“The young man who assisted me today explained that the menu had 2 sides: one side a more traditional American menu, the other side a latin mix menu. I chose this place because they advertise to have cuban food and café cubano. I've tried other places in Illinois claiming Cuban authentic foods but have been very disappointed. I am cuban and am a long ways from home. So, finding the right place is important :) They do offer the traditional strong cuban coffee that I've been craving for months. The staff was eager to please and was helpful with explaining the different ways they make things. For instance, I wanted a guava filled pastry but instead they serve it as a warm empanada guava filled paste as pictured with the cafe. The steak,egg and cheese sandwich isn't a skirt steak but instead diced mojo steak (philly style) with diced ham and onions. The bread is cuban style. This sandwich was great. Half the sandwich was filling. I took the other half to go. I also tried a chorizo n cheese mini burrito which isn't small. 2 of those would be a decent satisfying snack for 1 person. I am definitely revisiting this place to try other food dishes. If you are looking for a super attentive staff to wait on you hand n foot, this is not it. It's more of a place to just get comfortable asking for whatever you want as you need it. I'm ok with not being bothered but I know others might have different expectations.“
“Today, we hosted a couples shower at Stay and Play Cafe! It was beyond amazing! The owners, Yesenia and Jose were so easy and delightful to work with, the staff was attentive, recommending and teaching games to our guests of all ages, the food was delicious(cheesy eggs and quesitos were scrumptious), and the atmosphere was just perfect! I can't recommend this cafe enough. I look forward to having other functions here and/or coming with a group of friends. I can't wait to start spreading the word to family and friends. Thank you Jose and Yesenia for making our day so special! Anita G.“
“I found out I had to host Christmas days before the 25th. I can't describe how friendly, helpful and extremely serviceable they were with me placing a catering order only 2 days from Christmas. Since I needed for the 25th, they opened specifically for my order.....Wow!! The service was phenomenal the food was exceptional!! Truly blessed to have them in the neighborhood! Puerto Rican rice, tostones. lechon, ham and potato salad enough for the entire family (25 people) with left overs for the next day. Thank you doesn't seem enough for the owners. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for great food and service. BTW......pistachio coquito......amazing!!!“
“Cannot remember for the life of me who recommended this place to my dad when i was a teen but we would travel from the southwest side all the way up north just to get the sandwiches here!then i got married & now live very close so of COURSE its so hype i have closer access to it.We would get the sandwich de pollo con lechon and thats what i still get to this day. And their cafe con leche is so fire.The atmosphere is so cute and the service is a 10/10 so friendly!“
“I haven't had food with such sabor (flavor) in so long that wasn't cooked at home. Not salty at all. Great service. I'm definitely going back. Ordered the yuca rellenas, papa rellenas, Pollo encebollado, and the lechon. We were surprised with toasted French bread with homemade guava butter!!!!!“
“I have been coming to La Palma for years, when they were on Homan. They were one of my wedding caterers in 2015! They have delicious Puerto Rican food, even when catering for 200+ people. Antonia is the best part of this restaurant. She's a sweetheart and has a wonderful personality, and really takes care of her customers. I actually didn't know La Palma moved locations until very recently, and I was so happy to find out they're still around. The new location on Grand is so bright and open compared to the Homan location. The food is just as delicious as before! I had a steak jibarito with arroz con gandules, and I was SHOCKED at the portion sizes! I could barely finish one half of the jibarito. My husband's lechon was super tender and flavorful, too. I'm so happy to know this restaurant is still around and that they still cater! I'm already planning my next event to cater through them.“
“This is hands down the best Puerto Rican food I’ve had in the city, and I’ve had a lot! Food is made fresh to order so there’s def a bit of a wait but it is worth it, every little bite. The food here puts my entire family to shame, I’m going to be at thanksgiving dinner wishing I was here instead (sorry mom)! Pork, delicious. Arroz con gandules, best rice I’ve had and now I’m trying to revamp my own recipe. Tostones, nice and crispy with a side of mayo ketchup. Pinchos served with a nub of garlicy bread and bbq sauce. My mom visited from out of state and she said the sorullos here reminded her of my late great grandmother’s back in the island. Just an absolute treat - be careful and don’t get carried away like I did the first time and spend a whole paycheck!“
“First time at this place and was not disappointed by the food or service. Great service, the place is on the small side but clean. The waiter is attentive and very hospitable. I had the volcanic with shrimp and my husband the morcilla. Very tasty and not greasy.“
“I’ve ordered from Uber eats pick up. And their food is made with flavor, love and time. Everything from scratch and I love it. The Jibarito was delish! The beans cooked to perfection, their white and PR rice bomb. I also ordered a Philly steak and it was really good. I was surprised of how good it was and their fries had great flavor as well. Definitely recommend this restaurant if you want a home cooked meal vibe .“
“At last, we've discovered a Puerto Rican eatery that rivals the one we lost on California Ave years ago. This spot comes closest to delivering the delectable jibarito (plantain steak sandwich) I've longed for. The flavors are so rich; you can really detect the sofrito in their dishes. The food is outstanding. The bacalaito (fried cod) reminded me almost exactly of what I enjoyed at the now-closed restaurant, and it was truly scrumptious. A visit wouldn't be complete without the delightful India Malta (specialty malt soda). However, I must note that the restroom had an odor that wafted to our area whenever the door was opened. Nonetheless, it's a fantastic establishment, and we're definitely planning to return.“
“REAL DEAL PUERTO RICAN SPECIALTIES. The appetizers are so cheap, and are an incredible deal!!! $1.80 for Plantain dumplings with pork (Alcapurrias) that are SO DELICIOUS ? and are basically the size of a whole taco ?. $1.75 for a giant fried chicken leg ? perfectly cooked, crispy, not greasy, with great flavor! You can tell people who live nearby love this place, and it seems perfect for a short lunch hour because they have so many items hot and ready!!Everything tasted amazing, now I have some new favorite foods! Do yourself a favor and spend $5 or $10 here!!! SERIOUSLY“
“My daughter would give them 100 stars if she could. We usually order dinner plates from them, which are always excellent. Today we tried their breakfast and OMG ? ! The Jibarito skillet was AMAZING! So was the French toast bites! I don’t usually leave reviews but had to say how amazing their breakfast was. Definitely going to be huge competition to The Breakfast House across the street.“
“Cuisine de Jibarito has very authentic Puerto Rican food with lots of Puerto Rican cultured decorations inside. We ordered the Tour de Puerto Rico and it came with A TON of food; we had lots of leftovers. It was very nicely displayed in three layers with a lot of variety of different types of Puerto Rican classics. I will say, the wait was very long for all this food, almost an hour and we were starving when we sat down. They mentioned it was all being made fresh, so just be prepared to wait a little for your food. They very graciously gave us an extra side of rice due to the long wait. If I want another Jibarito in the future, I will keep this place in mind!“