Emilio's was like a great movie that you see in it's fifth week of release when for five weeks all of your friends have been telling you how great it was. It was indeed good, but the hype was so build up that I left a bit disappointed. Garlic potato salad...a signature dish. AMazing IF you love garlic like your first born and put it in everything including eggs and corn flakes. I might put it in eggs..so I really do love garlic...but it was so heavy in garlic that I could hardly take it. It was creamy and you had to adjust to the taste...overall good. I've just never experienced anything that infused with garlic. Not sure that garlic is that garlicky. Perhaps it was made with a reduction of garlic somehow. Bacon wrapped dates. Another favorite...four words Be Still My Heart Delicious. Still thinking of them a few days later as I write this review. Other notable things..... They were very smart to have a child friendly pasta for our daughter...nothing special...some pasta, some red sauce, some cheese. The four year old was happy...so were we. Started off bad when the waiter went to explain Tapas to us and said "This is traditional Spanish food, you won't be getting chips and salsa here/" Umm excuse me...do I need to Flickr my photos of my husband and I in Barcelona on my iPad mini for him? Has he been to Spain? WE seemed equally European. I nicely explained to him that though it was our first time at Emilio's, we have experience Tapas before. I later learned his name when he introduced it to a table next to us....as in...we never received the same courtesy. Yes - would eat there again. read more

Fantastic variety of tapas for everyone. Baked oysters and bacon dates were the two winners at our table. Our group of four ordered about 10 dishes total and was more than enough. Definitely something for everyone! Skip the sangria, taste like it came out of a Hawaiian Punch jug. Order cocktails or your preferred wine instead; you'll be much happier! Highly Recommend for a date night or friends/family gathering with a fun group! read more

This is my absolute favorite new restaurant (new to me not a new restaurant). I love the bacon wrap dates and goat cheese dip....the best I've ever had!!! The sangria is also amazing....very strong!! They also always bring a small plate of something for you to try on the house which is so nice and much appreciated! The wait staff is also really nice and the price is right! I can't wait to go back!! read more

Went hear back in 2007 and was not impressed. In fact, my wife had food poisoning from the bad beef skewer dish. I doubt there will be a second try. Thank god for Iberico & Barcelona read more

Great paella and tapas west of Chicago Excellent lunch and dinner option if you're west of Chicago, just inside I-294 in Hillside. The paella is a highlight but takes time to prepare, and the portion is generous so go with friends so you can share some tapas. Other highlights from past visits include the croquetas and tostadas de mariscos (bread, avocado, seafood) Lots of seating, parking lot, effective and friendly service. read more

Perfect perfect perfect! Everything from the service to the ambiance and of course the food was flawless. What an amazing meal! And really reasonably priced as well. I'm not sure exactly what we ate but there was definitely something like a caprese salad that was probably the best I've ever had. But everything was so, so delicious. And like I said the service was good, but like better than good? The server was there the second it occurred to us to need something and the bus boys took plates away when they needed to be taken and neither were ever obtrusive. We'll definitely, definitely be going back. read more

A bit of a hidden treasure if you are not actually searching for the place. A warm welcome, lovely decor, very friendly staff and tapas that make your mouth water before you begin eating. Garlic potato salad a must try! They have a bit of that garlic burn(garlic lovers know what I mean) but oh so worth the burn. Don't forget to leave room for dessert... Chocolate sauce that is divine on dishes that will make you ask for more. read more

The service was good and the food was great as well. I think the pitchers of Sangria are a bit small for the price. We tried a lot of things on the menu and would have liked to try some other items but I got too full. Emilio himself was there the night we decided to stop in. I always think it's cool when the owners take the time to mingle with the clients. read more

Oh-EM-GEE this place is freaking fantastic. People say it's expensive, but it's not anymore expensive than a crappy Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant and it's WAY better. Emilio still works at the Hillside location, and he's amazing. I don't think I've ever had anything here I didn't like and I've worked my way through a good portion of the menu. I would recommend the goat cheese, the garlic potatoes (although not on a date or 2-3 days before a date), the red peppers and asparagus with goat cheese and the escargot. I know, Escargot, serious just put it in your mouth I promise you will like it. Drinks wise, get the sangria, it's awesome. They usually have special desserts that are awesome. Once I had Pear Ice Cream with melty white chocolate sauce and this brownie. It was sick, I wanted to marry it instead of eating it because I was madly in love with it. Go here. read more

Our go to tapas spot. Inviting, warm spot with friendly service. Hard to not over order here. We always have to have the garlic potato salad...it also saves nicely, if you can't finish it. Paella is wonderful and abundant. A single order can easily feed one or two people, if you are ordering other tapas. Black bean soup is standout as well. Really wonderful wine list at gentle prices. We've found many gems below $40/bottle. read more

This place is a staple in our household for a close to home tapas experience! The atmosphere is very relaxed and inviting and on a couple of occasions have even been greeted by Emilio himself, love that! The staff is always super friendly and the service is very good. Some of our favorites are the Tortilla, Patatas Alioli, Grilled Calamari, Serrano Ham and the Bacon Wrapped Dates...seriously...the best. They are SO good here, you can literally lick the plate clean! Overall, a really nice place to get some tapas out in the suburbs, but I think the Sangria is a bit overpriced for how much you get. But that will NOT stop me from coming back! =]] read more

Despite living just down the street for almost a year and a half, I had never been to Emilio's. My wife had been to Emilio's many years ago and thought the food was sub-par. We recently met a couple for dinner and were delightfully surprised. The food was excellent. We had a pitcher of red sangria and ordered the garlic potato salad, bacon wrapped dates, pork tenderloin, beef brochette, grilled calamari, grilled eggplant and for dessert, the tres leches cake. All of the meat was excellent; the calamari was tender and all of the food was nicely seasoned. Only complaints were that the bacon on the dates was a little overdone, the sangria was not very fruity and the cake was a little dry - nothing that would give us reason to not go back! Perfect place for a relaxed dinner with friends. read more

I am in love with this place. My first time was a month ago and I had gone back 2 times since! The bacon wrapped dates with roasted pepper sauce is amazing!!!! Garlic potatoes are very good, but you have to a huge garlic fan like me to enjoy it.. it would take an army of mints to fight off the super garlicky goodness. The grilled calamari with lemon and olive oil is another favorite. Service was great! I wanna go back right now... read more

I can't tell you how happy we are that Emilio's is only about a mile from our house. It is definitely our go-to place when we want to eat out but not travel too far. Absolutely agree with everyone's 5-star assessment of the bacon/dates and garlic potato salad. We have never had anything bad there at all. Love the atmosphere. Staff is always excellent and friendly. Don't take my word for it, though. Get your butts over there and see what all the 5-stars are about!! Also, I think our average check has been about $65-$70 for 2 of us, which includes at least 2 cocktails (total). Our stomachs say it is money very well spent! read more

I love dinner at Emilio's. The food is fantastic, the service is great, and it is a fun, happy place to eat. Emilio's famous garlic potato salad is stunning. Grilled calamari is our favorite, but you can't go wrong with any dish here. We have eaten here enough that Emilio recognizes us. He is a great chef. Respecto, Emilio! The desserts are killer, too. Try the chocolate Terrine with raspberry sauce or the bread pudding with the best tasting raisins ever, topped with vanilla ice cream. It starts with a complimentary appetizer, and the sky's the limit for delicious small plates, great for sharing. We will go back tonight with 2 friends that have no idea what they're in for! Servers are friendly and totally efficient, and they just get everything right. They make your meal special and are attentive; even bordering on psychic, but never intrusive. Emilio's might be the perfect restaurant. We will continue to enjoy Emilio's as often as we can! read more

Excelllent good and service! Food was perfect and the ambiance felt like you truly were in Spain. Stop in and ask about the live flamenco performances! read more

It is nice to know if you don't feel like messing with traffic there is a tapas place in west burbs. They have alot of favor sangria and the peach was pretty good, I just wish their was more fruit in it as it looked more like a garnish. My favorite was the tomato and goat as it was creamy and I like the olives if you wanted it a little saltier, also they gave you a good portion of goat cheese. My next favorite was the grilled calamari, cooked to perfection and lightly season. You can't go wrong with bacon wrapped dated but I wasn't a fan of the potatoes bravo, a little mushy but good favor. The least favorite and I probably would not order it again was the lam chop, it had a strong gamey odor and favor so that ended my taste for lamb for several months. read more

Surprisingly - these are some of the best tapas I've had. I've visited this location twice now as a side trip along I-294, and I'm sure I will return when taking another north-south car ride. Atmosphere: Big private patio attached to restaurant with Spanish flair in colors, accessories and photos. Open windows and wide space with no real dividers between other people make it airy, whimsical and even a bit romantic. The Service: Consistent throughout the night with plenty of new plates and constant water re-fills. The Food: Can't say no to freebies - My group and I received complimentary bruschetta and bread. However, after recently traveling in Europe, I've come to realize that bread is only good when it's fresh. The bread here was disappointingly cold, generic and borderline stale. It was only useful when it's for sopping up leftover sauces from other dishes so that it at least softened in texture and gained some flavor. Most memorable cold tapas - Very fresh veggies! From the chutney of peppers mixed with vinaigrette-marinated octopus to the heirloom tomato/basil/mozzarella combo in the caprese salad, I could sense the fresh crisp of just-cut ingredients in every bite. I also enjoyed the seafood salad with its variety and heartiness, yet still felt light. Most memorable hot tapas - Only found on the Specials Menu (possibly seasonal?). These were even better than the cold. I sunk my teeth happily into tender, juicy lamb chops. And I salivated as I devoured the melted gooey-ness of goat cheese and eggplant. It was like eating little bite-size versions of comfort food dishes. Dessert - My husband can never say no to chocolate, so we went with the most chocolate dessert on the menu, the terrine and raspberry sauce. It's super rich, with a dense creamy chocolate base and sweet sauce drizzled on the side. read more

I had dinner with a couple, both of whom are very picky about food. The experience was pleasantly surprising for them both, so I knew we made the right choice. Here's the skinny on what we ordered: Champinones rellenos (mushroom caps filled with spinach, onion and mozzarella with tomato sauce) - The mushroom caps were big and tender, and the tomato sauce added a nice kick. A unanimous favorite with all three of us (we almost ordered a second plate). Caracoles emilio (sautéed escargot on croutons with tomato sauce and alioli) - Yummy! The crouton was unfortunately not crispy, but forgivable because the escargot was tasty! Calamares a la parrilla (grilled squid with lemon, garlic and olive oil) - Loved it! The squid was bathed in its sauce at just the right amount and tender (glad it wasn't rubbery and difficult to chew). Cazuela de pollo salteado (chicken sautéed with garlic, chorizo, mushrooms and amontillado sherry sauce) - A tiny bit salty, but otherwise great. The chicken and chorizo had the right tenderness. Croquetas de Cordero (lamb croquettes served with tomato basil sauce ) - I'm a big fan of croquetas but this was my least favorite item. The lamb was very tender but the sauce didn't match the dish. I'm used to the thick, pink sauce that croquetas come with at other tapas restaurants. Paella de mariscos (langostinos, shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops and monkfish in saffron rice) - The waitress said it was a small serving but it was actually quite large! Rice was cooked just right and there were tons of seafood goodies. Could've used just a little bit more flavor, but overall it was satisfying. This is great to have after you've eaten all the tapas - it hits the spot and you won't want to order any more food. Additionally, we were recommended the vaza crianza (red wine from Rioja in Spain) and it was fantastic. Slightly fruity with a hint of vanilla and a delicate smooth finish. Perfect accompaniment to our food. Overall - great food, excellent atmosphere (great Spanish music playing in the background) and decent price. The bill came to around $100 - not too bad if you split between three people. Would be a fun place for a medium sized group of friends. read more

Let me preface this update by saying that I don't personally know these people, but I've been eating at this restaurant for years and it has always been at the top of my list. This morning, as I write this review, Ann Marie and Emilio are on their way to the restaurant to meet my husband and me, so that we can get my husband's phone (that he left on the table lastnight, when we were there having paella). My husband has to catch a flight today and needs that phone. I called the restaurant and left a message, asking them to please call me (even though they open at 4:30 today). Ann Marie called me back right away and said that if the phone is there, we can get it at 10am. These people are THE BEST. Hands-down, our favorite restaurant in the area, for its delicious food and great service!! read more

Emilio's Tapas in Hillside has been my "go to" tapas restaurant for years. Last night, the experience was underwhelming. All in, the food lacked flavor. Most of the food tasted like nothing. In an attempt to season the food, I searched for salt and pepper only to learn that Emilio's doesn't put salt and pepper on the tables. Hmmm. The exception to this is their potato salad which has such an intense and wonderful garlic flavor that your tongue feels like it has fur on it. If you are garlic fan, this salad is for you. read more

Great food and customer service, cultured ambience. My group tried everything on the menu, including the on-the-house tapas from the manager and Chef Emilio. My wife and mother in law, said the sangria's were ok. My daughter enjoyed the chicken skewers, and chicken croquetas. I enjoyed the datiles con tocino. A must go restaurant. read more

My friend and I had an 8pm reservation and I arrived promptly at 8. I got there before my friend, who's always fashionably late, and was seated. It wasn't long before I was given some water, bread, and butter. My server, Victor, politely asked if I was waiting for someone, and I told him, "yep, but she's running late as always (I love her anyway)! Anywho, went on to order a beer and it was as good as I expected. Now my friend finally gets there and we get down to business! Now we ordered quite a few things, and I can't remember what the items were, but what I do remember is how damn delicious it was!!!! Everything I ate was heaven in my mouth! We also ordered the peach Sangria and is was some of the best sangria I've tasted in a very long time! Service was great, food was amazing, oh! And they had live music there!!! What more can you ask for?! Great place!!! Will definitely visit again!! read more

Emilio's Tapas - Spanish Near Me - Hillside, Illinois

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A sample of this and a sample of that, please... I am a fan of Emilio's. The food is always delicious and the Sangria is to DIE for--- whether you like red wine or not, you have to at least try it when you are there... I also adore the intimate atmosphere and the feel as though you are really in Spain. The staff is kind and I recommend the "PATATAS CON ALIOLI", their famous garlic potato salad. The last time I was there I also had the "POLLO AL CASERÍO" and that was yummy too. A bit of advice, watch that Sangria because althought it is tasty, it can get you pretty rocked and next thing you know, you'll be stumbling to your car. :P read more

I love tapas... But this place did nothing for my taste buds. The patata bravas were soggy and appeared to have alot of seasoning but tasted nothing. The stuffed mushrooms were ok, I bit into chunks of peppercorns & garlic. When the Calamari steak arrived I got excited, presentation was beautiful, looked so delicious! It was tender but again zero flavor. Rasberry sangria tasted artificial, too sweet for me! Would I give them another chance... Probably not. i'll stick to Cafe Barbareeba, every tapas dish tasted delicious! Our waitress was great read more

I have lived down the street from Emilio's for a year. Now I am sad that it took me a year to get here. All of those lost delicious meals will haunt my dreams. I started the meal with a mango sangria. I didn't notice until well after I ordered that they offer a sangria flight. They have about six different flavors of sangria. This would have been smarter than the 3 glasses I drank. We ordered four different plates for the two of us: bacon wrapped dates, spanish potatoes, a bruschetta type thing, and a chicken and chorizo over sweet peppers. The Spanish Potatoes were AH-MAZING! They had a nice spice with a bit of a garlic taste. Now, the bruschetta type thing was touted as tomato bread in the menu; however, it was basically toast points over slices of ham with bruschetta on top. Not as good as other bruschettas but edible. The sweet peppers and sauce the chicken was over was fantastic. NOTE: I did not try the bacon wrapped dates so I cannot comment on them. Dining companion liked them though. What is a meal without a good dessert? I ordered a chocolate mousse type thing over a raspberry sauce. It literally melted in my mouth. The chocolate was light and fluffy but oh so delicious. read more

I am a huge fan of Emilio's. If you've never tried tapas, it's best to go with a group. Everyone can order different dishes they're interested in and everybody get's a bite. Emilio's is a great place to get into tapas, and of course sangria and a few dancers top off the night! One of my favorite dishes is "DÁTILES CON TOCINO" dates wrapped in bacon with roasted red pepper sauce. Now I never would have tried this or even been interested in it, but thankfully a friend did and I love it. It's very convenient to 290 and 294, they have half price bottles of wine and are throwing a special New Year's event if you're looking for a party! read more

OK this might not be a fair review as I'm rating the experience for Sunday brunch not a traditional evening. The quick summary, a good experience but nothing really noteworthy. The brunch included a buffet of cold tapas, an entree and a dessert. Overall the food was fine but nothing worth going back for. The service was adequate and friendly but we felt rushed the entire meal. We were barely seating we were asked to order the entree. Coming back with our plate from the cold tapas buffet, our main entree was already being presented at the table. That pressure really made the meal less enjoyable. The cold tapas were decent but not up to par in my mind to other places like cafe babareeba in the city. Same comment for the paella. read more

We have been to Emilio's downtown location couple times and this was our first time in Hillside location. Our server tried her level best to make sure it went well but not upto the level of service you would want. A table which sits 4 people was fairly small and hard to keep more than one dish. The patata bravas was one of the worst...we have tried tapas at lot of restaurants and also in Spain and this was not even close to any of them. I give it a -5 points for this dish. The other dishes were fairly okay not great. The paella ordered by our server was the wrong and she came in and told us it will be 15 more min to get the correct one. At the end the check was messed up too, she charged us for the wrong paella luckily we checked and realized. Overall not worth going again!! read more

The food was great. The manager was also amazing . We had sangria and a couple of the second dishes on the patio read more

Emilio's Tapas - Spanish Near Me - Hillside, Illinois

Our friends suggested this place stashed way out in the burbs. Hell yes, we went! I have been a fan of tapas ever since our honeymoon in Santa Fe, when my husband and I had our first tapas experience and the head chef there was so kind as to answer all of our questions about the menu and food and to tour us around his kitchen on top of it. At Emilo's the head chef has not yet offered to do that for us, but here's hoping! :) Still, he is very friendly and frequents the tables. It's clear he takes pride in his dishes. I also give him props that each time we've been in here, he always offers a 'free sample' to start off the evening. That's just a lovely gesture that goes a long way. I am a fan of hospitality and service, and both score here. In terms of ambiance: It's casual, and, on weekends, extremely lively and noisy. Good for an 'upbeat' night out with friends--lots of laughter, lots of conversations. I also found that the wine prices here are very good, all in all. You can score a bottle of wine, on 'special', for 20.00 or so. In terms of the food, I tend to favor the cold tapas more than the warm. We've had a few 'hits and misses', but generally more hits. There's a large selection of menu items, and many specials. I've had ceviche plates twice now. The ingredients are fresh and bright, the fish tastes perfect. I am also a fan of the Serrano ham with manchego cheese--nice serving size (perfect to share) and delicious! The garlic potato salad is ample and very strong, in terms of garlic taste. I personally love that, but many might find the dish too overpowering. I've also had the cold-roasted veal with sun-dried tomatoes and thought the taste was excellent. Finally, I've tried the chilled tiger shrimp. It was by far the 'safest' dish. I probably wouldn't order it again. Tasted fine, but, for me, it wasn't quite enough to share, and it was pricey. If you opt for warm dishes, be warned that the size tends to be a bit bigger, and so you probably won't want to order as many plates. My husband had the chicken breast, and it was almost a meal onto itself. Huge! Very tasty, but quite filling. He also had the beef dish with cracked pepper--really rich sauce. Loved it, and in fact I can say that the warm dishes in general have rich flavor, in terms of sauces. And the dates and bacon are fabulous! Yum. Though I generally skip dessert, last time we tried their chocolate terrine with raspberry sauce. Decadent, and very filling. All in all: We will go back! It's a fun night out, and Emilio's offers a great variety of food. read more

It is incredibly redundant to craft a glowing review of a place that already has a stellar reputation so I'll keep everything short and sweet. My wife and I decided to come over to Emilio's about a month ago. I've lived in the area my entire life yet have never decided to stop in. Thanks to Yelp we saw the positive reviews and decided to give it a shot. We were seated instantly on a Thursday night by a polite hostess. The wait staff was great - the explained the menu and gave great recommendations. Not only is the food gah damn fantastic but it is priced fairly. The biggest problem I find is that you just want to gorge yourself when you look at the menu because everything looks good - and frankly you don't have to because I feel the portions are generous - even for tapas. If you're on the fence about it, just cross on over. It's a great experience that I would highly recommend. As far as I'm concerned they have my patronage for life. read more

Emilio's tapas is great for large groups with a beautiful casual ambiance. I come here with my family all the time. I don't have a favorite dish because everything is outstanding. I live nearby so that's a huge plus!! I definitely recommend this restaurant to all my friends in the area. Last note- check out the out door patio. read more

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Absolutely amazing. Try the pincho de pollo, bacon wrapped dates, garlic potato salad, and sautéed caramel banana for desert. I'd skip the paellas. They also have some delicious red sangria to drink. read more

I loved Emilio's Tapas. Service was great and food was amazing. Every single plate we ordered was really good. I dont even know what to write. Just go here and check it out. It isnt super expensiveness and the portions are normal Tapas sizes. Patio area is super cool and made eating there even better. Only funny thing is the bathrooms are marked in Spanish. But they are big Spanish words I didnt know. I have no clue what bathroom is guys or girls. read more

This place is absolutely exceptional...5 stars, IMO is not enough. My wife and I found this place on our way back from the Art Institute of Chicago. We were hungry and driving 290 East when it decided to turn into a parking lot. We exited and the idea of tapas started to sound good. We used Yelp, and this popped up in the area (albeit, was still a 25 minute drive from where we were currently at, but determination and a pregnant wife made the visit possible!). Got to the restaurant, which was fairly empty at the time. We sat down, ordered drinks (I tried one of the the imported beers...was OK, nothing special). But, drinks don't make a restaurant, the food/service does. And the food was fantastic. This was a little while ago (about 2 months) so I'll try to remember everything we ordered: PATATAS CON ALIOLI - Holy crap....this will kick you on your *** if you're not ready for the influx of garlic. If you were congested when you first got to the place, start with this. It'll clear up your nasal passages as well as whomever is sitting next to you! It was almost too much....right to the limit, which is awesome. CROQUETAS DE POLLO - Simple and full of flavor. The sauce that accompanies the croquetas was incredible. Could sit with a bowl of that and a loaf of bread and be completely content. DÁTILES CON TOCINO - Every review raved about these, so we had to get them. Could be the best bacon wrapped dates I've ever had. What I enjoyed most about them is that the dates didn't overpower the bacon and sauce. Very well balanced. Many times, the date flavor can be too much. These were spot on. QUESO DE CABRA AL HORNO - My wife loves goat cheese w/ marinara, and this definitely was up to par. PINCHO DE SOLOMILLO A LA PIMIENTA - The steak was grilled to a perfect medium rare. Get a bit of horseradish and the onions with each bite...again, well balanced flavors. CARACOLES EMILIO - I've never had snails, so my wife said I had to try em. This was the only item we ordered that I wasn't completely blown away by. It really didn't taste like too much, as the sauce and garlic butter was the dominate taste I got. Overall, the meal was surprisingly fantastic. We live about 45 minutes away from it, but fully intend on coming back (especially after a trip to Brookfield Zoo). I HIGHLY recommend this place! The service timed the food great, so we never got too much at one time....excellent all around! read more

I had my group's annual ladies dinner at Emilio's. There were about 8 of us for many of us it was our first time at a tapas restaurant. What a great experience who would have thought that so many small plates will fill you up to the extreme. The Spanish paella was fantastic that alone could be a meal by itself. The selection of wines was very good and our server and the rest of the staff were awesome highly recommended. read more

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What a find hidden in Hillside. Everything is delicious. The artichokes were so tasty and different. Grilled octopus was outstanding. Puffed pastry lamb. Prawns. All so delicious. We will be back Service was excellent. Lively atmosphere. Loved it read more

My husband rated this place before, the food is amazing. Queso De Cabra Al Horno was my favorite, that'll be the first thing I order when I go back. I wish they had a better beer selection. read more

Emilio's Tapas was a pleasant surprise we found out on a recent shopping trip. The vibe is great and the cuisine was delicious. Reasonably priced and the music was on point. " Gypsy King-ish" The montadillos de cerdo and the pasta con pollo were fantastic. Also, had the flan for dessert and was the best we've ever tasted. Highly recommend to all Spanish cuisine lovers. Our server was friendly, knowledgeable of the menu and helpful to out of towners looking to find a deal while shopping. read more

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