Thank you, La Bruquena, for going out of your way to serve lunch to our large group. Food was very good and service was good, especially since there were so many of us. We appreciated that you explained your food and the cultural influences contributing to Puerto Rican diet. Everything worked out well. read more

I have been coming to this place for years and the food never disappoints. Authentic Puerto Rican cuisine always fresh always good. The music is good and in the summer the patio area is nice. read more

La Bruquena - Pork chops - Puerto Rican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Authentic Puerto Rican food, and the staff is extremely friendly. Family owned restaurant that makes sure you're happy while you're there

If you like being accosted by homeless people, this is the place for you! OK, that might have been a one-time thing, so let's start from the beginning. We went on a weeknight and the place was close to empty, except for two tables. We were initially greeted by a waitress who was reasonably nice and took our order. And here's where things go down hill fast. First, my soup comes; it's full of bones. I don't mean chicken meat on the bone, I talking about shards of bones throughout the soup. Second, a fairly long period of time goes by, the appetizer comes; it's just not good, and we get more than we ordered having to pay for all the stuff we weren't planning to eat. And now we get to the fun part. A homeless man walks in and starts bothering us trying to sell some garbage. We try to ignore him, try to ask him to leave us alone. Meanwhile, the restaurant staff does nothing. They have a few TVs. We realize we've just made it through an episode and a half of Wife Swap, and our entrée hasn't some out, and the waitress is nowhere to be found, neither is any other staff member. Now we're contemplating leaving and are now watching Supper Nanny (why? Because there's nothing else to do). Finally, the food arrives. Obviously COLD. The plantain chips from the jibarito are so hard, you can't bite into it. The final straw, as we're eating our awful food, a man walks in. He greeted like royalty; it's clear he's a regular. He also order's a jibarito. It arrives in about 5 minutes. Seriously, we waited an hour and a half for our food which takes 5 minutes to make! There was a major red flag at the start of this long long dinner. A couple sitting near us was quietly complaining and discussing walking out. We should have taken than as a major cue to leave. Oh well, lesson learned. Oh, and I must apologize if my review got mixed up with the plot of Supper Nanny or Wife Swap. read more

My boyfriend LOVES this... World Series? Spanish speaking? Good Food? I do not speak Spanish- My weak attempts were corrected with charm by our bemused server. I had the jibarito (my new obsession without fear of the shamelessly lumpy Fat Britney proportions I will soon aquire) with mofogo, fries, beans and rice. Delicious. So delicious, that when the owner came to our table and asked us if it was good I stopped him and said: "No, it was beyond good- it was a tracendental, spiritual experience without compare!" I think he likes me. Wait until I learn to say it in Spanish! read more

My GF is Puerto Rican and her parents suggested this restaurant for some authentic Puerto Rican food. I had been craving mofongo for months after returning from Puerto Rico on vacation. We made reservations for our group at 6:30 PM on a Saturday. It was pretty much empty inside, only a few other people. Home of the slowest service. Call it island time if you want but do not come here expecting much. Many items on the menu were not available. They do not have a full bar but they do have rum and beer. 1 staff member on duty seating people, working the bar, taking orders and bringing out food. When the food did come, it was nothing special. I'll spare details but the only items worth eating were fried. Anything fried tastes good though. read more

Since this place ends up getting a lot of new faces on Riot Fest weekend each year I'm guessing they brought out all the stops. The owners here definitely know how to lure in a punk rock crowd. When the line was too long to get into the festival on Saturday morning, I went scavenging for food and I found myself completely lured in by their $1 PBR special. From now on, I am not going to spend a dime inside Humboldt Park to get liquored up on festival weekend since getting sauced here early in the day is so much cheaper. I was also psyched that the food was less expensive than festival food (and more authentic to boot). I actually had a hard time choosing which vegetarian entree to get. The recommendation of the owner was the garbanzos over rice. It was delicious but the portion size left a lot to be desired. The rice was not well seasoned itself but the garbanzos had just enough kick to require swigging a bit of PBR with each bite. Since I was still a little bit hungry, I almost ordered more but the wait time it took for my first meal discouraged me from doing it. Seemingly knowing that the crowd was waiting a long time for their food (and even drinks) since the place was seriously understaffed for the large crowd that wandered in, the owner brought us all free "Puerto Rican eggnog" multiple times. This was sort of like a very sweet white Russian and I only required one to really get me ready to rock when combined with the cheap beers. But the fact that the crowd needed pacifying due to the waits was definitely a problem they needed to overcome to be considered a bar I'd look forward to coming back to. read more

The arroz blanco con abichuela was OK. The carne guizado was a little too tough and bland. Like I said it was OK. What wasn't OK is how they treated my black friend who didn't know Spanish. She felt awkward and out of place when she tried to ask for the rellena de papa. My friend knows what a rellena de papa is and she felt like the staff made her feel silly for asking. Luckily she had a spanish-speaking friend to interpret. (they said they were all out of it). Point is...La Bruquena..if you are watching your reviews....treat ALL customers THE SAME...with respect! For this, I won't return to try your rellena de papa...when you have it... read more

The mofongo is amazing - much like the entertainment on Friday nights. Get there early so you can find a table and enjoy a pitcher of your favorite fruity beverage and live music by... an elderly woman and her beat box! Seriously, try the mofongo... read more

One of the best Puerto Rican restaurants I've ever been. The best rice I've ever ate... I highly recommend this restaurant to everyone...

I came back from a vacation in Puerto Rico craving Puerto Rican food. I decided to give La Bruquena a try to satisfy that craving! Walking into the place, there isn't much of an ambiance. I wasn't expecting too much, but it just fell flat to me. We started off with drinks. I wanted a mojito, but they were out of mint. They were also out of seafood and their credit card machines were not working. Tough break for them as the market had been closed the prior day and a cable was down affecting their internet - that didn't help my experience. To start we got 3 apps: 1) empanadas (I couldn't eat them because they are not gluten free, but my friends enjoyed them), 2) tostones with shrimp (the plantains were really dry, and the dish did not have much flavor), and 3) fried green bananas w/ beef (these were gluttonous, but good with the red dipping sauce). For dinner, I had mofongo, of course. The chicken was pretty dry, but I enjoyed the plantains and sauce. They also brought out plantain french fries with ketchup/mayo sauce for us to try. Those were really tasty - apparently a new addition to their menu. Overall, I think this place is pretty authentic, but I am eager to try other places in Humboldt Park to satisfy my craving! read more

Don't waste your time on this place. I ordered take out and there is an up charge for white rice and beans. My food was dry and tasteless. My sister and I were both disappointed. read more

La Bruquena has quickly become my favorite PR restaurant, which may not be saying much considering I'm still new to Puerto Rican food. My main dish is the kikiriki, which is basically a chicken breast on fried plantains instead of bread. I ask for some garlic to be added, which really pulls the thing together. You can usually find parking within a block, and the service is always helpful and friendly - especially with the culture and language barriers. read more

Terrible Sunday experience. 1) front patio full bees 2) no waitress to seat people 3) no credit cards accepted 4) no water during appetizers had to go inside and ask for water and sauce 5) check with inaccurate prices, no taxes explained 6) why they are in business? Avoid this place and please cook home instead. read more

My in-laws are Puerto Rican and from the island, so I was a little nervous about taking them to ANY Puerto Rican restaurant at all. My mother-in-law wanted a cocktail, so she popped in here to ask if they serve drinks. When the staff replied, (in Spanish) "Hell yes, let's have one," she said she knew we were in the right place. We were the first customers of the day, and on that particular day, they were also preparing to cater 3 quincineras, another good sign in our opinion. We sat on the patio, and the staff opened up the restaurant doors and turned up the salsa music, all to my mother-in-law's delight. We ordered pastelitos, acapurrias, rellenos de papa, and jibaritos. My mother-in-law said it reminded her of her parents home cooking, though of course not quite as good, never can be. We also thought the jibarito was missing some garlic aioli or a sauce, but was otherwise delicious. The mojitos were fantastic! Authentic, quick, friendly staff, good spot. Definitely recommended! read more

LOVE THIS PLACE for Puerto Rican food!! Have been going to this place for over 20 years!!! And the owners are great too! Can't beat the prices either! Have to try their Mojitos! :) Keeping it real, they have one server that is on her game the others seem to wonder aimlessly and lack personality, this has resulted in very slow service so if you have time to kill and you're not starving, come in and enjoy the atmosphere (visual and musically), the people and most of all the food!!! read more

no se merecen ni una estrella es un lugar con un mal servicio el lugar es pequeño y hacen eventos privados y dejan entrar más personas para dar mal atención y luego no aceptan las malas críticas solo por quw conocen a las personas creen que tienen el derecho de uno quedarse callado por nada del mundo lo recomiendo mal servicio desde las meseras terminando por los encargados del lugar read more

This is the spot ever neighborhood wants. Part bar but mostly restaurant, when you come in the door you can easily find Roberto, the owner at the bar. Usually, chatting it up with customer as if he he was just another patron. There are big screen tv to watch the game. Doesn't matter which one, its owner's choice.Try the jibaritos, a plantain based sandwich with rice and beans. Mmm, so good. My friend has the mufungo. She says its the ultimate comfort food and reminds her of home. Home is Puerto Rico and this is a Puerto Rican restaurant, no tacos here. There's an upstairs party room with a pool table and second bar for events Run by the family, portions are a good size, the food is mighty tasty and the beer is generally served with a gentle pat on the back from your newest bestest friend, Roberto. read more

Be ready to hold your purse the whole time you're at the restaurant from the outside of the restaurant it looks like a place where a gang activity happens. I was in the bathroom I seen roaches like seriously how do you pass the expections my uncle wanted me to come eat at the restaurant, then turned around and told me now because there was roaches in the kitchen. Had to believe it for myself. They have one priced on their menu when you get the check it's a whole Nother situation did I forget to mention that you have to hold your person that restaurant because they have people from the street running in and out of the restaurant. People are asking for a change food. Now back to the check your bill is outrageously priced and nothing matches the menu so when you bring it to the owners attention, I think her name is Zoraida and she's a teacher at the Puerto Rican cultural Center high school Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos. She starts disrespecting you in Spanish oh my God and talking disrespectful, as if you don't understand Spanish, just please beware cause the roaches in the bathroom and don't forget the uncle that works in the kitchen, that has seen roaches in the kitchen wish I could've have been zero stars but I guess one star will do. read more

As much as I don't like be negative I really must give this place a two thumbs down: Simply put: We were a table of five in mid-afternoon (2:30-ish) - read as a very light crowd and somewhat slow. Two of us got served reasonably on time... one-very slowly and the last two were NOT served until the first two were completely done! The waitress said the "cook got a lot of orders"? From where? Either way, a table should always be served together. Not, as in our case, over a 40-ish from start to finish. read more

The outdoor patio seating is great. They do an excellent job making a fun, laid back atmosphere. The food was okay, not that great. I have had better jibaritios - specifically across the street at La Plena. With that I bring you the bad... The service was awful. I am not sure how much of it was the fault of the waitress... She seemed semi competent. I think the problem was the fact that they were really busy and their appeared to only be one person servicing all the tables... and acting as the bartender. Everything took forever and we never got our friend plantains and sweet plantains... They did, however, comp one of my $4 Corona's for the error. That or they simply forgot to charge me for it, which is likely. Anyway, it's a place I would maybe return to given the atmosphere and decent food, but I wouldn't recommend it or request to come back. Although, I hear Fridays are fun... so maybe. read more

By far my favorite PR restaurant! The food, music, and atmosphere are great. We probably stop by once a month for a Mojito and some chicharrones y arroz y arbuchelas!! read more

We went to this restaurant today and loved it. The owner is super friendly. We felt like we walked into a family home in PR. Customers would come in and eat or buy to go or just hang out. Looked like the place where locals meet not only to talk but to socialize. The food was delicious. We had the chuletas fritas with mofongo, a mofongo con camarones and one order de pasteles. Really authentic. We recommend this restaurant if you are in the area. read more

Went to get a jibarito. My husband and I got the steak because they were out of lechon. Let me just say for $10 I got the smallest thing ever. The meat had so much fat, the tostones terrible. I was very disappointed. The rice would have been good but it was so salty I couldn't even finish it. Wouldn't come here again. The only thing I did like was the parcha juice. Womp :( read more

La Bruquena - $10 steak jibarito looks better than it tasted - Puerto Rican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a fun place with authentic food! The staff is super friendly and helpful in ordering, even with someone like me that takes forever to decide. I've had many items on their menu and they're all yum. My fiancee and I especially like their pork chop sandwich, carne guisada, and their $5 lunch specials! The lunch specials are specially awesome, you get a lot of good food for very little money! I've also went to parties in their party room upstairs. It has a bar and a pool table that makes parties fun. The owner will even bring out her own set of dominoes for group-play! It seems as if at least one of the owners is always there, on-location, and I think that makes all the difference. I also really like the music they play! =) read more

3 star for the autentic caribbean dishes,the good thing is abouht the prices .....the bad things is the homeles people :( they just have one waitress doing all the work when we arrive we ask a guy this is a bar or restaurant?? he say is a family restaurant welcome.........soo we deside to try la bruquena read more

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Food is excellent. Sometimes. However, I have to highlight some of the other bad reviews. The service is bad a majority of the time. It wasn't always like that. Sometimes the food gets to the table cold, and other times it takes a half hour to get the tab paid. It's hit or miss. It's a fair chance you'll see it happen. That said, on a perfect day or night, you will experience some of the best Puerto Rican food you will ever eat. Second to abuela's, of course. This is one of my favorite stops in Chicago, though I go with patience now because of the aforementioned. And this is coming from someone born and raised on the island. read more

Embarrassed and humiliated are two words that fit the way I felt when I went to eat here with my daughter and two grandkids. I am disabled and in a wheelchair so we decided to eat here since they have a sidewalk patio. One of the employees came out and asked us if we were dining outside, my daughter replied yes since it was easier for me. As my two grandkids sat down and my daughter turned around to help me , a lady rushed out of the restaurant to tell us we couldn't sit there because the outside was reserved, We decided to eat there anyways and tried going inside, it was too narrow for me to get thru with my wheelchair so my daughter turned me back out of the restaurant and took me to eat elsewhere. Almost two hours later on our way back home we passed the Bruquena Restaurant and the outside patio was still as empty as when we were told it was reserved . I'm not sure of the underlying reason why I was turned away, but I most definitely felt discriminated upon. My family and me would never go back to a place that offer that type of service to handicapped/disabled individuals. read more

This places gets two stars because of their outdoor seating and their food is okay. With so many different options for Puerto Rican food in Humboldt Park, this place can't really compete. They fixed up the place a bit so it is better than Borinquen. The service here was never good so I stopped coming here. Especially since I discovered La Plena down the street! read more

We were drawn to the live music pumping out the front. My 7 year old daughter and I ate the jibarito entrees with a pina colada and pineapple juice. The jibaritos were tasty and big. They ran out of arroz con granules so we had plain rice. Staff were attentive and friendly even though the house was packed. Will definitely come again. read more

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The mofongo is amazing! This is a great spot with a lot of awesome/crazy history. People are bashing the margaritas, but it's not a typical Puerto Rican drink so don't be surprised if it's sub par. Opt for a beer or mojito instead! read more

My wife and I stopped here on our way home this past Saturday and had never eaten here. It looked authentic and the guys sitting on the sidewalk café reminded of the Lil Italy neighborhood. Nonetheless we were hungry and decided this was a good a place as any to have some dinner and drinks. I'm not as familiar with Puerto Rican food but my wife is and after having some appetizers and then seafood Mofongo plus too many cocktails we felt we thoroughly enjoyed the experience and food. I would come back and sample some of the other dishes on the menu and listen to the music being played. Our waitress was great and very attentive. It seemed very much a neighborhood place with families coming in for dinner. read more

My favorite puertorican restaurant, amazibg fresh food and i love they have vegetarian/vegan options. Grate authentic puertorican place, salsa music and cool staff. read more

For food quality I give 5 stars. The pasteles were to die for. I give a 2 star rating because the service was the worst I have experienced anywhere. It wasn't the ridiculously long wait to be acknowledged and served but the attitude of our waitress was beyond. She didn't seem like she wanted to be bothered, forgot to bring drinks then only brought some, never checked in, the food took a long time and the soup was brought after the main dish was served and again one of our party did not get their food at the same time as the rest of us. Even with explaining the need to have separate checks upfront and being assured that was fine, didn't do that and basically refused to redo the bill. I explained I wouldn't pay the bill as provided so she would need to void the bill and redo them as she agreed to at the beginning. She proceeded to blame us but eventually did it. The owner came over to say hello and mind you we didn't rat her out but she immediately came over and was over the top pleasant and then trying to be helpful. I would not recommend this spot unless you are not in a rush and you don't care about the service. I repeat, the food was outstanding. Wish the service was even mediocre. read more

Family owned. Friends to the Puerto Rican community. Great food, music, laughs. This is one of my favorite places. It's clean, sofisticated, the food is delicious. Friendly, social atmosphere. Once you go... you'll go again. read more

The food at La Bruquena was OK. The thing that is very amazing about this little place at Humboldt Park is its authenticity. The wait staff does not speak very fluent English, and made it difficult in ordering some of our meals. Its been a couple of months since I visited the food that I had was OK, but that was my error in selecting the wrong choice. My fiancée ordered the chalice of beef which was very good. We would try this place again. My recommendation is to, make sure you have an idea of what you want, or are ordering as the description on the menu all sound the same, but what you get is very different from each other. What I found interesting about this place, is that its definitely and escape from the city, it provides a cultural and dining escape. Its like going to a small restaurant in Puerto Rico and having to decipher the menu, and trying to talk to the waiters. The food is very authentic, what you don't get in the food you definitely get in culture and atmosphere read more

La Bruquena is a delightful little gem in Humboldt Park. The Plantain appetizers both the sweet and savory are excellent, Our server was friendly and helpful with suggestions. Not only that she put up with my pathetic attempts at practicing spanish. Also they have an exceptional vegetarian selection of meals, most of which are vegan, all of which are delicious. Highly recommended! read more

great authentic food! highly recommended. Went with a few of my friends and had a great meal. read more

Iv been looking for the Jabrita!!! And I promise it was everything and more I loved it!!! The staff was fabulous!!! Beautiful outdoor seating is always a plus!!!! read more

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Delicious food! It's like being back in Puerto Rico. Great customer service too, from everyone we came in contact with.