Wow, the food at La Pena is fresh, flavorful and comes in MASSIVE portions! I suppose that's why some people might say it's pricey - you're basically getting two servings! Think of it that way and it makes a $19 main course more easy to swallow. Heh heh. We stopped in early this Spring and were beyond pleased with our experience. Service was prompt and friendly, the décor and atmosphere is just lovely - the outdoor patio with strung lights just begs for patrons to sit, sip and unwind after a long day. Plus, the inside of this place is HUGE. There's a dance floor, stage for a band, plenty of seating and a big bar. I loved La Pena and am happy to support a local restaurant that managed to stay afloat during the global pandemic. Check them out! read more

I was denied a glass of water because I didn't order any food, only a drink. Not too many vegetarian options It was the owner who said that I needed to buy a bottle of water. She's so rude. Horrible customer service skills read more

This place always have one if the best Ecuadorian cuisine, good drinks, and good music. Their staff always attentive and treats you like family. I've been a client for over 15 years! read more

I had my birthday there on my 70th birthday. The service was great the dancing to music the food the drinks it was really really nice.

This is my second time coming here. My first time was about four years ago, and felt that it was too expensive and I was reluctant to come back. I decided to give them a second chance. The second time around wasn't too bad but their service was very spotty. It started off great at first, but when it came time to get our bill, and then finally getting it and then waiting to pay was just too long of a wait. She was also on her phone through out the night. As for the food, I ordered their ribeye Menestra and my wife had ordered their chicken Menestra. They do start you off with fried banana chips with a tasty hot salsa to dip them in. They were addicting to eat, was just hoping they would have offered us more. The ribeye was fairly big in size and cooked perfectly at medium rare. It was very tender and seasoned perfectly. It came with a side of beans and rice with fried plantains. It was still a little on the pricey side but it was at least filling. My only concern is that I didn't really taste anything unique that made it stand out as Ecuadorian food, or lack of Ecuadorian flavors. Everything on the menu looked bland and seemed like they offered regular food and not any type of Ecuadorian specialties. The food was great, but it would be hard for me to actually say, "Damn I'm craving Ecuadorian food today." Whenever I do plan on trying "Ecuadorian" food again, there's several other joints in the area that I would probably want to try before returning where. read more

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Took my Ecuadorian mother here for her birthday and had one of the least appetizing meals in my lifetime. The steaks were tough and flavorless. The flan which is usually a simple dish to prepare was overcooked and you could barely taste the coconut over the burnt taste of the custard. The yucca bread was well done, so were the chifles, tortilla de verde and the humita. The ceviche de camaron was not very flavorful and there was no aji to spice it up. Having no Ecuadorian beers in an Ecuadorian restaurant makes no sense when you have over 6 to choose from. There were 8 of us there and I have to find another place to go since this was an epic disappointment. read more

Im ecuadorian heart and soul and let me tell ya ..there is nothing more disappointing that see your race fading ... besises de very ameicanice food .. there is no sign that this place is ecuadorian.. no color , no flags , not even independence celebrations... is sad to see how making money weights more than traditions. ... will not come back and im not recommending this place to anyone that ask me for a traditional ecuadorian place . read more

First time visiting this place and it was for a birthday party. In a few words let me say the food tasted great, service was great as well and the ambiance gave a nice vibe. We went on a Saturday late evening and it's a very nice family restaurant until the night hits they start playing mu read more

Food is ok drinks are great ambiance is Lit Service. Music was excellent we all had fun read more

Great place for a night out or a romantic dinner , usually weekends they have a very loud live band so you can't really hear people at your table , not recommended for kids but you can enjoy the dance space . I LOVE the food ! Little pricey but it's a nice place for a special occasion. read more

First, let me start off, the food is amazing and the service is outstanding! We had outdoor seating the day we went, (2 days ago). They're a family business, so support them! They just finished construction and there's really cute seating outside! Our server. grace is super friendly & very nice' also really pretty! We got a few dishes and I'll include pictures too. Their steak was amazing! 10/10 would recommend that dish! We got plaintains chips for appetizers basically and they're so yummy! I mean the best plaintain chips I've ever tried! They have a special sauce/dip for the chips and the taste is amazing! A hint of spicy & super yummy. The steak/chicken dish was 11/10 would eat again/ it's cooked perfectly and also very juicy & tender! In addition to the salad, super good too! They have music playing throughout the whole restaurant and they used to have people play live during weekends. It's still a very cool setup and really beautiful with amazing lights! Bathroom also recently got renovated and it's so beautifully built. Again, customer service is outstanding. Grace was the one who took our orders and helped us with everything. She's super nice, highly recommend her. 11/10! Thank you for the experience :) can't wait to go back! read more

Came here to watch the Ecuador game and the ambiance was probably one of the best I've experienced in a long time. They do a great job setting up the space to accommodate as many fans as possible and had plenty of staff on hand to make sure cubetas were replenished as quickly as possible. We enjoyed the salchipapa and appreciated the variety of Ecuadorian beer on hand (Pilsner, Club, and Mishki). If you're a golden ale fan Mishki was really good. Would be open on coming back to try more of their food seems like a great place to watch soccer games in general read more

La Peña Restaurante - a bottle of golden ale - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A friend recommended this place for the nice ambiance for someone 40+. We arrived about 730pm. There's a bar right when you walk in to the right. Tables to the left. There weren't many people. Lots of open tables. Within 45 minutes, the place was full. Throughout the rest of the night people were waiting to get in. The Food I feel is a bit overly priced. Nothing really under $20. They give you plantain chips and salsa as a free appetizer. The main dishes were smaller than what I would have expected. Once the crowd arrived was even the service went downhill. Great Music and dancing starts at 9pm. They placed cumbia, salsa, merengue and bachata. A good place to go for a nice night of food and dancing with a mature crowd. I'll definitely go back! read more

the dining room it's a nice place the music is good... but be the service always the same... the worse I hesitate to come to this place because of the service.. about 3 years ago I was here and when I complained about the chicken not cooked properly they had ask me to leave if I don't like it... tonight I came with lots of friends and we ask for a sepret checks we are were told she can't do separate checks...and if don't like we an leave be aware they will over charge ... it happen to us and many other check their reviews.. read more

La Peña Restaurante - the bad bad service very unprofessional - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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La Pena was a slam dunk- Or a GOOOOOOLLLL since futbol was on. The chicken and rice reminded me of paella. The Milanesa was tender and full of flavor. Their staff was short staffed, but able to get thru a pretty busy shift for 2 people. They have a selection of ecuatoriano beer which I had never tried. They have live music and karaoke on certain nights a week. Today they had La Liga matches on the television, and I'm sure they have most futbol matches on for any major one being played. I'll have to go back and cheer on as I eat again soon. read more

Very Ecuadorian I love it ! I love the food , the servers are very nice and polite , the ambiance is great and fun specially on the weekends. read more

Horrible food, the worst ceviche ever!, fish was hot and very tough. Do not recommend.

The place is great for dancing, service is bad and their prices are inconsistent. We always pay over $150 for a few drinks. Totally unappreciated when we make the effort to come every weekend. Might have to look for somewhere else to dance. I'm read more

My sister in law invited me to this restaurant. She knew that I was crazy about plantains and she told me this place had many plantain options, from plantain empanadas to plantain chips. We ordered beef and chicken empanadas, plantain patties and a main dish of chicken churrasco. It was good! I will surely be coming back to try their other dishes and get more plantain empanadas read more

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La música y los tragos súper bien, muy buen ambiente. La cosa es que cuando te incluyen la propina se espera un buen servicio y mas si son 40 dólares. Siempre me ha gustado dejar buena propina pero espero un buen servicio de regreso. La mesera nos ignoró varias veces cuando le pedimos agua. Tuvimos que esperar para que se apareciera para pedirle algo y además de todo mala actitud. Es el único detalle que le vi al lugar. Si me obligan a pagar una buena propina simplemente espero que el servicio a cambio sea mínimo bueno. read more

Cool ambience for the entire family. Our night included a performer playing the guitar and a DJ. Clean setting. Friendly service and prompt. Now for the main course: churrasco dinner plate was well done. My opinion it was very dry; however, not my dinner choice. As for me, I had chuletas de borrego. Very juicy and cook medium. The presentation of the plate was simple. All though the chuletas were small they were on point. I recommend this place for anyone who is looking to enjoy South American food and vibe. *South American read more

The Ecuadorian food can be a bit hit-or-miss here, but the interesting variety and the excellent music should keep you wanting more. I must say that I love the live Andean band that plays here, as it takes me back to my visit to Peru a few years ago (and makes me want to visit Ecuador as well). I am told the shrimp dishes are excellent here, but the chicken dishes are the ones I usually go with. Try to split some of the tasty appetizers here with your friends. The free bowl of plantain chips go fast and the drinks are good here. Some of my friends enjoyed this bizarre "Quaker" drink that is sort of like an oat smoothie. The desserts are good too, though sometimes they have only one or two choices. read more

La Peña Restaurante - La Pena - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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First time here and it was a pleasant surprise. A little on the high side in terms of price for similar food at other Ecuadorian restaurants but this place has a live musician so i guess it's comparable. Food was great. Ceviche, pork fritter & steak in a sauce were our 3 dishes as well as the flan. I would skip the flan de coco. Couldn't figure out what spice was in it but just didn't care for it. I'm sure it's fine for some but just wasn't feeling it. Great waitress Named Maria and attentive service. I was skeptical because of the reviews but did not experience that at all. We were welcomed at the door and had nothing but great service and great food. If you have never been to an Ecuadorian restaurant you should try this one! read more

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First time customer and it's already on my top of authentic food. My boyfriend is from Ecuador and kept raving about this place I'm only sad he didn't bring me sooner. We had the platano chips to start the perfect crunch, not greasy at all and salsa tasted fresh. As an entree I had at ribeye with eggs and rice meat was tender tasty perfect seasoning didn't add salt or pepper. Avocado that came with the salad was fresh and they also gave me a generous portion not just one or two pieces worth the price. To finish off I had the rice pudding that came nice and warm. To add to the delicious food and prompt service I also had a piña colada and there was live music and a family friendly atmosphere. If there was one thing I think I would change was the server didn't come check on us when we got the food soon but it was ok I was busy devouring the tasty and tender ribeye. Definitely going back to hit up the dance floor and try new items on the menu. read more

Hace mucho queríamos visitar este lugar por fin lo hicimos unos 10 minutos para que nos dieran una mesa no mal la espera, nos dieron la mesa enseguida el menú y nunca más regresaron ni siquiera a preguntar que bebidas queríamos habíamos esperando 30 minutos y decidimos levantarnos de la mesa e irnos. Muy decepcionada no me quedaron ganas de regresar. Vivimos en los suburbios y el viaje fue en vano. read more

Phenomenal. Great music, people, and food. Service was great and I love the live music aspect. ALL THE FOOD WAS PHENOMINAL

I felt very disappointed at La Peña Restaurant. The prices are outrageous! $27.00 for pasta and steak??? I ordered Mar y Tierra Platter for 2 people. That was $54.00. The size of the dish was very small for its price and the taste was nothing out of the ordinary. Definitely not worth it. I rather go to Pueblito Viejo and get me the Picada for $34.00 can eat 3 or people. Rich flavor and great quality read more

The reason why I'm giving it 3 stars is cause of the service. Went out with my GF for dinner on a Saturday, we got sat right away which we where happy about. It took 10 minutes before we got greeted, we usually get chips and salsa for the table but didn't get that, sure that's fine. We ordered our food and drinks at the same time, as well we asked for water. We got our food pretty quickly which I was surprised but nevertheless it was tasty. Our server never checked on us, or asked if we needed anything else, came to the point where we asked the doorman if he can get our server to order more drinks which he did, after we finished our meal I asked if we can get water, she brings us bottled water, when I tell her that we would like tap water, she said no, that after a certain time they don't do that, I was like what? I've never heard that before anywhere. We asked for our tab, and there was a service charged included for our table of us, now I know that service charges are only for big parties, we asked why , she said they do that on the weekend cause guests don't know how to tip. So now I kinda figured why the service is terrible, they don't actually work for the tips since it's already added on checks. Our server seemed out of it, with no sense of service or maybe she didn't want to be there. Server name, Maria. Hopefully we get better service next time we go there. read more

Went there with a group of friends on a Friday night. We had 2 Ecuadorian friends who suggested this place based on the authenticity of the food so we decided to give it a shot. A friend recommended the "Lomito Saltado" (Sauteed Rib-Eye strips) and the "Tallarin Marinero" (looked like pasta with seafood). Before we got our food we got the fried plantain with the tree tomato dip which was addicting! Then we got our food and my dish (the lomito saltado) was good... it was pretty much a mix of beef strips with french fries with a good sauce. I mixed in the white rice and ate most of the dish. My other friends ordered the Tallarin marinero which was a huge portion and they both said it was good (nothing spectacular I guess). My other friend ordered a steak medium rare and I don't think he got it at the correct temperature but that's what he gets for ordering a steak there!! lol They have a full drink bar so we did order some beers and I had some black label with coke. Service was good overall and she was on top of us getting more beers! Most of the dishes are about $20 which to me was a little steep for they type of food and I think La Humita (another Ecuadorian restaurant) has better prices for great food. The place had a live band performing and even though that was cool and all it was just so loud you could barely hear anyone in the table talk. We wanted to move to a table in the back however our waitress said they would lower the volume however that only lasted like 30mins and after that they raised the volume again. The interior has some green lights throughout the restaurant which at first I thought looked weird but they didn't bother me. You seriously can't miss this restaurant with the super flashy sign they have outside!! I would probably be back but I will for sure sit as far as possible from the band/speakers. read more

Been 5+ years since we've been here. Ribeye steak was excellent - very juicy and tender!

I heard about this place through my boyfriend but he warned me at the beginning that the service wouldn't be great. Against his will, I decided to drag him here to have some Ecuadorian food despite the Yelp reviews that spoke about the horrible service as well. When we arrived, a man quickly seated us which made me think the reviews about horrible service were wrong. However, as we were walking towards the table a server pushed my boyfriend from behind without any warnings. He didn't excuse himself. I thought that would be the end of the bad service but it got worse. My boyfriend was really thirsty and didn't want to pay 3 dollars for a fountain drink when the food is already priced at 20 dollars a plate, so he asked for tap water. Afterwards, an older server showed up with a bottled water. My boyfriend said this was not what he wanted because he wanted free tap water. She insisted that they don't have free tap water at that time and to just buy the water. I mean, at every restaurant I have ever been too I have never been charged for water. Why are they trying to get money out of the customer in every possible way? Nobody came back afterwards to check up on us. They never came back and asked if I needed a refill on my drink. They didn't come back until an hour later with my food. Finally, we received the check and were ready to leave a tip until we say that gratuity was automatically added. This is so misleading especially to customers who are used to tipping and might mistakenly leave a lot more than they are excepting or can afford. To say the least, I am never coming back here. At least, until the service is improved because gratuity should be based on service and not be aggregated automatically. McDonald's has given me better service. At least at McDonald's I am able to get free tap water. read more

I would not be returning .... First of all we waited 45 minutes JUST to order our drinks!!! And another 25 minutes to orderour food and another 30 mins for our food to arrive. The food was decent but for steak, white rice, and some beans for $17.95!!! I had to use steak sauce for my meat usually I like to eat the steak alone. The live music guy sang very well and enjoyed hIs voice however he only let me say that again ONLY sang extremely slow songs. I came to dance but only was able to dance to like four good songs that felt like it lasted a minute. The dance floor is a really good size. Overall my experience here was not memorable at all and basically wasted over $100.00 for food I can make at home and average drinks. read more

Piñas coladas were good, food was okay. The servers were great! I would not recommend this place to any of my friends, and I will visit only if this is the last place available. My experience with the owner was bad. He is rude, does not know how to talk to clients, he's not accommodating at all..Hint, my one star. Granted, I was advised there are two owners, and the other owner is very nice to clients, but some impressions are long lasting. read more

There is an inherent drama about La Pena: Ecuadorian cuisine. It's like a show. There's the grilled chimichurri seafood, the pisco sours, the still-sizzling steaks singing softy like savory angels. There's a laser light show, a fully-stocked bar, and a dance floor. All we're missing is the ham-mot and Cabana boy refilling your coconut-Margarita. The trade off? Depressingly expensive. Our dinner cost me my shirt (and my board shorts, much to the dismay of customers, intrigue of others)! Even with our groupon now, the bill was sadly over budget. Do I have to say it in Spanish!? "Que pasa, La Pena? Esta es un recesion!" Ecuador, no more. read more

As others have pointed out, the menu prices are high (I think for this area, but not exorbitant if they happened to be in River North), but you do get a lot of food for what you pay. Almost all of us took home leftovers. We were a group of six, later joined by a seventh. Our out-of-town guests had chosen this from our recommended South American cuisine options. The one large room accommodates about 20 some tables for two, which are easily grouped together for large parties. A colorful and fully stocked bar (there is a separate menu for drinks) is along one wall and faces the small performance stage and compact dance area. Our host/waiter was very attentive and helpful to us. Not a problem since it was a Wednesday evening and when we arrived at 7:30 PM, there was only a table of two in the place. Much later, a group of about ten arrived and were ably served by the same waiter (by this time, our table was finished). He was also an able photographer, taking snapshots for each table. Parking was a breeze here (no city meters, but you have to observe some posted restrictions), on street right in front or free at a lot on the corner just southeast. There are no close-by restaurants, so not much competitions for the limited number of spots. Here's what we six enjoyed: - plantain chips waiting for us at the table - calamari ceviche (marinated squid in a tangy sauce) - fried chicken wings, French fries, hot sauce - empanadas (one order gives 2, one each beef & chicken filled) - humita (essentially a corn meal tamale) - grilled lamb chops entreé - grilled 2-pork chops entreé - grilled pork pieces entreé - grilled chicken entreé - calamari with vegetables on yellow rice (a sort of paella) Of these, our favorites were the plaintain chips and the empanada appetizers. They excel in the grilled meats for entreés enjoyed by all. Some of those were accompanied by white rice and a potato pancake (yummy). Others on a bed of hominy with two fried sweet plantain slices (yummy). We passed on desserts, but our latecomer had something like a strawberry smoothy that was very tasty. Wednesday is NOT a night that live music performs on the small stage here. Fine with us since we were more interested in conversing. When we arrived, one of our party thought the volume of the recorded music being played was a tad too loud. By the time the waiter took our orders, we noticed the audio volume had been reduced to 1) allow for communicating about our orders, and 2) for the table to comfortable speak with each other. This without our having to request it. Had the room been more full of patrons, it's possible that it would have been noisier than on this night. read more

Good afternoon I am writing this review because yesterday we decided to celebrate my mothers birthday at this place and service was horrible. The host has a horrible attitude this is the second year we celebrate my mothers birthday the first year was bad and we figured let's give them a chance and came To experience the same and even worst service. Service in itself was horrible. Your host is the face of your restaurant he greets the people in and when that person is just horrible with people it doesn't work well.i don't recommend this venue to anyone. read more

I've been going here for a few years and the service has really gone down. They used to be super friendly and accommodating, now they are almost rude. Had dinner here with some family recently and the waiter took our drink and food order, brought food, and never came back to check on how we were doing. No pleasantries, nothing. Also, they've increased their prices quite a bit, so I'm a little irritated that they couldn't also increase the quality of their service too. Bummer, this place used to be great. read more

What a great time with a group of friends! If you go on a Friday or Saturday night you'll have a very lively Ecuadorian band bumpin' everything all festively as you dine on exxxxcellent cuisine. Their steaks are done PERFECTLY. Make sure to get a mojito - they're made huge and fresh and come with a section of sugar cane stalk. one con - we called to make reservations and when we showed up we were told that their 'son' must have written it down so they didn't have our reservation. Um, what? Well anyway, we only had to wait about 7 minutes at the bar, with our delicious drinks. read more

La Pena rocks my socks off. What the far northwest side has been lacking for a long time is a better-than-average restaurant, and La Pena certainly fits the bill. Now, I know that not a lot of folks are familiar with Ecuadorian cuisine, but there are parallels to the mexican food and tapas that you know so well. Actually, La Pena isn't just a Ecuadorian place, they're pan-hispanic and pan-andean, as I saw some peruvian, some cuban and argentine on the menu. Which is a nice change of pace from all of the greasy mexican spoons in the area. They make latin milkshakes out of both normal and exotic fruits which are just amazing. I had what they called a mountain raspberry, which was just delicious, not like any fruit I'd ever had before. And the pre-meal chips aren't just tortilla, like so many other places, they're thinly sliced plantain chips, delectable and different, like so much else here. The ambience is interesting...the multiple TVs showing a soccer match make it seem something like a sports bar, but the live music that they have on weekends makes it seem more like a party. I suppose that's the joy of La Pena, it has a little something for everyone. And thank goodness for that, because this neighborhood needed a little kick in its culinary pants. read more

We met up with some friends here for lunch last week. I can't say I got jazzed up over the decor, but the food, for the most part, was interesting and tasty. We were served a bowl of plantain chips that came with a small cup of some kind of uninspired sauce. What I found annoying was the chips were basically a lot of crumbs, like we got the bottom of the bag. Things began to look up after that. I had the ceviche appetizer that contained shrimp and calamari. It was absolutely delicious. I would go back for that alone. (I will pass on the roasted corn. It was rock hard and I was glad I did not break a tooth on it) I ordered their lamb dish for my entree and although the flavor was good, the lamb was tough. Christopher had a chicken and rice dish which he enjoyed, but we both felt the food was rather pricey. I will probably return, but will be a bit more careful what I order. I will probably have the ceviche and maybe one of their soups or salads and call it a day. read more