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Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Noble SquareMon-Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Cheap food and big servings make for a tastey and easy dinner. Service is friendly and familiar. Great chicken stew and yummy pork chops.
Great for a weekday take-out dinner that wont break the bank.
After stumbling across an episode of "Check Please"....combined with a description of authentic Puerto Rican food while in a training class...I asked the wife and daughter out for an impromptu lunch date.
Decor is not overly eccentric, but is definitely homey. You can tell this is a no nonsense restaurant, and can imagine regular visits. The menu, in both English and Spanish, was diverse enough to inspire return visits all by itself.
I went with a Jibarito, as did my wife (sans plaintains...she regretted not copying my order after 1 bite)...and we got a basic Chicken and Rice plate for the midget.
Needless to say...the food was satisfying enough to knock out the ENTIRE family, the staff was friendly and welcoming...and I will be back.
I'm no authority, so I can't speak on the restaurant's authenticity in regards to Puerto Rico...but I DO know "TASTE'S GOOD" pretty well...and this place is definitely a "TASTE'S GOOD" staple.
LOVE this place. My favorite thing to get ( - to the extent that I haven't branched out and tried as much as the menu as I should) is the pork sandwich on plantains. As in - the plantains ARE the bread for the sandwich. YUM. It is a far cry from a low calorie meal - I will warn you - but sooooo delish. It's called the Hee-bah-roh or something like that. (that is, at least, how I pronounce it). I would not mess with the ingredients - maybe you could take off the mayo and it would still be good - but try it first, as is.
And for you VERY caucasian people out there (like myself), you may step in there and be concerned about not speaking Spanish - but no need. Their menu starts out in Spanish, but has an English section on it - and their servers speak English, so no worries.
Oh also, this is BYOB, but don't expect any glassware brought to you beyond styrofoam :)
When I have a taste for Puerto Rican food, I automatically think of this place. The food is very authentic with a small price tag. The menu is written in English and Spanish and is BYOB. The chicken stew (chicken pieces over spanish rice - you can request white or dark meat) is the best here, the meat just falls off the bone.
Every time I go to Cafe Central, I hope and pray they still have piononos (aka "relleno de amarillo). Perfectly seasoned ground beef wrapped in platanos maduros, and fried in perfect dough. I'm definitely not the only one in love with these because if I go any time after lunch, they don't have any left. I digress.
The first time I went to Cafe Central must've been over a decade ago. I am now a regular. A Humboldt Park native and granddaughter to the best arroz con gandules chef in the world (seriously, even though I'm sure any Puerto Rican would say the same...), I have had my fair share of Puerto Rican food and have high standards.
You walk into Cafe Central and you'd swear you were in Old San Juan. They have a cafeteria style bar at the front, and booths stretching all the way in the back. Taino drawings decorate the walls, and the salsa music is playing at a very appropriate sound level. And while the waitstaff is always very friendly, there is, of course, the Caribbean laid back attitude; you can't fault them in that regard because it's part of the ambiance (I'd expect no less).
Make sure to sample all of the frituras: the aforementioned relleno de amarillo and the pastelillo (fried pastry shell with ground beef inside) are my favorites; morcilla (blood sausage), alcarpuria (I'm still searching for the best alcapuria in the city, I'll be sure to post when I do), rellena de papa (fried potato stuffed with ground beef)... Also, you can get a few meals out of the combination plates (mixtas); they sit in stews all day so the meat is always perfectly seasoned and amazingly tender---I'm talking melt in your mouth deliciousness!!!
Cafe Central is definitely my favorite Puerto Rican restaurant outside Paseo Boricua (if not in the entire city). Three of my sisters and I shared a Valentine's Day dinner here, completely maxed out, non-stop food coming to the table, must have been in the restaurant 2 hours, and left with less than a $30 bill. What more could you ask for???
I thought the food was decent home cooking. It was cheap (about $8-13 per entree) and had large portions. We ordered the breaded fried steak and beef stew. The steak was huge but over fried (very dark), but the beef stew was very yummy and reminded us of home cooking. The flan was a huge disappointment though, it was flavorless and light, which should not be descriptions of flan.
I've only had Puerto Rican food a couple times before and this place is definitely authentic and yummy.
I tried the Jibarito for the first time which is a sandwich but plantains are used instead of bread. Surely does not disappoint and a must try. I had the Lechon (Roast Pork) and it was absolutely delicous. Also ordered the beef stew, Lechon platter, and almost everything in between. They were all yummy. The servers were also very friendly, like your favorite aunt.
I don't know what it is but whenever I'm in Chicago, it always turns in a Greezfest.
I have high hopes for this place, so I fully expect that my 3-star review will be upped the next time I venture to Cafe Central.
Full disclosure - Cafe Central was an ad-hoc choice. After coffee on the verandah (well, ok, on the really small back deck), we made our way through the empty booze bottles, used condoms, and auto window glass discarded outside my girlfriend's apartment building by the ever-so-quality patrons of Betty's the night before. Hoping to chow down on the buffet at D52 Smith Eatery, we found that we were early. So, an hour of coffee and board games at Mercury Cafe later, we returned, only to find that D52 Smith Eatery was closed, window sign advertising Sunday brunch buffet notwithstanding.
So, after confirming the 7-day wait at Flo, we dropped into Cafe Central, which had been on my list of places to try for quite some time.
Service was slow and distracted, despite relatively few patrons. However, I think they were short - and our server was most apologetic - so no stars deducted for service. A good effort under trying conditions.
We split a plantain fritter to start, and each had a jibaro - me the roast pork, my girlfriend the steak. The plantain fritter was excellent in concept, but cold and rather flavorless. I suspect it had been sitting out awhile. Ditto the arroz con gandules - and dry, to boot. And my girlfriend preferred the jibarito at Habana Libre to Cafe Central's steak jibaro. I, however, found the roast pork excellent - although the American cheese melted atop it was ... unexciting - and the plantains moist and flavorful.
As I said, I'm going to give this place another chance. And another. And probably another. All the elements are there - they just need to come together. And I'm willing to bet that they will.
The name of this place as well as the facade are rather non-descript and there is no menu posted in the window as many other restaurants do. We were looking for a quick meal in the area so we decided to check it out. I am guilty of ignoring this place. My loss over the years for not checking it out sooner. The place has a lot of things going for it: inexpensive, pleasant service, big menu, seafood choices, and the food is flavorful but not overly spiced or salted.
I had the beef stew served with rice with pigeon peas and beans. Yum! (The only negative was that the stuffed potato/plantain appetizers were a little dry).
A 4.5 star place but I'm giving it 5 stars. What pushed me over the top is the extensive menu and the abundance of seafood choices.
Great place for authentic Puerto Rican food. Pork Chops are tender and always delicious, beef stew is always falling apart, the relleno de papa are like no other!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love this place for good homestyle cooking that takes you back. Prices are reasonable and staff is very friendly.
Awesome food. Helpful friendly service. and a divey diner-esque ambiance. LOVED it. and its BYOB! who can say no to BYOB!
Had a tasty app--wish i remembered what it was called. Delicious rice and ribs! The server was so helpful in suggesting food for us and they even let us stay well after close because we were having such a great time there. Goodfood and great environment, how do you say no?
a must try!
How have I never been here before? Wow. It was great. Just from outside it smells so wonderful.
I have never had Puerto Rican food before, and at first I was a little confused by the menu, but then it all made sense (English on the right side of the menu).
I had the hiberro which is the same as a hiberito, but regardless it was super delicious. The steak was tender without any fat on it, and the flavor was outta site.
We also had the stuffed sweet plantain stuffed with ground meat, which was fried to perfection along with the green plantain, and they were simply perfect.
The service was awesome, everyone was so nice, and this will be a regular answer when asked the question, "Where should we go for lunch?"
I love the food here; everything is *so* yummy. If I'm in the area and if I'm lucky, I remember to stop in and grab jibaritos or empanadas. The staff is friendly, the place is laid-back in diner style, and the prices aren't bad at all. If you like Puerto Rican food, you need to eat at Cafe Central.
I have eaten here many times. They are always consistent, the servers are very friendly, and the food tastes like good home cooking. The portions are very big, so loosen the belt a little.
I first came to this place when I noticed the delicious smell emanating out of this restaurant while we were walking by. You go inside and the staff there is really nice. You sit wherever you want. The menu is in Spanish and English. We ordered the chicken with rice, the pork sandwhich on plantains, and lamb stew. All items were delicious!!! The best part of this restaurant is the jalapeno sauce, which was used very generously and goes well with the food!
Very nice. My friend took me to this place a couple years ago claiming that it was a place that served authentic Puerto Rican food. I can't really tell if it is authentic or not, but I know it tastes fantastic. I'll just take her word on the authentic part. The service was nice. Oh, but go easy on that green hot sauce on the table, it will light you up. Just a little goes a long way in flavoring your food and giving it that extra kick. Personally, I'm all for it, but I also like when food cause my lips to burn and my nose to run. So take it easy.
Great food at a nice price and chances are you'll go home with tomorrow's lunch.
I really enjoyed the arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) and platanos (plantains) at Cafe Central.
I'm definitely ready for my second, third, etc... visit. The staff was very friendly and you can tell it's neighborhood popularity by the constant flow of customer traffic as I waited for my order. The food was quite tasty and lacked the greasiness that usually refrains me from visiting other Puerto Rican establishments.
Definitely has possibility for 4 or more stars as I get to experience and enjoy more of the menu.
Definitely worth a visit for a taste of some authentic Puerto Rican cuisine.
I love Cafe Central! Good authentic Puerto Rican food and top notch service.
I have tried Puerto Rican food in some of the more "upscale (expensive)" neighborhoods throughout Chicago, but this place has the best. It is reasonably priced, tastes great, filling, and the people are nice and helpful.
I love the beans! I love the ribs! I love the yellow rice! I LOVE the stew! I love everything!
Place is great been coming here since i was a kid and is exactly the same. I manage to make the trek out here as much as possible, seeing that i moved far south but definitely worth the ride!
Cafe Central is a pretty chill place. Went here for lunch one afternoon and sat at the counter. I didn't know what to get so I went with something pretty random the octopus soup here, yeah that's right octopus soup. It was alright... kinda just like chicken noodle but with octopus. I should of ordered something from the hot table behind the counter like the chicken or pork stew... maybe next time.
I HEART cafe central. It's delicioso! (i got mad spanish skillz son). I first tried this place with coworkers for a long lunch about 8 years ago, and it's been a torrid love affair ever since. Since I'm a south sider, I haven't gotten here nearly as much as I've craved it. This arroz con pollo is fan-F'n-tastic. Not to mention huge. Tons of juicy chicken with the arroz con gandules. Comes with tostones. And the jibarito? So tasty. It's like the best steak sandwich ever. Steak and cheese on fried plantains panini style? That's right. Awesomeness times 2! My personal fave is the bistec encebolloa. Thin, tender steak marinated in vinegar topped with sauteed onions. Seriously, heaven on a plate. I had the fortune as a kid to spend some time in 'cocinas autenticas' with a true boriqua mom or grams fixn up plates of PRican comfort food so I'm familiar with the Real Deal Holyfield. This place is serving it up just right, and the service is outstanding. They're always giving you suggestions and are super sweet. Go. Go Now! Not that this place is going anywhere, but because the sooner you get there, the sooner you can go back.
I have lived 3 blocks away from this place for 3 years now and never knew it was a Puerto Rican restaurant until a friend told me about it last week. When I walk my dog along Chicago Ave, I've often smelled the enticing aroma of Latino food but I could never figure out where it was coming from. I thought maybe Flo or Havana Libre. I'm sure now that it's always been Cafe Central.
I love Puerto Rican food. So I was in heaven last night when our very friendly, if not shy, waitress placed my food before me: very thin piece of perfectly seasoned steak topped with sauteed onions, accompanied with tostones and The Rice. Oh the rice. The best thing about Puerto Rican food is the arroz con gandules. You must try. And Cafe Central's is as good as any other that I've had!
The menu is a little confusingly written/laid out and not very descriptive, but my guess is that most people who come here don't need a menu, they come here knowing what they want.
This place lacks any kind of ambiance, but that's normal for Puerto Rican places in my experience, much like Filipino restaurants. (I think both cuisines are overlooked, and wish someone would do something about that. But that's another story. I'll save that rant for my review of Mariegold at a later date.)
Typical Mom and Pop cozy authentic puerto rican place with delicious and affordable cuisine.. ESPECIALLY during lunch hours you get an incredible filling meal for under 6dollars. the Specials are many and vary daily. I reccomend the Carne(beef stew) Guisda, Bacalao (fish stew) and the alcapurrias, mofongo, and pasteles. Very authentic family dinner type atmosphere.. You feel like your at your aunties house. Waitresses are shy but friendly and just a hop and skip away from the Chicago Ave blue line station. Prices are extremely reasonable especially during lunch. Bread Basket and butter served on table.. but DO NOT Fill yourself up on this.. Save if for the FOOD which will be plentiful and delicious. VERY busy place for lunch and dinner.. so go during the off times.. or call to place order and pick up.. Great place to go for lunch.
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I dined here for the first time YEARS ago with a friend of mine and one of our professors who encouraged me to explore my "Spanish roots." The experience was so good, but I could never recall the name of restaurant nor the location (yeah, it was a LONG time ago).
Last week I rediscovered this gem! It all came back to me. I tried the fried pork chops, yellow rice, and fried plaintains. It's not the healthiest food, but when you want authentic Puerto Rican fare, this is the place!
I'm definitely going back!
Cafe Central got 4 stars instead of five because the place is kind of dingy, small formica booths and weird decor. The food on the other hand quickly makes you forget everything else. Many plantain-based dishes and appetizers. The rice with chicken is delicious. Best part is we ate insane amounts of food and got some leftovers and the bill was 40-some bucks for 4 people.
delicious, cheap, no frills, family owned. Chicago needs more of these kinds of places.
not great for vegetarians, but great for foodies looking for hidden gems.
I love this place. I miss this place like crazy. The food is so good, and the waitresses are always very nice.
Um, two stars I guess. Scott and I went there last night. I'm glad I had already had some din din at Swim, because I don't like Peuto Rican food. Scott said he liked it and stuff, but it looked like an invitation on a plate that read "eat me and you'll have swamp ass all night long". The green salsa made Scott almost vomit, which probably would have looked just like his meal. Ok, I'm being a little mean. Sorry. I'm sure it's great food.
This place has been there forever- since West Town actually had Puerto Rican residents. It's a classic. Nice, homey feel, great food, and you get some history while you're there. The regulars come from far away to eat the offerings here and you'll know why if you try it!
Great Puerto Rican food. I have been eating here since1986 and have never been disappointed. For some time my girlfriend and I decided to try the other Puerto Rican restaurants in Chicago (no need to name names but all in Humboldt Park, West Town, North Side and Downtown I have tried) but no other comes anywhere near the quality of food this place offers. I thank God I grew up two buildings down from this restaurant. Now we live a bit farther but still make visits whenever we can. One thing, try not to fill up on their bread - even their bread is great - so you have space for the dinner. ENJOY!!!!!!!
I was walking down Chicago with a burnin in my tummy for some food...and I knew nothing about Cafe Central...I didnt even know what sort of food they served. I quickly learned it was a Puerto Rican resturant, I ordered the Chicken Stew...and it was AMAZING. 2 pieces of chicken (bone in) stewed in tomato's and spices served with yellow rice with beans, and a potato. I will be back to Cafe Central. The green salsa they give you at the table IS THE HOTTEST THING I HAVE EVER TASTED. I dont think they serve Jim Beam there so therefore I didnt have any.
I have never had Puerto Rican food before so a friend took me and it was soooo good. The place doesnt have the best decor but the food is cheap and good which is what I am there for. The menu is in spanish and english so no worries. But shows how I dont know much about Puerto Rican food - I told my friend I felt like tacos she said Heather no tacos this is Puerto Rican food so she ordered for me. We first had this pototoe/bread like thing with ground beef inside, yum. And a stew like dish which had beans, rice and beef. Nothing like the stew american style which I dont care much for. And I loved the hot green sauce they had on the table - looked like jelly kind of but so good! I love hot hot stuff so it was perfect for me! Check it out!
nice Puerto Rican place near my house. good food and nice people. the SMELLS coming out of this place make your mouth water.
don't be intimidated! skip Flo for once and head on over!
I didn't know what to expect walking into this very unassuming Latino diner. First of all I love food that is already prepared and ready to serve. There is no decor or "ambience" as it is just a diner and I don't think the owners are trying to wow anyone with their interior design skills. The food is honest, cheap, and simple. Stews, rice, beans, plantains and hot sauces that'll turn me into a little girl. The food was pretty good and you definately get your money's worth. I would say it's perfect for meals where you just want to eat without the whole "dining" experience. It felt like I was eating at a friends house, except my friends mom gave me a bill at the end that I had to pay...cheap bastard friends!
You will love this little Puerto Rican Resturant, which offers home style meals in a buffet setting. It's mostly frequented by locals and when I lived down the block, I would eat there 2-3 times a week. 1 lunch/dinner would serve as two meals because the portions are so big. It's not much to look at but the food is well worth the money.
What you have to love about Chicago is the discovery. A friend of mine told me about Cafe Central and when a friend had backed out of going out due to 'potentially' threatening weather forecast (can you tell he lives in Schaumburg-er-er?), I didn't let simple wuss-ery stop the search mission. I went here. Been there since 1965 (before most cars had AC or fax machines in them)....pure Puerto Rican (and we're not 'between the flags, mang...) cheap ( a +, as always) and just darn good. Naturally, doing a bit o' hablar-ing is helpful due to the staff's inexperience with the local lingo is always fun for me. Me gusto mucho a hablar a Espanol...especially if it helps me get my food faster....or impresses una Latina especial, si? I had the Beef pot roast, not that I knew the little island nation was 'hip' on it, but it was excellent, and only a mere $7.00. The guy next to me had the ribs. And although his order arrived before mine, I practically inhaled mine...much to the delight of the staff...or maybe it was my attire they giggled at....anyway. I now feel obliged to thank my friend for wussy-ing out on me, and a tinge of guilt washes over me for saying so...but I'll get to the back space button later. Cheap, good, tasty food. A must visit.
good food-low key atmosphere-great price and friendly wait staff makes this place a 5 star restaurant in my book.
New Vegetarian Plate $8.99
Neighborhood: Humboldt Park
1/2 Price Drink Specials!
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Neighborhood: Humboldt Park
Category: Latin American
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Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: North Center
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Humboldt Park
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Noble Square
Category: Latin American
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