I am in love with this place. My first time was a month ago and I had gone back 2 times since! The bacon wrapped dates with roasted pepper sauce is amazing!!!! Garlic potatoes are very good, but you have to a huge garlic fan like me to enjoy it.. it would take an army of mints to fight off the super garlicky goodness. The grilled calamari with lemon and olive oil is another favorite. Service was great! I wanna go back right now... read more

I can't tell you how happy we are that Emilio's is only about a mile from our house. It is definitely our go-to place when we want to eat out but not travel too far. Absolutely agree with everyone's 5-star assessment of the bacon/dates and garlic potato salad. We have never had anything bad there at all. Love the atmosphere. Staff is always excellent and friendly. Don't take my word for it, though. Get your butts over there and see what all the 5-stars are about!! Also, I think our average check has been about $65-$70 for 2 of us, which includes at least 2 cocktails (total). Our stomachs say it is money very well spent! read more

It is nice to know if you don't feel like messing with traffic there is a tapas place in west burbs. They have alot of favor sangria and the peach was pretty good, I just wish their was more fruit in it as it looked more like a garnish. My favorite was the tomato and goat as it was creamy and I like the olives if you wanted it a little saltier, also they gave you a good portion of goat cheese. My next favorite was the grilled calamari, cooked to perfection and lightly season. You can't go wrong with bacon wrapped dated but I wasn't a fan of the potatoes bravo, a little mushy but good favor. The least favorite and I probably would not order it again was the lam chop, it had a strong gamey odor and favor so that ended my taste for lamb for several months. read more

Surprisingly - these are some of the best tapas I've had. I've visited this location twice now as a side trip along I-294, and I'm sure I will return when taking another north-south car ride. Atmosphere: Big private patio attached to restaurant with Spanish flair in colors, accessories and photos. Open windows and wide space with no real dividers between other people make it airy, whimsical and even a bit romantic. The Service: Consistent throughout the night with plenty of new plates and constant water re-fills. The Food: Can't say no to freebies - My group and I received complimentary bruschetta and bread. However, after recently traveling in Europe, I've come to realize that bread is only good when it's fresh. The bread here was disappointingly cold, generic and borderline stale. It was only useful when it's for sopping up leftover sauces from other dishes so that it at least softened in texture and gained some flavor. Most memorable cold tapas - Very fresh veggies! From the chutney of peppers mixed with vinaigrette-marinated octopus to the heirloom tomato/basil/mozzarella combo in the caprese salad, I could sense the fresh crisp of just-cut ingredients in every bite. I also enjoyed the seafood salad with its variety and heartiness, yet still felt light. Most memorable hot tapas - Only found on the Specials Menu (possibly seasonal?). These were even better than the cold. I sunk my teeth happily into tender, juicy lamb chops. And I salivated as I devoured the melted gooey-ness of goat cheese and eggplant. It was like eating little bite-size versions of comfort food dishes. Dessert - My husband can never say no to chocolate, so we went with the most chocolate dessert on the menu, the terrine and raspberry sauce. It's super rich, with a dense creamy chocolate base and sweet sauce drizzled on the side. read more

I had dinner with a couple, both of whom are very picky about food. The experience was pleasantly surprising for them both, so I knew we made the right choice. Here's the skinny on what we ordered: Champinones rellenos (mushroom caps filled with spinach, onion and mozzarella with tomato sauce) - The mushroom caps were big and tender, and the tomato sauce added a nice kick. A unanimous favorite with all three of us (we almost ordered a second plate). Caracoles emilio (sautéed escargot on croutons with tomato sauce and alioli) - Yummy! The crouton was unfortunately not crispy, but forgivable because the escargot was tasty! Calamares a la parrilla (grilled squid with lemon, garlic and olive oil) - Loved it! The squid was bathed in its sauce at just the right amount and tender (glad it wasn't rubbery and difficult to chew). Cazuela de pollo salteado (chicken sautéed with garlic, chorizo, mushrooms and amontillado sherry sauce) - A tiny bit salty, but otherwise great. The chicken and chorizo had the right tenderness. Croquetas de Cordero (lamb croquettes served with tomato basil sauce ) - I'm a big fan of croquetas but this was my least favorite item. The lamb was very tender but the sauce didn't match the dish. I'm used to the thick, pink sauce that croquetas come with at other tapas restaurants. Paella de mariscos (langostinos, shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops and monkfish in saffron rice) - The waitress said it was a small serving but it was actually quite large! Rice was cooked just right and there were tons of seafood goodies. Could've used just a little bit more flavor, but overall it was satisfying. This is great to have after you've eaten all the tapas - it hits the spot and you won't want to order any more food. Additionally, we were recommended the vaza crianza (red wine from Rioja in Spain) and it was fantastic. Slightly fruity with a hint of vanilla and a delicate smooth finish. Perfect accompaniment to our food. Overall - great food, excellent atmosphere (great Spanish music playing in the background) and decent price. The bill came to around $100 - not too bad if you split between three people. Would be a fun place for a medium sized group of friends. read more

Emilio's Tapas in Hillside has been my "go to" tapas restaurant for years. Last night, the experience was underwhelming. All in, the food lacked flavor. Most of the food tasted like nothing. In an attempt to season the food, I searched for salt and pepper only to learn that Emilio's doesn't put salt and pepper on the tables. Hmmm. The exception to this is their potato salad which has such an intense and wonderful garlic flavor that your tongue feels like it has fur on it. If you are garlic fan, this salad is for you. read more

Nothing great here. Food is average at best. Owner had a lot of pride. Can't take constructive criticism or advice to save his own life. Terrible service. Dirty place. Yuck! Nasty! Why eat here folks when there are many other places to choose from. This place sucks!!!! read more

A sample of this and a sample of that, please... I am a fan of Emilio's. The food is always delicious and the Sangria is to DIE for--- whether you like red wine or not, you have to at least try it when you are there... I also adore the intimate atmosphere and the feel as though you are really in Spain. The staff is kind and I recommend the "PATATAS CON ALIOLI", their famous garlic potato salad. The last time I was there I also had the "POLLO AL CASERÍO" and that was yummy too. A bit of advice, watch that Sangria because althought it is tasty, it can get you pretty rocked and next thing you know, you'll be stumbling to your car. :P read more

Great food and customer service, cultured ambience. My group tried everything on the menu, including the on-the-house tapas from the manager and Chef Emilio. My wife and mother in law, said the sangria's were ok. My daughter enjoyed the chicken skewers, and chicken croquetas. I enjoyed the datiles con tocino. A must go restaurant. read more

Great food selection and super delicious. They also have live music sometimes. Parking or seating availability usually is not a problem but it gets busy over the weekend so get your reservation going. Little pricey. read more

I love tapas... But this place did nothing for my taste buds. The patata bravas were soggy and appeared to have alot of seasoning but tasted nothing. The stuffed mushrooms were ok, I bit into chunks of peppercorns & garlic. When the Calamari steak arrived I got excited, presentation was beautiful, looked so delicious! It was tender but again zero flavor. Rasberry sangria tasted artificial, too sweet for me! Would I give them another chance... Probably not. i'll stick to Cafe Barbareeba, every tapas dish tasted delicious! Our waitress was great read more

I have lived down the street from Emilio's for a year. Now I am sad that it took me a year to get here. All of those lost delicious meals will haunt my dreams. I started the meal with a mango sangria. I didn't notice until well after I ordered that they offer a sangria flight. They have about six different flavors of sangria. This would have been smarter than the 3 glasses I drank. We ordered four different plates for the two of us: bacon wrapped dates, spanish potatoes, a bruschetta type thing, and a chicken and chorizo over sweet peppers. The Spanish Potatoes were AH-MAZING! They had a nice spice with a bit of a garlic taste. Now, the bruschetta type thing was touted as tomato bread in the menu; however, it was basically toast points over slices of ham with bruschetta on top. Not as good as other bruschettas but edible. The sweet peppers and sauce the chicken was over was fantastic. NOTE: I did not try the bacon wrapped dates so I cannot comment on them. Dining companion liked them though. What is a meal without a good dessert? I ordered a chocolate mousse type thing over a raspberry sauce. It literally melted in my mouth. The chocolate was light and fluffy but oh so delicious. read more

I am a huge fan of Emilio's. If you've never tried tapas, it's best to go with a group. Everyone can order different dishes they're interested in and everybody get's a bite. Emilio's is a great place to get into tapas, and of course sangria and a few dancers top off the night! One of my favorite dishes is "DÁTILES CON TOCINO" dates wrapped in bacon with roasted red pepper sauce. Now I never would have tried this or even been interested in it, but thankfully a friend did and I love it. It's very convenient to 290 and 294, they have half price bottles of wine and are throwing a special New Year's event if you're looking for a party! read more

OK this might not be a fair review as I'm rating the experience for Sunday brunch not a traditional evening. The quick summary, a good experience but nothing really noteworthy. The brunch included a buffet of cold tapas, an entree and a dessert. Overall the food was fine but nothing worth going back for. The service was adequate and friendly but we felt rushed the entire meal. We were barely seating we were asked to order the entree. Coming back with our plate from the cold tapas buffet, our main entree was already being presented at the table. That pressure really made the meal less enjoyable. The cold tapas were decent but not up to par in my mind to other places like cafe babareeba in the city. Same comment for the paella. read more

We have been to Emilio's downtown location couple times and this was our first time in Hillside location. Our server tried her level best to make sure it went well but not upto the level of service you would want. A table which sits 4 people was fairly small and hard to keep more than one dish. The patata bravas was one of the worst...we have tried tapas at lot of restaurants and also in Spain and this was not even close to any of them. I give it a -5 points for this dish. The other dishes were fairly okay not great. The paella ordered by our server was the wrong and she came in and told us it will be 15 more min to get the correct one. At the end the check was messed up too, she charged us for the wrong paella luckily we checked and realized. Overall not worth going again!! read more

Our friends suggested this place stashed way out in the burbs. Hell yes, we went! I have been a fan of tapas ever since our honeymoon in Santa Fe, when my husband and I had our first tapas experience and the head chef there was so kind as to answer all of our questions about the menu and food and to tour us around his kitchen on top of it. At Emilo's the head chef has not yet offered to do that for us, but here's hoping! :) Still, he is very friendly and frequents the tables. It's clear he takes pride in his dishes. I also give him props that each time we've been in here, he always offers a 'free sample' to start off the evening. That's just a lovely gesture that goes a long way. I am a fan of hospitality and service, and both score here. In terms of ambiance: It's casual, and, on weekends, extremely lively and noisy. Good for an 'upbeat' night out with friends--lots of laughter, lots of conversations. I also found that the wine prices here are very good, all in all. You can score a bottle of wine, on 'special', for 20.00 or so. In terms of the food, I tend to favor the cold tapas more than the warm. We've had a few 'hits and misses', but generally more hits. There's a large selection of menu items, and many specials. I've had ceviche plates twice now. The ingredients are fresh and bright, the fish tastes perfect. I am also a fan of the Serrano ham with manchego cheese--nice serving size (perfect to share) and delicious! The garlic potato salad is ample and very strong, in terms of garlic taste. I personally love that, but many might find the dish too overpowering. I've also had the cold-roasted veal with sun-dried tomatoes and thought the taste was excellent. Finally, I've tried the chilled tiger shrimp. It was by far the 'safest' dish. I probably wouldn't order it again. Tasted fine, but, for me, it wasn't quite enough to share, and it was pricey. If you opt for warm dishes, be warned that the size tends to be a bit bigger, and so you probably won't want to order as many plates. My husband had the chicken breast, and it was almost a meal onto itself. Huge! Very tasty, but quite filling. He also had the beef dish with cracked pepper--really rich sauce. Loved it, and in fact I can say that the warm dishes in general have rich flavor, in terms of sauces. And the dates and bacon are fabulous! Yum. Though I generally skip dessert, last time we tried their chocolate terrine with raspberry sauce. Decadent, and very filling. All in all: We will go back! It's a fun night out, and Emilio's offers a great variety of food. read more

It is incredibly redundant to craft a glowing review of a place that already has a stellar reputation so I'll keep everything short and sweet. My wife and I decided to come over to Emilio's about a month ago. I've lived in the area my entire life yet have never decided to stop in. Thanks to Yelp we saw the positive reviews and decided to give it a shot. We were seated instantly on a Thursday night by a polite hostess. The wait staff was great - the explained the menu and gave great recommendations. Not only is the food gah damn fantastic but it is priced fairly. The biggest problem I find is that you just want to gorge yourself when you look at the menu because everything looks good - and frankly you don't have to because I feel the portions are generous - even for tapas. If you're on the fence about it, just cross on over. It's a great experience that I would highly recommend. As far as I'm concerned they have my patronage for life. read more

We didnt go for the tapas, but for the bigger portions... each one of us picked a diffent type of meat. They were all amazing. The potatoes were delicious as well. Staff was extremely kind and ready to cater to our desires. Great experience from beginning to end. read more

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

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Date wrapped with bacon and Grilled Octopus are fabulous!!!!! Even in the Togo box with a delivery!!!! Octopus is cooked just at the perfect level, with the great smoky taste but not over cooked, juicy and tender!!! Definitely recommend these two!!! Paella is okay. Maybe because it's in the Togo box not a pan. Regret that forgot taking picture first~~ read more

Absolutely amazing. Try the pincho de pollo, bacon wrapped dates, garlic potato salad, and sautéed caramel banana for desert. I'd skip the paellas. They also have some delicious red sangria to drink. read more

This place is absolutely exceptional...5 stars, IMO is not enough. My wife and I found this place on our way back from the Art Institute of Chicago. We were hungry and driving 290 East when it decided to turn into a parking lot. We exited and the idea of tapas started to sound good. We used Yelp, and this popped up in the area (albeit, was still a 25 minute drive from where we were currently at, but determination and a pregnant wife made the visit possible!). Got to the restaurant, which was fairly empty at the time. We sat down, ordered drinks (I tried one of the the imported beers...was OK, nothing special). But, drinks don't make a restaurant, the food/service does. And the food was fantastic. This was a little while ago (about 2 months) so I'll try to remember everything we ordered: PATATAS CON ALIOLI - Holy crap....this will kick you on your *** if you're not ready for the influx of garlic. If you were congested when you first got to the place, start with this. It'll clear up your nasal passages as well as whomever is sitting next to you! It was almost too much....right to the limit, which is awesome. CROQUETAS DE POLLO - Simple and full of flavor. The sauce that accompanies the croquetas was incredible. Could sit with a bowl of that and a loaf of bread and be completely content. DÁTILES CON TOCINO - Every review raved about these, so we had to get them. Could be the best bacon wrapped dates I've ever had. What I enjoyed most about them is that the dates didn't overpower the bacon and sauce. Very well balanced. Many times, the date flavor can be too much. These were spot on. QUESO DE CABRA AL HORNO - My wife loves goat cheese w/ marinara, and this definitely was up to par. PINCHO DE SOLOMILLO A LA PIMIENTA - The steak was grilled to a perfect medium rare. Get a bit of horseradish and the onions with each bite...again, well balanced flavors. CARACOLES EMILIO - I've never had snails, so my wife said I had to try em. This was the only item we ordered that I wasn't completely blown away by. It really didn't taste like too much, as the sauce and garlic butter was the dominate taste I got. Overall, the meal was surprisingly fantastic. We live about 45 minutes away from it, but fully intend on coming back (especially after a trip to Brookfield Zoo). I HIGHLY recommend this place! The service timed the food great, so we never got too much at one time....excellent all around! read more

I love dinner at Emilio's. The food is fantastic, the service is great, and it is a fun, happy place to eat. Emilio's famous garlic potato salad is stunning. Grilled calamari is our favorite, but you can't go wrong with any dish here. We have eaten here enough that Emilio recognizes us. He is a great chef. Respecto, Emilio! The desserts are killer, too. Try the chocolate Terrine with raspberry sauce or the bread pudding with the best tasting raisins ever, topped with vanilla ice cream. It starts with a complimentary appetizer, and the sky's the limit for delicious small plates, great for sharing. We will go back tonight with 2 friends that have no idea what they're in for! Servers are friendly and totally efficient, and they just get everything right. They make your meal special and are attentive; even bordering on psychic, but never intrusive. Emilio's might be the perfect restaurant. We will continue to enjoy Emilio's as often as we can! read more

My husband rated this place before, the food is amazing. Queso De Cabra Al Horno was my favorite, that'll be the first thing I order when I go back. I wish they had a better beer selection. read more

I enjoy the food and waiters always nice. Glad the pandemia is over. I invite them to upgrade the chairs and tables to a more comfortable atmosphere read more

I went to Emilio's for the first time last week. I was VERY satisfied in all aspects of this restaurant. It was a Thursday night, so not too busy, but busy enough. I was pleased with the quaint dining room and the Spanish decor of the restaurant. It was too chilly to sit outside, but the outdoor patio looked like a nice option, had it been warmer outside. Our server, Esmeralda, was so sweet, welcoming and attentive (without being over bearing). We ordered 2 cold plates and 2 hot plates. I enjoyed everything but my favorites were the filled empanadas and the blue cheese ravioli served with mashed potatoes. At least I thought so until we ordered dessert! We ordered the banana covered in caramel sauce with pistachios on top and ice cream on the side. Oh.My.Goodness! It was like heaven! I will recommending this place to other people and will definitely be going back to try their different seasonal plates! read more

great quality and flavorful tapas...many selections to choose from...presentation is well prepared...friendly staff...clean and spacious dining area...plenty of parking for customers...the only "con" I would say is that the items are a bit pricey for the small portion.... read more

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Emilio's is my favorite restaurant. My "last meal" place to go. Yes there are fancier and grander and and and.... But this place just does it for me. I love his food palate. The wine tasting got me to buy a case. The specials usually are what I order. The service is excellent. I would love to see Emilio and Gaetano have a cook off! read more

Pros ---- Good food; good service; our table for 12 was set up very nice - it was a bit out of the mainstream, which was perfect as we didn't want to be blocking others. This place has an outdoor eating section; we do plan to return during the Summer months and request that we be able to sit outside. I'll keep you posted. Cons ---- Food was just okay, in my opinion. Desserts were VERY small for the price. ---- There was air circulated from somewhere in the dining room. We were freezing almost the entire time we were there. After 3x asking them to lower the blower on the "fan", it did start warming up a bit (and it was only 55 outside; not like we needed the air conditioning). read more

Had dinner on July 25th with a friend. we were fortuate enough to be able to eat on the patio. The staff was very attentive, and the waitress explained the various choices. Started with the bacon-wrapped dates (sweet and decadent) and the Jamon con Manchego, which was excellent. HAD to try the garlic potato salad - excellent! Grilled pork tenderloin and grilled chicken breast on bread finished the meal, leaving both of us full and happy! Emilio stepped out of the kitchen to chat with us on our way out. He's very congenial and we felt like old friends after a minute or two. I WILL be coming back. read more

Such a fan I am of this tucked away little gem! We were just there last night to celebrate my mom's "29th" birthday... The family all met up there and enjoyed an evening of loveliness.... The service was spot on, the sangria hit the "beverage spot" as usual... Lots of food was ordered and shared... and my two year old niece was eating all that was placed in front of her, we have a foodie or a chef in the making! And as usual Emilio was there overseeing everything. Right on. Emilio's, thank you for another fantastic evening. read more

I was looking for a nice restaurant in the area for a lunch meeting and was coming up short on options, but found Emilio's with great reviews. The place has great service, great food and can't be beat in the area. Some of my favorites: the bacon wrapped dates, the roasted duck and beef tenderloin. read more

This is the best tapas restaurant I have been to in Chicago, well actually Hillside! It was so much fun. It felt more authentic there than any other tapas restaurant I have been to. We had Friday night reservations and it was packed! The dancers were awesome! It was a very loud and lively experience. If you're looking for quiet, romantic dinner this probably wouldn't be the tapas place to go to. This place has the best Paella too! I can't wait to go back. They have several locations, and I the only other Emilio's I have been to is the one in Lincoln Park. It was good, but that was my first tapas restaurant at the time. I have visited many, and the one in Hillside is superior! read more

Si; I've been a fan for a long time; a fan who has been away for awhile; a fan who was eager to see if they hadn't lost their touch. It was like coming back to an old friend, and when we went, this old friend was jammed. I kept thinking - I want a superior margarita and those darn, awful good garlic spuds. They did not disappoint. Our server seemed a little harried; maybe it was because we were all jammed in like sheep. Maybe it was because he was new. At any rate; I was going for old standards. We had the verduras veggies that are grilled with a lite vinaigrette; their little Mediterranean salad with feta in sherry; the grilled calamari with lemon; and their was no doubt the paella would be "the thing". The Valenciana paella is the only thing that I second guessed myself on, after the fact. I wasn't sure if it was my taste buds, that had been jammed by the cacophony of flavors, or whether Emilio and company had lowered the WOW factor of spices I had always been accustomed to. I was a little sad. So, to relieve my grief - dessert! I wanted a classic: the caramelized nanners and we also enjoy the profiteroles. It is funny how things ebb and flow in the world of dining. But overall, we did enjoy our meal and the experience that you are surrounded in at Emilio's. The prices are as we had remembered; all those little tapas add up. But, we enjoyed it; and we will be back - we'll just give them a little time to recover. read more

Always a great time. Service was excellent and the food was delish. We love the casual fun atmosphere and will definitely be back.

Had dinner at Emilio's on a Monday night with a friend. We had some margaritas to start. Eventually, we went with the "famous" potato salad w garlic (AMAZING!), tostadas w avacado, shrimp and monkfish, the lamb croquettes, and the roasted eggplant w shrimp and goat cheese. They also comped us some cherry tomatoes with small fresh mozzerellla balls. I gotta say, this meal was one of the best I've had all year. I told my friend I would give Emilio's a solid four stars, as I have a policy of not giving five stars with only one visit. Upon reflection, I decided to give it five stars, as the meal was incredibly good and EVERYTHING on their extensive menu looked great. BTW, our dinner was about $36 before drinks. read more

Great food, great service, always busy! Easy to get to, so make it worth your trip. You can sit outside during the summer. read more

Been here a year ago and was very impressed with the tapas. My visit last night left taste buds lacking in the garlic potato salad and the caprese salad as well. The service was good, the sangria mix is done well and although the wait staff insisted nothing has changed in the kitchen, I tasted otherwise..... The outside dining area is pleasant and you forget there is a busy street and parking lot right outside the dining area. read more

You can't go wrong with Emilio's! Wonderful, classy, cozy establishment. Good vibe inside. The staff is friendly and helpful, and they know what they are talking about. We like to ask their preferences. Sangria is tasty, and the tapas selection is broad. One of my favorites is the Pinche de Pollo al Mojo (chicken with a garlic & cumin sauce). Simple and delicious. You could dip your shoe into the garlic cumin sauce and it would be delicious. Last time we tried a dish that may have been on their features menu - it was similar to chicken piccata and was absolutely divine. The potatoes that came with the dish melted in our mouths. I hope that this is a dish that is there again when we go back. I'd also really like to try their paella. We try a range of dishes and are impressed every time. The first time we visited Emilio's we had a fruit flan for dessert and it was so good I wanted to order a second. Freakin' wonderful. Prices are decent for the amazing quality, in my opinion. We go for dinner and will order five or six dishes to share and are stuffed when we leave. Such a fun way to have dinner, too =) read more

Good food. Creative menu. The tuna is my favorite but not as good as it used to be. My biggest issue is they do not honor their happy hour discount on wine - even when i called them on it. The manager refused and shorted me $1. They also shorted me on change. So sad. read more

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

Love everything about this place! We've been coming here since they opened 27 years ago and can't get enough! From bacon wrapped dates to amazing wines to wrapping up our meal with the luscious flan?! Can't get anything better. Muchisimas gracias Emilio y Ann Marie! read more

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