I had some free time around lunchtime, so I went to Pilsen to explore, as one should, and I stumbled into "La Esperanza". Wow! This food is delicious and the staff are so nice. I sat at the bar and had 3 different kinds of tacos and tortilla soup (special that day) while I watched Mexican soap operas on TV with the nice ladies who worked there. I am really looking forward to going back soon! Thanks, Robert read more

Highly! Highly recommend this restaurant for breakfast or lunch. The portions are super generous for the price. You can't go wrong with the huevos con chorizo or papas. Their pozole verde will rejuvenate your soul :) it comes with two papas taquitos, delicious! And last but not least their mole is amazing. The enchiladas with mole sauce are a savory and spicy treat. I've been coming here for 5 years and I've never once been disappointed with my service or food. read more

This seems to be the good mexican breakfast joint in the neighbourhood. Also perhaps the taqueria w the most comfortable vibes w a brick wall, newer built and table service. I went back for diner and it seems that's not their forte, so regular bfast spot it is! read more

The service was great and the food was just as good! I got horchata and pozole rojo. My friend got menudo. We both loved it and will be coming back! read more

There is so much great Mexican food in Pilsen I'm almost saddened to have another great place for the rotation. Delicious homemade tortillas, the caldo de res was made with love, and excellent al pastor. Big lunch for two was $20. Service was attentive and very friendly. We'll be back. read more

This place stands out among many great Mexican restaurants in Pilsen. Specifically, they serve quesadillas de huitlachoche (a black/grey fungus that grows on corn) and flor de calabaza (flowers from the squash plant). Both are excellent, and worth the trip out here from the suburbs or beyond. Last time I went, my wife and I shared the caldo de cabrito, or birria - which is stewed goat meat. The meat was very tender, but not as flavorful as some birria I've had in Chicago. Still worth the price though. The salsas are home made and very unique, especially the green. read more

If you don't feel like waiting in line for Nuevo Leon this is a great alternative with authentic Mexican food and attentive staff.

Found this place while visiting Chicago last month. The food was delicious and the server I had was wonderful. The red salsa was amazing but be warned it is very spciy read more

Honest review: horrible do not come here the food is horrible horrible no flavor at all like the mexican restaurants u hear thay gives u stomach problems is this place there are caucharoaches like worst mexican food in chicago if u want the best mexican food go to libertad if u want the beat tacos go to bien trucha read more

Use to be a faithful customer however they gave me and my family spoiled beans! Never again! Smh.

Pretty sad that this restaurant was no good. The service was horrible and slow. The food had no flavor and was cold.

Yes, for 3.99 you get beans, rice, eggs, handmade torillas and cafe de olla. Can't get better than this. Service is extremely slow but the food makes up for it. WIll absolutely be back. NOM NOM read more

Sort-of-hidden gem! Delicious vegetarian burritos on the cheap -- and if you order take out, they gave you chips to take home! Win-win!

We loved it! It is BYOB, which is great, and the food was excellent! I had the Carne Asada Tampiquena. OMG, I don't even like Mole, not usually and I tore it up!! The steak was so flavorful, it was incredible. My wife had gordita which was incredibly fresh and very good portion. Her quesadilla de flor de calabaza was delicious! We live in Pilsen and cannot believe this place has been here all this time. It is wonderful. Aaron was incredibly attentive and we will be back soon! Maybe karaoke Sunday! read more

The tacos al pastor were excellent: rather large, good tortillas and tender meat. The server was extremely friendly and attentive and we didn't wait long for our food (although the restaurant was nearly empty). The only downside is that they don't serve alcohol. I would highly recommend stopping by if you're in Pilsen. read more

Sra Adela is a master. Order the quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza or quesadillas de Huitlacoche. Magnificent. The pozole de Chivo is to die for. An excellent goat stew. We are very lucky to have such a great tasting restaurant in Pilsen. There is a line to get in on weekends. Highly recommend. read more

Went here for a meeting and had breakfast here. It was fantastic. Great vibe and service. The salsa and chips were fantastic. I had an omelette with jalapeños and it was off the charts good. I have to go back to check out lunch! read more

Great top notch Mexican food! Highly recommend. Attentive staff, delicious food :D

I live in Pilsen, as a wheelchair user a business that's accessible I will use such businesses. La Esperanza Restaurant as many other businesses in Pilsen have a 2 inch gap to enter, which makes there restaurant as non accessible. For a little effort and money they could even out the entrance for a straight in business. So I as many other people in Pilsen, or visitors to will not be able to review this restaurant, but I would like to..... read more

Good food at good prices. Clean and service is amazing. More of a dinner and proper meal than cafeteria place like others in Pilsen. Byob btw. read more

Food was average at best. The beans had a strange taste and after I tasted them I did not eat them for fear of getting sick. The rest of the food was bland and I would not eat here again. I love Mexican food and left here disappointed. read more

This was my first time here, and the food was delicious and the orange juice was like drinking a smile. Will definitely be back.

My favorite place for breakfasts, handmade tortillas , freshly made sauces, huevos al albañil con cecina son mis favoritos, and the pot of coffee my favorite !!!! I'm going again tomorrow, hahaha... read more

I can guarantee this is the best Mexican Restaurant in Pilsen! Why? Because I've been to all of them! Can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Everything is so fresh and tasty! Really brought me back to the way my grandmother used to cook. I mean my girlfriend loved it and she's a hard cookie to please when it comes to Mexican food! Will be my #1 new go to spot! Will be trying out most of their menu! They have earned another customer for life that's for sure! read more

I've been here a lot of times and really like this place! The food is made fresh, it has a lot of flavor and is served / presented nicely. I usually travel with a group of 4-6 and it's hard to find an affordable place to dine in, in Chicago! Well this is one of those places that will not break the bank. I have too many "fav" dishes to list but two things that stand out immediately is the fresh coffee 'cafe de la olla' you have to requested it exactly like that. And the fresh hand-made tortillas are to die for! This is a family friendly atmosphere, grab your friends / family and head on in. read more

This is my new go to place for breakfast every time I am in Pilsen over the weekend. The food is very good, portions are great. The service is a little slow but I bet it will pick up as it is a new restaurant in the block. read more

So much goodness, I need to break it down. 1st, the chips and salsa were great. I usually skip on the green salsas at restaurants. DO NOT SKIP ON THE SALSA HERE. I found out it had avocado blended in (no wonder I finished it). 2nd, the coffee! Cafe de olla reminds me of the way my grandpa makes coffee: not bitter, slight taste of different spices, perfect with a few teaspoons of sugar. 3rd, the food. Delicious, Mexican mama's home cooking. Homemade tortillas. 4th, the price! M-F breakfast is $4.50. That's my huevos con chorizo, rice, beans, and homemade tortillas. Breakfast for two, with coffee for both, came under $14. My only negative was the wait time for the food. We entered at 8:10AM, got drink orders right away, ordered our food at 8:15 and got the food at 8:40. So 25 mins. Luckily, we were having a great conversation so we weren't in a rush, but I could see how this might bug people. read more

They have the best menudo here they are a little stingy on tge meat but other then that its the best..

Best restaurant in Pilsen. I really enjoyed the live music and especially the great food. The quesadillas, gorditas and tacos were so good. I think the tortillas were home made yummy which is even better. Service was GREAT. Overall we had a great family dinner. I highly recommended. read more

This place was awful. Poor service and the meat isn't even good meat. They took 30 minutes for our food and the family of a worker was there and we're being helped before us when we were there well before them. Food was cold and just no flavor read more

Food is authentic and always served quickly and hot. The waitress Ale is amazing and the owner interacts with her customers. Highly recommend it! read more

My favorite Mexican spot in Chicago. Great prices, great service, and great food. Skip Nuevo Leon, turn the corner and head to La Esperanza. read more

if it wasnt for the food being good id probably give this place a 1 or 2 star. i just moved into university village and took a stroll to grab a bite and i chose LA Esperanza. i even went twice the first time i went it was just carry out i ordered two of their arrancherra tacos which i havent found too many places that have that meat so i was impressed the second time i went i dined in and got the bistec a la mexicana which was delicious as well. the only problem i had with the place in general was i waited quiet awhile for my food even just for 2 tacos and when i dined in instead of the side order of chorizo and potatoes they gave me the meal and charged me for it. so that was also a little frustrating. in the end just some speed and better customer service and this place could go far read more

I'm a fan of this place. The food is good and the inexpensive. The cafe de olla is delicious!! The only complain I have is that service is a bit slow. However, the two times I was there I was not in a big hurry so I didn't mind too much. I will keep coming back to Esperanza as long as they keep making their delicious coffee. read more

My chicken taco was decent. My fish tacos were way undercooked and smelled fishy. So I didn't eat the fish tacos. The guacamole was lacking in flavor. I will not be going back. read more

i absolutely love this place! my boyfriend and i have our go to items so we haven't really surfed the menu, but if you're looking for amazing burritos or enchiladas in pilsen, this is the place. cheap and a TON of food - GOOD food. the only reason i knocked a star off is because some of the employees don't speak english very well (correction - at all) and we have been hung up on a couple times when trying to order carryout. read more

Disappointing. Flautas, burnt. Asada taco meat, burnt. Rice, burnt. Good mole, though.

I live in the Edgewater neighborhood, north of downtown Chicago, and have been looking for a delicious Mexican breakfast ever since a family-run restaurant in my neighborhood closed a few years ago. Well, we found it a block off the beaten path in Pilsen, a Mexican neighborhood a bit southwest of downtown! This cute family restaurant (apparently under new management) was very clean and nicely appointed, and the breakfast was terrific. My Machacado con Huevos was stocked full of yummy beef and vegetables (and I don't even like beef with my eggs). In addition, the corn tortillas were handmade and piping hot, and, as a previous reviewer stated, the taco chips served before the meal arrived were scrumptious and plentiful - too plentiful! Finally, their coffee completed my perfect meal - brewed with cinnamon and grated orange peel. A drawback? It was a bit pricier than one $ indicated in yelp.com. We'll be back, we promised the very friendly (albeit rather slow) staff. read more