So good I came back within a week to try something else, which honestly, I never do. I've been keeping an eye on this place on Lake Street for some time. I initially thought they were a Cuban place (given that a Cuban is the first thing on the menu) but no; they do Puerto Rican food. And they do it really well. First time around, I *did* order that Cuban. If you haven't had this before, it is an odd mix; cheese, ham, mustard(?), panini bread, pork, and... a dill pickle? Yeah, this works, and the reason it works is because of the lechon: the most seasoned, flavorful, tender, and moist pork I've had in a long time. I could order it separately and bring my own Mang Tomas sauce and dip it, it's that good. I also got a side of madruros (fried sweet plantain) which was delicious. They will make patacones but I don't think they had any unripe plantain today. This was all so good that I came in again after I learned they wrap sandwiches in plantains. Of course I was going to try this. The jibarito was delicious. Toothy-tender plantain as bread is a winner, it turns out. I got ropa vieja, and the beef was shredded, tender, and moist. It was served with a ridiculous amount of Puerto Rican rice, which... I'd never had before, but liked a lot. Service was friendly, although I wish there were pictures to go with the menu. (I would've gotten a jibarito the first time and to be honest I'll probably never get another main). Plenty of places to sit, and the seats are comfortable. As a bonus you'll hear a lot of Latin American hits over the speaker. read more

See all

The food was very delicious just took a bit. The owner is such a great guy and very friendly. The maduros and tostones very fresh and delicious. The mieda noche sandwich was very delicioso and the jibarito and arroz con gandulees very tasty. read more

Having moved from the city to the NW burbs, it's been trial & error finding new eating spots in the area that are legitimately good. Finding a place that serves puertorican food has been one of the hardest. Had high hopes for Monchos, but unfortunate it's not it. Ordered lechon platter, that comes with arroz con gandules & some tostones. On looks , it looked alright, first bite,& I'm practically choking it down because of how dry it is. Worst part, no flavor at all. Bland. Tried the rice, looked good, again, so bland & barely 5 pieces of gandules. So we just got colored rice. The tostones, soggy, not fresh at all, couldn't even tear it into pieces. Again, bland, no flavor at all. Also ordered an empanada & Alcapuria. Empanada , first bite, I can't tell if it was juice from the filling or grease. But then I look inside , what filling? Squeezed the empanada,& you just see the grease dripping from it. At least this had flavor, grease. Alcapuria was ok, some flavor to it, but that's it. Had high hopes & wished this placed worked out. But unless they actually add seasoning to their food & not dry out your lechon, huge pass. I'll drive back into the city for good puertorican food. read more

Moncho’s Café - Lechon platter with arroz con gandules - Puerto Rican Near Me - Roselle, Illinois

Finally a good Puerto Rican / Cuban restaurant in the Roselle / Bloomingdale area. Small family run place with deep roots in the PR-Cuban restaurant scene that started in Chicago's infamous Humbolt Park area. Pottions are not huge but the food fills you up so the saying, your eyes are bigger than your stomach applies here, lol. I highly recommend the Relleno DePapa & Cuban style Ropa Veija Empanada's. We had Lechon Asado & Bistec Encebollado(steak and onions) with Arroz Con Gandules, Tostoné & Plantains Maduros. Prices were excellent & well worth the homemade food you get. I'll be eating here on a regular (daily) basis. read more

See all

Really good Puerto Rican rice here. Delicious steak and onions and tostones were crunchy delicious Solid place and quality read more

I'm sorry but the food is not good the service is excellent, but the food is a no for me. I had the jibaritos and the rice (missing flavor) the tostones and the empanadas the only good thing was the empanadas read more

Stopped in to pick up takeout and was pleasantly surprised by this hidden gem. I ordered a couple of Cuban sandwiches and some empanadas. Everything was amazing. The pork in the sandwiches was so moist and tender it was delicious. I only waited a few minutes for the food to be prepared which was great and I appreciated the owner's recommendations. The restaurant is a small cafe in a strip mall. Spotless and nicely decorated. We will definitely go back to try more menu items. read more

I first tried them over the summer at the Roselle Fest. It was raining but they were there. I tried their tostones and had to find out where they were after. Turns out, they are right down lake street. I've gone a few times already. I haven't eaten anything in the restaurant. I'm always taking to go but the establishment is clean and sun always shines through making the place feel warm and cozy. If I'm treating myself, I go for the Plantain sandwich with steak. When I'm feeling the wallet strain I love the Cubano Sandwich. Can't help not walking out with a Guava Pastry and either some tostones or Maduros. Everyone here is so friendly. The guy working told me once that he makes the pastries himself. read more

Pros: ( what gave a second star) ambiance and friendly staff; fast service; Glad to see Caribbean food in this area; it's definitely a niche; already added sugar to the cafecito Cons: opens at 10 (a bit late for breakfast); eggs not cooked well (gave someone indigestion); the bread was not authentic Areas of growth food: cortaditos would taste with evaporated milk; use different ham in the croquetas; press the pan con mantequilla; figure out a way to get Cuban or Puerto Rican bread; not sure what was in the smoothie but something tasted "off" representation: most of the food was Puerto Rican style but the decor was mostly Cuban so we were expecting more of a Cuban flavor in the food We are hopeful that this feedback helps and will return in hopes to have better luck with the lunch items. read more

Referred here by my Sister. She'd been here before and really enjoyed her visit. Walking in your welcomed by the staff. I liked that, I wish more places were like that. We enjoyed a Café con Leche before lunch. We ordered a few empanadas, alcapuria, cubano, media noche, a few Jibaritos con arroz and of course we couldn't leave before dessert pan dulce. The cafe con Leche was smooth and delicious. Although, I must be honest, lighter than I like and too small for what was supposed to be a medium. The cubano (I was told) was ok but needed more meat. The media noche (I was told) was good. Just right. The Jibarito was good. I've had it in other places and it was different. I've never had it with crema. The meat was dry. No grilled onion and no garlic. Like I said, different from other places I've been to. The empanadas were delicious and the right size for the price. They came with a sauce on the side, that looked like crema, we could have used some ají. The alcapuria was just delicious, perfect actually. The sauce it came with was delicious. The pan dulce is definitely not something you want to pass up. It was amazing, not too sweet, warm, and satisfying. It would have been nice to enjoy it with another Café con Leche I had ordered but unfortunately I didn't. The waiter, although very sweet and professional, was busy, thus being a little slow to tend to everything all by himself and came with it after I had finished my pancito. They're a new establishment and we understand that as a new restaurant they might not have the resources to employ wait staff. Maybe our next visit will be more efficient. The environment was very nice. Very clean. We felt comfortable and not rushed. read more

See all

Tried this for lunch today and walked away impressed. Dad-son shop with dad working in the kitchen. Ordered online for pickup and when I walked in the store I got an update on when my Food would be ready and offered my drinks that I ordered. Cafe con leche were very good. Empanadas were flavorful - the garlic mayo sauce with them was the bomb. The steak with rice and beans was the best especially with the Maduros. Will be branching out soon to try more! read more

Just wanna say I've been there twice in one week food was phenomenal. Recommended great service. Papa rellenos buenos Los empanadas Los plátanos Cuban sandwich read more

It's a cute little cafe. Food was delicious, the service impeccable. I would go there again read more

Very clean nice looking establishment. Food was good and staff were super friendly. Will definitely revisit. read more

See all

This family-run business offers excellent Puerto Rican and Cuban fare. I popped in here for lunch on a Monday. I had a Lechon sandwich, which had pork, mozzarella cheese, peppers, and some awesome sauce. I also got to try a Cafe con Leche. The owner let me sample a Guava pastry to top it off. Everything tasted very fantastic and fresh. Not many places serve this kind of cuisine in this particular area. It is an excellent alternative to the usual. read more

Delicious Food....good for my soul. Thank you for the authentic Puerto Rican food. it was hor and fresh! read more

Moncho’s Café - Puerto Rican Near Me - Roselle, Illinois

Tried this place today and was not disappointed. The food was delicious and perfect portions. The owners Michael and Ramon are so friendly and make you feel like part of the family. They come and talk to you and make you feel at home. God bless their business and go check them out and see for yourself how good this hidden gem is. We will definitely be back. read more

See all

The menu is limited but this is great good. So thankful to have PR food in the burbs. Food is made to order so delicious and fresh. Definitely be back! read more

Looking for a real Cuban sandwich? This is the place! Friendly, enthusiastic service. I would have given them five stars, but they were out of flan, which by the way is made in their own kitchen. read more

Great food, nice and clean restaurant, and great service with a smile. The last time I had a Cuban sandwich and Cuban coffee this good was in Miami at a small authentic restaurant. read more

Is this place even open? Hours are listed as opening at 10am, but I got there at 10:30am and nobody was there. No hours posted on the door, just a "closed" sign in the window. Tried calling, and the phone never stops ringing. Tried checking their online ordering to see if their hours were adjusted or something, and it just says they aren't accepting orders. Pretty frustrating to drive 45 minutes out of your way to try a well-reviewed place just to find that they can't be bothered to open their doors when they're supposed to. read more

I really enjoyed the Jibarito sándwich. Everything was cooked to perfection. Very authentic Puerto Rican food & friendly service. Great place for a quick and tasty bite! read more

Looking for a real Cuban sandwich? This is the place! The service is friendly and welcoming. I would have given them five stars, but they made it from the pie, which by the way is made in their own kitchen. read more

Was really looking forward to this place. The food was underwhelming and lacked flavor. Got a steak sandwich and arroz con gandules. The price didn't match the quality of the food we received. read more

We had a great experience and meal at Moncho's Cafe. We wanted to expose our kids to some Puerto Rican food prior to our upcoming trip there. We had a variety of menu items like the Cuban sandwich and also the steak sandwich. They really liked the empanadas, especially the beef kind, to them it tasted like a beef stew hot pocket with great flavor. We also had the rice bowls. Dessert was the flan. The owners Michael and his Dad Ramon couldn't have been nicer. We enjoyed chatting with them about the island. They really have a passion to deliver a great meal and atmosphere. We plan to come back after our trip. read more

This review is solely on the food. I am full Puerto Rican, grew up eating some of the best meals from family to restaurants in Chicago. Ive always wanted our culture represented in the suburbs, but not at the sake of how awful the food here is. I mean, if I had to be honest, this is probably one of the worst Puerto Rican places I've ever tried. The sandwiches are extremely lackluster, the rice lacks the truest tastes of Puerto Rico, even the white rice and beans was bad. I primarily want to post this review to say this is not how good Puerto Rican food tastes and I am kind of embarrassed that this is what we have in the area. If you want REAL GOOD food try some places on the city, but SAVE YOUR MONEY! Skip this place and try something better. read more

The food was delicious I got a rice bowl the chicken was well seasoned and cook to perfection.Service was excellent was well acknowledged .

Food was outstanding, everything was hot and seasoned well. Definitely coming back to try other things on the menu. This was needed in the west suburbs. The lechon was fire. Papa rellena was moist and flavorful. The alcapurria was excellent. The arroz con gandules was on point, not dry at all. The maduros were the best I've had in a long time. Michael the owner made very welcoming with great conversation. Highly recommend visiting this location if you are a fan of Puerto Rican and Cuban food. read more

See all

Love the Cubano. Outstanding. Had Cubanos at many other places. Munchos knocks it out of the park. The Chicken Empanada and Ham croquettes are very good. Comes with a nice garlic sauce. For those on a diet try the midnight Cubano. (less carbs, special thinner yellow bread). They have many other items like rice bowls and steak sandwiches. Try out the place, you will not be disappointed read more

I am so proud of Michael! He is revolutionizing Puerto Rican cuisine! His menu is impressive, the food is fantastic, the service is fast and friendly. You feel right at home with the friendly, attentive atmosphere. I will certainly be back again and again! Thanks for the great food, the interesting background story, and the warm fellowship! See you soon my friend! Joe Santos read more

Went here last week because I was craving a jibarito. Big portions, the food was really fresh and the place is clean. Service was fast and friendly. I wasn't a fan of the smoothie I had, but not a big enough deal to knock off a star, it was just was kind of bland. But our sandwiches were great and the arroz con gandules was the best I've ever had so far!! We will definitely come back here, I love that this place is so close to home. read more

Was pretty excited to find out this place had opened up close to where I live. Decided to give it a try and was not disappointed. Ordered the steak jibarito, lechon sandwich, and empanadas and wow they were all super good. Prices are also fair and the service was also great. Will be recommending this place to everyone and will most definitely be back. read more

Moncho’s Café - Menu - Puerto Rican Near Me - Roselle, Illinois

Great food, homey cafe, great service! This place is a gem! The rice bowls are fantastic and definitely will be back.

I am half Puerto Rican and was so excited to have a Caribbean restaurant in the neighborhood, I would drive by, hoping they would be open, week after week after week. The food is awful. You are not missing anything. Skip this place. read more

New place in town. I like Puerto Rican and Cuban food. So I finally get to try it. The place is really nice and clean. My boys ordered Huevo con Chorizo and Pechuga de Pollo, I forgot to take the picture. They really like the sandwiches. I ordered the Jibarito con Arroz y Gondules, loved it. I've never had a plantain sandwich. It was really good. I ordered a mango smoothie. It doesn't taste anything like mango at all. I loved fruit smoothie but this tasted more like a milk shake. That's why I gave 4 stars. Oh! The Pastel de Guava, I loved it. It's like Porto's guava pastry. I'll be back to try other stuffs read more

See all

Went there for the 1st time today. Food was great and so was the service! Will definitely go back! read more

So glad there's a jibarito spot by us. Tried it last month and had it again this month, and it was/still so good. The arroz con grandules that comes with the jibarito was delicious also. read more

A great cafe with great tropical flare. If you have a craving for great Cuban/Puerto Rican food, look no further, Moncho's Café has arrived. They have something for everyone and their coffee is the real deal, none of that overhyped franchise crap. The staff is awesome, I had the pleasure of meeting both the owner and his son and the owner even took some time to visit our table and shared some great Cuban stories. Unfortunately, I forgot to add some pictures cause the presentation was awesome, once that food had arrived it was time for no games; it was time to EAT!!! The place is a must and I will be coming here more often. Thank you Moncho's for such a great experience! read more

Delicious food. Better than best of downtown Chicago. You can tell they care about their customers by the good service. The first person I spoke to was extremely kind and had no problems. Definitely will go again because I have traveled and this food is really great. read more

Stopped by for a quick lunch. The quality of food was terrific and everything was delicious. I used to live in Miami and eating here made me nostalgic. My son and I shared the croquetas & a jiberito sandwich with arroz y gandules (rice and pigeon peas) - the steak on the sandwich was very tender and tasty. Gotta love anything on fried plantains!! My husband had the steak sandwich- was also very pleased. Finished up with a guava pastel and cafe con leche. The owner checked in with us - he really cares about his customers' experience. If I lived closer, I'd be here just for the coffee, way better than Starbucks and half the price. Very good value for the money. read more