El Nandu Restaurant

Great little restaurant. Really like the variety. I ordered the empanada’s and really enjoyed them the dessert menu also was on point. Thanks and I will definitely be back.

Excellent, excellent, EXCELLENT! I walked in to live music, which I love. (On Thursdays, they have live music) The service is great, the drinks are great but the food is the best part. The empanadas are so delicious. Our waiter was very friendly and very knowledgeable. We had a lot of questions and he gave us good recommendations. Our experience here was great. It was my first time eating here but I will definitely be going a lot more :)

I’ve been coming here for over 10 years on special occasions. My wife and I love this place. The staff is very friendly and the empanadas the in my opinion the best I’ve had in Chicago. We went yesterday for my wife birthday lunch and again left very happy and full. You won’t be disappointed!

The empanadas are 4 star but overall I give it 3 stars.
Food is simple had to add their chimichurri sauce to everything for added flavor and a bit overpriced.

I had some hesitation initially as the storefront in the pictures didn’t seem too welcoming. however, I was pleasantly surprised throughout the night.
Seating was ample at 7:30pm as there was only 1 family of 8, a couple, a small group of guys in the entire restaurant. As time passed, there were customers constantly coming in… groups and couples alike. There were at least 2 – 3 families/​groups celebrating birthdays.
It felt very neat and comfortable place for a casual Argentinean steak dinner. It’s not a fancy, low lit, large steakhouse. We were welcomed with fresh bread and 2 green sauces (one was chimmichuri/​garlicy and the other was spicy/​tangy). We ordered a half carafe of sangria which was sweet and refreshing (just a note: there is no fruit floating in these glasses).
Service was friendly and knowledgeable (and handsome. :P). we ordered the following:
— Criolla empanada — this was flavorful. I would go to get this again. I like the added touch of they labeled the shell of the empanadas… so helpful.
— Camarones empanada– this was fairly mild compared to the criolla but not bad. just shrimp and cheese
— Churrasco Encebollado — NY strip with fried onions is a solid choice. I like that they don’t over salt the meat. I asked for medium and it was just enough red for me.
— Asado — The short ribs were too charred personally. it was tasty initially but the churrasco was the better choice.
— I am a sucker for the their homemade flan with the dulce de leche… they give you an indulgently sweet dollop of that caramel… mmmm.
One qualm I have is that their sides could be more spruced up. I initially thought the mashed potatoes came from a box but it is not. they are real. they could make is it chunkier or more flavorful. The rice was blah… sides were generally unimpressive.
Overall it was a good find.

Delicious empanadas. Our server was exceptional and the food was great. The mashed potatoes were a bit heavy on the butter, but the flavor of the chimichurris and everything else made up for it. Highly recommended.

The sweetbread is our favorite starter. The waiter is the best we’ve experienced. We look forward to every visit. El Nandu is the best local steakhouse, you can’t do better for the price.

The food here is delicious. The chimichurri sauces are so good with everything from the bread to the chicken, sweet breads, or steaks. Meat and chicken is tender and juicy. The sangria is delicious and a half carafe is a great deal for 2 people. Makes a great place for a date, family dinner, or friendly get together.

Best restaurant in Logan Square!
The chimmichuri sauce is the best I’ve ever had, amazing with the empanadas.
Lemon chicken is delicious as is the dulce de leche.
Must have the Sangria!

The food is super delicious. The service is snappy and friendly (at 5.30pm). The ambiance is casual and family friendly but I feel like the decoration is not so Argentinean.
I ordered one criolla empanada, one entrana encebollad (skirt steak) with grilled onion, and one alfajor dessert and one Quilmes (imported Argentinean beer).
I like the empanada and it’s very different than my last empanadas. I think it’s because of the spice that they put in. Must Try.
The skirt steak with grilled onion is not on the menu but it was recommended to me by the waiter. The steak is perfectly cooked and the onion complements the steak really well.
However I’m not a fan of the dessert. Some people might like it but It’s too dry for me.
Argentinean beer is a not too light for me.

I love this place! I want to put their chimichurri in my coffee & cereal! We were there last night for my brother’s bachelor party dinner, and all seven guys enjoyed the experience. We started with salad & all of the empanadas, and then we got our meat on! Milanesa Ñandú was excellent! Churrasco encebollado was excellent! I got the Parillada Argentina, a combination of sausage, sweetbreads, and to-​die-​for short ribs with delicious mashed potatoes on the side. Did I mention how El Ñandú introduced me to chimichurri & that I want to fill a swimming pool with it & swim around in it? We had coffee & Flan for dessert. I had Grand Marnier in my cappuccino, and I super-​enjoyed it! I will be back!

Always amazing! Skirt steak and empanadas are the bomb! Staff is always friendly and never have to wait too long to be seated… Or for food to come out:) if you haven’t been, what are you waiting for?!

The steak was delicious. Great service. The sangria was very tasty. My husband had piña colada it was very refreshing. Must try is the shrimp empanadas

Everything was solid. Short ribs and entrana were both flavorful and cooked to perfection. Chimichurra sauce — both mild and spicy — were terrific. Mojitos were tasty. Service was attentive. Not a single complaint so we will be back.

Wanted to have a nice night with my boyfriend. Hadn’t been here in a while but remember loving it. We had the worst experience I’ve had at a restaurant in a long time. After getting our initial order the waiter left and never came back. We never got our empanadas, were never asked if we wanted more water or new drinks. We watched him go to literally every other table and ask them whether they needed anything but when he would come to us he’d avert our gaze. Our entrée eventually came but was served by a bus boy. Maybe this was discrimination because we were a gay couple? I don’t know. Whatever the reason avoid this place like the plague.

El Nandu was one of the few restaurants in our part of Logan Square when we moved in 18 years ago. I LOVE that we’re still regulars after all these years and with all the fabulous places that have opened. The waiters here could not be nicer! Always smiling & on top of everything. The service is warm & welcoming.
I highly recommend starting off with a few empanadas ($ 2.50 each). Their dough is delish & they are perfectly fried. My favorites are the Criolla (beef, peppers & onion), Camarones, Espinaca and Jamon Y Queso. All are great!
My most coveted entrée is the Milanesa De Pollo El Nandu. The chicken is pounded flat, lightly breaded and perfectly cooked. It is topped off with a slightly sweet homemade tomato sauce, garlic and white cheese. It is hands down my favorite.
When I’m trying to behave, I order the Pollo Al Limon. They pound out a chicken breast, baste it with lemon juice and grill it to perfection. Always moist, never dry. Always.
As for their sides, they have many and my go to is the rice. It REALLY complements their steak & chicken dishes. Again, when I’m trying to behave, I’ll opt for their Ensalada Mixta. A simple salad that they serve generously.
Last but not least, I would be remiss if I didn’t brag on their chimichurri sauce. I can be pretty gluttonous with the amount I’ll spread on my bread or entrée. Super fresh & super delish!
This Logan Square staple is a must try! A fabulous Argentinan restaurant. I adore the various slide shows of Argentina that play on the TV above the bar. Absolutely beautiful pictures. They should have a travel agent at the bar… I’m ready to book a flight after seeing all those beautiful pics. Lastly, they may have it other nights too, but for sure on Thursdays, they have live music. Sometimes just a man & his guitar, sometimes with a female singer… both are really enjoyable!

Came here with my bro’s gangs and my girlfriend for some Argentinian experience. To say the very least, I am a fan. A small yet hungry for more fan.
As our pre-​appetizer (yes, appetizer for the appetizers), they provided some bread rolls with two kinds of spread. I have no idea what those were called, but they were deviously delicious. I easily consumed a whole roll of bread before my girlfriend had to slap my hand to remind me that we have yet to order. Ooops, too late.
Being famished, I immediately jump on the chance of having abundant of Steak, Argentinian style of course. We quickly placed the order and await for the arrival of our meals. Meanwhile, I continue to put away those bread rolls with the spread.
We didn’t wait long, considering there were 15 orders, and all 15 orders came at once. My eyes were wide opened by the sheer amount of protein that rests on my plate. Eyes were satisfied. Nose was satisfied. Now only the tummy.
Down I go.
The steak was well prepared. Not too raw, but not too cooked either. I wouldn’t say it’s to perfection because it is not your typical American style steak. But boy does it taste delicious! Then I suddenly came to a realization: I could apply those addicting spread I used on the bread on the steak! It was definitely one of those light bulb moments, for I feel ingenious to have made that connection. As if the juicy flavor of the meat juice was not enough, the impact of the spicy sauce definitely push it over the top!
The decorations of the place was nothing too special. The walls got some artwork hanged on them, but I don’t see them as anything Argentina, but that may be because I am just not that cultured when it comes to paintings. But hey, we came for the food after all!
Would definitely come back and try other things on the menu. The only thing that keeps this place from a 5 star is accessibility. Parking in the area was a bit hard to find, but with sufficient planning to avoid hot hours, it shouldn’t be too big of an issue.

Amazing food, staff, ambience, drinks, and music! 5 stars across the board. I went on a date and I can honestly say I will be back as they gained a loyal customer. The restaurant is so friendly and welcoming. You need to come here if you love Argentina Food and live near Logan/​Avondale/​Humboldt/​Ukrainian Village. I had skirt steak and she had breaded chicken with empanadas de chicken, shrimp, and cheese! Two thumbs up and highly recommended! Can’t wait to come back! Price is great too.

Tasty steaks, went well with the chimichura sauce. Just stay away from the fried steak, too greasy. Loved the empanadas, although they were a bit small and pricey in my mind. Very good service.

Relatively non-​descript, considering it’s Argentinean food in America. One does not exactly feel like their being transported to another country or anything when you walk in. But as far as we’re concerned, they don’t claim that it’s supposed to.
My sister took us out here, along with an exchange High school student from Argentina. Not that a typical 17 year old knows an awful lot about food, but he said the meat was good and that the empanadas were small. Agreed on both fronts.
Regarding said empanadas, eating food with writing on it that is not a birthday cake was a little strange, but the CAMARONES WERE DELICIOUS!
ALLERGY FYI:
Although there didn’t appear to be nut on the menu, my niece, who is allergic, had a reaction to the empenadas. Nothing catastrophic, although she did need to leave the table to go to walgreen’s to get benadryl. Perhaps they use a peanut type oil?
Not a cheap dive.

I had a very big steak here. I was very happy with it. The mashed potatoes were awesome. I had walked past this place 1000 times when I lived in this neighborhood. When I moved away from Chicago I wanted to go to this, and some other old school Latin places in this rapidly gentrifying neighborhood and I am glad I did. The Sangria was solid, and the staff was helpful, even if they did need to be asked for help. I had the feel this is and has long been a family and mom and pop place. The amount of food you get here is ample — more than ample — and fits the Argentine beef model to be sure.
The sauces were off the hook. Yum.
If you are in the mood for meat, go here.

A M A Z I N G. I used to always go here for my birthday dinner because I loved it so much. I’ve tried to spice it up a bit but, lets be honest, this is still my go-​to.
First, I love the decorations. They have all sorts of paintings hung up and an exposed brick wall. Their tables can also be adjusted to be larger or smaller, depending, which I think is really cool. The waiter/​waitresses are always extremely friendly, and often funny too.
Get the tucumana empanadas – contain diced steak, green onions, and egg. DELICIOUS. All the steaks are delish, but my personal favorite is the milanesa con queso, bread chicken topped with melted cheese. It really does not get any better. Pair it up with some of their exquisite sangria and you’re set for the night.
***Weekend nights also often have music and dance.

Thanks to the pics on Unilocal,I was ready to order before I even saw the menu. I ordered the short ribs with the rice. My friend ordered the carne asada. Both were ok. Their sangria was tasty, and out server was really cool. We had no issues (other than the fact they were out of mojitos :(). We left, and we had to make an emergency stop to mcdonalds to use their toilet. I never thought if be so happy to go to mcdonalds until that day. I felt so sick that night and the entire day after. And it wasn’t just me. My friend also felt sick. I guess this is how a colon cleanse must feel like.
Overall, I don’t think I would come back. The service and sangria were great, but the place is out of my way, and I don’t need any more colonoscopy preps for the year.

Excelente cocina Argentina. De entrada una empanada criolla y de plato principal parrillada. La parrillada viene con chorizo, molleja y asado de tira. Muy recomendable este lugar.

Oh El Nandu, your reviews are great, a friend said I’ll enjoy as much as I enjoy Sabor A Café, so I was excited for a date night with the boyfriend.
We were greeted and seated upon arriving on a Friday evening, it wasn’t busy. Place on our table was bread and chimichurri sauces (
), spicy & regular. They didn’t stand out to me, it was a bit too sour for me and the bread was very basic and tasteless.
I proceeded to order a piña colada, not a smart idea. Not sure if it’s made fresh, but it tasted like something out of a bottle, although heavy on the liquor.
We started with two empanadas, Espinaca and Maiz (
), we both didn’t care for them. They were a bit bland and the dough wasn’t our favorite, maybe we should of went for the meat fillings.
My entrée was the Parrillada Argentina Para Uno, a combination of our char-​broiled beef short ribs, Argentine sausage and beef sweetbreads all in one
delectable dish, (
), flavor, flavor, flavor, so much of it is missing! I was definitely disappointed. The ribs were oily and burnt (extra oily reheated the next day), the sausage was extremely dry, and the beef sweetbread was bland. However, my favorite part of this dish was the rice (
)! So full of flavor, extremely delicious!
The boyfriend agreed with the rice, devouring it. While his dish, Churrasco Con Queso y Cebollas (
) was okay, he had better and the meat was too fatty.
I give El Nandu a 3 for the friendly service and amazingly delicious rice, but unfortunately the food wasn’t up to standards of the raving reviews, which will earn 2 stars. Can’t put 2.5, so we always round up right?