Emilio's Tapas Chicago Restaurant
Category: Spanish/Basque [Edit]
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park444 W Fullerton Pkwy
(between Clark St & Cleveland Ave)
Chicago, IL 60614 (773) 327-5100
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
95 Reviews for Emilio's Tapas Chicago Restaurant
I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the smoked salmon, dill sauce and capers dish!!!! One of my favorites in the city!!!! great place to bring large groups of people!!
This is one of the worst dining experiences I've had in recent memory.
Service here is simply abysmal. Every request we made was met by a scowl on the face of our server. You could really see through her face the gears in her brain turning as she tried to come up with a reason on why she didn't have to perform on our request, so as to not have to do work. We had a group of 12 people, and figured it could get kind of unmanageable if we all ordered together, but she refused to let us order in two groups of 6. She said the logistics would be "too hard". Query whether she it would have been too hard still if we had pulled the tables apart by a foot, thus physically transforming us into two groups of 6. Even simple requests such as for additional table settings (since they screwed up and didn't give enough) went forgotten.
The food was okay, but nothing amazing, and the prices are high for what you get.
I am a fan of Emilio's. I've been to one other well known tapas place in Chicago while visiting, but find Emilio's to be my favorite. I visited more recently with a large group of seven, and was impressed from start to finish. The food, service and ambiance was just what we needed on a casual night out in Lincoln Park. Our group collectively ordered around 12-14 different tapas (cold & hot) all to share, complete with a few pitches of Sangria. My favorites of the evening were the following:
*Alcachofas A La Vasca: marinated artichokes served with balsamic vinaigrette (cold dish)
*Gambas A La Plancha: grilled shrimp with garlic lemon butter sauce (anything shrimp, I usually like)
*Patatas Braras: spanish style spicy potatoes (DELICIOUS.. if you like spicy)
*Carne Asade A La Parrilla: grilled skirt steak with roasted red peppers, oyster mushrooms & cilantro sauce
*Queso De Cabra Alhorno: baked goat cheese with tomato sauce & olives, served with garlic bread. (YES, I had to try it!!)
*Vieras Salteadas Salsa Azafran: sauteed sea scallops with spinach, toasted pine nuts and tomato saffron sauce.
Needless to say, I did not go hungry that evening. This place is great for large groups. There were at least 3 other large parties of 10 or more. Seems like a popular place for a bachelorette dinner :)
Went to Emilio's last weekend for the first time with some friends, and just loved it. Great food, awesome decor, really a fun, hip vibe to the place. The sangria and the food was wonderful. But it is pricey! Thus, the 3 stars. Tapas for five people REALLY adds up! Yikes! Our friends insisted on treating everyone, and we felt badly because we knew how high that bill was. It was a very fun place, though.
The quality of food was great. The Sangria was strong and the ambiance was authentic. Being from Madrid, tapas is something i typically can be very critical. overall, this restaurant is good.
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Been here a bunch of times over the years. Never really had a bad meal here. The tapas are good and the menu changes enough that you never see the same dish often. I never go there without getting the garlic mashed potatoes which are always good. I always try to to taste something different because it is usually good. The service here isn't always the best. Sometimes our server is nowhere to be found. A couple of times I have been brought the wrong dish. I will continue to eat here because I love me some tapas.
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When I want tapas, Emilio's is my first choice. We have been to the other 2 well-known Chicago tapas restaurants, but this one continues to be my favorite. We've never had a wait for a table, although we usually try to go early in the evening. Can't recall a bad meal there. Dining room(s) are pleasant and comfortable. I had EXCELLENT Mojitos there last weekend. I would go back just for them. Their dessert selection is great, as is their coffee.
If you like tapas, I would recommend trying Emilio's.
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The food is pretty good here, most of it is pretty amazing, though did have some things that weren't as good as the rest, not bad, but not as great as the other stuff.
Servers are friendly and very knowledgeable with good recommendations for the food and drink selections.
The wine is pretty expensive, even on half-price "running with the bulls" Mondays.
I thought the food here was just as good as Ba-Ba Reeba and Iberico. The atmosphere is a bit chaotic inside, as tables are all crammed together. The sangria was pretty damn good, better then Ba-Ba Reeba I thought. If you're looking for some casual tapas, there is no reason to skip on this joint.
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I also felt that the prices were a little too high for the quality of the tapas and service we received, but enjoyed the wine list. It had a good variety of bottles and the one our server recommended went well with what we ordered. It was very busy, but we weren't rushed to give up our table which was nice.
Not sure if I would go here again, but it wasn't a bad experience.
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EXPENSIVE! That is my main gripe about Emilio's. I'm used to going out for tapas and spending about $15 per person, here we paid $25 per person and ordered much less than I typically would. The bill was $100 for 4 people. I believe hte $25 pitcher of Sangria had something to do with that.
I will admit however that the food is mighty tasty and of better quality than other tapas I've experienced. We ordered a dish that consisted of half of an avocado filled with tuna salad and topped off with vinegared tomatoes and shrimp. Very, very good. We also ordered the spicy potatoes which were cooked perfectly, not too hard, not too soft. The shrimps we ordered were decent. We ordered the carne asada, which tastes as delicious as it smells, and stuffed mushrooms.
To drink we had flavor infused sangria with raspeberries, very good, but like I had mentioned before, PRICY for $25.
Ambiance - Great first date place, comfortable booths and low key crowd
Food Quality - AWESOME. the #1 thing they have to offer
Service - Very attentive server with great suggestions
Value - get ready to pull out your wallets for this place.
I was not impressed. Out of all the tapas places in Chicago this has to be the worst. Prices were too high, food was mediocre, and tasted nothing like Iberico. Service was kind of slow, especially on a Sunday afternoon with hardly any tables in the restaurant. If you are in the mood for tapas, this is the place to skip. Save your money and appetite and go elsewhere!
The food is amazing! However the services was lacking. Our waiter was not the greatest but the food makes up for it. Its a fun place with great food and sangria's, maybe not the best place for a romantic dinner.
Emilio's has been my go to for Tapas for ten years.
Perfect for casual dates or small groups, the ambiance is intimate and friendly. The service is very good. They are very good at answering questions (and I have a lot of questions when eating Tapas).
Wine list is ehhh, not so great. But the Sangria is fantastic. The food is the star of the show here. Dates wrapped in anything with goat cheese, small beet salads, smoked salmon, empanadas (sp?), seafood paella... I always try to get different things.
Four dishes is perfect for two people. Leaves you satisfied, but not full. (who wants to be full on a date??)
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How have I not reviewed Emilio's? Hands down my favorite place to go with a big group. No, its not the best tapas ever - but its a big place, the service is great, and the food is good. I've been here for at least three maybe four birthday parties. I love the spicy potatoes, the goat cheese, the smoked salmon, and of course life's best guilty pleasure the bacon wrapped dates. So genius.
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This one was pretty good, but not quite as good as the original Emilio's out in the burbs. As far as I can remember the menu is the same, but the food just didn't live up to the expectations I had from visiting some of Chef Emilio's other restaurants. It is fun to go with a group and share a bunch of different stuff.
Eh? Not sure what all the hype is about. The food is your typical tapas... The decor leaves something to be desired. When I go out for Tapas I want to feel like I am in Spain (or least a tacky representation of Spain). At Emilios I feel like I am in a strip mall in the burbs. So if you are in the mood for Tapas and in the area stop by ....but I would not make it a destination night out.
I was slightly disappointed, not because the food was bad but because it wasn't really worth the price. There are 2 other tapas restaurants in the city which have a better ambiance and cheaper prices, so my recommendation would be to check out cafe ba-ba-Reeba or Cafe Iberico (long wait but VERY affordable)
I walk in and i hear loud tappings, spanish accoustic guitar, a lady dancing in a red robe. What the Hell? Well.. I guess I am in for a treat. I guess the Flamingo crew is in tonight. I do not like tapas simply because it's not filling enough for me, but the ambiance was so worth it! Free concert with food, I will take that anytime . They sure know how to entertain. I was going to give it a 5 stars, but the waiter forgot one of my order. Walked away satisfied though. Hey and I hear the sangria is good.
Strongly recommend it.
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Knock on wood, I have never had a bad experience with Emilio's.
I love the baked goat cheese, salmon, shrimp & monkfish dishes that I have had there. Also the desserts & sangria are too die for.
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Yum! I really like this place a lot, and if you are into "small dishes" of food then you will like it too! I was a big fan of the Sangria (which comes in pitchers, if you please) and the dates wrapped in bacon....at least thats what i think they were, pitchers of sagria can get to you!
Over all, this place has a TON of different dishes (hot and cold) to choose from, and has a nice atmosphere.
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I love tapas and I love the selection that Emilio's has. Additionally, they have great sangria. If you like tapas, try it out.
Their other location downtown is good, as well.
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Let's start being honest with each other -- and ourselves. Tapas suck.
If you're either a trixie or just had gastric bypass surgery, then maybe you'll like Emilio's. But no dudes should eat here because you'll drop a bill and you won't get enough to eat or even get drunk. Although if you're trying to impress a trixie or somebody who just had gastric bypass surgery, Emilio's might be a good option.
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I have to admit, I've tried lots of tapas places and I keep coming back to Emilio's. I like the ambience, especially when it's nice and they open the windows.
The food is always good, service is unobtrusive, yet attentive.
I ate my first tapas here when I was in high school and have been coming back since! It's a great place for a group of girls. To be honest, guys just don't get enough food with the tapas (that's been my experience, anyhow!)
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I am most likely biased because the majority of my tapas experiences have been in Spain, but I was unimpressed with this place for a couple of reasons. The red sangria tasted great but came in what seemed to be a less than 20 ounce pitcher (or perhaps we're just lushes). The bread came with butter... butter?! Where was the oil and red wine vinaigrette??? I was extremely disappointed! They did manage to earn two stars with me based solely on how fabulous the Caracoles Emilio (sauted escargot served on croutons with tomato sauce and alioli) tasted though.
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I went last weekend in a group of 7. We waited at the bar while everyone arrived and got ignored by the bartender for almost 25 min. (minus 1 star)
The sangria was average. - The white tasted watery, but the red was better. (minus another star - this is supposed to be like "wow" but was more "wa wa")
We ordered tons of food and the server (Chris) coursed it out for us without asking, and we loved that. The tapas frias were my fave! I wish my friends weren't such gluttons because then I could have had more tuna. The Patatas Bravas were tasty and spicy!
The dessert was good, too. For a person who doesn't realllllllllly like to share, I had a lot of fun sharing, tasting and laughing too loud.
I was very busy, and we could tell Chris was busy - but he came around in the end and was very fun, I would go back to give him more of my money. Overall, I think everyone should go once, but I wouldn't be a serial repeat customer.
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This place is just mediocre. I've had much better tapas elsewhere and paid less. It's usually pretty dead, minus the folks sitting at the bar, but the service is good. I just can't bring myself to pay that much for so-so food.
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I lived in Spain for about 3 months and this place is pretty solid when I need to relive La Vida Espana. Can't really tell if the sangria was watery like others mentioned. I pretty much drink sangria like water anyway. Great for groups, but I guess so are other tapas places.
The tapas were really good, but pricey. They definately have better food than the other tapas places I've been to. Expect to drop about $80 for two people to have 4 tapas, a pitcher of sangria and desert. It is a nice place for a date.
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Least favorite tapas place in the city. The food was completely mediocre, we waited forever even though the place was empty, the decor is tacky, and the sangria was watery.
I personally love tapas places because they are cheap-ish and fun and great places to go in a group. The fun atmosphere is missing here, and the lackluster food doesn't do anything to save it. And it was on the pricier side for tapas!
Went with a group of 8, and I was pleasantly surprised by how on top of things our waiter was. We didn't get there til 9 (the earliest reservation we could get on a Saturday night), but the place was still pretty crowded. It's a small restaurant in a sort-of L-shape, and anytime I moved I felt like I was getting in someone's way. So not the most comfortable place to eat, especially when everyone's sharing and passing around food.
Frankly, they feature most of the same dishes that nearby Cafe Ba Ba Reeba does, but Ba Ba Reeba does them better. They also seem to price every $1 or 2 above what Ba Ba Reeba does, which makes them an automatic downer in my book.
Their sangria is quite good, a lot more sugary and sweet than most I've tasted. The only thing I can rave about here, however, was my dessert: pears poached in spiced red wine, served with vanilla ice cream. It was really great.. but again, overpriced, and not worth an entire meal's worth of just decent tapas.
It's an Americanized version of a tapas place, or at least that's the way I see it.
Their food is just decent, although I really liked their potato salad.
It was a nice place, but I just didn't get in the "tapas" mood because their decor was more suitable for an Italian restaurant, which isn't all too surprising given the location of the restaurant: Lincoln Park.
If you want some REAL tapas, go to a small cozy place, like Cafe Iberico, with servers who are actually Spanish or Mexican.
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It was a beautiful day when we went to Emilio's, so the doors were open and it was like eating outside. Absolutely LOVED the atmosphere. It wasn't super-crowded, but it wasn't completely empty, either. Perfect for a small get-together with friends! Our waitress was very helpful, friendly, very knowledgeable about the menu and gave great recommendations.
The food was pretty good as well. I've only been to one other tapas place in my life, but this place is much better in comparison. (I have yet to try Cafe Iberico!) The cold tapas are delectable, and I really loved the avocado with tuna salad! Sangria was good as well. There were 6 of us, so it was a little watered down, but no matter! Strawberry and peach. The way to go!
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Always solid tapas. Great date spot!
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This place is great for small groups, but if you're out with a big party, watch out! My big party refrain for Emelio's is "I'm not full, I'm not buzzed, and I just paid $60. What happened?"
The garlic potato salad is so good I might just flip over to the "last meal" page of Yelp and add it there.
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Good food, GREAT SANGRIA!!
I can't rave enough about the white sangria here. Full of fruit and delicious as ever. Dinner, overall was very nice. We went with a big group and I had the opportunity to sample many dishes. The best were the goat cheese, lamb meatballs, and ravioli. The waitress was super snotty, but knew her stuff. The atmosphere was nice - bright, casual, and a nice view of Fullerton. A tad spendy - but delicious! A great date option!! No ATM :(
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Emilio's is my favorite tapas restaurant in Chicago. I've only been to the Lincoln Park location, so I can't speak for the other ones around town. I always come with a large group so as to order as many dishes as possible. We also always make sure to order paella (it takes half an hour for the kitchen to prepare, so save room for it). Sangria is a must, and it's tasty, though it is not the best sangria I've had in the city (that award goes to Las Tablas). My favorite tapas here would have to be the chicken and ham croquettes and the stuffed mushroom caps. Smoked salmon with capers is also delicious.
The wait staff is always friendly, and our food comes out relatively quickly. They're also happy to explain any items on the menu or answer any questions you might have.
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4 stars only because I don't like tapas...Yes, it's true- I don't like tapas! However, this is ok food- better than Iberico, better than Ba-Ba-Ree-Ba and better than the Emilio's location in Streeterville. Nice ambience, helpful service. And, really not bad, for tapas. Kinda good, actually.
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Our new thing is walking rather than driving to restaurants, so we decided to try Emilio's which is just a couple of blocks away. Unfortunately we had a waiter who was on his "4th day here". Oh well, not much help with the extensive menu, or the wine list, but we're cutting him some slack. The items we ordered were pretty good: seared tuna/cucumber, beef with sourcream, lamb meatballs (supposed to be warm but was cold). The sangria was very mediocre and disappointing, but the half bottle of wine was good. The atmosphere definitely felt Italian versus Spanish, and our red-headed waiter didn't add any more authenticity. They have a good gig going and we're glad to have a good neighborhood option. One last plus: we were full when we left which is often not the case with tapas, but I wonder if it was because we ate alot of the stale bread before our tapas arrived. Hmmmm.
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Of all the tapas I've ever had, in the city and elsewhere, this is probably my least favorite. Not terrible, but for the price you pay, you can get better tapas at other places. I've been to the Lincoln Park and downtown location, and both are similar. The service is always good and the ambiance is nice, especially if you sit by the open windows, but the food is nothing to rave about.
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