Bayan Ko

Delicious food in a cute and cozy atmosphere. The only drawback was that we felt rushed by our server throughout the meal despite there being a few open tables and no customers waiting to be seated.

The FOH and BOH staff are kind and the food was great. Highly recommend this beautiful meeting of two cuisines.

Everything was beyond delicious. Will return again and again.

Delicious and quaint. I would highly recommend the chicken wings!

Some hits and some misses but overall a great new spot. Will go back.

A wonderful mix of Cuban and Filipino cuisine, building on their common Spanish roots. We were excited to try the Lechon, but they had run out just as we arrived. Next time - we’ll definitely go back.

Excellent food, good wait staff, very nice little storefront restaurant. Only down side was that, when the tables were full, it was very loud and conversation was difficult.

Always delicious, and the it is so cozy! It is one of my favorite places, and I wish I could keep it a secret so it's not so hard to get a reservation. :)

Everything was delicious! Service was great. Kids loved it too!

This is the second time I have dined here and this experience was just as good as the first time. On both occasions we asked the waitress to order for us... this way we get to experience things we may not have typically tried. Really enjoyed the food adventure!

It’s so refreshing to connect with a local, homegrown chef husband and wife team from Chicago that puts out some new authentic flavors for us to devour. Thank you for the meal. We will be back again very soon.

Cozy and casual atmosphere, well-executed and delicious dishes, great service and BYOB is a bonus. Highly recommend.

Great meal, great service, but will never go again in winter. There was almost no heat, and we had requested a warm table the day before and were assured of a “warm table in the corner.” When we arrived we were seated by the door and our server apologized for seating us at the “coldest table in the restaurant.” We had to wear our coats for most of the meal.

Really authentic and delicious food with fantastic service. Need I say more?

We certainly enjoyed our dinner at Bayan Ko, a small Cuban-Filipino restaurant. The food was creative, as might be expected by the Cuban-Filipino mashup, although the plate sizes were quite variable. (We were told that they were entree size, not tapas size, but several dishes were on the small size, although the prices were reasonable). I particularly liked the scallops, uni, and noodles (although the three scallops made it hard for two diners to share, as did the five prawns in another dish). The restaurant is rather tightly compressed and many of the tables had benches without backs which made dining less comfortable than ideal. Further, on this very cold night, every time the front door opened (which was often since the restaurant was packed), diners were greeted with a blast of near-zero Chicago air.

Awesome food .small place like hole in the wall but amazing

Great food and staff!

Oxtail and lumpia were excellent. Ube sundae can’t be missed. Excellent example of what fusion should be.

Make sure you have a reservation and be on time! What a great place! The food was phenomenal, the atmosphere was nice, the hostess was very accommodating and the server was very friendly. I will def be going back!

First time here. Very cozy dining environment. Food we ordered was great. Oxtail entree was awesome!

Fantastic new venue! I knew I was in for a treat upon entering; such wonderful aromas drifting in from the partially open kitchen. Great menu; loved each dish; bold, delicious flavors. Staff was super friendly. Nice, lively ambiance but just a tad on the noisy size. Portions were extremely generous and the meal was an incredible value. Look forward to returning to explore more of the menu.

Excellent food, friendly and helpful service, bustling atmosphere. Really good value for the quality and creativity of the food. We will be back!

Great food. Nice atmoshphere. Took my gf here for her bday and it was a pleasant experience.

I have gone to Bayan Ko four times since they opened, and I cannot get enough. I love the food, the staff, and the cozy atmosphere. Definitely plan a visit!

Excellent service and outstanding food!

Soooooooo good! We had such an amazing experience here. Jaye, our waitress was so engaging and friendly. I love that its shared plates friendly. We tried the bbq pinchos, lumpia Shanghai, panchit noodles, luglug noodles, and crispy adobo chicken wings and everything was delicious. My favorites were the luglug noodles and bbq pinchos. Chef/owner came out and hung out with us a bit and greeted everyone there. Super home-y and friendly atmosphere. And byob! I will be back ASAP.

Amazing food. Great service. Beautiful decor. Overall a wonderful meal and experience!

Interesting (and tasty) food, outstanding service. We will certainly return.

Best new restaurant I have have been to in a long time. I look forward to coming here again.

Appreciated that hostess was able to seat 6 of us together

Wonderful experience great service and delicious food !!! We will be back soon.

Overall the food was tasty. Some of our kabobs were overcooked but those that were not were delicious. Portions are good size which was refreshing for a smaller "plates" venue.

The restaurant is absolutely freezing in the winter which honestly really ruined my experience having to eat with a winter coat on. When it came time to go to the bathroom, one goes through the kitchen which is not a big deal but in front of the bathroom was a sizable puddle of water. Couple that with the back door being left open which I would understand if the kitchen were overheated but it was even colder than the main room. So then enter the bathroom and sit on a toilet that is literally 32 degrees. Not pleasant.

I understand that restaurants are mainly about service and food but atmosphere is also important. Cute little place but attention to those details matter.

Great food! Wonderful service by a fun team. Definitely coming back.

Absolutely lives up the the hype. My husband (who is Filipino-American) welled up when he took his first bite of lumpia. Additionally ordered: ham croquettes, pork belly, lug lug noodles, short ribs and flan, all amazing. Would highly recommend.

The food was delicious, good proportion sizes, and nicely presented. Authentic Filipino dishes win the day and the Ube sunday was perfect and authentic! Loved it!

A little disappointed they didn’t seem to get the memo about this being a birthday celebration, as there wasn’t really any acknowledgement of that and it played out like a normal meal. Food was wonderful — the pancit luglug and the Bayan lechon were standouts. I hope to be back but may not choose it as a celebration spot.

Very good food. Kinda small portions for the price. But will definitely be back. Their dessert is 🔥

Bayan Ko was amazing. The wife of the Executive Chef was our waitress, and both she and the other waitress showed a lot of enthusiasm for the restaurant and the cuisine. It is not really Filipino-Cuban fusion but dishes from both cuisines can stand side by side and complement each other. We had mainly Filipino dishes - BBQ Pechos, Lug Lug noodles (our favorite), Lechon, Bistek and Chicken Wings - but we will definitely be back to try more. While you had to go through the kitchen to get to the bathroom, the bathroom was clean and decorated well. All you should do is be pleasant to the kitchen staff! I would highly recommend it.

Best icecream

Awesome food. This would be a perfect place to go for a casual but intimate date or just to catch up with a friend one on one. Best for sharing dishes so you can try everything! That said, I did go alone.