Chago’s Caribbean Cuisine

Me mude para Austin en diciembre 2015 y estaba buscando como loco donde comer comida boricua… Chago’s es el lugar que tienes que ir!!! La comida super buena y el servicio bien amable. Definitivamente lo recomiendo y estoy planeando venir por lo menos una vez por semana…

This was such a delight! I loved the food and would recommend it highly to all my friends (and I have!). I will be back for many more visits.

I REALLY REALLY wanted to love this place. Being a Caribbean girl in Austin, I was super excited to find this Puerto Rican spot with great reviews!
To put it simply the Mofongo was Mofo-​nasty. Lacked flavor, plantains were tough and dry… It just wasn’t good. Typically I would give a place like this another shot but the more I think about it the more disappointed I get. I mean, my meal was $ 18 and what I enjoyed most was the side salad.
Mofongo ¹⁄₅
Pastelillos ³⁄₅
— okay, wasn’t blown away
— the sauce was pretty good
Pigeon Peas & Rice ³⁄₅
— I don’t like olives, my only complaint
— Good if you like olives
Side Salad ⁴⁄₄
Customer Service 2.5÷5 — Meh
— I told the waitress this was my first time there, when I asked for recommendations she didn’t seem interested in discussing the menu. Missed an opportunity to sell the menu. Not a big deal but it’s the small things that make people return customers. Also as the night went on, we had to wait longer for everything. Took like 15+ minutes to get my check.
Overall, I’d have to give this place 2 stars because:
1. I can’t see myself giving this place a 2^nd chance
2. Not a place I would recommend to anyone
3. Spent $ 18 on a disappointing entrée!

Loved my mofongo with stewed chicken! I’ve been hunting for a Puerto Rican restaurant since I moved from NYC-Chago’s will do!

The food was SUPER good and the waitstaff actually cared about your dining experience. We got a meat option and a vegetarian plate. I would definitely go back and try a different vegetarian option.

The pulled pork was moist and tasty with the tomato sauce. We also tried the vegetarian platter which was just as delicious. Service was excellent too! I’ll be coming back.

The meat was much fattier than I like, but that’s probably authentic. Unlike most food styles, I’m not that familiar with Puerto Rican. I have had Dominican style mofongo, not Puerto Rican and this was really awesome, amazing texture. I had it with garlic sauce, which was interesting. At first I thought it could be a lot more flavorful/​better, yet by the end I found myself very addicted to it and seeking every amount on the plate I could find. Would recommend!

I have been coming to Austin for over a year and it is a shame that I just found out about Chago’s a few months ago. I had just moved here in September and was working on a weekend when a co worker had not been here but mentioned she knew of a Puerto Rican restaurant that was close to where she lives. Being Puerto Rican and not having access to momma’s cooking as easily now, I looked up the address and took off for a lunch break. Upon arriving, I got the feel of sitting in a café in San Juan with the music playing and all around good vibe. The server, Santiago, approached me and was extremely friendly and welcoming. He asked if it was my first time in and mentioned a few of the specials they had for the day. I looked over the menu and decided to try a few items that I was familiar with since if they were done correctly, I would know the food is authentic. I started with the sorullos and ordered some tostones with carne frita as my main course. From the first bite of sorullos, I was brought back to my aunt’s kitchen and they were excellent. Crunchy, and delicious! The tostones were up next and they did not disappoint. Finally, the carne frita… It was just like my mother makes back in California. It was seasoned well and full of flavor, with just enough pork fat to add a lil something to the end. I got talked into ordering dessert and even though I was already feeling full, how can you say no right? The tres leeches cake was incredible and something I would definitely order again. I’ve been here multiple times with new friends each time. We came with a group of 10 and everything we ordered was amazing and I have been told by my friends that they have already gone back for more. There is much more to try on this menu and I won’t be surprised to have tried everything by the end of summer. Thank you Chago’s!

Great food and service!
Had the fried chicken with beans and rice and a side of plantains… It was all delicious and flavorful. Looking forward to coming back during lunch and trying their sandwiches.

This place was awesome. The owner made sure we had everything that we wanted and explained the menu to us in great detail. The portions are huge so you walk away feeling full. Give it a try!

If you’re new to this place get the appetizer with all the assortments so you can try it all! But be warned we were kinda full after this! It was delicious though we were so happy with the service they brought our food promptly and were so kind. I had a michelada and it was so tasty! Recommend this place highly.

I’ve been to this establishment a few times and every time I’ve been pleasantly impressed. Their dishes are authentic, full of flavor and satisfying. Although the food may take some extra time to be served, it is well worth the wait. Try their cocito drink, or michelada, it’s amazing!

Mofongo! For real?! Yes! Both a traditional plantain and a yucca version!
Don’t let the 4 spaces in front fool you — there’s a good amount of parking in the back! Even though one lady was working on a Wednesday evening with a fairly full front house, she was on top of things. No part of an order escaped her, our waters (with cheerful colored straws) were refilled promptly. I had the mofongo with the mahi mahi and garlic white wine sauce and loved every bite. Simple but tasty!
We concluded the meal by fighting over the last bites of a creamy cheese flan. The caramel sauce was thicker and more pronounced than other flans I’ve had. I want to come back and try everything on the menu!

Mofongo is amazing! And the tres leches! Really great food I took some for take out and was ready very fast to pick up. Very authentic!

I the food is excellent and the service is equally as good. If you are looking for good quality Puerto Rican food this is the place. Try the Arroz con gondulez… the food tastes authentic, just like my mother in law use to make.

There’s really not much to say about this place.
Mofongo Aniversario (Braised chicken) Stuffed: Mofongo served in a traditional pilón was tasteless. Needed some more flavor.
Chagos pernil asado: slow roasted pulled pork with pigeon peas rice. The pulled pork was dry!!!
But the good thing about this place is their amazing house dressing for the salad! We dipped the pulled pork in it to give it some more flavor.

My new favorite place! Food was out of this world — everything is made fresh by Chago himself. Staff was friendly and very attentive. I had the Cuban sandwich– delicious! Crisp on the outside, tender inside. Patricia had the Ensalada de Aguacate y Melón. Loved the cilantro dressing.
We will be back, and soon, friends in tow.

After reading such highly related reviews from Unilocal,my family and I decided to see what all the hype was about and try the restaurant for ourselves. Let me start off by saying the restaurant was extremely clean, nice looking, and had a great overall feel. Unfortunately, I could not say the same for the food. Everyone in our party was extremely disappointed in the small quantity of food for the high price as well as the lack of Caribbean taste. Being Dominican and traveling all around the word, I was really hoping/​looking for a great tasting Caribbean restaurant in the Austin area.
With that being said, the environment and people seem really nice, but if you ask me or any of my other Hispanic friends, this food is just not for us.

Was absolutely phenomenal! We had the mofongo with the braised chicken. It was so flavorful. The portion was also MASSIVE. My wife and I split it for lunch. We also had the appetizer sampler. The tiny empanadas were the star of that plate. It was some of the best hangover food i’ve ever enjoyed. Lacking the 5^th star due to the prices being a few dollars above what I expect to pay for dishes in a casual setting.
We will definitely be back for more mofongo deliciousness.

Chago’s is on the right path, but it doesn’t succeed consistently. My churrasco steak was moist and delicious, but the meat was too chewy. Meanwhile my husband’s bistec encebollado was dry and lacked flavor. I loved the rice mixed with sausage and beans. And the fried cheese with guava was delicious. But the yucca app was bland. And they forget the pastel altogether. I wish they had more fresh fruit juices on the menu (most were not natural). The music was lovely but the ambiance was a little dingy. The flan is rich and creamy. Lastly, although they had high chairs and were welcoming to the little ones, I was disappointed that the bathrooms had no changing stations.

Overall good food with great customer service. Basic Presentation of meals. Not alot of spices, savory would be the word for the vegetarian paella. $ 12. Must order tostones $ 2 for 3 & use as spoon for entrée. Hubby got the carne frita, his plate was bland served with white rice and black beans. No veggies or sauces made it an overall dry dish. Something to keep in mind. We might be back for the service but the food i can I make at home.

I was on a quick business lunch and found this place through my iPhone. It exceeded my expectations. Was a bit hard to find at first but I turned around and tried again. I’m glad I did because my dish was phenomenal. I ordered the churrasco a la parilla with the flank steak cooked extremely well. The seasoning was very tasty and the chimichurri sauce on top was great. I also ordered plantains and they were nicely cooked. The owner came out and we had a nice chat. I’m very glad I found this place. I recommended it to all my coworkers.

Like mamas kitchen!
No doubt, delicious fresh and flavorful!
This is a hidden gem and I’m so glad I found it. Went here this past Saturday night, took my date with me (she’s white) and wanted to give her a little taste of Latin and in a town full of Tex-​men and Mexican this is the spot!
We ordered a sampler appetizer with 2 mini– empanadas, maduros, yuka balls and corn-​masa sticks. Excellent portions for 2 – 4 people. (we couldn’t finish it all)
For entrée we went with the paella and the mofongo with pulled pork. Paella was good but mofongo is sabroso!
We had enough leftover for the next day. Portions are plenty and food is just the sheeeet! No wonder my peeps are rounder than most.
A must have is also the sancocho soup is one of my favorites!
Don’t be fooled, the prices might be modest but this place puts much more expensive and «trendy» restaurants to shame! This place is like mamas kitchen, not only are the owners friendly and attentive but the staff is always there making sure you’re ok.
I’ll be going back to this place over and over. It always hits the spot!

Being Puerto Rican I was skeptical about coming here. I’m judging based on the best chefs ever my abuela and my mom. I was pleasantly surprised, the food was delicious! I am picky about my sorullos I like them more burnt but that’s me. My Sancocho was delicious it tasted like home. They had my favorite passion fruit juice. Just an FYI they have Pasteles just ask! I’ll be back soon!

I love Cuban/​Puerto Rican food so when brother suggested this place based on all the great Unilocal reviews I was in. There were so many things on the menu that sounded amazing, it was hard to decide what to order. I went with the braised chicken, omg delish! Tender flavorful chicken cooked in a gravy with potatoes and olives, served with white rice. My brother and cousin ordered the mixed paella with different meats, it was pretty tasty to me. Bro said it was a lil on the salty side for him. Service was quick and friendly. I will def. be back when I am in Austin. :)

I had the Chagos churrasco. The meat is juicy and thick. The rice & bean combo is fantastic! I highly recommend this restaurant.

Unilocal readers, lend me your ears!
Do not be afraid of the façade of the building, which resembles a laundromat or perhaps a cheap muffler repair facility — this place is the real deal if you want the most delicious Puerto Rican cuisine ever. Their arroz con gandules is incredible. They were very much willing to mix and match my meal for me when I didn’t want the kind of rice that came with the pork chop meal. Drinks were actually very affordable in comparison to every other god damn restaurant in Austin.
The waitress was so nice and chill. I guarantee you’ll love this place.

I expected more … I ordered the Bistec Encebollado with Rice and Black Beans. The food came out quickly and immediately I could see it wasn’t going to be very good. There was a really thick layer of oil that the meat and rice were sitting in.
The «Steak» was mushy, and when I attempted to cut into it, the meat disintegrate under my knife. The one bite I took tasted bland and oily with a pasty consistency. I didn’t eat it.
In an attempt to salvage the experience, I ate the top portion of the white rice, avoiding the oily soaked portion at the bottom. To my dismay, the rice was also bland with a thick oil taste. I didn’t eat this either.
The only saving grace to this meal were the black beans. They were cooked well, the seasoning was ok and they weren’t soaked in oil. They were the only things I ate.
All in all this place was nothing like I had expect and certainly not worth the 5-​star rating it received. I would avoid this place until they revamp their cooking process and their food sourcing.
Please also note that I still paid for the entire meal and was offered nothing but a box for the uneaten portion, which I respectfully decline.