Reviews of BienMeSabe Venezuelan Cafe & Restaurant (Restaurant)

Aaron Rodriguez

The food is just delicious! I’ve tried many things and I’m so satisfied with Everything this restaurant offers for food. Very friendly staff! I just love everything about the restaurant to be honest!

Edward Richter

We stopped on a whim and got a table right away. Its BYOB. The food is outstanding! We had multiple arepas and the steak dish. Our server was helpful and knew menu very well. She was happy to help and suggest dishes. Def will be back!

Trenell Kelly

Came here after our restaurant of choice was closed. Amazing food! Friendly customer service as well. The food is truly authentic and fresh. We went on a rainy Sunday evening, and they were not too, and there is not a long wait time for food. Highly recommended if you’re looking for authentic Venezuelan food.

jacob k

Great place, consistently good and quick

jennifer lofstrand

Food is amazing! You can't go wrong with anything you order. The ambiance is nothing to write home about and they seem to over book on the weekends but people don't crowd there for the ambiance they come with their favorite bottle of wine or 6 pack to pair with the tremendous food.

Brandon Betancourt

One of our favorite restaurants. Great service. But best of all is the food. It's amazing. And it's authentic too. The real deal.

George M

Hands down one of the best spot in the city. I have visit this restaurant several times and the service, quality, attention, the atmosphere of this Venezuelan restaurant its outstanding. I have to say that usually I do go often on Wednesday for the arepas specials but even other days this place usually packed. On summer they open the patio which make Bien me sabe even better. Last but not least the fact they still have BYOB makes the restaurant even more enjoyable, it’s always nice to come to a place with your own wine or beers and drinking while enjoying a convo with friends or family. I absolutely recommend this restaurant, I’m sure this will become if is not already top 10 best spot to visit in this north west area.

Joey Manso

Amazing place, their dough for the arepas is outstanding

Marua Sanchez

Wanted to try something different, Venezuela food not tasty, and their meals are overpriced, If I had too choose I'll stay with Mexican tacos

Phillip Edens

Such a great experience. Food was amazing. Service was fantastic. Will definitely be back soon!

Brian Centeno

Great food and service and its BYOB

Margarita Valencia

The Best Tacos in town. The prices are a little high, but is worth it.

TheLabrat2358

Great food cool ambiance..

Daniela Martinez

Great customer service and delicious food. Their Wednesday arepa night is a great deal

Jon M

Totally worth checking out if you never had Venezuelan food, and if you have tried it before you are going to be very pleased...! I had the brunch menu and my daughter got the kids menu..

John Otto K

Very excellent food! Ana steak quality for the money!

liz finan

Food is so good and easy for Gluten free.

Simon Kissler

Bien Me Sabe is quickly becoming a regular among the places we like to visit. From the Empanadas or Tostones or every other delicious appetizer to the Arepas or fabulous main dishes, you simply can't go wrong. Everything is made fresh, so be prepared for your food to not appear unreasonably quickly and instead enjoy that bottle of wine or craft beer that you brought along since the place is BYOB. Should you have forgotten to bring anything there's a pretty well stocked liquor store right at the corner. It's a great place to relax, have a lovely dinner and enjoy delicious food. I recommend a reservation on weekend nights as it seems more people have caught on to this gem.

David Morita

Been wanting to try this place for over a year now, finally got the chance tonight. The waitress was really friendly and asked if this was our first time. She explained the menu to us and how only one dish was considered spicy. We shared a sampler platter of the appetizers and they we're great. I forgot to take a picture. My entree was a steak dish. I also tried the Venezuelan lemonade which was also good. Got there before 6pm and there were a couple of larger tables but by the time we left, a little after 7 it was packed. Definitely will be back!

Javier Ayala

Good Venezuelan restaurant in the city.

McGhee Orme-Johnson

AMAZING. The arrapas are absolutely delicious. Definitely go on Wednesday when they are $6, you can't beat that price, especially for the quality!

Cristina Isabel Anez de Gomez

Real Venezuelan food. Everything is delicious.

Sandra Sumlin

1st time there was great service Arepas were amazeing, parking on street good . Byob.will visit again

Gem Medina

Flavorful dishes, great ambient, good service

Jerry Needham

Our first time eating here. Awesome food awesone service, awesome location. After working a job in Chicago we stopped in for lunch and was very please. We were NOT disappointed.

Darren and Helen Gruett

We were here for a special event so it took about two hours to get in. I am not sure how it is otherwise. The food was a little salty. Even my wife, who is from Venezuela and who likes salt on all her food, said the food was only okay.

Eileen Romito

Love this place. Great food, good prices, BYOB, outdoor seating, family friendly. Great horchata

Emmanuel Vega

The food is absolutely delicious but the customer service is terrible. Our waiter acted like he didnt want to be there and like he was the owners spoiled son.

George Ortiz

These 2 were favorites of my 7 year old daughter and just this past Wednesday we were disappointed to see that the menu changed and are no longer available. My daughter tried the replacement ceviche and she have it a HUGE thumbs down especially now that ginger is being used. The menu needs to state that ginger is an ingredient in the ceviche.

Sherman Doll

I lived in Venezuela for two years. This is real Venezuelan food. Loved the batidos, arepas, pabellón, cachapa, and quesillo. Very nice staff and awesome chef.

Oscar Ortiz

Amazing Venezuelan food! Try the hot cocoa was amazing!

Imti Javed

Food is authentic, attentive service, BYOB.

Mark West

Wow, I lived in Venezuela over 40 years ago and I have always loved the food. The food here was spot on and tequeños were fantastic, something you can’t find anywhere.

Margie Tse

Awesome service & Very unique food for a decent price!!!

B. Andrew James

Our first experience with Venezuelan food was wonderful. The food was interesting and delicious. The sevice was attentive and helpful. They answered all of our questions about Venezuelan food.

Valeria Luna

Came here with my family for my graduation celebration. Great food and amazing costumer service. Gary was awesome. Only one girl wasn’t that nice and wouldn’t want to serve us but besides that this place is amazing and has great quality food!

Abby Gillette

They have the best arepas! I wish tostones were available as a side dish though!

María José De Abreu Rodríguez

Authentic Venezuelan food! We ordered the Christmas Venezuelan dish and everything was very tasty and freshly made. We've tasted many different Venezuelan food around the world but this Christmas dish is unique! Thanks!

Laith Amin

Great food matched by poor service unfortunately. If they’re busy they’ll bring too much food to fit the table and refuse to take it back to the kitchen. If you go on a quiet night of the week you might get a better experience but for me, I won’t be going back- too many other restaurants offering fantastic service in Chicago.

Christine Mandich

My first adventure to this restaurant and it did not disappoint. An amazing blend of flavors that delighted my palette. Also, the server guided us through the menu and she was very attentive. I will return.

Salvador Bahena

Awesome tropical burger and the shrimp appetizer was just as good. Only complaint I have is I felt that I was being rushed by the server. Maybe it had been a long day for her? Always want to give the benefit.of the doubt.

Stephanie Rodrigues

I love venezuelan food and they are really good. It is a really small place and It is a lot of people mostly. I love tequeños and arepas!

R L

First time there Authentic Venezuelan Menu Excellent service Great food with a generous serving

Caitlin Landry

Their arepas are so good! They LOAD them with fillings. The bonus is that their staff is always so warm and attentive.

Joshua Santos

Excellent food and service

Laura Harrison

Delicious! We went for the lunch special and left very satisfied. Will be back!

Ray Cancino

Great food and service, reasonably priced.

Old Man Winter

Great neighborhood find, I have eaten here since it opened up a couple of years ago. It never fails me, and it is always welcoming. In the summer time they have a outdoor patio on Montrose. They play great latin/venezuelan music in the restaurant and for the patio. If you're lucky you will see some pro venezuelan baseball players eating there with family and friends.

miguel chang

It is one of the best Venezuelan food restaurants! I recommend it, the input plates are excellent. The only thing I would not recommend is the loin meat. But everything else great. My first Christmas dish was eaten here and this experience was excellent.

Landon Smith

Excellent food and service! High quality ingredients and excellent taste!

Rachel Chiro

Love this place . the food is amazing. Great for special allergies, gluten free and the staff is amazing. Ive never had a bad meal or experience here. Have been several times and will continue to come back. Thanks so much for such a fantastic dinner !!! The arepas are one of a kind and highly recommend trying them.

Sheena Roque

Great service, very friendly! The lunch special is such a deal, and you will leave stuffed! Vegetarian friendly too!

Alecmar Delgado

Food was very good. Customer service was a little slow. I'll give them another try in the near future.

Jeff Neal

Food was great , service was friendly and fast

M DelCid

Great food!!! Beautiful presentation, you can see the attention to detail in each plate, good price point. It's a casual place for a "special" outing.

Nathan Buckley

Great spot to get Arepas and other Venezuelan food. Staff is really friendly and attentive. All the food is wonderful and comes out support quick. I just wished I lived closer.

Ashley Falcon

I highly recommend the arepas! As a heads up - it can get kind of busy on Saturday nights.

Charlotte B.

My first time having this type of food. Very good!

Jose Arroyo

Fun for couples and groups.

Arek Szot

TIP First of all place is BYOB and if you find yourself reading about this review while you are walking into the restaurant no worries there is a liquor store on the other end of the block. SERVICE 4/5 Place was super busy when we got there around 8pm. There was no hostess station near the door so checking in for a reservation was not possible and we ended up stopping a waitress to tell her we made online reservations. She found us a table within few minutes. What sucks is all the guest are asked to wait in a tiny waiting room that was so crowded you could barely move. Our waitress knew the menu well and helped us selecting few dishes from pictures we found on yelp. FOOD 3/5 The white fish streak and purée yucca was super delicious and this dish gets five stars but the meat in the after party arepa was so salty it was hard to eat it and the dish gets one star. It was so salty that we ended up asking the waitress if that was normal since we are not very familiar with Venezuelan cuisine. Overall cute place with a simple yet interesting menu and BYOB. Delicious seasonal dishes and half price arepas on Wednesday. We will be back to try other items on the menu and desert

Justine Andrus

This place is such a hidden gem! I tried Bienmesabe last night and was really impressed. First off, they are BYOB and have a cute little patio to sit on and enjoy your food/drink. They did not charge a corkage fee, which was so thoughtful. They did break the cork when opening the wine and bits of it ended up floating around, so bringing a twist off may be better (and, as a former server myself, it's a bit annoying and stressful to open wine for someone at their table while they watch you anyway). We tried the tequenos, their traditional arrepa with roast beef, cheese, and avocado (forgot the name) and their Cachapa. All delicious! You must REALLY like cheese in order to eat these though. Luckily, I do! Thanks for a great experience. Will be back very soon.

Emily Kupec Wallner

Just moved into the area at the end of April and have been here twice. Once was during lunch and once was during dinner. The lunch special is an amazing deal (three mini empanadas and an arepa, with drink, for $9!). Definitely make a reservation for dinner as it fills up quickly. Lucked out on a Friday night with 6 people and had an enjoyable dinner. Service was great both times, very friendly wait staff. Oh, and it's BYOB!

Rebecca Jacob

This place is honestly delicious. Would highly recommend.

garrett tedeman

Absolutely fabulous! ...a vibrantly local favorite. Authentic & with a bit of understated flair too. !Que deliciosa!

J Elliot

Civiche is perfect and fresh. Aerapas are filling and delish -I took half home. Empanadas are amazing. Great lunch specials.

Albany Cedeno

Really really great food and reasonable prices!

David Maggio

Best Venezuelan food in the city, in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana by far!!!!

Anthony Zhao

Food is authentic, service is even more authentic. Very tasty. Better even than my Venezuelan wife can make!

Alwyn Ardila

Excellent service, clean restaurant, good people, different and tasty food, amazing desserts.

Casandra M

The soup was delicious. Clean place, staff was friendly. Maybe my dish was just too simple and one you can get at any spanish restaurant - rice, beans, beef. But I would go back and try something out of my comfort zone.

Sin Mtz

It was my first time here , and I loved the experience. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. Most importantly the food was delicious. Thank you.

Cordell Johnson

Excellent North side eatery

Aaron Connolly

It’s really good, but don’t expect to be full for $15. I would still definitely go again because that veggie arepa was excellent.

Dennis Ricketts

Food was very tasty and different from Mexican. Server was most helpful.

Ryan Mellon

DELICIOUS FOOD - get the sampler for sure and the after party was delicious! Seriously enjoy this place so much! Great service and a really chill environment. Can’t wait to go back!

Nikki Newton

Delicious restaurant in Ravenswood. We went for brunch and didn’t have to wait for a table. They have available seating outdoors. The staff are friendly and helpful and the food is great. I was super jealous of everyone’s ceviche and smoothies- next time!

Deja Sylvester

Delicious, friendly staff, good prices for huge portions of awesome food. My mom came to visit from out of state and I HAD to take her.

TherealacdVEVO

I have been here twice and the service is amazing, the food astonishingly delicious! I definitely recommend a 100%.

Joseph Brown

Delicious food and great service!

Carrie Meitzler

First time and everything was tasty and fresh. Oh the plantains! Nummy. We even had Santa drop in it's that good!

Emmanuel Dizon

The cruzado was very good.

Tj Prall

This location in Ravenswood is more authentic versus the other location being partially authentic but a fast food place. Not saying it's not worth going but the Ravenswood location has parilla and other Venezuelan dishes. We ordered the Venezuelan Parilla and papelón which was amazing! The dish can easily feed 2 very hungry people or 3 people! Lol

GFP GAMING

I love the servers they are so nice and the food is excellent and taste good my favorite was the cheese sticks and the empanadas

Shelly Sorrells

Vegan tropical arepa was amazing! Gluten free goodness. Well done!

John Alfonzo

Love the tequeños (Venezuelan version of cheese sticks) and the passion fruit. Every time, I visit I want to order multiple dishes but I can only eat so much. If you like corn, try Cachapas. I have yet to try the Shrimp cocktail, but it looks like a must have... so it is on my radar for the next time. Definitely come in hungry and remember this place is a BYOB place.

Tiffany Benton

Great food and great price. First time eating at restaurant. The people were great.

Matthew Wofford

Stop trying to decide where to go - your search is over. This place is absolutely incredible. Sometimes service is lacking but it’s BYOB, so open that bottle of wine (or walk down the block to the liquor store, buy some, then open it) and relax. Recommendations would be any of the Arepas (especially on Wednesdays, when they are discounted- which is a special still in effect as of this writing) or if you’re looking for one of the best meals in your life, the Cachapa with the added pork is well worth it. Don’t go anywhere else for Venezuelan- this is where you want to be.

Caleb Cornett

Fantastic food. Nothing my wife and I ordered were what we expected, in a good way. Had the appetizer platter, Patacon, with shredded beef, and a shrimp soup of some kind, that my wife ordered. All were amazing, and a ton of food, we had enough leftovers for a second meal. They also have a great lunch special, that's super cheap, and the one time I got it from Grub Hub, it was just as good. Highly recommend.

Paula Sanz

This place is amazing. The arepa are delicious, service is very good, everyone is very nice and welcoming. The place itself has an awesome environment. Definitely a place everyone should try.

Ian Hyzy

Fantastic food. No alcohol but the lemonade was amazing.

Adriana Calderon

Had a great time, the place is nice modern. Perfect little place delicious food and service was nice as well, maybe a bit more personalized would had been better for someone that had never visited before, but what we got was well enough.. we tried the arepas delicious some more than others but overall very well made.. this place is perfect for a night out with friends is a bring your own liquor type of place, so if you want a little buzz bring your own stuff and you'll have a great time.

Jope N1A

Well food is not bad but definitely overpriced, what I really dislike about my visit is we brought a party of 9 put a big order and some of our friends got charged twice the order for making modifications on their beverages. And also 20% gratuity was enforced. Belmont and Clark has the same food for a third of the price.

Jeffery Wiseman

This place definitely sets the bar for amazing Venezuelan food. Several Arepa places have opened and closed in the last decade in Chicago, but I really hope this one continues to lure in those seeking South American fare! Arepas are classic street food in Venezuela and this place definitely captures the essence of the flavors all wrapped up! I highly recommend this place for lunch, but be prepared to get messy!

Sandy Vitek

Very good food. And the specialty drinks are amazing!

Oliver Falcon

Delicious food but we found a hair in the food, Alejandro gave us a excellent service and I think that one of the managers over stressed. But he was nice too

H Hathaway Miranda

Delicioso! Tried many dishes and all were delicious. Servers were kind and pleasant. Cappuccino was served and was cold within minutes. Prices are a bit high for amount of food even though good flavors. Rare cuisine in Chicago so nice addition to restaurant scene. Tres leches was delicious but, again, small serving in a fancy cup.

John D'Adesky

Food was very good. Decent portions. 3 of us split two arepas so it was enjoyable. We just randomly stopped in on the way to a funeral so everything was viewed through a bit of a depressing lens so understand the context of this review. The food and service were very good. Relatively fast reasonable price bite to eat.

scott weis

Great food! Very fresh unique flavors. BYOB.

Luis Gonzalez

Lovely food, great service

fatasset1

The food is simply delicious. I highly recommend this place! Friendly service, good food, and great prices!

Francis Manuel Caparroso

Host appeared dry in his customer service at first, then warmed up. The rest of the front of the house staff was very polite and had a great attitude. The food was very good and indicative of the expected flavors from Vanazuelan cuisine. The tequeños and the Parrillada were my favorites. Perfect temperature on the meat. Definitely coming back!

John Reed

Go here! Tons of cool food and BYOB!!!

Christine Halverson

Really good arepas and amazing mango drink! Highly recommend.

Antonio Bantum

The food taste amazing and their drinks are to die for. The plating is also well thought out and adds to the experience. The prices are also very reasonable. Would recommend.

Eddie O.

Authentic Venezuelan cuisine! Food is absolutely delicious! Hope you like your cheese and avocados because they are loading up their amazing dishes with them in fabulous ways!

Brian Martinez F.

This is a nice little place. Feels a little empty needs to be a bit more alive but the food is ok, the service is not the greatest, it really depends who serves you, last time ( previous to today's visit) a guy was my waiter and he did not do a very good job, was very bland, not attentive, you can tell he hates his job. Today my waitress was nice, got the order correct, overall did a good job. Also, I feel they don't really like to serve other Hispanics except their own kind ( Venezuelans). I been here 3 times not sure if I will be back. May be I give them another chance.

Miguel Diaz

When you are far away from home, missing it so much, there is nothing better to feel closer than with food, and believe me when I say Bienmesabe make me feel back home every time I go. Today I went for dinner and I had the Ceviche as an appetizer and it was so tasty! It’s a perfect seafood cocktail with a touch of lemon. Then I went for the authentic Venezuelan burger (It had fried egg on top) and it was mouth watering! To finish, I couldn’t miss out on the Quesillo, a Venezuelan flan with more consistency and caramelized flavor. That was DELICIOUS. The service is great, from the hostess who took me to my table to the server, Richard, who was so nice and friendly and helped me to decide what to order. Highly recommend it if you want to try AUTHENTIC Venezuelan cuisine.

Paul Marin

Great place for Venezuelan food. Very tasty and delicious. Just one thing: fish is not vegetarian. Please update the menu to reflect that.

JORGE MORALES

Great authentic Venezuelan food and great service!

Jasmin Nolasco

Food is good, but overpriced. Waited too long to received our drinks and food.

sara mostofi

Come on in on a Wednesday for an amazing, delicious arepa! They are a stellar deal of only $5.99!! Gluten free and work VERY well with food allergies/sensitivities!!

Jesús Enrique Ortiz Vargas

Very nice Venezuelan food here... The Venezuelan Parrilla (Barbeque) is amazing...

Marta Poynter

was a great experience! Food and service were both excellent. Server was very knowledgable about the cuisine. Will definitely be back.

Samuel Carvajal

Authentic Venezuelan food, 100% recommended, great attention, it feels like home

Cynthina Wilson

My first time trying this place the aprea was good

Jeff Gottdownunder

Friendly service and tasty food. Great neighborhood spot

Yuri C. Sancesario Reytor

Great food, better service and really nice attention by manager, you must go and enjoy the experience..by the way good music too.,!

Martín Esteban Albert Silva

Really nice venezuelan food 100% recommended

J ax

I looooove this restaurant. The food is delicious, no matter what I order I’m always satisfied. The staff is always so welcoming and attentive. The Pabellón and Bochinche arepas are my two favorite, try it with the Cocada or Chicha!

Yajaira Balderas

The food was great! The food is definitely Venezuelan soul food and the place is very clean.

Andrew Roberts

Great food at a killer deal. Hard to complain about a BYOB restaurant with great food and service

Brian Miles

Amazing family owned deliciousness. The pabellon, on its own or in an arepa, is heavenly. Also not corkage fee on byob. Easily one of the best places in the neighborhood. The chocolate fantasy is also supremely decadent if you have any room!

Andrew French

Fantastic meal! Went with some friends who lived in Venezuela for a couple of years and they loved it and we loved it. The food was very flavorful and authentic from what my friend said. We had the Arepas, cachapa, and pabellon and it was all 10/10. I will Be recommenced this to all my colleagues and will be back soon and often!

Lathier Brown

Delicious, authentic, and $5 Arepas on Wednesdays. What more can you ask for?

Porcha Wilson

Love y’all food make me feel good

Matthew Kovich

Ask for hot sauce! It's excellent. I thought of it halfway through, and it really elevated the meal. The portions were bigger than I expected - I ended up ordering too much food, so I shared. Top notch food!

Diana Rodriguez

Delicious and well presented food!

Atarah Jeffers

I did not have a good food experience here and I was very disappointed since I do LOVE Venezuelan food. The pulled pork was sour with too much vinegar and my cachapa was burnt. I will not be back :(

Matt Malec

We were quickly welcomed in by the wait staff and explained the menu. It took a little bit of time to get our food but what we got was extraordinary! I could just taste the quality of meat products that they are using and even a lunch special turned into another meal for dinner. Every time I walk past this place at night they are busy. I can't wait to go back!

Karina Vega

Delicious food, beautiful presentation! Great atmosphere. Ate there 2 days in a row.

theprusmusic

Fantastic gluten-free arepas! Also the smoothies here are perfect: just taste like fresh ripe fruit! Service was great and place was clean with a modern yet comfortable vibe. Definitely coming here again!

Cass M.

delicious! the After Party arepa was so good and the service was fantastic.

Roumaldo Flores

Great Venezuelan food and great service!

jessi c

This place is pretty good my bf and I love this place. We usually get small plates and Share them So we can try something of everything

Carlos -

Excellent food. Great place. Easy parking. Friendly staff.

Loni Hale

Great food!!! Awesome- service was ok- not great and the place was loud! "Fat-man-in-a little-coat packed! Because the food is good. And the space is small. Tables so close I felt like I a thirdwheel on a date with a lovely couple" --->Did I mention great food!?

Rachel Russell

Ohmigoodness! So good, weekday lunch special 8.99 for an arepa, empandita, and a drink! Honestly, arepas are large enough for 2 to share, or just for self and have leftovers!

Chris De Los Santos

Me and my wife love this place