These 7 Illinois Argentine Kitchens Grill Their Steaks And Serve Them With Chimichurri
Somewhere in Illinois, behind a plain storefront and a door you might walk right past, a grill is doing something wonderful with a good cut of beef. The smell hits you first, then the sizzle, and finally a spoonful of bright green chimichurri that ties the whole plate together.
If you have ever wanted to taste Argentina without buying a plane ticket, these seven kitchens make it possible. Here are the spots worth the drive, the parking hunt, and the happy stretch of your belt afterward.
1. Folklore | Argentine Restaurant
Walk through the door on Division Street and the aroma of the grill greets you before the host does. That smoky, beefy welcome sets the tone for a beef-centric menu that leans hard into tradition, right in the heart of Chicago.
The kitchen builds its reputation on cuts like the Bife de Chorizo and Bife Vesuvio, cooked precisely to temperature and finished with chimichurri done the proper way. Think herbs and garlic, no chili heat, just clean brightness against the char.
Beyond steak, the menu wanders happily into pastas, empanadas, and the crowd-pleasing Milanesa Napolitana. Provoleta and the Berenjena keep vegetarians well fed too.
The setting is candlelit and cozy, the kind of rustic room that works for a date night or a big group celebration. Portions run generous, service moves quickly, and reservations are a smart move on busy weekend evenings.
Open Wednesday through Sunday with a full bar onsite, it plates dinner in the forty to one hundred dollar range per person. Street parking is your best bet, and the trip is worth it.
2. Bendita Cocina Argentinean Restaurant
Tucked into the northwest suburbs, this small spot earns its nickname as a hidden gem the moment you step inside. Local artwork lines the walls, the room feels intimate, and the whole place carries the warmth of a home kitchen rather than a chain.
The star here is the parrillada de carne for two, a shared platter piled with chicken, steak, and roasted vegetables, all arriving with a generous pour of chimichurri. The steak gets treated the way Argentine cooking intends: a good char outside, juicy through the center, and seasoned so the beef itself does the talking.
Empanadas, breadsticks, and the Churrasco Con Chimichurri round out a menu that also carries a full vegetarian selection and healthy options. Kids get their own menu, high chairs are ready, and the mood stays quiet and romantic.
Open seven days a week with plenty of free parking, Bendita Cocina makes authentic Argentine flavor easy to reach. Weekend evenings fill up fast, so call ahead when you can.
3. Tango Sur
Bring your own bottle and settle in, because this Southport Avenue steakhouse has built a loyal following on quality beef and a genuinely lively vibe. Live music turns up on Tuesdays, filling the candlelit room with a soundtrack that pairs perfectly with a plate of grilled meat.
Meat lovers come for the Bife de Chorizo, the Entrana, and the Asado de Tira, all cooked with care until tender and juicy. The chimichurri leans fresh and herby rather than hot, exactly the way it should be, and it plays beautifully against cuts like filet mignon and T-bone.
The back of the house hides cozy little nooks decorated with traditional art, giving groups and couples a spot to linger. Empanadas and antipasto make a fine start, and dessert here has a well-deserved reputation.
Prices land in the friendly forty to seventy dollar range. Parking can be tricky and there is usually a wait, so a reservation saves you some standing around.
4. Artango Bar & Steakhouse
Picture a 1920s-inspired room with urban artsy decor, live music drifting through the air, and tango dancers turning the floor into something close to Buenos Aires. Artango takes the steakhouse idea and dresses it up for a night to remember on Lincoln Avenue.
The menu treats steak like an event. Order the Para Compartir steak flights or the Gaucho Sampler and you get exceptional cuts cooked to perfection, tender enough to fall apart, and finished with chimichurri that holds its own against every bite.
Small plates and starters keep the table busy, from Ceviche Nikkei to Provoleta and Cheese Empanadas. Save room for the molten chocolate Oblivion cake or the San Telmo vanilla flan.
Reservations are required here, and the swanky, upscale setting rewards a little dressing up. Open Tuesday through Sunday with a bar onsite and dinner prices climbing toward one hundred dollars per person, it delivers dinner and a show under one stylish roof.
5. El Nandú Restaurant
Off the beaten path on Fullerton Avenue sits a warm room of exposed brick where the portions are big and the welcome is genuine. El Nandú feels like the neighborhood secret you want to keep to yourself, though it deserves a bigger crowd.
Steak is the reason to come, and the entraña here turns out incredibly tender, especially with a touch of that house chimichurri lifting every forkful. The kitchen also plates ribs, short ribs, and the Churrasco Con Papas Fritas, plus empanadas that regulars rave about.
Prices stay approachable, landing between twenty and sixty dollars per person, which makes it easy to bring a group or turn it into a relaxed date. Weekend entertainment adds live music to the mix, and the ambiance stays comfortable rather than fussy.
Open Wednesday through Sunday with late-night food and a bar onsite, it keeps its own hours and its own charm. Street parking takes some patience, but the tender beef and dulce de leche flan make it worthwhile.
6. Bodega Sur
Right next door to Tango Sur, this low-lit little bar is part of the same Argentine family and carries the same devotion to good beef. Bodega Sur leans casual and cozy, with a wine retail corner and a menu that stretches from breakfast to late-night bites.
Value is the quiet superpower here, with melt-in-your-mouth cuts landing under forty dollars. The tabla gaucha assembles an assortment of grilled meats cooked to order, a proper parrillada seasoned simply with salt the Argentine way, and small sauces like mustard and chimichurri make excellent partners.
The corn empanadas stand out as a menu highlight, and the lomito delivers a genuine Argentine steak sandwich worth the trip on its own. Carpaccio, grilled asparagus, and flan cover the rest of the appetite.
Weekend hours open early enough for brunch, and free wi-fi plus a kids’ menu make it flexible for all sorts of visits. Cozy, quiet, and quietly excellent, it is an easy yes.
7. El Che Steakhouse & Bar
At the center of this Washington Boulevard steakhouse stands a custom-built twelve-foot grill, and it truly creates most of the magic on the plate. El Che takes a wood-fired, Argentinean-American approach in hip, stylish surroundings, and the fire does the heavy lifting.
Grass-fed beef takes the spotlight, salted just right and cooked to order, then finished with chimichurri that earns its keep. The Wagyu picanha is a real Argentine treat, the asado ranks among the best you will find stateside, and the beef empanadas arrive exquisite.
Creative sides set it apart from a straight-ahead steakhouse, from herbed Parisian gnocchi to wood-roasted Amish chicken and those praised sweet potatoes. Prawns and scallops give the menu range beyond red meat.
Expect an upscale, romantic room complete with a fireplace, and expect to spend, since dinner runs upward of one hundred dollars per person. Open Tuesday through Sunday with reservations recommended and usually a wait, it closes out this list with the biggest flame and a memorable evening.