Hoja Santa
Hoja Santa — an Oak Park mexican mainstay. The kind of room you save for someone special. Solid drinks, with the bar pulling its weight. Amal Hussain: "The birria pizza is a revelation – a crispy, cheesy delight topped with tender, flavorful birria meat" [patio]
What 225 diners keep saying
What 225 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“We went back to Hoya Santa last Friday night. I’d say it’s an upscale Latin restaurant serving flavorful food and well-crafted cocktails. I’ve been here a few times and have always enjoyed the experience. We started with cocktails, old-fashioneds for the guys and a mojito mocktail for me. The three of us shared everything we ordered. We started with an item called the Volcan, which was crispy mini quesadillas stuffed with mashed potatoes and cheese then topped with shrimp al pastor. I loved the crunch of the quesadillas against the creamy filling. Next we shared a carne asada pizza. This pizza had a perfectly thin and crispy crust topped with grilled skirt steak with a cilantro pesto sauce. So flavorful! For the main event we shared a 22oz bone-in ribeye with truffle fries. A medium rare tender and juicy steak and truffle - c’mon, need I say more? Oak Park has some of my favorite restaurants, and Hoja Santa is one.”

“The food was delicious, the staff took excellent care of us, and the drinks were great. I will definitely come back.”

“The carna asada pizza is phenomenal!!!! Threat yourself to a slice or three. The steaks is flavorful and matches perfectly with the pizza sauce. 10 out of 10 will eat here again. I wish I could have stayed but I had to order to go. The patio seating is small aligning Lake Street in Oak Park. The staff were all welcoming and friendly.”

“Those tacos de lomo, YUM!!! Their drinks are good also. Great place but parking can be tricky especially with the construction around their location.”

“Stopped in finally on a Wednesday night, not too crowded (I've driven past and it's packed) so I was able to sit at the bar, get to know the people who work there and now this will be my bump day spot! Alex is bartender/manager, he knows everything about the menu and drinks, how can you go wrong. They have lake TVs so you can catch you favorite local team or whoever is playing or hang out with the family or sig other. I love this place!”

“Food was simply amazing. The waiter was friendly and brought us our drinks right away. I had the octopus and my husband had the steak. All our food was cooked to perfection. The vibe is nice and quite not to loud. We will definitely be returning to this little gem.”

“phenomenal vibe, staff, and incredibly creative and delicious dishes!”

“Great vibes! Great staff! Great food! David attended to us at the bar; excellent service! I had the “Pescado”; Pan- seared black sea bass, sauteed shrimp, roasted red potato, kale, chili chilaca sauce. I also had a side of Chimichurri sauce; I love Chimichurri! I cleared the plate; every bit of it was delicious. My cousins enjoyed their pizzas and Molcajete Hoja Santa; Frijoles(beans) charros, sliced ribeye, shrimp, cheese, corn, tomato jalapeño relish. Their house made tortillas are perfect! I tried one of my cousin’s; I’d like to come back and try their tacos!”

“I had an incredible dinner at Hoja Santa in Oak Park. I ordered the medium-rare NY Strip Steak, and it was cooked to absolute perfection—tender, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. The yuca fries with chimichurri were on a whole different level; truly out of this world. I paired everything with two glasses of cabernet, which made the whole meal even better. The ambiance is quiet and comfortable, making it a great spot to unwind, and the location is super convenient. What really stood out, though, was the staff. They were genuinely attentive and made me feel as if I had been there many times before—like a regular. That kind of warmth is rare and really elevated the experience. Highly recommend.”
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