BienMeSabe Venezuelan Cafe & Restaurant — Restaurant in Lake View Township

On this night, we decided to venture out to Ravenswood for some of the best Arepas know to man. I mean it! First, I want to say that I love this place. It’s simple yet elegant, cozy yet sophisticated, local yet worldly. You get it. You can dress up or show up casual, either way you’ll fit in. The staff is always friendly and welcoming and treat you as if you are their favorite customer. The place is small, but very well appointed and if you go to the back of the restaurant, there are lots of names of Venezuelans that you will recognize on the wall. But, let’s face it. We are here for the food. And what a delight it is!!!! We traveled all across the city to get here if that says anything. Well, let’s get this culinary party started! For appetizer we ordered the Rompe Colchon, it is a Venezuelan aphrodisiac ceviche served with plantain chips. SUPER fave! Fresh ingredients form a fresh and complex seafood experience that excites all of your senses! It is beautiful to look at and smells as incredible as it tastes! I could seriously order it as an appetizer and as an Arepa for a dish. But I didn’t because I had to try the rest of the lineup! We then deliberated long and hard and decided, we ate here for the Arepas, so Arepas it will be! We ordered the Tropical Arepa. It’s has Shredded chicken, sweet plantains, and black beans. It was simply delicious. We also ordered the 3 empanadas and they too were very delicious. Then there was the After Party Arepa, with its Roasted pork, Gouda cheese, and guasacaca. It was to DIE FOR! I mean it! We were sharing our Arepas and I thought she might die if she takes the other half! She was saved by the waitress bringing us the Chicha and my Mango Batido or blood would have been spilled! (JK! 😉) Oh… that Chicha was FIRE!!! Don’t even know what level or sorcery was used to create it but WOW! Plus I just think the name slaps. Chicha. Hehe. All in all, this place will continue to be one of our go to places due to the high quality of ingredients and food they present. Keep it up! And tell the...

My family and I went there to celebrate my birthday yesterday evening. (3 adults, teen, and two toddlers). When we first arrived we were greeted my a gentleman that looked a bit nervous as if we arrived at an inconvenient time. We were seated in less than 5 minutes. The restaurant was being featured in what we later found out was a Hispanic Heritage Month. I’ve had the food from this establishment (via DoorDash) before and I LOVE it, so I’ll give it all its stars for that, but the atmosphere was terrible because of the interview being conducted. My 2 year old son is autistic and he was having a moment. The lady who was doing the interviewing and her cameraman kept looking over at us as my child cried. At one point she put her hand over her mouth. I’m not sure what she intended that to mean. Was she suggesting I shut my child up by covering his mouth? I was furious and SO uncomfortable. My husband had to calm me down because I was ready to say something and walk out and leave all the appetizers on the table. Our waiter was super nice, but I could tell the service was rushed. This lady continuously looked at us. I felt like we were inhaling our food just to get out of there. The place was empty and the music was off so you could hear a pin drop and we could hear the ENTIRE interview too! The man being interviewed was more than likely the owner or chef. He looked at us and smiled and that seriously saved the moment. He even came by and said hi to my little guy after my husband had calmed him. I’m appreciative for that moment . I don’t want to take away from the food or the service, but perhaps it would be a MUCH better idea to do those type of events when the restaurant is closed to the public. It’s already a gamble to go out and dine with an autistic toddler, so moments like this really hurt. Our tab was $198 and I didn’t enjoy not a second of that. We will try it again, and maybe this time our experience will be a little different, because the food is delicious and everyone there...

TL:DR For 2 years, I gave this place 5 stars. After recent experiences where I had really long wait times for takeout and a disappointing meal, I'm updating my review.

Full Review: I live down the block from BienMeSabe, and it's usually busy during dinner and lunch, so we ordered takeout. It gave me a 40 minute wait time. No problem, it's busy and I live close, I get it. Once I got there, they mentioned it was busy, so it would be another 15 minutes. Cool, I'm patient. It took an extra half hour for our order to be ready. Nothing big, 4 Arepas and fries. Others were waiting for takeout too, and some people weren't as patient. It was kind of annoying since we tipped 20% for a takeout order, but they focused on dining in, which seemed behind too. They expanded their outside patio, and I wonder if they expanded the kitchen and staff too. Nonetheless, it's about the food right? Is the wait worth it? Maybe. Someone else ordered a non signature Arepa, and it was what we expected. A packed, soft, and crispy Arepa that fills. My Arepa tasted like it was cooked way before the rest, heated again, so it was dry and hard. It also was really thin compared to others, which sucks seeing since I paid more for mine. It tasted fine, but I was not impressed especially for the price. I don't blame the staff at all. I've worked in the service industry, so I understand how things are. I'm sure the front and kitchen staff were doing the best they can during a busy day and are good at their jobs. But... The food and service is inconsistent and my most recent experience makes me want to avoid the place when considering takeout options. This isn't the first time it has happened, and it feels like a gamble ordering. If you plan to dine here, your best bet is to reserve a table. I want to recommend this place, but I can't in good...