Marina’s Bistro and Rum Bar Brings Modern Puerto Rican Cuisine To Uptown

UPTOWN — Marina’s Bistro and Rum Bar is finally arriving in Uptown.

The long-awaited Puerto Rican restaurant at 4554 N. Magnolia Ave. will open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

“It’s a diverse community currently lacking in Puerto Rican cuisine,” said chef and owner Eric Roldan said, who lived and studied in Puerto Rico for more than 20 years. “As one of the only Puerto Rican restaurants in the area, we’re excited to bring our flavors and style to the neighborhood.”

Marina’s Bistro and Rum Bar started as a “ghost kitchen” operating out of Avondale. With the city’s Chicago Recovery Fund grant, Roldan said he was finally able to carry out his dream of opening his own restaurant when he won the grant lottery in August 2022. 

“Doing the ghost kitchen opened the doors for me and gave me the experience that I needed” to open a brick-and-mortar location, said Roldan.

Months of inspections and permits, as well as waiting for the city’s grant disbursements, postponed Roldan’s original plan to open in January 2023. However, the delay has allowed him to solidify the restaurant’s menu for a proper opening, Roldan said. 

Credit: Provided/Marina's Bistro and Rum Bar

Many of the bistro’s recipes are from Roldan’s mother, who passed away when he was 10 years old. He named the restaurant after her.

The menu will feature modern twists on traditional Puerto Rican dishes like mofongo and arroz con grandules and will include vegan and vegetarian options.

The bistro will also include a rum bar with craft cocktails inspired by the island of Puerto Rico. The flavors of fruits grown and sourced from Puerto Rico, like guava and soursop, will feature heavily in the cocktails.

Roldan is hopeful that his modernized take on Puerto Rican cuisine will help Marina’s Bistro stand out. 

“There’s a lot of restaurants established here for so many years that you have to sit and think about how we can make sure we differentiate ourselves,” he said. 

Marina’s Bistro and Rum Bar will be open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Sunday for dine-in, takeout and catering.

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