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Category: Latin American [Edit]
Neighborhood: LakeviewSouthport (Brown)
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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Came here for a friend's birthday dinner Saturday night about 8pm. There were 5 of us and we did have a reservation so we were able to be seated immediately which i was really happy about because it was pretty busy and there really isn't anywhere to wait unless you want to stand directly inside the door and block all traffic or you want to freeze your buns off outside...no thank you!
Anyway, the service was great and the food was delicious, though a little pricey for me. I shared the hanger steak and the Caesar salad with my friend, probably wasn't quite enough food as portions are on the smaller side. The steak comes with an amazing blood orange mint chimichurri that is simply out of this world. Super thin fried sweet potato ribbons top this dish which was a nice addition!
The space is pretty small so it does get pretty noisy in there so it's not the best place if you want to have a long conversation, but if you're looking for good food and have a little money to spend it's great!
I had my first experience at Coobah's last night. A girlfriend and I decided to go because SoPo was obnoxiously busy. Lo and behold, Coobah's was obnoxiously busy as well, but they had an open table. It was extremely crowded and this place is tiny. I am a tall girl and I felt like I was in a dollhouse. or dollrestaurant. At first, the size and noise (it was sooo noisy) really threw me off and I did not think I was going to enjoy my experience. However, I stood corrected. The food was incredible and the drinks were delightful.
We ordered several appetizers and shared. I highly recommend the edamame, scallop appetizer, shrimp appetizer, and the chicken and plaintain appetizer. they were all phenomenal. original, a little bit spicy, and extremely flavorful. i would eat all of them again in a second.
Also ordered mojitos, which were some of the best mojitos i've tasted.
I reserve a star solely for the noisiness and tininess of this place, otherwise its fab.
Delicious.
I've only been twice, and the first time I went the Mojito with the shot of Red Bull was AMAZING (I believe it is called the Scarface). I went again last night with my husband and the Mojito's were a bit of a disappointment this time around. A bit too sweet for us.
BUT that was my only "complaint". The food is fantastic. My husband and I aren't ones that can usually finish our plate, but both times we went, we were borderline licking them clean. :)
The scallop appetizer with the mango sauce is to DIE for. I ordered the Tillapia and he ordered the pork; both absolutely dEEEElicious. We had the bread pudding for desert--yum!
The service was good--not amazing--but good. I will be back.
1. Best mojitos EVER!
2. Crab cakes- amaaaazing. I wanted to lick the sauce off the plate. Hangar steak with mashed potatoes- delicious.
3. Kitchen guys are easy on the eyes.
4. Service is friendly and fast.
Coobah is a pretty cool place to try. The food is more expensive than I expected, but unique. The scallop special was melt in your mouth good. The pork tenderloin bicol was, wow. Very interesting flavors.
Three stars because I think it's overpriced. Especially the drinks.
As someone who frequents Chicago restaurants I am not easily impressed. Coobah really strikes the chord on all the notes. The older you are, the earlier you should arrive. There is a 'happening' quality to the experience. Sure you can get a great drink and a great meal, but there's also something going on in every corner that provides its own unique entertainment value.
I never liked plantains but Coobah's plantains were cooked so skillfully that I couldn't get enough. The service is true Chicago, if you like them-they like you. If you bring it, they're entirely capable of returning the favor. I like that. It feels very real. So real that you completely forget that you're on Southport Ave.
From the start, any place that refills your water glass quickly maintains a certain level of training and professionalism, I use that as a baseline for quality service. It is clean yet comfortable. Overall the service is observant and acts appropriately for each table's situation.
The food is quite good. I would highly recommend the place, bring your own party.
I had the pulled jerk chicken with plantains. Taste and presentation matched up harmoniously and were complimented by the dark lounge-esque surroundings. While the entrees are a bit more pricey, I found that my appetizer was just enough fill me up. Nice place to go before heading to the Music Box.
W.O.W.
Came here for my birthday with five other friends and was VERY pleased.
It was a Wednesday, so there was a small band playing softly in the corner. Loud enough to hear, but didn't interrupt dinner conversation.
I had a strawberry mojito, which was just OK, and the tortilla-crusted tilapia, which was AWESOME. I tried a bite of my friends' dishes and everything was just as delicious - also artfully prepared, perfect portion size, delicious combinations of texture, flavor and color. For dessert we were treated to a trio of dishes, all as excellent as our meals. We were particularly fond of the toffee cheesecake, but the churros and the pina colada bread pudding were up there too.
The service was friendly, unobtrusive and efficient.
The atmosphere is calm, mellow, but not sleepy. Cozy, but cool.
I really cannot wait to come back and try some more dishes!
Amazing! First of all, let me say, I hate crowds, but I know it isn't normally great to go out to restaurants on Sundays- nevertheless, we did. It was my birthday dinner, I didn't want to be rushed, I wanted some attentive service and I didn't want to deal with a crowd. All three accounts, Coobah delivered. We started off with scallops and the bisque, delish. Everyone had cocktails; Pacificos, margaritas, mojitos - each cocktail potent and wonderful. Each of us had something different and traded tastes: tilapia, hangar steak and the much-loved-on-Yelp stuffed pork tenderloin. We were all delighted with our choices and they were cooked to perfection. The staff was perfectly attentive, filling the water glasses and whisking away cocktail glasses and plates with such efficiency that I didn't even feel like a glutton! The wine pairing with my meal was perfect. Our dessert was divine, I HIGHLY recommend the bread-pudding with the coconut ice cream. I'm not normally even a fan of bread-pudding, but I am in LOVE with this and will be back very soon for it! Topped off the meal with wonderful cups of coffee & cream and rolled ourselves home for a food coma.
Perplexed about the reports of it being over-priced. We had a ridiculous FEAST for three, WITH cocktails, apps, entrees, wine, dessert and coffee for a little over $115. That's a friggin' BARGAIN in my book!
This is a cool place especially for drinks and outside dining when it's warm outside.
DISCLAIMER: Coobah does not serve Filipino food, but I decided to include it in my Filipino food list because they serve, to quote from their website, "Latino fusion" food described as "Cuba, Spain, Brazil meets the Philippines".
I came to Coobah with three friends to see what Filipino influences we would find in Coobah's menu. Verdict? Little Filipino influence but excellent nonetheless.
Located conveniently next to the Southport brown line El, Coobah is a hip though pricey joint with patrons who love coming back for more: choosing to dine or sit at the bar and listen to live, bossa nova music (at least on the Wednesday we were there), or dine al fresco in the "poshiness" of a Lakeview neighborhood.
My friends and I ordered the asparagus and crab lumpia, a definitely Filipino dish with a twist. The lumpia was plated beautifully in a sort of fanned-out tower, with four ~5-inch pieces, and drizzled with some sort of sauce. I don't think I'd have it again because the entrees are so satisfying.
Of the four of us, we had three different entrees, all of which were plated nicely:
- grilled skirt steak
- pork tenderloin bicol
- zaruela
The Grilled Skirt Steak (cumin and garlic marinated veal steak served with caramelized plantains, jasmine rice and mint-basil chimichurri) was a total miss for my friend. I couldn't eat it because it is made of veal, though I did steal a plaintain.
GET the Pork Tenderloin Bicol! (Lean pork tenderloin stuffed with shrimp, bacon, coconut and pineapple served with jasmine rice, seasonal vegetables and peppery adobo glaze). I was so satisfied after eating this that I ultimately forgave myself for paying $30 for my entire meal. The "bicol" aspect of this dish was an "adobo glaze" that you couldn't really taste because the coconut flavor takes over. The tenderloin was soft; and the sweet, textured stuffing was just...divine.
I also liked the Zarzuela (Rustic Catalonian seafood dish with shrimp, mussels and scallops cooked in a saffron, white wine and roasted tomato broth served with grilled baguette ). The scallops were large and cooked perfectly, and it was just an overall pleasing dish that I could see myself eating on a cooler day.
I suggest splitting the Pork Tenderloin Bicol and Zarzuela with a friend so you can maximize your taste experience with a nicely salted, seafood stew with the tropical, meaty taste of the pork loin.
So why not a better rating? They didn't offer us a dessert menu, and according to their website, they offer dessert. If there was one that night, then I WILL update and TAKE OFF A STAR OR TWO from this restaurant because that indicates poor, if not judgmental and assuming service (What? Like we can't afford another item?)
Great food, generally questionable service.
Redemption!
In every sense of the word.
(From my last review, that is!)
Setting up a bachelorette party dinner can be tough, ya know? You always wanna make sure you have the perfect place: fun crowd, yummy food, reasonable price. With so many choices in Chicago, it definitely can be stressful planning, yo!
The bachelorette was always a fan of Coobah, so I decided to see what they could offer up for a bigger group. The manager, Kyle, was FABULOUS. He drew up a fixed menu for our group (3 courses for $40/person). Due to some dietary restrictions, he let us switch out some of the dishes he had listed initially. Accommodating! How nice.
Our waitress was great! She was amused by all the penis paraphernalia on the table, thankfully. The atmosphere is great for large groups, too! The salsa-y music adds to the fun vibe, too!
And, the food - seriously, totally surprised me! Delicious!!! Here's my rundown:
Appetizer:
The fundido (pork chorizo w/ cheese, served with tortillas) was fantastic! I wish I could've eaten more of it 'cuz it was just THAT good. I also sampled a bit of the jibarito and loved the kick of spiciness.
Main Course:
Veal Steak (served with jasmine rice). Super flavorful. Really juicy and tender. However, I was pretty much done after three pieces. The tilapia was also amazingly good. Yum!
Dessert:
This was probably our favorite part of the meal. They brought out three different platters of desserts for the whole party to share. (Desserts galore, seriously!) Our favorites included the bread pudding, churros w/ honey and the chocolate cake. There was was bacon-flavored ice cream...yeah, not my number one choice.
Everyone seemed pretty satisfied and in a huge food coma by the end of the meal. To me, that means dinner = bachelorette party planning success!
So, thanks, Coobah, for the lovely dinner at a great price! Brunch is next up on my list!
When my friend told me we were going here for her birthday dinner, I did the obvious thing and… Read more »
Loooooove Coobah!
Hubby and I decided to go to Coobah tonight to celebrate three years of marriage! We wanted something romantic with a great atmosphere...and a place where we could enjoy drinks, appetizers, dinners, and desserts without feeling overly full.
Coobah delivered! Hubby had the stuffed pork tenderloin and I had the veal steak. My veal was melt in your mouth to die for. Hubby's stuffed tenderloin was awesome but it was loaded with coconut...I love coconut but this went a little overboard on the flavor. I was overwhelmed just by a few tastes so I can imagine that Hubby was all coconutted out by the time he was finished.
Our appetizer was a wonderful delicately fried calamari. The dipping sauce was to die for. It was a cocktail sauce but it didnt taste like the kind you dip your shrimp cocktail in. So much better! mmmmm yummy fried goodness.
I just talked about our entrees above so I'll skip that. For dessert we enjoyed the churros (did I spell that right?). MMMMmmmm crispy cinnamony bliss. While I proceeded to stuff the churros down my throat, Hubby enjoyed a delicious port wine that was the perfect closure to the meal.
Anyways, it was great, We had a wonderful anniversay dinner. The best! The service was great and there was a cute little live band playing. Best anniversary in awhile :) Great job Coobah! All this for about $120 including tip...I'll take it!
I was fortunate to attend opening night at Coobah. I have since gone to Coobah 8-10 times a year, considering it one of my favorite Chicago restaurants. The service is good, the drinks fantastic, and the food absolutely delicious. I like how it feels like an upscale eatery but you can wear a nice shirt and jeans and be right at home. The chef, Jimmy, has been there since the beginning and really cares about his seasonal menu (he ended up buying the restaurant a year or two ago).
Coo, Coo, Coobah.
Loved the carmelized plantains but I was most impressed with the "ROPA DOPE" SANDWICH. The coconut bbq sauce this shredded beef steak was drenched in was out of this world. Our server was very sweet. I needed my coffee hotter so she brewed a fresh pot for me. Thank you!!
DO NOT GO HERE.
The goat cheese, herb and artichoke appetizer was gross. Think red peppers jammed with bargain brand cream cheese.
The Gazpacho tasted like it came from a freezer.
The Mojito was so weak that I thought they gave me a virgin.
The service was questionable at best.
The Cuban sandwich was decent, although I doubt a Cuban would say so.
Came here the other night with some friends. I was on time, but for other reasons everyone else was about ten minutes late--no big deal. However, the host didn't really give me a place to wait (I had reservations) and the bar was full at first. I was a little put off that I had to wait for my whole party to arrive, even though we had reservations.
When I did finally sit down the bartender brought me a water for the wait, even though I had told her I was fine! :)
I had a very tasty mojito during dinner. The hangar steak was wonderful and the chipotle mashed potatoes were delish, with a strong kick. Our server kind of ignored our table, and despite ordering before the tables on either side of us, our food came significantly after us.
Food = 4 stars
Service = 3 stars
Estoy en Havana. Hay una brisa del mar, y el sol brilla por las ventanas antiguas. Quiero levantarme y bailar, pero tengo que comer esa comida excelente! Ay, I wish I had been able to visit Havana in the 40s. That amazing music and food would make anyone a happy person.
I'm still fantasizing about those tamales, and trying to conjure the sabor en mi mente. The little simple space made me feel like I was actually in an old restaurante en Havana. The very sweet server was adorable. And even the music was a great mix of Cuban and Brazilian. Me gusta!!!
I will definitely bring mis amigas aqui, para tratar those tamales con las salsas fantasticos! I think I could live off Cuban food, especially on perfectly fried plantains, spicy brown garlicky sauce, and spicy green jalapeno sauce. mmmmmmmmmmmm.
It's not really priced like home-cooked Cuban food, but I'll still pay for it. No puedo esperar volver!
The girls and I usually hit Coobah after a mani/pedi across the street at Nail Bar.
We've ordered several things here, and I think the best thing on the menu is either the breakfast burrito or the huevos benedicto. Friends always rave about the pancakes, but I'm not totally thrilled about them. They are different and the cinnamon butter is very good, but it's just kinda 'eh.
Service is good and it's a fun place to go. We always have a decent meal. I tried the Strata Grande on my last visit and it fell kinda flat in my book. The chili tater tots, however, area nice little treat to share with the table.
It's good, just not GOOOOOOOOOOOOD.
I would recommend Coobah's for brunch to someone who is looking for a little more than your basic eggs and toast or pancakes.
Huevos Benedicto is very tasty. It comes with an arepa bottom instead of a standard english muffin. Also served with their signature chili powdered tator tots.
Breakfast Empanadas very also very good. They are pretty flaky and fall apart easily, but yum. Could have used more tomato sauce to complement the manchengo cheese, egg, and pork sausage filling, but that may just be me because I am huge fan of condiments.
The drinks were good, waitstaff/bar friendly, outdoor eating arrangement pleasant. I'm not so sure the grapes on the fruit plate were washed, so that was my least favorable aspect of the brunch. But all in all, good stuff.
Mmmmm prix fixe Monday is delicious. Great date place for sure, and the guy on the xylophone is amazing. I was super-impressed with him.
As for the actual food/ wine, I was impressed with the scallops as they melted in your mouth and were fantastic. I also had both a wonderful glass of white before dinner and the red Luzon with dinner, which were great. Service was prompt and not overbearing, which was a nice change. I overall would definitely come back to Coobah!
I knew the waitress and I were going to get along famously when she recommended a fantastic red wine. While I love drinking wine I don't really know much about it so I always ask the server to recommend something and see what they come up with. Our cute and friendly server asked a few questions about what I like and then brought me Lan Tempranillo & Garnacha (long name for a wine I think, but that's what the wine list said). Anyway, spot on. Loved it.
We started with the Jibarito that our server also recommended; another excellent suggestion. The Jibarito is a very spicy jerked chicken between layers of caramelized plantains. Very spicy but when paired with the red onion orange marmalade they put on the side the combo is the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. I actually thought the onions made the whole dish. The size was perfect for two people and we might as well have licked the plate clean.
Entrees we had were the Chicken Negra Modelo which I did not try but looked delicious and the Pork Tenderloin Bicol which I totally devoured. The tenderloin is stuffed with shrimp, bacon, coconut and pineapple. Yeah, that's right, I said bacon. It was delicious! The stuffing was a little on the sweet side and I think some people might find it a little over-powering but since I enjoy all things sweet it was perfect for me. My only small compliant was that the pork was a little too rare. But to be fair I tend to like things well done so for all I know this could have been cooked perfectly and I'm just being overly picky about the pink. Either way it was still delicious.
I love finding places like Coobah where the atmosphere is great for an intimate date or for a group of friends. It's small but felt comfortable inside and not overly pretentious. In warmer weather they have outdoor seating as well which Chicagoans tend to love. I'll definitely be going back for a round two sometime soon. Besides, I didn't try any of the desserts on this visit and the smoked almond churros are calling my name...
coobah has been one of my absolute fav restaurants in chicago for going on 2 years now.
-food: i typically do a tapas-style meal and just share a handful of appetizers (jibarito, fundido, and lumpia (the shrimp piri-piri is not longer on the menu. sad sigh.)). ive also had the cubano sandwich (wonderful), and the vegetarian seared dumplings (wowzas), and based on the raving of dining partners, would additionally recommend the skirt steak. not only are the flavors amazing, but everything is presented artfully and with careful attention to detail. (the kind of presentation that you hate to eat cause its so pretty :))
-drinks: i dont like mojitos as a general rule, but i will order a mojito (or two, or three ... ) here. 'nuff said.
-interior: interesting. the lighting is low and sultry, and enhanced by a thin strip of mirror lining the walls. love the palm frond-shaped ceiling fan above the bar. basically, there are lots of cute little details. it is a bit claustrophobic-feeling due to the number of tables, but dont let that deter you -- the food will transport you above it all :P
-service has, on average, been either superb or kinda crappy, but, more often than not, on the superb side.
-easy to get to -- right off the southport brown line stop (now open again! huzzah!). cant beat that.
-in his review, d r says that 'the older you are, the earlier you should arrive.' i second that. the crowd can be kind of obnoxious. (but, again, the yumminess trumps even my misanthropy :P)
go. here.
I used to LOVE Coobah back in the day, but I feel that things are not as good as they used to be. Maybe this last time I ordered the wrong things. I left with a feeling of meh, but I still gave it the A-Ok because I have had plenty of great experiences in the past.
Went last week, service was not great. Although the girl was super nice we sat for a little too long without refills and with spicy food you need a good ole glass of water. I love the Jibarito, spicy with the perfect amount of sweet in the plantain. The thing that I did not care for, or even like, was the noodle salad. This is my fault for ordering such a bizarre thing but at the time it just really sounded good. It was drenched in dressing and was much heavier than I expected it to be.
The nice server did notice and took it off the bill, which I think is really great considering that I was not even going to complain about it.
I'm pregnant and not drinking, I wonder if this had an affect on my love of Coobah? I promise to visit once again and drink a mojito and pitcher of sangria before forming any more opinions.
Ok. That's about it. We planned poorly on a Saturday night and the wait at Tango Sur was ridiculous. After cruising Southport we arrived at Coobah with only a 20 minute wait. Honestly, everything was fine, but not really memorable. Probably not a place that I'd hit again.
The server was very nice, the bartender was personable, but none of the food stands out. In fact, 4-5 days later, I can't even remember what we ordered.
Next, please.
Dinner gets 5 stars. Excellent everything! Mojitos, duck, fish, everything was perfect.
Brunch gets two at most. Nothing special. Just dry, bland, blah food.
Go for dinner definitely because the food and atmosphere are so great, but seriously skip the brunch. The menu sounds so good, so we were really disappointed with it.
My review may be just a big biased since I've recently moved to Chicago from Miami and I do hold anything with a cuban influence to a higher standard. I was there last Saturday night with some friends and I didn't particularly enjoy the experience. Nice ambiance and pleasant bar staff. I ordered a Capiroska, which was very sweet and not nearly strong enough. Then I had a Mojito.. which was less than stellar. The sangria was alright, but nothing to write home about. We waited more than 30 minutes for our food to come out and when it did, my steak was cold. The chipotle mashed potatoes were too spicy. I would not frequent that establishment again.
How have I not reviewed Coobah yet?
Every time I've been here (which has been quite a few times) the service is fantastic, the food tastes great and I have a really amazing time. Everyone I've taken here falls in love with it as well. I definitely recommend! And order the Sangria, you can thank me later.
A completely competent establishment. It really deserves 5 stars, but I did not enjoy the duck as much as I thought. Starting at the bar, great, friendly bartenders, mixing up great Mojitos and recommend beers from a list that focuses on Central and South America. Server was great. Attentive, friendly, always asking if we need more drinks. Food came quickly, and was well presented. My duck was expertly cooked. A fine dish, in and of itself. Just not what I was looking for that evening. My fault, not the restaurant.
One visit to Coobah and it's easy to see why this place is always packed on the weekend. It can offer something to everybody. A trendy, but unpretentious place that can cater to large groups or couples out for a romantic dinner. I'd definitely return.
since there are over 150 reviews of coobah i'm going to keep it simple.
3 things not to miss @ coobah:
1. mojito. with strawberry.
2. jibarito.
3. bread pudding.
What a nice treat on a quiet weekday evening. I like that the menu here changes often so every time I go there's something new...and while there aren't a ton of vegetarian options, the menu rotation keeps me from getting bored with the same two or three items. While I've had dessert a couple of times, I highly recommend skipping the fork and drinking a raspberry mojito...a perfect end to the meal.
Good food, atmosphere and drinks.
I went recently with a friend and had a caipirinha (good, not the best I've had) and the $6 sangria (good, but too sour and not sweet enough but a great deal for $6) pitcher.
For food, we split appetizers starting with the Jibarito, described as a fiery jerked chicken layered between caramelized plantains and served with red onion-orange marmalade... delicious and not fatty like I was expecting.
We also had a seared scallop appetizer with this really good bacon/beet relish. The scallops were perfectly cooked and not rubbery.
Then we shared the shrimp appetizer that was amazing! It consisted of peeled shrimp in this roasted garlic clove sauce. The garlic cloves were so soft and caramelized that you could spread them like butter on the little toasts they provided.
This is a good place to have a Latin getaway during the cold months in Chicago.
Yum! Sampled one soup, two appetizers, a salad, four entrees, and two desserts. Oh, and a margarita. All but one of the above were outstanding. We ordered chorizo/clam chowder (OMG!), fried calamari (that sauce was heavenly), roasted caesar salad (think the marchengo was missing), and the plantain/shredded jerk chicken (pork?) as appetizers. Every single one was over the top good, but the jibarito with"fiery" jerk chicken wasn't fiery at all and I could swear it was shredded pork and not jerk chicken. Nonetheless, it was excellent--and huge. Entrees were hanger steak, stuffed pork tenderloin, crusted tilapia and zarzuela (Catalan seafood soup/stew). The zarzuela was just okay, and I think it was supposed to have had mussels in it but didn't. It was boring, but not altogether unpleasant. The pork tenderloin was enormous and delicious. I had read other reviews complaining about the rareness of the pork and since I like it a little more done than that, I asked that it not be undercooked. It came out cooked perfectly for me and not at all too sweet. The hanger steak was good and served with delectable sweet potato pommes frites. The tilapia dish was very good, so said the one who ordered it. It looked beautifully cooked, and the cranberry sauce served with it was delicious. For dessert we ordered the bread pudding and the churros. The bread pudding was very good; the churros were very good; the sauce the churros came with should be served to everyone all the time. It was caramely with sherry! Caramel and sherry. Who would've thunk?! Next time, I would order appetizers and a salad and call it a night, since we just about had to be rolled out onto the street. The portions were HUGE. The service was attentive, and my only complaint was that the busboy kept waiting for us to hand him our dishes. That bugged me a bit, and I think some ingredients were not exactly as described on the menu, and it's very loud, otherwise it would've been a 5-star review. In answer to those who say it's expensive: It's not pricey at all, considering what you get. I think people just think Latin restaurants should be cheap, regardless of their menus.
$6 for a pitcher of sangria on Tuesdays . . . very dangerous.
We spent some time looking at the menu, and decided that there was nothing on the entree list that looked interesting. So we had a meal of appetizers, and they were great - simple, flavorful, unpretentious food. Would definitely recommend.
Normally my reviews have much more detail. But that sangria went to my head pretty quickly. The evening is a blur. But I remember loving the food, whatever it was.
I went to Coobah for their NYE three course Chef's menu. For $45 per person it was a steal.
For starters I had the Jumbo Lump Crabcake with Diced Linguica Sausage and Piquillo Pepper Aioli. My entree was Chilean Sea Bass with grilled baby Bok Choy and Miso-Ginger Beurre Blanc. My dessert choice was the Crema Chocolaté which is a chilled chocolate custard with a hint of ancho chile and Patron XO Café with fresh berries and crispy wafer cookie. Doesn't it sound phenomenal? Well, it was! Every spoonful was heaven.
I enjoyed the meal and the drinks, I started with a Raspberry Mojito and drank the best tasting Sangria I have ever had in a restaurant. Live music, friendly service, great drinks, perfect food. Every course was very enjoyable, great ambiance, perfect date place or a night out with the girls.
This Latino fusion eatery has a little bit of everything in what they do....Cuba, Spain, Brazil with a little bit of Philippines.
I have to admit I only had drinks here last night, but the food and vibe was cool on that cold night.
There are nights they have exciting music on their stage but that wasn't the case that evening.
Drinks are creative and though I stuck with my traditional bourbon on ice, I did partake of some of my friends mojitos as well as see lots of sangria being poured...which probably had to do with the Tuesday special of $6.
Bar staff was friendly and a good time was had by me and my friend.
We came here on a Friday night after a last minute change of plan and what a great idea!! We started with the roasted peppers and goats cheese, my only criticism was that it was a bit heavy on the goats cheese and slightly over powered the other flavours, however as a big cheese fan I managed to not let it get me down!!
I then had the salmon duo, WOW. It was one of the best dishes that I have in a Chicago restaurant and I literally was licking the plate clean whilst the waiter was trying to take it away! My fiance went for the chorizo, shrimp and scallop dish which he also enjoyed.
The live music was great, however if you are hard of hearing I would recommend coming slightly earlier as we struggled to hear each other over the music and other diners! The only other criticism was that it was on the expensive side, however the salmon was worth every penny!
One item you have to try: Fried Plantains. Absolutely amazing :)
I used to enjoy having breakfast/brunch at Coobah but then my breakfast buddies had a baby so it was back to stale bread and tap water for me every morning. Anyway, these breakfriends recently re-entered general society so we decided to head to Coobah.
We got there late: 'Kitchen closes in 30 minutes', the waiter gruffly informed us. We decided to stay, and not out of spite, I swear. Our table was set by a sulky hostess whose English comprehension evidently did not include 'please', 'thank you' or 'you're welcome'. We hurriedly placed our orders and a couple of minutes later I asked the waiter if I could add a fruit plate to my order. Not crab cakes, not rhino horn, not alligator ovaries. You know, nothing that involved anything more than strewing a few grapes and berries in a bowl, not that it would have been him doing the strewing. The waiter did not acknowldge he'd heard me, or even break his purposeful stride to who knows where.
The super-nice runner who basically took care of us from that point on confirmed that a fruit plate was indeed coming. Later, he amiably decided to resubmit my order when my eggs 'over easy' came out rock solid. Hater...I mean WAITER... managed to spit out a perfunctory 'How was everything?' when he brought the bill. Too late to vamp for tips, my boy. Too...frigging...late.
We did leave a decent tip anyway as it would have been unfair to screw the runner out of his share just because some jerk couldn't do his job with good grace. Anyway, four stars for the runner and the food, which was still tasty. The fruit was sweet and fresh, and my friends' Ropa Dope (shredded flank steak braised in coconut milk) and Spicy Chicken Salad Sandwich were good. My eggs were over easy the second time, and perfectly fine. I also remember from previous visits the Crab Cakes Benedict being quite delicious.
Zero stars for Mr and Mrs Vin E. Gar, because who wants their first meal of the day laced with acid? Throw in some fancy maths, et voila: two stars.
I'd suggest to the owner(s) that retrenchments are in order if the restaurant is to remain Coobah, and not descend to Fubar.
eh. I went for brunch yesterday and let me tell you. the rain, the weather was not as inviting as one would presume and the restaurant was rather sparse. Which would of course mean impeccable service. yeh? maybe.
The parking lot in the rear is definitely the added bonus for Coobah. As you're wandering up and down the corridor looking for parking, you realize, let's have brunch at Coobah, they have parking. Done...
I had the Strata. I guess I was expecting something different. As I've had a strata before and it just didn't have the substance that I was looking for. I was a little confused by the flavors but really enjoyed the empanada and the homemade sausage. :)
Coffee was the highlight. Who doesn't need coffee on a rainy sunday afternoon.
I'd say their brunch menu could be expanded, although I'd prefer they did well with what they presented.
New Vegetarian Plate $8.99
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