It was amazing- great vibe, great music, and amazing cocktails. Bites were also a great…read moresurprise-we had the crab cakes and the oysters all very good. Victor, one of the owners was very attentive. It is what the area needed! They stay open until 1 am on the weekends!!!

Wanted to try this place after hearing about it and it being a nice day out. Sat myself and took…read moresome time for the male server/(bartender?) to acknowledge me. I finally caught his eye and he turned away. He gave in and walked over. No greeting, just 'do you know what you want?' I asked for a specific martini and he replied saying he didn't have an ingredient. Totally fine! No alternative offered so I chose next best option. Brought the drink out and after I asked for food, he said yup and turned his back on me. BUT he eagerly responded to the woman next to my table, asking me what I ordered. He spent the next 10 minutes chatting while other tables waited for other orders. Then he checked on everyone's table but mine! Yikes. Drink was wonderful but won't be back. Shame this is a great spot with piss poor service.

The drinks are great and during the week it's half off 3-5pm. The service is so friendly and the…read morevibe is very cozy that you'll think you were at a lounge in the city. I'm adding this to spot to frequent in Elmwood park. Thank you for the chill vibes.

Very delicious food, The restaurant was very clean and let's not talk about customer service was…read moreamazing . 100% satisfied.

Excellent in all aspects! Very friendly and attentive staff. Great for cocktails With a good wine…read moreselection.

I have been wanting to try The Little Gem since Thursday night out when I tried their Wagu Sliders…read moreand Fish & Chips. We visited to celebrate a birthday on a Saturday night with a reservation and were seated by the window to our delight. The ambiance in the restaurant is so cozy and rustic, a wonderful vibe. We were first brought Garlic Pesto Bread that was still warm and delicious. Later we ordered drinks and appetizers. Both the Honey Whipped Goat Cheese and Beet Salad were phenomenal and so unique. For entrees we ordered the Beef Tartare, Caesar Salad with Blackened Salmon (an added request), Italian Sausage Orecchiette, and Braised Beef Short Ribs. Absolutely nothing disappointed and everything our waitress Lauren recommended was spot on. She is a rockstar! For dessert we ordered two chocolate mousses, and Crème Brûlée to share. The perfect way to end our night. This is a great upscale date spot or place to celebrate as it is on the pricier side, but we could not have been happier with our food, service, and overall experience.

this place is the place to go as they have their act together in every aspect…read more went on a thursday night with an opentable reservation for my friend and myself as we were catching up. my friend is a wine person (i'm no where near what he is) who has travelled the world in pursuit of wine and has a wine collection that would knock your socks off---and he picked this place based upon having a good wine selection--and he and the server talked wine, with me clueless as i'm a no knowledge wine person! the service was excellent. our server did not rush us and answered every question in detail as there were some things we just did not understand on the menu. the food presentation was top notch and well prepared. i have the amish chicken and it was not only presented nicely, but was juicy--even the white meat! had the octopus for an appetizer and that was quite good. my friend had a pasta which was quite tasty, so really, i conclude the food is well prepared and well presented. the ambiance is comfy and it is the the type of place you can come dressed up or in jeans. so make the reservation and go.... we were there talking til after close a bit and not once did they rush us out, so i say go, figure about 50-75/person, but make the open table reservation.

Wasn't totally impressed with this place. Went because a friend dragged me here because she knew a…read moreserver who was worked here but the food was mediocre the drinks were Meh. I don't think we'll be returning services will not that great either or friendly I should say

We went back to Hoya Santa last Friday night. I'd say it's an upscale Latin restaurant serving…read moreflavorful food and well-crafted cocktails. I've been here a few times and have always enjoyed the experience. We started with cocktails, old-fashioneds for the guys and a mojito mocktail for me. The three of us shared everything we ordered. We started with an item called the Volcan, which was crispy mini quesadillas stuffed with mashed potatoes and cheese then topped with shrimp al pastor. I loved the crunch of the quesadillas against the creamy filling. Next we shared a carne asada pizza. This pizza had a perfectly thin and crispy crust topped with grilled skirt steak with a cilantro pesto sauce. So flavorful! For the main event we shared a 22oz bone-in ribeye with truffle fries. A medium rare tender and juicy steak and truffle - c'mon, need I say more? Oak Park has some of my favorite restaurants, and Hoja Santa is one.

Hoja Santa, features flavorful authentic Mexican food dishes with a little flair…read more Located on lively Lake street in Oak Park, (perfect for people watching) street parking can be difficult; however, there is a budget-friendly parking garage within a block of the restaurant. The vibe inside is perfect for an intimate evening or afternoon lunch. Dark wood seating, an ample sized bar with dim lighting makes this a comfortable, chic spot. There is street side outdoor seating; however, there were no table umbrellas during our visit. The staff greeted us immediately and was happy to review the menu with us. We had the mole with roasted broccoli and cauliflower, unicorn pescado tacos and a Plato Fuerte with shrimp, lobster and chicken in a tasty creamy sauce. We loved all of the entrées; however, thought the mole was a lacking the traditional mole flavors we've tried before. The unicorn fish tacos were the standout and were crispy and delicious! We also appreciated the 4 taco serving, which was perfect for two. Prices were on point with other similar style restaurants in Oak Park, slightly elevated but fair for the quality of ingredients. Let's not forget the cocktails...outstanding!

This restaurant needs to be discovered! From the inside, it…read moremight look like a biker's bar with graffiti signage but once inside (see pictures) you will be transported to a cozy, romantic, and classy space where the cuisine tastes and looks like, but doesn't cost high end. My wife and I have consistently had amazing experiences from all angles: ambience, cuisine, and service. Staff are attentive, friendly, and don't take themselves too seriously. The chef is an artist who is more than happy to take the time to visit with his customers. Do not overlook this gem!

Fabulous meal, service and drinks!…read more It is tucked away on Harlem but you definitely need to go for dinner. Our appetizer scallops will be on my best bites of 2026 list and it's only April. I had a spicy sausage pasta with peas, the only downside of the entire meal was the undercooked peas. It was still a great dish. My partner had a ribeye that was cooked perfectly. We will definitely be back again soon

A gem! The food was delectable. The bread they start you with was nicely soft and warm & the pastas…read morewere so incredibly delicious I was shocked. It's often hard to find a good quality alfredo sauce at restaurants but it truly blew me away and the vodka pasta was also so good. The prices are higher than most but I felt that they gave a very generous serving making it worth the price. The drink was good but I had to get it extra sweet. The restaurant was really quiet for 7 pm on a Friday which was nice as well, it made it more intimate. Interesting service but everyone was very helpful. I left wanting to return asap.

Recommend going to La Notte Ristorante. Had the Pasta Vongole, it's a simple dish that is made very…read morewell at this Restaurant. The Al dente pasta, fresh clams with perfect seasoning of garlic and pepper. For dessert enjoyed the tiramisu with a cup of wonderful coffee.

Came for dinner while in town. Super cute restaurant, great lighting, seating, and bar area. Our…read morewaiter was very friendly, giving us great recommendations and great to talk with. The meal started with complimentary chips and salsa. I ordered a mezcal margarita (fruta picanta) and my friend got a mango cocktail (mangasa). I liked mine a lot, my friend didn't care for the tajin rim on hers, and the waiter offered to replace it, but she stuck with it and liked it in the end. There were so many great sounding things on the menu, with gluten free and vegetarian options. We ended up splitting the calabaza- an acorn squash stuffed with mushroom risotto and also the wild mushroom tostada. The calabaza was great for winter, warm and filling. The tostada was lighter but really delicious, it was probably my favorite of the two. It was a great dinner, that I would definitely visit again if I'm back in town.

After attending the Candlelight Concert of the Beatles in Oak Park,we made reservations for this…read moreLatin American gem . On a Friday night it was busy! Thank goodness we had a reservation and were seated immediately. Our server Meyah was super friendly. We started with a few cocktails ..one being the Oaxacan Old Fashion..smokey and delicious. We tried their Market Ceviche which was on their Weekly Specials menu..Cured Mahi Mahi Brazilian Papaya,Tangerine Habanero sauce served with Sweet Potato chips.fresh and delicious. For our entrees we tried the Barbacoa Tacos and Blackened Fish(Tilapia) tacos. Both entrees were 21.00 for 3 tacos but no rice or beans on the side so a little pricey in my opinion. Street parking is a challenge but they do offer valet for 5.00. They have a fantastic patio that is open in the summer so we will definitely be back to enjoy a few cocktails and Latin American eats.