Brasa Roja Montrose

For years, Brasa Roja has been my trusted spot, and I keep coming back for one reason: the garlic chicken. Every time, it arrives on a sizzling piece of iron, nestled on a wooden board, filling the air with an irresistible aroma. It’s the kind of dish that makes you pause and savor every bite. Not once have I left disappointed, and honestly, I can’t help but recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable meal.

Oh yeah, definitely try this place. Great steak and chicken served on a sizzling plate with a variety of sides. The decor will make you feel like you have left the city for a while. This is a great little spot to try some good food. Come have a taste of Colombia.

I come here regularly for takeout and the food is satisfying. It's a very comfortable spot; the atmosphere is especially welcoming in the winter with the flames of the rotisserie grill on. The employees are friendly and enthusiastic to recommend a dish if asked, and the food is filling and flavorful. The chicken is occasionally dry, but delicious nonetheless with a little tomatillo salsa(?). It's also worth mentioning that the prices here are generous.

Overall, it was a great experience. This cute Colombian place has a decent menu, unlike most places which can have an overwhelming amount of menu options. You will be greeted by the inviting smell of the rotisserie chicken as you walk in the place. Their garlic chicken is a must-have! Don't forget to add in sides with that order as it only comes with yuka, potatoes, and plantains. Friendly and fast service! Plenty of street parking right outside the restaurant.

Really good flavors, nice portions and reasonably priced. Chicken was a bit dry but dipped in the Aji was delicious. Chicken soup was made with interesting dark meat with little bone which makes it hard to eat and smell is a little weird. Empanadas and chicharrones were tasty! Service was friendly. A perk is that they allow BYOB.

Food here couldn't have been more mediocre. Beef empanadas were more like potato empanadas. Bandeja paisa was tasteless. Rotisserie chicken had barely any seasoning. The chicken breast with garlic tasted the best out of everything but was extremely greasy. The grease was dripping down the table from my plate! To make it worse, service was frustratingly slow. Only 1 waitress was working the entire time we were there.

Not horrible, but there’s better Colombian restaurants out there. For example, rice isn’t included as a side in most dishes. The empanadas were sold as meat empanadas, but they could’ve been better described as potato empanadas. They barely had any meat. The pollo a la brasa was dry too. I wouldn’t come back.

What a great place. Delicious grilled rotisserie chicken. They give you a few sides to enjoy as well. Potatoes and fried plantains. About $15 for half a chicken and can of soda. They have a few locations. They are all tasty. Definitely will be back.

Very amicable service and the fact you can BYOB is the best. Good was very good and portion was nice. I had the lamb steak dinner. There wasn't a big crowd and was tended to very very well by the waiting staff.

Delicious, affordable, with big portions. Spacious seating with casual and colorful decor. Great family restaurant with friendly service. Be sure to get a whole chicken. The chicken is perfectly seasoned and comes with the sweetest maduros. Such comfort food.

Great place. I was looking for a place to do take-out but was maybe a little less heavy than what I might get somewhere else, and in fact I actually wanted chicken which is probably how I found Brasa Roja online. They have three locations around here and when I did Grubhub I think it was from the Elston location, but I picked up here a few days ago at Montrose. The restaurant was really busy when I got there but when I called to place my order, she said to give them about ten minutes. Ten minutes?? Super fast. My Google Maps said it would take 12 to get there. Parking is probably a bit hit or miss but I lucked out finding a spot on Troy to pop in and pick up. I will definitely continue ordering from them because the quality of the food is fantastic, and it's delicious. I ordered the special both days, which was chicken breast, rice, and beans with a bit of salad. The portions are good--I had leftovers both days, which makes me happy because that's one fewer meal that I have to worry about. The prices were very reasonable as well as far as I'm concerned.

Had takeout tonight and the chicken is so delicious! The half chicken was even a lot of food, good value

Brasa Roja means red embers and that's exactly what you see as you walk in - their rotisserie chickens are roasting over real fire wood. That flavor you can't replicate at Costco, if you've ever BBQd or cooked with real wood, it takes the meat to an entirely different level. This is also a chain but I would go to this location because it has a 4 star overall average whereas the other two locations are in the 3.5 star range. The interior has a lot of nicely painted walls, I guess to make you feel like you're in Columbia?? There's a lot seating and they're well staffed so you won't have any issues getting served. Got half a rotisserie chicken because those red embers got my belly fired up for that. The garlic chicken on a sizzling hot plate was extremely satisfying. First, there was so much of it and the garlic flavor, it was so strong and oh so good. I also enjoyed their accompanying red and green sauces. You also can't go wrong with the ribeye lunch, that's such a deal and a great value for the money and taste. The empanadas was a solid 3 stars, I'd skip those if I were you but you should be the judge of that. Street pahking on Montrose and in the Hood. I think it's BYOB, I'm sure it is.

I got the whole rotisserie chicken. It was a great value. My buddy was raving about this place so I set the bar high. I found it to be good but not great. Still I would recommend this place. Maybe I came on an off day. I'd definitely give them a second chance. Didn't get a picture but had the corn pancake with cheese. That was something I've never had and would highly recommend to anyone visiting here for the first time.

Service is terrible here. The staff have a disgusting attitude especially when you order pickup during the times the staff is eating. One man in particular is older and very rude. This location is awful.

This spot never fails with the especial de pollo. Get a cheese arepa and French with their green sauce. It's a delicious lunch you can't go wrong with.

The place is good, food is good my favorite the special $10 thin slice of rib eye salad, lots of rice and beans I never order the roastery chicken the guy in charged is always on the mobile touching his face ,his head and never saw him washing his hands My las visit they got problems whit the debit card Cash only so me and my friend just walk away........

Brasa Roja has a very unassuming storefront, but once you're inside it's kind of magical. Clay tiles rim the interior ceiling and doors and windows are up on the wall, giving the impression that you are eating outside on a patio. We ordered the rotisserie chicken and steak special. The chicken was juicy and charred to perfection, and both dishes came out less than 10 minutes after we ordered. In general, our waitress was very efficient and checked on us regularly throughout the meal. I'd also recommend getting an empanada--it came out steaming hot and was stuffed full of beef and potato.

I was here in February 2020 and have not stopped talking about the lamb. Finally made it back to Chicago in April 2022. Now I'm taking nonstop about the rabbit. So good! Next time I am in Chicago, I plan on making a meal of the empanadas. They are seriously that good!

In the world of flame roasted chicken, you can't miss this place. I have debated about which is the best in chicago and this makes my list. The chicken itself is 8/10 but it's the rest of the plate that makes it. There's no wilted coleslaw to drag you into regret. The service was good and I don't think I ever had to wait, which is shocking. In a perfect world, you could rent a recliner and watch a cup game after your chicken, but so far it isn't a feature. Definitely family friendly, not too quiet, and absolutely casual. Street parking but it's not difficult.

Love this place. It's been awhile since we have come but always worth it. The chicken that was served was a little dry but we ended up ordering more chicken just a whole plate of it and that chicken was super juicy and good! I think it was just an older one that we got first.

If inflation keeps getting worse, this place will fill your order with just white rice very very soon. I ordered a lunch special and they gave me the container pretty much full of rice, I guess because is the cheapest ingredient. I know things have gotten more expensive, but come on!!. They just put a little piece of meat a little bit of salad and a small spoon of beans for $10.00. Also, this is ridiculous $4.50 for a can of pop when you can buy it in another stores for .75C. If you want to pay for that go ahead because I won't come back to that place.

Good food overall. Some of the staff could use more of a smile. I know they are busy at times butt cheer up please!

This is a great spot to come to for lunch or to pick up a rotisserie chicken for dinner. It's usually busy during lunchtime so I order my food in advance and take it to go. I order their steak and rice special for under $8.00 which is a steal for the portion they provide. I usually have enough for leftovers the next day. They have the same deal but with chicken which is a long strip of chicken breast that's been flattened. The white rice is tasty and but I don't care for the side salad. I've ordered their empanadas which are very crispy and delicious or their arepa but the last few times I've ordered it, it is somewhat hard and tastes like it's been leftover or microwaved for too long.

Good food, decent price. The empanada was good and went well with the green salsa. The rice and beans were ordinary but fresh. The chicken and steak were perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. The sweetness of plantain went well with the savoriness of the meat.

The food as everyone mentioned is great, good flavor and all the things that you think are there ... empanadas ,arepas great My only thing was the service We ordered a full chicken and mentioned all the things we wanted to order , so the time went by one by one our drinks came by at the very last the soda came trough after our plate was served from there everything ok, Ambience it's fine you hear the music a bit louder but after all it didn't bother.

Always hits the spot. So good and still affordable. Portions are generous. Staff is always so kind. Great place to take the family or take out.

Great place for the money. You can't go wrong with the Empanada, half chicken, and Arepa con queso.

It wasn't planning on coming here, but the public restrooms at Homer Park weren't open and I had to figure out an alternative plan before my bladder gave in. I guess Rosa J. had some kind of foodie instinct, even during the period of urgency. I couldn't particularly pin-point where "Brasa Roja" was, but I knew I was nearby. Ok, now my "necessary" crisis has been averted, it's time to talk about the food. "Brasa Roja" is both dine-in and take-out friendly. Apparently this Montrose location is fairly new; they literally moved from the corner across street. According to some of the Yelp reviews I read, the price of "pollo entero" went up $4 since the relocation. For $13.95, this is still good to serve two (2) people. The entire entree comes with baked potatoes and plantains. The chicken was very, very flavorful. I knew I've had rotisserie chicken elsewhere that was cheaper in the city, yet I am confident to say that the taste and their salsa verde were more superior than these places I visited. They do have a satellite location on Pulaski and Addison, which is more convenient for me if I ever want to place an order to-go.

OMG I love this place. Another excellent Yelp find. I was in the area and true to form looking for someplace new and exciting. I saw the pictures and most of the food looked remarkable. The first thing you see when you walk in are the rotisserie chickens cooking. The aroma is heavenly. I ordered the lunch special with 1/4 rotisserie chicken, beans, rice and salad with cabbage. The beans and rice were both delicious instead of a plate of bland tasteless sides they were scrumptious and I enjoyed ever morsel to of both sides. The salad was sliced lettuce with sliced cabbage nothing special, but the crunch of the cabbage gave it a nice texture then you add the green salsa for salad dressing and you have a yummy salad. Would I go back again you betcha. In fact I'm probably going to dreaming about Brasa Roja rotisserie chicken tonight.

We got carryout chicken, steak and empanadas. So delicious! It was super quick too. Would definitely go back and like to try some other things. The food on the customers plates all looked very appetizing.

Always great food, fast and easy service, and I love the empanadas, which my partner can have since they are gluten free.

Ordered: 1 whole chicken 2 Arepas What a fantastic meal. The chicken was prepared and seasoned nicely. The food to cost ratio was on point. Plenty of food for the next meal. The staff made the entire takeout process very easy and quick.

I got a recommendation from a Colombian girl, to try this restaurant for their national cuisine. 6.15 p.m. Saturday. I come in, have myself seated and wait to be served. The first impression was very good, staff is VERY friendly. Cozy atmosphere, cheerful Latin music is playing, people keep coming in, some for take out, some to dine in. It's not too loud. I'm looking at that awesome Rotisserie grill and can't wait to get my teeth into their chicken.I get the menu and realize, it's only two pages, all items printed in big font with big white space between, so yes.. my choices are quite limited. That's fine with me. I ask my waitress about the specials, and, to my surprise, she only mentions the beef ribs.. "Okay", I think to myself, go ahead and order the ribs and the Rotisserie chicken. As I'm heading towards the bathroom, I notice signs of "run-downess".. It's not too bad, but it's bad enough for you to make a note of it. I'm coming back, just had my order served and ready to enjoy it! The ribs were.. okay. Overly charred and kinda dry. So was the chicken.. dry.. I've taken time to read other people's reviews, some claim it was the best rotisserie chicken they had tried. To me, it was a very mediocre rotisserie chicken. In the end, I received a check for $27 just for the two dishes and bottle of Malta, a Colombian pop. I think more fair price would've been $20-$22. That was the last nail in the coffin. Again, my kudos to a VERY friendly staff there and I loved the atmosphere, but... On my way out, I got a couple of bunuelos, $1 e.a. Kinda liked them, they taste almost like Russian donuts. Making a small talk with the grill man while being served, he says - I like your ..., what do you call this.. (points at my wallet) - The wallet? Do you like my wallet? - Yes, yes, I like. And then he proceeds, "How much?". That was kinda funny :)

This place is one amazing inexpensive Colombian dinner. Great food that never disappoints and fills your belly. Give them a try, many options that you won't know where to start. I'll tell you to start with the rotisserie grilled chicken!

I had to strike solo this time but glad I did.Well this is one awesome Colombian place in this hood.Ordered a Special($5.95) that comes with 2 pieces of rotisserie chicken/steak which includes rice,beans and little salad.Everything was damn tasty and fresh.The Pancake ($2.50)which is made of corn n cheese is definitely to be mentioned.It was so good with right amount of sweetness.Eat while it is hot. Pros: ------- Pretty Vibrant Ambience(Love the Decor) Clean Awesome Food Quick Service and Customer Friendly Spacious CTA Bus Connectivity with in 2 min radius Not Pricey Cons: ------ None to me Guys you got to check this place.You wont be disappointed for sure.

As expected, the meats are the king here. I had a whole rotisserie chicken, but ended up taking half of it home. It was served with potatoes, a corn pancake, and a plantain; but it was the chicken that pleased the most - perfectly seasoned and cooked.

I feel like the food used to better in the old restaurant across the street. It is a lot busier now and maybe that's why the food wet down in quality? It's still a good place to go for a nice churassco or rotisserie chicken. I ordered the carne asada and it came over cooked, dry and salty. Not the best I have had from here. Probably the worse. My wife also had the rotisserie chicken and she said the chicken didn't taste right either. Maybe it will take some time to get the food back up to par in the new restaurant. The empanadas are still really good with the salsa they bring out!

La Brasa Roja is one of my favorite restaurants to get a quick eats. They do offer lots of seating if you choose to dine in as well. Parking is not available so be prepared to pay the meter. I've only had the 1/4 chicken special from here and it's always cooked to perfection. The rotisserie chicken is full of flavor and so juicy, it will keep you coming back. The dish is complimented by white rice & beans and a side salad. The side salad is like nothing I've ever had before. It's a mixture of shredded lettuce, cabbage, and white onion. It tastes well when mixing with the rice and beans. I usually get the Postobon, a manzana (apple) flavored soda. It has a unique taste that makes the entire meal completely satisfying. This Colombian cuisine offers a wide range of authentic dishes. If your looking to have a finger licking meal definitely give them a try. They are inexpensive and offer fast service.

I came to learn of Brasa Roja by way of the show Chicago's Best and they claimed that their charcoal cooked chicken was, as the name says, Chicago's best chicken. I was inspired by what was shown on the show so I brought my sister along with me to the Montrose location, (there are two locations, the other being on Pulaski and Addison) and immediately upon eating the place we notice the lack of general heat in the place. It was uncomfortably cold for my sister as she remarked on it several times. I ignored it largely due to simply wanting to taste the food that was represented on the show. What I could not ignore was the poor service, bordering on bias and possibly even prejudice. Full disclosure I am a black man and the restaurant is Colombian and they had a restaurant full of fellow Columbians to which they made sure to wait on and serve all before us, including those who came in ling AFTER us. We found our seats near the rear of the restaurant and sat down waiting for over five minutes before placemats, our utensils, menus and glasses of water were given to us. Our actual waiter, didn't actually come to our table until another five or so minutes later and this was only after our conversation at the table went on so long and we noticed everyone else being assisted that we started to look around wondering why we weren't being attended to. So our waiter, Leo, as best I can spell what it sounded like, seemed to be in a perpetual rush, hurriedly asked us what we'd like and couldn't explain most of the dishes offered when asked. I ordered the rib eye plate, a side order of fries as an entre hoping to snack on that until the main dish arrived as he claimed they'd be ready quickly, and a coke with the intention of buying a roasted chicken dinner to go and enjoy at home, and my sister got the Red Snapper. I was given my coke and a straw during the wait in a can and Leo walked away so fast that I couldn't ask for a glass with ice in which to pour it in. We had to wave him down and ask for it which I found silly. We sat there for over fifteen minutes patiently waiting for our order as we saw two other groups of people (Columbian) come in, almost immediately be waited on AND get their orders BEFORE us! Ridiculous. So as we're waiting and looking around forming a negative opinion of the place my sister notices fries and what appears to be a steak sitting on the counter near the kitchen area not far from us. I looked around looking to flag down our waiter who was stopping at every other table and finally got his attention to which he remembered we were there as he walked over to the plates my sister noticed way before bringing me my steak which had cooled significantly and cold fries walking away. At this point I was fairly annoyed with the poor service and tired of waiting for him to come back out way and brought the plate of cold fries back to the kitchen counter telling him I no longer wanted them and wanted them removed from our bill. He later brought me the same plate of fries re-heated to which I again had to refuse. My sisters plate was finally brought to her some minutes later and again AFTER the other group of Columbian costumers were served their food. So as we sat there finally eating and we noticed we were never once bothered to be checked on with whether our food was fine or if we needed anything ONCE. Our waiter never came our way again so I flagged down another waiter asking for the check, which was relayed to our waiter who brought it to us. I was so thoroughly disappointed with the food and the service that I wrote "servicio pobre!" (poor service) on the restaurants receipt and never bothered ordering the roasted chicken to go. I highly doubt I'll ever go to this restaurant again as there are far better places to give my patronage too.

I've been back here plenty times since my original review. Over the years had times to try their other offerings and here to tell you to stick to what you see, the chicken. I've had the appetizers which aren't a big deal and you might as well save the space for chicken. I've also had the steak and chicken breast, fish, etc.. It's all not comparable to that rotisserie chicken! Peep the photo's, it all looks great but the chicken, the chicken is best! Again if you speak Spanish the service is that much better. Sadly they don't have a hot hot sauce of their own, they have Verde sauce which is just okay. Being the area that they are located it's easy to walk to a local store and get some hot sauce if you need it. For more details see my older review.

We saw Brasa Roja on Chicago's Best and the rotisserie chicken looked so good that we headed over for dinner that night! It's a lively place with a lot of heart. Great place to bring family and affordable for most anyone. We tried the chicken, carne asada, yuca frita and a basic salad. The food is simple, fresh and delicious. The service like the food is basic but friendly and hardworking. Our bill was under $30. Mark that a bargain! Bring your family or a group here and BYOB yourself a good time! #chinormous

It's been a while since I've written anything on Yelp but my recent experience at Brasa Roja has inspired me to leave a review. This place is so good! The food is amazing and the staff's wonderful too. We ordered the NY Steak, half chicken, and chicharon (pork rinds) -- everything's yum!! We truly enjoyed our dinner here and we can't wait to bring family and friends here.

We ordered 1/2 a chicken, arepas, yuca frita and empanadas...our waiter was very nice, however when the chicken arrived it was very dry and mostly bones. My husband and I arrived around 8pm....seems the cook gave us a chicken that might have been sitting there for awhile. We complained to the waiter who said his name was Leo and thankfully he came back with a fresher looking chicken. Pay attention to your food and do not hesitate to send it back if you are not satisfied. Too many choices to end up at an establishment you have to check your food in order to get your money's worth or sanctification. Will not be going back.

Great chicken but lamb was disappointing. Chicken is very tender and juicy and has a great char flavors. Lamb was much pricier but a big tough. The rice and potatoes and fries were surprisingly good. Empanadas are ok but had too much potato and too little beef for me, and a bit dry without the salsas

Walked two miles through a downpour to get their chicken, rice and beans. Would I walk three? Maybe. Would I walk four? I wouldn't walk four miles in a rain storm for a free steak at Gene and Georgettis. So no. But I walked two.

Nothing special chicken ok but like I mentioned with the picture for the price you can't complain .

I love this neighborhood because there are so many yummy-sounding spots in the area I want to check out, and I knew I wanted to grab dinner since I was already in the area. I got the whole rotisserie chicken, which is definitely more food than one person needs, so I took home a lot of it as leftovers. It came with a corn cake (an arepa, I think) and some plantains (maduros). I love love plantains, but these were a little off, which made me a little sad. The chicken was good - I don't know if it's the best chicken I've ever had, but I would come back here and try some other things. This place also reminded me of the Colombian places I used to go back home in New York, which was nice, and the waiters were friendly and talked to me in Spanish, although it did take a minute for them to notice me and serve even and I had to make pointed eye contact. Their jugo de mango con leche is as delicious as it should be, and I would highly recommend.

I went with my son for lunch' i was so looking foward to there Chicken. Well we order the whole. Chicken and vegetable,about the only thing that was moist was the sweet plantin the Chicken was very dry and part where burnt. the only thing we could eat was the thigh and one leg. We also order the fried Yuca it was so dry we couldn't swallow it! needles to say we wont be back dont wast you money Well like they say you get what you pay for was very cheap. but now we know way

TERRIBLE service. Attempted to dine in or take out... visited this location and the staff did not greet us or even take our order. Waited in line for about 10 minutes and still....no service. Terrible. Would not reccomend.

So order my food walk to go get it three people standing in a small entrance. I'm waiting out side waiting for these people to clear out so I can pick up my order and has two people walk right in front of me! I told them I was in line and had one guy curse me out! They have no sense of order here! Three people crowding in a small entrance! No thanks I'll keep my money to myself if they have no type of social distinct put in place.

All the good reviews and I was left out not to share the same experience here. It was really disappointing here. Let me start by saying it's a confusing setup didn't know where to be seated, nobody came to greet us initially. So we sat down ordered the empanadas, they were fresh and hot. But then we ordered one steak and chicken plate each, both were boring and the plaintains were cold too! I mean I don't care to spend if they have great food but it was so plain and simple that it took away the excitement of going out to a Colombian restuarant for our first time. Our server was pleasant, she was the reason for the two stars to be real. I just don't see myself suggesting this place or coming back again! First and last here!

If you want people to be rude to you, and to pretend not to know English, this is the place for you. You walk in and they don't greet you. You order for pickup and give them business and they treat people like complete crap. Foods good though, just have to get patronized to get it. What a joke.

One of the best meal deals around. You would never assume that this little Albany Park storefront can give you so much bang for your buck (see...chicken...haha). For $6 (the price recently went up. It used to be $5), you get a thin rib eye steak or a 1/4 chicken, the most amazing tasty rice, beans, and an nondescript salad. Most of the time, I have gotten carryout, but when my husband's family is in town, we eat in. Yes, the place needs a bit of TLC, but the food is extremely tasty. They do seem to have issues pacing meals and getting all of the food out at once. For example, they served everyone who was having steak, but not the chicken entrees until a few minutes later. Also, it took them longer to serve my plantain with guava and cheese. It is also popular with people of Columbian descent. We noticed many families there who were ordering dishes of their homeland. This shows that it is a quality place.

Great food! You will receive a traditionally Colombian cooked meal. Since most things are charcoal grilled..the taste is amazing, not to mention you receive oodles of food for your $$ For those that mentioned the meat being dry..it's not! You combine the "chimichurri" sauce with the juicy chicken or steak and it's divine Service is great and instead of this place looking high end, the money is clearly invested in the food. Although, I can really appreciate the hand painted walls which takes you away to the scenery in Colombia My recommendation for first timers that have never experienced Colombian food, you're in for a treat: try the Empanadas for your appetizer (1-2 per person, depending on hunger), Matrimonio or the Bandeja Paisa for your entree, and the Colombiana soda to drink. The rotisserie chicken is also excellent! even to go, it's awesome to slam at home like a King or Queen

Their signature dish is the rotisserie chicken, whole or half. My wife, being of Colombia, I was there for the Empanadas and Chicharrones! They were absolutely delicious. They even had Colombiana. We'll definitely be back.

I would give it 10 stars if I could. Best Colombian food hands down in the city. Get a special! It's posted on the front for $6.95. Your choice of protein (rib eye,rotisserie chicken, or grilled chicken), beans, rice, and a salad. If I'm ever taking someone around Chicago, I show them brasa. You need to try their rotisserie chicken at least a few times! Go. Seriously.