Best Puertorican 🇵🇷 restaurant in Chicago, I love their arroz con gandules and barbecue rib tips 😋Café con leche is the bomb 💣

Used to work in area. Ate lunch here often. Was always ham packed. Happen to be in area. Stopped for take out. 1 person there. Was SHOCKED. Kinda apprehensive about ordering, but still great food. HOPE they bounce back from pandemic. Please checkem out.

I work in the area and this is a place I frequent on my lunch hour. The food is great (Beef with Vegetables and White Rice & Black Beans on Thursday). The service is EXCELLENT. Sandra always goes above and beyond to make each visit memorable. Thanks Sandra and Mike for all your hospitality!

Most every time I’m on business in Milwaukee, lunch at the Centraal Grand Café & Tappery are a given. Since it’s business I haven’t had the opportunity to try the various hoppy libations, but the burgers, fries and other assorted lunch menu offerings are outstanding.The staff is friendly and efficient, the atmosphere relaxing and delightful.This is definitely a restaurant I can only highly recommend when in Milwaukee.

Total rudeness!! called to place an order too busy to talk so she puts the phone down next staff comes picks up call hangs up.. call again another rude person picks up .. we are busy !! yeah dudddhhhhh!!! busy and rude! - not interested in the food anymore. .. just rude! ..

Not one to put business down but this place needs customer and services experience. Walk in with the family and got ignored for a while was getting ready to get up and walk away then the server came over with menus. After about 15 minutes atleast seating there. Food was cold and the male server help the female lady with the order and honestly it felt like he just drop our plates of food on the table in front of the kids and walk away. Wont be back and wont recommend to friends. Want it to mention something but why start things up in front of family. They need help in serving and dealing with customers really bad.

Great food great service good prices

The food was delicious and the service excellent. Mike is a great host. I plan to dine there again when visiting Chicago. 😊💖

Best Puerto Rican restaurant in Chicago ! I love the arroz w gandules 🔥 the best ! & the chicken jibarrito is delicious 😋 staff is very friendly & welcoming . Great customer service & food . I have been coming to this restaurant 5 plus years . 10 stars ⭐️

My daughter wanted to eat P.R. food today so we found this little gem. The food is yummy, the place is spotless and the people are friendly. I took one star off because I feel like it was a little boring. Maybe spruce it up a little. A little decor. Other than that I highly recommend!

Food great. Coffee great. Big portions. Kind service. Really enjoyed myself when I went.

It does not get more authentic than this. Lovely family owned restaurant, classic and delicious. Never disappoints. I was really sick once and ordered the chicken soup, I think it cured me.

Jibarito sandwiches are delicious and one of a kind.

Authentic fresh Puerto rican food. Service is lacking a bit but cooks were grinding and very clean

I love this Cafe Central. The food is delicious. Good to be back going to lunch after our break from the pandemic. Black bean Thursdays is my favorite day. 😁

Great Puerto Rican food

Café Central is my absolute favorite restaurant in Chicago. The food is always fantastic and no matter what I order I am always delighted with my meal! Pork Jibarito was very tasty. Staff is very friendly and welcoming. Can’t wait to return and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for somewhere to eat Puerto Rican food in Chicago.

Been coming here my whole life and it’s differently not like before. Food lacks flavor and everything was dry. After 15 plus years it’s time to give my PR restaurant a break till food gets better. Ponce is place to go if you want affordable and great food.

Been going for ovr 35yr nvr a problem..excellent customer service!

Delicious Puerto Rican food, just like we were back on the island. Large portions, great flavors, enough to share. Flan was the best Ive had in a long time.

As always. If you want original and authentic tic, Ive been coming here for over 35 years and only come here for the best comfort food. Absolutley a must if you want original.

If you have never had a jibarito, you need to go to Cafe Central and try one immediately. The atmosphere is very casual, like an old school diner and the service is fantastic. The cafe con leche and jibarito con lechon were both amazing!

I asked for jibarito with lettuce n tomato only. They got order wrong. Still good. Will return and try more dishes.

Oh my goodness, their fresh jibaritos are soooooo delicious 💖

Nice & clean place to eat but it takes a long time to receive a takeout order.

Good food but prices went up and the portions went down. I spent my money elsewhere.

Best Puerto Rican Restaurant in Chicago ♥️

Friendly service, good food from their sandwiches to their traditional meals, and plenty of street parking nearby.

Had goat stew with rice, beans, and plaintains. Meat was tender and flavorful, the plaintains were fantastic.

The food so good and serves beautiful they treat us like family I pass a great time every time they I go

Wow! The food was delicious and the customer service was super A+. For me was like eating in a cafeteria in my Island. Very clean and very familiar the servers knows almost everyone by name, I noticed that it was a lot of repeating customers. This is a most visit in Chicago 😀

Delicious food when I want some good Puerto rican food this is the place to go. Everything taste so good.

The food is delicious and very affordable. Their staff is so polite and caring!!! While I dont recommend the salads, their pasteles, rice, soups, alcapurrias and mofongo are the best. I love their side sauces.

Good food and very good Service

Outstanding food... Service was off the chain... Low-key and beyond decent...I will be back

It was ok, the food was missing that extra flavor

The food was amazing, service was fantastic. My new favorite PR restaurant

Best Puerto Rican restaurant in all of Chicago!!

Authentic Puerto Rican, affordable, friendly service. Worth the hour drive.

Ordered an alcapurria and a jibarito. The alcapurria was so tough i could barely eat it. The jibarito was ok. The plantain was cooked well but it lacked flavor and there was barely any meat in it. It also didnt come with rice which i thought it would as it does in many other restaurants. Overall overpriced and not that good. If you want good PR food at a great price go to Ponce.

Amazing food and very friendly staff, highly recommend! I’ve been taking all my friends and family here and they all love it

Always great food. Missed the bread. Portions are smaller.

Good entertainment and delicious foods. I couldnt ask for more! They strive to provide us the best service that exceeds our expectations. It was a nice experience for me for the first time. I will come back to this place again and again for sure. Thumbs up to their awe-inspiring assistance. Job well done!

Love this place. Delicious home style Puerto Rican food.

Great casual and authentic Puerto Rican food. One of my Chicago favorites. Here is a photo of my most recent meal!

Great tasting pueto rican food at good prices and great fast service. This place is awesome!

The jibaritos are really good. The mixta de carne guisada y arroz con gandules is also superb!

Just love their house Fatality and theyre great food

Tasty, good value and terrific servers.

The best Puerto Rican food around.

Love the Jibaritos and also the bbq Ribs from this place

I come here for the veg jibarito and the amazing jalapeño salsa/relish. The women who work behind the counter are very warm and friendly, like you’re being welcomed into someone’s home. The restaurant is impeccably clean and they enforce the mask policy so I felt safe stepping in for take out. Great place for a cup of cafe con leche too!

Great price Staff are great hereFood best call today

Great food!! Awesome service, and Great prices!!!

It was ok no bread with my mondongo tho

The food was not bad but I really feel it didnt justify the price point. Dont get me wrong if I left saying this was the best jibarito I ever had id have no problem paying a premium for it, but unfortunately that wasnt the case. Ive had better food at a more reasonable price at many other establishments.

Friendly neighborhood spot with great food and service at a super reasonable price point. My wife and I have lived in the neighborhood for years but never stopped in. Finally did for breakfast and will surely be back. Omelet was super fresh. We got ours with a side of tomatoes and the ‘must try’ sweet plantains! Can’t wait to try for dinner!

The staff is always friendly and attentive. Their food is good. Because of Covid-19, they check the temperature before seating you down.

Great Puerto rican food in West Town with many made fresh to order dishes.

I had the fried pork chops and rice and its delicious you must go and eat their

The jicarazos are awesome!

The food was great as always! They are open during the stay-at-home order Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for pickup only. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ Just give them a call!

Food was good. I ordered a mixta, which looks a wee bit snakeSmaller than I remember. They dont offer bread anymore or water.I bought a papa relleno, which was burned. The food was good though.

Maaaan the food here was great! Tried the jibarito sandwich and the bistec encebollado and it hit the spot. Truly a hidden gem!

I love love this place. Food is delicious and the price is unexpectedly reasonable. The main reason that we came to this restaurant is because my husband wanted to try the jiburrito. Jihurrito is a Chicago creation, so we know we can only get it here. We got the steak and shrimp jiburrito, both were delicious. The shrimp was slightly messy to eat. I also really enjoy the soup called asopao. It was very yummy, and tasted very homey and comforting. We also tried their fried plantain, I like the ripe one than the green one. I love the service here, our waitress was sweet and always checked up on us. This is a mom and pops shop, so dont expect fancy silverware and ambience, just expect to be treated like family. You are eating at home.

Weather service exceptional!! I ❤ it

Ive been a customer since the eighties and never have been disappointed with the food. Till now my only disappointment is that they no longer serve the basket of French bread 😭

Delicious home cooked style and fresh

I have been going to this place for over 25 years and it is consistently delicious every time. You cant go wrong here. Everything is good. The stews are always tasty and their lechon tender every time. The arroz con gandules tastes like good old fashioned Boriquan cooking.

Amazing service, great food. Will definitely come back again! Love supporting a business ran by all women!

My boyfriend and me walked in around 7:30 pm. The waitress told us the kitchen was closed and gave us a tiny options to choice from. We both got roasted pork, beans and rice. We walked in thinking we could order anything but nope. The restaurant closes at 9 pm and the kitchen was closed at 7:30. No bread at 7:30 wow. We just ate our simple dinner very disappointing first time and last time. The waitress asked us if we were okay and if we wanted a dessert we said no. Minutes later she took the billing to our table. We took it the wrong way like they were telling us to leave. 8:30 doors were locked. The food was amazing but the whole kitchen closing early is very messed up. So go early before they close the kitchen and you only eat rice and beans.

I dont live in the neighborhood nor am I usually this way but I happen to have a doc in the neighborhood so I most definitely will be visiting this place again!I stumbled upon this Lil gem of a place by accident while trying to waste time one day. I happen to love all types of Latin food so I figured Id give it a try since it was lunch time anyways lolLet me tell you! Everything I ordered was perfect! & the lovely ladies they had behind the counter were so nice & helpful giving recommendations & tending to every customer there.Its kind of hard to recognize as a restaurant looks like an old school grocery store from the outside, but believe me take that step through the door you wont regret it 😊

Delicious, great atmosphere, and beautiful people. enjoyed every bet of it. thank youhighly recommended

Ive been going to this restaurant for many many years. Love the food and atmosphere

My kids are loving this place. The food is great, the crew is always kind and smiled. They cant wait to come here again :)

Their jibaritos are some of the best in the city, but good luck actually getting one. More than once Ive driven all the way there only to find the door locked. The sign on the door says theyre supposed to be open, Google says theyre supposed to be open, but the door is locked and someone inside is telling me theyre closed. I used to love it, now I dont know if Ill ever go back.

Delicious and your money goes far. You don’t go for the ambiance, you go for the consistently delicious food.

The best pork jibarito in Chicago! This little family diner has been around for a long long time...25 years at least! The green sauce is amazing, you can smother it on the bread, the rice.... everything you are served. No alcohol is served and I am not sure if you can bring your own. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays and There is no handicap access.

Been going here as a kid with my pops and moms forever on the the weekends for the mondongo and great foods. even my kids go there with us . my pops and moms are no longer with us but the trips to this place bring us back together. love cafe central .

I ate a soup that reminded me of my mothers soup.

Its a Nice place.. lots of delicious food. Service is good depending on who serves you. Some waitress have an attitude and that is a turn down. Overall a nice place to have a great meal.

Very good food and they are following covid-19 rules very good!

Great quick to-go service and delicious authentic food!

Delicious Spanish food with that home made taste. Average sized portions. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere. Reasonably priced. Personally feel food and service better than most.

Family goes every Sunday, the waitresses are wonderful so it makes up for their lack of Breakfast menu.

Jus got to expensive but still delicious

My family and I have been customers of this establishment for over 30 years!! The food is always good and the soup on Tuesdays is the best!! Friendly staff, oh and listen for the whistle!! When you go there you will know. 😁

The best.. Love it. Great food.. Great staff and service.

Delicious. Appetizers are inexpensive and enough to share for two. Plantain sandwiches are delicious. Cheap and fast service.

Outstanding!!! . Lot more classier then Papas Cache Sabroso . better in cafe central. Service is very outstanding. food is served less than 10 minutes !!!!.

Depending on the day, you do or dont go here for the atmosphere. We usually go here early -- breakfast or lunchtime -- and we might be one of two tables or have to wait for a table. Whenever we go, we tend to get the mixtas plates and have a whole other portion to take home with us. Weve also been going here for at least 15 years and the food is really consistent, the servers are nice and efficient and its clean. We always fear that gentrification will force this place to close, but really hope that it can survive along with change.

This is the worst customer service ever, I am pregnant and was recommended to this establishment, when I wanted to place a order for pick up, I was told unless I gave them a credit card number they could not and would not place my order although I explained to them I was picking up and paying with cash.... I do not feel comfortable giving my card information over the phone and should not have to if the order is being picked up..... asked to speak to a manager and was told that no manager was available. I find that hard to believe.... I hope you guys get a sty in your eye for denying me service....

The prices are so high the food sits in a warmer bleh

Loved it food is always awesome

Awesome food and amazing prices. The amount of food you receive is amazing and for my first time at the restaurant, the environment is extremely friendly. Will be coming back soon!

Ive been going to this restaurant since I was a child.

Poor service not very fast, me and my girlfriend were not accommodated right away. Server was super soft spoken and hard to hear and gave me the steak when I asked for shredded pork on my Jibarito and proceeded to try to argue that I said steak when my girlfriend heard my order! Food was barely hot and our waitress came to check in on us twice.

They were AWESOME!!DEFINITELY will visit again..when were in Chicago..😍💕😋

I visit this place with a group of friends and everything was very bad. We order a breakfast sandwiches. Something simple Eggs and ham. Bread was old and very hard, eggs were burn and the ham too. The coffee was watery. The only good thing was the lady that was the server that treat us ok.

This place was an excellent choice to say the least....it was my 1st time visiting my friend had heard great reviews about this restaurant so we decided to try it....very clean with a home type feeling waitress was ourstanding she explained the menu thoroughly, gave suggestions, even let us try some samples...i had goat and he had pork the food was delicious even the appetizers were great we didnt have room for dessert but we did take a to go bag....Im definitely coming back....these guys are awesome