4 /5 Albert Emery: I tried this place about a year ago but didnt eat; just drank. A few weeks ago, me and my dad decided to stop in and eat.
Unfortunately, they didnt have any beer from Venezuela or Columbia, which they did the last time I was in. So I got a Modelo.
Before I describe the food, Its important to keep in mind that the waitresses have a really hard time with Engish. Many of them are in the U.S. on visa and just dont know the language too well. Its probably best to brush up on your Spanish a little if you plan on visiting here.
One of issues that I have with there being such a strong language barrier is that I usually have a lot of questions about the menu when Im at a restaurant like this with such a unique herritage to the area. So it was tough to get any specific answers about the food other than looking at the menu or looking at google reviews.
I ended ordering the peluda which is shredded beef and shredded cheese. Its kind of like an open burrito, if that makes sense. It was okay. I do wish that the beef had more flavor though. My dad got the pachuga, which is a grilled chicken breast. It came with a salad, rice and fries. It was also served with soup; a soup in which I had never tried. It tasted like it had cilantro, plantains, and a few other things. It was pretty good. Needless to say, I liked my dads meal more than mine. It also came with this green sauce that had a really good flavor. It was a little garlicy but had a hint of sourness to it. That tasted great.
I also like the atmosphere of this place. There is a stage for music and toward the back there are club chairs and small tables. It kind of has a vibe of a lounge, at least toward the back of the building. Another thing about this place that I realized is that you can really distinguish the differences between this place and a Mexican restaurant.
Overall, I like the variety of venezuelan and columbian cuisine. The upbeat club atmosphere is pretty neat as well. The language barrier is tough though. And even though Lincoln Park has a fair share of people that speak Spanish, many still do not. They need to have someone from their staff that knows better English.
