Chef John Manion is the creative force behind Brasero, a new Brazilian-influence restaurant. His sister restaurant is the El Che Steakhouse & Bar. The dining room which seats 120 opened in February 2024. Manion describes the cuisine as "wood-fired and Latin-inspired." The open kitchen at the back of the restaurant showcases a massive wood-fueled grill. The menu features a mix of small and large plates, with plenty of seafood and beef. Three of us arrived for dinner on Sunday evening and the restaurant was packed at 7pm. One thing we noticed immediately was the restaurant's noise level. We asked to be moved to table along the wall, which seemed to dampen the sound somewhat. We ordered: Pao de Queijo - Brazilian Cheese Bread served with incredible Klug Strawberry-Serrano Jam, we could have ordered seconds Grilled Oysters - The hot sauce is what makes these unique Charred Asparagus Salad - Loved the smokey flavor and hot honey, we could have ordered seconds Tuna Ceviche - A flavor explosion with pineapple, serrano and avocado Grilled Young Chicken - The char was awesome, super tender and juicy 10 Ounce Center Cut Ribeye - Perfectly prepared, tender and sliced Coal Roasted Sweet Potato - The Crème Brulee finish on the potato was delish Banana Cartola - Crème Brulee with Yogurt Gelato. We were surprised it took almost 15 minutes before a server came to our table and then another 10+ minutes for our drinks to arrive. Watching other tables nearby being served quicker, I still can't understand what caused these delays. Our server apologized twice for the delays, but I should have flagged down one of the managers to see if they could provide some accommodation. The restaurant features a stunning décor and has an awesome vibe. Once the food arrived, the delivery was timely and the presentation amazing. Other than the service lag, it was a perfect first-meal at a new restaurant! read more

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I give a 4.5 solid score. Street parking: metered Make reservation or go early For starters I ordered a (tall drink of water) drink name... alcohol level low. So I then got a caipirinha... great drink and flavor...lots of ice tho. I also had a glass of full bodied wine. Delicious! Appetizers: oysters...omg delicious!!! downside you get 4. We had 3 orders. Pao de queijo also delicious great butter and jam. Downside you get 4. This should be table bread that's complimentary. Dinner: whole red snapper. Nice char, juicy, flavorful, and the sriracha and lime great balance. Downside al a carte so we ordered a roasted sweet potato... delicious! Twice baked, cheese, and brulee crunch absolutely good. Perfect balance of savory and pinch of sweet. Thin Pork chops: perfectly cooked. Good balance of greens, nuts, and grapes. The sauce was also a great kick to balance things out too. Moqueca... seafood soup like bowl with shrimp mussels mahi and rice.... also pretty good. I would have liked it with a spicy kick. Nonetheless good. Dessert: coconut ice cream sundae... nice for dairy free folks. Chocolate cake with gelato... very rich chocolate but good taste. Ambiance was very nice for friends day out, date night, & family dinner. The server was exceptional she was attentive, provided suggestions, and was concerned when I had an allergic reaction. This place is a nice neighborhood gem. I would return. read more

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Must visit in Chicago! Every dish was amazing, service and ambiance were top notch! I can't wait to make it back here again! The sweet potato dish was delicious read more

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The food and service were great. The place was dimly lit and had a cozy vibe to it. Nice place overall minus the drops of wine that was left on my table and utensil as I sat down at my table. We had the grilled oysters, broccolini as a side and the surf & turf dish as our entree. The steak was delectable; so flavorful and the tender with the right amount of fat and a nice char on the outside. I'm not a fan of oysters but I tried them and the buttery sauce they were in made it worth trying. read more

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This was my fourth time here. First for brunch. Gorgeous restaurant! Sat by the window this time. Spacious seating. I'd give my pineapple, orange, prickly pear juice 10/10. Shrimp & crab ceviche 6/10. Yummy, crispy plantain chips. The ceviche was more like a salsa without a lot of shrimp or crab in it. My frittata was small. 1/10. Flavorless & rubbery. The sauce drizzle & greens made it a bit better. My husband had chicken & waffles. 6/10 The waffles needed to be cut with a steak knife. The center was chewy & rubbery. Chicken was good. The service was good. So far, our first visit was the best. The second time, we ordered 4 plates & they completely forgot one of our dishes. It took forever for anyone to come over to us. They said, do you still want it? Yes! It was a main entree after a salad & appetizers. The food at that visit was missing a couple ingredients. I'm planning on giving them another chance. Just not for brunch. For the price, there are many better options nearby. read more

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Came here for my birthday and I was not disappointed! Quality- the fries are delicious. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and the chimchuri sauce they give adds a touch of tangyness. The quail is cooked well-not dry at all. The skin was seasoned and crispy. The bread was buttery and sweet. It is a great appetizer. The fish was my personal favorite. The meat fell off the bones and didn't have the "fishy" taste most fish has. It's also got some great mango sauce on it. The pork dish is excellent as well. It's a bit on the saltier side but the cook on it was excellent. Everything I had here was great. No complaints. Quantity- a bit expensive but worth the price given it's a nice Brazilian steak house. Atmosphere- the tables are a bit too close to each other. Otherwise good. Service- very fast and attentive servers read more

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I brought my best friend here for her birthday. We found free street parking very nearby. We were immediately sat upon arrival and began with a round of drinks. The restaurant was dimly lit and moderately quiet. I had the Moolah and she had a margarita. I really enjoyed my cocktail, it was refreshing. We then ordered the Grilled Oysters and the Grilled Prawns. Both were very delicious and we could've had more! For entrees, we both got the Grilled Half Lobster. We also added a side of the Coal Roasted Sweet Potato and Grilled and Chilled Broccolini. We LOVED the lobster and favorited the broccolini. Everything was amazing just kind of small portions for the prices. read more

Food - so many flavors. Every dish perfectly executed and the menu changes just slightly with the season. As a pescatarian I can still leave happy and full. Don't sleep on the Cesar broccolini side. Service - extremely attentive and kind. Ambiance - lively and warm. Loud enough for a vibe but not so you can't have a nice conversation read more

Brasero - Bone in steak. Broccolini on the bottom. Ramen dish on the right. Had the prawns on the side. Big enough to share with 2-3 ppl. - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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To preface this follow-up review, the Brasero team reached out after my first review to come back to give them a second try. This review will go over that experience. When we arrived, we were greeted by the assistant general manager Trevor and coincidentally seated right next to where we sat the first time. Once seated, our server Dwayne swung by and took our drink orders and proceeded to do a tasting menu style experience where we could sample a variety of dishes and we had our picks of the mains. As far as service goes, Dwayne went above and beyond as a server. He was attentive, informative, and very friendly! Our plates were switched out regularly between rounds, water refilled, and tables getting a pass through wipe which was a nice touch. The space like before is still beautifully decorated with the highlight being the open kitchen where you can see the back of house at working on the charcoal grill. Now as far as food goes, here's the rundown... Drinks: - N/A Bartender's Choice Mocktail: This was guava forward with some a nice lightness to it from the Yerba Mate Soda. We also ordered the Caipirinha and Moolah. My SIL and brother both seemed to enjoy it. Seemed like the Caipirinha was very citrus forward and the Moolah was their take on a Moscow mule (I'm currently dry so this is just second-hand). Share plates: - Pão de queijo: Really nice snack to start. Found the bread to be extra bouncy (we love great gluten development) and especially enjoyed the truffle catupiry cheese spread with it. Made a good combo when mixed with apple butter. Would recommend for sure! - Grilled Oysters: Very garlic forward with nice texture of the plantain-cashew crumble. I prefer grilled over raw oysters so this hit. - Grilled Prawns: Well cooked, I really liked the smokey char grilled flavor of the prawns. Like wok hei! - Hokkaido Scallop Crudo: This was served after the above three. I found it really nice "freshener" type dish with all the acid components. - Kavroy Salmon Ceviche: Really enjoyed the hearty chunks of salmon. The house made plantain chips were also great. I do feel like they were a bit flimsy to scoop up anything substantial from the ceviche. Still, one of my favs! Mains: - Noodles: I know moqueca stew is a Brazilian dish, but I do feel like anytime you use coconut milk in a stew or curry, it just wounds up tasting like a Thai curry. Which is nothing wrong with! Found it super flavorful and reminiscent to a Khao soi loaded with seafood. My critique for this dish though is the noodles, despite using Akahoshi ramen noodles, didn't feel as bouncy as I was hoping. In fact, it felt a smidge overcooked. I do maybe have recency bias though since I had Akahoshi literally the day before so I'm sure their noodles were a bit fresher and also... that's all they do. I'm not sure I'd necessarily recommend this dish for the price point though if I had to single out a dish. - Braised Pork Shank: Really beautiful pork shank served with all the fixings (including more pork belly!!). I did really enjoy the smokey pork belly. The pork shank did have bits that felt a bit dry, but still quite tender throughout. The risotto and salad served along it were a great compliment! Sides: - Coal-Roasted Sweet Potato: Enjoyed how they incorporated the cheese with the sweet potato and then finished it off with a creme brûlée torched type finish. It was definitely very rich though. I enjoyed it! - Grilled and chilled broccolini: Sleeper dish for me. I did like a nice cold salad dish as a side. If you like caesar salad and always wondered what it'd taste like with something other than romaine lettuce... well this is the dish for you. Desserts: - Coconut soft serve: I'm a sucker for coconut and soft serve! So it was always going to be a winner for me. Liked the copious amounts of shredded coconut flakes on it... hot fudge doesn't hurt either. - Passion Fruit Semifreddo: Really refreshing dish if you're looking for something fruity instead of creamy for dessert. I liked the rice puff and slivered almonds (?) included with it. Lots of great texture. - Budino: My favorite dessert. Banana forward with this dessert. The nila wafer crumble had me feeling nostalgic. It reminded me of a Cristina Tosi Compost Cookie with how they incorporated sweet and savory goodness with the crushed pretzels, too. Really appreciative of John, Trevor, Dwayne, and the rest of the Brasero team for reaching out and providing me, my brother, and SIL a much improved experience than from our original visit. Overall had a really good time and looking forward to seeing what exciting new dishes Dwayne was alluding to next year. read more

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The food and service were outstanding. Everything was great, but the grilled whole branzino was the best I have had.

You've got to be kidding me with this place! The hype is real y'all. All you really need to know is that happy hour is EVERY DAY at the bar from 5-7. Drinks and food options were so good on that menu we never even made it to the main menu! Friends had the Pimm's Papi to drink- a respectable choice, but pales in comparison to the Moolah. I really aspired to try the Brasero G&T, but the Moolah was just TOO good. So refreshing! To eat we had Endive Salad (delish), the Grilled Broccolini which was the best thing of the night maybe.. incredible depth of flavor, texturally interesting. I needed a whole plate to myself. A plate of grilled oysters to start, which was a lovely beginning to the meal and I knew right away with this bite that the meal was going to be stunning! Best oysters I've had in a long time. Delicious broth 10/10. The pan seared mushrooms were yummy but didn't stick out in my mind with so many other incredible items, and finally the paulista pork fried rice which was incredibly smoky and yummy. Very substantial bowl of rice- full of that smoky pork! I loved this meal and plan to return quite soon with my partner to try some other menu options! Felt very lucky to get 3 seats at the bar on a Friday night- go now before this place gets too popular! They are killing it! Thanks as well to our bartender who was a lovely host to us for our evening. Us girls had a lot to catch up on and he was kind and gave us space but kept drinks and bellies full! read more

Brasero - Grilled oyster - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Bad value for Restaurant Week in my opinion. They're at the highest price point and they provide sample-sized dishes for that menu. Not sure if they are making people want to return. Yes, tasty, but leaving a sour taste when paying the bill. I'd say they should've done the $45 price point for what they are expediting from the kitchen. read more

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

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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Came here for a friend's birthday dinner with a pretty large group so was able to try majority of the menu! All the food was delicious and really brought me back to my time in Brazil. I really liked the pork shank, noodles, prawns but all menu items overall were really good. Service was also super thoughtful and great especially about the cake and special occasion celebration. 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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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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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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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

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

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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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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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

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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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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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

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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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

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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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

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

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

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

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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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

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