The vibes were off here. The staff was polite yet I somehow did not feel welcome. The sandwiches were tasty, and I enjoyed the appetizers. The flavors were good, but the food was dry. I asked for any sauces for my sandwich, and we were given hot sauce and the mayo catsup mixture in a bottle. All in all, it was a relaxing time. I would hate to be there if it were busy. It's a smaller space. I would eat here again, but I am not rushing to come back. read more

Borinquen - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I stopped by Borinquen and tried the pastel, alcapurria, steak jibarito with arroz con gandules, and an order of habichuelas. The alcapurria was the highlight of the meal, it was fresh and had a nice texture. Unfortunately, the pastel was very bland and lacked flavor. For my main dish, I ordered the steak jibarito with arroz con gandules and added habichuelas on the side. The steak was disappointing, as it was dry, chewy, and lacked the flavor I was hoping for. The arroz con gandules was okay, but nothing particularly memorable. The habichuelas were also a letdown, as they were watery and not what I'm accustomed to when ordering Puerto Rican beans. Overall, while the fresh alcapurria was enjoyable, the rest of the meal fell short of expectations. I wouldn't go out of my way to return. read more

Borinquen - Pastel , Alcapurrias, Bistec Jibaritos, Arroz Con Gandules, Habichuelas - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We really enjoyed the food we got. The mofongos were good. It was a little on the drier side so maybe order it some broth. I got the pork mofongo and it had great flavor. The beans and rice were delicious too. The plantains were flavorful as well. I was shocked at how many take out orders they had while we were there. You can tell it was a popular place. read more

Borinquen - Shrimp Mofongo Rell. De Camarones, Mofongo Con Caldo De Pollo - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a cute place. The menu has a lot of great options to choose from but make sure to ask what kinds of meats are included in items if you have dietary restrictions. The food was so yummy and filling. Definitely would love to come back and try a jibarito here. read more

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We had a large group & Borinquen provided excellent service. Food was outstanding. Tostones are thin & crispy. read more

Borinquen - Chicken stew with tostones - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Haven't eaten here in a very long time. I've come closer to when they initially opened years ago. Decided to stop in. We sat down & had to ask for water on the owner's/waitress 3rd time coming by as she actually took our order. Ordered Jibaritos, Pasteles & Alcapurria. Not as flavorful as it used to be to be, but not horrible. Beans were watery & subtle. My #1 complaint is we ordered Alcapurria, which typically is made with ground beef that I know of. I didn't notice the menu ask if we wanted pork or beef, but when I asked her after they arrived she said by default if you don't ask they give you pork. Huh, again Ive never heard of them coming in pork, so how would I know to ask, but if that's an option why not just ask us!? I mean there were 4 of us; 1 person didn't eat & one ordered to GO, so how difficult would it have been to ask, seriously?? The person who ordered their food to go actually did want to try an Alcapurria & does NOT eat pork! Soo wow SMH! Food made us sick; Service is slow; Place is empty; I wouldn't go back... read more

Borinquen - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So I'm usually not the type of person to leave reviews, but my husband and I decided to give this restaurant a second chance because we enjoyed it the first time. As customers, we simply expect friendly people, good service, and to feel welcomed when we're paying for a meal. Unfortunately, our second experience was completely different. The owner, the lady with the red hair, was rude, and the customer service we received was disappointing. Not only did we feel overcharged, but when returning our change, she shorted us a dollar. We didn't make a big deal out of it because maybe she needed that dollar more than we did, but it definitely left us feeling some type of way. This review is just a heads-up for other customers to pay attention and keep their eyes open. Sadly, they lost faithful customers who would have continued supporting their business. read more

The pastel had almost no meat in it. I always order it and it's always delicious. Today the filling was missing. read more

Borinquen - Pastel Pastel Pastel. Needs meat filling. Disappointed today. Maybe an off day. I hope next time will be better. - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A big sized and beautiful mom and pop puerto restaurant with lots of good salsa music that is not blasting and loud. I love the a la carte option bc you can make your own personalized plate of your favorite dishes. Carne frita (fried pork) was good w onions and just right for the portion size at $6.24. If you get the platter it's $16 that includes one side of white rice and beans, gandules, maduros, tostones, or mofongo. So I would say that's a bit pricey. The jibarito vegetariano was $12 for green and red peppers, onions and tomato and lettuce sandwich in between with tostones. The tostones were a but dry and hard and barely any garlic sauce and some salt. There werent much veggies but there was a lot of rice bc it comes on the side. Rice was good and fresh. The dessert was tembleque which is coconut jelly w cinnamon powder. It was good $3.64. It is vegan and daily free bc it's And the flan was good but not too smooth $3.64. The owner and staff were very nice and chill and it was a relaxing environment. The prices in the menu were slightly less as it was marked up 4% maybe bc we paid by credit card. This is a place that definitely has the feel for a mom and pop place where you are eating the food your aunt and uncle cook. Home made. Not great but good enough. Another nice thing about the staff? The waitress warned me when i tried to order the beans on the side that it was cooked in pork bc she noticed i ordered the vegetarian jibarito. I really appreciated that! Free Street parking. read more

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My first time in Chicago and I'm very happy I stumbled upon this place. Really good Puerto Rican food! The mofongo with shrimp and garlic is amazing! Very flavorful. The pastelitos are delicious! The portions are big! Very reasonable pricing. Our server was kind and patient. read more

The food is the real deal. The service was top notch!The decor reminds me of the island. I love the Taino petroglyphs throughout the restaurant too. If you're looking for authentic food for a reasonable price this is the place. This is hands down 10/10 read more

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Lucky enough to only be a block away from this place. Food is authentic with generous portion sizes. Interior is super cozy, especially on a cold Chicago winter day. The staff is always super friendly and you are always greeted with a smile. Best Mofongo on the Northside. read more

I don't have much experience with Puerto Rican food and I went here basically 45 minutes prior to closing so I may have had a biased perspective here but I was left pretty whelmed after eating here. The good about this place is that the food is pretty inexpensive and with all the carbs you're gonna get will fill you up. I just didn't think there was much flavor anywhere, and most everything, from the jibarito, to the rice, to the pastry was largely flavorless and dry. Pretty much needed to drown everything in their hot sauce to taste anything. TL:DR it's affordable but bland. read more

Borinquen - Lechon Jibaritos - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A friend of a friend suggested we visit Boriquen for their Jibaritos. This friend used to go to the Humboldt Park location. The Humboldt Park location no longer exists, but it is the same family. We arrived and they brought us a basket of soft baguette served with little packets of butter. I was hungry and really enjoyed it. We ordered a pastel and two Jibaritos, one with bistek and the other with pork. The service was so great and prompt. The pastel came out in less than 5 minutes and Maria suggested we eat it with some ketchup, which was really tasty, some of that sweet and savory. The Jibaritos came out a few minutes later and they were also DELICIOUS. We're presented their salsa Jibara, which was a phenomenal hit of acid. Delicious on the rice and Jibarritos. The meats were both really tender. I loved all of the garlic smeared on the top. The mayonnaise, so scrummy! The bill came out to about $38 bucks, but well worth it! I look forward to coming here again. read more

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Food was good, the fried aculpuria and the fried cod patty lacked a bit of seasoning. The steak from the jibarito was nice and tender but was looking for more of that garlic mayonnaise sauce to be on it. Wait staff was nice and informative. The place was clean and I will go back if in the area but to honest poncè has better flavor. read more

This is the second time I have visited this place and by far the food, environment and staff are always welcoming and very friendly. Not to mention their jibaritos are delicious. Definitely recommend this place! read more

Borinquen - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First time at the restaurant but have ordered delivery before. We went on a Friday at around 7 and it wasn't super busy. Service was fast and hospitable. The restaurant is well lit and decorated tastefully with a Puerto Rican vibe. Latin music playing but not too loud. I got the Lechon dinner with mofongo. The pork was well seasoned and juicy. I had never had mofongo and was pleasantly surprised. Very tasty. My wife got the lechon jibarito and she enjoyed it very much. She asked for extra garlic and she said that took it over the top. We both got a side of maduros and they were just ok. Overall our experience at Borinquen was amazing and we will be back. read more

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Had to stop in to the "original Borinquen Restaurant: home of the jiberito" @borinquen_lounge We remembered the original location near Fullerton and California,  and were excited to try out the location at 3811 N. Western.   There's a banner sign above the restaurant that is easy to miss,  just look for the steady stream of people going in and out of the restaurant. Colorfully decorated in neon and bright colors,  the restaurant is a fun place to enjoy a meal for the whole family or a refreshing drink. The jibarito sandwich (steak plantain sandwich) with rice was just as good as I remembered.    The baked lechon (pork) platter came with rice, beans, and salad was good,  but, was a little too salty for my taste. Will definitely be back for the jibarito sandwich! Glad we decided to stop and enjoy a tasty lunch! read more

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This place was the best Puerto Rican restaurant I've been in I don't care what anyone else says about this place but by far the best in Chicago and I want to shout out my guy Luis for his great customer service very fast and hard working he definitely deserves a raise read more

Love this restaurant I have been coming here as a kid, the owners and staff are so sweet and attentive. The food is always great, we got mofongo relleno and pollo frito con bacalao !!!! Can never go wrong with this place, and you don't have to make the drive to Humboldt if you're in the north side Gracias por todo y feliz año nuevo ! read more

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Every time I go here the food is amazing The service is always great. Love their hot sauce that can bought at restaurant to take home. I always keep a bottle of their hot sauce at home and I am not much of a hot sauce person. read more

After a night of drinking excessively, my friend pointed out this place was nearby, so we wandered over. It's fairly nondescript outside, but larger inside than you'd expect. It was pretty quiet when we arrived, maybe two or three other groups were in. The server brought our menus and water and we both got steak jibaritos with the rice and beans (my PR ex used to make rice and beans and I always forget how good it is until the next time I happen to eat it someplace, I should start making it at home). Anyway, my prior jibarito experience wasn't that great, so I was taking a chance, but I've decided wherever I got the first one was clueless. This sandwich was crazy good, not too dry, flavorful, plenty of garlic, nice tender meat. Rice and beans were good like they always are and I put a generous amount of hot sauce on them and my sandwich. I was pretty full afterwards, but wanted another. I didn't get it because I actually managed to have some self control this night. We left, full and happy. I want to come back. The end. read more

Amazing food but the service needs improvement! Got the shrimp mofongo to go with the red sauce. When we got the plate and got home there was no sauce. We went back to the restaurant to let the redheaded cashier know that we did not get sauce, she said that the sauce is in the mofongo. It was odd because we've never gotten the sauce inside with no container of sauce before. We went home and the sauce was not in the Mofongo either. The lady is also just rude on any encounter! The mofongo was delicious. The texture was soft and the flavor was the right amount of salty and sweet. It definitely would have tasted better with the red sauce though! We also got an alcapurria and it was delicious! read more

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"If 'How'd you know I was Puerto Rican?' was a place, it would be Boriquen." That's why my cousins and I made a point to stop by Boriquen over the weekend for a quick jibarito hangout. Trust me, you can't go wrong with their steak jibaritos - they never disappoint. The music at Boriquen is so lively and festive, it feels like you're at a family party. And let me tell you, the Domino Menus are a brilliant and creative idea. Not to mention, the tables have Coquís in the Puerto Rican flag, which adds a nice touch. We'll be back soon :) read more

Borinquen - Jibarita w Arroz Con Gandules - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Order take out here pretty often. My favorite is either the Jibarito Sandwich or the Steak sandwiches. Order the rice! It's delicious and reheats very well. Prices have gone up over the years and the portions have gotten smaller. But overall, I like supporting a business so close to home. Service is always quick and food is always fresh. I've never had a bad meal here in 4 years. Would highly recommend! read more

Well, this is a local gem that screams PR vibes. It's a quiet joint with a bar, music and tvs. Sweet family or date spot. The food is legit PR. I started with the antojos: bacalaito and alcapuria. Both were served fresh and hot. The flavors are authentic and delicious. The pollo guisado was also served piping hot and with a little salad. So tasty. The service is polite, quick and sweet. The food comes out hot and made to order. Wait for it - don't complain about waiting for fresh antojos; it's worth it. Omgosh, the Alcapurra is so good and a great size. I totally recommend this PR gem. read more

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I've only done takeout/delivery from this place, but the five stars is for the bacalaito itself. It was so good and I could have it again - I am a fan of Puerto Rican food and know different establishments do different things well, so wanted to highlight the strengths. We also liked the shrimp mofongo and pollo guisado. read more

Have been coming here for nearly 2 decades and love the food and service here . Still one of the best places in the city for Puerto Rican food. read more

The food. Not like it used to be. The pork is dry. Beans have no flavor. Rice is always cold.Tostones so soggy. Over salted. Sorry I tried over n over. read more

I had Bistec Jibarito Con Arroz, plantains at this restaurant and the food was delicious. The service was great and the ambient was energetic. read more

Dont walk, RUN to this place!!! I lived around the corner from this place for years and never went. I move and go a month later. Maybe it was the universe protecting my waistline/bank account because otherwise I would have ordered take out at least twice a week!! read more

Borinquen - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Do you love Puerto Rican food? Look no further than Borinquén! They have all the PR classics that you know and love. The flavors are rich and deep. Staff here is great to interact with; they always have a smile on. I haven't eaten in here, have only gotten takeout a handful of times. Will update once I go back and sit in! read more

I'm so glad I randomly read an article online about a Lyft driver's favorite 10 restaurants in Chicago! (Spoiler alert, Borinquen Lounge was on it) I had never heard of this place before but now I'm excited to try it again. We had the bistec (steak) jibaritto and boy was it tasty. Plaintains instead of bread and steak and garlicky goodness (also lettuce tomato and mayo I believe). It was really good and I'm so glad I read that article and decided I'd go try it out. I'll be back! Go try a jibaritto, one of my new favorite sandwiches in the city!!! P.S. my picture doesn't do it justice, tastes better than my picture makes it look. read more

Borinquen - Bistec jibaritto - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A solid Puerto Rican dining experience, from ordering a la carte pastelillos to traditional style hearty meals. The complimentary bread and butter is a nice touch, and their full bar is a welcome addition when I feel like stopping by for a drink and some fried food. The atmosphere is mostly that of walking into a large kitchen space with elevated corner spaces with a tropical theme in one of them, kind of like the corner space of that convenience store in the movie In the Heights. The staff are a pleasure to interact with, courteous and attentive. I don't think they have their own parking lot but parking along the street doesn't seem to be an issue. I can walk there so it hasn't been a sticking point for me. read more

Borinquen - Carne Guisado with gandules rice - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is the best hidden Puerto Rican restaurant in Chicago!! I have been coming here since they first opened. I stopped coming only because I was no longer in the area. I did pop in a couple times and I heard they sold the place. I stopped in today and was pleasantly surprised to see the owner. If your looking for a good P.R. restaurant please visit this place. You wont be disappointed!! read more

Borinquen - Tostones - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Yes! Puerto Rican food at it's best..the morcilla fresh and couldn't have enough had to take some home. Service on point. The place is clean and ready to give you flavors to remember. Thank you Mini! read more

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Fresh authentic Puerto Rican food. I went there a few days ago. I had the mofongo with lechon and had the freshest bacalito

I use to go here years ago when I lived near by there and the sandwiches were great. But this time not so much. Maybe it being a Sunday night and they were trying to use up remaining platanos because they were so hard it made it very difficult to eat AND they could have added more dressing to the sandwich. But the service was great and it was a really cute little restaurant. read more

WORLDS SMALLEST JIBARITO I used to give them five stars. The food here is generally quite good. But recently I made a delivery order of two jibaritos for lunch. When I check the bag left by the delivery driver, I see three small wrapped up shapes. Turns out the jibaritos were roughly the same size as the complementary piece of bread: about 6 inches long by barely 3 inches wide. They were decent, true, but they are the smallest jibaritos I've ever been served. They are half the size they used to be from this restaurant. read more

Food and service were great. Had pastelitos for appetizers and lechon jibaritos. We will be back!