La Esperanza Restaurant Pilsen

I came here for the mole and now I see why La Esperanza won Best Mole at Mole de Mayo. Honestly, it’s on another level. I’ve had mole before and thought I liked it, but this one just hits different. The sauce is super rich and velvety, like it’s been simmering all day. Smoky, earthy, a little sweet, then every so often you catch a tiny kick of spice. Each bite keeps you hooked. The chicken was tender and juicy, but really it’s just the delivery system for that sauce. I kept dragging every piece through it like I wasn’t about to let a single drop go to waste. Portion size was spot on, left full but not weighed down. The place has this chill, cozy vibe, nothing flashy, just comfortable. The staff was super friendly too, joking around and making you smile while you eat. If you’ve never had mole or you think you already know mole, this is where you start. I’ll be back for sure.

Friendly, Delicious, and authentic, what else could you ask for?! Stop in and enjoy a meal. I had the milanesa de res this time around it comes with the crispiest shoe string fries and rice beans and small salad which are standard.

Delicious fresh tortillas!! I ordered enchiladas de mole and they were great. Amazing service like no other. Owner treated my family like family . She even sent me home with a plant. Will be going there again for sure!

This place is usually great—generous portions and well-prepared dishes. However, I think the menu and prices, especially the Vegetarian menu, need updating. For instance, there was a $5 discrepancy between the chilaquiles listed under the Vegetarian menu and what I was charged. I understand prices can go up, but the dish itself was disappointing. It had an overwhelming amount of sauce with very little flavor. I also ordered takeout, and when I received my order, I found that the container was messy with spilled chilaquiles sauce—there was too much sauce! Despite this, I’ll continue to visit and hope this was an isolated incident, as I've generally enjoyed both the food and service here. Just offering some feedback in hopes of a better experience next time. 🙏🏼

The picture below is on the Mole Festival, I had the vegan mole enchiladas. They are fireee🔥. I also went to the actual restaurant today and great vibes. Love the personnel. Very friendly and funny. I got a pick up order but I am telling you, I'm definitely coming back to eat in the restaurant. It looks very clean and nice. Today I had the vegan mole chilaquiles and I love them. Can't wait to try the rest of the vegan menu. Also; Best vegan chorizo I have ever tried! And I've tried plenty! (It's made out of soy) Highly recommend!

They have a separate vegan menu, and not just several items that they can make vegan. The flautas and tacos were amazing. Barely any wait, I just finished my complimentary chips and salsa (red one was so good, even though I'm usually go for the green one), and my food was ready. The staff was really nice, checked up on me several times.

Stopped in after Carrera de los Muertos las Saturday. Wait time was worth it. Ordered chilaquiles de mole con cecina. Everything was absolutely delicious. The cecina was soft and tender. The flavor if the mole tasted homemade. Big portions too, had enough to take home.

DELICIOUS!! I loved everything about this restaurant.. it looks like a small family owned place, quick service, a best of all A Plant Based menu!! I got the vegan pozole Verde with jackfruit, it came with potato taquitos, it tasted so good. Warm and well cooked (hominy + jackfruit). I also got the vegan pastor tacos, the vegan meat was so flavorful, well spiced I could eat a couple more. My friend got the vegan meat nachos, the vegan meat was so flavorful, guac did not feel stale and sour creme was good too. The salsas were also fresh and yummy, the spicy salsa is 🔥🔥 I'm definitely going to be a frequent customer!!

As a chilaquiles lover, this place has an amazing plate of chilaquiles. The serving was worth the prize. My eggs were perfectly cooked too.

Having lunch with my friend here She ordered a burrito and I ordered chile relleno. It was good with homemade tortillas Service kind slow

Highly recommend the mole chicken enchiladas! The mole was rich and spiced well, and the portion was large enough for me to split into two meals. I usually find the cheese to be overbearing in enchiladas, but the cheese was just the right amount here. Since it's Texmex style, the dish is normally served with rice and refried beans. I personally dislike refried beans, and they were nice enough to sub the beans for more rice. I do wish they had the option to sub for black or pinto beans. My meal was $20 post tax and tip, which seems a bit on the pricier side but is reasonable considering the large portion. The interior is very homey and that atmosphere was reflected in the warm service. A great spot for Mexican food if you're in the area!

4/5 Tex-Mex Food with Vegan Menu I came with a group of friends and we tried a plethora of items. My favorite was the vegan Al pastor taco. The pastor was very flavor, I wish I ordered more! The vegan flauta was also very good. I was less impressed with the vegan enchiladas but still good overall. The margaritas were a highlight :)

Don't ask for some lemon for your burrito they will cost $1 and please specify the drink twice to the waitress as she was upset she had to remake the drink I ordered in the first place cause they didnt understand the drink I ordered off their own menu, also you guys can be a little nicer, it looked like you didn't want to take care of us, to top it off my friend was still eating and you took her plate off while you see her she was still eating. Food was good too bad service wasn't.

This place was good! Street parking can be hard to find in the area but eventually we found some. Parking on Sunday is free right now, so that was good. I ordered some breakfast it was pretty good. Decently priced. And the service was good. Place looks small from the outside but it's pretty long and has quite a bit of seating. We got there in between breakfast and lunch so was emptying out. Salsa were real good and tasty too

Incredible lunch! This was the best mole I've ever had! I got the cheese enchiladas with mole sauce. It's a large plate with rice and beans and three enchiladas. Also had an asada taco and it was excellent! Chips and guacamole with the red and green sauces were delicious. The chips are a little thicker and have a good crunch. Red sauce is spicier than the green sauce. Guac tasted fresh and it's a large serving. Service was impeccable. They told us that everything is made to order and even the juices are made on the spot.

La Esperanza restaurant is a great spot in Pilsen with vegan options. It's so helpful they have a vegan menu so you know you don't have to substitute anything. I got a vegan sope. It comes with vegan meat, lettuce, tomato, vegan cheese, beans and avocado. It was so delicious and the portion is pretty big. I got stuffed with one. I also tried a potato and soyrizo taco. The flavor was amazing. I definitely will come back and try more items off their menu. I recommend this place everything was delicious and tasty.

Tried it while visiting Chicago. Your basic clean, cute small space. You can tell they know their community and were really kind and fast. Food was decent. I has the mole chicken enchiladas. It was tasty . The side beans & rice were okay. The Quesadilla De Huitlacoche was okay too, but not great. But we were hungry. I'd try it again to explore menu if I visit again.

So good! I had the vegan birria + pastor tacos which tasted so authentic I had to have my partner who isn't plant based assure me it wasn't meat. So affordable and everyone working was really kind + quick. Will go back :-)

Visiting Chicago with my family and drove through Pilsen to check out the art and experience the vibe. We went in and had amazing tacos. I eat vegan but my family does not. We were all satisfied. Try the hibiscus birria tacos. So flavorful. Chips and salsa when you sit down. Proper! Also, the folks that work there couldn't have been nicer or more welcoming. Go there now.

sorry but this place hit the spot . Authentic Mexican breakfast at its finest !!!!

This was the best breakfast I've since I moved from Texas. It was perfect. Service, quantity, value, taste. No notes. Go eat here.

Great place with award-winning mole! Generous servings with a neighborhood feel and warm reliable service.

If you're looking for vegan food in Pilsen, look no further than La Esperanza Restaurant! They have a fully laid out plant-based menu that you can request when you stop in that removes any questions or concerns about what you're ordering being vegan or not. My partner and I both got something we'd never had. The stuffed dish in my photos is a zucchini flower gordita. It was loaded with beans, zucchini blossoms (of course), lettuce, tomato, avocado, and vegan cheese. My huarache was also loaded with the same toppings except instead of zucchini flowers, mine featured corn fungus (huitlacoche)! Huitlacoche has been on my list of foods to try and the way La Esperanza prepared it was fantastic. It has a very mushroom earthy nuttiness to it that complemented everything else on the plate. After having plenty of free chips and salsa before our meals arrive, we both had leftovers to take home. 10/10 will be back for more vegan Mexican food at La Esperanza.

Was excited to come here because of the whole separate vegan menu but walked out underwhelmed. Main reason: food was bland. I wanted more flavor, more salsa, more spice. I got the vegan meat flautas (like taquitos) based on the waitress' recommendation. They were fine? But I wanted sauce of some kind. The guac, refried beans, and rice were really bland. The complementary salsa also was just huge chunks of tomatoes and not really edible as salsa. my friends agreed that their dishes were bland too. Cute vibes and friendly service but kinda slow.

This is a welcoming low key family oriented establishment. I've been to many restaurants but many don't have children menus. If you have kids you will not regret it. There's no excessively loud music playing in the background or mariachis playing a million times for all the birthdays. There's a time for every experience of course. For kid friendly it's def the place. Good food and good service.

The food was beautifully presented and all prepared on site from scratch. The service was friendly and quite hospitable. The ambience was comfortable and pleasant. This was an excellent dining experience.

I was sorely disappointed by the takeout options at this restaurant. My partner and I ordered regular quesadillas and the vegan birria tacos for pickup and both were underwhelming. The food could have used more filling, the corn tortillas were dry, and both dishes could've used more seasoning.The tacos were gritty and the texture was off putting. It was also expensive for what we received. Despite our negative feelings about the takeout from La Esperanza, the dine in experience was very pleasant! The hostess was friendly and well informed and the food was tasty. If you're looking for good vegan food in pilsen, I recommend this for dine in. Otherwise- go somewhere else!!

Very good genuine Mexican food. Love anywhere that gives free chips and salsa and coffee refills!

This has been a favorite spot in Pilsen for many years. I'm surprised I'Ve never posted a review. The homemade tortilla are the best! My favorite tacos are de cecina. And the salsa is spicy and delicious. First time having the quesadillas flor de calabaza (zucchini flower), they were AMAZING!!!!! The Chile relleno w ranchero sauce was delicious! If you are interested in a lemonade w a twist...try Limonada con topo chico. You won't be disappointed.

Restaurant has a pretty good space area to eat comfortably. Staff is very welcoming and friendly. I ordered the green chilaquiles with eggs and skirt steak which was pretty good. Food was out at a very reasonable time, nice and warm.

MUST GO! We were tired of eating Italian food and missed home, so we decided to go get Mexican food. The enchiladas were TO DIE FOR! I had 2 cheese and 1 steak. Totally regret not getting 2 steak enchiladas because the meat was delicious and tender. Our server was super nice and always checked on us!

It really saddens me to have to write this review because this was one of my favorite places in Pilsen with vegan options. It was conveniently close to my apartment so I quickly became a loyal customer. I even became very friendly with the staff and I'm sure the manager, Alejandra, will know exactly who I am and why I am writing this review. Months ago she banned me from ever ordering from them again because I refused to pay $6 for the added guac on my already overly priced vegan burrito! This happened during a global pandemic & a recession when people are struggling financially! And yes I understand that prices are going up on everything but $6 to add guac is simply unreasonable. Not to mention they never disclosed the price over the phone when I placed my order. In fact I didn't ask because I overheard the employee taking my order say "its $2? Ok" When I picked up my order I was told they put an entire order of guac in the burrito so I would be charged for a full order. My advice to you, Alejandra, is DON'T! No one is asking for an entire order of guac! My burrito, a taco, and fries totalled a whopping $30!!! Because I could not pay for it she said they will no longer be taking any of my orders. It is clear that this establishment doesn't care about the community it is a part of. It does not care about loyalty or their customers. They only care about profits. So save yourself some grief and check out Quesadilla Pilsen for amazingly delicious ALL VEGAN Mexican eats with a side of pleasant and friendly staff. The owner himself is usually behind the bar greeting and serving his customers. And the prices are extremely reasonable. La Esperanza you should really stop acting like you are the only Mexican spot in Pilsen! You lost so much money when you banned me. Not only did you lose my business all my friends & family have stopped patronizing as well. All over $6! Do better for your customers.

A very hidden and underrated gem! I always walk by this place on my way to 18th St. and decided to give it a try last weekend. The food is delicious although a little bit pricier than other places in the area. It's probably that price because it's BYOB but the food is so delicious that I don't even mind. I got the mole chicken enchiladas and my boyfriend got the al Pastor burrito. The mole was probably some of the best I've had since I first tried it in Mexico. We also got the steak nachos which were delicious and very big portion. I would urge everyone to come try this restaurant's amazing cuisine!

Amazing authentic food. Clean environment. Service was amazing right when we sat down. I came because I heard there was vegan options. I ordered a pozole and vegan quesadilla. Pozole came with a numerous amount of garnish options. Delicious. Salsa was freshly homemade and I was hooked. Washed everything down with a natural limonada. . My Omni husband loved his steak burrito. Portions were a GREAT size. And everything was very reasonable. Can't wait to come back. THANK YOU FOR HAVING VEGAN OPTIONS.

Came here Saturday night because I heard great things about this place, so I decided to give it a try. It was empty when we came in around 6:30 and I think it's because of the hot weather. I usually see people in here when I drive by. I ordered 2 fish tacos, 1 steak, 1 tostadas de camaron, and 1 horcharta. I had to order 2 fish tacos because there's a minimum of 2 orders, so I gave one to my sister. The fish taco was very good and I liked that it wasn't the deep fried battered one. I don't have a preference as long as it's good, but it's just nice to see restaurants do it differently. The steak taco was a bit dry to me. I've had other steak tacos where they were more juicy and chewy as well as more flavorful. This one was definitely more on the plain side. The tostadas de camaron was phenomenal. It was really hot yesterday, so this taco definitely stood out. It was super refreshing and they were not skimpy at all with the filling. I thought this was the best, then fish came second, and steak was last. I highly recommend people trying this when they come here on a hot day. The horchata was amazing! It wasn't super sweet as well as nice and cold on a hot summer day. I will definitely order this when I come back. The staff was super nice and friendly. She didn't rush us when it came to ordering and didn't check up on us every 10mins which was awesome! I was able to just enjoy dinner with a couple friends catching up on life. I would recommend this place if you're in the area and wanted to get ice cream afterwards at La Michoacana because that's what I did!

Lo más especial de toda la comida es que e estado comiendo por alrededor de 3-4 años y hay un platillo que me encanta Ami nota no está en el menú y que me hace recordar el pueblo o rancho donde uno come en el El Monte con lo que hay nopales, jitomate y tú bistek que es el que me preparan exclusivamente para mi y es un muy bonito recuerdo ese platillo lo llamo nostalgia no está en el menú simplemente quien a comido en el campo se lo recomiendo

I've only ate breakfast here but the food is really good. The tortillas are hand made and the staff is very friendly.

After hearing rumors that this place had vegan options I decided to try it out. Theres no physical vegan menu yet. The server said they're working on it, so they tell you what the vegan options are. I got 2 vegan chorizo quesadillas for $14, yikes! came with chips/salsa. No beans/rice. It seemed like they used chao and maybe homemade chorizo TVP. I wanted to try their vegan pozole but it costed $15, so that was a hard pass. There's also a 51 cent card fee. Also call in your order ahead of time if its to go. I ordered to go at the restaurant ended waiting 20 mins for 2 quesadillas. Staff was nice, atmosphere was lively.

Authentic Mexican Food. I like to call this place "Pilsen's Gem". Ive tried about 50% of the menu. Love the weekend specials (Menudo, pozole, carne en su jugo) Mole enchiladas Sopes Mexican breakfast options You name it and they make it correctly! Please dont come here for tacos... atotonilco or pacos is the place for that. I am a regular here and feel at home. Seevice is always A-1 and friendly

Hands down the best Mexican restaurant in Chicago. Very authentic, the food is delicious and prepared by actual Mexican professionals cooks

Great food, so grateful for the vegan options and great customer service. Hand made corn and flour tortillas! Yummy! This place never disappoints./Muy rica comida, muy agradecida por las opciones veganas y el excelente servicio al cliente. Tortillas de maíz y harina hechas a mano! Delicioso! Este lugar nunca decepciona.

Ducked in out of the rain waiting for Husb to finish up at the barber. Sat down for a coffee and decided to pick up some takeout; the service was great and the Chile Relleno and Chorizo Tostada were both right on the money. The coffee of the day was great--a non-overpowering cinnamon.

I may have come on a day that was extremely short-staffed (Saturday) but the price was definitely not worth the slow service ( estimated $20 per person for breakfast food). We had to flag down a server multiple times and asked when our food would come out instead of our server informing us beforehand. The food was ok and was a bit cold after a long wait. Like I've said, I see across the board that the restaurant industry is short-staffed and I just hope that they will be able to find staff to boost business.

Paid street parking out front, free on Sunday. Restaurant is seat-yourself. Staff is very friendly, greeted with chips and salsa. I ordered customized green egg and chicken chilaquiles platter and an asada taco. Was very happy with the portion size and did not mind the price. I appreciate the authentic cuisine options and will be back to try more on their menu. (Menu pics I sent to my mom)

Great neighborhood spot. Great handmade tortilla (light and soft, not dense and brittle). The cabrito al horno is a spectacular dish that can easily feed 2 people. The huachinango a la veracruzana is excellent as well. All the dishes I've had have been good. Very reasonable prices for the quality and it is BYOB.

In the heart of Pilsen one of the best Mexican food is this restaurant " La Esperanza " I really love el cabrito dish . Customer service is great , if you come and visit the hood come to eat at " La Esperanza "

Just discovered my new favorite Mexican restaurant with Vegan options in Pilsen!! By sheer luck, we stumbled in and discovered that they serve vegan cheese , soy chorizo, soy milk ,as well as rice and beans with no animal products. They also have huitlacoche and, flor de calabaza , nopales, hongos, and I forgot what else. I got to meet the owner's daughter, Alejandra, who is vegan and pushing all the plant based options and plans on adding mock meats to the menu soon. We ordered a quesadilla de flor de calabaza and a side of rice and beans. We were starving and forgot to take pictures right away so sorry that our plates our half eaten (and the food is everywhere : toddler life) but it was delicious. They even put vegan cheese shreds on the beans and the cheese they used in the quesadilla was chao. It was so good I thought they had messed up but that's what led me to me meet Alejandra, who let me know it was legit. Their prices are beyond reasonable and I was given a cup of the best cafe' con canela with soy milk that spoke to my soul. I wish I knew about this place sooner but better late than never. I'm scared to share this gem but I want them to get some well deserved for their amazing food.

Food was delicious here. I''m vegan and my family is vegetarian. We loved all of our dishes. So nice to find a restaurant that has a dedicated plant-based menu, and not just an afterthought of questionably vegetarian side dishes. Service was thoughtful and attentive. Sure the entrees weren't on the table in two minutes, this isn't fast casual. Instead the kitchen took the proper time it takes to prepare the dishes with love and you could taste it!

Some of my favorite vegan food I've ever had. We got vegan birria tacos and mole enchiladas with vegan meat. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and filling. We did take-out and the food was prepared quickly. The enchiladas came with beans and rice. Great service as well! I will definitely be coming back to try the rest of the plant-based menu.

I've walked past this restaurant a few times and have never stopped, I finally saw there sign for menudo and posole on the weekends and decided to give it a go. And let me tell you... Love love love. Probably the best green and red posole I've had in a loooong time! Absolute GEM! Great service and charming spot, BYOB.

Food was delicious and all for less than $12.00 for both plates. They have a 4.99 breakfast special from 8am to 11 am Monday-Friday!

Love their plant based menu! I've had the soyrizo nachos and the green enchiladas, both were delicious and prepared quickly.

They have a vegan menu! It's really good food, with ethical choices available for those who are on that path. Vegans and omnivores can be happy here.

We went to La Esperanza because it was part of my kid's Spanish assignment. He was supposed to order in Espanol and the waiter humored us--very graciously. The food was great the kids ordered a steak burrito and I ordered enchiladas rojas. Both were great! The food was piping hot, I had to wait a bit for it to cool down. The salsa was fresh as were the tortillas chips. The kids said the lemonade was perfect--not too sweet, not too tart. The beans and rice were authentic and tasted good to me. We'll definitely go back. Being from California, I find Midwest Mexican food often a bit bland; this was not.

My party and I were traveling from California. While in Chicago we had eaten a lot of Italian food and were really missing home and some good 'ol Mexican food. We searched for a place that reminded us of home something authentic. Well let me tell you we were not disappointed. I got the hurrache with beans and rice. It was so good. The avocado on top was a bonus. Our waiter was super attentive. Probably the best waiter we had the entire trip and we ate at some pretty nice places. The prices were great as well. My friend got the green enchiladas. Those were so good. A little spicy, but totally delicious. My sister got the the carne asada quesadilla and that was good as well. My only gripe was that they did not have fountain soda They only had soda cans. I would love to come back and try more of their menu.

The "Manager was so rude she came to my table and did not let me exchange my plate because what they advertised one day was different the other past times because the cook made it a different ways this time and I wasn't pleased by that . She also had a Smerk on her face so unprofessional. My husband still had his Carne en su jugo plate and ruined our food the way she came to the table with her stank attitude my husband paid his plate and our coffee and left out of there . Manager was so rude . Have a blessed day too honey .

Came in late one afternoon, only two other people there. Waitress appeared bothered I had arrived. Ordered a shrimp plate. $14 for 8 pieces of shrimp! I know shrimp is pricier, but come on! Rice was tasteless. Beans were decent. There are plenty of other choices for Mexican food in Pilsen, so won't be back anytime soon.