Had a reservation but was ignored. Person behind me grabbed the last outside table using her aged mother to just sit down. Waited 5 minutes for a menu. Not a good start read more

Went after work & pre an evening appointment for tapas. Good selection offered on menu. Was a little surprised when we asked for a menu item such as a sampler plate; I.e., a little bit of everything & to be told abruptly "No" & doubt that is something we ever will offer! Oh, ok. I felt as if I had insulted someone, but the experience otherwise was good, pricing reasonable read more

You know, I've been to tapas places a-plenty, but this place really stands out in my mind because their sangria pitcher ($16) is really a pitcher... I was comfortably able to share it with two friends, and their bacon wrapped dates are spectacular. I keep jonesing for it and no matter how hard I try to find a tapas place in the city that can create the same dish for me, nothing comes close. I've had other chicken and seafood dishes there that were awesome, but it's the dates that I'll make a special trip up to Evanston for. And it's definitely the most affordable. I treated a party of six and the bill only came out to 50 bux. read more

YUM. Almost every dish I've had here is DELICIOUS, especially the berenjenas con queso y avellanas (goat cheese and hazelnuts wrapped in eggplant w/ red pepper sauce). They give you a giant basket of bread on the table, so getting the queso de cabra con tomate (an awesome bread dip/topping thing with garlic bread) is nice because you can keep eating it with the bread. I had the filete con patata, the first time it was amazing - the meat was tender and very tasty. The second time, the meat was a bit fatty and too chewy. The atmosphere is very nice, cool decorations. Nice wait staff. read more

This place is right next to downtown Evanston. They've a very romantic outdoor patio area, and it's perfect for summer nights. I was really looking forward to an excellent tapas meal, but the food here can best be descbried as "meh." The dishes were not bad, but they were also not great. The food was simply ok. The waitress was just...robotic. Not bad service, not good service. I left here feeling like something was really lacking. Perhaps it was an off night, but I was just too dissapointed with the food to really give this place 3 stars or recommend to friends. Below is what I sampled and my findings: Patatas Alioli - $3.95 This potato salad was creamy and plentiful. It was nothing special. Pincho de Solomillo - $7.50 There was one small stick with meat on it. It was accompanied by onion and another type of cream sauce. The meat itself was pretty flavorless on its own. It really did not stand alone as a dish, and you had to make sure you ate it along with plenty of the caramelized onion and sauce to add flavor. It was dissapointing. Mejillones Plancha - $6.50 The mussels were plentiful for tapas. They came with a butter sauce and lemon on a scalding hot plate. They were ok, but nothing spectacular. Also make sure you put them on your plate right away, the hot plate will make them stick once they cool, then you'll be left to poke at the mussle or pry it off the plate with a fork. Gambas al Ajillo - $7.25 There were only 5 garlic shrimp served. They were a bit tough and I couldn't really taste the garlic. This is a hot tapa, but it was cold when it arrived at our table. Champinones - They had a special of two portabello mushrooms with goat cheese, tomato, and sauce. It was pretty flavorful and what a tapa should be. It was the only dish at this restaurant that stood out and had a great flavor, but this is not enough to keep me going back. read more

I've been to Tapas Barcelona more than a handful of times. I definitely recommend going there on a weeknight or when the first open. If the weather's super nice, it can be hard finding a place to sit (especially outside). I always order their Ensalada de la Casa (the house salad) and am never disappointed. I've taken friends there, as well as my husband. No one has ever been disappointed. The service can be a little slow. But, hey, it just gives you more time to talk with your friends and nibble on their free bread. read more

I had lunch here with my sis about 2 weeks ago. We have not been there for at least 6-7 years and I remembered why. There was only one server for the entire restaurant. They were not too busy for lunch, but 7 tables for one guy who came in relatively during the same time, are a bit much for one server. He was nice, but there is nothing special about this place. The food was just OK. The items that the server recommended were nothing special. The mussels we ordered had too much butter on them and were served with a side of clarified butter (I've never seen that before). I'm used to having mussels prepared in a tomato or garlic sauce. They do have pretty good white sangria and the size of a pitcher is not too bad either. Will I be back? Maybe if I'm right there in the area. Otherwise, I will not go out of my way to dine there again. Also, the prices for such tiny tapas plates are pricy. I have had better tapas food for less money at other places before. read more

This place is fantastic! The service is generally good. I recommend making a reservation on the weekends for dinner, as it can get pretty busy. The grilled calamari and egg tortilla thing are my two favorite dishes. I would kill for that calamari. Everything they make is delicious, and the prices are really decent. You can get a full meal for under $20 here - the small plates are great to share, and give lots of variety. I've had two birthday parties here - it's great for dinner with just a few friends, or for a large group. It's also a great date place. read more

We had a great meal here last Friday. I think we had 6 different tapas dishes. Babes like here grilled octopus, the rolled chicken breast was great, and the bacon wrapped dates where so good, I could eat an order for dinner and one for dessert. Our service was good, and the crowd was a happy bunch on a cold Feb night. Might be one of the better tapas places in Chicago. read more

K walked into this place and immediately fell at home. She said it reminder her of our recent honeymoon on Barcelona. It's true. One would never expect a place like this in Evanston. However, it fits just fine. We can write a whole blog entry about the tapas at this place, but we won't. We will just tell you to try the mushroom and eggplant dishes along with the usual Spanish tapas. The vibe of this place makes this establishment stand out. You would not expect the eclectic mix of young, old, upper-class, middle-class, and family parties all under one roof. Perhaps there are limited options in Evanston, but it should not discount this place. If we were to so lucky to have one of these in the Bay Area, we'd be regulars. If we end up in Evanston, that may just happen. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants ever. I LOVE this place. I started coming here three years ago, and I still make the trip up as much as I can. I think that the ambiance is great. It's always going but never overwhelming or cramped. The service is great and the food is to die for. My favorite things to order (and that I make sure to each time) are the Bacon Wrapped Dates and the Goat Cheese and Tomato dip. I also love the Pisto Manchego and Olives stuffed with Chorizo. They always have great specials, and I've never gone wrong ordering any of the seafood dishes (the Calamari is excellent). I'm constantly amazed at the value of this place too, because you are more than full and get to try many dishes for probably around $20. The Sangria is delicious, and for dessert, the Pear with White Chocolate and Raspberry Sauce is awesome. The flan is great too. I highly recommend this place to anyone, because of the extensive menu and great value! read more

We came to Tapas Barcelona on a whim after not having been here in years. We were very pleasantly surprised - great food, great service and good atmosphere. For two adults, we ordered: Datiles a la Sevillanas (bacon wrapped dates) Chipirones Plancha (grilled squid) Salmon con Esparragos (salmon with asparagus) Pollo al Whisky (grilled chicken with roasted potatoes) Mejillones Plancha (grilled mussels) The dishes were brought out one at a time with only moments of waiting between each dish. Each and every dish was delicious and decently sized for tapas. The Sangria was tasty and fresh, although a little light for my taste (at $3.95/glass - no complaints). We eyed up the dishes being brought to neighboring tables; everything looked great and was happily being consumed. Overall, great local spot for tapas. I would recommend reservations, unless you are eating early or don't mind waiting at the bar. The place was hopping on a Saturday night. read more

If there is something I hate is to go to a tapas place and pay a lot of $$$ for a dish the size of my pinkie finger nail! I tried a lot of their tapas and they all were awesome. Very tasty and generous on size. Their variety is also great. Their sangria is no exceptional but still pretty good. The service is a little slow but still decent and friendly. Highly recommended! Ole! read more

3 stars for the food we liked!!!! Well... we are willing to give it another try for the service, lack there of and bill mistake. We sat at the bar tonight. The bartender seemed to be preoccupied with making time with the lady at the other end of the bar then us. $9 one oz. pours of Don Julio Resposado. We had NO idea a one oz. pour cost that much or we would not have bothered! Far more expensive then Carnivale near Fulton Market and they have cloth napkins! Favorite dishes: Mejillones Plancha $6.95 Grilled mussels served in an iron skillet, Chipirones Plancha $6.95 Grilled squid with garlic, lemon and olive oil, Croquetas del Dia $5.75 Todays fried croquettes with curry mayo, Potaje de Alubias Negras $3.95 Black bean soup with sour cream. Least favorite dish: Patatas Bravas $3.95 Catalan style potatoes with spicy tomato sauce. This was just basic & boring. I wouldn't waste my money on it again. We eventually had to wave the bartender from his lady friend to get the check. Overall he was inattentive and the bar wasn't even busy. On the way home we think the bill was still a bit expensive even with the overpriced tequila shots....yep we were overcharged $5 for an additional plate. I wanted to go back but the boyfriend just said screw it... we won't return or at least not in the evening anyway. We will see... I really liked the grilled mussels. read more

I was unimpressed! Pros: great sangria, friendly staff, awesome lamb empanadas. Cons: everything else we ate. The tenderloin skewer was tough, chicken with whiskey was over cooked, veggies blah, puff pastry with ice cream horrible. Not going back. read more

This wont be your favorite place if you like spicy tapas (I do), but what they lack in spice, they make up for in presentation. This place is the perfect spot for a date night, as it is BEAUTIFULLY decorated and dimly lit. The sangria ($4 a glass) is the strongest I have had in a while (not super sweet). I put a picture of the best item on the menu - the goat cheese stuffed eggplant...extremely flavorful and tasty! The service was extremely quick to boot! read more

Tapas Barcelona - Surprisingly sweet...and delicious! - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Dined here with the wife on a recent Saturday night. The place has a cozy ambiance, warm lighting and a lot of energy because it's a fairly small space and tables are close together. We started with a draft beer and red sangria - both very good and reasonably priced. Over the course of the dinner we tried six different items - some very good and a couple I probably would not get again - although nothing was bad. Service was excellent even though the place was packed. Our waiter was friendly and always right there when we were ready to order another round of food or beer. We will definitely return to try some other dishes as the menu is quite extensive. read more

There are a lot of sort of fusion-style and frilly tapas bars out there, specializing in serving up twelve olives for $8, or other incredibly tiny, yet somehow expensive dishes, with several specialized ingredients that maybe add up to something tasty and maybe don't. In case you can't tell, that concept kind of annoys me, but this is the real deal: classic tapas, served up fast, in a friendly environment. My wife and I go here pretty often, and while it's not particularly fancy or innovative, we always enjoy ourselves. The ambience is cozy, with Barcelona posters, paintings, and memorabilia on the walls, but that doesn't stretch to the music, which tends towards a classic rock mix that occasionally strays into early 90s classic rock. It's also clearly a popular first and second date destination; we enjoy the people watching. Some people dress fancy, but we've been totally welcome in our gym clothes, so it's really a come-as-you-are place. We find that 4-6 plates are usually enough for two people. Favorites include the Queso De Cabra Con Tomate, Calamares A La Plancha, and Arroz Con Leche to close. They also have a pretty good selection of Jerez, from fino through oloroso, and the sangria is a great deal at under $4 a glass. If I'm absolutely certain my wife is driving home, I'll sometimes get the Conquistador, which is a good balance of coffee and liquor. read more

Tapas Barcelona is an Evanston staple for students and residents. They serve tapas--or smaller, shareable plates to nibble on as a group. Everything I've ordered from Tapas Barcelona has been a hit--the bacon wrapped dates, the goat cheese queso dip, the chicken skewers, bow tie pasta, croquettes, calamari, lamb chops, and of course the paella. If you come with a group definitely order a pitcher of sangria to share. This place is such a gem with the Spanish ambiance, great food, and quick service. read more

What a delightful hidden gem in downtown Evanston! I had such a great experience here. Service was super friendly and attentive. The red sangria was excellent: not at all watered down like some sangrias can be, but very rich and full-bodied. The food was great. A few dishes stood out, like the patatas bravas and the bacon dates (though admittedly, I am always a sucker for bacon dates). One of the specials was an asparagus dish (also with bacon, yum!) that was out of this world good. Pricing was EXTREMELY reasonable, and this place is a very good value. I will definitely return. read more

This place is cute when you walk in, and the servers are very friendly and knowledgeable about the different tapas they offer. The food itself is good, but it can get pricey after you order whatever you're interested from the menu. They may say that just sampling a few dishes can get you pretty full, but I need at least like 9-12 dishes :D I had the Queso de Cabra con Tomato, which is baked goat cheese in tomato sauce and olives, and comes with garlic bread. It was piping hot, and had a creamy texture. It was pretty good. There was also Empanada de Cordero, which was a puffed pastry with lamb with rioja sauce. I was not a fan as it was stuffed with ground lamb that was not seasoned well. The Salchicha de Pato was grilled duck sausage with mushroom ragu and rosemary sauce - they seemed to cook the duck meat overly done, since it produced an intense game-y flavor. The sauce itself was overpowering, especially with the rosemary. The Pincho de Gambas was a skewer of shrimp in garlic butter sauce - not overpowering, and just your typical shrimp. My favorite of all time was the Mejillones Plancha, which were grilled mussels served on an iron skillet. This skillet was about 6 inches up from the table, and they were sizzling when they came out. They were juicy, greatly seasoned, and lovely. +tapas +Queso de Cabra con Tomato +Mejillones Plancha read more

I had dinner here with a few friends on the patio; this was a great choice, since it was a mild autumn Friday. I have yet to sit indoors to compare the ambience. As always, my favorite tapas were the queso de cabra con tomate and patatas bravas. The -1 star is for our group having to ask our forgetful server about one dish more than 2 times. It may be because they were busy that night, but it's convenient to get decent tapas without having to travel to Chicago. I'll come back again. read more

Great tapas at a reasonable price! Service was a tad slow, but overall we really enjoyed the sangria and tapas. Things to try: bacon wrapped dates mushroom stew mussels (best thing on the menu) calamari (grilled not fried..yum!) rice pudding! This place is definitely worth a try! read more

Been frequenting this place for years and it's always been a dependable tapas experience. Great ambiance and good, if unspectacular food at reasonable prices. They have a large menu with several vegetarian and pescetarian options, something which many tapas restaurants lack. Some of the dishes I enjoyed are: - Patatas Bravas (a little too mild sometimes tho) - Grilled tilapia w/ lemon butter sauce - Baked goat cheese - Sauteed shrimp - Spanish flan - Profiteroles (puff pastry ice cream sandwich w/ chocolate sauce) The cold tapas weren't as good as the hot ones and a few of the desserts like the chocolate mousse and creme brulee were rather forgettable. Sometimes the tapas I want are not available (happens frequently with dessert). Wait times can be long If you're going on a weekend or evenings so it's a good idea to make reservations. read more

Food was simply not good. Tried all Tapas restaurants in Chicagoland and this one comes in last. Can not compare to Cafe Ibirico. All seafood plates were fishy, the 3 deserts were tasteless. 2 stars out of 3 is for good and fast service. Food need to improve big time! read more

I came here with a group of people for a birthday party. And, even though I'm not a huge fan of tapas and my boyfriend hates tapas, we both agreed that this place was decent. The reason is that the food here is OK, but the value is great! And tapas usually doesn't equate to value. A sampling of what we tried: -Goat cheese dip -- very rich and tasty with bread -Spinach and eggplant pizza -- standard, nothing to write home about -Shrimp skewer -- really tasty, def worth getting -Chicken linguini -- standard -Paella -- way too salty read more

Great experience every time I go. The food and the service are always excellent. I can't say enough about the black bean soup. The baked goat cheese and sauteed wild mushrooms are among my favorites. Salmon, tilapia and shrimp tapas are also pretty good. During the warmer months, it's great to enjoy tapas and sangria on the patio. The prices are also among the lowest in Chi area without lacking quality. Plus, it's located in downtown Evanston, which has plenty of little shops to check out. One thing to note, they get pretty busy on weekends, especially around holidays so it's good to make reservations. read more

great casual place to grab lunch with friends. fun atmosphere. convenient parking too. good service. i loved the smaller portions as it enabled us to try various plates. and, its surprisingly filling! Food: + Berenjenas Rellenas con Queso. Baked stuffed eggplant with goat cheese, hazelnuts, and roasted pepper sauce. an absolute must. it was delicious and everyone loved it. + Cabrillas Barcelona. Snails baked with tomato and alioli. scrumptious! dont be put off by the snails. ive never tasted snails before but this was delicious, there was no funky taste, and even my friend who was adamant against this dish loved it. the sauce is what did it for us. + Salmon con Esparragos. grilled atlantic salmon with asparagus, tomato basil, alioli. pretty good. hit my salmon craving. - Sangria. its okay, definitely not strong. and gets a bit watered down at the end. - Miro Pizza. cheese pizza with tomato and basil. skip it. its mediocre, too doughy, and just whatevs. the other foods definitely taste better. Note: They close at 2:30pm and reopen at 5:00pm! read more

Tapas Barcelona - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Tapas are fun and despite Tapas Barcelona's best efforts, its still a good place to go with friends. However, if you have had good tapas, you'll recognize the mediocrity of this Tapas. The food is not memorable but our server's rudeness was. read more

So the honey has moved to Evanston and we had our first big date night this weekend. We went to Tapas Barcelona. My honey is a picky eater and my honey loved it (which made me very happy!). I thought the food was good. Best of all, they had bacon wrapped dates in a red bell pepper sauce. I could've eaten 20 plates of those--they are so delicious! We also had lamb and a pork roast, both of which were tasty. For dessert, the waitress recommended a carmel banana thing. She said it was her favorite. I think we should've gone with chocolate thing, but whatever. I had the Spanish Margarita. It didn't work for me. It's my fault--I didn't read the ingredients, but there was no tequilla! Just brandy and some orange liquor. I was really wanting a good margarita, so that was the disappointment of the night for me. The best thing is that I love Sangria and although I didn't try theirs, all the reviews have it as delicious. And they got an wine delivery while I was there--they use the really cheap jugs of Gallo or Rossi (I can't remember the name, but I recognize the jug), which tells me what kind to buy next time I make sangria at home! Overall, I'd go back and thought it was pretty good. An extra star because my honey loved it. read more

My mom is literally obsessed with this restaurant. Addicted may be a better term - whenever my family comes down to Chicago it's Rollin' to Go for lunch and Tapas B for dinner. A fun atmosphere with friendly waiters. A range of Spanish tapas - the garlic shrimp, date-wrapped bacon, mussles, and goatcheese in tomato sauce are our favorites (after 4 years of parental visits - trust me, we've had a lot) and 2 types of Sangria (the red is best) along with an extensive drink list. Although it can get loud, a great date place and good for groups. read more

This place is a regular stop for my wife and me. It feels upscale without being pretentious, and a little romantic without cheesiness. Our favorites are the goat cheese (queso de cabra), Spanish potatoes (patatas bravas), potatoes alioli, and the calamari & shrimp ("...con gambas"). But really, you can't go wrong. On a warm summer night, eating in their courtyard is a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the evening. On-street parking can be a bit difficult on a weekend night (free after 9 pm!), but there's a cheap garage up the block at Orrington and Church. It's free for 1 hour, and something like $1 for each hour thereafter, so no need to spend 20 minutes circling the block. read more

Oh boy do I love this place. I work in Evanston, and love to meet my suburb friends for lunch here, at which time it's always easy to get a table. Dinner time, a little harder, but still haven't had to wait long. Anyway, I am a vegetarian so my opinion is limited to veggie dishes, but MAN are the vegetarian tapas good. Eggplant with goat cheese and hazelnut, Manchego cheese on bread with grilled veggies, and some really delicious little salads! I would skip the patatas bravas... not as good as most tapas places, but the creative dishes are fabulous. Very few cost more than $8 a plate, and most are closer to $5-6, which is cheaper than anywhere I've found in the city. Also, the sangria is great and only about $4 a glass, so you can totally get away with drinking 3 of them and not feeling like you spent too much. (Whether you feel like you drank too much is a different story.) Also, the patio is really awesome in the summer. read more

I stopped in there for the first time on Sunday for a really quick bite to eat - had the usual pancetta wrapped dates (awesome - better than La Tasca in Arlington Heights) with a really wonderfully fluffy tomato-ey sauce (just like La Tasca, but BETTER)), had meat skewered atop a bed of caramelized onions (Really tender and the onions were fab . . I really should caramelize a big batch of onions ever week and keep them in a container in the fridge so I can use them whenever I want). We also had little shrimp in garlic butter (and they WERE TINY shrimp in VERY GARLICKY butter - yumm!), and oh, the last thing .. . . Little fluffy pillowy goat cheese pillows from heaven wrapped in beautifully thin and even slices of eggplant. I don't remember if there was a sauce . . don't remember and don't care. It was like I was sneaking dessert treats into my mouth! Damn, those are good! read more

A paella without saffron isn't a paella. Not to mention it also lacked the correct rice. The restaurant was cutting corners to save money figuring most patrons won't notice or care. read more

nothing confuses me more than the hype about this place. I've spent the past 4 years in Evanston for college and have heard so many people rave about this place and i have tried and TRIED to like it because its convenient and the only tapas place not 30+ minutes away but i GIVE UP. it's more and more disappointing every time i come. the ONLY reason i ever come here is if all my friends are going so i dont get FOMO but i'm disappointed every time. if you don't believe me, just try the patatas bravas. if you're gonna be a bad tapas restaurant, at least have some good patatas bravas - quite literally the easiest and most classic/popular tapa. but NO!! THEY CAN'T EVEN DO THAT!!! que VERGÜENZA!!!! the potatoes are simply boiled and not even remotely crispy. the "spicy tomato sauce" tastes like watered down tomato sauce. similarly, crema catalana, a staple spanish dessert, BASURA!!!! the top tastes like there's a thin layer of glass, honestly almost cut the inside of my mouth. pls trust me and sacrifice the gas or time to go down to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba or something. ps i'd like to go out of my way to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the service and this review does not reflect their impact on my experience at all, ur doing great!!! read more

Service very poor. Did not refill water, bring bill promptly, refill bread, bring plates, take our order, the list goes on and on. The food however, tasted fairly decent for the most part. Not the most economical but not bad either. Would probably not come back. read more

Avoid this place until Covid is long-gone. Restaurants opened last week with outdoor, well spaced dining. All good. Big sign in the entrance for everyone to wear a mask. All good. But the waitstaff and buspeople were all taking off masks and wearing below their noses while talking to tables. The waiter got right in our face with his mask below his nose. It was disgusting. I would avoid this place. read more

Oh Tapas. I like them. I try not to base tapas in america off of tapas in Spain, because then I'd never be happy. But Tapas Barcelona was good. Well priced with HUGE portions (kind of negating the "tapas" portion, but I'll take it), we gladly ordered a lot of things that we enjoyed. I have to say that we ate a lot of goat cheese, which is always a plus in my book and the bacon wrapped dates were, of course, delicious. The beef tenderloin skewers were quite delicious and cooked perfectly. The sangria was strong, I thought, though I drank more than my share (whoops.) For dessert, I was excited that Crema Catalana was on the menu, so I got it. And then....I was disappointed. I know that Crema Catalana is essentially creme brulee (but better) and this was so very disappointing. Sorry I'm not sorry. Also, service was excruciatingly slow. Granted, I was eating with friends I hadn't seen in a year and a half, but I really didn't want to sit there for 3 plus hours when my lovely scenery is...Evanston. I could be back, especially if I'm in Evanston, but I won't go hardcore out of my way. read more

Pretty nice and affordable tapas restaurant located in the heart of Evanston. I came here last night with a group of friends celebrating their PhD candidacy, and I must say it was a good choice. There were 11 of us, so we ordered two pitchers of sangria to start. All of us pretty much ordered 2-4 things mainly for ourselves and then picked at each others' choices throughout the night. I ordered the Bacon Wrapped Dates, the Pork Sandwich, the Breaded Stuffed Olives, and the Roasted Mussels. I've had Bacon-Wrapped Dates at many other tapas restaurants, and these were some of the best I've had. There's a reason why everyone on Yelp seems to recommend them. The sandwich was okay -- nothing to write home about, and the potato salad was a little too garlicy for my tastes. The olives were yummy and completely new to me; breaded hot olives are genius, however. The mussels didn't really impress me. All in all, drinks and food cost each person $25 after tax and tip, which was amazing for a very fulfilling meal. I'll definitely be coming again and again. read more