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Categories: Spanish, Tapas Bars, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Park, DePaulArmitage (Purple Express, Brown)
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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We went here for the first time last night and both left happy. We ordered a lot of stuff. Some food was meh, other things were really delicious. They didn't do a very good job of pacing our meal and hot things end up being luke warm by the time we got to it.
-Pintxos platter...a really great way to try a bunch of different things our favorites were the goat cheese croquette, shrimp and egg salad, and the cheese and quince
-the Spanish Caesar salad was awesome...i want to eat it everyday
-ahi and shaved veg. salad was also good but...yea Spanish Caesar
-spicy pork skewer was drenched in chili oil. i could have done without
-sirloin w/ asparagus and shitake was pretty good...not hot enough
-braised lamb was fantastic
-scallops were delicious and cooked perfectly
Last night was my fourth enjoyable visit to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, and it was absolutely packed. We were seated within 5 minutes of our reservation time on a Saturday night. That gave us just enough time to order a huge "Hey, Kool-Aid" size pitcher of their excellent red sangria!
This place is huge. They have tons of different seating areas, and the atmosphere is jovial and lively. Nice enough for a small group, a first date (witnessed one), or just catching up with friends while sharing small plates of food called Tapas and Pintxos (PEEN-chos).
I actually used Yelp before my visit! Thank you, Yelpers! We ordered:
-Bacon-Wrapped dates (very good, but better at Mercat a la planxa)
-Patatas Bravas (do not skip this dish, perfectly seasoned red potatoes with a spicy dippin' mayonnaise)
-Baked Goat cheese in tomato sauce (good)
-Roasted Salmon with artichoke & confit (salmon was fresh and cooked perfectly)
I also got one of the small Pintxos on special, and it was an herbed goat cheese with pears on a crostini. I could have eaten that all night!
Did I mention we were having trouble polishing off a whole pitcher of sangria between two people? I mean, it tasted awesome and drinking is fun, but a 1/2 pitcher would have been plenty!
For Dessert:
-Carmelized banana, vanilla ice cream, with dusting of pistachios (excellent, and perfect size for a small price)
Service was excellent all night, save for one time they put down a dish that wasn't ours. We immediately had them take it away. I loved how our many servers brought dishes out one at a time, pacing the meal, instead of serving it all at once. There wasn't room enough on our table for all of the food anyway. When we were finished with our food and just polishing off the sangria, they didn't rush us at all.
My Lettuce Entertain You gift cards covered everything! Another enjoyable night at Ba-Ba-Reeba!
Tapas= Ick! Sharing lots of random food has never really appealed to me and usually leaves me with quite a stomach ache. However, if you must indulge in such tapas nonsense Cafe Ba-Be-Reeba is actually one of the better spots to do so.
Some of the better things on the menu:
Goat cheese
Mini steaks topped with blue cheese
Grilled Squad (worth mentioning that i was the only one at the table who seemed to enjoy this)
Seafood Paella
While there last weekend I decided to take it easy on the sangria since I would be running in a race early the next morning. However, my 1 glass of sangria soon turned into 5 glasses of sangria...so guess that's ok here too!
The bathroom could use a bit of cleaning. After standing in line for at least 10 min with nice women from kansas city, indianapolis, and st louis (Ba-Ba-Reeba seems to be quite the tourist destination) I snuck into the men's bathroom. And yuck...boyz clean after yourselves!
It is worth noting that the hubby (and no, he wasn't the one who messed up the bathroom) who hates tapas more than I do mentioned several times that our meal here was delicious. I'm still anti tapas, but I'm pro Ba-Ba-Reeba.
If I have my choice of cuisine I usually don't pick tapas (although I can't resist a glass of… Read more »
I wish yelp allowed this place 6 stars because it was amazing. We had like 10 different dishes from empanadas, 2 pitchers of sangria, 2 things of shrimp, ceasar salad which was awesome, goat cheese. The list goes on. It was delicious definitely coming back.
My girlfriends and I started our night out at Ba-Ba-Reeba a few months ago. It was, quite possibly, the most fun dinner we've ever had. It really didn't have much to do with Ba-Ba-Reeba or the food, but it doesn't matter. That place will always be awesome to us!
This place was pretty packed, even at 9:30 when we got there for dinner. We sat in the dining room and took advantage of the banquette seating (see below). Wine selection was pretty good. We enjoyed a few bottles of Pinot Noir over our small plates. Overall, a great meal. And not too expensive for the quality of food.
What made the night so memorable was the fact that we sat right next to the most awkward first date. Ever. Some poor girl sat victim to terrible questions like, "What do you look for in a guy?" and "What's your take on creme brulee?" while the guy passionately presented his grocery lists of a) why he doesn't date and b) what he looks for in a woman. Yes, we eavesdropped. Yes, we might have taken a few pictures. And yes, we laughed when the guy had a tray of dirty plates dropped on his head. But we about lost it when he got a free dessert out of the deal and then high-fived his date. Classic!
Thanks to the intimate setting, we were privy to one of the funniest meals on earth. Unfortunately it was at someone else's expense. Fortunately, I don't live in Chicago and don't ever have to run into that guy again.
I had a good experience here a couple of years ago, so was happy to return for tapas with a friend the other day. The place was pretty crowded for a Monday night, which surprised me, but we were seated right away at a small table for two. Upon being seated, the table already seemed crowded with a stack of small plates, salt & pepper, cutlery, etc.
Our waiter was very nice, but seemed a bit overwhelmed; he stopped by to suggest the specials and ran away just as I opened my mouth to ask for a half pitcher of Sangria. A few minutes later, my friend and I had already decided which tapas we wanted; the waiter returned and we made our full order.
The half pitcher came first. It was the perfect size for two diners, and was perfectly decent sangria. The tapas followed soon thereafter, and came at a staggered rate so that we were able to complete a dish or two before the last of our order arrived. With just 2 of our selections on the table, however, it was overcrowded. By the time our last dish arrived, it had to be balanced on top of the clean small plates. This was a crowded table and made for awkward dining!
I also want to mention that we were given an extra dish of tapas that we had not ordered, and were charged for that dish on our final bill. The problem was quickly resolved by our waiter.
Now, for the tapas themselves; I was not impressed. The spicy potatoes were flavorless and served with a bright orange flavorless sauce. The ahi tuna was overspiced with spices that would be more appropriate on beef, served on a salad drowned in oil and vinegar. The goat cheese was fine, but I've had better at the Medici on 57th. The endive salad and the calamari were yummy, but I wouldn't return just for these two dishes when the rest of the menu isn't on their level.
Based on my past experience here and the good reviews on Yelp, I expected better. Better dining accommodations (small tables don't work in a tapas place), better wait service (maybe adding staff so that mistakes and neglect such as I listed above don't happen), and better food (flavorless tapas? I'd rather stop by a Vienna Beef hotdog stand and get some bang for my buck).
I'm giving 2 stars because I'm willing to give this place one more chance; it could have been an off night in the kitchen and our waiter could have been covering for folks who stayed home sick. The table size issue is something to really be concerned about, however; if you go, ask the hostess to seat you at a larger table.
Best Tapas in the city. Many people know this, however, so you will need a reservation on the weekends if you'd prefer to wait less than an hour. Open Table iphone app works great for this! Lots of great things on a rather large menu of tapas items and they usually have a long list of specials as well. Some old favorites:
- Bacon wrapped dates. Order one plate per person at the table. I'm not kidding.
- The fillet with blue cheese sauce
- any of the croquettes
- spicy potatoes
- the calamari (my bf says so)
- goat cheese with tomato sauce and toast points
I've also had the paella a couple of times but that takes much longer to prepare and is best if you have a big group to split it up amongst to supplement the tapas. It was very good, not too dry like at some other tapas places I've been to (Emilio's, sadly).
They have a great selection of sangrias, I especially like the mango and blackberry flavors. Their mini pitchers are the perfect size for 2 or 3 to share.
I've had my birthday here a couple of times. They accommodate groups well, they have tons of seating they are just very popular, so plan ahead with your reservations.
If I could give 3.5 stars, I would. But since I can't, I'll be nice and bump it up to 4 stars! Tapas never seems to really fill me up (I compare tapas to dimsum), but Ba-Ba-Reeba does have a few great tapas dishes and the sangria is worth the bump up to 4 stars! We ordered the classic red and white sangris, but the all around favorite was the white peach sangria!
I came here for dinner during our few days of training for work, so plenty of sangria and tapas were ordered! Here's a sampling of my picks:
Thumbs Up!
- Crispy Spicy Potatoes - Large portions dipped in yummy cheese!
- warm potato & onion omelette - love the cheese dipping sauce!
- baked goat cheese - not as great as some I've tried, but still a good choice!
- bacon-wrapped dates - I love bacon and I love dates!
- crispy calamari - always a good dish to order!
- grilled sirloin - gotta have some meat! yum!
So-so...
- chicken ham croquettes
- garlic shrimp - not bad, but nothing special either
- sea scallops - I love scallops and these were fine, but nothing special
- Spanish meatballs - didn't taste any different than regular meatballs
- Chicken paella - I've had better
Oh, and please don't forget about their Mini Tapas Desserts! The truffle chocolate cake was way too rich, but the mango sorbet is homemade and delish! It's the perfect way to top off a stuffed dinner!
Overall, the atmosphere is great for a group outing, the food is good and you'll have a great time!
I guess I'm just gilding the lily by now since Ba-Ba-Reeba has been picked apart and examined more than just about any place in Chicago. Ergo, let's give it a quick, bulleted run down:
1. Great for big parties. Used Open Table to make reservations and things went down without a hitch.
2. The stairway leading to the downstairs facilities is ridiculously narrow. Don your European sense of space and casual attitudes regarding inadvertent groping and you'll go far.
3. Pinxtos are really small. If you have a big group order at least two servings of all six.
4. If you think sangria is just for the effeminate then check this knowledge nugget: Sangria means "bloody" in Spanish. See? A drink fit for the most testosteronic.
Ended up coming here last minute with some great people. The six of us were coming from an event that had a lot of wine but very very very little finger food. All of us were starved so we ended up at Ba-Ba-Reeba. We ordered, seriously, like half the menu. Octopus, spicy potatoes, mixed plates... a ton of desserts... the spread was pretty good... I wouldn't call it the best tapas I've ever had (and oh do I love tapas) but the company and the surroundings def upped it :] And the sangria was pretty tasty - I love it when they leave in chunks of fruit, wish there was more tho - (I loved the white) Our waitress was super nice and we had a great time just chatting and dining the whole night. It's def a fun place to go to if you're into sharing small plates and trying a ton of different things!
This is an upper-mid scale tapas spot that retains a strong following a score of years after it opened. That's impressive. Seriously, that people would continue to want to dine here two decades after it was the hot spot on the Halsted strip in LP bespeaks something. What that is, I suppose is highly subjective but it will make a review nonetheless.
If it is innovative tapas you are seeking, you should venture to Mercat in the renovated Blackstone. I'm not looking to damn cbbr with faint praise. If you are looking for a spot to go with a group- perhaps out of towners- to sample a a vast tapas menu, several sangria options, and some half way clever cocktails. CBBR is your spot and you won't be disappointed. Tapas is always a good option I think- its nature allows you to sample so much without being limited to the starter menu and one or two entres.
I would say, those of you true foodies would likely turn your noses at CBBR. It's part of a chain, there is no seasonal menu and there is nothing 'local' as far as I can see. But life is boring when we need things a certain way isn't it. So go here with a group. They'll be happy and you likely will too. They can't really jack anything up b/c they've been here doing this for over two decades.
Everything we ordered was good, no complaints. Will return.
Sangrias Sangrias Sangrias...
Cafe Ba Ba Reeba has outstanding Sangrias, and they are oustanding to wash down your tapas! They also have an extensive selection of tapas dishes...and the octopus is still my favorite!
Simply a good time. And during the warmer months...sit in their outside patio...it's worth it!
Good tapas and sangria, but not so good paella. My colleagues and I ordered 2 of almost everything! Most of them have never experienced a tapas restaurant before and were a bit worried of the tiny portions, so their thought was to order 2 plates of more than a dozen dishes! They were all very tasty, however I don't know what was going on with the dish that they called "paella". Every paella dish I've ordered (and I've had plenty) had clams, lobster, chorizo, mussels, fish, and a wonderful saffron flavor. Their "paella" had small scallop pieces, shrimp, and...green beens! I kept digging to the bottom of the bowl looking for more of the good stuff, but to my disappointment there was NO good stuff :(
But overall I'll give it 4 stars because our server was great (it was packed and he still paid attention to the details, like refilling our sangria and wine glasses) and the tapas were good.
Oh by the way, women beware of the bathroom. Someone was smoking inside, and I don't mean cigarettes.
Salud!
My girlfriends and I had a massage and meal night yesterday and decided to eat at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba on a whim. It was rainy out, we were on cloud nine from our massages and we where hungry. We each ordered three plates and one dessert each. We had a blast catching up and before we knew it, it was after 10 and the place was getting empty. True sign of a good time and great restaurant. Meals with desserts and drinks, you can easily have a great time for about $30/pp.
I like this place.
But the tapas are a hit or miss. I'd give the amount of choices of Sangria and the flavor 5 stars... and the tapas a high 3 stars.
I'm sure there are better tapas places in the city, but, this place is convenient and fun. Try it out.
FINALLY..... after having been in Chicago for over a year, I managed to get some serious Tapas on at Ba-Ba-Reeba last night with a delightful, fun group of 8 gals and guys.
Other Yelpers have gushed more than adequately about the awesome food, atmosphere, service, etc. So, without laziness, I shall refer the reader to those reviews to bypass redundancy. Meanwhile, I shall highlight some of the mouth-watering dishes we feasted on:
- Beef tenderloin toro brochetas (with tomato bread and caramelized onions... MmM!!)
- bacon wrapped dates in apple vinaigrette
- Escargot. Just close your eyes and shove it into your mouth. It's buttery-garlic amazing.
- Braised lamb with couscous
- seafood paella (min. 2 orders ---which equates tapas-size tasting of paella for a group of 6-8)
Oh yeah, SOLID SANGRIA!
The only gripe I had (though not too tragic) was that their patio seating policy (only for groups of 6 or less) did not accommodate our group of 8. Nevertheless, that shall not hinder my return to BBRB in the near future --- hopefully before the summer in Chicago officially ends!
I heard a lot of good reviews before going here but personally I wasn't impressed at all. The only thing that I enjoyed at this place was the pomegranate sangria, otherwise the food was nothing special and I would not go back... I know this is one of top notch places for people in Lincoln Park to hang out have drinks and try different foods, but it's not my cup of tea! This place is very pricey for what it actually is! I guess the location does it! Sorry people but I had better tapas than this!
Cafe Iberico sucks. Go to Ba-Ba-Reeba instead.
My favorites:
Garlic shrimp with red pepper flakes (the bread on the table is awesome in the oil when you're done)
Stuffed mushrooms
Chicken and chorizo
Beef skewers with horseradish sauce
Red sangria
This place is great for groups. Everyone picks a plate... you pass it around. I went there for my bachelorette party with 10 girls and they were really good to us.
You gotta have a reservation. Otherwise, you'll wait 2 hours for a table... and that place turns into a zoo. Be prompt too... once I was 20 minutes late for a reservation and they wouldn't honor it.
Goat cheese croquette is addictive!
The short-rib stuffed piquillo pepper is so good you will climb over your date to grab the last one!
I like Twist up in Wrigleyville better, but that said - this is an excellent choice for tapas, too!… Read more »
I love this place. It is very unassuming and offers a little bit of everything. When you want to go out for drinks and socialize this is a great place. I come here everytime I am back in Chicago.
Went here on a tip from our hotel concierge when I asked him to send us somewhere that a local would go. I should have tipped that man before we checked out. This was the best meal we had in Chicago (and we had very excellent meals the whole trip).
My only complaint is that the black raspberry sangria we had was a little watered down. Nonetheless, it was refreshing.
When we first walked into this cafe, I was convinced it had to be a chain restaurant b/c it looked so polished on the inside.
We went a little nuts with the tapas, but here are the highlights:
- The 6 bites on a plate dish (first thing on the menu). I am still having wet dreams about the tomato jam and manchego skewer. Also, the croquette of risotto and mushroom made me fall out of my chair. The perfect bite.
- The escargot on toast with roasted red peppers was amazing. I have never tried escargot before but it was so tender that I have definitely gotten over the fear of eating snails.
- Bacon wrapped dates. Nuff said.
- The spicy pork dish. Kind of a miss in my book but I was pretty full by the time it showed up. Which is saying something, because I tend to think American renditions of tapas are bullshit b/c it's an excuse to charge you a lot of money for not a lot of food. My fiancee, friend and I were quite full after leaving the Cafe. We didn't even order the delicious looking chocolate desserts we saw floating by our table.
Here's the pretentious bit where I mention that fiancee, who spent his childhood summers in Spain, said the food here was just how he remembered it.
Service was prompt, no complaints whatsoever. The patio was the perfect place to chill with friends on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It's no wonder this place has over 500 reviews and 4 stars. You locals have no idea how good you have it. A+ Ba-Ba-Areeba!!!
Love Ba-Ba-Reeba. I always order way more than I eat - someday I'll learn my lesson and order one or two fewer plates.
We had brunch there for the 1st time this weekend; the brunch tapas are great and a very different take on normal brunch fare.
After sampling bakeries and hot dog stands and other Chicago Institutions all day, we just werent hungry enough for a big dinner, but not stuffed enough to just call it a night, so Cafe BBR was the perfect answer. They have a huge menu of lots of tapas (in fact, the whole menu is tapas) and all of them except for the octopus were great, and some of them, the short ribs in particular, were outstanding. The 520 reviews and 4 star rating made me expect something a little more unique and unbelievable, but the food was all really good, and they have a comfortable enclosed patio, so I was pretty happy overall. Just dont go expecting a once in a lifetime experience.
Babareeba is probably one of the most talked up taparias in the chicago area. The food here is really good, but like any other tapas joint you'll want to get about 2-3 plates a person. I recommend the escargot, braised shortrib, and the scallops with couscous. The only issue I had was the wait which was a bit longer than I had anticipated. Everything else on the menu is pretty standard, you cannot go wrong with the queso de cabra and the tortilla espanola. The desserts however were sub par in my opinion. I've a lot of flan before and theirs wasn't as great as I had expected it to be. The chocolate cake wasn't a favorite either. All in all, I would do ba-ba again. It's definitely a safe one.
Oh, the Ultimate Girls' Night Out! It seems I only make it here when I'm with a couple of well-heeled amigas craving fancy snacks and a pitcher of sangria. I have a tough time dragging guys here somehow. Something about the little portions. Blah blah blah.
Whatever. Grab your girlfriends and come to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!
Went here on Sat for a bachelorette party and the food was wonderful! We had a group of 8 and tried about half the menu along with some red sangria and everything was delicious, but here are my favorites:
-spicy potatoes with tomato aioli
- goat cheese/tomato sauce with crusty bread
- fried calamari
- bacon-wrapped dates
- tortilla espanola
- chicken empanada
I know these are tapas staples everywhere and are hard to mess up, but they were especially tasty here--I will definitely be back, as I am still salivating over those bacon dates-mmmmm!
A decent tapas place with a nice patio and some great white peach sangria. The dishes are hit and miss and you will most likely end up with those few solid ones that you always order. They have 6 different flavors of sangria to try which is nice.
Overall a nice place for some decent food.
I've loved this place for a long time. Service is pretty solid, and it's a lively space. The food is consistent, and while everything I've tried is good, there are several must-haves. I love the escargot, spicy potatoes, and the bacon wrapped dates. Great cheese plates, and good sangria. Purists may tell you these dishes aren't authentic Spanish tapas, but if they taste this good, then who cares? More escargots, please!
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba officially stole my tapas-virginity and my heart last Friday.
My entire party was new to tapas and we were more than thrilled to have the loveliest waitress I've had in a long time. Not only was she super friendly and sweet but she was SO knowledgeable about the menu.
So down to the good stuff - food. I'm officially out of work in 2 hours so it's probably masochistic to start describing the delicious explosion of taste that occurred on my palette that night; but here goes:
baked goat cheese- this was a safety i think... you can't really go wrong with bread, tomato sauce, and goat cheese, at least not in my opinion.
Seared Spanish Sausages- my favorite tapa we got, hands down. You get 4 different kinds of sausages and each are delicious and unique. It comes with a dipping sauce which, at the risk of sounding like a pretentious foodie, basically tasted like mayo. But no worries, sausage needs no dipping sauce in my world! Even taking into consideration my intense love for sausages of any kind (from bratwurst to chorizo and back), this plate pleased my non-sausage obsessed dinner mates just as much.
Grilled Sirloin- this was very good, the sirloin was done to perfection and seasoned beautifully. I don't think I will get it in the future only because it wasn't all that exciting, it was a basic (albeit well-done) sirloin and grilled veggies.
Garlic Shrimp- yum yum yum! even when you're done devouring the shrimp the garlic/olive oil/red pepper offers a perfect dipping sauce for the bread. Just beware of getting too much red pepper on your bread - it is not for the meek of spice.
the drinks were just as great as the food. We started with the passion fruit sangria, which I adored, then ended up getting the pitcher of the black raspberry sangria (I was sadly outvoted). Both versions were delish but I liked the passion fruit better because it was a little lighter and not as sweet as the raspberry version. I also will admit a bias to anything resembling a pinot grigio or chardonnay.
So the nicest and most unexpected surprise about this place is the obvious value they place on their customers. We made a reservation for 8:30 that night and were not seated until 9:15, not that big of a deal because we enjoy each others company and even more so over a glass of sangria. Anyway, once we got seated the owner/manager (not sure which) came over and apologized for the wait. We assured him it was no big deal and that we happily kept ourselves busy at the bar in the meantime. At the end of our meal he brought over the check and it displayed a big fat $0.00. The collective reaction was WHAT?! This is AWESOME! and very very unexpected. I'm never one to turn down a free meal but it is especially nice to be treated to one when you don't really think you deserved it (ie: we were not the bitchy party who yelled at the hostess about the length of the wait, claiming that it "should not be that difficult to estimate the time to get a table" since they are "a restaurant after all!").
Summary:
1. eat the sausages
2. drink the passionfruit sangria
3. leave happy, tipsy, and full!
I walked past Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba a few times and it was always packed with people. It's intimidating for some reason. I have never tried Spanish-inspired cuisine or tapas. I told myself, "Self, you have to come again with a friend."
A few months later, I met up with a couple of friends for dinner. I walked in through the hallway and I instantly fell in love with the atmosphere. Big legs of serrano ham hang from the ceiling next to the bar and the open kitchen. It's a pretty amazing sight. Then we had the sangria, paella and a couple of tapas. The waitress must have told the manager we are new to this place because he came up to us and introduced himself. Oh, and by the way, he brought us three kinds of desserts ON THE HOUSE. Ahh, lovely.
But that was months ago. I have became a regular at Ba-Ba-Reeba ever since. This is pretty much my hang out place and it was the place that I went for my third date.I mean, it's a no brainer. They have a ton of selection to choose from and excellent sangria. I particularly love their grilled skirt steak, grilled calamari and paella.
Service however is so-so. It sorta went downhill after my first visit. It wasn't bad but it wasn't too good either. Grouchy servers definitely don't go well with tapas. Regardless, it is still a good place to go to enjoy the night.
This place is my second favorite tapas place. It's generally crowded and a little noisy, but it fits with the vibe. The mushrooms were great, as were most of the meat dishes we tried, but I prefer the more appetizer-like dishes.
But what I love about this place is the dessert menu. They have dessert tapas, which I think is a brilliant idea, because I can't tell you how many restaurants I've been to and been unable to choose between desserts. Not only is the concept itself great, but the desserts themselves are phenominal, from the butterscotch pudding (even my butterscotch-shunning mom loved it) to the vanilla flan with blueberries (my brother doesn't eat much sweet food, and he ordered TWO of these).
I simply love Cafe Ba Ba Reba. It is by far my favorite tapas restaurant in Chicago. Iberico and Mercat a la Planxa are my runner-ups.
Headed here for a late-night dinner with a friend; it was Friday so he made a reservation, which was a good thing because this place was packed. Luckily it is tapas 'cuz I am not sure full sized plates would have fit in there will all them people. ;)
While waiting for our table we started at the bar with some of the white peach sangria - good but a little bit sweet for me. Was nice to switch over to the drier red as the peach one was going down like kool-aid; too much of that and I would have been trying the Mexican hat dance like I did as the flower girl at my aunt's wedding. Only it would not have been so cute as when I was 4.
Embarrassing personal stories aside, I went into that restaurant on a mission to eat, and that I did. Luckily I am not ashamed to out eat a guy as I tried damn near everything on the menu. There were potatoes (not sure, but they tasted like they were cooked in chorizo - awesome!); the beef skewer was moist and tender, I thought the horseradish sauce could have had more of a punch; one of the specials was an heirloom tomato salad and it had tomatoes of every colour and shade, and even though it was only May they were some tasty tomatoes; and by far the highlight was the grilled squid, the little crunchy bits were best - more please!
For dessert we shared a mango sorbet. While really just a one person dessert, as it comes in a shot glass, it is good to share when you are stuffed and just want a taste.
Waitstaff was friendly and helpful, gave us the option to eat at the bar instead of having to wait for the table. Which, when we saw the itty-bitty table we were tucked into the corner at (reminiscent of the kids' table at a family function) we realized we probably should have taken the bar. Def a different feel/vibe than Iberico, but stellar as well; my stomach is looking forward to a return trip. Plus I hear that passion fruit sangria is one to try.
I had some old NYC friends in town for the July 4th festivities, and we decided to cap off the visit with a Sunday brunch at Ba-Ba-Reeba. I'd been a couple times before, and this place just keeps getting better.
Sure, it's usually crowded as you-know-what, and sometimes there's a wait, but dayyyyum! Once you get seated, it's so worth it!
About 6 of us were seated at a table in their outdoor side yard on a beautiful, 75-ish degree day, with sun shining. We had some red sangria, and a nice mix of their special brunch tapas, and the regular tapas. Highlights included shrimp in garlic, endive salad w/ some awesome strawberry gelatin stuff, lamb in couscous, beef tenderloin w/ blue cheese, grilled calamari, assorted spanish sausages, mushroom soup, and a bunch of other small plates that escape me right now.
The waitstaff were attentive and friendly. That perfect blend between staying on top of the table, but not smothering it.
I LOVE the concept of tapas.. great to order a bunch of stuff and share so that everyone gets to sample a lot of things from the kitchen. Ba-Ba-Reeba pulls it off quite well. I'm a huge fan!
Ayight -- I'm probably going to make some people not so happy but Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba? More like Cafe-Ba-Ba-Give-You-The-Wrong-Check-And-Don't-Chec k-In-On-You-Once-a.
I'll start with the great! The Black Raspberry Sangria pitcher? Heck yes. Granted I probably could have drank the entire pitcher on my own, but I shared. The Spicy Potatoes were awesome too - and not spicy since the sauce they came with was delish.
There should have been a warning on the Meatballs and Shrimp with garlic, olive oil that you would probably start to sweat once you consumed. Albeit, I am a wimp with spice - but no warning.
So - will I go again to eat? Probably not, the service was pretty bad BUT the sangria was delish
Came here again...Maybe I am masochist but I ordered the octopus again.
Actually I ended up here by mistake, cause it was someone's b-day.
Anyways the octopus I think is made of rubber, the same they use to make car tires.
The sangria is a joke. cmon are you guys serious?
The host asked me to spell my name again? Are you for real?
If you rate this good, it means you never been in an authentic latin american or spanish restaurant.
This place is definitely a tourist trap or even better... a non-hispanic trap!
Where are the Spanish people to give us the most accurate reviews for a tapas restaurant?
I judge a…
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Loved this place. I mean, it's Tapas, and it's good. What's not to love?
I can see how some people would say it's too expensive, but I like to think you're paying for the experience. The outdoor seating is fantastic and the place just has a life to it. I liked the noise, I liked the action...it's tapas with a decent bar (and insane Sangria), that's what you should be looking for. We were seated quickly, and our waiter was informative and helpful.
I'd say we ate about 85% of the food that was served, which is a mark of a good tapas place in my book.
I haven't been to any other tapas joint in Chicago, so there might be better, but this place is the goods.
This is a great tapas place - I could devour their olives for days! They have amazing sangria's (I think I had a Peach, very nice, but a bit sweet, I've also had a strawberry, but that was awhile ago - it was awesome!).
They have an amazing menu, and I think this is one of those perfect places for a date, if you don't mind that it can get a little loud.
I know I know, everyone loves it here, not original, but its always my go to place when friends visit and birthdays come around. As a vegi there is plenty for me to choose from, such as the stuffed mushroom caps and the crispy spicy potatoes which if it didn't look trashy, would order all night.
But don't eat too much as you want to save room and get a good buzz from some sangria. get the sparkling cava: it will change your life, and most importantly, your night.
Three courses for $20 on…
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Host a Party at Angelina
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Spanish
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Tapas Bars
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