Lito’s Empanadas

Best empanadas in Chicago. Usedto live a few blocks away and come here weekly. I have since moved away but stop whenever I am in the area. Only problem I have is they added red peppers to the hawaiian. Dont change a good thing!

Affordable and delicious, and literally right downstairs from where I live. It’s almost too dangerous because it’s so easy to walk down there and order a couple empanadas to bring home and eat while watching tv…
The store is clean and inviting and they have a clear menu on the wall with 12 items on it. The empanadas are crispy and fluffy and flavorful and just all-​around wonderful. My favorite is the last one #12 which is a pork flavor with cheese in it. The #2 (?) Beef with rice was also really good. The one sweet item with bananas and nutella was also decent if you’re craving something sweet to finish your meal but don’t feel like walking somewhere else to pick up dessert. Don’t forget to pick up some of that creamy pink sauce (actually not sure what it is) because it’s really good!
The only thing keeping me from eating these all the time is probably because they’re not very healthy… Oh well, indulge first, regret later… Haha!

Great little spot. I tried the chorizo and cheese, beef and rice, Hawaiian, and the banana chocolate.
They give you a pink sauce for the empanadas. The sauce adds a lot to the empanadas. I believe the sauce is just the classic mayo and ketchup.
I would recommend everyone getting the banana Choco empanada (Nutella) as the last empanada you eat before you leave. It is the perfect way to close your appetite and leave with a smile.
The prices for the empanadas are just as good as the empanadas.

I got the Chicken Champion — chicken, onion, mushrooms and the Al pastor.
Not a big fan of shredded chicken so I much preferred the Al Pastor since it had chunks of pork and it was very flavourful with the pineapple.
I’m not an empanada connoisseur but I thought the crust was very flaky and enjoyed the sauced which came with it. I preferred the green salsa, but friend preferred the sweeter orange sauce!

Excellent fast food they are mostly a take out place with limited seating empanadas are only 2.99 and very tasty!

Loved these empanadas! I bought the chorizo cheese, bbq chicken, Hawaiian and Al Pastor.
The chorizo cheese was my favorite! Great flavor and can never go wrong with too much cheese.
The bbq chicken was my least favorite because there was too much meat and not enough flavor or sauce.
The Hawaiian was okay, nothing too special but not as bad as I heard previously from a friend.
The Al Pastor was good too. I meant to order the Nutella one but accidentally said the wrong number so instead of the last empanada being a dessert one, I ate until I was very full. I’ll try this on an empty stomach next time to enjoy it more!
My cousins K and T and Me all had different experiences with our Al Pastors. T said hers was really spicy and K had a greasy one. Mine was not too much of either so I guess I got lucky!
I’ll be coming back for the Spanish, Nutella and maybe another chorizo cheese!

Never judge a book by its cover. Lito’s has a 4 star rating for a reason. I’ve been here a few times and I think it’s earned its rating.
There’s a variety of flavors. Veggie, meaty, cheesy, and sweet. The Hawaiian, Chori Cheese, and Spinach are my faves. There are dessert empanadas that I haven’t tried. The empanadas may be deep fried (they take about 5 mins from order) but the crust is still flaky and buttery (think pot pie). There are also two sauces: a green relish type of sauce and a tangy red sauce. Both are unique and hard to describe. I paid $ 11 for the 3 listed above.
There isn’t much seating on the inside of the store but the empanadas are hot enough to carry home. During the day you can usually snag a seat though.
The staff is super nice and almost always offers a cup of water while your waiting or dining in.
This is a solid spot I plan to go back to and recommend to others!

Amazing empanadas. Great vegetarian options. Super friendly service. Fast and absolutely satisfying!

I love a good empanada and lucky these guys have several. Went with the champiñon chicken empanada and chori-​cheese (chorizo and cheese) empanada and both were bursting with flavors and ooey gooey cheese. The crust is heavenly flakey and the green chimi churri sauce on the side adds the perfect kick. You may have to ask for extra, that good. Highly recommend for anyone in the mood for empanadas or trying something new

Champinon chicken, my favorite!!! So tasty and delicious! Reminds me of those Filipino empanadas back in Cali! Rarely see these around Chicago. Now I know where to go whenever I have craving for empanadas.
I minus one star cuz its $ 3 each. So pricey! It wasn’t that expensive in Cali…

Savory or sweet, veggie or meaty, Lito’s has got your empanada cravings covered, and at $ 2.99 a pop you can’t go wrong. I ordered one vegetarian (green pepper, cilantro, onion, potato, tomato, chipotle pepper) and one choco-​banana (nutella and banana), and holy hell were they delicious! (and filling.) Perfectly flaky exterior, piping hot goodness within.
We took our order to go, but there are a few benches lining the window if you just need a quick fix on the go. Staff was super friendly. I wish I had a Lito’s back home, I would eat there every day.

I just had Lito’s empanadas and they were life changing.
I was having an extremely lazy day and I decided to order Lito’s from GrubHub. I honestly wasn’t expecting much especially considering I ordered it as delivery. Boy was I blown away. The empanadas arrived perfectly crisp and flaky on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside. I had the BBQ chicken, the chorizo and cheese, and the veggie. I didn’t know how ambitious ordering 3 was! They were so filling! It’s a tough choice but I think I would have to rank them:
1. Chorizo and cheese (partially because of my deep love of cheese)
2. BBQ Chicken
3. Veggie
Although the veggie was good, it paled in comparison to the BBQ chicken and chorizo. It ended up being sacrificed due to sheer lack of room in my stomach. I will DEFINITELY be returning to try more of their empanadas and will be recommending it to all of my friends!

Situated in the heart of Lincoln Park, Lito’s Empanadas sells empanadas on a bustling street. It’s hard to call Lito’s a restaurant since the space is very small, but it’s hard to call it anything else. Feel-​good music plays in Spanish, while 2 people work the kitchen. Six stools face the window, and there’s a counter for customers to order food. To the left, a colorful chalkboard lists the 12 options for empanadas, both savory and sweet.
After reviewing the menu, we each decided to order one savory and one sweet empanada: beef, spinach, choco-​banana, and apple-​cinnamon. The cashier told us that it would take around five minutes for our empanadas to be ready. In the meanwhile, we took our seats by the window, while people watching and chatting.
Before we knew it, our empanadas were straight out of the fryer and delivered to us in small baskets. The cashier who was also our server gave us a bottle of creamy red sauce and cups of water as well.
First and foremost, you know an empanada is good when the crust is flaky, and this crust was seriously flakey. The beef empanada was stuffed with ground beef, olives, potato, tomato, onion, and surprisingly a few raisins, which balanced the other flavors well. The combination of spices and ingredients gave the empanada a full-​bodied flavor with just one bite. This beef empanada made us feel like we were truly eating traditional Colombian empanadas. The filling in the spinach empanada consisted of mozzarella, onion, and spinach, obviously. The cheese was warm and very cheesy. The best way to describe this empanada was Greek meets Colombian, like a spanakopita empanada.
Two sauces came with the empanadas. While we couldn’t identify the exact ingredients, we thought that tomatoes were a part of the red creamy sauce. The green sauce cut through the rich flavors of the empanadas and came with a small kick. While both sauces paired well with the empanadas, we preferred the creamy red sauce.
The choco-​banana empanada is a chocolate lovers paradise. Take one bite, and the gooey, melted nutella immediately makes you smile. The consistency of the nutella is just the right consistency between thick and liquid. The nutella is very rich, and the desert dough is perfect for keeping all the melted chocolate inside. Dusted with cinnamon sugar on the outside, this apple cinnamon empanada puts you in the mood for the season. The empanada is like a hand held apple pie and will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth.
While most catered towards ordering empanadas to go, Lito’s has the service and homey space that makes for a fun place to eat, that is if there is enough space to sit. Lito’s certainly knows how to make traditional empanadas the right way. Nevertheless, their experimentation with creating new empanada flavors is highly successful. Savory or sweet, traditional or new, dine-​in or order to go, you can’t go wrong when it comes to Lito’s Empanadas.

In a nutshell: super inexpensive for a solid size meal (like $ 1.99 per empanada– which, is basically as much food as a decent sandwich, in case you’re curious.) and pretty good. Their homemade sauce is great with any of the savory empanadas.
I’m a huge sweets person, so it’s awesome to be able to buy part meal/​part dessert for under $ 5. The banana/​Nutella empanada is amazing. Also, I just got a caramel apple one that was sugar dusted– great for the fall weather.
Just FYI– It’s a teeny tiny store, so I’d save it for pick-​up or delivery, instead of dining in. Just grab it on your way home or as a quick dessert after a meal.
Drinks are also expensive — water or some canned soda. I think the soda was $ 1.50 a can, which is a bit pricy for the amount.
I liked it though, and (at a 2 minute walk from my apt) I know I’ll be back.

One of the best empanadas I’ve ever had. Just go here, trust me. You will not be disappointed. However, it is very small inside so don’t be shocked if you don’t get a seat at their window bar area that only has like 6 seats. Come prepared to order carry-​out, but if you are able to snag a seat then great!
I love their champion chicken, BBQ chicken, chorizo and potato, and their Hawaiian empanada! They also have sweet empanadas, my favorite being the nutella and banana empanada! Soooo good!
I usually order 2. If I’m really really hungry I can probably down 3… 2 savory + 1 sweet haha!

The empanadas are still good here but this tiny storefront was stifling.

Found this place using Unilocal while looking for a good place to snack at this past weekend.
Great place for midday snack! The hot sauce in the green cup is spicy and the hot sauce in the squeeze bottle is tasty!
The place is small so either take it out or wait for a seat. The staff is great about cleaning up the counter right after patrons leave.
We tried the BBQ rib, beef, and al patron (?) and they were all yummy! I’d like to come back here again to eat some of the other empanadas next time.

No Frills place. Just good a** empanadas. A very small place with some counter style seating made me a bit weary of this place but I convinced the hubs to let me get some empanadas to go since we were in the area for like 20 mins. He agreed so I wasnt about to waste my victory in convincing him. We came in and ordered some Chorizo chicken, Beef with w rice, bbq chicken, and the apple cinnamon.
To keep things simple. All of it was good. Seriously, ALL OF IT. I think favorite was the chorizo chicken. Came with some sauce and that was tasty dipping them in that. The dessert empanadas were just as good heated up the next day. Perfect for on the go snacks!
Each empanada was about 2.50 and I would say it was a little expensive but look at the area you are in. Come in for some empanada treats. Take them home, they will be just as good heated up.

You’re best off getting take out or grabbing a quick bite to eat at Lito’s Empanadas. If you do dine in, there’s a shelf table that runs along the window and wall with 8 stools, so in theory 8 people could fit uncomfortably in the dining area.
I’m a fan of the fact that these empanadas have a good amount of filling. I like the chori-​cheese, beef and rice, and beef empanadas, though the latter should be avoided by people who dislike olives and or raisins. I didn’t care for the Hawaiian because the cheese was soupy inside the pastry. Two to four empanadas are enough for a meal. Tap water and some kind of ketchup/​mayo sauce can be provided upon request.

My bud and I stopped into Lito’s Empanadas yesterday after having dinner at a nearby establishment. I wanted a sweet treat, and though I’ve not been to Lito’s I read they had some dessert empanadas. We each ordered a chocolate-​banana, which came out piping hot with creamy Nutella and a bit of banana as the yummy filling. I also tried the champinon chicken, filled with chicken, mushroom and cheese. This savory choice was good but not great, though I did like the cheesy quality of this empanada. My bud waxed nostalgically about having Lito’s as a catered food item at his office by his work colleague. The interior of Lito’s is tiny, with a handful of stools and a ledge countertop along their front window. I don’t know about eating a full meal of empanadas her (you probably will need to eat 3 – 4 to make a meal of it) but an empanada snack time here is a good idea.