My party of 4 celebrated a few birthdays (including me!). Originally our reservations was at another tapas place, but unbeknownst to us the first place we chose closed for the night for a staff function. Having been to COA before, my brother and I suggested it which worked out even better than expected! First the service was top notch from beginning to end. Our server was Ana, who was kind, super attentive, and made some excellent recommendations that was delicious. The food is exquisite in and of itself. We ordered several hot tapas in addition to a mixed paella and three skirt steak tacos. A couple of the tapas only had three servings and seeing as how we had 4 in the party, she upped the amount to 4. Now that's called dedication. During the course of the night, one of the member's of my party had a slight accident. Well management (Carlos and Kim) was on top of it from the get go and GRACIOUSLY took care of us throughout the night, making sure our service was OK. Hospitality like this is rare because you don't see many members of management walking table to table to make sure their guests are having a good experience. And Carlos did that throughout the night. Come for the food, stay for the experience. You won't be disappointed! read more

Great food! Very sumptuous! Plating is gorgeous. Service is dedicated, our server was a little confused, but we were a big party, so understandable. A nice place to hang out. read more

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Nothing to write home about. It was dark. We were seated under an air conditioning vent and were cold throughout our meal. Food was pretty good but pricey. And service was very slow. Not impressed for a restaurant located in the infamous Drake hotel. read more

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Ambience and the customer service, this restaurant can be 4stars. Unfortunately the octopus was overcooked and the pork chop, not only came sliced (weird) and it was cold. I'm not want one to send food back so I pretended to take it home. The muscles were OK. read more

Coa - Good taste, overcooked. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

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I came here one day after work on a Friday for Happy Hour. Located downstairs inside The Drake Hotel. There is a beautiful outside patio. Which I was a little disappointed, I wasn't able to sit outside because there was a wedding. I had to sit at the bar which wasn't bad. It still gave me a nice view of the outside and watching the wedding ceremony. The happy Hour menu consists of tacos, nachos, chicken wings, chips, salsa and dip. I ordered myself a nachos platter & a blueberry margarita. Both were $9.00. My first experience was nice. The atmosphere, my server was nice and attentive and the food/drink was tasty & delicious. I will be back. Hope my next visit will be even better. Great cocktails, lively atmosphere read more

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We made reservations at Coa at the Drake Hotel in Oak Brook. Upon arrival, we were seated immediately. Johanna, our guide for the evening, was both informative and engaging. She took excellent care of us throughout the night, and we never felt rushed. Our appetizers, entrées, and dessert all arrived promptly, were well‑seasoned, and were plated beautifully. It was an overall beautiful dining experience and the lobster empanadas were perfection. read more

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Came for brunch in one of their outdoor heated igloos. A nice variety of breakfast and lunch options. Service was good but a little slow, maybe because we were outside? My only issue is the prices listed on the menu were different than what I was charged. I didn't bring it to the servers attention but it added up to $4 more. I had two tapas items, octopus and mushrooms, both tasty. read more

Coa - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

2.5 but giving a generous 3. Coa is a Latin inspired resto located in the basement of the Drake hotel. For some reason I was expecting the music to be more Spanish or traditional but it very much felt like a Hispanic night club. Atmosphere was pretty cool, kind of felt like you are stepping into a vacay. My husband and I dined in to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary and unfortunately everything fell short. We were seated right away however it took a long time for anyone to acknowledge us or bring waters. Several tables around us that came in after were greeted by a staff member and was quick to attend to them, sadly that wasn't the case for us. I got so thirsty at 1 point that I noticed there was a large table that already had waters waiting for the guests to come in... Yup, I took 2 of those waters back to our table instead. I was hoping they would do something a little extra for our special occasion (which was notated on our reservation and confirmed by the host) but nada. I'm really bummed bc I've heard great things about Coa. Aside from the lack of service, the food was just OK. For $25 tacos I expected them to actually be filled. The serving was slim and flavor was fine. We also had the patatas bravas as well as the pincho de pollo. Again, it was fine but nothing special. read more

Fill the drinks to the top! The last few times we've noticed they don't fill the drinks to the tops of the glasses. For what you charge you should fill to the top. The drinks are delicious though. read more

The food was hands down the best best beat taco's I ever had. The sauce the guacamole was also the best yes the best I ever had, and trust me I have I have had a lot of tacos in my life but nothing like this. The service was also excellent me and my wife came there last yesterday but they took time out for us. Our anniversary of 35 years was yesterday and they treated us like we were so important and special it was great. Thank you so much. The ambiance was also great. read more

Visited Coa as a group of four for lunch. Located in The Drake hotel, the space is beautifully designed with Spanish inspired tile, textures, and moody colors. The restaurant space was previously a swimming pool and locker room for the hotel which impressed me to see such a transformation. Coa has been open for about a year now and offers both hot & cold tapas as well as individual salads and entrees for lunch. Our group decided to share plates and loved everything we ordered! Portions were good sizes, pricing was fair, and our server Peyton was very knowledgable on the food menu and flavors. I also asked Peyton a couple of questions on the tequila menu and he was a wealth of knowledge. Some of my favorite dishes we tried were the Pisto Manchego, Guacamole Tradicional, and Croquetas De Pollo y Jamon. Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Coa. It was intimate at lunchtime to have good conversation with others. The food was great and I would love to come back for dinner and cocktails. read more

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This review is for happy hour. The atmosphere is very nice. We sat at the bar on a Wed evening and there was only one other person. As for the happy hour menu, it's actually sad. No happy hour drink specials, the chips were a charge and came with guacamole, and there is NO plain chicken taco (without other meat), as listed in their menu. Very disappointing. The lobster empanada tapas listed on their main menu was delicious but pricey, particularly since there wasn't a lot of lobster meat. Not planning to return. read more

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Enjoyed myself celebrating my birthday. Great food options, tapas were delicious, service was exceptional Moises was so kind. The ambiance was beautiful perfect for a mental escape as the decor is breathtaking, date Night, or just good eating. I would definitely return. Plenty parking. Make reservations as there is a hotel in the same lot so just in case. I had rose sangria....it was tasty and not too dry Lamb chops perfectly cooked kinda thin for the cost but I was more excited about the chimmichuri sauce to accompany it. My friends has steak tacos, ceviche and Chipotle Cesar salad. All good reports of flavor and size. read more

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Nice looking small plates/tapas joint inside the Drake Hotel in Oakbrook. Came out here recently and it was a decent experience. I dont recall the waiter's name but he was a good dude ad came by the table pretty often to check on us and our needs. Started out with the Telys Mezcalita and it was pretty good...one of those cucumber jalapeño drinks. I went with mezcal old fashioneds from that point on. Guac and chips was good as a starter. Moved onto the Pulpo Parilla (octopus and yukon gold potato) and it was delicious! We then decided on the Paella De Mariscos which was very good as well. Had all the good stuff in it! Scallops, red snapper, octopus, shrimp, mussels, clams and of course the saffron rice. Its a good joint that has a charm to it and nice ambience. If you're in the OB, its definitely worth a try. read more

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Beautiful atmosphere - especially on a nice day outside. Plenty of seating and a gorgeous view of the fountain and landscape. Came here for their Sunday brunch but ended up going with a lunch combination (Mahi Mahi sandwich - salad). My husband ordered the date omelet. The food was pretty good. My fish was a bit overcooked but it was tasty with the tartar dressing. The dressings and sauces in general are delicious. The bun/bread also yummy. Service was attentive and friendly. One of my favorite features was the live music. Beautiful touch to our Sunday time at Coa. read more

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Great experience. Food and drinks were delicious. Located in the lower level of the Drake. Lively atmosphere. Service was good . Wonderful spot for date night. Here are my favorites from the evening: Scallop ceviche Mixto Paella Chicken mole entree read more

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The margaritas at this place are amazing. Make sure you get the prickly pear. Philly cream cheese soup is also very good as well as the lobster empanadas. read more

Coa - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

The food was good. Nice location especially if you are staying at the Drake. The service was good. Nothing we got really stood out as a must to go back to eat. read more

We flew into Chicago from Houston, and our connecting flight to South Bend, Indiana was canceled, so we found ourselves stuck in Chicago for the day. When life gives you lemons (or a massive snowstorm)... My son and I immensely enjoyed our dinner at Coa, and coming from Houston, our bar is high. The menu is unique, fun, and diverse. With the blizzard outside, not many folks were there, so we sat at the bar. Anthony and Meg warmed the place up with their hospitality and exceptional service. There was also a third gentleman working the bar that brought five star service. I apologize for not remembering his name. I always notice how people interact with one another, and I noticed that all of the staff is working as a team, and positive and professional towards one another. A sign of great people with solid training. Our food was delicious. We started with the lobster empanadas and guacamole. My son had the tacos and I had the gamba shrimp. We highly recommend them all. I want to try the paella next time. I recommend the Toronja Martini, different and delicious. Thank you to Coa for making our unexpected day in Chicago a great experience. read more

Came for a girls night out and was not disappointed! We were a group of four and decided instead of entrees we would take advantage of the tapas variety they offered. Here's what we thought: Guac & chips - 8/10, Guac was tasty but could've used a little more salt Gambas Al Ajillo - 10/10, shrimp was soo delicious!!! The sauce was very garlicy and went perfect with the shrimp Lobster empanada - 15/10, I could've had a few more of these for a meal. Sooo flavorful and the sauces that came with them were a great match Datiles Rellenos - 0/10 for me. My table liked them a lot! But the goat cheese was not it for me. I feel like it's an acquired taste lol Patatas Bravas - 6/10, I love me some good potatoes but there was a lack in flavor. The sauce needed more spices for sure. Calamares a la plancha - 7/10, if you want very basic calamari this is it. It was good and the sauces were good too (I'm big on sauces/dips!) For dessert we had: Churros con canela - 10/10, absolutely delicious! The waiter recommended dipping it in ice cream and that was the perfect combo. Filloa Rellena - 10/10, crepes filled with ice cream and a berry compote and it all went so well together! I highly recommend getting this plus the churros because the flavors all combined are chefs kiss! Overall, we had such an amazing night!! Our waiter Himal was incredible and was on top of drinks and recommendations. The vibe was so chill and I felt super comfortable. We were already talking about coming back before we got the check lol read more

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First time here, wow amazing place From the moment you walk in, an impressive setting The service and food were excellent, no complaints here The Tampiquena was to die for the patatas bravas were amazing read more

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So delicious! It is quite pricey here. To save some money, you can order individual entrees. The paella serves 2-3 people so it nice to divide in a small group. Such great options on their menu. I would love to come back and try more! read more

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I would have given this place a 10 out of 5 if I could have! Everything was AMAZING! The waitress Mika had great recommendations, was welcoming and accommodating! The food - all of it - had an outstanding blend of flavors. Even the presentation was well done. I recommend Coa for a great meal and stylish ambiance for a date night, business dinner, or just great food! The whole staff was there to make the experience exceptional! Will be back next week!! read more

2nd review of COA after being there 3 to 4 times in the past six months - I love this place! You rarely find restaurants these days with such consistency, high-quality, outstanding service and ambience. We have had the chicken poblano skirt steak tacos, short rib, ribs, lots of appetizers. everything is delicious. SUPER sad they have done away with the landscape/nature, montage on the huge screens in the restaurant- it was relaxing and mesmerizing- now I have look at a screen that tells met than happy hour or prime rib on sat night- feels very Vegas and wrecks the vibe a bit. But we'll be back! read more

Coa - Restaurant - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

We celebrated our girlfriend's birthday and we all love the food and the service was excellent! They surprised the birthday celebrant with a gorgeous cheesecake dessert with candle! read more

Just ok. Nothing was bad. But nothing was great. Server was very nice and attentive. Helped explain how the menu worked. That these are easy for sharing. Server not overly enthusiastic about any dishes in particular. She mentioned the steaks are great. We tried some tapas. Sauce for mussels was great with a good amount of kick to it but several Mussels tasted a little funky and served with only two slices of bread. How do you get all that great sauce without enough bread. I hate when restaurants do this. The Gambas shrimp appetizer was our favorite. Very good and garlicky. But could have used bread to scoop it up. When we asked for more bread we did get it but it took d while. Croquettes were just ok. Not much flavor. We ordered a paella which was just ok. It felt like it took longer than 30-35 min. Tasted fresh but a bit salty... and I actually like my food a bit salty. Two of the clams in the paella were funky. Overall pretty good just overpriced for what it is. read more

We chose Coa in the Drake Hotel Oakbrook to celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary. It has only been open for a few months but they do a spectacular job of presentation and attention.to detail in the Spanish Mexican Tapas Fusion menu. Our waiter Dom was very helpful with helping make suggestions for my gluten free restrictions. The Chef Enrique Dominguez came out to greet us and we enjoyed our conversation with him. The setting is inviting with a mix of contemporary and traditional flair. They are experts at handling groups as well as individuals. Their take on the Dates hot appetizer is a must and is more savory than sweet. The Paella Mixta came out piping hot and was the star of the evening. Make sure to come hungry and enjoy! read more

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Outstanding. Everything I ordered was delicious. The drink special was a mixture of tequila, pomegranate, Cholula and lemon. Super unique and very good. The service was exceptional and the vibe of the restaurant is fun, yet sophisticated. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to returning on my next business trip. read more

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We decided to try this fairly new Spanish restaurant (Opened Mar 2024) for our Anniversary since we are going to Spain later in the year. Located in the Drake Hotel Oakbrook,COA is a fusion of Spanish and Latin foods. Open for lunch and dinner,they offer a fantastic selection of hot and cold tapas,unique appetizers and creative Spanish/Latin plates along with Paella. Everything is meant for sharing . Nice wine list along with creative cocktails and an excellent selection of tequilas and mezcal. The staff is super friendly and chef Ezequiel Dominguez is a culinary genius. They also offer a Happy Hour and Late Night menu along with patio dining. A true gem in the Western suburbs! read more

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We chose to have small plates. Each one was an explosion of flavors. Juan was our server. He was very attentive. Coa has an energizing vibe. read more

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It's in the basement of the Drake hotel. While the food is good it's overpriced and feels damp down there. I would go back maybe on a dry winter day but not in the spring or fall. I loved the octopus and salad and tacos. The service is slow as waiters are also bartenders and busboys. Don't get the empanadas they taste like air and are pricey. Maybe just go for drinks and tacos. If your are there on the weekends you will likely find a rowdy wedding reception party so be prepared. read more

Coa - Pulpo delicioso! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

Fabulous time@lunch, loved the ambiance and service by Dajee. Sangria was spot on, the small plates were good but not great....can improve a notch. Flan consistency was good but eggy. overall a good experience. read more

Coa - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

The service was very good. The food ; some dishes were good and others just didn't hit the spot for my guest and I. I thought the guacamole was great. My friend said the ceviche was too fishy for her, I didn't mind it. The paella could use some tweaking. It was too soggy- it was wet. And the fried banana dessert ; on the menu it did say it was fried with butter and covered in a caramel sauce. Fried bananas usually has a batter coating and fried - this one did not. Overall - I would try it again. read more

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Went with a few friends on a Saturday night. Service was great. Food was large portions. Delicious and will definitely return. read more

Yummy yumm! From the attentive server to the beautiful decor right down to the amazing meal. Five stars. I cannot wait to go back. read more

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We had a wonderful time, the restaurant was beautiful. Juan was our sever and did an amazing job! He took wonderful care of the four of us. Items were easily shared. Highly recommend the lobster empanadas, and the pulpo a la parrilla (Octobwas incredibly tender, and cooked to perfection) Croquettas de pollo y jamón and patatas aioli were good as well! The paella mixta was a must. Would have loved to see a socarrat but the flavor was amazing! read more

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We had a blast tear, it was actually a friend Birthday, and so we arrived at the time of reservation. It was a little tricky finding now which side in which floor the restaurant was on. But once we did that, it was a pleasant surprise is tucked down on the lower level. Absolutely. Gorgeous, spacious sexy vibes. All the way period as I understand they might be getting that happy hour. Meet you soon and I definitely want to utilize that Period everything worked fresh um, made to order. Excellent suggestion by the waitstaff.Excellent drinks margaritas.I've definitely tasty and their signature drink.I cannot wait to return read more

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I am staying a the hotel and decided to try Coa for dinner. I had very high hopes bc of all the great reviews but the food was subpar. The server was nice but it doesn't make up for lackluster food. All of the dishes lacked balance. The ceviche needed more citrus but was seasoned fully with salt. The lobster empanadas had no lobster and the crust was terrible. Also, it tasted like it was fried in old grease. I will not list all the dishes, it was all bad. read more

Really disappointing experience. We had been wanting to come and try for a while so chose COA for date night. We decided to sit at the bar for happy hour and sat directly in front of the bartender and barback, we were not really greeted, welcomed, zero eye contact. I'm a stickler for hospitality and just felt like we were bothering them, hate that. The manager also came behind the bar at one point (assuming manager as he was in a dress shirt and slacks) and did not greet or make eye contact or ask if we needed anything. Just went behind there and had their own little personal chat. We finally asked the bartender if we could order something and ordered a few small plates off the happy hour menu and they were all decent. The drinks were actually made well, but extremely overpriced in my opinion (hotel restaurant- but you can't look to target locals with those prices). $27 old fashioned is a little much (considering he selected a rye bourbon and didn't use the house recipe). I told the hostess we would be eating dinner at the bar instead of dining room, she was actually very pleasant and nice. Made eye contact and smiled. I ordered the salmon which was actually nice, however my boyfriend ordered the Mar Y Tierra and this was the most offensive looking plate. Didn't get a picture of it until after we had attempted to eat already. Slathered in oil, the octopus was not charred nicely so just wet tasting from all the oil. The steak was so paper thin (like one half of a butterflied skirt steak) also swimming in a garlic oil, it was so unappetizing. The green rice was mushy. The shrimp was the only saving grace on that plate. All in all, we unfortunately learned a lesson trying a new restaurant in the suburbs yet again- another let down. Service was so unfriendly, and will not return for that alone. read more

Coa - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

This was our second time here (we eat at the drake for our anniversaries as we got married at the drake!) I really do enjoy the food here! The mango puree margarita was so delicious! The ceviche, and ham appetizer was amazing. I felt like they changed the guacamole a bit, last time it seemed it was made fresh, this time it seemed to be premade, still good but lacking the fresh taste. The shrimp tapas was so flavorful. The mussels were large and a good portion, I just didn't love the flavors. The dessert menu was really impressive, we had something that reminded me of crème brûlée as well as a crepe ice cream combination! We did say it was our anniversary, it was acknowledged but no dessert to celebrate which was kinda a bummer. Overall, I look forward to coming back and trying more of the menu! read more

Coa - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois