Macanudo Mate

I loved the place. The empanadas are delicious and very healthy (I ate like 6 empanadas 😂 but they were really good. I don't regret it). The owner is a sweet lady. I drank Mate finally for 1st time and she was very special making it. I'm a fan of Mate now 😍

I live on Marco Island, so I do not stop a lot, but when I am in the area, I always do. They make the BEST Empanadas, the Cuban one is my favorite. Plus, I would buy gifts for Christmas. Today, there was a sign stating the owner passed and her husband will open soon. The owner was the sweetest, warmest person. I will miss her smiling face. I am praying for her family and friends.

The people who run the store are really kind and the store has a lot of unique stuff. I gave this store another shot and I am glad I did. I will be back again to try some of the food there. They have a great selection of yerba! I forgot to snap a picture of the new hours but they were open until 4 on a Saturday. Definitely closed on Sundays.

Wow, I'm so happy Macanudo Mate popped up on restaurant finder! BEST chicken empanadas with nice chunks of white chicken in a light pastry. I ate two and bought 3 more frozen for later

The food was so tasty, service was amazing and the atmosphere was very welcoming and calming. Christi who owns the store was very helpful, mindful and friendly. my overall experience was unreal and would recommend this to anyone who wants to eat amazing food with amazing company in a welcoming environment. Most definitely will be back!! -Allyssa

They have the best empanadas! They are authentic & PERFECT. Highly recommend the traditional beef, corn, & spinach. They tasted very similar to the empanadas my grandparents used to make (I've never found a restaurant/cafe that makes them so similar, it was amazing). We had the beef milanesa sandwich & the prosciutto + cheese sandwich de miga, and they were both delicious. They also carry the best treats/desserts EVER, the Havannets. It's worth trying if you like dulce de leche. The owner was super friendly and the store had so many cute little gifts & decor. I highly recommend coming here. You will not be disappointed!!

Very personable and friendly service you can feel the goodness and care in the food!! I try to go all the time .

Wonderful people and incredible food! A true little taste of Argentina!

Great little place with phenomenal empanadas. Even if you have never had them-go check the place out. You won't be disappointed.

Just found this place. Most important: affordable. Second: great service. Third: they make food you can take home for dinner (shepherds pie). Had a choripan and empanada. Really good food and a great price. Worth your time to stop.

Was craving empanadas and found this gem! And boy, did they deliver. I had the beef and cebolla empanadas... Got them to go and they were still warm and delicious when I got home! Service was A+ and the store is so cute. Can't wait to try some of the other options soon!

Cute little spot for a quick bite to eat. There were many options for empanadas - the ham and cheese / beef were tasty. The egg and cheese sandwich can be toasted - this was worth waiting for. It's counter service - pay and go.

Great empanadas!!! I had the onion and beef with some chimi sauce. It right next to subs shop so you can try both!!!

Tasty, fantastic, Argentinean style empanadas and served by the nicest people. Get you some mate to pair with them.

Random and I have never even really seen this place but it is on the bottom floor of the shopping center! Came here with my coworker to get freshly made empanadas and they were so good! It is also part of a general like store with unique items and shoes. I would definitely be back!

Every time I transfer onto the blue line I make sure to visit Chinelas for Christine's homemade empanadas which are buttery and full of delicious flavors. I especially love the traditional beef and olive so I highly recommend anyone come here to pick out these absolutely delicious savories. Today I also found a cute glass vial filled with bath salts from Argentina. This cute little boutique sells shoes bath products and delicious cookies and meat pastries so it's always a delight to pop in. Christine is the owner and has a great passion for creating the loveliest shopping experience for her customers. It's definitely worth the visit!

You MUST try this place! I just found this gem and didn't have enough time to fully explore, but here's why I love it already: Empanadas. Freshly crafted pockets of traditional Argentine fillings that are baked, flaky, delicate and flavorful! (I got the pork and the ham/cheese versions for husband and chicken for me and our bird. Best I've ever had--not soggy, doughy, lumpy, greasy as are many, especially when fried. Alfajores. Their dulce de leche filled cookies are perfectly tender, just-right-sweet and satisfyingly rich. I tried the coconut and scored their very first special heart-shaped valentine version for husband. Sooooo GOOD! 1 of a kind, NOT a chain. They're Chicago-based and independently-owned/operated. Christine Picerno (Argentine-American designer/founder of the shoe company, Chinelas) explained to me that it's her husband who creates their food and beverage offerings. Friendly atmosphere. Christine is very welcoming and provides insights to their products, background and the influence of her grandmother in their authentic creations. (I thought that 'Macanudo' was just a cigar brand, but she explains it translates to 'great' or 'fantastic' and I find their shop to be just that.) So much more: authentically-prepared mate (which I'll try soon), a table of market items including cans of that wonderful dulce de leche and other goods, and a Chinelas shoe shop that I'll be going back to. To all this and what I'll find in the near future, I say ¡Macanudo!

Mixed feelings about this place. The empanadas are well-made but expensive, AND far too small. The "jumbo" is roughly 2/3 the size of a regular-sized empanada in most countries, and it's $4.63 at Macanudo at the time of this writing. Yikes. The first time a staff person pointed to the "jumbo," I did a double take. (Imagine your average sandwich made at home with regular bread, then cut it in half; that's probably slightly larger than the "jumbo" empanada.) ...and yet, they're the tastiest empanadas I've had so far in Chicago and better than many that I've had in South America. They're kind of a different style here, though; whereas in their native lands, they're cheap, large, and flavorful, these empanadas at Macanudo are more delicate and have a lot more nuance. So, again: Mixed feelings. They've got some other foods and also a variety of shoes for sale, so it's worth checking out the place if you're curious at all; then you can decide for yourself the value. I've been there three times now just to try different flavors, but I'll probably only duck my head in now and then to see if the prices have either come down or the real estate of the empanada has gone up.

I visited this place pre-quarantine and it was great! It's a fantastic lunch spot for the loop workers who need a new spot. The empanadas themselves are tasty with good flakiness to them. they are not super tiny. Someone mentioned they are expensive, but for loop prices, I would say this is on par. Besides the empanadas, the soup was great too. The alfajore cookies were amazing! Add them t your order :) I ordered ahead, and everything was ready by the time I arrived. The interior of the place is cute too with some unique items for sale.

What a find! Super tasty empanadas, mate (tea), Argentinian cookies, also soups & sandwich. Had the traditional beef/olive/veg empanada as well as the spinach/ricotta. Both were perfectly seasoned, and the crust is almost like a phyllo dough, so flaky and golden. I am intrigued by the Cuban, which is their new best seller. There are sweet fillings too. One can buy loose tea to brew at home. The shoe store which shares the space offers fun regional and South American gifts, like Motor City santeria candles and string shopping bags. Located right next to the Red Line in the lower level of Block 37. Close enough to Millennium Park to have the empanadas still warm when you get there for your picnic.

I long for the day when I can return to going downtown. I get off at Washington and head straight to Chinelas for some of the best empanadas in the whole world. They are tops on my list of things I miss. One day....

Amazing food and incredible staff! One of the servers, Dani, is super helpful and sweet! A must-go if you are downtown!

Such an amazing store! You can get warm, delicious empanadas, try tea from Argentina, AND buy handcrafted shoes all in one place! The family that owns this business is truly the sweetest and they put their heart and soul into what they do. Try their chicken empanadas, they're my favorite!!

BEST FOOD EVER! Best Argentinian food in Chicago! It's already hard to come by relatively affordable Argentinian food. This place not only sells it at a decent price, but also the food is delicious! Definitely stop by here.