Stopped in for lunch last week. Wasn't terribly hungry, but this place had been on my list for a while and I had about half an hour to kill, so I got the Combinación de Aperitivos: Combination of Empanada Chilena, Humita & Potato Pattie ($8.00).
The Empanada Chilena ($3.75) is fried turnover stuffed with beef, onions, eggs, olives and raisins.
La Humita (Especialidad de la Casa $2.50) is the Ecuadorian house special made with fresh corn and cheese steamed on the corn husk. (Since it came "on" versus "in" the corn husk, I presume that's not a typo.)
The Tortilla de Papa ($3.25) is a potato patty stuffed with cheese and topped with home made peanut sauce.
If you add those three items up a la carte, they come to $9.50, so the combination is a steal at $8.00...however, what wasn't obvious is that the Tortilla de Papa that comes with the combination does NOT include the home made peanut sauce. When I asked the owner what it would cost to add it, he told me $2.00. Huh?!?
All three items were good comfort food; no complaints. Will definitely try this place a few more times.
Their grilled lamb dish is to die for....the last time I tasted lamb this good was back in the 90s at mom's house.
This place is truly a slice of Ecuador and reflects an accurate cuisine and level of service. One of my favorite dining spots in the Chicago area. Recommend trying their natural juices...I usually order two.
Now this was a great experience, regardless of wanting Ecuadorian cuisine or not.
It is a very cozy Ecuadorian Restaurant with great service, and at the end of the day, service is what it is all about. Not to mention the fact that the food was absolutely delicious.
The restaurant sits right on the corner, two blocks south of Addison, on Pulaski. I pass by this place quite often and can't believe that it took me so long to give it a try.
It is a small space, but has a very intimate feel, even though it is not dimly lit. A place to take those whose company you truly want to be around.
The waitress was excellent, as she was very attentive to our table, and also very friendly and hospitable. She gave us the impression of having a genuine passion for this restaurant, even though she was an out of towner and had not been living in Chicago for long.
The menu was reasonably priced and we all agreed that the food was excellent.
I will definitely be visiting more frequently, as other restaurants should take notes from La Humita on maximizing their space and offering quality service and great food at comfortable prices.
Oh! God... This is what I was looking for... Since I move from NY few months ago. I was looking for a place to eat Ecuadorian food. I went to few places because there is not to many Ecuadorian restaurants in Chicago. Searching at yelp I found La Humita. Very friendly environment. The only problem I found was parking. I order my dishes to go. I was waiting for my order in my car and the friendly owner brought my order to me. I was not expecting that. Definitely this is the place I will came more often. You guys are the best.... the food is delicious... Prices are great!!!
Review Source:Oh!! I love this place the food is great, the service is also great specially because one of the servers is the owner who's really friendly and polite. They have a great lunch special and the prices are good too. Also have a great variety of drinks and the night they have live music and karaoke is a great place to go with the family...
Review Source:I went to La Humita on a sunday dinner and I didn't have a good experience. The food was nothing special. I order pescado frito which means fried fish, it was no flavor at all and it wasn't fried it was grilled. We also order Guatita which supposedly to be rich in peanut flavor and it wasn't at all. They served old bread not fresh.
The service was worst than the food, the waitress forgot about our entrees and after we finished our appetizer she asked if we order something else?? and we had to repeat our whole order. We where close to the kitchen and we were able to listen when she talked to the people in the kitchen. She order for a grilled fish I though it was for another table, but no that was my entree, she decided that i wanted my fish grilled instead of fried. Then she disappear.
I gave 2 stars because the appetizer (maduros con queso) was good and the presentation of the dishes was really good, but everything else wasn't!
Only a few blocks off of the Addison exit of I-90...
Small cozy storefront with alot more warmth factor than some of the other Latin American places. Go when you want a nice vibe in addition to the great food with pretty presentation and attentive service!
People order the Arroz Menestra, the grilled steak with rice, lentils and plantains. Another favorite is the potato pancakes with beets, fried egg, rice and 2 chorizo links. Yum! Beets are crisp and citrusy.
Ample, non-metered street parking.
Dining area downstairs closes at 9pm until late night on Fridays and upstairs opens at 8pm for drinks, music, etc.
I had to come back and right another review because recently I tried some of the new drinks they have. Â I had a Candelada, I think I spelled that wrong, it's a warm cane sugar drink with some liquor in it. Â It was very very yummy!
I also tried the Chicken Stew which was very tender and once again the service good. Â
Service is fast and I have gone all times of the day and parking is not one bit difficult. Â Unless you want to park right in front, then yes, but parking is always available across the street.
Visit soon!
This a little family place tucked onto a corner of Pulaski that manages to operate as a professional-quality bistro.
The food is beautifully arranged and tastes delicious.
The service is excellent, and very attentive.
The wine list is impressive, and the mojitos are perfectly mulled and mixed.
When we went the owner himself waited on us. It's as if we were honored guests and he was anticipating our every desire.
I had the potato pancake plate with fried eggs, chorizo sausages, beets, carrots and avocado. The chilled and lightly seasoned beets and carrots were a good contrast to the spicy chorizo.
My boyfriend had the mushroom steak and fried plantain. He said it was a tender steak and the best plantain he'd had in a while.
We're definitely planning to go back.
This is a mom and pop shop that specializes in Ecuadorian food.
I had bread, vegetable soup, and the tilapia lunch special.
The lunch special was tilapia (fish), white rice, beans, salad and 2 slices of plaintain. Â All of that for $8.00. Â Ridiculous.
This place is clean, simple and quaint. Â People looking for "atmosphere and decor" can go to a Chicago museum. Â
The owner served us himself and was friendly.
Parking is difficult.
No reservations are needed.
My boyfriend and I thought this place was pretty mediocre. Â There's nothing special about the decor...so that gets 3 stars. Â The waiter was a sweetheart, so he helped the place but after the lunch hour rush, he answered his cell phone and it was a loooong time before we ended up with our check because he was on the phone! Â We got the lunch special (tilapia, rice, beans, and plantains, with a small side salad and a soup). Â It was a good deal for $7 but the soup was simply cream of mushroom (nothing special), and the rice, fish, and beans were VERY bland. I wish I would've known the dish came with plantains too because then I wouldn't have wasted money on the appetizer (which was also bland and dry). Â Overall, things were just OK and I wouldn't pay regular price for any of it. Â It's just not that great. Â I could DEFINITELY make better food at home. Â They need to spice things up!!
Review Source:We were on our way home to Indy from the Oshkosh Airshow and decided to eat at an Ecuadorian Restaurant. Â So I searched Yelp on my iPhone and this place showed up with mostly decent reviews so we made a stop in Chicago.
Parking is a pain. 'nuf said on that.
The place is nicely decorated and the greeting was warm and friendly. Â Our waitress was great, very friendly and explained anything we didn't understand.
For an appetizer we had Maduros fritos con queso fresco which looks beautiful in the photos. Â The plantains were great, however, we expected the cheese to be melted on the plantains and not cubed sitting next to them. Â The cheese was a disappointment.
We also had Ceviche de camaron that was very good. Â I enjoyed it a lot but I kept the nuts on the side. Â I'm not a nut person.
For an entree I had the Churrasco and I really liked it a lot. Â They use a "flat iron steak (who renamed a steak cut with this silly name)" so it's not the most tender cut of beef, but wow, does it have flavor. Â My wife makes this at home and it's my favorite. Â I could eat it everyday.
I really liked this place, it had a lot of character and the food was good. Â I'll go back anytime I'm in Chicago, 'cause I don't like pan pizza :-P
I shared a mix of about five or six different appetizers there the other day and everything was okay. You know, cool, but just okay. Mas o menos.
Las humitas are like tamales and are a staple food in Ecuador and they were delicious here, moist and filled with cheese and sweet corn. Also pretty decent were the empanadas, the filing better than the crust though, which was kind of too hard.
Now I will eat pretty much any potato anything, but the potato pancakes with cheese were a little disappointing - I mean, yeah, of course I ate them - but they were more like a flat pancake of mashed potatoes with no grill marks or anything like that and not very warm - and I noticed one of the two servings of them had a sauce on them, and the other didn't. And I'm actually a little pissed now reading some of the reviews, because others are describing FRIED cheese with the sweet plantains, but ours came with cold cheese square chunks that hadn't even tried to be melted, so I'm not sure what was up with that. A vegetable barley soup tasted canned and..kinda unverygood. They were also out of several things on the menu, which is just a bit annoying after the first time.
I was scared off from trying the entrees, because this place is really not fancy or delicious enough for $15 price tags for entrees at lunch, but there were some interesting choices - just not interesting enough. If I get dragged here again, I hope it will be during lunch on the weekdays, where they had some $6 and $7 lunch specials - much more appetizing.
I'm having to physically restrain my mouse from clicking two stars as a Pavlovian reaction. They were nice enough and I'm not mad at them, but I wouldn't go out of my way to rush back.
My boss wanted to take me to an Equadorian restaurant and he chose La Humita. Â Pretty decent place, I really enjoyed the food (that's what really matters right?) and the service. Â I couldn't really say much about the decore since I barely looked up from my churasco to notice. Â
Service was fast and friendly.
Everything is better with a fried egg on top..
Hey, guess what. Â My name is Ivan Pavlov. Â Seriously. Â Ready for the experiment? Â OK. Â (DING) "La humita" - ground corn mixed with cheese, cooked in the husk? Â (DING) Maduros fritos con queso fresco - sweet plantains with fried cheese?? (DINGDING) Tortillas de papa - potato pancakes with cheese??? Â OK, we're done, you can wipe your keyboard of dribble now.
Honestly, who comes up with this stuff? Â As if those appetizers weren't reason enough to go in, the entrees are extra good as well, like the arroz con menestra (grilled steak served with rice lentils, sweet plantains, topped with sauteed mushrooms) or how about Tallarin con pollo (grilled chicken breast, diced onions, peppers and tomatoes in a naranjilla butter sauce tossed with fettuccini pasta)? Â
For the record, the mention of this place in my presence is enough to spark one of those rare moments where I say, "Damn, I sure wish I lived close to Pulaski again!" Â Then I regain my senses. Â This place is just a tad too pricey to justify a regular visit (no BYOB) and the location isn't a rose garden picnic either.
But seriously, if you want to check out some great food, I recommend.
I went with my friends. I had the Sico de Chivo, and it was one of the best selections on the menu. The food is pretty authentic, but a little bit pricey ($12.99-15.99). Great customer I gotta say, and very relaxing environment where you can just having great conversations with your buddies and call it the night.
Review Source:I myself am 100% Ecuadorian. I travel back home as often as I can and It has been a nightmare finding a restaurant that came close to the authentic food I am accustom to. That was until I pop into this little piece of heaven located at Pulaski and Newport. I am a big fan of a dish called "Sico de Chivo" which in basically a plate that consist of rice, fried plantains, salad and goat. Yes that is right, I said goat. It is not on the menu but from time to time they have it available. Not one thing on the menu is worth passing up so I STRONGELY recommend you stop in and take a bit of a little piece of heaven.
Enjoy
I really like this place, I've been here at least 5 times because it's close to my mom's house and she loves it too. Â It's been a 'hidden gem' for quite some time (read: never crowded), especially due to it's location, but I guess the restaurant was recently featured on The Hungry Hound and so it is gaining popularity. Â
I love the Arroz con Menestra (grilled steak) and the Pescado Frito (grilled tilapia). Â The steak is tender and juicy and served with yummy sweet plantains. Â The tilapia is cooked just right and served with their version of pico de gallo. Â I love any version of pico de gallo so this place makes me happy.
Service is great, we are usually served by the owner himself. Â He is very friendly and attentive.
Definitely give this place a try!
Quite a unique place. Â Not so much for the food, which is about half traditional Ecuadorian dishes (Guatita, anyone?) and half more general South American-inflected dishes. Â No, it's different because the owner is the naranjillo kingpin of the USA, importing the fruit and using it in cocktails, desserts, wine (!) and sauces. Â In fact until he came to our table at the end of our meal and chatted with us, I had no idea that the fruit was so uncommon. Â He's got big plans for it--watch out!
We started with some fresh-tasting naranjillo margaritas, and the appetizer combination, containing among other things, the signature Humita, which, being made with American corn, was sweeter than I expected.  My steak was quite tasty, though not quite up to the level of a place like El Nandu, and served with some flavorful lentils and lightly seasoned al-dente rice.  My wife had the tilapia, with a mild naranjillo (see?) cream sauce, and she spoke highly of it.  For dessert  I was able to steer my wife and our friend away from the standard flan to a steamed corn-flour cake (agh I can't remember the name!) made with a little cognac in the middle which was subtle and light.  Also unique to the restaurant according to the owner.  I accompanied it with a warm shot of naranjillo mixed with sugar-cane liquor.
I'm quite excited to come back and try the llapingacho and, if I'm feeling bold, the guatita (google it).
La Humita is really good Ecuadorian food. I have been to one other place recently and this was definitely a step above in the preparation. Presentation was also a concern of the owner, who stopped by to check on us a bit too much and sometimes interrupted the dinning experience. They have a great combo appetizer and yes, the Humita, a cornmeal type tamale filled with cheese, was really delicate and delicious, they serve this with a picante sauce.You'll need more sauce and they'll be happy to bring more. Although a small place, the atmosphere was very nice and they played some cool Cuban jazz. I had a dinner which included steak and it was prepared just as I asked, served with rice, fries and an egg on top. I was in the mood for steak that evening. If you are near it, this would be a nice place to go for a few drinks with friends. As far as value goes, it is a bit on the pricey side for what it is, that is, rice, beans, humitas (or tamales), but I still think worth going for good, fresh Latin fare in a nice little dining room. Small note, the bathrooms are impeccable and nicely decorated. Usually in small gems like this, the bathrooms can be  shabby, not here.
I'll go back.
What a find! If you're willing to travel west of I-94, often overlooked by the unadventurous, La Humita is well worth the journey.  This cozy and quaint Ecuadorian restaurant  reflects the love and pride of it's owner, Nestor Correa. Â
The food is fresh, tastey and consistently well prepared.  The restaurant's, La Humita,  name comes from a traditional Ecuadorian dish of  cheese-filled corn masa wrapped in a corn husk and steamed.  don't miss it! Also well worth the drive is the $ 5.95 lunch special available 11am - 3pm, Tuesday through Friday.
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