Restaurant week platter was actually kinda bad/mid besides dessert and mole. Tuna crudo was pretty good, solid fish quality. I feel like ceviche here would actually be amazing. First time having a half decent mole but I don't know what to look for l guess. Did enjoy it/could taste something. The chicken skewers were the best on the plate and good for a dressed up chicken but still super average. Pork was kinda bad. Flank steak was aight but not nearly as good as steak frites. Tres leches tiramisu was phenomenal. I like both and this was a good blend. Steak frites and plantains were very good. Frites were done perfectly, close second to Al's. Chimichurri on the steak left a pool of juice/oil that ruined the last bit of fries but just bad tech I guess. Steak was very flavorful and tender. I was hoping the plantains would be more raw, this was giving bananas foster a little but still mild enough to be a good side. Scallops were solid but the breadcrumb sauce thing was a little odd. Idk why there were shrimp in there but no complaints ig. read more

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Leña Brava is such a cute restaurant to escape the winter cold! The staff were so kind and provided some good recommendations. If you're pescatarian, there are a lot of options. But for vegetarians, the only main dish option was cauliflower. There were a few side options and smaller plates. I was still able to fill up, but in general, unless they get more creative with their vegetarian dishes then this won't become a staple for me. My favorite was the roasted beet dip. It was so rich and creamy! And the guac was also so good. They were able to do the potatoes without bacon, and it was good but a bit too salty for me. The cauliflower was disappointing. I think you have to loooove cauliflower to want to eat that much of it. The salsa macha on top was yummy but not enough to make it a stunning main dish. The flan was SO good! I was so full at the end but I'll always have room for flan! read more

Leña Brava - Guacamole & Chips - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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What an experience! From the hostess who warmly reminds you of Sterling K. Brown, as he closely monitors the turn style door to ensure the wind never rips thru the cracks and reaches the patrons to the open kitchen flames that somehow seem to dance in the air...this is a wonderfully cozy dining experience. You feel like you're visiting that one Rich Aunt that has a cozy house filled with artifacts from her travels, but then also has an eclectic live-in chef! Lol To avoid the pressure of selecting a single dish to fall in love with (because the options felt limitless) my table chose a Tapas Approach with multiple starters that almost included every option they provided. We started with a beautiful vertical ceasar salad that divided very easily (contrary to what I thought), then we had the grilled oysters, Salsa Macha Sea Bass Ceviche, Smoked Beets with Goat Cheese Mousse, Coal Fired Lobster/Gobernado Tacos, Wood Oven Empanadas, and finished with Grilled Octopus with Capers. To drink I enjoyed the Papi Diablo with Hibiscus, Ginger and Tequila! I have no regrets! My faves were: the Tacos and the Grilled Oysters! I could eat those all day! Did I mention the tacos were served right off the coals to our table? Magnifique! The presentation was beautiful for each dish. The aromatics were perfectly matched to each experience and the sounds of the open kitchen were a great soundtrack to the evening as well! Thank you for a wonderful evening! read more

Leña Brava - Grilled Oysters (my fave) - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Super cute hot spot!! Intimate lighting and ambiance. There's an upstairs section as well. Very cute. Delicious food and drinks. read more

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I was blown away by this restaurant. The upstairs seating area was such a cute atmosphere and the food was seriously amazing. Our eyes were a little bigger than our stomachs (oopsies) and we ordered the guac, roasted veggies in salsa verde, fried plantains, crispy quesadillas, lamb birria, short rib, and chicken. Honestly zero complaints. Amazing flavors and very attentive/kind waitstaff. Would def recommend this place to anyone, it is perfect for a ~fancier~ celebration meal! read more

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Really tasty meat deliciousfoods are very amazing place to eat try it out you won't regret it

Great Vibe! Good music, friendly staff, big screen TV's for sports. Great chips and Salsa. Salad was huge but lots of croutons in it. Pork nachos were wonderful with a warm salsa verde poured over the dish. Quesadillas were good, as you'd expect a quesadilla to be. Drinks are very good and they were giving out generous samples of their new beer! Look forward to coming again. read more

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Service was amazing. Our waitress was super nice and kept checking in on us. My party and I shared plates. My favorite was the steak fries and the plantains. Everything else was salty to me. Especially the scallops and the octopus. Overall tasty corn and short rib. The cookie skillet was also very good. read more

Leña Brava - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Better late than never. This was one of our Restaurant Week 2025 selections and I was excited about the menu they had to offer. Due to the weather we were running about 5 min behind, so I dropped The Doctor and The Queen off to get our table. After I parked and walked in to find my folks sitting at a table that looked like a two top, set up for three people, squeezed in next to our table, AND our table was next to a door that servers kept coming back and forth through. There was no way I was going to sit here for a meal. Our server came over to take our drink order and I immediately told her that we needed to be moved. After about 5-7 min, the manager came over to see what the problem was and I told him that I did not want to have a meal next to a swinging door and wanted to be moved. He claim that they were full, but somehow found a nice four top table on the second floor. Once we got settled, we did have a nice meal. Because it was Restaurant Week, we decided to each order different items so we could sample it. We got all three starters: Salsa Macha Ceviche (lime marinated sea bass, smashed cucumber, ginger, avocado, orange, sesame, toasted chiles, cilantro), Wood-oven Empanadas (cochinita pibil, habanero crema, pickled onions) and Charred Shishitos with jalapeño crema. All three of these were very nice. The ceviche was fresh, with the ginger and cilantro giving it an interesting flavor. The wood-oven Empanadas were delish...the cochinita pibil was very nice and the pickled onions worked well with them. The Charred Shishitos were nicely charred and flavorful. I didn't do any of the crema because they had jalapeño and habanero in them. For dinner I got the Parrillada Mexicana (grilled skirt steak, grilled chicken skewer, fontina queso fundido, short rib tostada, lime, roasted chile, salsa roja, tortillas), The Queen got the Baja Mariscada (fire-roasted shrimp, p.e.i. mussels, half Maine lobster, butter, lemongrass infused white wine, lime zest, herbs) and The Doctor got the Fire-roasted Cauliflower (salsa macha, toasted almonds). The Parrillada Mexicana was well done. Don't get me wrong, the steak and chicken were great, but that fontina queso fundido was awesome. The short rib tostada, I had a problem with....it was too tasty to be served that small! It was a bite size serving and was so good! The Queen's Baja Mariscada was impressive. The lobster was nicely prepared and that shrimp was also good. Didn't try The Doctor's dish because I am not a fan of cauliflower, but he said it was quite tasty. Dessert was Rompope Flan (vanilla custard, Mexican eggnog, charred orange, nutmeg). The Doctor and Queen said this was quite tasty, but I am not a fan of the texture of flan, so I got mine to go so they could have it the next day. I will say the presentation was quite pretty. Overall, we had a good meal once we got moved to a new table. This could have easily been a 3 star review based on the initial seating arrangements, but with the new table, our server as well as the woman in the lovely white knit dress and matching boots who brought over my bottle of bubbles made it a much more enjoyable evening. read more

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The food here was delicious. Cozy vibes and good for special occasion/date night. Restaurant week menu was delicious and the food was flavorful. Highly recommend! read more

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A cute place for lunch but I wouldn't go out of my way to come back. Our party got the ceviche to start and the pork carnitas and ribeye steak sandwiches. Although the place raved about the hand formed pan de campo I found the inside of it black and burnt and the ribeye filling very little despite the massive size of the entree. So from the presentation it looks great but inside not so much in terms of quality. One of my friends also didn't feel well from the ceviche so I would caution on ordering it. Staff was super nice but the attention to food during dinner is probably better than lunch here. Very easy to get a table for lunch as well, we were only one of three groups. read more

Leña Brava - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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WOW! Is all I can say. This spot is fantastic. I was so impressed with the menu and location is in a perfect fun part of town. I was really impressed with the smokiness and char flavor that came with every dish. We split a few small plates as our meal. The lobster tacos and empanada were delicious. And the corn side dish was such a nice surprise. I will be dreaming about the cookie skillet dessert with salted caramel ice cream - just incredible! I recommend this spot for dinner for anyone in the area read more

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Lena Brava is a restaurant that we have walked by numerous times due to the location being on Randolph Street. We've been to the sister restaurant, Cruz Blanca next door and we knew we had to check this spot out. With Lena Brava being on the restaurant week list this was our chance to try. We went for lunch and it was delicious. From the restaurant we menu my girlfriend ordered the meatballs which were delicious. They came with a piece of bread, and then the main course was the steak frites. The only caveat that my girlfriend mentioned was the fact that the steak was a little bit on the greasy side it was sitting in like a small pool of grease, but it was very tasty. Nonetheless, the fries were really good too. The dessert honestly was the star real the real star of the show. The ice cream was made of a stout made by Cruz Blanca and had cookie prices that were so yummy. I got the Salmon Tostadas and it was Baja Fish & Frites. And it was delicious and it was a very small restaurant was smaller than I expected actually. Also, the service a little bit slow the service was a tad bit slow however, the food was good and it was worth the restaurant we price read more

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Last night, some friends and I ate at Lena brava and it was pretty good. The server was very attentive and the ambience is very chill. You can definitely have dinner with friends family even some kids. There's a huge patio and upstairs bar and seating area which is great downstairs was very hot so that was a challenge. The restrooms were small as they only had two stalls but we're tidy we had the empanadas and tacos for small plates. Both very very delicious and the entrées included the pork chop and the braised short rib. The pork chop was a little dry and tough, not really flavorful, but presented nicely. The brave short rib over cauliflower was amazing. I also had a cocktail with pineapple cream and coconut. Very good. read more

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Restaurant Week review Parrillada Mexicana - grilled skirt steak, grilled chicken skewer, fontina queso fundido, short rib tostada, lime, roasted chile, salsa roja, tortillas Rompope Flan - vanilla custard, mexican eggnog, charred orange, nutmeg Salsa Macha Ceviche - lime marinated sea bass, smashed cucumber, ginger, avocado, orange, sesame, toasted chiles, cilantro Flavor of the lime marinade was good but the fish's flavor is completely gone and the ratio is 90/10, cucumber/ fish & avocado. We got plenty of tortillas. The Parrillada of steak and chicken thigh was cooked to good tenderness but needed more seasoning. Cheese was good, salty and sweet. Overall, made for good tacos. Short rib tostada was a perfect bite. Flan was rich and creamy, perfect consistency. Loud atmosphere, tables packed close together, and less than ideal speed of service but not terrible. read more

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Excellent food. Dined here for NYE 2024 and for a friends birthday. We tried the paella, roasted chicken and the steak. So delicious! Every bite. All of the food was perfectly seasoned. New Years Eve, they sent our girls complimentary dessert with sparklers. It was so cute and festive. The sangria was delicious, nice and stiff. Highly recommend. read more

Leña Brava - Wood-Fired Chicken (whole) - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great ambiance!! Margarita pitcher was amazing and the food was amazing. Couldn't ask for a better dinner. Highly recommend for seafood lovers. They also had a good steak. read more

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Food: came for rest week and the lunch is a deal you can't pass. Live fire, perfect steak, very crunchy fries. Loved the tepache as well, it's a kombucha made into mocktail that is just refreshing for the food. Ambience: very upbeat, feel like it's more suitable for a dinner nevertheless I loved it. Service: very attentive, servers speak Spanish! 10/10. read more

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**3.5 stars** Came here for an early weekday lunch during Restaurant Week. We came right when it opened and the restaurant gradually filled up during our time there. I liked the vibes and open kitchen layout of the restaurant. I started off with the albondigas (3 short rib-pork meatballs, queso de cabra, guajillo-tomato sauce). The bread was perfectly crispy and paired well with the queso de cabra and guajillo-tomato sauce. I think the dish normally comes with 6 short rib-pork meatballs but the portions were smaller for Restaurant Week. Next, I had the steak and frites (skirt cut, spiced fries, Baja chimichurri). The steak was good but could have used more seasoning/salt and the dish itself was too oily. The fries were crispy at first but got soggy from all the oil on the plate. For dessert I had the Rey Gordo sundae (vanilla bean ice cream, Cruz Blanca barrel-aged stout syrup, stoner cookie crumble) which was good and the Cruz Blanca barrel-aged stout syrup wasn't too overpowering. Service could have been better. The dishes came out slowly and our main dish was accidentally brought to another table instead even though we ordered before them. In addition, when the waitress brought the main dish out the knife flew off the plate and across the table along with some of the frites, which kind of freaked me out. Lastly, only one dessert was brought out for hubby and I to share even though we both ordered off the Restaurant Week menu so we had to clarify with the waitress before another dessert surfaced. We put more time on the meter since it was taking longer than expected and we still ran out of time on the meter again so I ran out to the car in fear that we would get a ticket. read more

Leña Brava - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had an early team dinner at Lena Brava and it did not disappoint! We arrived at 5:30pm and the place was pretty empty, but by the time we left, it was packed -- definitely recommend grabbing a reservation. Every dish we tried was a hit, but the standout surprise was the fire roasted watermelon -- I never knew watermelon could be so complex and delicious. I ordered the steak fritas, and it was cooked to perfection. Juicy, flavorful, and beautifully plated. Also worth calling out: the spicy fruit cart mocktail. Our whole table loved it, even the folks who usually go for cocktails. It was the perfect mix of heat and refreshment. Great food, great service, great vibe -- would absolutely come back! read more

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Good service and ambiance but the food is just alright for the price. The only thing I truly liked was the lobster taco, which was incredible, but everything else was quite forgettable. Would go again just for the taco though, it was great. read more

Leña Brava - Wine menu - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was so excited to go to this restaurant for happy hour, but I was sadly disappointed. The bartender ignored us the whole time and was very rude when we ask questions about the menu. The food was also still pretty pricey, and the flavor was not that good. Another group came in and he was immediately friendly with them and continue to be rude to us. We were also nothing but friendly to the bartender from the start. read more

Ceviche is large portions and huge chunks of fish. The carnitas sandwich is made fresh and easily splits for two. Service is kind but slow on a weekday afternoon. Drinks are good. The vibe inside is much classier and formal as opposed to outside relaxed dining. read more

Leña Brava - Carnitas sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ridiculous! Mexican fused charcoal at its best. Bass and Scallop dish were outrageous. Bass was plentiful and shareable while containing freshness and flavors that hit the pallet. The scallops were equally delicious and top notch. Highly recommended. read more

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So delicious! You can taste the grill flavor. Was one of the best meals we've ever had and the best table side bread. read more

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I recently tried Leña Brava with a friend for dinner and the experience was great! I don't know how I missed this spot from my list and never tried it before, I'll surely be going back to try their amazing Mexican dishes and drinks. We ordered a fire roasted cauliflower, guacamole and chips, and plantains to share. My friend ordered a roasted octopus as well. Overall, the food was very impressive. i liked the fire roasted cauliflower the most. It was drizzled with chilly oil all over it which definitely enhanced the taste. For drinks I ordered a Night in Oaxaca, and my friend ordered Berry Boozie. Both the drinks were soo good. I never imagined a cocktail drink with beet juice and mezcal but I was fairly surprised with this combination. This place is a bit tiny and reserving a spot beforehand is recommended. Definitely try them for good authentic Mexican cuisine! read more

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Nice smaller place. I love how even when it's a full restaurant it's not noisy. We didn't near the kitchen and it was so hot (only negative lol). Staff is very polite and kind. Food - well it was absolutely wonderful. I would go here again many times. The table ordered some appetizers so I had a couple bites of everything ordered and everything was amazing. I highly recommend the bass. It's so good. I don't think you can go wrong and the cocktails were wonderful as well!!! read more

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(4.15) ~ Very good happy hour food & drinks DRINKS: ** Water (tap) = (4) very light, must be filtered;) ** Tepache (mocktail) = (4) very good ** A Night in Oaxaca (cocktail) = (4) very good *** Where There's Smoke Oaxaca Smoked Lager = Not Available... FOOD: ** Guacamole = (4.35) = Very Fresh ** Braised Short Rib = (4.25) Very good *** Fire Roasted Watermelon = Next time... *** 32 oz. Wagyu Tomahawk = Next time... *** Elote Basque Cheesecake = Next time... *** Chocolate Cooke Mousse = Next time... read more

Where do I even start. This place was honestly shockingly GOOD. We had a few appetizers and we couldn't get enough of all of them, we couldn't stop saying how good everything was. We shared a parillada with chicken, steak and veggies with tortillas. My son had the short rib and he was amazed. This restaurant definitely deserves a Michelin star . I highly recommend this place and will be back soon. read more

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Dining at Leña was one of my best experiences this year. The ambiance was cozy and inviting, with a comforting warmth radiating from the wood-fire cooking--perfect for a cool evening. While my friend found it a bit too warm in their thick sweater, I thought the temperature added to the experience! We started with oysters and pork empanadas. The oysters had a beautiful flavor. They were larger than I usually prefer, but still incredibly delicious. The empanadas were packed with savory pork and had a wonderfully crisp exterior, making for a memorable appetizer. Be careful of the spicy ranch that comes with it! The Paloma cocktail was expertly prepared, refreshing, and just the right balance of tart and sweet. For my main course, I ordered the meat platter and added shrimp for an additional $20. It's hard to put into words just how good everything was. The red salsa complemented the steak perfectly, adding a kick of flavor, while a goat cheese and almond mixture paired well with the chicken. You're given the option to build our own tacos with crisp lettuce bibs or warm, house-made tortillas, allowing us to customize each bite to our taste. Our server was incredibly sweet and had extensive knowledge of the menu, making helpful recommendations and enhancing the whole dining experience. My only regret was not bringing a bigger group so we could sample even more dishes. I can't wait to return to Leña and explore the menu further. read more

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Had a great time here! Came in for dinner (probably helpful to make reservations as I can see this place is quite popular). As soon as we stepped in, there was a great ambiance/energy! Drinks were so good! Refreshing and not too sweet or tart Appetizer: wood oven empanadas - it seemed like the meat inside was birria-type and so packed with flavor and juice! The wood oven enhanced the crisp on the outside but didn't dry out the inside. It paired well with the yogurt like dip. Entrees: braised short rib & lamb neck birria - I never heard of lamb neck birria and didn't know how much I needed it in my life until this meal! Absolutely delicious and flavorful - if you get a chance to get this, do it! Short ribs were also delicious, very tender, and rich - came with a sauce that elevated it further. read more

Leña Brava - Lamb neck birria - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Our small group was celebrating a birthday. Leña Brava gives a cozy chic vibe. Great for small group gatherings or date nights. The service was fantastic. The host, servers, and other staff were kind and incredibly attentive. And the food did not disappoint! We ordered the Baja Mariscada, Roasted Chicken, and Braised Short Rib. The Baja Mariscada was delicious!! It was a wonderful assortment of really flavorful seafood! The roasted chicken was incredibly moist and the short rib was pretty hearty. I'd recommend one of their wood-fired platters for sure. Great experience overall. Totally worth the visit. read more

More of a seafood focused fancy Mexican food. It was ok, but nothing special. I wouldn't go back, but it was solid.

Wonderful restaurant. We come here all the time as the food and the staff are great. Get the striped bass and the empanadas.

Why 4 stars? Because everything here was enjoyable. --- --- --- I say this a lot in 4-star reviews, but everything I tried was the definition of 4-stars: nothing completely blew me away, but it was pretty much all above average. This was a large work dinner with 30+ people and everything was served family style. I regret not taking a picture of the menu, but here's what I can remember: Chips and Guacamole: One of the better things we had. Ceviche: This was my least favorite. It was just okay. Short ribs: Melt in your mouth tender, but given the choice, I am not really big on roast-style meat. With that being said, it was not bad! Fire roasted plantains: Not bad, not amazing, 4-stars! Chocolate Cookie Mousse: Maybe my 2nd favorite thing. It actually had a very subtle kick to it... maybe this was the cocoa nibs? I wanted to keep eating this but I was stuffed. I also had a couple of Rey Del Mar cocktails, but I then felt like I was hungover until dinner time the next day. I don't recommend it for people like me who have almost no tolerance, despite how delicious it is. There was definitely something else served, but I cannot remember for the life of me what it was. Whatever it was, it was pretty decent! That's a helpful contribution, right? read more

Dry food, for lunch we ordered the fish, hamburger and empanadas. Mojito was off. Good service and nice ambiance.

A must-try restaurant in the West Loop area. My friend and I met here on a Saturday evening for an early dinner at 6pm. While it wasn't too busy, I recommend making a reservation, as the evening progressed, the pace picked up a bit. By the time we left, it was buzzing in true West Loop fashion. The place was very pretty with large chandeliers, open window concepts, and view to the of live fire so you can see your food being made! Our server was absolutely amazing. She was friendly, she made sure our table was always clean of extra dishes, our drink glasses were full, and any questions or concerns were addressed. She also walked us through the menu and we ordered everything she suggested lol. We started with cocktails, and got a Not a Margarita (zero proof), A Night in Oaxaca (mezcal, pineapple, beet) and Berry Boozie (mezcal, blueberry, chamoy). All the drinks were yummy. For a starter we ordered the guacamole. This is not your average guacamole! It was topped with roasted tomatillo and serano so it had elevated flavor and nice kick! For our entrees we got Steak and Frites which did not deviate from the classic. Nice tender steak, good flavor, and you can tell it was flame grilled, it had a wooden under taste to it which was pleasant. We also ordered the Braised Short Rib. Talk about tender it literally was falling apart. Nice flavor and topped some salsa for additional kick. I loved the potatoes they were very creamy and paired with the rib well. Overally Lena Brava was such a nice dinner spot with a cool concept. Excited to get back. read more

Food, cocktails and wait service above average. Unfortunately hostess gave us some serious attitude after checking in late (even after I had notified them we were late) Despite arriving late, we were seated immediately. But first impressions are meaningful and she did not handle herself in a hospitable manner at all read more

Walked past Lena Brava numerous times and finally decided to stop in and check it out. We were seated upstairs, which in my opinion seemed like the better place to sit, so I'd recommend that. Our server was great and recommended 2-3 dishes per person, so for the two of us, we ordered six. Our order was: - guacamole - salmon tostadas - salsa macha ceviche - wood oven empanadas - roasted oysters - braised short rib For being a pretty simple item, the guacamole was actually delicious and one of our favorites. The salmon tostadas were added in because we originally wanted the tuna carpaccio but were informed they were sold out of the carpaccio. The tostadas were fine, nothing super special about them. We weren't a fan of the roasted oysters, they were recommended to us by our server, but I wish we went with the regular chilled oysters. The empanadas took a long time to come to our table, so they ended up removing them from our bill which was really nice. They were also one of the best things we ate! The short rib was phenomenal as well. We didn't want dessert, but due to the delay in receiving the empanads, they also brought us a flan on the house! I'm not a huge fan of flan, I had a few bites and still thought it was pretty good. Great cocktails, great service, great food and good ambience. What more do you want in a restaurant? read more

This place is spool good! Amazing ambiance but even better food!!!! Everything is 10/10 We had: Ceviche Firegrilled Baja plate Street corn Octopus (the least impressive but still very good) Cocktails are also great! The Matcha one is very unique and tasty. read more

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