This place was great, for sure 23 years ago... when we came there, it smelled like wet rug. I wanted to leave right away but mi friend stopped me, and told to give this place a chance. Well server had nice accent but was not very attentive. Food was 2 out 5 stars. read more

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Emilio's and Meson Sabika are my two fav tapa places in Chicago area. Lots of vegetarian , vegan and gluten free options. Food, service are great, they never disappoint me. If you are vegetarian, the patato hot tapa is really good, so is the eggplant cold tapa. Personally , I love the grilled squid . read more

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I love this place 100 plus more percent! The food and service is phenomenal. Live music Friday is a plus!

Absolutely wonderful! Loved Emilio's when they were in downtown Chicago, but so happy they are closer to home now! Food is wonderfully amazing and the atmosphere is lively, especially when they have live music (we went on a Friday night). Emilio even sent us a round of pink moscato....a man after my heart! We ordered a few different tapas plates and were not disappointed at all. read more

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Food was great and it was delivered promptly. We had the oven in warm to make sure we could warn it for 5-10 min before eating. The food is delivered in oven friendly ware which makes it very easy. Will be ordering again. read more

Service was impeccable. The ambiance was great. The food was A-OK. We tried 4 things. Two were ehhhh, two were great! So it was a wash. Prices are a little high for what it is. I'm going to try the happy hr next time - $1.95 tapas. Can't complain even if you're not in love with it. Hopefully, I'll find more dishes on the great side. Here's the breakdown... Fruto Del Mar - Let me start by saying I ALWAYS get the seafood stew dish, love love love them. This one was very unique in that it was a cilantro something broth. A bit salty but yummy. It came with two large muscles and two clams - both were subpar. Clams were grainy and not cleaned properly. Muscles were a day past its prime so they were fishy. The one shrimp was a bit overcooked so rubbery. BUT the scallop - oh so perfectly tender and delish with the salty broth. Too bad I can't just get this dish with all scallops. Fish was standard, nothing of note. Overall very disappointed. Queso de Cabra al Horno - aka baked goat cheese in sauce. The actual cheese and sauce was fine but the bread was terrible. Really good bread to slather the cheese and sauce on is essential!! The garlic bread was like a rock, way too hard and it was premade so cold. Berenjenas a la Andaluz - aka the roasted eggplant cold dish. It was really yummy! The eggplant had good flavor. I was a bit dubious about all the random stuff they put in it but it surprisingly works! Pincho de Solomillo a la Pimienta - aka grilled beef with caramelized onions and horseradish. I saved the best for last! The beef was so so so tender and the onions/horseradish was a perfect compliment. My mouth waters thinking about it now. Will def be getting this dish again. read more

This is our go to place for special occasions. Everything we've tasted on the menu has been delicious. I love the dates and the artichoke. Also the garlic potato salad is awesome. Sangria is good. I love the outdoor seating, especially during the summer ( during non-Covid times). Staff has always been friendly and knowledgeable and they've always give me a good recommendations whenever I've asked. read more

Been here many times, brought my extended family of 5 here a month ago, have always tipped well and had no problems. I make a reservation for my wedding anniversary, and we are forced to wait 45 minutes to be seated, no one comes out to talk to us or appease us, it's like we didn't even matter, no care for making us wait that long with a reservation. For the record, the reservation was for 8:30 PM, we arrived at 8:35 pm. Arriving 5 minutes after a reserved time, has never been an issue at any restaurant I have ever been to. It has never been considered as a late arrival. My wife and I left after waiting so long. If your customer service sucks, it doesn't matter how your food is. So disappointed. read more

Went out the first time with my husband for a while. Had Covid just before Christmas and have just been to tired to go out. As usual, food was fabulous, service at the bar with Alfredo was awesome as well. Hostess found us two seats at the bar. And to top it off they had live music which was just wonderful! I really missed this whole experience. We'll be back sooner! read more

My wife and I first went to Emilio's on a date over 20 years ago, and we fell in love with tapas and the entire Spanish experience enough to visit Spain and taste the real deal. Being closer to Naperville, we became big fans of Emilio's (now Meson Sabika) there. But we decided to visit the original recently, and go back where it all began. So here's what we thought: The food was very good, but not knock your socks off good. We enjoyed, but didn't LOVE the cold and hot tapas and paella. There were just no superstar bites. The service on the other hand, gets 5 stars! Our waitress couldn't have been more attentive and friendly. Go there for good food and great service. I hear they are going to move to a new location very close to where they are now. Hopefully, they are waiting to introduce some new fares that will bring back the wow factor. read more

We've eaten Tapas at Emilios in Hillside ILL. for +10 Yrs and have NEVER been displeased with quality of food or service. Emilios Hillside went to extraordinary efforts to offer their unique "Tapas Experience" while complying with Covid-19 business restrictions. Our THANKS to Emilios to providing their tapas specialties now and in the future! read more

Great place, we've been here several times. Just went New Year's Eve, 8:45 turn. Live music. Excellent selection of tapas. We especially liked the goat cheese w/ pears and pecans, the dates w/ bacon, the fruto del mar, and the baked goat cheese. 4 of us had 8 tapas and a good bottle of wine for $140 + tip. Excellent service from Axel. Nice crowd but not too noisy in the side room. Haven't been in decent weather but their outdoor seating looks like it would be fun. One slight negative is their glass pour wine is too expensive ($11-15). Bottles are a much better deal. We had a pretty good 2011 Montescillo Rioja Reserva for $38. We'll definitely be back. read more

It's okay. Food is good don't get me wrong but for what it's worth, I've had much bigger portions for a tapas place in the city for probably half the cost. This place is closer to me but I'd still make the trip to city. Service was alright. "Champiñones" "setas" and "hongos" are the same thing in Spanish there was no need for the server to give my table a lousy attitude when ordering. read more

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

Very comfortable family dinning. Great food, tapas. The paella is awesome. The sangria and desserts are a great way to end the night.

Decided to check this place out while in the Windy City. I loved the Paella. They make it fresh, it takes 30 minutes to make but well worth the wait. The garlic potato salad is must along with the grilled calamari. read more

Emilio's Tapas - Paella a La Mariscos - Spanish Near Me - Hillside, Illinois

Great food. Cool place. Service excellent. Reasonable. Definitively will return. read more

Service is always pleasant . Servers are very Amicable and attentive. Food is good- fresh ingredients, pretty authentic, good variety for those with dietary restrictions. Sangria is good too! I usually have the red. Ambiance is a little cluttered but not in a overwhelming way. read more

This has been our go to place for decades. Emilio and Anne-Marie are wonderful. The food is great. The service is good. There's parking and outdoor seating too. Some nights they have music and flamenco. Other times wine tasting and dinner. I recommend it highly read more

If there were more than 5 stars this place would get it! An amazing balance of quality food, great atmosphere, and a laid back feel. If you haven't been to Emilio's yet plan to come asap! We highly recommend the bacon wrapped dates, artichokes, octopus salad, jamon tomato bread and plantain dessert read more

Great restaurant with amazing food. The service was good and the menu is authentic and there is a variety on the menu! Good sangria!

I went here last week, Friday for lunch and was not impressed. The portion and flavor of the tapas I ordered were not worth the price in my opinion. The tapas I had were the following: - EMILIO'S PATATAS BRAVAS - QUESO DE CABRA AL HORNO - CHAMPIÑONES RELLENOS - Special - Flaming Mignon with Chorizo and vegetables Out of these plates, the Patatas Bravas was the best plate, flavored very nice with a decent portion size to share with three adults. The worst plate was the Champiñones Rellenos. They are mushrooms that were not stuffed enough, they tasted slimy and the portion size was three caps that was semi-filled with some cheese for $8.95. NOT worth it. The baked goat cheese was fine, nothing too exciting. I can make this dish at home for half the price and have tomato sauce flavored more the way I like it (I don't think it was flavored enough). The meat special was okay (I forgot exactly what it was called) - there were about two small pieces of steak for three adults sharing the plate. The steak was cooked fine (again I could have made it myself). The rice that comes with the dish is presented nicely and is good when you have it mixed with the little portion of cheese that is sprinkled on top of it. The chorizo and vegetables were minced. There was another type of meat but I forgot what it was which was mixed with the vegetables and chorizo. As you can tell, I was not that impressed with this dish. Honestly, my first impression was not the best. I went because a cousin was raving about how good it is. She even admitted that her usual visits weren't as disappointing as this. From her reviews alone, it sounds like the restuarant is inconsistent. I would rather go to the city and spend my money on a different tapas restaurant. read more

Amazing tapas. Don't miss out on the best bacon wrapped dates ever! The sauces are amazing on all the dishes.

Service was attentive, food was good Although the patatas bravas were mediocre, would not recommend that item Got the paella for two people and got a free bottle of wine which was a definite plus Asked the waitress if she can have the paella made crispy and a little burnt but it was a difficult feat to accomplish because you need a specific type of rice All and all it was a good experience I knew the manager from a previous restaurant we worked at together and he hooked it up with a free dessert. The flan was amazing Will be back read more

I hardly ever write reviews (My star ratings are my reviews :P), but since I had two VERY different experiences here in two back-to-back days, I felt compelled to share. The first time I went was this past Saturday with my dad. There was an excitement in the air and everyone was really enjoying themselves, so I was pumped--especially since I adore Spain/Spanish culture and haven't been to a decent Spanish restaurant in quite a while. The service was lovely and prompt and the selection was amazing, if not a bit overwhelming. I ordered the bacon-wrapped dates, which were FAR too sweet for me, but I could tell others liked them, so "to each his/her own." The mango sangria was delightful, as was the cream of mushroom soup. (My dad ordered some shrimp that turned out to be quite rubbery, but he enjoyed his soup, as well.) The molten chocolate lava cake was also very well done. That was all my stomach had room for that evening (I'd eaten a late lunch), so I got a lovely brown bag with the restaurant's logo on the front (Nice touch!) to take my leftovers back that night. But I REALLY wanted to have a richer foodie experience than I'd had on my quasi-full stomach (I love Spain, remember?), so I came back the very next evening because I honestly couldn't resist. THAT experience was 5 stars for me. On Sunday (yesterday), I came in with my boyfriend and we were served by "Axel R" (at least that was the listed server name on the check; it was clearly not Axl Rose :P), who seemed nice enough in the beginning, but proceeded to completely ignore us once we'd placed our orders. I couldn't even get SALT after waiting for 15 minutes. My incredibly understanding boyfriend even said, "He's busy. Maybe he's getting it now at the ba---Nope. He's still ignoring us." Every time he passed our table, which was quite often, he never asked how we were doing or even remembered what we'd requested. His section wasn't even half-full, so this dropped his tip percentage down remarkably. (We usually start at 25% and leave it there, unless the service is, well, crap--for lack of a better word.) Additionally, the raspberry sangria was watered down (a drastic difference from the lovely mango sangria I'd enjoyed the previous evening); the seafood paella was mediocre and desperately needed salt/seasoning (I make better on a regular basis at home! And I'm not a professional by any means!), and I honestly didn't care to stay any longer than was absolutely necessary once I'd realized how inconsequential we were in the eyes of our server. The flank steak was amazing (It was highly recommended by the table next to us, so we took their advice and didn't regret it); so was the chicken and mushroom hot appetizer. But the wines in general are expensive and I'm not that much of a drinker, so the sangria-water was pretty much all I felt like ordering. I did splurge for the $18 serrano ham, manchego cheese and olive plate, but aside from covering their import taxes/fees, it wasn't nearly worth the price (They could have at LEAST removed the pits from the olives. There were only three of them on the plate, after all). Given our increasing level of discomfort, we asked for a couple of boxes to take everything with us, and saw other patrons leaving with the same thoughtful "Emilio's" paper bag I'd gotten from my server the previous night. OUR server came back with a generic plastic bag that tore before we'd even left the restaurant (I had to ask another server for the paper bag with "Emilio's" on it that evidently every other patron had received. She was incredibly sweet and obliged us promptly). The previous night, my dad had left a 25% tip for our server, which is what we usually do when we eat out. My boyfriend reluctantly left a 12% tip and let them know that he was a physician (as am I, and as is my dad) and how much he COULD have left had we been treated well (or at least decently). THIS experience was 2 stars--and that's being generous. The point is, this place is hit-or-miss (clearly). Some summary tips: 1. Don't order anything with shrimp in it unless you want them to be literally bouncing around in your stomach like the rubber pieces of forgettable blandness that they are. 2. The flank steak is awesome. So are the mango sangria, the cream of mushroom soup, the chicken and mushroom hot app and the molten chocolate lava cake. 3. Avoid the raspberry sangria, the paella, the overpriced serrano ham plate, and "Axel R." 4. Be prepared to spend about $50 per person (with one drink each); and 5. Try to get there earlier in the evening because parking is a bit of a hot mess when they're crowded. All in all, Emilio's is a well-decorated place with a culturally sensitive Spanish ambiance and friendly patrons, but I won't be going back--especially since I religiously follow recipes from José Andrés at home and know that the kitchen at Emilio's can do MUCH better, while the server we had (on the second night) couldn't have treated us much worse. read more

Great selection, very quality ingredients. clean restaurant, friendly staff. Fair prices

Pretty good tapas joint. Beautiful ambience and decor. Paella was okay but squid and garlic potatoes were amazing! I'll have to go back and try a few new dishes read more

This is the place to go if you're a fan of garlic. From the mash potatoes to the escargot, you won't regret it. Always a local favorite. Don't forget to try their freshly made sangria read more

I haven't been there since Covid started but this is one of my top 3 favorite restaurants in all of Chicago. Great food and service and atmosphere! read more

Found this place in a pinch and it turned out to be a very nice little spot. The food was exceptional, especially the artichokes. Probably the best you will ever have. They had live music on the patio, which was a nice touch, as well. read more

I forgot to post a review about this place. I went mid-August. The food was so good. The rice paella (spellcheck lol) was excellent. My first experience with Dates was on this night, they were great. The chef is so nice. They are practicing social distancing. Very clean place. read more

Great food! Great drinks! Staff are knowledgeable about food allergies and always know how to accomodate my gluten allergy!

Staff is friendly, food is delicious and the price is right. Perfect place for a date night

Wow! Never thought it would be THIS good in Chicago... I am deeply surprised! If you happen to be close by, MUST try

Every meal we have there is wonderful. The food is sooo tasty and fresh. The wait staff is always super nice.

The food and service are always excellent! During our brief season of acceptable weather the patio dining is a relaxing place to further enjoy their excellent tapas. My favorite tapas restaurant in the near Western suburbs. read more

Best Paella!! My family background is Spaniard and I can say the food was truly amazing!

The tapas are good, if not a little small compared to other tapas place I've been to. Still recommend this place for good food at affordable prices. read more

Wow. Emilio still does it better than anyone else! Been coming here since the start and others we've tried just don't measure up. The tapas, the deserts, outstanding. We've been to northern Spain for tapas. I'll take Hillside, IL. read more

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

It was ok. Something new to try! My food was extremely well done! Lol almost burned, but I was hungry sooooo I had it! The staff was friendly!! I hate sending my food back so I don't complain But they can do better!!! read more

Excellent piping hot & delicious food every time I order whether dining in or taking out. ENJOY!