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Category: Latin American [Edit]
Neighborhood: Lincoln ParkMon. 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Tue-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
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I am so, so grateful that we had to drive from Ravenswood to Lincoln Park, hunt interminably for a free parking spot (Thank you, Mayor Daley!), and walk three blocks through the rain to get to Lito's, because it if was any closer or more convenient, I would probably be there 5 times every week.
What is an empanada, you ask? It is the Mexican version of deep-fried dough stuffed with various fillings. And Lito's is not only delicious, not greasy, and fried to order, it is cheap.
I had the vegetarian empanada for my meal and the choco-banana for dessert. The two were pretty filling, but considering the deliciousness, I could have had another. My friend also had the vegetarian empanada, but she also had the spinach and the apple cinnamon. I nearly passed out and went to empanada heaven, but the floor was wet from all the rain, so I did my best to remain conscious. It was tough, though. Boy were those empanadas delicious.
The restaurant itself is very small, with only a few tall chairs by the window. It is definitely made for take-out. The place is well-lit, modern, and well-designed.
Of course, it is in Lincoln Park, which means I will not be giving Lito's Empanadas a place on my own personal food group pyramid. But if I still lived at Clark and Wrightwood, as I did many moons ago, I would be a regular.
yum yum yum . . .
Cheap and delicious, a fantastic combination. And thank heavens for finally getting an empanada stand around here. Now I don't have to go to New York for these little delights. For a great, inexpensive lunch, you just can't beat two tasty empanadas and a soda for six bucks. And the folks are friendly here too.
Chicken champinon is my favorite, but all the rest are great too. I won't eat the beef or the Hawaiian because they have raisins and pineapple respectively, but barbecue chicken, chicken/rice and beef/rice are very tasty. The vegetarian is packed full of way more flavor than you would expect, and the spinach has a lot of cheese but still tastes good.
Want dessert? How about an apple empanada? It's like the apple pie from McDonald's that we grew up on, only 150 times better. It's closer to a puree than chunked or sliced apples, but there are real skins in there!
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Here's the deal.
I spent a lot of time in Spain and fell in love with the simplicity of an empanda. This place has it perfected.
You can either eat in- although there is very limited bar seating. Take-out or get delivery. The empandas run about $2.50- two per person seems to do the trick.
Suggestion: Pay the extra 0.25 cents for the home made salsa.
You've just been yelped in.
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After having my first empanada at the amazing Julia's Empanadas in DC, I have been left with a void that certainly was not filled at Litos. The empanada was ridiculously small and so greasy you could see the stains right through the paper bag. It smelled more like fried chicken than anything else!
Plus, the shell is made from white flour, not thick corn flour at other traditional places (which probably explains why Lito's food smells like KFC). For anyone who ranked Lito's above 3 stars, I dare you to try Julia's Empanadas for authenticity and flavor.
To Lito: try BAKING your empandas and using rich and bold flavors for those who eat your food while sober!
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Oh mah gah! So good! I don't know why I have not been to Lito's yet considering it is just down the street from the lovely little jewelry store I spend my days in.
I just couldn't decide what I wanted for lunch today so I wandered down the street and popped in. The gentleman at the counter was super nice and recommended a few of the more popular empanadas.
I chose the beef with potato, raisins and who knows what else, the chicken and rice, and the vegetarian. I think the veggie one was my favorite with its nice smoky chipotle flavor. All three were very flavorful and for about seven bucks you cant go wrong.
I think my review is swayed by a star or so based on my state of boredom with the current lunch options on this stretch of Clark. I'm pretty happy to have found something else to add to the menu folder.
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The empanadas are so good guey!!!
I love how the empanadas are cheap but the quality is excellent, the spinach and cheese are my favorites. For people that like rice and beans on your empanada go for the chicken and beef stuffed with lots of flavor and rice and beans.
The choco-banana is also delicious and melts in your mouth...I wish I could have one right now.
Well...I will have it because...they deliver!
I had my first real Empanadas at Litos and I must say they are amazing! I swear they must put crack in them, pure china white. I really suggest going to Molly's Cupcakes afterwards for a sweet treat.
I love love love empandas!!! We saw this on 190 North and was so excited to finally found a place that specialize in empandas!
Hawaiian: just ok
Beef and rice: a little dry
Beef: Good
Chicken: good
BBQ chicken: wow.
champinon chicken: ok
Choco-Banana: taste like Nutella banana crepe... so good...
apple cinnamon: taste like apple pie!
Overall the empanadas are VERY good. I really recommend it!
The empanadas are solid and prices aren't bad at under $2.50 per. I've had beef, chicken, BBQ chicken, and spinach. Three would make a decent-sized meal. No air pockets in these babies -- each empanada is solidly packed. Hot sauce is pretty good. The place itself is tiny (five kid-sized stools) so eating there is kind of awkward. I was skeptical at first cause the empanadas are (obviously) pre-made and heated up when you order, but they turned out to be pretty good anyway.
So it was good. A-OK.
Small little place that I've been wanting to go to for awhile. Finally went in a couple weeks ago and pretty much already knew what I was going to order since I had seen their online menu. I ordered the Veggie and Choco-Banana Empanadas. I ordered a side of the cilantro hot sauce too which was just amazing and spicy and a great addition to the Veggie one that I had. My friend ordered a Veggie and a Spinach & Mozzarella. I tried a bit of the Spinach & Mozzarella one that she had and it was pretty good.
My only gripe is that they claim that the Choco-Banana Empanada was made with Nutella, I tasted nothing resembling Nutella at all, more like just Melted Chocolate. It was definitely good though.
Pretty good on the go snack food for cheap if you're close by.
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My fiance and I try empanadas at almost every restaurant that offers them. These empanadas REALLY TOP our list!! It is a great place to stop in for lunch or carry out. The establishment has three stools to sit, enjoy and eat at so it's comfortable, just not a real sit-down dining experience.
Empanadas are the only things on the menu. Which ultimately means you are about to try something good that they concentrate on perfecting :)
You don't have to be a vegetarian to appreciate how delicious the Spinach and Cheese is, it's amazing!
They are about $2.09- 2.69 per empanada so for $10 two of you can really fill up and enjoy.
For dessert- I ABSOLUTELY reco the Nutella and Banana. It is very very good! I recent picked some up frozen and made them for friends who were over for a dinner party. Big hit and SUPER SIMPLE. They deep fry the empanadas there but I baked mine and they were delicious both ways!!
I definitely reco these empanadas!! Like I said earlier, best ones I tried in the city. AND if you decide you don't like them, you've only spent a couple dollars so it wasn't a big investment.
I've been waiting to go here for like over 4 months now ----- and FINALLY, I've savored the rewards of Lito's.
With a menu of 9-different empanada flavors, Lito's offers some cool mixes. From the regular Beef and Chicken empanadas, to the bizzare Hawaiian (ham, pineapple, mozarella) and Choco-Banana (Nutella chocolate and banana), Lito's is pretty varied.
I tried both the BBQ Chicken and the Hawaiian empanada (~2 bucks each). The Hawaiian was surprisingly tasty. The dough was nicely fried, toasty, and the cheese just the right melted. Mmmm.... and don't get me started on the BBQ Chicken - that was FIRE (aka, amazing!).
I need to introduce more people to this place because I don't want this place to go out of business anytime soon. :-)
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Lito's empanadas is inexpensive and delicious. =)
Love their spinach and cheese empanadas!
Their beef is pretty good as well.
Lito's is the type of place that most people walk right past; they have no idea how big of a mistake they are making. There are only empanadas on the menu, and there about 8 types at any given time, usually with a few sweet options. The spinach and cheese is great, but the BBQ chicken covered with hot sauce is the type of thing you daydream about at work. The classic beef/chicken and potatoes are fine, but I recommend going for the less-traditional options.
It is tiny i.e. ONLY 5 counter stools, so take-out is the most popular option, but eat in if you can to enjoy your fried deliciousness at its best. The other knock is the drink selection, which is all Coke products (canned soda and bottles of vitamin water). The vitamin water is appreciated, but I'd love to see fountain options or Jarritos to go with my empanadas.
Being a latina I was so excited to hear about Lito's empanadas. A year and a half later I finally made it down to Lincoln Park and ordered the most popular empanadas of the house, beef and chicken. I wasn't impressed. These empanadas were just O.K. My chicken empanadas had air pockets and tasted bland. I agree with a previous review, this restaurant is definately in he right location. He would not be able to sell these empanadas for the price in a latin neighborhood. I have had better empanadas in your local neighborhood grocery store for less. The place was tiny but clean and the oder taker was courtious. If you love empanadas and have some cooking talent, try making them at home. The empanada disc are cheap and easy to find at most grocery stores.
The lady at the counter was very courteous and had a good attitude. I love feeling welcomed into a business, not feeling like I am inconveniencing them. Unfortunately, the empanadas didn't shine through. I had the apple empanada and I have to say the the one at Taco Bell was better.
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I highly recommend visiting Lito's Empanadas for a quick, delicious, affordable meal anytime your in the area. Order 2 empanadas for a snack, 3 or 4 for a large meal. And the best part; you cant go wrong...they all taste great!
Oh yeah - make sure you order the cilantro hot sauce with your empanadas...it's a great addition.
This place was an awesome break in a day full of errands and responsibility. The empanadas are cheap (most are around $2 a pop) and so so delicious. It's a small family restaurant (and I do mean small, there are about 5-6 stools against a bar by the window for the only seating), so the care is evident from the first bite... You can even see them preparing the day's stock in the kitchen, so you know it's gonna be good!
Clean, cheap, fast, and delicious... Four ingredients for a quick escape from everday life to Latin America.
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Litos is a fairly basic place, probably almost fits into the "fast food" category if that didn't carry such negative connotations. There is limited seating (about 5 or so bar stools by the window), but empanadas are very easy to eat on the go. I was in the area for an appointment and since the meter was running I just brought mine home with me.
The empanadas are about $2 each, which is a fair price for the size of them. 2-3 empanadas is good enough for a meal, they are a good size compared to some other places I've been to and are stuffed with filling. I got the beef, chicken, and choco-banana. The beef was very good, and had rice and olives which added an interesting flavor. The chicken was fairly basic, I believe this one also had rice. Both definitely needed salsa as they didn't have a great deal of flavoring in them, lucky for me I keep an assortment of salsas at home for moments just like these.
The choco banana was good, but I believe the menu said it had nutella and I really didn't taste it, seemed more like chocolate sauce. Maybe it loses the hazelnut flavor a bit when it's hot, but since I've been craving nutella lately I was slightly disappointed. The empanada was good on its own, but would have been much better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you have some around.
Overall, good food, probably not a place I'd make a special trip to, but I'd definitely stop by for a quick bite if I'm in the area.
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You have to think of Lito's as just a sort of fancier way to get a snack to go, rather than a restaurant or anything like that. It is terribly small, so definitely think along the lines of take out. There are like 4 stools and a very thin counter running along the wall, and they are mostly used by people waiting for their take out order, so it wouldnt make for the most pleasant of dining experiences anyway.
The location is great if you are walking, terrible if driving. Definitely walk or take the bus!
I have only had the beef and the chicken empanadas at this point and I can say the beef is fabulous. Dont be weirded out by the addition of raisins into the mix, you dont taste raisin so much as just an overall sweetness that complements the beef nicely. The chicken ones are just OK, they could have been a lot better with some hot sauce, plain they are a little bland.
But for just over $2 these little pockets are a good size, one is perfect for me, someone with a bigger appetite could handle two.
They had an apple cinnamon one on special the day I was there, I should have gotten it. I'm thinking it would have been like a delightful apple pie.
My two wishes: That they would expand to have more locations (hello, Andersonville?) and that they would expand the menu.
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The spinach and cheese and the vegetarian empanadas were amazing!
I wish I had more right now! :)
I really wanted to like this place, empanadas are [usually] one of the tastiest foods around. I couldn't believe there was a restaurant completely dedicated to them, as they are usually just appetizers.
So we went on a Friday night and had trouble finding parking, it was frustrating. Then we walked in and found the place completely empty--should've been a clue but since the bars were packed, I figured people had higher priorities than empanadas.
I'm Mexican and have had empanadas in the following styles/flavors: Mexican, Puerto Rican and Columbian. Most countries in Latin America have their own way of doing them. I didn't get to catch what country Lito's is representing but if that's the authentic flavors of that country, I would not want to eat it again.
My husband and I had the beef & rice, chicken, apple and choco-banana. We couldn't bring ourselves to eat the other ones because they had certain ingredients that we don't like or didn't find very authentic. The spinach one had mozzerella.. I don't think I've ever seen mozzerella on any authentic hispanic dish/snack/appetizer in my whole life.
The verdict:
The beef in the beef & rice empanada had no flavor! My husband even commented that I could make them a lot better with my ground beef (and I'm no Iron Chef). My ground beef: A little olive oil is used to cook onions, tomatillos and garlic.. then I add the most lean ground chuck I can find at Cermak Produce and some salt. Nothing fancy... but I could win an award with that if I was going up against the beef I was served at Lito's!
The chicken empanadas were a little better (at first) but I couldn't even finish it. It tasted so dry, I considered that maybe these empanadas had been in a fridge for days.
I didn't actually try the apple empanadas... my brother ate some and then gave it to my mother. I saw her scoop a lot of the apple out after her first bite. When she attempted to make me try it, I refused.
The choco-banana was the only one I finished. I would definitely stop in for another if I was in the neighborhood and in the mood for something sweet. Considering that Friday was the first time I had been there in years, I think it'll be another couple years before I return.
All in all.. I can now see that people NEED to buy Lito's sauce to go with their empanadas, it's no wonder that they charge extra for it. The empanadas on their own are overpriced and probably one of the worst empanadas I've ever had. My brother suggested the empanadas from the trailers at Humboldt Park, they're $1 each, bigger and better tasting. For $2, I'd rather eat the ones from Las Tablas (Lincoln location). Both are still cheaper than these!
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Deep fried deliciousness! Great for a quick handful of food for eating on the run, and if I was the type to plan, could make a great dinner. Just grab an assortment and head home, and make a salad...
Who am I kidding? Get one, tell 'em to keep the bag and stuff it into your mouth as soon as you're out the door. Wipe your hands on your jeans, buddy. Save the napkins for future generations. (earth day confused me a little)
Oh I forgot about this place, it's yummy! I was here with my boys one day last year when we ditched school...shhhhh, don't tell anyone! :)
I'm trying to remember what they had exactly but I can't remember. What I do know is that they loved it and were so happy.
Now it's quite possible they were so happy because they were not in school but I think it was because they really loved this place!
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With such a high ratio of yelp reviews to seats, you know it's got to be good....
Well, it is. I picked up food for five here once. after reading the Yelp reviews we decided to get ten empanadas, which set us back all of $25. We got the beef, chicken, vegetable, and spinach ones. The beef was my favorite - the filling tasted so rich! The other ones were good as well, and I like the sauce yo can buy on the side for a quarter (note: it's not a lot of sauce per serving - like 1.5 oz. Get several). As for the amount - ten empanadas was probably on the light side for five people - in retrospect twelve or thirteen would have been perfect - but no one really complained.
They can't really add any more seating, but I'd really like it if I could eat my food there comfortably, so I'm deducting a star...
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Blink and you just might miss this place when you walk by.
Really, it's that tiny, but as they say good things come in small packages. Indeed they do, at Lito's good things come in small, half-moon shaped, deep-fried empanada packages.
The place is very basic, really ideal for carryout; but there is a small counter with 4 or 5 stools if you wanted to eat in. The interior is very bright and clean with a few pictures adorning the walls. The empanadas are reasonable - around $2/per.
I got 2 empanadas, one Spinach and one Vegetarian. I probably could've put away 3, but then I'd just be stuffing myself. I didn't try the homemade hot sauce, which was probably best since other reviewers say it's not spicy. The Spinach empanada was perfection, when I was done I was craving more. I probably should've eaten that one second because the Vegetarian was a bit of a disappointment. It was heavy on the potatoes and not as flavorful as I would've expected given the ingredients. It wasn't bad, it just didn't leave me with that giddy food high I got with the Spinach one.
As others have said they fry the empanadas to order so expect to wait a good 5 minutes after you've ordered for them.
Bottom line: I'll definitely be back for more of those yummy Spinach empanadas. I also want to try their dessert empanadas - they have chocolate banana and an apple/caramel one on special.
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I think I ate here the first week it opened - - it's specialty South American snack cuisine at its best. Perfect for a lunch or a light dinner, these empanadas are deep fried, homemade, edible golden nuggets. Other restaurant's attempts at putting empanadas on the menu as appetizers don't compare!
My only wish is that I didn't have to go three doors down to the Mexican place to get some rice as a side dish!
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Freaking loved the spinach empanada and cilantro hot sauce! I only ordered 1 to satisfy my need to try, but I want to go back and order 5 more. When I took a bite of the spinach there was a sensational taste of garlic which was totally unexpected. I can't wait to try the veggie! If I were a meat eater I would try all of the others, but I'll leave that to my friends I bring with me next time. Still can't get over the cilantro hot sauce....they need to bottle that and sell it to people like me that can't get enough!!!!!!!!!! Yum!
I am upgrading Lito's to 5 stars.
These empanadas are THAT good.
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Cheap, delicious, fast, and oh so tasty. The spinach and cheese is my favorite! They have their… Read more »
Hey I do not know if its healthier or not, but I believe it cause I want too!!!! They say they use low fat oil or something. You have to try the spinach, chicken, and beef. I tried the Hawaiian the other day and was blown away because I hate pineapple but ...mmm mmm good. They are all priced between 2 to 2.49. great snack.
This is a great, cute little place.
My fave: The Hawaiian Empanada! With pineapples, cheese, and ham. YUM. Last time it was so juicy, I bit into it and got it all over my hand - beware! But this is my fave by far.
The chicken one is good too - super duper filled with chicken - I thought it was a little on the dry side. I like it better than the BBQ chicken, but the bf likes the BBQ chicken the best.
The "hot sauce" is not so hot, but it's really good and lots of cilantro in it, which I love. So I'd try it out.
Great for a snack when you're walking by, or even for a meal if you grab a few! They are served piping hot!!!
2 small outdoor seating tables, and just a few indoor tables.
Employees are smiley and nice.
I'll be back!
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Litos is yummy. Its fast its fresh and the little pepper sauces (25cents extra) are delicious. I know that empanadas can cost a lot less, but until some of those places open in in Lincoln Park I'll keep going there. I have tried half of the different stuffings for the empanadas and they are all good. Not too much crust, plenty of filling. If I lived any closer I would probably go every couple of days. yummy.
I'm not even sure if I like empanadas, but I do like the Yelp reviews I've been reading. After my dentist appointment across the street I just had to see what everyone's yelping about at Litos. And really...there's nothing like a good empanada after getting your teeth cleaned.
I placed my order for a spinach and cheese empanada, as well as a vegetarian empanada and was told it would be about a 5 minute wait. And 5 minutes later...I was on my way home with hot empanadas in my hand.
The vegetarian one was just ok, but the spinach and cheese empanada was really special! After a few tasty bites of this spinach cheesy goodness I was sold too! And next on my list to try...the chocolate banana empanada!
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Empanada heaven.
Amazingly, I had not had an empanada until this year at the Taste. I thought it was ok there, but nothing special. Last night my friend dragged me here and I can't wait to go back. These little pockets of flavor are seriously addicting. I ordered two to start, and then had to go back and order more. They just tasted that good.
The service was prompt and friendly. They let me go through the kitchen to use the restroom, and everything was surprisingly clean. Its a little gem on Clarke I never thought to visit. Glad I did.
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I know and love empanadas, and these are very good.
The crust is perfect - light and not too greasy in your mouth - and not that damned hard baked crust that some people do (which I freaking hate. Anyways...), but theirs is just right. The main beef one and the beef with rice are both good. I liked them both more than the chicken, but I liked the chicken, too.
The absolute best thing about this place? The homemade hot sauce for .25 cents a cup. Get that! God damn! It's not really like hot sauce, but like a watery-ish, super flavorful cilantro salsa. Very green and fresh tasting. I would certainly buy a jug of it and slather most of my food in it for at least a week straight.
The only cons are that they could be a little bigger, cost a little less and I wish they had even more of a selection. And that they aren't close to enough to my house. Really minor quibbles.
I would buy a dozen or two of these every week or two if they didn't cost so much each.
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On the positive +
- very clean
- super friendly staff
- all flavors were great
- I am not an onion eater and did not mind them at all
- the spinach and cheese was to die!
- I was still in the neighborhood a while later and went in for some seconds...roadies for my trip back the the burbs.
Room for Improvement -
- the parking is not the best, busy street
- limited menu, could due to expand a bit
- there is NO Room to eat in this place...a counter, that is it. I had to take my empanadas and walk down to Molly's cupcakes to eat them at a table...therefore, had to order some cupcakes...but that is for another review.
Try this place if you like fried delights. :)
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We tried the beef, chicken, and spinach empanadas. Should've just stuck with the spinach which was devine. The order taker was nice eye candy during the short wait for our food though.
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So many good reviews here already, so this one ought to be brief.
Empanadas. Good. Colombian. Bueno. Carlos Escalante. Nice. Empanadas. Good. Greasy. Not. Beef, raisins, potatoes. Good. Chicken. Good. Choco banana. Very good. Empanadas. GOOD.
Go. Now. Go. Often.
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Here's another place that's dangerously close to my house. They make it way too easy to walk around the corner and buy 2 empanadas for an instant dinner! And a cheap dinner!
I haven't tried all of the varieties, but the beef & rice, chicken & rice, & chicken bbq are all very good :)
I didn't really care for the banana-chocolate one, but that's fine I don't need the extra calories anyways. I'll still be going back for some dinner empanadas.
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Lito's: Place of the glorified hot-pocket.
A VERY small place, with seating for about 3 people, with a VERY limited menu. They have something like 5 varieties of empanadas to choose from- all of which are pre-made. So don't try to ask for "hold the" anything.
The beef & rice one was ok, kinda bland, and so was the chicken. The spinach and cheese one was extremely cheesy. I am a fan of the fried shell, but I just can't get on board yet with these things.
Maybe good every once in awhile for a quick bite, or if you feel like a fanta- they have FANTA here, whoa.
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