 mins in the rain, sunshine, or snow for this place. We always get the lechon jibarito with arroz con gandules of course but the arroz blanco is also fire. We also always get a pastelillo & a relleno de papa for a little appetizer. Oh and I love the parcha passion fruit juice!

Yinette R.

Yelp
I ordered the lechón dinner and mofongo. Lechón is very dry, mofongo is just a ball of very salty and greasy mashed plantains without chicharrones. Not worth it at all. Will not be ordering from here again.
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Bianca R.

Yelp
Dont walk, RUN to this place!!! I lived around the corner from this place for years and never went. I move and go a month later. Maybe it was the universe protecting my waistline/bank account because otherwise I would have ordered take out at least twice a week!!

Destiney G.

Yelp
The appetizers are good that's why I'm giving them a 2 stars . The jibarito is so hard like they over cooked it . My boyfriends was as hard as a rock . The rice has no flavor . The parcha was so sour . This place used to be good now they only have 1 server and she looks like she's struggling when asked for napkins she only gave two. My water was empty for more then 20 minutes without her coming back to check on us . I do not recommend.
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Frances I.

Yelp
Yes! Puerto Rican food at it's best..the morcilla fresh and couldn't have enough had to take some home. Service on point. The place is clean and ready to give you flavors to remember. Thank you Mini!
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Maria D.

Yelp
The best food ever! Tasty, seasoned and cooked perfectly. I had the steak sandwich Jibarito with rice and a side order of tostones with garlic sauce. It was all delicious! The space is simple nothing fancy. The service is basic, again nothing fancy. You get what you need but don't expect a lot. The servers are hustling so you have to wave them down for everything. I would come back here for the food all day long.
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Josefina O.

Yelp
I just ate here and I must say that I was very disappointed. The carne frita was excessively dry. My husband ordered the chuleta plate and they were bland. The rice had the texture of minute rice and it did not have that authentic pr flavor to it. The one thing that they got right were the alcapurrias. Fried to perfection and the flavor was spot on.
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Dawn V.

Yelp
This is the best hidden Puerto Rican restaurant in Chicago!! I have been coming here since they first opened. I stopped coming only because I was no longer in the area. I did pop in a couple times and I heard they sold the place. I stopped in today and was pleasantly surprised to see the owner. If your looking for a good P.R. restaurant please visit this place. You wont be disappointed!!
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Lovey S.

Yelp
The food was delicious, but I'm a tad disappointed. Last week (Thursday, 1130a) placed a take out order-food that arrived was over the top phenomenal! The Bistec Jibarito con Arroz was out of this world! The steak jibarito was placed on top of a delicious and creamy bed of rice and it was perfection. The garlic spread on top of the plantain..delish! The salsa...oh my! A beautiful presentation! Hence. Placing a order today for my family. With that said, I placed an order today (Monday, 5:30pm) and sadly received a completely different thing. The rice arrived in a separate container, the rice was flavorful, but dry and the hardly any pigeon peas. The Bistec Jibarito arrived in an individual packet, the steak was tough, and the cheese was not melted, and there was no schmear of garlic sauce on top of the plantain and no salsa. A complete night and day presentation :(
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Stefan D.

Yelp
I used to eat here all the time when I lived in Chicago, and now whenever I visit I always come in for a jibarito. The food here is on point
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Z Crash Test Corpse Z.

Yelp
WORLDS SMALLEST JIBARITO I used to give them five stars. The food here is generally quite good. But recently I made a delivery order of two jibaritos for lunch. When I check the bag left by the delivery driver, I see three small wrapped up shapes. Turns out the jibaritos were roughly the same size as the complementary piece of bread: about 6 inches long by barely 3 inches wide. They were decent, true, but they are the smallest jibaritos I've ever been served. They are half the size they used to be from this restaurant.

Jesus S.

Yelp
The food is phenomenal. I love that place everything there is authentic. When I eat there, I feel as if I'm eating my mom's cooking and trust me my mom cooks like a chef.
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Claudy C.

Yelp
I placed an order of rice for a party. Pick up was easy. Was able to pay over the phone when I placed my order. The rice itself was a dry. I have had rice from Hibaritos Y Mas, I have to say it was better that Borinquen Lounge. Will maybe give this place another chance and try their other menu items.
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Ken U.

Yelp
A solid Puerto Rican dining experience, from ordering a la carte pastelillos to traditional style hearty meals. The complimentary bread and butter is a nice touch, and their full bar is a welcome addition when I feel like stopping by for a drink and some fried food. The atmosphere is mostly that of walking into a large kitchen space with elevated corner spaces with a tropical theme in one of them, kind of like the corner space of that convenience store in the movie In the Heights. The staff are a pleasure to interact with, courteous and attentive. I don't think they have their own parking lot but parking along the street doesn't seem to be an issue. I can walk there so it hasn't been a sticking point for me.
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Franklin O.

Yelp
Unfortunately the food is made by dominicans nothing Puerto Rican about the food I've spent time in PR & have never had soupy mofongo .
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Jonathan K.

Yelp
I was missing a morisilla dish. We received our other food totaling $60 or more. Lady stated she put in our bag but our bas was stapled and not tampered with. Needless to say the lady said she put in bag. Also mentioned she would talk to somebody. Not acceptable

Alexis C.

Yelp
Moved I. The area last year and so disappointed it took me so long to try them. They are sooo delicious and very affordable!! They are always nice on the phone and even when I was on hold once and had to take a call they called me back to apologize they took long and kept me on hold. Definitely try their Jabritos!! Occasionally I pick up 4-6 of them for work friends.
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Franklin M.

Yelp
I'm so glad I randomly read an article online about a Lyft driver's favorite 10 restaurants in Chicago! (Spoiler alert, Borinquen Lounge was on it) I had never heard of this place before but now I'm excited to try it again. We had the bistec (steak) jibaritto and boy was it tasty. Plaintains instead of bread and steak and garlicky goodness (also lettuce tomato and mayo I believe). It was really good and I'm so glad I read that article and decided I'd go try it out. I'll be back! Go try a jibaritto, one of my new favorite sandwiches in the city!!! P.S. my picture doesn't do it justice, tastes better than my picture makes it look.
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Yolanda V.

Yelp
This was the best authentic Puerto Ricen food I have had in a long time. Cheers to the Cheif xoxoxoxoxo
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Jackie J.

Yelp
This is my 2nd time ordering from here and it's still consistent and super good! Tamal and chicken Guisado
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Dave M.

Yelp
I've ordered takeout twice and been quite satisfied both times. Flavor was really good and the puerto rican rice, pork chops, and fried pork. I will absolutely be ordering again. The online ordering worked very well and timing was accurate to what was provided.

Marissa G.

Yelp
I walked in with my elderly grandmother, sister & son. There were seats in the back open along with seats right by the door. We asked to be seated in the back away from the door, being it was cold, snowing, a 2 year old & elderly woman. This establishment said no and we needed to sit by the door. We left and took our business elsewhere. I've never experienced a restaurant not willing to satisfy the customer. I really liked going to this place but I'll never go back. I called and asked to speak to the owner and he didn't care and told me go leave a review. Terrible terrible owners. In response to your reply... your video shows what happen but does not play audio of the conversation. After I walked to the back and pointed that we'd like to sit in the back your server said no those are for only 6 ppl and then stated we can sit at the front. I responded I do not want to sit near the front due to the cold and would prefer the back. She then said again those are for 6 ppl. Then I said I would take my business elsewhere. Never threatened anyone. I called expressed the situation as a customer, he had nothing to say and I stated I would leave a review. He said okay. Not sure where the threat is here.

Jeniffer M.

Yelp
Really great spot! Stopped in here on my way back home from a wedding out of state and so glad we did. Ordered the lechón, it was juicy and had very good flavor. It had a a prevalent lemon flavor which I liked but i did add a little bit more salt and then added some of the garlic they had. That was the finishing touch for me. It was delicious. I also had the bistec encebollado (yea imma fat ass but I wanted left overs) it was so good, very flavorful and the onions were the best. Perfectly grilled. I should have asked for extra onions lol. Side of maduros was exactly what I expected, super sweet and fried just right. They also give bread and butter when you arrive and that was good. Be careful not to get too full of bread tho lol. My husband had the lechón sandwich and he said it was good. He also had morcilla and he said it was good but added more of that garlic we ordered. The cherry on top was the service. Top notch. We came early so there wasn't many ppl but the server was the sweetest. She was attentive but not overbearing. Never made us feel like we were a bother. Service alone is 5 stars. And the place is so clean! They had no violations listed which is why I chose to visit!Deducted 1 star cus I kind of finished off the lechón with more salt and garlic but overall will def be back. On my list of places to revisit for sure. Give them a try, you wont regret it!

Aaron H.

Yelp
I love the food, it is my favorite restaurant (mostally because its a 10 minute walk from my house) most items are not too spicy but all are very flavorful. I also love this restaurant because food gets done so quickly ~20 mins. I normally do takeout and walk back to my house but the resturaunt is very cheerful because of the music and the very nice palm tree lights. Its relitivly cheap compared to other restaurants, less than $20 per meal. I recommend Getting the Relleno De Papa appitizer, its a little mars potato because its a potato with a reddish orange potato skin crust, excellently cooked and spiced potato mantle and a great beef core. I highly recommend this restaurant.
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Adri T.

Yelp
I will start with the good. The steak jibarito is not greasy which is a plus in my book. The meat is well seasoned and the rice and beans are also quite good. All good so far, the bad is that the jibarito did not really have any garlic on top which is essentially what makes the jibarito so good. Instead, it had a ton of salt which defeats the purpose of it not being greasy since it is now way to salty. I was very disappointed that they barely put any garlic on it and for some reason, think adding salt makes it better (it does not). Well, at least the rice and beans were the star of the show.
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Daovien M.

Yelp
Dear Borinquen lounge, Thank you for gracing Chicago with good puerto food! This has always been my go to spot for jibaritos.. I was very disappointed when they closed their location on central. Although the Borinquen lounge on central was more convenient- passion and integrity kinda took a backseat. I could definitely taste the passion and integrity in the western location. I wasn't expecting great service so therefore I was not disappointed however... I was expecting an exceptional jibarito and again. Not disappointed . And because we are southeast Asians raised in Chicago- we often indulge in cultural diversity especially the cuisine aspect which helps open our horizon to more then tacos on a hard shell ordered via drive-thro.
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Nikka C.

Yelp
I've been coming to this place for years and will probably continue to do so. The atmosphere is quiet, the service is good, and the prices are fair - EXCEPT the jibarritos are now a la carte and now you pay $3 for rice, ugh. (But I will still pay lol) - bistec jibarrito (delicious and garlic-y, 5/5) - arroz con gandules (delicious, 5/5) - beef pasteillo (meat puff, yum, 4/5) - maduros (Fried plantain, 4/5) - alcapurias (these are huge but meh, 3/5) - passion fruit juice (too concentrated, 3/5) - their homemade hot sauce (!!!!!!!!, 5/5)

Tierney I.

Yelp
Food was excellent, reminded me of my Grandma's cooking, I'm Puerto Rican so this was very nostalgic. I ate it standing up in my kitchen saying "wow" to myself repeatedly. Arroz con gandules and pasteles were fire. The lechon was so good that I forgot I ordered flan. Really glad I found this place!

Erica J.

Yelp
Been coming here for YEARS! Food is ALWAYS great! If you like hot sauce they make their own and it's delicious! I put it on everything. This was my first time ordering delivery, and I was not disappointed.

Alexis D.

Yelp
Went there with my work partner as a last minute stop. Had the alcapurria, pastelillo, and relleno de papa. All 3 were made fresh and were delicious. Mad I didn't double up to be honest. So worth the few minutes wait time. Service was amazing and friendly and the vibe was great. Music was just right while we waited for the food. Even bought their home made hot sauce which paired good with the food I got. Definitely recommending them and going back.
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Christian L.

Yelp
It had been years since I was at Borinquen lounge, I was really surprised at how nice the place is. Really clean, bright & nicely decorated. I usually don't order jibaritos because I go for the more traditional food ( jibaritos do not exist in P.R.) but I did this time...the order comes with rice, pretty good. I was soo happy the jibarito was NOT greasy!! Thumbs up for that Now the service, the older lady taking orders was not very friendly nor nice she made us feel like we had to hurry and get out. The restaurant wasn't packed- there wasn't people waiting to be seated so why the rush? I finally felt uncomfortable after her coming to our table for the 6th time asking if we needed anything else, we said.. YES BOXES dang it and we bounced!

Jamie S.

Yelp
Wonderful experience. Had the steak sandwich and brought half home to the husband who can't stop raving about it. Nice atmosphere. Wonderful waitress. Truly a hidden gem.