My husband had seen Q'Bo on Instagram recently, and since I am Colombian we made a day trip out of it from our house in the western burbs of Chicago. Let me tell you, it was absolutely divine and worth the hour into the city and hour back home! We both had 3 empanadas because we were so excited to try them (and we had been starving ourselves all day to save up for the trip!). We had the mechada empanada, the chorizo & potato, and the plantain & cheese and they were all phenomenal. I have tried so many empanadas throughout the US, and these are by far the best and most authentic empanadas I have had outside of my trips home to Colombia. The sizes are extremely generous, and you will not be disappointed in the crispiness of the crust made from authentic masa de harina. Plus the sauces including the Colombian aji were chef's kiss!! Every sauce was incredibly tasty and reminded me so much of home! I am considering placing a catering order for empanadas for my daughter's birthday next year! For drinks, I had the passion fruit smoothie in water, as well as a pistachio latte with actual pistachio cream dripped onto the sides, and my husband had an horchata latte with condensed milk and cinnamon on top. All of the drinks were unique, made with detail and love, and of the highest quality. We didn't sample any of the pastries for our lunch visit, but they all looked beautiful, mouth-watering, fresh and were handmade by Lilly. We were lucky enough to talk to the owners for a bit, and they are just the two nicest people you will ever meet. I can't wait to bring my Colombian family here for the arepas and tostones, and look forwarding to supporting this amazing business! Stop by - Q'bo and it's latin flavors, welcoming vibes, and excellent ambiance and food are what makes Chicago such a special place to live and play. read more

The restaurant itself is bright, clean and lively with music playing in the background. The staff is very friendly, attentive and quick! The coffee is excellent I had a black cold brew Americano and it was perfect. My friend had the patacones with meat and pickled onions. I had 3 empanadas since I was very hungry and you will need to be starving like I was to eat them the portions are huge! If you are in the area and want good coffee and breakfast stop here! read more

Q'bo Latin Café - Jamón y Queso Empanada - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This cute restaurant blends the favors of Columbia & Venezuela. Ordered the Carne Empanadas ( I think it is fried with corn meal) with tender shredded beef which I love as well as the Horchata Coffee Latte, yum. Service was very sweet but I did have to ask about my food (they do bring it out) before I got it. It's a cute little place to catch up with friends and have a bite. They have Aprepas too which I did not try. Parking is easily available free on the side streets as long as it's not game day. read more

Q'bo Latin Café - Menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I really like this place, it's very clean and the staff is very accommodating. I ordered the Chicken Arepe sandwich, it was very good with a good amount of fillings. I also ordered a cheese & potato empanada, I really liked how good the crust was cooked to perfection. I finished off my meal with strong coffee and Flan Dulce de Leche, it was delicious, smooth and creamy. I will go back in a heartbeat. read more

Q'bo Latin Café - Chicken Arepe Sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a new spot that I hadn't seen before. What drew me in was the passionfruit juice and boba - two of my favorite things. When I stepped inside, I was greeted with the comforting smell of arepas and a large menu to choose from. The owner, Lili, was working the register, and the other owner was in the back making each meal fresh to order. EVERYTHING is fresh and made in house. All the baked goods (the alfajores, my favorite!) the empanadas, and even the juices made from scratch. Those were the best empanadas I've ever had in my life. They actually change out the frying oil every theee days to preserve freshness. They were so light compared to the usual heaviness of an empanada. They were perfect. And the sauces were divine. My favorite is the chipotle and the garlic sauce mixed together. Many Venezuelan places in the area tend to be "upscale" and therefore cost a pretty penny. This is well made "street-food" and is a nice way to eat food from the motherland without breaking the bank. The atmosphere is perfect. It's a well-lit place to get some work done without the music blaring like many other cafes. There is something for everyone there. I went back the next day and plan to take my family there soon. Buen provecho! read more

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Saw this spot open a little while ago and have wanted to try it since they have a lot of gluten free options for my husband. I liked the arepa a lot -- the empanada was ok. I also enjoyed the alfajor and our coffee drink -- we will be back! Something a little funny -- we went during the day on a weekday and there were a ton of high school kids there -- seems like a favorite spot for the teens at the nearby high school. read more

I've been coming here almost every morning, and it's easily one of my favorite places in Chicago. They have the best empanadas in the city, and their coffee and fresh juices are always delicious. Everything is made with care, and you can really taste the quality. What makes this place even more special is the owner, Lili. She is incredibly kind, welcoming, and always makes you feel at home from the moment you walk in. Her friendly attitude and excellent customer service keep me coming back. If you're looking for amazing empanadas, great coffee, fresh juice, and a warm atmosphere, this is definitely the place to visit. Highly recommend! My favorite empanadas are the chicken, ham and cheese, and potato with cheese--they're always fresh, flavorful, and perfectly made. I also highly recommend the passion fruit juice; it's refreshing and absolutely delicious. read more

A lovely new coffee joint in the area. Right around the corner from me. I dig their pumpkin spice lattes. I have not had any of the food but I plan to try very soon. Very nice & friendly staff. I hear the empanadas are the bomb. The only downside is they are closed on Sundays. read more

Came back to try the food and more coffee! The drinks here are very good. This time I tried the horchata latte and an arepa with shredded beef, black beans, and vegetable mix. They have tasty homemade sauces too. read more

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I loved this place! The empanadas where amazing. The chicken one might have been my favorite and the pabellón a close second. Even the cheese and potato was amazing. I recommend you ask for the tomato sauce for the empanadas. I had the strawberry mango smoothie and it was made with real organic fruit and delicious. My friend had the peanut butter latte and she loved it too. The severs were very nice, attentive and flexible to my needs. I highly recommend it! read more

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Affordable delicious smoothies with bomb ass arepas that are absolutely stuufffeddddd to the gills. Lowkey best smoothie place on the northside read more

Stopped by today and we're so pleasantly surprised!!! The owners are amazingly friendly!!! Highly recommend the tequeños, empanadas, and any of the pastries! read more

The service here is great and the food and drink are to die for! Highly recommend coming here!

Loved this place, desserts are amazing and the owners very friendly!! 10/10 read more

Q'bo Latin Café - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Delicious empanadas, coffee and pastries! 10/10 service, I always go to them because of how great everything is!!! Try this small business you won't regret it! read more

Great Cafe! Staff is nice, Delicious food, And many options to choose from! Highly recommend! read more

The arepas with shredded chicken, beans and mix veggies was amazing! Everything was fresh and delicious. I enjoyed a green juice ( spinach,kale, apples and pineapple) it was so refreshing. Definitely recommend this place as a warm cafe with great choices to choose from. Definitely will be back soon. read more

I bumped into this little place while visiting my parents in the city thinking I would just try their coffee. I was so delightfully greeted by one of their owners who took her time to explain her Venezuelan/Columbian menu to me. So I asked her to give me the tostones the way she would eat them and I had to try their carne mechada empanada. Both new things I have never had. I sat at the table and she brought me house sauces from the back not on the menu, I felt like a guest of honor! Nonetheless I had what I like to call a "Ratatouille" moment if you ever watched the film. My taste buds exploded with so much flavor in the pork and the combination of the sweet plantain and fresh queso texture on the crispy tostones. I can stay there eating that all day! The coffee was just a drip coffee but excellent!! I have never had carne mechada so I tried it in the empanada it was also delicious!! I can't remember the last time I had such a "moment" trying new foods and this was it!! Please check it out for yourselves!! I will be driving 50 minutes just to have that moment over and over again!! - Tinley Park girl read more

Q'bo Latin Café - Tostones with pork, queso blanco and sweet plantain. Amazing combo! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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first time here and it was so good! best lavender latte and empanada - two of my favorite things. I'm already looking forward to the next time I go!! love love love this place read more

Amazing food! The empanadas are to die for, don't forget to add plenty of the famous salsa roja. The tostones are ridiculously good! I got the one with carne mechada, avocado, picked onions topped with the green sauce. Yummy!!! Got the Latin greens smoothie too, made to perfection. The alfajores were so soft filled with dulce de leche, it melts in your mouth Tasty tasty tasty!!!! read more

Wow, I wandered in here with my family and am so glad I did. First off, the staff here are warm and welcoming. We got matcha tea latte, vanilla latte, and a mocha latte and enjoyed them all. While we were waiting on the coffee and tea we snacked on banana bread and an alfajores. Both were delicious but the alfajores were just incredible. Had I stayed there any longer I would've gotten another. There's so many other things here to try and I'm looking forward to going back. I highly recommend you pay a visit! read more

People are extremely nice I FW them heavy. Empanada was good different kind of 'shell????' Then I am used too but still good. Drip coffee was some ass I'm not going to lie to you. If the Starbucks hadn't closed across the street I'd say one of their coffees and an empanada would be a great meal. Very clean. They also made my empanada fresh which I appreciate. Give it a try don't get the drip coffee lol. read more

Great food and service. I stopped in for a breakfast arepa and empanada. Perfect combination for a delicious and filling breakfast. Definitely will be returning to try more options. read more

Q'bo Latin Café - Breakfast Arepa - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Best empanadas ever. Highly recommend, service was excellent will definitely be back. Also, deserts are a must try. Very fresh and tasty.

Great coffee fresh homemade pastries amazing empanadas comfortable kind and cozy atmosphere near Lakeview highschool on Ashland a little south of Irving Park ! The coffee and kindness lifts the spirit high ! It's a must to stop by if Your looking to relax and enjoy ! All parties You can see them literally making the items fresh in the kitchen nothing dry or stale only fresh and tasty ! Such sweet ppl as well read more

La comida y el servicio súper bien todo rico deliciosos y súper amables recomendado al 100%

I found this amazing restaurant when I was looking for arepa's. What a great find, I ordered a ham and cheese arepa and I was surprised how large and tasty it was. I introduced myself as new to the area and Lilly welcomed me! It's places like this that makes Uptown what it read more

I stopped into this new coffee shop on a whim and I'm glad I did. I ordered 2 café de olla.. both hot and iced and they were some of the most authentic and flavorful I've had anywhere. Nadia and Lily made the whole experience even better. They were warm, welcoming, and clearly take pride in what they do. I can't wait to come back. read more

Newer beautiful cafe in the neighborhood. I got the chicken empanadas, alfajores and nutella cake. This was the best empanadas I've ever had in the city. Bakeries all in house made and you can tell. Super delicious and you can taste it is made with love. Perfect stop during my lunch break. Absolutely coming back. Owner was very friendly and caring. Highly recommend. read more

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Todo estuvo increíble, muchas opciones para elegir y los tequeños me encantaron!! Especialmente que están hechos a mano. El servicio es admirable, bien atentos todos. Ojalá fuera así en todos los restaurantes, 10/10! //////// Nice place, everything is clean and good choices. I tried the tequeños and omg was amazing. You can say it's homemade for sure. Service was top-notch, hope more restaurants were like that. 10/10 read more

Very nice and clean coffee shop. Loved the chorizo empanada and horchata. Will be back!

New Colombian/Venezuelan cafe at Ashland and Irving. Beautifully done space, perfect for coffee and or lunch. Ordered two empanadas and a flan. A different kind of empanada than those I know from Chile and Argentina: these were nice and crispy. Delicious!! With a mayo/cilantro sauce, even more delicious! The regular flan- I'm no expert, but I'll eat flan any day: this was the best I've ever had. I'll be back for flan any time I can. I'm not a big drinks person- only AM coffee usually but I'll try new things. Tried a peanut butter latte - thought hot peanut butter would be odd, so went with cold. Not bad, but obviously it should have been hot! The folks working were nice and that's all we can ask for these days, but they also asked ?s to make sure we got what we wanted. All in all, I liked it and hope to be back for more and to try the arepas! read more

Very good, I quite enjoyed the empanadas and the cookie was warmed which I appreciated

Absolutely loved this spot! The empanadas were fresh, flavorful, and perfectly crispy. The coffee was smooth and rich, a perfect combo. Super friendly staff and cozy atmosphere. Definitely coming back soon! read more

amazing food and service!! everyone was so kind and the food was excellent!!! would recommend and will return

Amazing food and service! The food, drinks, and coffee are delicious and made for everyone. The empanadas and breakfast burritos are great. Lovely ambiance and friendly owners! read more

Clean, staff is friendly and quick. I ordered a pollo empanada and almond iced latte. Coffee was strong and also the empanada and the cream sauce with it was delicious. Recommend stopping in. read more

This isn't just your average coffee shop. They're latte's are amazing and the food is unbelievable. I had the breakfast burrito and an empanada. They bring out two different cremas to sauce up your food and it's absolutely delicious (cilantro crema and a more tomato based crema). The lattes are outstanding and the staff there are so sweet and kind. Q'BO IS A MUST TRY. read more

Amazing service and delicious food! Coffee is perfect as well, Lele and everyone were so welcoming.

Q'bo Latin Cafe has to be one of my new favorite places to go when I'm hungry. They have so many options to choose from and all of their food is home made and extremely delicious. Everything that I've tasted there has exceeded my expectations. Also the staff is kind and friendly. I highly recommend trying Q'bo Latin Cafe! read more