Made a reservation here for my boyfriend's birthday. Really really excellent food. We loved everything we ordered. We all agreed that the steak, while definitely appropriate for the menu, was the least inspiring item, as all the other dishes had a unique twist on them. Service was mostly fine though we did all wait a long time to get a second round of drinks. The bartenders mostly seemed unoccupied as there were only a handful of bar guests at any given time so I suspect our server forgot to ring them in. Certainly not a big enough deal to put me off. Ambiance is spectacular. It feels like a place for a special occasion. They give you a free coconut soft serve or sorbet if it's your birthday though we couldn't resist the semifreddo. Definitely recommended, and I'm glad to see something new in this great location. read more

TL;DR: Leaving a 5 star review on as many platforms as I can. Good food, good vibes, and a damn good welcome by staff all around. Long version: This is my first time really in Chicagoland - visiting for some buddy's wedding in Naperville. And damn - what a great first impression of the city and the vibe by Brasero. The hardest part of any trip is the anxiety - what could go wrong, what could suck. The folks at Brasero and my barkeep/server Tommy did a hell of a job in giving me a warm welcome. From amazing service and kindness, a metric we don't really think about with the food business, I ate well and felt like I was at home. And the food was damn delicious. The prawns and wagyu picanha were elite. Brasero didn't treat me like a burden or a problem even when my original party of 4 turned into a solo dining venture - it said "hey, thanks for choosing us. Let's have a good time." Thank you Brasero. I'll be back soon. read more

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Wow! With a beautifully curated interior and thoughtful, delectable menu, Brasero is a must try in West Town. Especially for happy hour! No dish disappoints, which is important given the price tag. Do recommend trying their salmon ceviche which is served with plantain chips and drizzled with a delicious leche de tigre. And don't skip dessert, their chocolate banana budino is delightful. Sweet and salty bliss. Paired with an espresso martini (which they can split for you!), you can't help but leave with a smile. Great service, yummy food, wonderful vibes, and lovely matchboxes to pick up on the way out. Great job, Brasero. read more

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Loved this new Brazilian restaurant with so many amazing South American dishes. Everything we tried was delicious with so much flavor and a lot of different layers of textures. We shared all the entrees (great portions) to share and to try variety of dishes. The ambiance is vibrant in terms of the energy. Starter: don't pass on the oysters (a lot of layers and texture) it's mouthful! Blue Crab Gratin- one big blue crab to spread on crostini- delicious Their scallop ceviche was fresh and a great mix to add among the other starters that's more on the rich side Entree: Must have the Moqueco to share- the broth is addicting and such a star among all the fresh seafood. Their "thin" cut pork chop was not thin at all and so tender and juicy. So much flavor. Don't skip the dessert- their passion fruit dessert was delicious (almost like cheesecake consistency). Loved the open kitchen and the bustling of all the FOH and BOH team working together. Amazing service! read more

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Ambience was nice and there is parking readily available around the restaurant. We are pescatarian in ordered the tune and scallop crudo, which were both light and refreshing. The ceviche flavor was good but the shrimps were tiny and the there was no crab. Or if there was it was in tiny ity bitty pieces. The sweet potato was very good, but quite expensive for half a potato with cheese on top. The broccolini was good and interesting Flavor but we thought it would have tasted better warm. This was a large portion. I do wish they had a true vegetarian main Don't bring your vegan friend, i think every vegetarian dish had cheese read more

Great food, great service. Grilled oysters are a must but everything we tried was a hit.

My entire experience at Brasero was top-notch. Starting with Cole, who took really great care of me during seating and allowed me to move to one of the adorable booths in the middle of the space. It even gave me a clear view into the chef's kitchen, which I loved. Our server,Dane was fantastic, so kind and attentive and knowledgeable. The sommelier (I think Alex?) Help us pick out two fantastic glasses of wine. We especially liked the orange wine that he suggested. We started with the Hamachi Crudo, which was so beautifully plated, just the right amount of brine and saltiness on top of the delicate fish. Everyone recommends the Cole fired sweet potato... And they are completely right we were blown away. How can you make a sweet potato so delicious ? We also tried the pork fried rice, lots of chunks of different Flavors of pork, some more savory, and some like ham very salty. The crunch to chew ratio was perfect. We shared the Wagyu picanha steak. While we were leaning towards the ribeye, Dane assured us that this Wagyu was not in anyway mushy and had lots of marbling and great texture. It was spot on. Excellent choice at medium rare. While we were too full for dessert, everything looked really delicious on the dessert menu. I'd suggest dressy casual for attire. Overall, an A+ spot I would definitely come back. read more

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Went to celebrate a friend's birthday in June which was a few weeks after the restaurant's opening. Brasero is super specious - it has wide bar seating, main dinning area as well as table along the patio windows. From our table - we could see our food being freshly made on the open fire grill by the chefs.The prawns were everyone's favorite and got us super excited for our main dishes. I must say this is some of the MOST DELICIOUS meals I have had in Chicago. We all got to try each others dishes - WOW! Every dish was perfectly seasoned and paired so well with our sides. We truly enjoyed ourselves, and the server was very attentive to my friends birthday celebration - and made sure to bring his team to sing along and blow a candle altogether. Go check them out as soon as possible! read more

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I wasn't expecting this restaurant to be as good as it was. Food - 9.8/10 Ambiance - 9/10 Service - 8/10 Took a date here and got the whole grilled branzino, broccolini, and beef tartare. My date and I agreed the branzino was the best fish dish we've had hands down. The broccolini and tartare were also rich in flavor and texture. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Waiter was very rude to us from the moment we sat down. We asked for recommendations since we had never been there before and he provided hardly any input and no descriptions of the dishes. We heard him speaking to another table and was very animated, describing dishes, making recommendations, and being very accommodating. Very much in contrast to what my mom and I experienced. The food was fine, but pretty expensive for what you get in my opinion. Also, when we were leaving the restaurant, there was a homeless man sleeping in the entryway, and the manager was right there at the front door doing nothing about it. Overall not a great experience and we will not be back. read more

Brasero is classy, intimate, and definitely a place worth going to in the West Town area. Service, staff, and food were all amazing! Between 3 people, we ordered the pão de queijo, ceviche, pork fried rice, and wagyu picanha. Everything was fresh, flavorful and overall a hit. I also ordered the spirit free limonada suica, which was very refreshing-sweet, creamy, and tart. I'm definitely coming back to try other dishes! read more

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Good food and good ambiance, marred by really awkward service. Server didn't explain the menu and gave us no time to order. The food came before the drinks. The wine list sat on the table taking up space, and no one thought to remove it. Multiple people came by to clear dishes at odd times. I could overlook all that except to top it all off, one of the food runners recognized my friend (who is a partner in a successful restaurant venture) and would not stop trying to engage her in conversation. She was very gracious but he would not take the hint. In fact he came back a second time and basically stood by our table with his back to me for several minutes trying to connect with her. Like, he's maybe looking for a job or something?? Unbelievably rude and inappropriate. read more

Absolutely delicious food, prompt service, gorgeous interior and dishes. Looking forward to coming back here to try more dishes. read more

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Pleasantly surprised by this place. Seriously one of the best meals I've had as of recent & that includes the subpar Michelin star restaurants. I was intrigued learning that their sister restaurant was El Che however being featured as one of the best solidified me making a reservation. Truly on of the best chicken dishes ever & I personally think "best chicken" is an oxymoron. Prawns were big bold flavors as well. Cocktail was stiff yet balanced. Dessert was delicious as was the paired dessert cocktail. Service was attentive to say the least. Just get here fast read more

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Lived up to the hype! Service was top notch - engaging, knowledgeable, present but not overbearing. Food - complex flavors and perfectly executed. Cheesy bread bites with jam and cheese was like crack. A total standout. Breaded whole fish was juicy and crispy (watch out for the bones, of course) and the sweet potato with a candied hot honey crust is fantastic. Desert was fine with the soft serve coconut froyo better than chocolate cake with honey ice cream. Drinks were unique and delicious with interesting takes on some classics. For 2 people we had 2 shareable, 1 side, 1 main and 2 deserts. Definitely more than enough. read more

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Celebrate my girlfriend birthday here, it was a great dinner, great atmosphere and the waitress was really nice and helped us well decide what we wanted to eat. Also, for a complimentary birthday ice cream to celebrate her birthday! Great spot to celebrate a loved one's birthday. read more

I am raving about Brasero to all my friends and colleagues. Our table selected the higher priced "Roll the dice" option and were all exceedingly happy with every one of the 12 dishes which blessed our table. The service was attentive, friendly and personal. The environment is attractive, not pretentious and thankfully the designer considered noise and despite a full house our conversation did not require raised voices nor did it weary my ears. I have had the great privilege to dine at many Michelin star restaurants. The quality of the food at Brasero is up there with Charlie Trotters and I shall most definitely return ! read more

I was lucky enough to try Brasero on its opening day. Wow! Perfection on day one is a good indicator of what is to come. Located in the West Town neighborhood, this storefront spot looks unassuming. Walking in, the dim lighting, warm colors and tons of texture create a moody yet lively vibe. I love the elevated booths down the center of the restaurant. Service was spot on. This was incredible because this was opening night. The hosts were very welcoming. We were seated right away. Our server was very helpful. And the busser team were incredible. Our water glasses were always full, the table always cleared and they even wipe down the table when they take an item away. The Manager Liz was so fun! She stopped by our table and was very caring. We were also lucky enough to meet the superstar Chef John Manion, who was gracious and humble. The Moqueca, seafood stew was light yet full of flavor. The broccolini and collards greens were perfect sides to the seafood stew. Hands down the star was the Banana Creme Brûlée!! I can't stop thinking about it. Fresh and creamy-I will return just to enjoy it again. Thank you Brasero Team. We enjoyed a wonderful evening of lovely cuisine and caring service in a gorgeous room. The cuisine was incredible. Nothing was over seasoned. Instead the nuances of flavors were layered expertly. Everything we tried was more than delicious. read more

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Stopped in for happy hour at the bar (love that it's 5-7!). The ambiance was fantastic -- every seat was taken on a Friday night, which says a lot. Bartender Tommy was excellent and recommended the hot dog from the happy hour menu, and it did not disappoint. We absolutely loved it. Can't wait to come back and try more of the food... so far has been great! read more

Good not amazing. Pork ribs were fine because of the seasoning and sauce but it was definitely messy and on the tougher side. Would skip next time. The Hamachi crudo were our favorite but there's only 4 pieces. Steak was cooked right but could use more salt. Wagyu picanha had a good crust but at times it was a jaw exercise. Service is a little awkward and slow at times. Food came out at a good pace though. Banana cartola was good. It was like a banana crème brûlée with yogurt ice cream. It's a chill place to eat food. read more

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My favorite restaurant in Chicago! Our bartender, Matt, was great! Everything from start to finish was outstanding. We'll be back read more

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I've been wanting to try Brasero for a while given the social media craze over it but I just didn't have it in me to try another mediocre place. My friend and I had last minute plans to hang out and Brasero had an opening so it was a now or never type of reservation. Looking at the menu prior dining, we noted the prices are a bit unreasonable which I understand being in the city, is not unexpected. We planned to try some appetizers at Brasero and eat our mains somewhere else. Most places have really good appetizers and it doesn't translate to the entrees so being the prices were so steep, we didn't want to spend money on food we wouldn't like. Between three, we shared a few small plates: pao de quejo, grilled oysters, grilled prawns, and tuna crudo. The pao de quejo was delicious and just as good as imagined. Love Brazilian cheese bread. So soft and fluffy! My next favorite was the tuna crudo as it was very refreshing but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Grilled oysters overall was a good dish but again, quite expensive for 4 oysters. The oysters itself were really buttery and garnished with a plantain crumble. It was a bit salty in my opinion but could have been more balanced if the oyster was bigger. My least favorite dish was the grilled prawns. They were a bit overcooked and hard to eat because of that. After finishing all our small plates, we concluded that it is a super nice vibey restaurant but there's no individual dish that would make us come back and spend that much money. read more

Brasero - salmon ceviche - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Well, I'm glad I checked the box at this place; after hitting Funkenhausen 20+ times during its lifespan, I still love walking into this part of town and I could imagine the bones of Funkenhausen as I stepped into the Brasero space. The space is quite an upgrade, and a production that unfortunately outshines the food. From the fantastic art piece hanging behind the wait stand, to the little touches like the booths that run side-by-side but are offset just enough to feel like you are not actually sitting right next to anyone else, we adore the new space. The great times end there for me. When we sat down, we told our server one thing specifically: "this is date night for us, so we want you to intentionally slow down the pace of our food coming to the table." He quickly agreed and acknowledged us, admitting that when he goes out, he likes to take his time also. Then our five dishes promptly started arriving, with all four main dishes arriving within 30 minutes. So, negative number one: our server didn't bother listening to us at all. The drinks were OK; we did the Tall Drink of Water and the Upright Pineapple. Neither was boozy enough for my tastes, so we moved to wine/champagne with our next round of drinks. Our first dish was the endive salad...good flavor, but drenched in dressing. That said, kudos to the portion size of this one because for $19, we felt like we got a salad that very comfortably served two people. The "pao de Queijo" came out next, and while we were surprised that this didn't come out first (new restaurant!), we liked the flavor of the two side sauces that came with this dish. The dough was nice and fluffy, with a dense donut feel to the proceedings. This ended up being my favorite dish of the night. Our mains? The quail and the fried rice. I think I liked the quail, but the taste of quail was nullified by the deep fry on the meat. As a result, this could have been fried...well, anything, really, and tasted OK. The fried rice was good and also quite rich, to the point where after my wife and I had a helping, we didn't want to have much more. (Part of this is on me: I was saving up for a dessert, which was another mistake.) If I came back to eat, I would likely get the fried rice and share it with more people, as well as the pao de Queijo. Then we decided to order the chocolate cake. Full disclosure--I once worked with the pastry chef at S.K.Y. to build a six-course tasting menu built only around dessert. I know dessert, friends. This cake was terrible. It was so terrible that after one bite I asked for the check. I even left the vanilla ice cream on the cake dish, I was so disgusted by this miss. Second mistake? Ordering dessert and not eating a little more of the fried rice, which was rich enough to be a dessert on its own. Third mistake? Waiting for our server--who had already blown it by rushing all the food out--to take the dessert off our bill because we clearly didn't like it. Is a restaurant required to refund me for food I think doesn't taste great? Of course not. But is that what usually happens for someone who eats out a couple hundred times a year? Absolutely. Brasero is a better production than it is a restaurant, in my estimation, but it only opened earlier this year. I won't be back for a while, but I'm glad I went to see for myself. read more

Great ambiance and service. 20 min wait accompanied with Happy Hour menu made it worth it. Food was fabulous. A bit pricey though so minus one on that point only, no issues at all! read more

Brasero - Scallop Crudo - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ambiance-So Good! Reservation process- So Good! Staff- So Good! Liam especially. Wine list-So Good! The sommelier helped pick the perfect pairings. Food- We let the chef prepare our meal at his discretion. What a good choice! Apps- Prawns, Oysters, Hamachi. So Good! Second course- Salads, heirloom tomatoes, Yucca fries- So Good! Mains- whole snapper- The Best! Fried rice, tenderion. Desert-sparkler coconut ice cream, chocolate cake, mango-So Good! Price- Super fair for the highest of quality food. Bring your pickiest foodie friends. They will be impressed! read more

Brasero - Red Wine - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Compliments to the Chef! Creative, innovative dishes, and all the flavors worked! Lovely staff who were more than accommodating! We've booked reservations for February, and we are bringing our friends! Thank you for a great evening! We had the following, all wonderful: 1. HOKKAIDO SCALLOP CRUDO 2. PÃO DE QUEIJO with Jamon Iberico 3. GRILLED PRAWNS 4. SWEET POTATO 5. WHOLE GRILLED BRANZINO read more

Perfect for a date night or fun night out with friends, highly recommend Brasero! We came on a Friday night and got seated in a booth area. First, I want to touch on the vibe of the place. It's fun, dimly lit and just feels trendy! All the staff were wonderful. We started with drinks. The cocktails were nothing out of this world and were kind of small. Still tasty though! We ordered the pao de queijo which was just okay by itself, but when you add the dip that comes with it, then it is super tasty! We also ordered the risotto and the steak. Both were wonderful! The steak was flavorful and made to perfection, as well as the risotto. The chef came out and we ended up talking to him for a bit- friendly guy and cool to hear his story! read more

Brasero - Carne - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is my new favorite brunch spot. The menu is so creative, and everything we ordered was incredibly tasty. The atmosphere is lovely, too

WOW!!!! No really ! From the minute we arrived we were greeted with Great enthusiasm ! We started at the bar where Trevor poured us some special drinks and shared some interesting facts about the rum that was being used to make our Extended Stay Cocktails. Then we sat window side for our 4 course meal. Which we started with endive salad and rolled thru such bites as grilled oysters- bra-zillion fried chicken -pan seared salmon -and braised short rib we shared the Wagu and Prawns both were Fabulous. Our finish for our sweet tooth. Chocolate BANNANA Badino! Not to leave out but they have a truly amazing wine list 100 wines priced under $100 ! The Ambience here Great !! They truly can transform you to an escape worth doing over and over. Thank you, Trevor Debbie and Ann and anybody that I may have missed!! Looking forward to ounext visit ! Donnie Kostecki :: ) read more

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Service was impeccable & the food was outstanding. We did the chefs tasting for $90 and we got to try a good variety! Highly recommend the Cesar salad and oysters. Can't wait to come back and try the beef shank read more

My fiancé and I celebrated his birthday dinner here. Our serve Autumn was incredibly friendly and made the experience special. We also loved the food! Everything was delicious but I think our favorites were the grilled quail and center cut ribeye. I'm not even a big bird person, but the flavor of the quail was amazing. The center cut ribeye with the chimichurri was PHENOMENAL. It's definitely on the pricier side so I'd recommend for a special occasion, but we left very satisfied. It's also such a cute spot! Dim, romantic lighting but still lively inside. read more

Brasero - Mosquera and the Center Cut Ribeye - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of my favorite places in the city, hands down. The menu is whimsical, creative and packed with flavor. Team is welcoming, attentive, and fun. 10/10 read more

Incredible space. Fabulous wine list. Top notch service. Our favorites were the pork shank and the oyster. Truly excellent from start to finish! read more

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So , I'll just make it short ! My party if 3 order about 4-5 appetizers and 3-4 entrees ! We love food ! Sometimes at restaurants lots is tasted and left, sometimes if appetizers were so-so then we minimized our order. BUT , we almost fought over every thing that was brought it to us ! The flavors were indescribable ! Makes my mouth water just writing this review! The 2 salads we tried I could have been happy ordered a few more ! In my simple opinion MICHELIN STAR! I can't tell you how unique ( not in a crazy way ) and delicious EVERYTHING was ! Coming back soon . Spoke to Adam Meyer cook , chef ??? And raved to him how much we enjoyed our food !!!! GO THERE , it's a real treat !!! read more

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solid food -- entrees and sides... typically challenging for a vegi at a latin restaurant but was very satisfied with the (shared) tomato app, corn side, green bean side, brazi bites...and the mushrooms (although not completely impressed with the flavor of the mushrooms - quite bland). the rest of my dining company shared the whole fish and salmon ceviche - was well received. service was thorough just not very cordial ;) great addition to the area and will recommend. read more

Wow is what we said as we walked into the room. The music and the design transport you far off to a dreamy exotic local that is comfortably familiar like a reoccurring dream that you've now, finally found yourself in. And once the attentive Brasero team have you seated you, feel mother nature's eyes are upon you. There are many reasons why Chef John Manion is loved within the Industry (both restaurant and music) here in Chicago. Más might be the word, roughly translated to most or more. Brasero states that. And like that most memorable restaurant you discovered in the middle of no where, but in the heart of wine country, a select menu delivers such a bountiful experience. And wine director, Alex Cuper's 100 original South American wine discoveries dance beautifully with the intensely fired oysters, prawns, lobster, blue crab, whole red snapper, ribeye, Picanha and so much more. read more

Brasero - open fire grilled red snapper with charred green onions and salsa verde - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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there's a ton of fusion tapas places in chicago but i think brasero *may* take the cake. everything i tried was mouthwatering. i ordered the pao de queuo, grilled oysters, brazilian fried quail, a ceviche (not on menu anymore), the moqueca, and a coal-roasted sweet potato. note: this was a substantial amount of food for 2 people, however, you can get a small portion of the moqueca! my taste buds were having a fiesta! if i had to pick some standouts though, i'd go with the oysters and sweet potato. the flavors were bold and bright. the caramelization on the sweet potato was out of this world - like a crème brûlée on crack. the cocktails were amazing as well. i got the panther milk and the batida clara. service was spot-on and the ambiance was like a posh mid-century modern vibe. can't say enough good things about this place! read more

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Brasero is a beautiful restaurant. The atmosphere is very welcoming and fun. We had happy hour at the bar. We had the salad, ceviche, fried rice and chimichurri steak from the HH menu. Everything was amazing. Their G&T was bright and refreshing. Max and the other staff really made our experience personable. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. We loved it! read more

Brasero - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food is very flavorful. So many different flavors but not overpowering. Service is 110%. Everyone is so nice, responsive, and attentive. Ambiance is so cool too. Busy but the noise level is chill. Dark but has the right amount of light. Between the uplighting, light fixtures, and table light create an intimate yet casual vibe. read more

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Came here for dinner on a Sunday night, and the food was phenomenal. First of all, the outside of the restaurant looked very plain and uninviting, but when you step it, it's a very classy yet cozy, dimly lit and romantic environment. Food: Tuna ceviche - well-flavored, perfect amount of salty flavor with acidity. Paired well with plantain chips. Pork ribs - tender, meaty, and very flavorful. Portion size was surprisingly hefty. Pork fried rice - didn't expect this to be so amazing but it was exploding with flavor, plus the nuts in the dish added a nice crunch. Moqueco - after we took our first bite, my wife and I were both like, "what did we just eat?" The coconut flavors pair incredibly well with the rice and all the seafood in this dish. Couldn't stop talking about this at the end of the night. We also ordered the passionfruit dessert, which my wife thought was hands down one of the best plates she has ever ordered. Nice blend of white chocolate on top with a cheesecake consistency and a passionfruit (guava?) puree on the side. Overall, great ambience and amazing food. Would definitely come here again to try other things on the menu. read more