Irazu

1865 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago IL 60647
$ Caribbean

Reservations

Business Info

  • Address: 1865 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago IL 60647
  • Cross Street: Oakley
  • Location: Chicago - Central
  • Cuisine: Caribbean | Latin | South American |
  • Cost: | Very Inexpensive
  • Category: Casual Dining
  • Star Rating:
  • Reservations: Recommended
  • Dress Code: Casual
  • Meals Served: Brunch | Lunch | Dinner |
  • Parking: Street |
  • Payment Options: VISA | Amex | MasterCard | Discover | Cash | Debit |
  • Corkage Fee: N/A
  • Phone: (773) 252-5687
  • Features: Catering Services, Live Entertainment, Outdoor Seating, Private Room, Takeout Available, Wheelchair Access, Healthy Options, Free Wi-Fi,
  • Occasion: Child Friendly, Romantic Dining, Dining Alone, Business Dining, Meet for a Drink, People Watching, Special Occasion, Vegetarian, Dog Friendly, Quick Bite, Trendy / Hip, Celebrity Spotting, Date Night,

Photos

Irazu - OPEN AIR TERRACE
Irazu - Chifrijo

Business Hours

Reservations Available
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Tuesday 10:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Tuesday 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Wednesday
Wednesday 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Thursday
Thursday 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Friday
Friday 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Saturday
Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday
Closed
False

Customer Reviews & Ratings

4.82 out of 5 stars based on 614 votes

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Apr 04, 2024
Crissy K.
I LOVE Irazú! It's a little out of the way from where I usually stay when I'm in town, but always worth the detour. The food is amazing and the customer service top-notch.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Apr 03, 2024
Linda H.
Great all around!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Mar 04, 2024
Jessica W.
OFF THE CHAIN!!!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Feb 27, 2024
Danielle C.
We had a wonderful family birthday dinner here. The food, service, and overall experience was incredible. The only complaint was the ice cold water in the bathrooms to wash your hands. Each of us made comments about it. I definitely recommend this place and can’t wait to go back.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Feb 19, 2024
LeVar B.
Food was fresh and great. The staff was on point making sure everything was okay for us. Will definitely be back

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Jan 29, 2024
Evan R.
Everything delicious and servers very kind and helpful, I will be back. I keep salivating thinking about the chifrijo. Crafted mixers were great.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Jan 27, 2024
Art B.
It was crazy busy but everyone service was calm n accommodated everyone from our reservation to those ordering out n picking up. I got a sense of family there. Service was fast n food everything I expected as it was tasty fresh. I’m glad they asked how spicy we wanted our food as my mild was great. I had the chicken Casado n it delicious. The chicken mixed with rice was also very good. The flan for dessert was fabulous. Pure’ Vida!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Sep 12, 2023
OSCAR R.
Irazu was easily able to accommodate our reservation of 15 people, and service was excellent. Food was very tasty as well, the skirt steak sandwich was awesome!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Aug 27, 2023
Ellen R.
Wonderful experience, always hits the mark! I love the cheese empanadas, and both kinds of ceviche. Don’t forget to try the key lime guava cheesecake, to die for! The band was amazing. Wish they were open seven days a week.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Jul 17, 2023
Hal N.
Can't wait to go back....food, service, setting!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Jun 25, 2023
Karen D.
Great place to go out with friends! Excellent food, esp empanadas, service was good, and vibe was festive. We will definitely be back!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Jun 23, 2023
Mary O.
Such an enjoyable place to share a meal with friends.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Jun 18, 2023
Jon M.
Excelente todo! Pura Vida!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 9/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Apr 24, 2023
Kate S.
Amazing staff and loved everything we ordered! Only flaw in the whole experience was that the tacos were piled so high they were unable to be picked up.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Apr 16, 2023
Cheryl W.
Great place! Highly recommend it.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Mar 17, 2023
Victor P.
Always a great meal and service!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Feb 26, 2023
Heidi C.
Delicious Experience! Food, Staff, Ambiance all reflect Costa Rica! Pura Vida!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Feb 11, 2023
Derrick M.
Amazing! It was perfect for my wife and I who aren't too fancy but enjoyed a nice dinner. Irazu was exactly what we were looking for. It has a special meaning for us for our anniversary since we went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Feb 05, 2023
Nia D.
Our waiter, Robert, was very attentive and had a great personality. The other staff were very friendly also. The food was absolutely delicious and came out hot! I drove an hour to get there and it was well worth the drive!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Jan 16, 2023
Melissa P.
Wait staff were all very friendly and attentive. The restaurant was able to accommodate our large party of 8. The food was absolutely excellent. I will be recommending it to others and would love to go back.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Oct 21, 2022
Eric R.
Awesome restaurant with very friendly staff.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Oct 10, 2022
Dominique K.
My favorite place in the whole world. Only negative is that I've tried to buy a shirt from them and they're always sold out!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Oct 02, 2022
Eric A.
Great authentic Costa Rican food and vibe!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Aug 26, 2022
Nora G.
Always the best time - meal and service were incredible! 10/10!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Aug 12, 2022
Linda R.
Food was amazing

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Jul 07, 2022
Jolyn K.
I love this place!! I’ve been coming here for over 10 years & the food is consistently delicious!!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Jun 12, 2022
Tyler G.
This is the some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life. I’m not kidding.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
May 16, 2022
edwardo H.
Friendly and efficient service . Great food . Yuca fries are amazing with the roasted garlic

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
May 16, 2022
Marisol M.
Great! Food was delicious, amazing staff. Over all great everything. Brought family that was visiting from out of town and they greatly accommodated the ten of us. We will come back often, we loved it. Thank you!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Apr 24, 2022
Cecile S.
Irazu is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. Always solid. Patacones are my favorite

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 8/10
Value: 10/10
Mar 24, 2022
Jason F.
Great experience....attentive service. Nice to see the owner engaged with patrons. It was good to learn the history of the food.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Mar 06, 2022
Bryan D.
Amazing as always!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 9/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Jan 15, 2022
Chris B.
Had a great time. Our waiter was excellent. Unfortunately he was the only one for a while so he was running around a lot but he was really cool and made it a wonderful experience. Will definitely be back.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Dec 19, 2021
Shevan W.
Delicious food and an amazing staff. Recommend 100%!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Dec 10, 2021
Paulina R.
Great service !

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Dec 04, 2021
Chicago E.
The staff was welcoming and efficient. Our waiter gave us lots of good suggestions from the menu. The food was delicious and fresh. Everyone enjoyed their meal and the beautiful surroundings.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Oct 31, 2021
David W.
really pleasant staff... fantastic food...a Gem!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Oct 19, 2021
Mark D.
First time there and it was great!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Sep 30, 2021
Sarita B.
Fresh food, fantastic service and a lovely experience-can't wait to come back

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Sep 13, 2021
Philip F.
Amazing place!! Great food and can't wait to go back again soon. This place is a hidden gem and I loved the steak pepita.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Sep 10, 2021
Peggy C.
It's not always perfect, but I love this place. The covered patio dining suits my pandemic requirements and the BYOB element suits my pocket. The service was great -- friendly and efficient -- and the food is fresh and delicious.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Aug 29, 2021
Kathy P.
Loved the food. Staff friendly and helpful

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Aug 22, 2021
Jack W.
Amazing food! Great service!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Aug 22, 2021
Lauren P.
Loved the vibe, people staff and food!! Only comment would be to space out apps and food!! Thank you!

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Aug 13, 2021
Brian F.
Amazing! In every way.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 9/10
Jul 31, 2021
Julia C.
Everything was great, service was a little slow but understandable considering the circumstances with Covid and all.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Jun 22, 2021
Maria H.
We had such a nice time. The food was really good, the people were nice and the ambience was casual and fun.

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Jun 20, 2021
Odile S.
I wouldn’t mind some cushions on the wood benches

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Jun 19, 2021
Isabel L.
Food was great and service was amazing. Definitely would recommend to others and will come back

Overall: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 7/10
Value: 10/10
Jun 03, 2021
Pam F.
Great place. Great food! Friendly staff!

Overall: 9/10
Food: 8/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Jan 22, 2023
John F.
I thought the food was good, though a bit pricey. The service is EXCELLENT!! I would go back to try something different.

Overall: 9/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 8/10
Value: 10/10
May 26, 2022
Jessica G.
I love the food. I always go for their traditional plates. But I’m general food and service are great.

Overall: 9/10
Food: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Ambience: 7/10
Value: 8/10
Feb 18, 2022
Gretchen B.
Great time at Irazu! Parking was super easy on Milwaukee Ave. Went with a party of 7 and tried several apps (the shrimp ceviche was my fav, but the empanadas were also great!). We also shared a few main plates. The skirt steak casado and chicken &rice were our favorites. We also had the tilapia casado which was delish. Loved that it was BYO. Overall a wonderful and fun night with great food and friendly service.

Overall: 9/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 9/10
Ambience: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Dec 10, 2021
Michelle P.
The food was really good & big quantities = we took tasty leftovers home

Overall: 8/10
Food: 9/10
Service: 7/10
Ambience: 7/10
Value: 10/10
May 28, 2023
Hiva N.
Pro: The food was good. Con: Very crowded (maybe it was this certain day) Uncomfortable small chairs Late delivery. After entering the restaurant, it took 1h 2 min to get the food on our table (we had a reservation)! We were about to give up and leave. (The waitress told us the volume of customers was more than normal and they were caught off guard and she apologized).

Overall: 8/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 10/10
Value: 9/10
May 26, 2023
Savanna S.
We ordered some empanadas that didnt come, but otherwise the food was incredible!

Overall: 8/10
Food: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Ambience: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Mar 14, 2023
Suzanne D.
Food is good, different, lots of sandwich items. Entrees are a bit pricy. Tables way to small for our party, we had 6 peeps and it was very crowded. But overall a pleasant experience. Our waiter was attentive & friendly & informative!

Overall: 8/10
Food: 8/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Jul 09, 2022
Jenny V.
Good friendly service, beautiful open windows, good food. Love the BYO!

Overall: 8/10
Food: 9/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 7/10
Value: 10/10
May 24, 2022
Alana M.
Salsa was so hot and no warning. We had a choking situation with tears from how hot it was. No mild salsa available.

Overall: 8/10
Food: 7/10
Service: 9/10
Ambience: 8/10
Value: 7/10
Aug 20, 2021
Mary T.
In my memory the food was really good. Last Friday it just seemed OK. I had the chicken and rice which I guess is not that exciting but I had hoped Irazu could have made it exciting. And prices just a little bit too much, I get it, pandemic, but come on.

Overall: 7/10
Food: 2/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 9/10
Value: 6/10
Aug 25, 2023
DHRUV M.
The vibe of the place is always great. That is the only reason we go back to this place, but the food is barely mediocre.

Overall: 7/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 6/10
Value: 10/10
Aug 12, 2021
Jessica K.
Irazu has been a favorite for a while, but I was shocked to see how crowded it was- I don’t even remember it ever being like that pre pandemic- and someone in the restaurant kept coughing. I wish staff had said something to them, it made me very uncomfortable. Because of the crowd, it was so loud I could hardly hear the person I was there with at times. I guess we will be switching back to takeout.