Café Antigua

I walking down Elston Ave this morning and I walked by Cafe Antigua. I walked past it and did a back step cause I never saw this place before. Evidently they have only been open a few weeks and are located directly across the street from the Guatemalan Embassy on Elston Avenue. For clarification it's not really a restaurant as much as a place where Guatemalan foods are served and by that I mean there is no food prep area. The food is prepared offsite and people can come in and select from plastic bins sitting on the counter. They have limited hours M-F 9am - 3pm (same hours as the Guatemalan Embassy across the street). As I'm told there is no set menu so what they have today may not be available tomorrow. They use to have a space in the embassy building, but moved across the street recently into what is now Cafe Antigua.The woman working there saw me peering in the door and signaled for me to come inside. Ok twist my arm. Inside they have a few small tables and a counter w/plastic containers w/the food items that are available. I asked for a chili relleno and a tamarind soda. The chili relleno came w/a red sauce, cilantro, spicy red sauce (not really that spicy) & a queso type cheese. You had the option of eating it on tortilla or in a bun. I chose the tortillas. After eating the chili relleno I was still hungry so I tried a tamale (which she gave to me free of charge). The chili relleno was pretty good, but nothing outstanding that would make me want to rush back for. The tamale was meh nothing to write home about. It had a very thick layer of wrap with a small amount of filling. The 2 people working there were very pleasant and welcoming and there were a variety of other items. One container had fried plantains. The other one had a variety of other items like the chili rellenos, pig feet, and other items.

Amazing, delicious Guatemalan food. I came in right before a lunch rush and before long this "hole in the wall" was filled with families and local patrons.

Just visited Cafe Antigua and Phil's review is spot on. The only thing I would add is my mom is from Guatemala, and since we live here in Chicago, there are many places to get Guatemalan food. I can say with all honesty we've been to many places/resturants and have not found a more tasty tamal! The dough was fluffy, not dry or soupy, just the right amount of flavor. Others might say there's not enough recado/sauce but to me it was perfect! The only reason I don't give my review 5 stars is because as Phil said, there isn't any food prep, it's all made off site, which to me is fine, as some places rely on a microwave to heat up or cook food. Staff is super friendly and food offerings for the holidays is abundant. We'll be going back and placing an order for the holiday!

We stopped by for a lunch a couple of days ago while visiting Chicago, and I already miss their food!!! Everything I tried was delicious, perfectly seasoned and beautifully presented. I ordered a chicken tostada, the gringa that I am, and it was just a piece of art. I loved the atmosphere of the place - everybody was very friendly and welcoming. My friend is a native Guatemalan. She tried several dishes and said that the food tastes very authentic. To sum it up, Cafe Antigua is a very simple place with simply delicious food!

I order chilles rellenos to take home, by the time I got home I realized they smelled as if they were starting to go bad (my drive was only a 30 min away) I figured perhaps I'm not used to the smell and that was why, but they tasted awful. I don't think their food is fresh and it is overpriced. Sad, because I was happy to have found a new place where I could eat Guatemalan food but that is not the case.

Delicious Chile's rellenos, tamales. Everything is truly a treat. The husband and wife owners are very friendly and welcoming.

I absolutely loved Cafe Antigua. We ordered a chuchito and a chile relleno and we were so pleased by how great they tasted. The people there were so welcoming and most importantly so Guatemalan. They had a little stand where they also sold Guatemalan treats and it honestly felt like a little piece of Guate in Chicago. I would definitely recommend coming to Cafe Antigua.