Siboney Cuban Cuisine: User Reviews

After having tried a few other Cuban restaurants recently, I was very impressed by Siboney. The dishes are full of flavor, nicely presented, and very moderately priced. Not to mention plentiful. Along with the entree they include a choose of a side. The grilled vegetables are excellent! The restaurant is clean and modern, while still having a bit of that kitschy Cuban flair. There was live music while we were there. It was funny and festive but did not inhibit conversation. Definitely worth a try!

Ambiance:

Food:

Service:

Value:

Report This Review

I have really missed the old Cuban restaurant Rancho Luna on Peterson, but this place may be its replacement! It's a very attractive place with great, nicely prepared food & a courteous & attentive staff. Siboney seems to be off to a great start! We will definitely be back!

Ambiance:

Food:

Service:

Value:

Report This Review

This place is a hidden gem!
It's fancy yet so affordable.
This is by far my favorite pick for traditional and authentic Cuban cuisine in Chicago!
A must try. My boyfriend and I will be back for the pulled pork and croquettas.

Ambiance:

Food:

Service:

Value:

Report This Review

Four of us had lunch at Siboney this past week. Our server was friendly and experienced. Because we are Cuban-Americans we know the food and had no issues ordering, non-Cubans might find some servers need training in Cuban cuisine.

Atmosphere and ambiance are on par or better than any mid-priced fashionable Chicago restaurant of any cuisine style. Siboney is much, much, nicer than all of the hole-in the wall alternative Cuban restaurants in Chicago most of which can feel quite dumpy. The murals on the wall, the ceiling fans and the lovely chairs and table in the waiting area are all very inviting.

The bread was warm and the pieces of light French/almost Cuban-like bread were toasty but I missed the very traditional garlic butter that is normally toasted onto the slices – here they offered a garlic spread on the side which might be more refined but not traditional.

The frog leg appetizer was delicious as well. Unfortunately although the croquettas were very crispy, the fillings need a lot more ham or red snapper flavor and more visible chunks of the primary protein component.

The Cerdo Estofado (a stew-like bowl of braised pork with a velvety sauce), is a flavorful and lighter alternative to traditional Masas De Puerco (garlicky chunks of pork that are lightly fried). Order the Masas as an appetizer portion and make sure they bring them with a little bowlful of the garlic mojo.

The Bistec a la Palomilla was the best dish ordered (we only tried 4) with great caramelized onions and characteristic garlic and seasoning profile. The Ropa Vieja was also very good with nicely shredded beef and a delicious sauce of peppers, tomatoes and onions. The traditional Cuban Sandwich had exactly what it should have on it (bread, mustard, pickles, roast pork, Swiss cheese and ham) and was crisp on the outside and warm and melted on the inside with very good flavor.

The Frijoles Negros were good, and tasty enough for most people but for us they could use a bit more sweetness, vinegar and sofrito (the flavoring mixture of sautéed peppers, onions, garlic, bay leaves, oregano etc…) that adds 90% of the flavor to Cuban black beans. (red beans) were very good with a vibrant red brick color and traditional flavor profile. The Platanos Maduros were perfectly cooked slices of tender, sweet, ripe plantains.

The desserts are a mixture of traditional Cuban and attempts to bridge simple Cuban items with French – the crème brulee style custard is not a traditional flan – this one is creamy and has nice vanilla flavor and looks like an attempt to make people comfortable who know Crème Brulee and don’t know flan. The Pudin Diplomatico is a traditional, dense and raisiny bread pudding that is served cold. Don’t expect a warm temperature or light texture. The best is the Torrejas. They add a few small chunks of pineapple to the light, slightly cinnamon flavored syrup in which pieces of egg soaked, grilled bread slices are bathing.

We can’t wait to go back!

Ambiance:

Food:

Service:

Value:

Report This Review

I was excited to visit Siboney this past weekend. I have read several reviews and heard from several people that this is the hottest new restaurant in Chicago (to be honest, the people who pushed me to go happen to know the owners of this restaurant).

I walked in with my date and we were greeted and seated promptly. The restaurant is very well decorated. It has beautiful tile and an eye-catching ceiling. It looked very elegant and, for a moment, I thought this place was going to live up to its self-proclaimed "fine-dining" experience.

Unfortunately, the pleasures ended as soon as our server came to our table. This lady appeared to be wearing exceedingly tight clothes, but was absolutely friendly. She had a difficult time describing the dishes on the menu. When we did order, our appetizers arrived at our table almost at the same time as our entrees. One of the appetizers, the croquetas tasted very much like glorified pizza puffs.

As entrees, I had the Ropa Vieja, which was well-seasoned. The beans weren't particularly flavorful, and the rice appeared to be the type used to roll sushi. We also ordered a side of fried, which were soggy and somewhat cold. My date ordered the snapper, which was tasty but was nothing stellar. Overall, the meals could not overcome the deficiencies of their sides, so we finished unimpressed.

I have noticed many reviews identifying the owners by name. I have become suspicious of said reviews because they appear to be written by either family or friends of the owners of this establishment. While it is fine to promote our family and friends' businesses, it is unacceptable to blindly clog sites like this one and yelp with conjured reviews.

I don't think any of the owners were there when I went. I did see a tall, heavy man with an abnormally large rear-end walking around the restaurant, but he was nowhere near as friendly as the man identified in other reviews as Julio.

I don't know if I'll give this place another shot in the near future. I do, however, wish them luck in their endeavors.

Ambiance:

Food:

Service:

Value:

Report This Review

This was a perfect way to start a Friday evening for my group of Ladies. The food was very authentic, the atmosphere was perfect and the deco....LOVED IT!! Our table had appetizers, meat and seafood. The owner, Julio Perez even came out and sat with our group discussing what we look for in a restaurant. Our group was made up of 5 Ladies and we all agreed, we will come back with our larger group as this is a must eat location.

Ambiance:

Food:

Service:

Value:

Report This Review

The first thing I saw as I arrived at Siboney was the mural of full of bald people. Chernobyl? Don't know

Beautiful interiors. Everything was new inside the restaurant.

Ceiling = Impressive
Bathroom = Beautiful. Scrap the the kitchen table, have bathroom table service
Plates = Nice. As in a Borat nice.

Service was quite slow. We were greeted with a warm smile. The server took our order. When we inquired about certain dishes the server was able to answer our questions.

Our appetizer came. Nothing memorable.

Entrees: Average. Black beans were somewhat cold and flavorless. The rice was undercooked and cold. Molded rice = cute, nice try.

None of the dishes we ordered utilized French or Iltalian cooking techniques. One of the members of our party was a chef.

Fine dining? Not sure if the establishment fits in this category. Nice plates and nice place do not equal fine dining. Food should be number one. The food should speak for itself.

The servers never asked us how our meal was and it took them a long time to bring us our check.

Need to revist in another 8 or 9 months. Not looking to go back anytime soon.

Good eats! ;)

Ambiance:

Food:

Service:

Value:

Report This Review

While we were waiting for our table, we noticed that it took a long time for the tables to be cleared off and set up for the next patrons. This was definitely a sign of the rest of the night.

We waited 20 minutes before the server came to our table and before we got our water glasses filled. We noticed that many tables around us had not received their food and were starting to complain, another sign. Turns out that they ran out of most every dish and, while we waited over an hour at our table, I had to plul the server aside to ask what was going on. They ran out of what we ordered but no one told us. So after waiting approximately an hour and a half, we had no food and no explanation. For the tables that were there before us, they finally started bringing out dishes, but the servers did not know which table the food was for. They would ask " who ordered the chicken?, etc " out loud to all of the tables to see who responded.

Worst experience I've ever had at a restaurant. The place was understaffed, disorganized and not very accommodating.

The serviec was very disorganized

Ambiance:

Food:

Service:

Value:

Report This Review

Siboney is a beautiful restaurant. It is elegantly styled and well-decorated to give ordinary patrons a high expectation of the Cuban culinary delights to come. However, that couldn't be further from the truth. It is clear that the owners of this restaurant spent substantial money and other resources to make it look dazzling. Nevertheless, I cannot help but wonder why they didn't bother to invest in competent servers and cooks. Generally, the service was bad, which cannot be excused or justified for a restaurant of this caliber. It does not matter that the restaurant opened less than a week ago. With such a lavish decor, this restaurant raised expectations to a level that it simply fails to meet.

To be more specific, the servers had a difficult time doing the most fundamental tasks, such as taking orders correctly, bringing out appetizers before the main course, and even occasionally checking back to the table to ask whether everything is okay. These servers failed to adequately execute such fundamental tasks, which makes me wonder whether the owners bothered to train them or even briefly explain to them what an ordinary customer expects. In my personal experience, I ordered three different appetizers, of which only one actually made it to my table. My entree, ropa vieja, was very tasty. But the frijoles negros were cold and the rice was stiff. Even if I wanted to tell the server to heat up my beans and replace my rice, I could not find her anywhere.

The two times my server actually came by my table, I reminded her about the pending appetizers. They still never made it. But they sure made it to the check.

Sitting there after my meal while thinking of how such a beautiful restaurant could drop the ball so badly, I tried to justify the poor service and sub par food by considering the restaurant's infancy. But I soon concluded that nothing can justify those failures for a restaurant that screams elegance and, at the very least, implies excellent food.

I will give this restaurant another shot in a few months. Hopefully by then the servers will be adequately trained, and the cooks will be seasoned enough to make good rice and beans. This place has lots of potential, but at the moment is looks a lot like the thoroughbred horse that breaks its leg a few feet out of the gate - it can either heal and come back strong or retired and put to sleep.

Good luck Siboney!

Ambiance:

Food:

Service:

Value:

Report This Review

Love the atmosphere, friendlyness, cosyness and wonderful food. Wish you the best Julio on your Restaurant. I am sure you will rock.

Ambiance:

Food:

Service:

Value:

Report This Review