A Latin American cocktail bar and kitchen in Chicago, drawing its name from the Pan-American Highway to symbolize a connection between diverse Latin American cultures. Known for its unique cocktails and flavorful dishes.
Won Best Chef award for Causa and Amazonia at the 2025 James Beard Awards.
Insights
Latin AmericanMexicanSeafoodBakeryUpscaleDinnerLate NightCocktail BarCasual
Last updated: 6/29/2026, 6:27:59 PM
Key Information
La Licor Panamericana draws its name from the iconic Pan-American Highway, symbolizing the connection between diverse Latin American cultures. It operates as a Latin American cocktail bar and kitchen, offering a culinary journey through the Americas. The establishment is known for its beautiful interior, lively ambiance, and commitment to unique, well-crafted cocktails, including those with homemade syrups and infusions.
Customers praise La Licor Panamericana for its outstanding and unique cocktails, often highlighting the creativity and quality of drinks like the Batida, Puerto Paraíso, Esquite, and Pisco Sour. The staff, including waitress Paola and bartender Johnny, are frequently commended for being warm, welcoming, knowledgeable, and attentive. Chef Carlos receives high praise for his passion, attention to detail, and the flavorful, perfectly cooked dishes, particularly the meat, which some compare favorably to high-end steakhouses. While the ambiance is generally appreciated for its great vibe and dim lighting, some customers find the seating uncomfortable due to wobbly tables and central wooden stumps. Service can occasionally be slow, especially during peak times, but overall, the experience is described as a 'hidden gem' offering a unique culinary adventure.
Additional Details
Located in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, La Licor Panamericana aims to connect diverse Latin American cultures through its food and drink offerings. The bar is committed to experimentation, with bartenders often working on new drink creations and offering samples to patrons. The establishment is open until late.
The restaurant opens at 4 PM daily. Happy Hour runs Wednesday through Sunday from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM, offering $10 drink specials. Reservations are highly recommended after 6:30 PM, especially on Saturday nights, as the restaurant tends to get crowded.
I came here on a Saturday night around 5:30pm with a reservation, there were two of us.
We were sat but our reservation was not acknowledged by the open table website.
You definitely need a reservation after 6:30pm as it got pretty crowded but the bar was empty.
The restaurant was not too loud, the tables were very uncomfortable to sit at due to the center of the table being a wooden stump like object. Which made it hard to push your seat in, and the table was wobbly.
They also turn the lights off mostly, which actually makes for a great vibe. Other than the uncomfortable seats and tables.
They have a lot of drinks, specifically cocktails with unique flavor profiles, using green peppers and corn in drinks.
I started with trying the two frozen beverages one was a ginger drink and the other was a sweet milky corn beverage, both unique, not for me. But it was so nice they allowed us to try them.
We got the empanada trio (beef, chicken, and veggie). The veggie was very corn forward, almost only corn and some spices. If you love corn you’d love the food and drinks.
We also got chorizo arepas which were tasty, but the sliced chorizo didn’t seem to match the bite of the arepas. It may have made more sense to have had crumbling chorizo on the arepas.
And finally we had the yuca fries, which case with a thick sauce and cojita cheese. They were very good. I asked for a side of hot sauce, it was a mild sauce but it was good. Seemingly homemade.
The service was okay, it took a while to get a drink, then to actually get the drink took a long time, and then trying to order and leave took a while. It wasn’t a bad experience.
This place was featured on the travel network as a must try. If you want to try something new, love corn, definitely recommend.
A true hidden gem. We came here with a party of six, not knowing what to expect, and were immediately surprised. The exterior doesn’t quite capture your attention, but the inside is absolutely beautiful. We had no idea we were about to go on such a culinary adventure.
From the moment we walked in, we were warmly greeted by the host and our waitress. The entire staff was welcoming and hospitable, which made the experience even better. The music was at the perfect volume—lively but not overpowering—so we could comfortably enjoy our conversation. Our waitress was very knowledgeable and took the time to explain every drink on the menu, including how they make their own Coke syrup and unique infusions, which added a distinct flavor profile.
The drinks were outstanding—especially the Batida, Puerto Paraíso, and a whiskey highball made with their homemade syrup. All were incredibly well-crafted.
She also explained the restaurant’s concept, taking us on a “journey” through different countries in the Americas. Since there were six of us, we decided to take the full tour all the way down to Argentina—which made the experience even more fun.
Chef Carlos personally came out to explain his dishes, and his passion for cooking was evident. You can tell when a chef truly cares—not just in the taste, but in the presentation and attention to detail in every dish.
I’ve included photos of some of the standout plates. As a side note: I’m the only one at the table who typically enjoys rare meat, but everyone ended up fighting for more. The chef didn’t ask how we wanted it cooked—and honestly, he didn’t need to. He delivered it perfectly. That level of confidence and execution speaks for itself. (Side note he is Argentinian)
We were all blown away by how flavorful and tender the meat was. It genuinely made me wonder why I hadn’t discovered this place sooner. This dish alone has set a new standard for me—I’d have a hard time justifying spending money at a high-end steakhouse if it doesn’t match the quality and flavor found here at La Licor.
I could go on about every dish, but I’d rather let others experience it for themselves.
Bravo, Chef Carlos—quizás regresaré para probar el pulpo… maybe.
Y también gracias a Paola por ser una excelente mesera. Todos tuvimos una gran experiencia gracias a tu hospitalidad y atención. Definitivamente ganaron clientes regulares.
This bar was awesome! I had two cocktails from the menu, the Esquite which was amazing and the Pisco Sour (in the photo) which was awesome! The bartenders and staff were all kind and attentive. Our bartender was experimenting with new drinks and offered us a small sample of what he was working on. It’s always nice to see that a bar is committed to their bartenders trying new things and experimenting! It was an absolutely lovely neighborhood bar. We didn’t have any food but the fritters at the neighboring patrons looked tempting!! I’ll be going back and taking friends.
Omg, the cocktails here are top tier. This is a great place for authentic Latin American dishes and elevated cocktails. They have $10 drink specials for happy hour which is a steal considering the effort and care put into each one. Johnny at the bar made amazing suggestions and was able to modify a cocktail for me to fit my preferences. I’ll definitely be back for a bite to eat.
This establishment is incredible! My husband found this place just outside of the big city. Honestly, better than all the high end restaurants/bars in the city you find. The service we had was exceptional and we were welcomed with friendly and knowledgeable bar tenders. Answered any and all of our questions along with recommendations. They have some whiskey for old fashions that are just to find anywhere else, and a Mexican Ale I've never tried before was another rarity in the states. The chef cooked up some delicious food that lifted our pallets to another level. The star of the show was there bread pudding. Everything is made fresh daily and you can taste the quality of ingredients in each dish chef prepares. He has traveled to different countries to explore the art of cooking and used that to bring incredible food spanning from different cultures. We will definitely be back again on our next visit to Chicago.
