Latinicity

The first time I came here I sort of stumble on the place before going to the Gene Sisksel Film Center. I had heard about it but never made the trip over. The first time I was here I ordered the tortilla soup and chipotle BBQ salad and the Pepino Cocktail (Serrano infused tequila and cucumber… Need I say more). The ambience is very nice. Laid back, casual place to have pretty good drinks & cocktails.
Tonight I came back on my way home from OHARE. I got off at Washington and walked right in. Just coming home from Puerto Rico I still was in vacation mode. We ordered the brisket, beef & Caramelized onion Empanada, sweet corn empanada, and three tacos (carnitas, carne asada, and barbacoa), and guacamole (we had been traveling 12 hours) and of course the pepino cocktail.
I was happy with it all. The beef empanada wasn’t great. The sweet corn was very delicious. The brisket was solid. The drinks were tight in point and I like the tacos better than a chipotle. I wouldn’t describe them as street food but they are really good.
I think this place is a great option for the theatre district and lunch crowd downtown.

I went with a large group. Everyone agreed the meal was a let down. If only the food was as good as it looked.. Not worth the price. Much better options in the area.

I went for dinner with my parents before going to see a show at the Oriental theatre. It’s very similar to Food Life in Water Tower, except Latin themed. Good place to try a bunch of items, but it was all pretty hit and miss.
1) Mexican dog– my favorite! So messy but super fun and a unique flavor profile
2) Steak torta– I didn’t even get to try this one, my dad ate it all, so I’ll take his word that it was great
3) Crab guac– good sized portion and solid seasoning. Could have used a bit more flavor
4) Tacos (barbacoa, steak) — nothing to write home about, I’ve had better tacos at a million other places
5) Angry Tuna roll– super bland, no flavor, too much rice

I would say this wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought there would be a variety of Latin countries represented with amazing selections. There are a variety of different places to choose from that feature what seem Mexican/​Latin fusion versions of soup, salad, tacos, fish, sushi, and burger. Some places have authentic dishes, but it doesn’t bring anything you couldn’t get at a typical Mexican restaurant. This place appears to be targeted at the more Americanized preferred taste customer.
The tacos I tried were okay, it’s served chipotle style, doesn’t pack the street taco punch though. I had that feeling things might be catered toward the general public meaning not as much spice and flavor from my experience from Americanized places.
It’s a great concept, but I wish it had more of an authentic selection. If your looking for a place to try different Latin countries dishes this isn’t it.

Thank goodness I didn’t write a review for this place when it first open or I may have given it 2 stars. I know there’s growing pains and at first I thought the concept of waiting outside for 25 minutes as they did «crowd control» was ridiculous. Now that the hype has died down the wait time isn’t as bad.
I still think as a lunch spot I wouldn’t go here that much cause the prices are on the high side. The first time I came I ate at Tortas Corcas (sp) and I felt $ 8.00 for those 4 little tiny squares of flatbread were a bit pricy.
On my most recent return I chose Saladero Grill and I fell in love with the plantains! They were amazing and priced quite well. The empanada was $ 4.00, but it came with guacamole so I thought in general the price point was fine. It all depends on which restaurant inside of Latinicity you check out.
There’s a decent amount of space for seating, but just don’t forgot to pay when you leave :) They give you a credit card that they scan your food on and you pay at the end.

I see plenty of mixed reviews but i thought it was great. I took some out of town friends and they enjoyed it. They were overwhelmed at first with all the offerings but finally settled in.
I had the Lomo Saltado from the Peruvian place and it was good. One friend had the churrasco and liked it so much she went for another. My other friend enjoyed the tortilla soup and sangria.
I think the food was solid and customer service was superb. From the greeter at the front, to the food servers at the counters, to the people cleaning tables, to the cashiers, everyone was very nice.

With so much to choose from, I finally settled on the spot called Burguesa. After a quick look over the menu, I saw truffle salt and parmesan fries. I just had to get it! While waiting to order, a friend of mine received his Mexico DF hotdog. It looked so good that I just had to get one too!
The Mexico DF was delicious, but nothing too crazy. It was definitely better than any traditional dog. The fries were satisfactory, but again, nothing amazing. I expected more flavor.
This joint is a great place to grab some food with some friends after some shopping or perhaps a place to wind down after work. There is a bar here and scenic city views from about 3 – 4 stories up.

Great concept! Great addition to the Chicago food scene! Also a great location on State Street, Block 37! I loved it! Latin food emporium! I could have stayed here all day, very warm and comfortable! We overate as you would expect with a put everything on this little card and pay at the end process! It was extremely expensive. As for the food Mussels were on point!, Soups were excellent, needed salt and hearty. The tacos were really good but needed some salt. The flatbread mushroom was good also needed salt. The salt cod croquettes were really good had plenty of salt. The Cubano coffee and tres leche were excellent.

Strangely, sitting apart in the basement of Block Thirty Seven in the pedway, sits Loncheria, a «grab-​and-​go» version of its upstairs Latinicity brother three stories up. And although Loncheria, obviously, does not have the plentiful options the full Latincity does, it beats Latinicity itself (and many other food counters) in at least two categories:
1. Locheria has surprisingly great coffee, better than any Loop chain, save for maybe Intelligentsia.
2. It’s full or half rotisserie chicken – which is funny that Loncheria even sells such food next to coffee and empanadas – is steal at $ 7 or $ 12, and is uniquely flavored with spices and salsas.
3. It’s wraps are great, relatively cheap, and faster than going upstairs, without all the «Chipotle side effects»

Imagine being given a pretend credit card and allowed to roam free inside a mini-​food amusement park to purchase to your heart’s desire (or in this case, your stomach’s capacity and budget). Poor analogy, but you get the idea.
Upon entering Latinicity, an employee will hand you a plastic card that acts as a line of credit. You can visit the different restaurant booths and purchase whatever you like using the card. Once you’ve finished dining, you’ll pay the balance that you racked up on the card with cash or a credit card.
It does get pretty busy around lunchtime during the weekdays, so it’s best to come early or late to beat the crowd. We came at a little before noon, which wasn’t that crowded yet. Once we got our food around 12:15pm, longer lines started to form.
Both of us ordered tacos from Machefe Taqueria, but I got the Carne Asada, Barbacoa, and Carnitas. I wasn’t a big fan of the Carne Asada taco because the meat was a bit dry and flavor was underwhelming. If you want awesome carne asada tacos, you should visit a hole-​in-​the-​wall Mexcian restaurant (*cough* Chavas Tacos *cough cough*). The Carnitas taco tasted okay, but it was so juicy and oily that it made the corn tortilla slightly soggy. The juices oozed everywhere! The Barbacoa taco was decent and probably was my favorite out of the three.
The décor was nice and festive, and the area was fun to navigate. I think I’ll be back a couple more times to give the other restaurant booths a try. This might have just been a fluke.

There was a little bit of press around this place which made me really excited for what it is. The concept sounded really cool to me. I heard some not so good things about the opening day, so I figured I’d give it a bit of time before trying it so they could work some kinks out.
For all the comparisons to Eataly — it’s not really like it. Yeah sure there are food stations, a few bars, a restaurant, a market, etc but Eataly is much bigger with a different feeling. This is more like a nice cafeteria with a Latin theme and a little market in it too. You walk in and they give you a card like at some college cafeterias. You pay at the end as you leave and they swipe the card to see what damage you did. Some people were kind of bothered by it, but I wasn’t. The only dangerous thing about it is that they don’t tell you the price when they swipe your «meal card.» They need to do this — it would be really easy to rack up some damage here.
This place is labeled as Mexican food, but it’s really latin (aka Latinicity). They have things you might not expect there, like Latin style sushi, but this is not necessarily out of the ordinary if you were in Peru eating Nikkei (Japanese-​Peruvian) food. There are a few million Japaense people in both Peru and Brazil (which might actually have more than the US has) and they’ve had a little impact on the cuisine.
Anyway, I got some classico (mixto) ceviche and Ajiaco soup (chicken broth, corn, potatoes — with some capers in it and some ther stuff). The ceviche was presented in a bowl with some chips but they also didn’t give me a fork or spoon to eat it with. It was OK — not even close to the best ceviche I’ve had in the US or even Chicago. not terrible, but nothing to write home about at all. The seafood itself was at least nicely prepared — the octopus for example wasn’t chewy, which is great. The Ajiaco soup by itself is OK, but is amplified by putting on the toppings like the capers. Once the capers are in it, it adds a needed salt element because without it, it is not very salty. After that, it was pretty good. I tried my friend’s Torta too and it was decent.
So the thing is that it’s average to me — not bad, but not that great from what I had either. They need to work on flavors of their dishes. The thing that many people don’t understand about Chicago is that there are many people from Latin America who live here. Especially on the SW side and parts of the far north and NW side, Mexican eateries are a dime a dozen, and there’s a lot in many neighborhoods that are good. Tourists won’t know this, and many new Chicagoans won’t either, but it’s absolutely true. I really want this to be a place I visit often, but frankly, the ceviche I had wasn’t really enough to make me go out of my way for it. I can go to Tanta in River North for that or even places around Albany Park. Same as the Torta — not when Xoco is in River North. Or for most of these when there are much better Latin places on the SW and NW sides of the city.
I’m hoping they improve though as I think it has a lot of potential, but it needs to elevate. The view from the cafeteria is pretty cool too. Don’t expect to be wow’d by it, but it’s nice.

Sustainable ingredients with a limited all about chicken menu. Portion is just right for price. Limited seating. Impressive coffee.
COFFEE — I HAVE A BEAN is served here. Housemade syrups. Local IL milk source. VANILLA LATTE was smooth, delicious, perfect froth with perfect sweetness (no additional sugar needed).
CHICKEN COMBO ($ 9) — I like the utilized spices and chicken was moist and tender. How I love the skin!
CREAMY ESQUITES CORN — different. Onion. Good flavor.
MEXICAN RICE — made perfectly, zero clumps.
VENUE — a small place for quick meals or coffee in between commutes. As long as Latinicity is here, you won’t be hungry wherever your destination takes you.
WHOLE CHICKEN TO GO – competitively priced for a grocery store.
I need to taste test that plantain chips.

With all the hype for Latinicity, I feel like I was shorted a spectacular experience. I had made plans to try Latinicity for lunch and dinner on a single day (with two sets of friends), and opted to skip dinner after my lunch experience.
The line was long, and they only allow a set number of individuals to enter the establishment at any given time. One is presented with a card and you can use this card at any of the food stations. When you exit Latinicity, you pay for the food purchases racked up on your card. This concept mirrors Vapiano and your average college dorm cafeteria. Latinicity has been compared to Eataly, but I feel like Eataly balances the retail and food aspects of its business model. Latinicity reminds me of a Latin-​inspired cafeteria. If I could recommend a business model to Latinicity, I would recommend the Krog Street Market in Atlanta, GA.
I like the variety of options that Latinicity provides, from hot dogs to sushi to flatbread pizzas to carne asada tortas. However, I can’t say any one dish I tried was life-​changing and quite a few were disappointing. The portion size of the servings is small, and one has to order 2 – 3 dishes to feel satiated. This will set you back $ 20+ for a cafeteria lunch. Because of this, I opted not to come back for dinner to try more stations. I didn’t feel like there was good value for what I paid.
What I tried:
Nikkei style Mussels from Mariscos: steamed in a plastic bag in the microwave. Served cold and the mussels didn’t even open. Very little broth.
Pepito torta from Tortas Cocas: Chewy carne asada lacked flavor (made me miss the carne asada at L’Patron), but the avocado was fresh and and torta bread soft.
Truffle salt and parmesan fries: I liked these fries but they’re not particularly Latin flavors.
I doubt I’ll come back to Latinicity, but I’m glad I tried it and can say I’ll always have the ropa vieja sandwich at Cafecito as an option!

When I first heard that Latinicity would be opening, I was incredibly excited. It was being heralded as a «Latin Eataly» and Chicago’s next great food hall.
As I was waiting in a fifteen minute line out front, my interest peaked: I could see inside to a lovely, clean, large space that I was about to enter. However, I was surprised by the fact that it had a food court style rather than being a grouping of distinct restaurants in the way that Eataly is.
When it was our turn to enter, we were each presented with a card which we would use to register all our food purchases, and then could use to pay the full total at the end. If you are familar with Food Life in Water Tower Place, it is exactly the same concept. Be warned that when it does come time to pay, Latinicty accepts credit cards only.
There were a number of booths, which all had a different theme: like tacos, soup, salad, fish, etc., but were all united through there emphasis of Latin flavors. To be honest, I felt as if Latinicity really stretched the «Latin-​ness» of the dishes they constructed. I believe that in an effort to appeal to a wider consumer base, they sacrificed authenticity and quality. For example, they had stands that offered Latin «sushi» or standard salads that added some ingredients that were vaguely South American.
We shared a churrasco steak and the beef brisket. Both of the meats had a pretty good flavor. But they were both cold. Furthermore, the gravy topping the brisket was overly salty. We got empandas and guacamole on the side, both of which were not bad, but lacking in flavor.
The serving staff was very efficient at clearing trays and cleaning tables. Patrons could seat themselves in a spacious area with ample tables. There were even long tables good for large groups.
Overall, I find Latinicity to be a fine food court downtown. The space would appeal to larger groups. However in terms of the food quality, Latinicty looses stars. It neither feels authentic, nor inspired, nor even that delicious.

I had such high hopes for this place but my first visit fell flat. Came in on a snowy Saturday after lunch time so the place was pleasantly devoid of lines. I liked the offerings in the small grocery store but wished it was 5 times bigger.
Got the al pastor and carne asada tacos and tortilla soup. The taco stand was no different from Chipotle and the food wasn’t good — flavors were not bright & exciting as you’d expect from Mexican food. Tortilla soup was lukewarm and super salty. This is no Latin American Eataly.

Pretty pricey, but I thought the food was good!
MUSSELS COSTEÑOS $ 8 — I’m surprised they gave a big portion for that price! The broth was buttery and super delicious!
CHORI-​FRITA BURGER $ 9 — super flavorful and the burger was juicy!
TRUFFLE SALT & PARMESAN FRIES $ 4 — these were decent, wish they were more crispy.
GUACAMOLE & CHIPS $ 6 — suuuper pricey… we asked for half mild, half spicy. definitely go with the spicy!
MEXICO DF STYLE CORN ON THE COB $ 4 — not your typical elotes!
SANGRIA ROJA $ 9 — too expensive for a tiny glass.

I went to Latinicity on a Friday night and it was surprisingly not too busy. There were lines, but they moved fairly quickly. When you enter, they give you a card and each food stand swipes how much you owe and then you pay as you leave. The process reminded me of Foodlife at Water Tower.
I ordered 2 tacos: pork al pastor and chicken tinga. Each taco was $ 3. You have to pick your own toppings which I didn’t mind, but I would have preferred that each taco already had set toppings. I thought the al pastor and chicken tinga had good flavor, but the corn tortilla was really chewy and hard to eat.
I liked the modern décor with cool artwork and lighting. There was a good amount of seating and a nice view of Daley Plaza. Even though I was a bit disappointed with the tacos, I still want to come back and try their other Latin dishes.

(This is really a 3.5-star review.)
So, this really isn’t the «Latin Eataly.» Other than the fact that there are multiple places in the space to acquire food, there isn’t much that’s the same. Not really a grocery area to speak of. Much better seating. It’s really just a kick-​ass cafeteria.
You wander around with a card and swipe it to receive food at different stands. Eat to your heart’s content in the beautiful, light-​filled dining area, then present your card as you leave to pay. A few things about this: the first time I went there, no one was passing out cards or explaining the concept. I had to hunt someone down to get one. Especially when a place just opened to the public, this shouldn’t be the case. Someone should be at the entrance explaining. My friend pointed out that the card is another way for the restaurant to get metadata on you (what you order, how long you stay, how you moved around the space, etc.) which is slightly unsettling if you’re concerned about that kind of stuff. It also makes it hard to track how much money you’re spending. I unintentionally dropped $ 40 on myself alone.
The food was kind of hit-​or-​miss. But nothing was bad. The pan con chicarron torta was delicious, but my friend also ordered one that looked different and wasn’t as tasty. The sushi was OK, but nothing special (and not totally sure what makes it «latin style»). The seafood cocktail ceviche was very good and fresh, but they only give you about 5 chips with it, which isn’t really enough. The arroz aeropuerto looked amazing but was lackluster – reminded me of something you’d get from Noodles & Company, not a world-​renown chef. My friends also complained that the tacos were build-​your-​own when they probably should’ve come by default with chef-​recommended toppings. The flan was decent but not mind-​blowing.
Overall the concept alone is what makes this a go-​to. Come with a group of people, and everyone can build their own ideal meal. The space is really pretty and interesting. But don’t expect a life-​changing food experience.

I came here on a Friday for lunch with two friends, enthusiastic to try Latinicity and all they have to offer. They had opened earlier in the week, and the line was full of eager and curious diners, looping around a vast corridor in the Block 37 mall.
While in line, we were served mini Mexican hot chocolates, which was a nice touch considering we were lining up like it was Black Friday (well, less chaotic, anxiety, and anger). The three of us were in line for maybe about 20 minutes during the lunch rush.
My friends and I compared this place to Eataly, but Latinicty is slightly more focused on cafeteria-​style dining, than the emphasis on a grocery store (although there is a small section for groceries). They have a tapas restaurant in the middle of the establishment, where your meal card (described below) does not apply.
My rating is three stars because a complete meal will set you back $ 25. That is how much I spent on lunch, which I allow to try new restaurants and for special occasions, but won’t dole out consistently. I mean, that’s like 3 burrito bowls from Chipotle, but I digress.
Concept: you enter and are given a meal card, order whatever you want and it will be charged on this card. Eat, then pay before you leave.
What I ordered:
–truffle oil & parm fries from Burguesa
–plantains ($ 4), caramelized onions & beef empanada w guacamole sauce ($ 4), churrasco (grilled steak, $ 11) with chimichurri sauce
The freshness of your food is entirely dependent on what you order. My steak was pre-​cooked to a medium rare, and once I ordered, they tossed it back on the grill to warm it up and then drizzle a semi-​tasty chimichurri sauce on top. It was pretty good, as were all of the items I ordered from «Saladero Latin Grill.» (Caramelized plantains were delicious.) However, my friend ordered the mussels from a different stand, which were served cold, with little to no sauce.
The taco stand was the most popular, and they have a pozole stand (which I would’ve tried if the line was shorter). They also have sushi, which looked like I’d need to order at least two rolls to feel full (as with all sushi for me). Portions are adequate, but not generous.
So why come here?
1) It’s a neat concept of dining
2) It’s a fun atmosphere
3) Their food was good, although pricey
4) Fusion Flavors: Latinicity hotdogs, Asian-​Latin dishes and creative burgers
5) Service will probably drastically improve over time, given feedback from their grand opening
I’m glad I got to try this place. Their staff was friendly and prepared, though food service was a little slower than actual fast food (understandable). I guess I’m just not used to waiting if I’m not standing in a Starbucks line. Overall, I probably won’t be a regular. Read: pricey. White table-​cloth prices for «upscale» cafeteria-​style food.

Great potential here. Think of frontera grill at the airport but as a food court. Great selection of latin food (and sushi) and a bar. Seating is plentiful and atmosphere is cool. Food is just ok though… burger is good but rest is ok for the high end prices. The steak tacos were popular but so fatty. Would not order again.
And be ready to wait a while. Food is prepared right when U order. So good that it’s fresh, bad that it’s not set up for waiting. Everything takes too long and if you are with a party, you won’t eat together.
Bummer. Good concept though. Would hope this place can iron out it’s wait issues to compensate for the cost and quality.

Came here during lunch on their second day open, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt. There was a long line to get in. At first it was moving fast but then stopped. So I’m thinking after a while, about 12:30, they were limiting the amount of people inside. I didn’t mind the short wait plus when we got in it was not very crowded. We found a table no problem. So I actually liked how they limited people entering.
Take away all the fancy words and this really isn’t anything more then a food court. The options included tacos, salads, tortas, a grill, ceviche and sushi, and few others. I opted for the tacos. The price was on point. 2 tacos were $ 7 and the chips and guac was $ 6. The food itself though was sub-​par. The tortillas you could tell had been sitting out for a while and started to fall apart when you started eating. I ordered the spicy guac which was not spicy. So much so that I wonder if it was the regular. The guac and chips were both under seasoned and I couldn’t find any salt and pepper. They also both needed lime, which I also didn’t see.
My biggest complaint about the tacos was that they were only customizable. Given the hype about this place and its «celebrity chef,» I was hoping for chef prepared food. I ordered the carne asada and el pastor tacos. They have a lot of options for toppings so I told the woman making my taco to just make it however she recommends. I like good food and am otherwise not too picky. She was confused and kept asking me what I wanted on it. Here’s my tip: have an option where you can order it however the chef would prepare it. Then for those less adventurous have a «create your own» option. The toppings on both my tacos ended up being the same, which didn’t seem very authentic and chef inspired.
The line for the tacos was the longest but that didn’t even take that long. Stands such as the salad and seafood didn’t have any line, so you probably could do this in under an hour and get back to work. There were plenty of tables and they cleared our trays when we were finished.
I hope they clean up some of their recipes but because its the loop its still some of the better food around.