El Nandú Restaurant

I haven't been here in years, but on several occasions she smelled garlic when we drove by and agreed we'd visit. Last Friday was the night. We ordered four different empanadas. She had the steak and I had the chicken accompanied by a few beers. We were the only ones there which is never a good sign for. The service was good and the atmosphere was nice as ever. but the flavors in the food were lacking. The pictures look great, but only the spinach empanadas made the cut. Luckily the sauces were still on point. My chicken was a little dry and didn't have a lot of flavor. Her steak looked beautiful but also didn't taste like much. It could have just been a bad time of the day but the flavors weren't there for me even when I tasted them as leftovers the next day. It was $140 tab for a meal we didn't really enjoy.

Really good food , I enjoyed the cocktails. The service was great. We’ll definitely return.💕

Fantastic and welcoming atmosphere. were provided with free bread and spread, l don’t know the name of the two spreads, one is with rich herbal flavor and was blended so well with the olive oil, the other one with a fresh lime flavor, both of them matched so well with the bread. We ordered a comb, in which meat was tender and well seasoned, like the shrimp the most, especially its gravy. Also got the free gift dessert as our first visit here. Great experience, 100% recommend!

El Nandu is amazing. I appreciate the staffs and managers kindness to me even though I have autism and their food is amazing and really good. Owner Ruth and Martin is very nice. The restaurant is in good condition. The parrillada is mouth watering and so delicious. Must come back. 10/10.

Had dinner here on a Thursday night. My kids had the entraña I had the short ribs. The short ribs were tasty however I should have ordered the entraña because it was a better cut. I also ordered the sangria which was good but not the best. They do however have a good piña colada. The desserts are fairly priced and tasty. The only complaint I had was we went on a Thursday night and there was no live music. 😢

Loved the skirt steak here! A very friendly restaurant/bar serving great steaks at reasonable prices. We were surprised by live music, which was very good! So good we even got up to dance at the behest of other patrons who were very welcoming. The highlight food wise was definitely the Entraña with fries. Just a really well treated piece of meat. I would highly recommend giving this place a try, especially on a thursday night.

Nice place, dim lights. Live music on Thursdays the waiter said. Food, empanadas are crispy, fresh, and good. The place wasn't busy on a Sunday night which was good. Desserts 🍪 delicious.

Visiting from out of town and stumbled upon this restaurant as we were in the area. Good food although those around us (larger parties who ordered after us) were served before us. Drinks were a hit and loved all the decor. Please remember to order dessert!

This is the second time I came to this place. I love their chicken Milanese. The chicken is thin and well seasoned. The sangria is delicious. The server is very welcoming and the interior design very warming. The paintings inside are breathtaking. Would recommend family and friend to come to this restaurant. Street parking.

El Ñandú has gotten noticeably worse in recent years. We got the combination for two, parrillada Argentina para dos. Dish came with skirt steak, short ribs, grilled chicken, sausage, and sweetbread. Skirt steak and shorts ribs were cooked well but very very bland. Table top salt and pepper helped salvage the two. Grilled chicken was super chewy, with large portions of fat. Fat is flavor, fat is fine. However, it made the chicken inedible as you're chewing nonstop and getting nowhere. Sausage wasn't bad but wasn't great. Sweet breads were the saving grace. It came with sides, we picked mash potatoes and house salad. Again, very very bland. Mash potatoes were clumpy. Salad was your very basic lettuce, onion, tomato without any dressing.

Loved this locally-owned Argentinian spot when we stopped through for a quick drink and appetizers while waiting in the area for an event! The Molleja, sweet breads (which is meat, FYI) and the empanadas we tried were awesome! Fav empanada was the Tucumana, but jamón y queso and the pollo were worth it too. The chorizo was not our fav, I think it had fennel in it, which isn't a personal fav of mine. We were hoping it'd be spicy too. I'd love to come back when I can order entrees too! Appreciated the kind, warm service and a visit from the (female!) owner!!! If I lived in Chicago, I'd come back.

We carried out the short rib and skirt steak. We also had the fries, yellow rice and a few of the empanadas. The meat needed a little salt, which is probably the chimichurri does in place of salt, but the meat was absolutely perfectly cooked. The rice was really wonderful. We will be back again and again. This is an absolute gem.

Very friendly staff! Lots of great art on the walls and music being played. Food was delicious. 10/10 would recommend!

My husband and in-laws came here at 4:30 on a Friday and it was a empty but great for us. We got to choose where to sit and got our waters and bread right away. We ordered a bunch of empanadas (shrimp, spinach, beef). Our server gave us ham empanadas by accident but corrected them by bringing us the shrimp a few minutes later. We got 2 pitchers of their sangria because it was sooo refreshing, especially on a hot day. We got our entrees, I got the chicken in chimichurri sauce. It was a bit salty but the fries were good. The steaks were very good. Our waitress always checked up on us. Place was very clean. Chicken was cooked very well but the saltiness sorta ruined that. I would definitely recommend this place. I would probably order the steak next time.

We came for dinner. We made a reservations even though I kind of felt a reservation really wasn't going to be needed. It's a decent size dining area but there was only four parties the whole time we were there. Service was great, which is kind of expected since they weren't busy. I like these Argentinian restaurants that start you off with bread, salsa and chimichurri. Both sauces were good. The salsa has a nice kick to it and as always a chimichurri that never fails. We also ordered their Criolla empanada as well as their Tucamana. Both were good, but I might say the criolo was a tad bit better. The Tucamana had sliced steak, green onions and eggs. The Criolla had ground beef, red bell peppers, onions, yellow raisins and olives. My wife ordered their Pollo a la Chimichurri. It was good but I'm honestly not a big fan of ordering chicken at restaurants. Unless it's fried. I ordered their Entraña. I love love love skirt steak and was kind of disappointed in this one. Although it was tender, it missed on flavor. Almost flavorless. Luckily there was still salsa and chimichurri, because that's what I used to have a more enjoyable bite. There's a few other Argentinian restaurants that I would want to try before taking this place off my list. It will definitely be a while before I consider returning here though.

I've been coming here for years and they never disappoint me. Their Argentinian empanadas are terrific. My favorites are the shrimp and cheese and the spinach. They have a nice variety. Their churrascos are really good! And the pitcher of sangria is so tasty. The ambiance is perfect for the whole family especially on Thursday nights when they have live music.

LOVE love love this place! The food never disappoints. The skirt steak is mouthwatering, the empanadas are amazing, the chicken chimichurri is delicious!! And I can't forget about the sangria!! One of the best ever! You really can't go wrong with anything you order. The art and the live music are a perfect touch. The service is always great with staff that has been there for years.

Excelente servicio y comida! Great service and the food is just great! A place you have to go and get some empanadas!

I loved the empanadas. I had the Criolla and the Tucumana. Awesome chimichurri sauce. The sangria has to be the best in the city.

Absolute disappointment. Food was good- but the service was so bad. I mean, absolutely horrid. We were ignored, & were met with borderline hostility. Our friend got here an hour late & we still hadn't ordered our food. When we were asked how our evening went- & when told honestly that the service was bad, were met with a cold "oh well, we had a wedding, that's just how it is." Will never come back.

Overall score: 4.5/5 First and foremost we were greeted by a very friendly staff and immediately felt welcomed. The restaurant is very nice and casual, and very ideal for a nice date night dinner or just lunch with friends. To start off, I definitely recommend to try ALL the empanadas. Each and everyone was rich in flavor, crispy and don't forget to add their chimichurri which added a whole different taste of Argentina. For dinner I ordered the entraña with rice and by far one of the best cuts of meats I've ever had. Very juice with a charbroil taste cooked to perfection. Dessert was also amazing as I ended up getting the cheesecake with dulce de leche which comes with a caramel very very VERY delicious. Overall Nandu deserves a high rating of 4.5/5. Would I come back? Most definitely so please come check them out as they really put passion into their dishes .

The food, service, and ambiance were all top notch. Their short ribs with chimichurri were delicious.

This one is an oldie but goodie! Service is great! The food is always delicious & satisfying. My favorite is the empanadas!

We go to Nandus when really craving that "hard core" in depth flavor. Everything from beginning to end is remarkable. Attentive staff. Just love love love it!

The staff was visibly stressed and it's clear this place needs more waitstaff or to pause Grubhub at moments when the kitchen is getting overwhelmed. We were a group of 12 and had to wait an hour to even get a menu- drinkless. Literally had to chase waitstaff around like a beggar! The worst part of this visit was the owner- she literally looked annoyed at every turn, every request, and it took another hour before we could get our food ordered (again met with her snarky comments the entire painful time as she struggled by the bar). If she was at all nice about anything we could have felt better about the experience- but she literally felt entitled to our money and looked irritated every time we asked for a drink or to order food! At the hour and a half mark I got up to the bar and literally begged someone to take our food order bc we had left the kids with sitters to have a relaxing night out. Took over an hour to get drinks- we got there at 7 and left at 10:30 and not because we were lingering with drinks in hand enjoying the evening. We would have ordered more drinks if someone could have come by the table and we didn't have to get up to order them. Food came without utensils, empanadas came without chimichurri even though we asked for some like 5 times! It came out when everyone finished with the empanadas. We felt like things were thrown at us just to have something on the table. 1,000$ later, and one mediocre extremely long meal later, we got out of there with the owner still stressed and snarky, even though we were nice and didn't complain once, trying to be positive. This may be better suited as a date night out rather than a night with a big group. Also if the owner had been kinder- this review would probably not have been written. But we literally felt like by being there ordering, we were ruining her night and we could not have been a friendlier, more understanding group. Advice: Up the staff, kill the Grubhub if it's busy, and keep the owner in the back managing the books and not waiting on tables! Her irritated looks and comments are the only thing that I truly remember about the night. The waiter tried his best and was the only friendly face there- thank goodness for him!

I hosted my graduation party here. I was in contact with Adriana months before the event and she really took care of me. The day of the event, my guests were completely thrilled with the food, the ambiance, the service... and there were about 30 people!! The empanadas were DIVINE!! We also had chicken, beef, French fries, and the potato salad. Highly recommend!

Nice little place, lots of potential. We enjoyed the food, not exceptional. We had a variety of empanadas, te dough was a little tough. I enjoyed the mollejas and the stake was not the best quality. It feels as if food is precooked and then heated which it takes away the freshly grilled taste.

MINDBLOWN!!!! Stopped in Tuesday Feb.28th and my god the skirt steak here was seasoned, salted and cooked to perfection. Comes with fries and honestly 10/10 on the steak. The empanadas I tried were the cheese one and the jamón and queso one. They were fried crispy on the outside and had a flaky crust on the outer portions (the side and handles) of the empanada which was AMAZING!!!!!! lol I haven't tried very many good empanadas in Chicago that aren't soft and mushy. They make them crispy here. Honestly service isn't over the top friendly but they are polite and courteous and comply with all requests in a speedy manner. The ambiance is full of colorful art works on the wall and brick walls that give it an industrial rustic feel. Lively music playing gives it a good energy and vibe when the restaurant is full you can feel the energy of the people and you can feel the crowd without it being loud at all and you can still have a solid conversation at the table. It was overall epic. They have like 6-7 dessert selections and I was impressed with the flan.

Food is excellent, my favorite Argentinian restaurant for the last 20 years. Service is amazing. Ambiance is so cool

I have been at the Ñandú restaurant since the 80's multiple times, we dined in for New Years Eve with the family , we ordered empanadas which were delicious and waited for over an hour and 15 minutes to get our main order and this was after we asked why our order was taking so long, the waiter looked puzzled and their manager came to us and said the the ticket/order didn't go to the chef and that it would be 30 minutes, we were very disappointed. Btw the food was delicious

Delicious!!! We started with some empanadas and our favorites were shrimps and spinach this one in particular is so SO good. Our main dish was entraña and was huge so we split in order to not feel stuff because was dinner. Medium rare was just perfect. We ended up our dinner with a tiramisu that came with dulce de leche, I'm not huge fan of tiramisu, but my bf is and he said was extremely good and i guess it was true because there was nothing left. They have beers, wines, sangria (really really good) and a wonderful staff too. Especially the girl, she's super nice.

Maybe we ordered the wrong thing - we both had the pollo al limon. It didn't look anything like the succulent breasts with grill marks in the photograph online, on the restaurant's website. Instead, the breasts were sliced in half length-wise, and the two flat pieces on each plate were very dry. The edges weren't even chewable, it was so over cooked. The Chimichurri they brought at the beginning of the meal was lovely, but the bread was like white Wonder Bread masquerading as kind of baguette. The service was good and the decor was quite nice, with exposed brick. But the food experience was a big disappointment.

I came to El Nandu Saturday evening at 6pm. Parking was a breeze. I was able to find street parking close to the entrance. When I walked into the restaurant, I was greeted with upbeat music and open dining. There was maybe 2 other tables during this time.The host/server let me pick whatever table I wanted. I took what I thought was the best seat in house which was elevated and right next to the window with blue lighting. The blue lighting was cute at first but soon became a distraction when I couldn't tell what color my food was. The server brought out bread, butter, authentic chimichurri, and a tangy spicy sauce. You can smell the warmth of the bread but I resisted. I ordered the Churrasco ($21.95) with a salad and my dining companion ordered the Entrana ($27.95) with mash potatoes. The Churrasco tasted fine it was a bit bland but the chimichurri helped a lot. I asked for medium rare and the texture indicated that it was indeed medium rare but I was unable to confirm by looking at the color of my steak. This really bothered me because I want to see what I'm eating. The salad was very basic: iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and white onions. They did provide olive oil and possibly a vinegar. The Entrana was very tender and barely fit on the plate. I would recommend the Entrana over the Churrasco. The plating could use a little help as it looked like the mash potatoes was scooped with an ice cream scooper in a cafeteria line. Overall the food was priced fairly for the Chicago area. The restaurant was packed by 7:30pm and the atmosphere was very lively. This place had at least two groups during this time. A good place for groups as they tables can be easily pushed together. You'll find the bathrooms through the kitchen. The women's bathroom was very nice, clean, and large. I don't think I'll be back as there are so many restaurants to try in Chicago but you will definitely leave full with tummy filled with meat. A pretty good value!

Good afternoon this message for those of you who are busy, and you order out to eat a lot. Now a days it is very hard to find a great restaurant. Most chain Restaurants Like Nandu and Starbucks they lack in the area of good customer services the employees that work at most of these establishments really do not care about you as a customer. Its a shame becuase most peoiple I feel eat and drink at these estblishments becuase of convience not because the foiod or drink is great. This is my point a lot of thyese establishment the GM and the managers understand thosis but they lack the back bone to get across thier employes to do a better job. The custmer services at the DC LOCATION IN TENLYTOWN AND THE ESTABLISHMENT IN GAITHERSBURG LACK IN THIOS AREA. ITS A SHAME I WILL BE TAKING ABREAK OF EATING NANDU FOODS. UNACCEPTABLE.

Located in the Logan Square area, it was my first time eating an Argentinan restaurant/steakhouse. I was advised by friends and their waiter to try the entraña, which is an Argentinan style skirt steak with a side of mash potatoes. I was amazed by the tenderness of the skirt steak very easy to cut and had great taste with each bite. I ordered mine medium rare and they got it right on point. The steak is so huge that they have to fold it so it can fit on the plate! For a $30+ meal with tip, I left satisfied. Definitely will come back again. Good service and nice ambiance for dinner to have with friends or on a date. Parking can be tough around the area, but it is definitely the effort for the meal!

My husband and I have lived around the corner for 4 years and finally gave El Nandu a try. We tried 4 of the empanadas and split the potato salad. I loved the spinach empanada and my husband enjoyed his steak empanadas but the shrimp empanada was quite icky. The shrimps were very small and all needed to be deveined. They had big black veins running through them and it just turned me off. The potato salad was tasteless and had frozen peas and corn mixed in. I would like to try the other empanadas but they seem to be hit or miss.

Honestly, one star is far too many! I would describe the service/waitstaff as rude and condescending. We waited almost 2hrs for our meal, which was not worth the bad service and extensive wait. We did not even get water until we were sitting for over 30minutes and the refills of water until after we finished our food. This was my first and will be my last time at this place.

I had some hesitation initially as the storefront in the pictures didn't seem too welcoming. however, I was pleasantly surprised throughout the night. Seating was ample at 7:30pm as there was only 1 family of 8, a couple, a small group of guys in the entire restaurant. As time passed, there were customers constantly coming in...groups and couples alike. There were at least 2-3 families/groups celebrating birthdays. It felt very neat and comfortable place for a casual Argentinean steak dinner. It's not a fancy, low lit, large steakhouse. We were welcomed with fresh bread and 2 green sauces (one was chimmichuri/garlicy and the other was spicy/tangy). We ordered a half carafe of sangria which was sweet and refreshing (just a note: there is no fruit floating in these glasses). Service was friendly and knowledgeable (and handsome.. :P). we ordered the following: - Criolla empanada - this was flavorful. I would go to get this again. I like the added touch of they labeled the shell of the empanadas...so helpful. - Camarones empanada- this was fairly mild compared to the criolla but not bad. just shrimp and cheese - Churrasco Encebollado - NY strip with fried onions is a solid choice. I like that they don't over salt the meat. I asked for medium and it was just enough red for me. - Asado - The short ribs were too charred personally. it was tasty initially but the churrasco was the better choice. - I am a sucker for the their homemade flan with the dulce de leche....they give you an indulgently sweet dollop of that caramel...mmmm. One qualm I have is that their sides could be more spruced up. I initially thought the mashed potatoes came from a box but it is not. they are real. they could make is it chunkier or more flavorful. The rice was blah... sides were generally unimpressive. Overall it was a good find.

The food was delicious and also the drinks. The mollejas are delicious!!! Everything is delicious. I really love the food and the drinks, and the staff is super friendly and nice. If you love steak and you're in Chicago you must go to El Ñandú.

The food here is good. The service is okay. By all means there's nothing wrong with the site or it's location. However nothing particularly stands out. Each empanada is 2.50 and they're not quite worth it. Overall, come and see for yourself. The Milanese pollo (basically chicken parm) is delicious and large so that made up for the empanadas.

great food! empanadas and the chicken with smothered cheese was a good dish. mash potatoes was the bomb.

Delicious food and wonderful service. I split the Pollo Al Chimichurri with my partner and he had the Jamon Y Queso Empanada and I had the Camarones Empanada. All was delicious! I also split a carafe of the tasty sangria with a friend. $20 is super reasonable for the carafe! I appreciated the free bread as well. If coming with a big group (6+) you will be automatically charged 17% for tip and it is difficult for them to split the checks!

I went to Ñandu last weekend with some friends and the food was out of this world amazing. In addition, our server, Nahuel, made the experience even better. Friendly, fast, and attentive. We will be back for sure!

I have to say this place is good. I was born in Argentina and I love empanadas and asado. I got a Quilmes beer, it was very cold and the I got an empanada and asado with chimichurri. all good, I'll visit again !

El Nandu is my favorite Argentinean restaurant in Chicago. I saw this place on Check Please several years ago, and each time I've been the food/staff/ambiance has been legit. So with all due respect to Tango Sur (another one of my faves) this is my go to spot. One of the better places to check out in Chicago if on a date b/c of the layout and price point. And if you're lucky enough to be there when live music is being played, you're in for a real treat! I always get their shrimp and ham empanadas for an appetizer...so tasty. For the main course - definitely check out the Entrana steak if you want to know what heaven tastes like. And if you're a fan of sangria, try their red sangria. You're welcome.

Been here a couple of times now and look forward to coming back! Fun environment, live music, food is absolutely delicious (hasn't disappointed any of us at any time, on the contrary there was a lot of poaching from each other's plates going on) and the sangria is perfect! The staff is very friendly and have wonderful recommendations! The restaurant isn't very big, so you'd be wise to make a reservation.

I've been going here with family since I was a kid. Now 30 and married, my husband and I visited for a belated Valentine's Day dinner . Lovely atmosphere, great staff, amazing tasting food with even better portion sizes. My steak was cooked perfectly and the meats are amazing!!! My piña colada could've been a bit stronger but it's always a suggestion I can make. We love this place . Worth every penny, time after time .

Amazing food! Friendly staff! And great prices! My husband and I came over the weekend and we really enjoyed ourselves, we ordered a delicious pitcher of Sangria and some delicious skirt steaks! We will definitely be coming back!!

Fabulous Argentinian restaurant including the music and staff. Authentic food featuring paintings of Asimro (local artist?). Came here for the sweet breads which was cooked perfectly. The NY Strip steak with cheese was cooked perfectly as requested.

After my visit this past weekend - not sure how this place is still in business... I have wanted to go to this place forever now and finally did and was sadly disappointed. 1) Everything aside from the empanda was just MEH and basically flavorless 2) Service - below avg - place was not that busy. Waited 80 MINUTES for our main course 3) Portions - especially for chicken plates should be better Other than that, place looks nice, staff was friendly, maybe just a bad night?

This is my favorite local "steak joint!" The "entrana" is so juicy and flavorful; my son loves it too, although sometimes we'll order the "churrasco" and enjoy that, too. I appreciate that the steaks are cooked to perfection as well. When I want something lighter, my favorite entree is the "pollo al limon." NOTE: some of the steaks are breaded; not my favorite, but my husband likes the "milanesa con queso." Everyone love the empanadas! Sometimes we order a two or three of these (per person) and skip the entree. Pretty space. Casual atmosphere. Very clean. They have been in Logan Square for many years and have kept up the great food and service.

Nice place! I went on a wednesdat night and got a steak with onion. The meal tasted great! The server was attentive and helpful. I would recommend this place for everyone

Loved the steak and sweetbreads. Salad has eggs onions tomatoes and olives perfect. Empanadas to die for. I had meat and also spinach. Fabulous art on walls by Cuban artist Casimiro. Fun place to see also! I will come back! Oh, the flan....mmmmm good!

Visited this restaurant for the first time for my brother in law's birthday back in May. Heard a lot about it from different people but after trying for myself, I was greatly disappointed. The service was not very welcoming and almost looked annoyed to have a large group there. The live music was a nice perk, the trio of musicians played their guitars very well and performed many songs my dad listened to when I was growing up. The food was sub-par to that of similar restaurants. The chicken was insipid and dry and the skirt steak was also bland. Sadly everyone raves about how their best item is the skirt steak but it was underwhelming. Their carbonated beverages were also not good during our visit. Either their machine needed maintenance or something else was seriously wrong, although they kept using the excuse that our diet Coke tasted funky because it was diet RC instead. Alright, we opted for a regular Sprite/7up instead(don't remember which is the one they carry) but that tasted just as bad, horrible aftertaste. Limited parking, bad service, disappointing food. This place is certainly not for me.

I came here several years ago when they were at their former location. I was excited to come back here again. I'm am certain their food is still excellent. My problem is the dining experience. I remember them having live music there, but this time, the amps were way too loud, and there were only three parties in the entire restaurant, including us. I couldn't hear what my partner was saying. I pointed it out to the waiter, and nothing was done to turn the sound down. A few minutes later, I told him that we were leaving because of the noise, and nothing was done to get us to stay. Order out, but I'd recommend not eating in person.

I love this place...The ambiance, the culture, the food and drink, all of it! Ask for a Mojito and they hand crush the mint. Their Sangria and Malbec are rich and satisfying. The empanadas are divine and the papas are delicious. Finish off with flan and you will leave in an Argentinian state of mind!

The food is super delicious. The service is snappy and friendly (at 5.30pm). The ambiance is casual and family friendly but I feel like the decoration is not so Argentinean. I ordered one criolla empanada, one entrana encebollad (skirt steak) with grilled onion, and one alfajor dessert and one Quilmes (imported Argentinean beer). I like the empanada and it's very different than my last empanadas. I think it's because of the spice that they put in. Must Try. The skirt steak with grilled onion is not on the menu but it was recommended to me by the waiter. The steak is perfectly cooked and the onion complements the steak really well. However I'm not a fan of the dessert. Some people might like it but It's too dry for me. Argentinean beer is a not too light for me.