Jul 9, 2025

Bolivar & Lincoln Chicago

Venezuelan Haven

"My favorite thing to order here is the vegetarian arepa, which is stuffed with black beans, a generous portion of avocado, and sweet plantains."

Chicago may be dominated by Mexican eateries, but there is an entire arena of other Latin American cuisines to delve into as well.

Let me introduce you to one of the best Venezuelan restaurants in the city: Bolivar & Lincoln is a family-owned and run business established in 2019. The restaurant's name is inspired by Venezuelan military and political leader, Simon Bolivar, and 16th President of the United States and Illinois native, Abraham Lincoln.

The vibrant, compact interior reflects the vibrancy of the restaurant's traditional Venezuelan favorites served to Chicago's Lakeview community.

A must-order is, of course, the arepas. An arepa is one of Venezuela's most well-known foods; it is a crispy corn cake that can be filled with different fillings, such as beans, cheese, and sweet plantains. Bolivar & Lincoln has 10 pre-made arepa options, in addition to a "build-your-own-arepa" option. My favorite order is the vegetarian arepa, which is stuffed with black beans, a generous portion of avocado, and sweet plantains.

Additionally, Bolivar & Lincoln has tempting appetizer and dessert options, as well as fantastic empanadas that are HUGE.

I would highly recommend getting both an arepa and an empanada!

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants
024-burger-1
Snacks

About this spot

3349 N Sheffield Ave

Arepa:

USD

15

+1

6125594547

Find your way with 116 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters

Discover hidden gems and all our locals’ favourites! Get full access to our Chicago guide.

Nice place right!? There’s so much more to discover:

Discover all other hidden gems in Chicago

Tesfa Ethiopian

East African comfort food

The food here is prepared by Moses Sake, chef and co-owner of Tesfa, who learned how to cook from his mother. He runs Tesfa with his brother, Samuel Sake.

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

by

Lydia

Schultz

Jul 9, 2025

Mella Cafe

Local spot for Eritrean food

I recommend getting the traditional breakfast combo, a sampler with three dishes, that comes with complimentary warm, crispy bread!

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

by

Lydia

Schultz

Jul 9, 2025

De Luna Taco Grill

Spicy Truck Tacos

The star of the show is De Luna's "volcano" taco, made with spicy poblano pepper and melted cheese. It may be one of the best tacos I've eaten in my life!

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants
024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Lydia

Schultz

Jul 9, 2025

Nhà Hàng Vietnam

Traditional Vietnamese

Although this street is dominated by Vietnamese eateries, Nhà Hàng is a quieter, no-frills joint as opposed to the touristy, upscale restaurants nearby.

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

by

Lydia

Schultz

Jul 9, 2025

Irazu

Chicago's Only Costa Rican

Here diners sit in the naturally lit patio while enjoying traditional homemade Costa Rican food: sweet plantains, grilled veggies, rice and beans.

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

by

Lydia

Schultz

Jul 9, 2025

Superdawg Drive-in

Classic Chicago hot dog spot

Founded in 1948, "Superdawg" is THE quintessential Chicago hot dog place - they'll bring your order right to your car, like they did in the '50s!

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

by

Sophie

Amado

Jul 2, 2025

Denden Restaurant

Affordable Eritrean

The lentils are filling and creamy; the veggies are lightly cooked and nourishing; the injera bread is the perfect balance of slightly tangy and spongey.

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

by

Lydia

Schultz

Jul 1, 2025

OMI Cafe

Japanese Dessert Café

OMI has many good menu options, but their Japanese dessert toast is their all-star. Think of it as a fluffy French toast served with vanilla ice cream.

020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Lydia

Schultz

Jul 1, 2025

Sweet Rabbit Bakery

Loaf Perfection

Choose from multigrain sourdough, their house sourdough and miso rye sourdough; pastry choices include croissants, morning buns, and fruit danishes.

020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Lydia

Schultz

Jul 1, 2025

The Momo World

Nepalese Dumplings

Momos are bite-sized dumplings from Nepal and Tibet, usually filled with meat that is seasoned with spices like turmeric, garlic, cumin, and chili peppers.

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants
024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Lydia

Schultz

Jul 1, 2025

Publican Quality Bread

Bread at its Finest

Their bread that has the perfect ratio of chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside. The 1979 multigrain sourdough is some of the best bread I've had!

020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Lydia

Schultz

Jul 1, 2025

Gundis Kurdish Kitchen

Chicago Kurdish

They are arguably most known for their "Kurdish breakfast" an elaborate spread of cheese, jams, fried cheese, olives, fries, cucumbers, tomatoes and bread.

020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

by

Lydia

Schultz

Jul 1, 2025

Heading to Chicago?

116 Insider Tips from our local Spotters

Authentic Stories by Real People

Escape the Crowd & Travel Slow 🐌

... for just €9.99

0 Insider Tips from our local Spotters

116 Insider Tips

✓ Escape the Crowds

✓ Find Spots nearby

✓ Authentic Stories

... for just €9.99

App Download Download our app

City guides by those who know the city in and out!

Our Locals' Favorite Chicago

Our team loves Chicago

Get to know our other Spotters from Chicago

As featured on:

New-York-Times
the-guardian
mashable
the-sunday-times
false
0
false
71
Filters