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Habana Libre
Category: Restaurants Cuban Cuban [Edit]
1440 W Chicago AveChicago, IL 60642
Neighborhood: Noble Square
(312) 243-3303
- Nearest Transit:
-
Chicago-Blue (Blue Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 10 pm
Fri 11 am - 11 pm
Sat 10 am - 11 pm
Sun 10 am - 9 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
288 reviews for Habana Libre
Review Highlights
"BYOB, of course, and prices are fantastic."
(in 130 reviews)
"This was my first jibarito ever, and it was awesome."
(in 43 reviews)
"Finish with cafe con leche and flan for dessert."
(in 9 reviews)
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288 reviews in English
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Review from Irene G.
Chicago, IL
1/13/2012
Empanadas: A
Jibarito: A++ this one is my fave
Cubano Sandwich: A
Sweet plantain: A
Roasted Chicken Cuban style: B
Decor: A Love the palm trees! The ambience is comfortable and service was excellent.
BYOB!! -
Review from Haley M.
Chicago, IL
1/8/2012
It says something to give a restaurant all five starts but this place deserves it. I have a new favorite restaurant! Everything we ordered was not only delicious but unique. I had the pork and onion sandwich. The pork was tender, the onions were complimentary and not at all overwhelming. We also tried the fried yucca, which was very light and came with the most delicious minced garlic/oil dipping sauce. The garlic was strong but I love love love garlic so it was not a problem for me, nor was it too strong for anyone else at our table. The empanadas are not to be missed. We tried both the chicken and beef and were very pleased with both.
I am a coffee fiend, so I had to try some of the coffee variations they offered. I do not like my coffee sweet so I passed on the Cuban style coffee but two people at my table tried that and loved it. I had the Cortadito (coffee w/a splash of milk) and it was perfect. Nice and strong w/a slight bitterness that is cut by the milk. For dessert we ordered the days special of freshly baked Cuban pastries with guava and some sort of cream cheese filling. Like everything else, the pastry had perfectly balanced and complimentary flavors. Sweet, but definitely not too sweet. YUM! In addition to the food, the service was supreme. Our waiter had excellent suggestions and was friendly but not unprofessional. Exactly the kind of service you want every time you go out to eat. The only regret I have is that after 4 years of living in Chicago I have only now discovered this place! -
Review from Olga S.
Lakewood, OH
1/2/2012 3 photos
Awesome food, fantastic prices...loved it! I am excessively apologizing to all those people who were enjoying their New Years dinner as a group of Russians ran in with suspicious black bags with clinking bottles disturbing the seated customers. We didn't mean it, and yes, it was vodka bottles.
Up-side: you can bring your own booze
Down-side: same as above -
Review from Jackie M.
12/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Don't get me wrong, this place is actually quite good, but not sure if it warrants a 4 star stellar rating based on the usual factors of taste and value.
For the first time, I tried the jibrato, a plantain sandwich. The "bread" of the plantain was kind of tasteless and the beef was a bit tough and just a tad bit dry. I took a few bites of my friend's entree consisting of cuban seasoned ground beef. It's tasty and you can't go wrong with simple comfort food, but what is essentially a pile of ground beef listed at $12. Come on make it look pretty at least, I can make this at home.
However, one thing I can't make at home were emapanadas. I leave the deep frying to the professionals.
Man - these empanadas are so good!! I prefer the flakier crust. The chicken and beef were great, but if you prefer to venture out, do get the guava and cheese. Amazing and unique combo and because of this, I am willing to go back again. -
Review from Ted P.
Chicago, IL
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Solidly good food, with friendly service. Cuban food, like this, could easily be my new comfort food. When it all totaled out, we felt like we payed a bit much for what we got, but it was all tasty, so it was a bit of a wash.
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Review from Liz K.
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
First this place is BYOB but it has a lot of rules.
During dinner time everyone has to order a full plate. No separate checks (at least to our group)...Gratuity is include when 5 or more people. There were probably more rules but I cannot remember them.
First I was a bit worried when I saw that they had NO vegetarian plates....but thank goodness they do just not on the main menu. My sandwich was DELICIOUS....oh and the beans had to be some of the best I have ever had. My friend had the ropa vieja and she claimed it was not as good as it should be. (We went with a real Cuban!) The jibarito though was amazing. Definitely a must try. I also really liked the empanadas (they had a variety).
The place was completely crowded by dinner time (it is a smaller restaurant)...and I felt as our waitress gave our food right away and was trying to hurry us up. I guess this is not a place to have wine and chit chat the night away.
Overall the food is delicious....I wish I would had ordered a sandwich to go...:-) -
Review from Christine S.
Chicago, IL
9/22/2011
First off... Probably the MOST amazing service I've ever experienced. Carlos gets 5 stars of his own. You wow'd me...that's hard to do. Great job.
Now onto the food... OMG, the food!
The Marquita's (green plantain chips) are to die for...and the dipping sauce, holy garlic heaven!
The empanadas are just f'n delicious.... Best spinach empanada I've ever tasted. Seriously, do it!
The chicken fajitas were really good... but, the Carne Asada, whoa, did I just die and go to heaven?!?
Super clean restaurant. Really fast and excellent service.
~When we got our check and we were paying the server asked to see the ID that goes with the credit card. I loveeeeeeeee that they did that (as a person that signs her cards with "ask for ID"). People never do that. It's the little things that get you a 5 star review~
p.s. BYOB :)Listed in: Top of the list for Chicago…, Date Night!, BYOB(oozy concoction)
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Review from Leilo P.
Chicago, IL
10/6/2011
I've said this in other reviews, but I am 100% Cuban and Miami raised so no need to question my palate for Cuban Cuisine! I know the real deal! This is NOT the real deal. Habana Libre is not authentically Cuban food, there are touches of Mexican and other countries. I think this place is OK... Here are my pros and cons:
Pros:
- Love the décor and the seating. There was a lot of space for a big party and the music made me want to get up and start dancing
- Love this neighborhood because there is a lot to do
- Love that there is a wine place next door and this place is BYOB
- LOVE the service - I had two waiters serve me and each took the time to explain the dishes to my boyfriend
- The empanadas were okay
- The ham croquetas were okay, they were bland and needed the sauce. These were not authentic since Cubans would never serve that sauce with the croquetas
- The Carne Asada was okay, nothing out of this world
Cons:
- Boliche Relleno was not good, I have no clue how they cooked it but it was heavy and had a strange after taste. I had a few bites and I was happy I had the Carne Asada to take the taste out of my mouth
- The Flan de coco was ehhhh not so good - too sweet for me -
Review from Caity G.
10/1/2011
Relatively new to this area and was excited to see a well-reviewed Cuban restaurant. After eating here, I don't really understand why this place is so well rated. I found the food simultaneously salty and tasteless. Maybe we caught the kitchen on an off day? I ordered ropa vieja which is one of my favorite Cuban dishes (after picadillo) and it just didn't do it for me. Also not a huge fan of the kitschy decor (we ate outside, not loving the grass huts and themed place settings).
Really want to like this place - maybe will give it another try! -
Review from Christine J.
Chicago, IL
12/2/2011
I give five stars for the food. We ordered the jibarito and the pollo frito. Everything was cooked to perfection. The jibarito had tender grilled steak, fresh lettuce and tomato, and the plantains was greasy enough not to be dry but not overly greasy. Great combination of flavors. The pollo frito takes 25 minutes, but it's well worth the wait. The chicken isn't battered, but fried with a rub. The rub is lemon and garlic and then they pile more fresh garlic on top. A lot of cuisines do fried chicken, but I felt Habana Libre's spices showed they had something unique to offer. Best of all are the rice and beans. These are clearly my favorite rice and beans in the city. The white rice is flavorful on its own, I bet they add a little butter. The beans were very flavorful, probably cooked with lard and stock, which really brought out the flavor of the beans. It was the right thickness and really, the right portion size for my taste. The sweet plantain on the side was sweet and perfectly crispy fried.
I was a little disgusted by all the house rules. Like they don't allow you to order a $6.95 sandwich at dinner. They force you to add rice and beans and charge you $11.95. The back of the menu also has a laundry list of rules. For a group of 12, you only get to stay 2 hours. After that, they charge you $60 to be there. I understand they're trying to turn tables and make money and avoid awkward conversations with patrons overstaying their welcome. But that's the business you're in.
I still give this place five stars though. I really enjoyed eating there, and as long as I'm a good little patron and follow all the house rules, it's a fine place for a meal. -
Review from Leslie G.
7/23/2011
I've been to Habana Libre for dinner several times and have been impressed with the food every time. In addition to the food, another big plus is that this place never seems to be crowded even on weekends.
Most recently, I came here with two other people for dinner. We had an order of the fish croquettas to start. One order of these includes 3, small croquettas, which sort of look like fish sticks. If you're starving, I would recommend ordering more than one serving to start. They're very tasty. They also bring delicious garlic bread to the table, so that kept us satisfied until the entrees arrived.
I ordered the red snapper in creole sauce for my entree. I've had this dish before and have always been pleased. This time was no exception. The fish was delicious, especially in combination with the sauce. Cuban food is not very spicy, but this sauce did have a slight kick to it. The dish also came with a side of rice, beans, and plantains, so there was more than enough food.
I've never had dessert here because I've always been too full. I have no doubt that I'll return for dinner soon. Habana Libre is reliably delicious!Listed in: Restaurants
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Review from Sandy N.
8/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food is really good here, sort of homestyle comforting fare without all the extra pizzazz of modern Latin American food.
Came here on a random weekday evening and walked in. We ordered the abuela fiesta, rabo encendido, and the lechon asado between three people. Everything was flavorful and delicious. The rabo encendido was wonderfully done and fell off the bone. The abuela fiesta was really fun with all the different components, the tamal, pork, and rice were really good.
The service was good and the staff was pretty fun. Definitely a good time. -
Review from Tiffany R.
Midlothian, IL
9/9/2011
BYOB(liquor store 2 stores down)! CUBAN FOOD! AND!!!! SALSA MUSIC PLAYING! What more could u ask FOR!!!
I started with the *Platano Maburo Frito*...was cook perfect and not to sweet...which i still have yet to replicate when I cook(and I must say I am a darn GREAT COOK)
Order for my main meal the Jibarito Sandwich w/steak served w/ rice & black beans and let me tell you! i have never experienced a cuban jibarito that has YET to compare to this one! -
Review from Dave O.
Chicago, IL
9/23/2011
A hidden gem. BYOB with a wine store two doors down, good service, GREAT food, relaxed atmosphere.
Wife usually gets the tasty ropa vieja, which is my favorite dish as well but if she gets it then I feel I have to get something different. We'll usually start with the ham croquetas and also the tostones. The tostones come with a very strong garlic dipping sauce that is awesome (but STRONG).
Other than the ropa vieja, my other favorites are the jibarito (a must try), and really any of their steak dishes. Even the rice & black beans that come as a side are very good. -
Review from Liz C.
Chicago, IL
9/1/2011
Start with the pupu platter of fried apps, order the whole fried red snapper or fried pork chunks with more fried plantains & tortones con mojo. Finish with cafe con leche and flan for dessert...then pop a Tums.
P.S. birthday party dinners here are the best! -
Review from araceli r.
Chicago, IL
1/3/2012 21 photos
habana libre...love it we when yesterday to celebrate my brother b day was really good THE FOOD EXELLENT i told carlitos the waitter and he bring coco flan maracas heats and music for my brother was awesome thanks..we see you soon :)
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Review from dallas h.
5/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Every now and then, someone will just randomly start speaking Spanish to me. I like to assume its because of my Havanese dog or my undying love for Gloria Estefan, but usually the case is I'm being mistaken for being Cuban. Well I'm not, but I do enjoy Cuban fare!
A couple of Saturdays ago a few friends and I met up dinner at Habana Libre. I had never been but it was recommended because of the food and also because it is BYOB. I can get behind that.
With one exception we all arrived a few minutes late for our 7:30 reservation. I blame this on the complete lack of parking near the restaurant (do not drive) and how painstakingly slow the Chicago Ave bus is. When we made it in our server was incredibly sweet and seated us right away. We were given ice for our wines and our server so kindly opened it for us since we were having a bit of difficulty.
When it was time to order, I was a bit for a loss. So many of items on the menu sounded great! In the end, I lamed out and didn't try anything new, but ordered an empanada and a Cubano . The chicken empanada was amazing. Granted they are not hard to mess up, but it were so good I ended up ordering another. My cuban sandwich, which was served with black beans and rice, was good as well, but pretty standard fare.
Overall, I was pretty pleased with my meal. You can't go wrong with a Cuban meal that is not only delicious but inexpensive to boot! The BYOB factor made things that much better! -
Review from Kathryn M.
Chicago, IL
8/31/2011
Is everyone nuts? While the food SMELLS awesome, its tasteless and completely boring. The pork dish? Salty, tasteless. The shrimp 'enchilada' - did they even add a single spice to the crushed tomatoes that claimed to be the sauce? NO TASTE. They aren't shy with their garlic though; that may be the only spice they use freely.
Go to Cafe Central or stretch it and go to Irazu if Costa Rican cuisine is close enough to your Cuban craving.
This place is so overrated! -
Review from Dannie L.
Chicago, IL
7/11/2011
Me and my husband stumpled upon this Cuban joint on a Sunday early afternoon, and were pleasantly surprised. This review, however, only applys to the sandwichs, because that's all we had for lunch. The decor of the restaurant is nice, vivid colors on the wall, some tikki bar type deal with coconuts, they also have some seating outdoor.
We each had a sandwich, I had the steak and he had the fish. The bread was pretty toasty, it's crunchy but not too dry. The steak was really well seasoned, it has grilled onions, which is really nice. My husband really liked his fish sandwich, it's breaded, pan-fried, I tasted it as well, it's really light and not too much dough and not too oily. We had the sandwich with some green salsa, to give them a bit of heat. The service is good, there was only 1 waitress there, i guess they're not too busy at that time of the day (2:30pm-ish).
All and all, we liked the sandwiches, might be going back for their entrees some day. One thing I didn't like is that they charge us $0.50 for a small thing of green salsa, wth? really? I really don't like places nickel and dime you. Mind you it's not even a big bowl of it, it's the little container you'd find in a fast food joint. For that I deduct a star. -
Review from Christina G.
Oak Park, IL
10/2/2011
Cute little spot with no wait for a table of 5 on Saturday night. BYOB is a plus although there is a $6 corkage fee. Spinach and cheese empanada was excellent but a tad cheesy, would want to try the chicken one next time. I had the shrimp with cuban sauce, which I thought was spicy but somewhat bland, still tasty though. Three people got the red snapper and they loved it, whole fish and the fillets, I think the fillet (also with cuban sauce) was very tender and good. Service was good, not overly intrusive but attentive. Neighborhood is kind of sketchy, I parked a block away and there were three old alcoholics standing in front of a convenience store and while I paid my parking, someone on a loudspeaker from the store kept saying "no loitering." Not sure if I feel comfortable coming back even though I haven't had problems before in this neighborhood.
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Review from Rhonda G.
5/8/2011
BYOB
Good Food
ps. If you dip anything in the garlic sauce you will smell like garlic for at least 2 days. Clear your schedule.
Delicious empanadas(flavorful, great crust), you'll probably order many. The tostones are average but in this case you want average because average tostones means that they are cooked exactly how they should be. Great place to dine with the ladies and enjoy a few glasses of bubbly.
Everything was decently priced, staff was nice, service was prompt and in case you didn't catch it earlier, this place is BYOB.
Parking is horrible indeed so public transportation is recommended for sure. -
Review from Kyle H.
3/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
A GNO here in 2009? I am so Two Thousand and Late! My first visit to Habana Libre and I loved the food and service. Nice colorful atmosphere, and a little bit more upscale than your typical Cuban restaurant, with higher prices of specials to match.
Shared the Havana Libre Combinacion and plowed our way through the empanada, croquetas, plantains, and papa rellena. There were a couple sauces for dipping and it was a nice way to get acquainted with the menu.
There is so much on the menu it was hard to decide what to get next. I went with the Ropa Vieja, a nice shredded beef in tomato sauce, with rice and plantains. It was great!
The Steamed Whole Red Snapper is probably on my "next" list and is one of El Menu De La Abuela, grandma's menu. Which includes the Liar Plate. Would like to get the story on that one!
Definitely a great first visit, and the friendly service and good food is reason to return soon. -
Review from Janine G.
Chicago, IL
7/29/2011
Having grown up in Miami, I know a thing or two about cuban food, and Habana Libre has gotten closest to the real thing. Other 'Cuban' restaurants are more like latin fusion places that try to pass off Puerto Rican or other latin fares as Cuban, which just doesn't fly in my book. The rice and black beans were perfect, as was the steamed yuca and lechon asado. I am looking forward to coming back to try the ropa vieja, which I've been told is pretty awesome as well.
The decor was cute, and it's BYO ($3 corking fee), and the service was fantastic. Minus one star because it's hard for me to pay close to $13 for something I got back at home for $6. Still worth it though. -
Review from Amy R.
Chicago, IL
10/14/2011
I love this place. It's one of our default dining spots when we have friends or family in from out of town. The service is always uneven -- sometimes we get someone really attentive, and other times, not so much. But that's part of its charm. The food is always amazing -- I'm always full and happy when I leave this place. And even on busy nights I don't think I've had to wait very long for a table.
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Review from Philip D.
Chicago, IL
10/28/2011
Cuban sandwich was solid, croquettes were tasty as well. Server was very friendly. Perfect late lunch in my hood.
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Review from Samantha D.
Chicago, IL
10/26/2011
Met a couple of girlfriends tonight and was really stoked about going to a new Cuban place besides 90 miles and Cafe Bolero. The BYOB was an added plus. The waiter has been there since they opened over 5 years ago and was friendly and helpful.
The appetizers weren't even hot when they arrived at the table. We ordered a couple of enpanadas and the maduras. The taste was fine, but the fact they were at room temperature made me think about how long they had been sitting out. The green sauce that came with the appetizers was hot, but tasty.
The entrees were small portions for what I typically see at a Cuban restaurant and again, nothing was very hot. The Ropa Vieja was a disappointment after the waiter had suggested that it's one of the most popular dishes. It had a faint tomato flavor, but not much beyond that.
There is really no reason to go back. -
Review from Maura S.
Chicago, IL
3/5/2011
I think my expectations may have been too high when I went to Habana Libre, because I left feeling a little disappointed.
Lets start with the positives:
-BYOB
-Large, extensive menu
-Local/family owned
-Friendly service
-Fun singing/hats/candlelit flan for a friends' birthday
That said, I did not LOVE my food. My steak jiberito sandwich was good but not the best I've had. I will definitely come back though to give the food another try. -
Review from julie q.
3/16/2011
Ropa veja, smoked pork has always been consistently great. The combination appetizer platter is full of savory goodness. The papa rellenos are so good. BYOB is always nice...croquettas are awesome...
I had the carne asada last night - highly highly recommend. -
Review from Marc R.
3/11/2011
I met a friend here after suggesting we check it out due to the fact that I noticed that they had a line out the door on a Saturday night a few weeks back. I figured that it would be good, or that he line just indicated that there are a lot of stupid people who just stand in line every time there is a line to stand in. You never know.
Thursday night is not Saturday night. The place had diners, but it was not packed at 8:30 pm when we showed up. The sweet waitress let us know that they serve breakfast every-day/all-day now, and I had to have the steak and eggs. Yummy. My friend got something that looked like a stew of some sort and smelled great. The garlic bread was yummy and the sampler plate for two was the perfect starter. Everything seemed fresh and "clean" as my friend pointed out. This sort of made me laugh, but everything is fresh and yummy.
I thought it was a bit pricey compared to some of the BYOB Caribbean restaurants in the area and not as good as Cafe Central which is just across the street. This is a "Cuban" restaurant, but they prepare the food Puerto Rican style upon request, have nice Mexican servers,....so much for hard Cuba Libre nationalism in the cuisine. Solid, yummy, great service, but a bit expensive compared to other West Town/Humboldt Park options. -
Review from Michael H.
Seattle, WA
9/16/2011
The oxtail was great. I don't remember too much more.
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Review from Patricia K.
Chicago, IL
11/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
No need to worry about running into any vampires here! It's a garlic oasis!
Last weekend, I embarked on my first adventure in to Cuban cuisine with a dinner at Habana Libre. Because I had never had Cuban food before, I didn't exactly know what to expect.... or what to even order! However, one of my dinner companions is a regular and helped guide me to the best dishes on the menu.
For appetizers, I suggest a mixed plate of the guava, chicken and beef empanadas. The guava was clearly my fav as it appealed to one of my love of mixed flavors and textures - salty/sweet and crispy/soft. The crispy plantains were tasty, especially with a little bit of their garlic sauce added on top. I even tried them with the sauce that came with the empanadas for a slight variety and found it to be almost better than the garlic.
For my entree, I chose a shrimp dish by recommendation. It essentially was shrimp and diced veggies swimming in garlic butter. For such simple ingredients, it was really amazing. Although, I swear I was feeling that garlic for two days. Each dish came with a side of rice, beans and plantains. And while it was really only white rice, there was something really scrumptious about them. Perhaps it was the clean taste in contrast to the garlic of the rest of the dish.
We skipped dessert since we had also been snacking on eye candy at the next table all night.
Habana Libre was a great pick for my first dive into Cuban food. All future Cuban restaurants certainly have a lot to live up to! -
Review from Kimberly K.
Chicago, IL
3/16/2011
It's good, but not great. The tostones were a bit dry. Fried yuca was pretty good. But, I didn't like dipping it in butter sauce. Some type of hot sauce would be better. The caldo gallego was really good. The absolute best thing to eat there is the COCONUT FLAN. Yum. I really wish they had the pumpkin flan. I'd love to try it.
So, this place isn't super amazing, but it's good. Prices are fine and the atmosphere is nice too. -
Review from Aurore L.
7/21/2010
A French friend of mine recently went to Cuba for a short 5-day trip. She was handed out a sweet deal by a buddy of hers who works for an airline company..........and only had to pay 34 euros for her round-trip ticket.
From Paris.
Jealous?!?!? Me?!? you should know me better than that......my nice complexion by itself should indicate that I am not the type to envy people. Uhm...
So I decided in turn to hit Habana Libre in our next "Exploring the 'hood Tour". I don't even need a mean of transportation for that and I get to eat yummy food (if I am lucky) so it's a win-win situation. Hear that, Agnes?
Even though it doesn't look like much from the outside it screams tropics and rumba as soon as you push the door. Fake banana tree, colorful walls and rousing music welcomed us right away. I even decided right then and there that I was going to give this all Latino dancing a try. Mark my word.
We ordered and sailed away to the islands....the yucca with garlic (o cassava con mojo, Espanol aqui por favor!) was too blend and garlicky for my sweetie (how do you explain that contradiction? just ask him, you have his number) but I was happy to gulp the thing down by myself. Nice introduction to the chicken jibarito that followed. It was just....fantastic. Crunchy, fresh, meaty, spicy....
Delicioso.
Please, please, please, don't be a pussy and order the yellow rice with pork. Cooked with onions, pigeon peas, annatto and salty pork - it's a little wonder..........
Dessert: home-made coconut flan.
Ole!! Que sabroso!
So even though I am not allowed to follow the steps of my friend to the country of cigars, old American Chevrolets and revolution I can still enjoy a bit of its spirits down the street.......anytime.
Hurray for me!Listed in: Se habla Espanol, Around Ukrainian Village: the…, Route 66
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Review from Tiffany k.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 7/24/2011
P.S. I went back the day after I first went to Habana Libre with my Cuban S.O. and ordered a mango smoothie and the lechon asado. It was delicious. And no, I am not ashamed for going to the same restaurant back-to-back.
Listed in: Good for Groups
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/23/2011
I came here at the suggestion of two of my coworkers. I don't think I've ever had authentic Cuban… Read more »
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Review from kelly c.
Chicago, IL
1/19/2011
Some random thoughts on HL:
Their Cuban sandwich is better than 90 miles.
I didn't think the food was so garlicky as everyone seems to claim it is. Sure, the one sauce that comes with the plantains is basically just chopped garlic and olive oil, but what else?
It is possible that I am just not fond of Cuban food. Because everyone I know loves this place, while I just found it lackluster and slightly overpriced.
The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with bright colors and folksy Cuban art on the walls.
It wasn't bad, but I kind of really love Flo, Manee Thai and Butterfly, so it's not likely I'll be back. -
Review from Dennis J.
Chicago, IL
2/25/2011
The ropa vieja is fantastic. Their excellent fried yucca comes with a garlic sauce that is potent and delicious and will necessitate a bucket of mints to counteract. The oxtail is wonderfully savory (fatty though, I think that comes with the territory though). I don't think we've ever had a bad meal from here.
We've picked up food to go bunches of times here and the only annoying thing is that they don't have a website with the menu so we have to scrounge on the web for it. What's up with that? -
Review from Alexandra S.
Chicago, IL
11/9/2010
Last Saturday I threw a surprise birthday dinner for my boyfriend with 16 people. He loves cuban food. Overall, it went really well. Here are my pros and cons.
Pros:
Food is good. I think everyone enjoyed their meals.
Food came out fast.
BYOB (sort of...$3 corkage fee per bottle or 6 beers)
Waitress was very nice.
Cons:
I called two weeks in advance to make a reservation. I called again two days before to confirm and then they called the night before to confirm again. Not one time in those three phone calls did anyone tell me all the "rules for large parties".
Here are the "rules":
Only two credit cards per table. We all paid cash. It was $28 per person.
Everyone must order an entree.
If you stay over two hours, there is a $60 charge. -
Review from Delia C.
Chicago, IL
12/13/2010 1 Check-in Here
For some reason, this little joint has made me a super fan.
My Guy and I have already made this our local place to eat and I can't wait to introduce more people to it. I love the down home cooking; the flavors are savory and satisfying and the feel is, well, it's like home. It's unassuming, unpretentious, friendly and it makes me feel good.
I may not be cubana, but the food here makes me remember what my soul-food trained filipina mother cooked when I was a kid.
Despite the coziness of the dining room, HL is a good place for groups. It's the kind of place where you sit back with some good beer and eat everything in sight, talking for hours. It's bright, warm, friendly, the staff is accommodating and it's really affordable.
The food - good lord, the food! I love the ox tail. Savory, tender, delicious - so much flavor. The perfect thing to go with the beans and rice. Also loved the pork soup, which was basically like collard greens with beans. The appetizer sampler was perfect for a large group and my Guy always goes with the large cuts of meat - he loves the pork chop and steak. But he also gave a thumbs up to the fish he's had here. If you don't like garlic you might want to get something else, but the fish was veerry good. Mmm, the sauce.
And now they deliver! (But I think it's better to go in person. You'll feel like you're in a hidden part of Miami.)
Habana Libre is the perfect antidote to a Chicago winter! -
Review from Star C.
Barrington, IL
8/20/2011
Went on a Sunday afternoon, sidwalk seating, since my Maltese was with.
Service and food were both awesome. I had the cubed pork which was the most succlent pork dish I have ever eaten. The Mango shake was ok. I tasted my friends pulled beef in tomato sauce which was also quite tasty.
Definitely a spot to try and I will be going back! -
Review from Marjorie F.
Chicago, IL
8/3/2010
The other night my Mexican and El Salvadoran girlfriends took me here. We wanted to try something different. Now I'm not sure what Cuban food is "supposed to" taste like, but what I had was wonderful. I ordered the Plato de la Abuela (I think that was the name) --- Grandma's Plate. It was pork - very tender - with Cuban rice (yuuummmm), some soup (not sure what it's called), and yucca on the side. Top that off with a pineapple soda and I was all set!
Our server was very helpful and friendly. The ambiance was cozy and tropical - complete with Cuban music in the background. It made me want to dance (on a side note, inspired the decision to take salsa lessons with my friends).
I want to explore the rest of the menu which means that yes, I'll definitely be back!
