Irazu on North Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood has been the city’s only Costa Rican restaurant since it opened in 1991, serving the casados, gallo pinto, and the home cooking of Central America that Chicago’s Costa Rican community and the curious eaters who found Irazu have been coming back for over 30 years. It appeared in Season 12, Episode 8 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Latin Street Food,” which aired October 10, 2011. Guy Fieri found a Chicago kitchen producing Costa Rican food that genuinely cannot be found anywhere else in the city — and barely anywhere else in the United States.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Irazu
City: Chicago, Illinois
Cuisine: Costa Rican / Latin
DDD Season: 12
DDD Episode: 8
Episode Title: Latin Street Food
Original Air Date: October 10, 2011
Address: 1865 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: 773-252-5687
Website: https://www.irazuchicago.com
Status: Open
What to Eat
The Casado is the Costa Rican national meal — a plate of rice, black beans, plantains, salad, and your choice of protein (chicken, beef, or fish), the combination that Costa Ricans eat at lunch every day and that Irazu has been serving Chicago since 1991. The Gallo Pinto, the rice and black bean mixture seasoned with Lizano sauce that is Costa Rica’s breakfast staple, is the morning item worth arriving early for. The Chicken in Salsa Criolla, braised in a tomato-based Creole sauce with peppers and onions, is the protein most regulars build their casado around. The Batidos — fresh fruit milkshakes made with tropical fruits including tamarind, guanabana, and mango — are the drinks that no table should skip. The Tres Leches Cake closes every proper Irazu meal. Find a Chicago hotel on Travelocity.
Plan Your Visit
Check the website for current hours.
Address: 1865 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: 773-252-5687
Website: https://www.irazuchicago.com
Status: Open
Triple D Essentials
Stream the Latin Street Food episode on Amazon.
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Irazu appeared in Season 12, Episode 8 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Latin Street Food,” originally aired October 10, 2011. The restaurant has been serving Costa Rican food in Chicago since 1991.