Ponce Restaurant

Love, love, love this place! The place recently got a beautiful, artistic, face lift to the front, but it still has the best Puerto Rican food in Chicago. Great service, incredible food, amazing vibe, and music. AUTHENTIC AND FULL OF HEART AND SOUL!

So disappointed this place was my favorite place but sad to say today was a sad day they reheated and refried the Fish and the Alcapurrias de yuca and the jabarito was as thin as a paper not sure how they flattened the banana so thin that it couldn’t hold up as a sandwich and the Mofongo was low quality . Not sure whats going on . I spent 53.00 on bad quality food . Im sad it will be my last visit

Food was just average this time. Not as good as it usually is. Pleasant surprise to have band on a Saturday afternoon. Normally band is on Sunday. Service was very good but it was very cold inside that day.

If you like Puerto Rican food you should definitely stop in for a bite. Everything was fresh and delicious. The staff was very attentive and friendly. My apologies for the photos. I was hungry and I couldn't help myself!

Wow so impressed! Really good Puerto Rican food! Delicious! Highly recommended! Good prices and generous portions!

Haven't had Puerto Rican food since last summer in PR...and Ponce is absolutely authentic! Amazing food!

My wife and I visited Ponce Restaurant on a weekday right at about 2 pm. The menu is detailed and easy to understand. The quality of the food was STELLAR! It compares highly against other Puerto Rican restaurants in Chicago. We shared tostones rellenos that my wife and I destroyed before I remembered to take a picture. 🙂 I had a Jibarito de bistec that has lots of garlic and awesome flavor. My wife had mofongo con Carne frita. My only comment about Carne frita was that the fat could have been rendered a bit more. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and conveniently set up for dancing at night. The only complaint I have was the level of service. It took quite a while for the server to return to check on us. We had to try hard to get her attention while she attended to other tables. We sat for approximately 15 minutes looking to pay for our check, and I eventually needed to walk up to the counter to pay. We're willing to try this place again hoping for better service at a different time of day.

I have better experiences when I order pick up for some reason. But I love them. I have NEVER been disappointed with the great flavor of every single item I've ever ordered (been going there for YEARS...since they were across the street!) I've even started to pick up for my co workers! A definite MUST try!!!

I was craving whole fried fish so I searched Caribbean on Apple Maps and this place amongst a few others popped up so i made the trek from Old Town. Definitely worth the trip! The service is fine, it's a busy place with indoor and outdoor seating so the staff is quite busy shuffling from table to table. It's an authentic Puerto Rican establishment so some employees speak good English and others not too much which is fine. I knew i was getting the snapper before I arrived,however, I did substitute the side salad for pepper and onions because lettuce is my least favorite green (&I eat all my greens on rotation so that should tell you something). After placing my order, my food came out within about 15 minutes. It came out hot with a few limes on top. The side veggies came out a couple Minutes after I asked for them and with avocados which was an appreciated surprise. Having lived in NY and LA, there's always an up charge if like $4 for avocados so when they are given to you without warning and up charge then that's nice from where I sit. The tostones weren't too oily and the fish was perfect. I should have took an after shot but let's just say, I ate down. To the bone. And I am now very full. My meal was $23 before tax so that was good for me! If you are visiting Chicago and looking to eat outside of downtown and not afraid to venture out a little bit, I recommend coming here for sure.

One of the best Puerto Rican restaurants in the city, situated right in the heart of Humboldt Park, the food and flavors transport you to the island life. Bustling with patrons, serving up all the classics, they just spent time renovating their space, clean, friendly, but be prepared to wait. Food does take a bit longer than usual, especially when ordering carryout. Must try!

The food was awesome Everything was tasty and well seasoned. We had a great waiter that was friendly and helpful. The place was clean, vibrant and smelled like great food. This restaurant will definitely go on the repeat list. Note: The street parking is relatively inexpensive. $5 bucks for two hours.

Was able to taste them during a Blackhawks game night - themed for Hispanic Heritage Month. There were 4 different stations to choose from and this was one of them. I loved that they gave a hearty mini meal! The food itself was good. Not like my mom's rice, but still good. The chicken was so soft! Very yummy overall! May need to check them out in restaurant.

The best place!! my 103-year-old Puerto Rican grandma from utuado approved too! Jibarito and arroz con Gandules. Get the fried meat pie(alcapurria) too. Try the passion fruit juice or the Puerto Rican soda. Enjoy!!

The food here is ALWAYS amazing! Service is quick, the dining area is large enough for a number of sized groups, and takeout/Doordash is available. We've been to Puerto Rico several times, and the food here is very reminiscent of our favorite spots there. Authentic, flavorful, and well portioned. My personal favorite is the Mofongo con Camarones en Salsa. The Mofongo was tender, and the red sauce served with the shrimp was incredibly delicious! This place is absolutely worth a stop if you're from the area or a visit if you're not!

Good food! I'm giving it five starts because of the pork, extremely juicy and tender. The rice with gandules was also good and well flavored. The stewed beans were good but not great. They had huge chunks of green bell peppers which was a surprise. I also got a coconut flan. It had a perfect consistency and taste, but it was tiny for the $5 price. Overall, I would eat the pernil again.

Aye dios mio! What a great way to finish off our stay in Chicago. This place is not to be missed. If you're in the mood for great flavor, Puerto Rican ambiance and great service, stop by Ponce Restaurant on Fullerton. Everything was amazing! So much to choose from but definitely have the Puerto Rican arroz con gandules. I've added this place to my contacts list. Definitely going back for more.

The place is clean. I really like the art work they have in the wall is very beautiful. Make me think of home Puerto Rico. The staff makes you feel welcome and they very friendly and is a family friendly vibes. Also make sure to ask for Francisco he will make sure to answer all the questions about the menu.

Ordered for the first time on Uber Eats and was extremely disappointed. I usually go to Jibaritos y mas but wanted to try something new. The first problem was the consistency issues. My jibarito was easy half the size of my boyfriends for the same price. Second was the difference in the 2 pastellios we received. The bigger one on the bottom left side in the photo was burnt and unedible. Additionally, the service was poor in regards to attention to detail. I wrote in extra garlic on the side 3 times throughout the order and didn't receive any. Jibaritos y mas hooks it up with full sample cups on the side. Asked for utensils and napkins and didn't receive any. Also, the flavors were lacking, and the plantain for the jibarito was dry. I also usually get chunks of meat in the rice at more places, and this one is more basic and doesnt have any. All in all, a very lack luster experience

Me and my family stopped into Ponce today and enjoyed a nice meal. Everything was good, although the rice was a little hard and waitress didn't really tend to us much on this busy day. Overall, will always go back to support and enjoy some good Puerto Rican food. Coconut Flan is A1 as well!

Honestly they have gone down the drain in service and respect for their customers. Sad I will not be going back plenty of other great Puerto Rican restaurants I can give my hard earned money to that respect the customer

Honestly this place is over rated! I did not think the food was worth the drive or the money. You can get better food at the trucks on north avenue in Humboldt park. This entire meal was so salty I could not even finish it. The rice and beans were definetly not what you expect from a Puerto Rican spot in Chicago. I do not recommend this place as it was not any where close to being authentic in flavor.

Food was good, empanadas are good & crunchy, the rice is also very tasty. The pricing is affordable and makes it wort it. Nice chill place to eat at. The employees were friendly.

As a Chicago born southeast asian, I make better puerto rican food than this. I'm sorry but this place lacks flavor and seasoning. I can't... and I won't ever again. Everything was disappointing, jabaritto, pastelle, accapulia, de rellenos papas, just no! Worst puerto rican food ever!! Go to nellys, jibartos y mas, boriuen lounge or jibarito on harlem. Anywhere but this place! Go! Away!

Some of the best Puerto Rican food I've had to date. The seasonings were spot on, the meat was tender and everything just paired perfectly. The service was fantastic and the vibes were just perfect. I highly recommend going here anytime you want comfort food.

Service was spotty - there were only two people and the restaurant got pretty busy. Had to ask multiple times for boxes and repeat orders. But servers were friendly. Food was pretty good overall, but I've had better, especially in Chicago. The bacalaito had good flavor was super full of oil, as in you could squeeze it and watch the oil drip out. It wasn't crispy so probably went in when the oil wasn't hot enough. The relleno was good, the lechon was ok, and the rice had great texture and flavor. The best thing we tried were the tostones rellenos - the chicken, steak, and octopus and shrimp salad were all delicious. I would probably come again if I was in the area, but wouldn't make a special trip for it.

I've ordered Ponce via delivery several times now and the flavor always leaves us happy and satiated. Their tostones are crunchy and flavorful. We order Bistec Encebollado and the thinly sliced meat packs a lot to flavor. I've ordered their pollo guisado as well, which the chicken they leave the bone in, and I liked it. The habichuelas that come with it are good! Full disclosure, I'm not well versed in Puerto Rican food at all, but every time we've ordered delivery from here, it's been so enjoyable to eat.

I really enjoyed my meal from Ponce. The staff was friendly and they had some authentic staples, like acapulrias and kola champagne. The pan con bistec, lechon, arroz con gandules, maduros, and tostones all tasted like home. The foods well priced, and it's a casual environment that feels happy and celebratory. I'd recommend this place for every day meals, and snacks with friends.

The food is good, however it tends to lean on the salty side. The carne frita wasn't crispy, just chewy, which is disappointing for pork skin. The pieces were also cut way to large. We came an entire hour before closing and it wasn't super busy. During my experience, our waiter didn't attend to us for about 30 minutes after we sat down. We were seated in a corner and the waiter couldn't see us. The waiter gave me a bit of an attitude while ordering and rolled her eyes at me. I was trying to be polite as possible. She forgot about 2 rellenos de papa I ordered. The food came out quickly though. The waiter didn't come to give us the check despite being done with our meal. She overcharged us because she put an incorrect number for the amount of carne frita I ordered. My mother also goes here, and sometimes the service is great. Other times, the staff will even say go to "Jibaritos y Más." It's really unfortunate, because my mother and I know the owner and have been coming to this place for years. I just wish the each staff member could be trained more to give better service. The restaurant is beautiful and has Puerto Rican design on the inside. Sometimes you get better service by just ordering from the front and leaving. Which is unfortunate because the restaurant is so pretty.

This place is AMAZING. Super authentic family own restaurant, the staff is lovely and the owners were SO kind. Drinks: The passionfruit punch is so fun and yummy. I don't usually do sugar drinks but this one is worth it. Apps: I got a random assortment of fried apps and they were all good, highlight was the empanada. Fried perfectly! But one of my favorite things were these little plantain cup appetizers. They were deep fried - so tasty and oily in the most perfect way. THIS IS A MUST ORDER. There was a little beef one, a seafood one and a chicken one. I LOVED the chicken one. Entrees: I got a pork + rice dish and it was INSANE. The rice is super super good. I am still dreaming about it. The pork was perfectly seasoned and so juicy and soft. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Great food, great variety of drinks, clean, and great atmosphere. Main Street parking with Park Chicago 433 106.

Great food and ambiance. My new go to for a jibarito in the area! My only issue were with the floors in the bathroom that felt a bit slimy.

The way they work is totally bs i drove 40 min from the south side & they refused to give me a table only because i was by myself they dont have any tables for a single person & it was not even busy

Heard lots of good things about this place. So decided to give it a try. Jibarito was overly greasy, as were the croquettes. Morcilla was good. Nice and spicy. The arroz con gandules could have been warmer. Needless to say I wasn't too impressed...and we dropped a good buck for the food.

the worst service ever we ordered our food never got it, and when we call to complain the person phone did care and would not gave us the driver Julio ph number. and he would not help with a refund. don't order from them!

Massive portions for takeout! The appetizers were hit or miss but I understand sometimes they stay under a heater for a few hours. The lechon is delicious but there was a good bit of grease that poured out of the container. The rice and beans are really delicious.

Authentic puertorican cuisine! I travel from the suburbs to have this food and great customer service.

The food here is always FIRE...I gotta drive an hour there and an hour back when we grab Ponce. The staff have never messed up our order, everything is always in the bags. Love the ambiance and professional custumer service here and would recommend you try one of everything on the menu, at least once.

It's a very cozy Spanish restaurant, it has plenty of seating area and the waiters are very attentive

Don't know if it was grub hub or ponce but my food came sloppy and for the money I paid it was unacceptable.

After going to a PR restaurant twice and not getting good food I went to ponce and fell in love! The food was sooo good and fresh everything I ate was delicious... Thank you Ponce for the delicious food cooked with love

Small restaurant in Chicago's Hermosa neighborhood. Not to be underestimated. This place was insanely good! The food has nothing but flavor. Authentic PR food! The prices were reasonable. Fast service! Friendly staff. Outdoor seating. Parking on Fullerton Ave. Must go if you are a fan of Puerto Rican food.

Cold food even after they replace the initial meal. It looks like the food is not fresh maybe sitting in the kitchen rather then cooking it fresh. You inform the cashier when she asked you "was everything okay" and all she states was "0kay. Go to Jibarito's down the street.

WORST SERVICE PERIOD!!! The quality of food is good, but not good enough to ignore the worst service I've had in a long time. Do NOT eat here if you have a scheduled plans, because more than likely you'll miss your appointment because the wait time AFTER you order is about avg. 30-40 mins...DO BETTER PONCE! The only thing that came out within a reasonable time were the alcapurrias

Catered for a retirement party. Order was packed with extreme care. Food was delicious! Will definitely cater again.

When I come here, it always meets my expectations. I love the sorullos. It's definitely something that brings childhood memories. The Tembleque is amazing! They're pretty quick with the order and there's enough space to sit where you'd like. Of course when it isn't the weekend. Every time I visit Chicago, I come here. Instead of ordering online, you gotta come inside and eat the food! It's very good

Food is very good and fresh I love the jibarito with the fresh garlic also can never go wrong with Puerto Rican rice.

I visited Ponce for a birthday celebration for one of my mastermind team members. I definitely wanted to hang out with my friend whom I'd only met virtually, so that was a fantastic experience. But the pasteles, that was something else entirely! I'm a pasteles SNOB! They must be smooth, creamy, saucy and with meat you can actually SENSE in the masa. OH and pitless olives, they must have those! The pasteles at Ponce did not disappoint! OMG I was in heaven. The smell. The consistency, el sabor! They were 100% ON POINT! The restaurant itself was spacious with a stage and there was salsa music! AND there's outdoor seating. I'll be back! Gracias, Marisel (owner) for your wonderful family restaurant and for being an amazing hostess!

Went to an event catered by Ponce and all of the food was outstanding! I don't usually eat hot sauce or sauces but one of the homemade Ponce sauces looked great, so I tried it and was really impressed. The Ponce staff was friendly, knowledgeable, answering my questions about the food and ingredients. Can't wait to go to the restaurant and have these items again!

AMAZING FOOD. The people are so nice and thoughtful. Number one go to spot! You wont regret eating here. Trust.

Everytime we order from there the food is delicious, it would be a 5 star if it were for food only, the staff are all very friendly, only complaint is they're a bit slow, and seem to sometimes be overwhelmed with orders. Doesn't matter though, the foods soo damn good, you'll be back ;) Oh, and please try the pastles, it's a like a Puerto Rican tamale, I could eat them daily, so under rated, give it a try, you'll be glad you did

The bag where my verdura and bacalao was in. I posted a review but my picture didn't go through I asked for bacalao to be separate

Very good Puerto Rican food in Chicago. I would recommend the carne frita (fried pork w/ skin). It was fried to perfection.

The worst customer service, their food is good but I think they lack customer service, they think just because people love their food they could treat people the way they do. It's because of your customers that you have income and a place of business, don't be so cocky and full of yourselves. They never pick up their phone line, they offer online ordering and somehow always have an excuse as to why your order is not ready.

I usually order to pick up and the service is great n friendly and food is Great...once in a while some dishes will be a little salty But Not bad at all overall. Ponce, Thank you for good food n service y Que Viva Puerto Rico!

I have been a patron of Ponce for many years. The pasteles are amazing, the bacalaito, and piononos (whenever they're not sold out). My family has celebrated birthdays and many family dinners. Though the service has never been extraordinary, the food was always worth going back for. However, my most recent visit changed everything. ... My fellow friend and I walked in to celebrate her birthday, as three young women were walking out at 8:15pm. They were saying the staff refused to serve them. Surely it was a mistake because there was 45 min before closing. We still walked in and waited to be greeted. Minutes passed and no one acknowledged us. I walked up to the register and asked if we could order. I was ignored. Another young lady walked in showing her phone for a pick-up and her request was fulfilled. I again asked if anyone could help us, and crickets. Well, "perhaps the manager could help us", I said. "I'm the manager," the young man standing there all along said. "Excuse me, we've been standing here asking for your help, but I see that you don't want to serve us." And so we left, never to come back again, sadly. I understand food runs out, that staff is short, and that the phone won't stop ringing, but this can be communicated kindly and efficiently. However, ignoring your customers and essentially turning them away, is not okay.

Always good well prepared food. Great service. Clean restaurant. Made some major improvements inside the restaurant. I had fried pork chops with White rice and beans. I also had the alcapurrias which are very delicious. The fried plantains were ripe and sautéed and mouthwatering. Will definitely be back. Just wish I lived closer.

I literally came in with my daughter this evening. About 10min to be seated and about 30min to 40min still nobody has come to great us or even water was given. This place has fell off! Service is terrible.

Catered for 100 and had it delivered. The food was on point! Lechon, arros con gondules, yucca, pollo guisado and gineos where amazing! Delivered on time, fresh and hot! Thank you Ponce!