La Provincia Restaurant — Restaurant in Leyden Township

My husband and I went to this Colombian restaurant in River Grove since it’s fairly new, and we wanted to give it a try. Let me tell you—the food was amazing!

For starters, we had a house drink special, which was a lemonade with the perfect balance of flavor—refreshing and delicious. We started off with meat empanadas and their yummy sauce, which was full of flavor. Then, we both ordered the Bandeja Paisa, a traditional Colombian dish that includes arroz, frijoles, carne molida, chicharrón, chorizo, huevo, aguacate, plátano maduro y arepa (rice, beans, ground beef, crispy pork belly, chorizo, egg, avocado, sweet plantain, and arepa). Every bite was bursting with authentic taste! The crispy chicharrón, the perfectly cooked chorizo, and the creamy avocado all came together beautifully.

The service was great, and the staff was very attentive. The restaurant was pretty empty, which is surprising because more people need to know about this place! The prices were fair, and we definitely plan on returning. The ambiance was nice—more of a casual dining setting. They also have an ATM, accept Apple Pay and credit cards, and offer an outdoor patio with plenty of parking.

If you’re looking for delicious Colombian food, this place...

This place is amazing! I was EXCITED to see a new Colombian restaurant in our neighborhood. The food was delicious! Seasoned & cooked to perfection. We did have a cabbage slaw come with our dish, I would recommend adding a lemon & olive oil dressing to it or using their house sauce as a dressing for the salad. Otherwise, food was amazing. Service can be worked on a little, but I understand they just opened & probably working out some things. With service it took a bit to be checked on, extra plates should come with appetizers, white wines should be served chilled. One thing I really would encourage is the waitstaff not to be shy with the language barrier “practice makes perfect.” We do not mind Spanglish. LOL Anyone should feel welcomed here & in our neighborhood. So, please don’t shy away from speaking Spanish or practicing your English. Its ok. All in all, the restaurant is amazing, very clean & I’m looking forward to...

La Provincia Restaurant Review – 3.7/5

La Provincia delivers an authentic Colombian experience with flavors that hit close to home, though a few dishes could use fine-tuning.

Empanadas were a solid 3.5/5 — crispy and satisfying, though they didn’t quite steal the show.

The bandeja paisa came in at 3.3/5. While the overall balance of flavors was decent, the beans were absolutely to die for — easily a standout at 4.5/5. Unfortunately, the dry meat brought the dish down.

The patacón was somewhere between a 4 and 5 — great crunch and flavor, though the cheese was a bit heavy for my taste.

As for the carne asada, the meat was dry and tough (a 3/5), but the rest of the plate made up for it, rounding out the dish to a 3.8/5.

Overall, I’d give La Provincia a 3.7/5. It’s a great spot for solid Colombian food, especially if you’re after beans that’ll keep you coming back. With a few tweaks to the meats, this place could easily hit...