Lito's Taco and Empanada House

Really tasty food at expected prices for the neighborhood. Ordered beef empanada, steak taco and Al pastor taco. Beef empanada: 5/5. Decent size, full of flavor, and the little bit of olive works great even though i generally don’t care for olives Steak taco and al pastor taco: 4/5. Decent size, decent tasty, and comes with great salsa options. Environment: rather large place, comfortable seats, and nice lighting. Great for eating alone or with a group. Plenty of window seating as it wraps around the corner

The empanadas were so amazing. I came here on a Friday night and it wasn’t busy. The chorizo empanada was amazing and I will definitely be back for these. I also got the steak tacos which were ok but I wouldn’t get them again. Stick to the empanadas and you will love it.

Tried this place the other day. I got a beef empanada and an al pastor empanada. They were both freshly made to order. It came with a spicy cream sauce and a green chimichurri like salsa. The meat were ground for both empanadas, the flavors were ok but needed maybe a bit more seasoning. The sauces helped a lot. The crusts for the empanadas were nice and crispy though.

My favorite place for burritos in Chi!! I actually love them so much. You can’t go wrong with the pastor or steak burritos. The flavors are unreal and it’s huge! I like to put the green sauce on it but be careful if you’re sensitive to spice. They have a lot of seating and service is usually pretty quick. I see many people order to-go; I like to dine in. I haven’t tried their empanadas yet. I’m sure they’re excellent though.

Omg so good! My husband and I were craving tacos to get delivered and we couldn’t believe we found a place with tacos for only $2.75 plus empanadas and they were incredible! They delivered them with sooooo many sauces. They were all so flavorful and spicy! The only thing I didn’t like was the steak empanada which I knew I probably wouldn’t because of the raisins. It was too sweet for my taste. But the bbq chicken and veggie was incredible. The crust was so flaky and light. All in all, I can’t wait to order them again.

Litos is finally open again😭 we tried empanadas all over Chicago to get our fix while they were closed but the other places didn’t come close to how delicious the food is here. They re-opened and have much more seating now that they expanded. They also added some new additions to the menu like burritos and nachos. The chorizo empanada was my favorite. Welcome back to the neighborhood we’ve been waiting for you!🧡

The empanadas at this place are amazing! I ordered the Nutella with banana, and the spinach with cream cheese which were delicious. I really intend to try all the flavors, super recommend

Tacos were good and Empanadas were good too. Not amazing, not bad.

Chicago has so many empanadas and I'm glad I'm finally trying them!! I got the Al pastor empanada and Nutella banana empanada. The Al pastor was said to have pineapple, but it honestly just tasted like meat and cheese. The Nutella banana was decadent and delicious. The restaurant has a sweet, a regular, and a spicy sauce which was fun to try too. I liked the sweet one the best. I really like the affordability of empanadas, and they are a great quick or light lunch option! I'd like to come back and try more of the flavors. The interior of the restaurant is pretty bare, but there are a variety of seating options and lots of natural light.

A short bike ride from our hostel, we stepped inside, went right up to the counter to order. It was a Tuesday afternoon, but there was no wait. We were the only people in there so we had a pick of tables. It was a very clean and bright place even though it was dark and rainy outside. Food came super fast and was delicious. I got the chori-cheese empanada. It was well balanced, cooked to perfection, and just the right amount of food for a midday snack. If you were looking to make that a meal, I would order one of those and two tacos. I tried every sauce they gave us and they were all perfect with the empanada. Go here for lunch during the week if you want a quick delicious meal!

The empanadas are delicious. My favorite are the beef and rice. The bread is like an eggroll textura but the shape of an empanada. The people are very friendly and there is not a longer wait.

It was honestly hard to contain my excitement when I walked past Lito's today and saw they'd reopened!! I've been checking each time I've walked past for the last year and they're back! With an expanded menu and filling, delicious empanadas you have to stop in. Great service, fast and fresh this is a hit. It's hard to choose a bad empanada. Pick 2 or 3 if you're really hungry and you can't go wrong.

Vegie burrito bowl delicious! Better than most places! I recommend it. Counter service a plus

I was super excited to see an empanada shop in this part of Lincoln Park. I was much less excited when all of my empanadas arrived thoroughly deep fried, whatever personality their fillings might have had rendered mute by the casket of excessively crunchy rich salty dough. (Not that I don't like excessively crunchy, rich, salty things -- I do, excessively -- but not as a substitute for a flavorful and filling lunch.) I'd rather have my empanadas baked, or at least fried with moderation and discretion. I dunno, maybe the tacos are better.

Back again. Love their veggie tacos and taco salad nut without tortilla shell! Everything is fresh and tasty. And of course empanadas are great

Clean open place with great fresh fish tacos and savory empanadas, I had chicken. Friendly service.

We used Lito's to cater a graduation party last weekend, and they were a hit. The ordering process was easy and they were very flexible when I realized I messed up my dates and needed them the next day instead of in 2 days. We ordered: -beef and rice -spinach and cheese -bacon and egg -Al Pastor Everyone raved about them! The sauces were also delicious. 10/10 recommend if you just want a good empanada or if you need an easy and delicious caterer. They even delivered, which was very helpful.

Fantastic, larger location now. Four dipping sauces for fresh pockets of yummy! Both recommended: Beef - the uniquely Latin flavor profile of ground beef, olives, raisins Al pastor - pork, pineapple, and cilantro

Interesting mix of items on their menu. Some classic Mexican fare (tacos, burritos and nachos) as well as empanadas. We ordered a few different empanadas ... our favorite was the Nutella/ banana. The spinach and cheese was mostly cheese. The mushroom was good, but had a ton of liquid in it. The beef was packed with meat, well spiced, but dry. The nachos we ordered as an appetizer was a cream and cheese stew with chips buried at the bottom. It was a soggy mess from the start, but tasted good if you have the stomach for that much cream. The beef burrito was excellent (mission district style).

Excellent 'nada shop! These are some of my absolute faves. The crust is just the most decadent flaky fried dream. I've never known empanadas so big, juicy, crunchy AND crispy all at once! I love the #1 (beef, olives, raisins, potatoes, onions and tomatoes)- the filling is similar to an Argentine empanada (in some regions they're sweet like this one, with olives and raisins!)... the sweet/savory combo makes them irresistible. Close runners up are the #2 beef & rice, the #14 spinach & cheese and the #4 chicken & mushroom. You must get the creamy sauces- the sweet sauce (pink one) and the Serrano sauce (spicy light green one) are game changers! They do take 5-10 minutes to fry the empanadas, so if you're in a time crunch order ahead. Also this place is currently kinda under construction, but when they're open it's worth stopping in here for a pocket-sized snack to hold you over between meals. Consider me a regular!

Delicious empanadas! I tried the beef and rice and it was perfectly crispy and full of flavor. I also ordered 2 steak tacos and they were pretty good as well. The meat could've been a bit crispier but overall it was delicious and better than any steak tacos I've had in this area. They did not fall apart and the flavor from the fresh cilantro was a perfect touch. I've tried a few nearby taco spots and they seem to always fall apart. Would recommend to anyone looking for a quick bite that doesn't lack in flavor and quality.

My favorite empanadas so far. I recommend them whenever someone suggests empanadas. The beef ones are the absolute best.

I loved Litos at their former Clark St location and when they were closed for 8 months during the pandemic I thought they were gone forever. I am sooo thankful they moved just down the street. They are currently "soft" open meaning the dining area has equipment in it instead of tables, their menu is a little messy, and the sign is basically just a tv screen in the window, but don't let that deter you! We ordered pick up last night and it was ready in 10 minutes and absolutely delicious. My boyfriend was quiet while eating except when he paused to say "amazing, as always." Every single thing on the menu is good, but I personally love the chicken and mushroom empanada. They've also expanded their menu to include burrito bowls and quesadillas - haven't had a bowl yet but the quesadilla was very good! Plus all three sauces are sooo good, especially the spicy green one. I can't wait for the new location to fully open and for now I will be greatly enjoying the takeout!

Litos has been my favorite restaurant this year! I was told they expanded their menu to include burrito bowls and it has been my go-to burrito bowl place ever since, I never think about going to Chipotle now. While their burrito bowl isn't their staple item, they load it with fresh ingredients and I always top it with their green hot sauce, which is a must-try here. I wish I could have a bottled version of this hot sauce at home. As for their empanadas, they're massive and so delicious! I don't get them often since the bowl is so much food, however I never regret it when I do. The crust is super flaky and delicious. My favorite is their al pastor. Aside from the amazing food, their pricing is great for everything you get out of it. The bowls are massive and could serve as two meals all for $10. I think it's very reasonable for a quality meal.

Soo good! Ordered the spinach empanada and nutella-banana empanada - both were delicious! As a vegetarian, it's difficult to find good veggie empanadas so I'm very glad I decided to give this place a try. I'll definitely be coming back here and recommending to friends and family!

Empanadas are delicious and they offer a lot of other things. Best empanadas I've had in Chicago and a great family business

Wanted to find a new taco spot on my lakefront bike ride and found this place on Yelp. Great empanadas! I had the chicken and rice as well as the BBQ chicken and they were both great. Will add the shrimp tacos next time.

great food great service great setting suggest Lito empanadas to anyone visiting Chicago great lunch spot for you chicagoians as well eat some empanadas soon hurry please !!!

AMAZING food and customer service! Perfect for a meal or afternoon snack. Vegetarian friendly options!

Quaint little restaurant with empanadas full of taste. I got one chicken and one beef and both were packed with flavor. I also got some chips and guacamole and it was just as tasty.

I stopped into Lito's Emapandas for a little snack. I got 3 empanadas for a total of $10. This could easily be a meal. The empanadas were a happy medium size that had plenty of room for maximum filling. I got the Chori Cheese #6, Al Pastor #12, and Spinach #8. The Chori Cheese was my favorite but it was pretty hard to tell the difference between that and the Al Pastor (look for the pineapple). The empanadas were generously filled and you can see/taste the other ingredients. No skimping here! The dough was plump like a pillow and crispy on the outside. It is a very satisfying bite. I'll for sure be stopping into Lito's the next time I'm in Lincoln Park. I'm interested in trying one of their dessert ones next! Stop in, you won't regret it!

My manager and I went here for lunch and the customer service was not good at all. We went to the Revival Hall to grab lunch and the cashier was not a people person at all. I always say, if you are having a bad day, stay home, because this could potentially cause you business.

New location! Soft opening. Wow! The empanadas here are amazing. Great price and size! The sauces are all equally tasty. I just kept dipping in all 3. My new favorite empanada spot!

WOWW Completely blown away with the empandas. I just got back from a trip to Spain where I had the most tasty empandas in my life, and these are on totally on par! The restaurant is quite small with just three tables. Walking in there's a giant chalkboard with all their available empanadas. Once you order, you have to wait 5 min as they heat them up fresh for you!! My sister and I split the Chori-Cheese (#6) and the Apple Caramel (#11). The Chori-Cheese tasted amazing and was delicious. The apple cinnamon one tastes similar to an apple pie but with more crust which I absolutely LOVED. If you're looking for a snack, this is the place to go! I know they also do catering/deliveries if you're doing an event. I will be dreaming about these in my sleep!

We came here for a snack, what we got was an addicting spanish pie/pastry having us wanting MORE! The recommendation was Champion Chicken and Chori Cheese... goodness both were so deliciously perfect. On top of that, the green hot sauce which I believe was just ground jalapenos was perfect for the empanadas. Furthermore, the pricing is very fair for food in this neighborhood/area, at $3/empanada. See you again soon! By the way, I'll take these empanadas over the overrated 'korean' tacos at del seoul any day!

MOLD ON MY TACO!!! Blue/green mold on the tortilla of my chicken taco 3/19 at this location. Was so gross will not be coming back

A little gem in LP. Just opened recently. Went in for carry out. Nice people and service. GREAT empanadas with variety of fillings. Really liked the chorizo, chicken and veggie. The tortas were huge and loaded with fresh veggies, flavorful fillings we liked the pork carnitas. Tortilla soup was excellent. The salad and rice bowls are shareable, excellent. Also packed with fresh ingredients. Great value. The space is clean and has seating. Will be back. Fast convenient.

Super tasty empanadas with really fun flavor combinations. Highly recommend the al pastor. Empanadas were flaky with a gooey middle. Perfect texture and taste. Great addition to the neighborhood!

After roaming around the streets, my friend and I popped in for some snacks, and we are so glad to have come! The place is pretty small, but it's nice and cozy. The prices are affordable as well! All of the empanadas are 2.99, both savory and sweet. We got the two sweet options - Nutella/Banana and Apple Caramel. If I were to choose one, it would definitely be the Nutella. It felt like I was drowning in a vat of chocolatiness. The apple one ended up being too mushy bits instead of chunky apple pieces, which I prefer. Regardless, the crust of the empanadas is to die for, so any option will have a beautiful blanket surrounding it. The apple one was covered in cinnamon sugar! What I loved the most was that all the empanadas are fried fresh. They pull out your choices from the fridge, and fry them for about five minutes! Definitely stop by to even just try one!

Hang me by a tree, cover me in honey and leave me to a slow death to ants! If this place wasn't five star empanada quality I don't know what is. I got the beef empanada, spinach, chicken and chori-cheese empanada and shared them with my girlfriend. We were amazed by the taste and we were stuffed after sharing all 4. Will definitely come back!

I've never been a big fan of empanadas, but after reading the reviews, I figured I would try this place out. THEY ARE AMAZING. Stuffed full with ingredients. Great flakey crust. I tried 1 of each empanada on their menu and they were all incredible! Stop reading this review and go get some! Whyyyy are you still reading this... Go To Litos Empanadas!

Sometimes you go to the movie theater you buy a ticket more than an hour away and need to kill sometime. You stroll through the neighborhood searching for a snack. You get cupcakes realize you still have more time and stop for empanadas!! Menu written in chalk. They have a few vegetarian ones and many more with meat. Got a ground beef one with rice and a chicken one. They give you a green salsa in addition to a creamy reddish/ pink one. Will probably make this a tradition empanadas and cupcakes prior to seeing film. Staff was helpful and gave water cup in addition to discussion about the reddish/ pink sauce.

Litoooooo! My man. You make some good a$$ empanada...let me tell you. I love the beef and rice, I know, that's so basic but whatever. I've also had your champiñon chicken, OH and your chorizo and cheese. Damn, if I could put an emoji on this review I'd totally do the drooly one but Yelp won't let me, maybe it's for the best. I almost forgot, those sauces! My favorite being the serrano but the Aji comes close second. Ugh, now I want some.

I was looking for a restaurant that sells Enpanadas and came across this one and I decided to give it a try because of the high ratings on different review websites. When I got there the place was empty and they only had two tables for dine in and the place looks like it needs to undergo major renovation because i imaged it to be a nice dine in place but it's not lol but we still went ahead and ordered four empanadas. I had Chicken with cheese and spinach with Cheese and My husband had Beef with vegetables and chicken with vegetables. He was not a fan of his because he said they were bland and were made of puffy dough and were deep fried. I thought mine were decent but I would prefer if they were baked rather than fried.

I am an Empanaddict! I was driving in the neighborhood and saw their signage. They only serve empanada, there are few tables to dine in. They cater more for deliveries and pickup. There are like 12 empanada varieties, 10 of them are savory and 2 are like dessrts. The empanadas are baked fresh every timw you order. I love the beef and chorizo empanadas.

I love Lito's! (Just not enough to walk there during winter in Chicago). Parking in that area can be a hassle, so walk there and explore the neighborhood! It was 68 degrees in mid-February and I seized the opportunity to stop by one of my favorite summer spots. I don't eat pork so I haven't tried over half of their empanadas, but based on how much I enjoy their others, I would recommend anything on the menu! The rice and beef is probably the most simple but also my favorite. The chimichurri and mayo sauce pairs perfectly with their flaky, perfectly fried shells. And for $2.99, you can try one of everything!

This place is great! And a much better value than 5411 empanadas. We got the beef and rice, al pastor, chorizo cheese, and chicken champinon flavors. All were good but the standouts were 100% the beef and rice and the chorizo cheese. All of he empanadas have such a nice crispy crust. The beef and rice sounds like it would be average but the filling was so flavorful! The same for the chorizo cheese. I was a little confused by what it is at first but it's basically ground beef and cheese. It's so good! These are a great value for $3 as they are a good size and quite filling. I believe they bake them to order as the wait was around 15 minutes after we ordered. Check this place out, you won't regret it!

I'd take a picture but the empanadas didn't last more than 30 seconds. This is my new favorite place, by far! I got the chicken, pastor and beef empanadas and the chicken burrito bowl. ALL were amazing. But the empanadas.....holy moly. Unreal. Keep in mind, it's a corner place and there isnt a lot of signage because they just opened, but the place was super clean and they were SO nice. This place is the real deal so I know they'll do very well-everyone please go support! (Pastor empanada is probably my favorite. I could literally eat it every day. Highly recommend!) Thanks again guys!

This is definately a hole in the wall shop. Very tiny with very limited sitting and great food. The empanadas are delicious, if that's what ur looking for. For me it's more novelty and it's nice to get know different culture. We tried the veggie, chicken and nutella empadas ... Awesome is the word .. And for 3$ a piece you can share/try many of them. Regardless, I recommend everyone trying this spot for themselves! But its more of a quick grab/ carry out place ..

NOMZ I'm a fan! The empanadas come out super hot and the crust is amazingly crispy/buttery/flaky. They throw in 3 different types of sauces: a chipotle one which I didn't care for too much, a sriracha/mayo based one, and a green sauce that was bomb! I tried: #4 Champinon chicken - Super delish, will get again! #6 Chorizo cheese - good #12 Al Pastor - also super delish, will get again! Will be back, IMO they are way better than 5411 Empanadas (size, taste, price)!

If I could eat these every day, I would. The chorizo and cheese is and I don't even like chorizo. The sweet sauce is super yummy too!

Im not an empanadas expert but this place is really good. Fresh, variety of flavors from sweet to savory. My favorite is the hawaiian and the spinach mozzarella. Definitely coming back. Cozy little spot, clean and friendly staff. Rec! And still recommend! Friendly great tasting empanadas that cant be beaten!

I love empanadas. I think they are easy to eat and you can eat them while walking around the streets of Chicago. It's a great on-the-go food. I got the beef which had raisins, ground beef, onions. It was okay. There wasn't anything special to it. There wasn't any flavor. I felt like I was eating something bland. I tried their empanadas with pineapple and it was more on the sweet side. I was disappointed that they didn't put a lot of stuffing inside the empanada.

Love me some Lito's! First, let me say that these are Colombian empanadas. So you can't really compare them to the other empanada place down the street. Those are Argentinian empanadas. They are both good, but just not the same. I have been here several times in order to try the different fillings. For me, two is enough to make me full, three if I'm feeling greedy. My favorite ones are the Hawaiian and the Chori-cheese. I've also had Champignon Chicken, BBQ chicken, Spinach, and Beef and Rice. They are all good! A lot of people love the Choco-banana, but for me the banana was not ripe enough and the Nutella was runny. Too hot maybe? But I didn't even eat it right away... However, I'd like to give it another try since so many have raved about it. My favorite part of these empanadas the the flaky outer puff crust/shell pastry thing. It's nice and crispy and not greasy at all. I also really like how the ones with cheese are really cheesy and just so good. All of the empanadas are stamped with a the Lito's name which I think is a really cute touch. And the homemade hot sauce is a must! There's not much seating and on the hot days I went it was really hot inside. Not sure if they don't have a fan or AC or if they just didn't turn it on the day I was there. That is probably the only complaint I have. Overall, I love Lito's Empanadas. What a tasty little treat!

Heavenly! I had a beef and a chicken. So delicious! Fast and friendly service and cheapppppp prices. So worth it. Lots of flavor and they're not greasy. Yum!!!

Yum!!!!! We normally get our empanadas from Chilango. So I was thrilled when I found out that Lito's was opening up in the Thompson Center. Oh my goodness, these are the best empanadas ever. I normally get the beef with rice or the chicken. I have never been disappointed. They are always hot, fresh and seasoned to perfection. I have been trying my best to stay away from carbs, so Lito's is definitely a guilty pleasure.

I just ate two of their empanadas for dinner plus I tried a bite of my friend's empanadas as well and I was pleased. Empanada prices aren't bad at $2.09-$2.49. Service was very friendly although there was a slight multi-tasking fail. We ordered a diet coke and were given a regular coke but couldn't even correct the error because she was on the phone the phone the whole time taking an order. Oh well. Not a big deal. The BBQ Chicken Empanada was good but could have used a bit more BBQ, that flavor got a bit lost in this. The Hawaiian Empanada was amazing! Cheese and juices gooshing everywhere from this little guy. The pineapple was sweet and tasty (probably from a can, but hey it makes me feel healthy) and the cheese & ham were very tasty. Absolutely loved it and would recommend it the most of the four I tried! I wouldn't make a special trip here for the treats but if you're in the neighborhood it's a good option to pick up & go.

Never judge a book by its cover. Lito's has a 4 star rating for a reason. I've been here a few times and I think it's earned its rating. There's a variety of flavors. Veggie, meaty, cheesy, and sweet. The Hawaiian, Chori Cheese, and Spinach are my faves. There are dessert empanadas that I haven't tried. The empanadas may be deep fried (they take about 5 mins from order) but the crust is still flaky and buttery (think pot pie). There are also two sauces: a green relish type of sauce and a tangy red sauce. Both are unique and hard to describe. I paid $11 for the 3 empanadas listed above. There isn't much seating on the inside of the store but the empanadas are hot enough to carry home. During the day you can usually snag a seat though. The staff is super nice and almost always offers a cup of water while your waiting or dining in. This is a solid spot I plan to go back to and recommend to others!