Marina's Bistro and Rum Bar
Casey Medack · 119 Google reviewsMarina's Bistro and Rum Bar — among the best caribbean in Uptown. Built for a slow, quiet evening. Cocktail menu runs deeper than expected. "The chicken was tender and full of flavor, and the mofongo was perfectly seasoned and fluffy" — Lisandra Lopez [$$]
What 490 diners keep saying
What 490 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“Felt like your at a neighborhood meet up dinner. Very homey and cute. Food was excellent! Came at a quick but not rushed pace. The service was excellent. Only have rum for liquor so you’ll need to be willing to try a different cocktail. Will definitely be back. The hummus was the table favorite!”
“This is such a cute little spot! Great vibes Anna was our server and bar tender was amazing !! Food here is quality ! Comes out hot and fresh ! Flavor on point! If you are ever in the Uptown Chitown area this spot is a must try!!! Plus super clean!”
“First of many visits to come!! Chose Marina’s for my celebratory graduation dinner with friends and am so glad I did! Had never been. I called ahead since we were going to take up a lot of space and they were more than happy to have us. Food was great, you can’t go wrong, my group chowed the house down.”
“Amazing experience at Marina’s! Service was good, despite them being a bit short staffed. Loved the ambiance and the decor. Really made you feel like you were on the island. Food was incredible. I highly recommend the pastellilos - the chicken one is better. I had the steak jibarito - it was delicious. My husband had the pork entree and that was also delicious. In terms of rice, we tried both and the yellow rice was better. One of the best yellow rices I’ve had. Drinks were also very fun and good. I had the El Yunque and the Viejo San Juan. I really liked the El Yunque. Old San Juan was also good, just a little too coconut-y for me. Highly, highly recommend this place! Definitely get a reservation. It’s on the smaller side and the tables were all taken on a Friday night.”
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Excelente comida puertorriqueña, llena de sabor y con porciones generosas. El servicio fue muy amable y el ambiente acogedor. Sin duda, uno de los mejores restaurantes puertorriqueños que he visitado. ¡Lo recomiendo totalmente!” 🇵🇷🍽️✨”
“Delicious food, great drinks, and genuinely friendly staff. It’s refreshing to see upscale Puerto Rican cuisine showcased so thoughtfully. The menu is outstanding, with creative dishes that feel both elevated and authentic. The pigeon pea hummus with plantain chips was especially memorable—such a unique and delicious combination. A fantastic dining experience from start to finish.”
“This unassuming little spot in a veritable United Nations of Food strip mall is a hidden gem in Chicago. Friendly, helpful, busting their butts service (I’m talking to YOU Anna and chef owner!) will ensure you have an excellent meal, perfect drinks and a great time at incredible value prices. Standouts were: the soup of the day (plantain and cilantro— never had anything like but would like to have it again !), the lechon with a side of make taro that put mashed potatoes to shame—we didn’t know that pork could be that juicy and garlic-ful. Also had the eggplant starter (almost like fried green tomatoes) and then the bread pudding with coconut ice-cream. We had a couple of well balanced creative cocktails, a great Spanish red, and some premium rum to round things out. It was crowded and we didn’t have reservations (with make that mistake again) but were squeezed in at the 4 seat bar and well served by aforementioned Anna who didn’t steer us wrong. Appropriate Latin music and tasteful tropical wallpaper and greenery made for a lively atmosphere. We don’t live far so will be back. No matter where you live, you should make a reservation and go too! Grade : A Restroom: didn’t use it - Will grade restroom at next visit and update. Looked spacious single room from weekday I saw.”
“Truly one of the best meals I have had in Chicago. The chicken pastelillos were phenomenal. The habichuelas were perfection. Every cocktail we tried was fantastic. 10/10 food and service. Will absolutely be back in the future.”
“Amazing food and even better service! Can’t wait to go back. Lechon asado was over flowing with good flavor, I only wish I had ordered a second one to go!”
“Walked in being the first time and did not know weekends was reservation only. Eric greeted us and was able to accommodate a table for my husband and I. We traveled an hour to try this place so that meant a lot that we weren’t turned away. The atmosphere was welcoming and warm and very cultural. My husband is from Puerto Rico so seeing familiar decor was extremely warming. We ordered drinks, an appetizer, our entree and dessert. Everything on the menu looked delicious but the selection we chose was phenomenal!! We had zero complaints on presentation or taste. Well prepared and executed. We are already planning our next visit here.”
“Excellent, authentic, and welcoming! Love the vegetarian and mocktail options! Highly recommend ordering the portebello JIBARITOS! So yummy!”
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