Chicago Mama's Kitchen - Catering, Mixology & Culinary Experiences — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

One of the worst experiences I've ever had at a restaurant. The cute decor is deceptive but don't let it fool you. It's over priced, pre-made food with terrible service. We were told to seat ourselves and given menus. It was apparent they were short staffed even though it was a Friday night, because there was only one bartender who was also the only waiter. He said he had to make a few drinks and then would be right with us. We should have just left but we stayed, because there were only 3 other tables so how busy could they be... 30 minutes later he takes our order. We ordered 1 empanada each and a cocktail. He was clearly high and had to repeat our order back several times despite it being very short and simple. We finally get water. 15 minutes later he comes back to tell us that what I ordered was sold out. (I don't eat cheese or red meat so the ONLY empanada on the menu I could eat wasn't available.) So I ask for the menu back so I can order something else, and chose the shrimp appetizer. While waiting for our food, he brings out 3 different plates on separate occasions to our table, which were all orders for other people sitting outside. Finally an hour after we were seated we get some of our food. I was served a few sad breaded frozen shrimp and a tiny bit of sauce which was $17. A complete rip off. We were not given any napkins or utensils and had to ask and wait for them while our food was getting cold. I noticed that the couple next to us ordered drinks and when they tried them, they made disgusted faces and sent them back. How do you mess up basic margaritas?! Thankfully another lady came in to work to help and she remade their drinks and I finally got mine, it wasn't very strong. My husband got his pork empanada which he said was decent. After finishing our food I went to the restroom, where the trash was overflowing. On my way back to my seat the bartender called out "thank you ma'am" as if I was leaving, but we hadn't even been given the check yet. Then he comes back to the table for payment and leaves the card machine with us. We pay and as we are walking out the door, a drunk couple at the bar calls out "how was it? " I'm assuming they are the owners? The audacity. My husband said "it was okay" trying to be polite. They then yell at us "you forgot your phone!" We did not, it was just the hand held card reader the waiter had left on our table... They were too drunk to tell the difference. They should be so embarrassed. We will never come back and will warn everyone we know...

Went on a Saturday afternoon to try this place with a friend. We had a bad start since they didn't have ceviche available even though they had it labeled as one of the favorite plates (you have to make sure that you have enough of it, if this plate is one of those plates), strike one! We ordered two cappuccinos, and when we got them they were cold, I think it was because the coffee cups are made of plastic and they don't retain the heat, make sure that when you serve coffee is burning (Puerto Ricans take their coffee like coffee very hota like right out of the stove) strike two!!! For our appetizer, we had a great artichoke dip (very creamy and flavorful). For our main plate, we wanted to try different empanadas, we ordered guava and cheese, lechon, macho man, chorizo, and El Yunque, and they were served with a chimichurri sauce on the side (which helped to bring flavor into some empanadas, and to elevate the flavor of others). We ranked them from the most favorite to the least favorite: lechon (great flavor and the meat was very juicy), macho man (great flavor), guava and cheese (good to have as a dessert), El Yunque (sweet plantains have to be riper to have a better and sweet flavor), and our least favorite was the chorizo (you can taste different spices once you take a bite, but the chorizo was not present, it was tasteless). The atmosphere and the vibe of the place are nice (just add other salsa singers to the playlist). Our host was very attentive and she was always checking on us to make sure that everything was okay. I'll probably go back and give it a...

Having always been fascinated by Puerto Rican culture and cuisine, I recently visited Empanadas Mama, and overall, it was a delightful experience.

The restaurant's ambiance immediately impressed me. The decor beautifully evokes the gardens of Aibonito Puerto Rico, creating a clean, inviting, and welcoming space with a laid-back family atmosphere.

The service was friendly and attentive throughout my meal. I thoroughly enjoyed the chicken soup, which reminded me of my grandmother's Sunday cooking. However, I did find the broth needed a touch more salt to achieve the perfect balance.

I also tried the Cochinita empanada with cheese. The crust was truly amazing – a beautiful golden crisp filled with cheese and ham. While the ham did make the inside of the empanada a bit wet, it still delivered a flavorful bite.

Overall my final thoughts, the food is good but it did not exceed expectations. The value is well withing the area of the restaurant. Decor a 10. For mid-afternoon, the service was attentive, friendly and inviting.

The million dollar question: Will I be back?. 100% Yes- Absolutely. Next time, I will be...