Discover Irazu Costa Rican Restaurant & Catering

I will argue with anyone who thinks that Irazú doesn't have the best Costa Rican in Chicago! It was so good that I went twice..... back to back It's COSTA RICAN COMFORT FOOD! Coasta Rican SOUL FOOD, even. It took me right back to my visit to Costa Rica where the food was SOOOOO GOOD and full of flavor AND your plate was ALWAYS FULL! They also have VEGETARIAN OPTIONS and good drinks! Here's what I tried: Patacones- double fried green plantains with a roasted garlic oil! I could put that garlic oil on everything! Pico de gallo w/black bean puree- the black bean puree had sweet plantains and cheese in it Shrimp ceviche- one of THE BEST ceviches I've had. And that avocado with the sauce on top?!? Surf & Turf dinner & Chicken Casado - Flavor on top of flavor and SO MUCH FOOD! I can go on and on about it. The way the meats were seasoned and cooked?! I need to kiss the chef!!! When I doubled back for lunch : Chicken Pepito sandwich with rice & beans and sweet plantains. DELICIOUS!!!!! Drink: Tico Tropicana - Irazus signature cocktail! It's a MUST TRY! I could've drank a few of them! Cucumber Margarita- this was a special but it was good and refreshing. Ask and they might make it for you! Needless to say - I'll be going back SOON. AGAIN. PURA VIDA!!

Amazing food! I absolutely loved the food. Got two happy hour cocktails that are perfectly poured (they don't over do it or under do it). Highly recommend the empanadas!

Very obsessed and still thinking about my dinner here! Chips, yum. Ceviche, yum. Skirt Steak Casado, YUM! Plenty of food (the above is good for 2 people to share). Make a reservation in advance, you'll be glad you did :) Friendly service, excited to share their menu with you. I can't wait to come back.

Irazu offers some true traditional Costa Rican dining in Wicker Park with lots of vegetarian options as well. The seating has that casual vibe you would find in Costa Rica and service is very friendly. Food also came out in a timely way and the house made chips and salsa do a fantastic job of keeping you satisfied while waiting. The Horchata frozen shake is refreshing and not too sweet, it was recommended by our waiter who said it was really popular and I can see why. It didn't taste too watered down and the horchata flavor was perfect. The prices for the dinner plates are on the higher end but it is a good amount of food and you get a good variety of items. They're called dinner plates but that's what they had for lunch too. The shrimp and veggies came with a hearty portion of veggies, rice, a lightly seasoned cabbage salad with some nice lime flavored dressing, and rice cooked with some black beans. Every component was delicious, although the rice could have used a tad bit more salt. It's not an issue when you eat it with the other stuff on the plate though. The Casado is the national dish of Costa Rica which is served with your protein of choice (tilapica here), Gallo Pinto (rice w/black beans), sweet plaintains, the cabbage salad and an over easy egg. This is what I would recommend getting because you get a good balance of everything. The tilapia was flaky and soft but well seasoned and the sweet plaintains were perfectly cooked. They also added some veggies on top of the tilapia too which I didn't expect but it's going to keep you healthy and not feeling sick after so you can't really complain. I do wish prices weren't as high so people could visit more often but they're understandable and still worth supporting this small business and the delicious food they offer!

Ordered the Pepito sandwich with skirt steak, jalapeños with the salad and plantains. The sandwich was one of the most delicious things I have had in a while. The steak was cooked perfectly and the ingredients blended together really nicely. The salad was more like a slaw which I typically don't like but this one was pretty solid. I definitely will be ordering again.

GOAT-level sandwiches all around Fast and friendly service on top of that, and everything is around $15 base price

What a treat! My son's class took a field trip here because they wanted to learn more about Costa Rica and try the food after learning about different counties in Latin America during Hispanic Heritage Month. We were a small group and they took good care of us! We were greeted with smiles and chips and salsa for the table. The salsa is green , very spicy , but very flavorful. I got the beef and potato empanadas and a passion fruit shake. My son got the sweet plantains. Other dishes ordered were chicken tacos , ticos tacos, horchatas , rice / beans. Nobody was disappointed. I personally want to return and try more. As an fyi the empanadas obviously lose their crunch if you reheat but you don't lose the flavor.

I love that they open the windows to allow air to circulate. Some time ago, I received a coupon for a free oatmeal shake. Perfect timing... it was yummy!! As always, clean environment & polite staff!!! Upon our arrival, I didn't see any other patron order or eat, so I assumed that they we're done eating. To my surprise, apparently their food hadn't arrived yet. No wonder it seemed like the time it took for our food took a bit longer than usual. Our food was delicious, although my rice could have been less salty for my taste. We also had the guacamole (No pic) ... yummmm!!!

Skirt Steak pepito is a hit. Bread slightly cronchy, charred juicy steak cooked perfectly, lizano sauce is slightly tangy and very slightly sweet, and can't forget the beans. Dip the sandwich in their spicy green salsa and goooodnight zzz..zzz..zzz FWIW I also got the surf and turf platter & chips/salsa which were both excellent. But considering I'm a sandwich guy I'm just getting 2 steak pepitos next time. Cheers!

Everything you need to know about Costa Rican food in Chicago is right here at Irazu. In fact, it might be the only fully Costa Rican food in Chicago, but don't quote me on that! There's lots to love and flavors and dishes you just can't find anywhere else. The vibe is great for catching up with friends, family and casual date nights, year-round but especially in the summer! The windows open up to the outside and the bright colors feel like vacation. The staff is incredibly attentive, portions are large and service is speedy and attentive. But what I love most about Irazú is the food. My husband and I agree - we'd take anyone we know to Irazu because the Latin sandwiches and plantains we ordered blew us away. Not to mention they have awesome cocktails. Street parking nearby was paid but easily available too. We love Irazu so much and highly recommend it!