The Jibarito Stop — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

I usually don't leave a review unless it's a positive one, but I honestly couldn't help but to leave one for this restaurant. Yesterday was my 1st time here and I brought a friend who has never tried Puerto Rican food and I wanted to introduce it to her for the 1st time. I was so displeased with everything I ordered. I ordered a sampler and 2 side orders of Aroz con Gandules and 1 flan and a couple of soft drinks and paid $60. Now I wasn't complaining about the high price on everything, but none of the food including the Aroz con Gandules tasted anywhere near like the Puerto Rican food that I have eaten in my entire life! This is like the Taco Bell of Mexican food and was horrible! Every single thing that I tried had a ton of garlic and I couldn't understand it, then I tried the flan which is a Spanish custard, now that wasn't too bad, but it tasted more like a cheesecake than the traditional flan that I love! What I didn't understand is why everything had the same taste of lots of garlic and way too salty! Even the rice and beans had that same exact taste! Maybe if I weren't Puerto Rican, I wouldn't know what the food was supposed to taste like, but I'm so upset that a so called Puerto Rican restaurant didn't even come close to what I had expected and the saddest part was that I was embarrassed once we tried everything that...

This is a solid counter-order spot on Pilsen’s 18th St. serving flavorful, garlicky jibaritos, plates, etc. It wasn’t too crowded for a Saturday lunch, but most of the tables were full. The inside ambience is chill and relaxed. I ordered the Vegan Steak Mofongo Plate and Full Chicken Jibarito to share with one other person, and it was a hefty amount of food that left us both quite full and satisfied.

Both tasted flavorful, but overly salty, as we were both extremely thirsty afterwards. And although I’m normally a huge fan of garlic, I must say that the garlic flavor in both dishes was a bit overpowering. I personally liked the Vegan Steak Mofongo Plate better, as it had a more eclectic mix of textures and flavors, from the delicious beans mixed in rice to the vegan steak and soft, garlicky mash exterior. The jibarito was similarly flavorful but difficult to consume cohesively in one piece.

The prices are pretty fair, especially for the portion sizes. Although I didn’t love how salty and overly garlicky the food was, it did hit the spot overall and I would love come back to try the other items on the menu. —

Price (relative to peers): 4.5/5 Food: 4/5 Ambience: 4.5/5 Service: 4.5/5 (quick and friendly ordering and...

Stopped by here on the way home to South Bend, IN from staying in downtown Chicago this past weekend and wanted to get some puertorican food for the first time as I am half puertorican myself. So we looked up puertorican restaurants near downtown Chicago and seen The Jibarito Stop was nearby. I called ahead and placed a to go order for the steak and onion platter which came with rice and sweet plantains, also ordered a side of papa majada which is a whipped potato salad which was really good and a side if maduros (sweet plantains). The total came out to a little over $15.00 which was really great given that it was in Chicago and what I was ordering.

I don't think I would go there and try it out again as another menu that I came across had the steak and onion platter that came with peppers and onions. I didn't get that. Wish I would have, but anyways the steak wasn't flavorful at all. The rice just came with pigeon peas as I thought or heard from someone that puertorican rice has a variety of things in it including a variety of peppers. Will pass on this restaurant when in...