The place has gone down hill in the last decade. I came back in 2010 with my mom and uncle. It was great! Everything was savory with its own specific seasoning. Now it seems that everything has this bland tomatoe-vodka type sauce on it. We ordered the goat cheese with tomatoe sauce (our toast was burnt), lamb with cous cous (very small portion and it was mostly fat), snails with tomatoe and aioli paste (it was drenched in the tomatoe-vodka sauce) and the lamb pastry (the only good thing we had really). We ordered one more thing but I forget what it was... must have been another bland forgetful item... House sangria was good, nothing special; it wasn't cold. Our waiter did accidentally order a single cup of wine before the pitcher of wine, so I paid for an extra cup that I didn't get to finish, which I didn't order to begin with. Also the order in which the food came out was weird, so while I wanted the goat cheese to come out first (because what else would you eat the bread in the baskets already on the table with); it came Last. So we were already pretty full. The whole meal was pretty one note. They were packed, during a time in which Covid delta is rising, this was unexpected and uncomfortable. Had I known it was going to be like this we wouldn't have ordered anything but since we did order our food before they literally filled every table and chair available we were stuck. Husband and I are vaccinated but still didn't feel good sitting in a packed house with redic "plastic" barriers, which by the way was these 2x2 plastic screens that were along the wall that already separated the bar from the rest of the restaurant. read more

Kinda expensive for what it is. It's, as to be expected, small plates but each are like $7! I remember being wowed by some of the plates like the bacon wrapped dates (a must try!!!), the potato balls, but the chicken skewer, scallop and fish dish with a pastry, and the meatballs were just subpar. I'm curious to try the paella, but I don't have super high hopes for this place. Also it's pricy and the quality just isn't top notch read more

I love this tapas place! The bacon wrapped dates (BURSTING with flavor!) and goat cheese are must-haves. Getting the goat cheese is great value because you can dip all of your free bread in it and eat up every last bit of it. The snails are also very delicious, tender, and buttery. You might also try their Dali pizza, which is baked to a crisp and is full of bacon bits. They have a variety of pastry puffs filled with different kinds of meats, and those are hit or miss, some have adequate portion sizes while others could hardly fill you. The service is great, and the food is prepared quite quickly. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere. I can't resist good bacon, and this place definitely serves it, along with all their other dishes. Bacon yeehaw! read more

We had a great meal here last Friday. I think we had 6 different tapas dishes. Babes like here grilled octopus, the rolled chicken breast was great, and the bacon wrapped dates where so good, I could eat an order for dinner and one for dessert. Our service was good, and the crowd was a happy bunch on a cold Feb night. Might be one of the better tapas places in Chicago. read more

If you are originally from or have been to Spain (to the non-tourisitic restaurants), you'll know this food can't be called "spanish". The alioli had no flavor, overfried seafood, nothing tasted like "home". I'm just glad we didn't order paella because everything was overpriced. Keep walking and go to the Venezuelan restaurant just a couple of steps away. read more

Went here on a Sunday evening right when they opened at 5pm. 2 hours later the place was packed! We ordered Aguacate con Cangrejo - good, Ensalada de jicama - good, Queso De Cabra Con Tomate - not enough garlic bread, Pincho De Pollo - just ok, Croquetas del Dia - stuffed with goat cheese and my favorite of the evening, Mejillones Plancha - never had mussels prepared grilled and I was delightfully happy, and Filete con Patatas - eh. I am unable to consume alcohol and was disappointed that my only options were water or pop. Can't someone just make me a mocktail?! read more

We had a great time! Really good food and great service. I also loved the atmosphere for a late night out!

4 stars. Lost a star for irregular temperature in the restaurant (it was HOT) and for not having one of the tapas I schlepped back over there to eat! Boo! All that aside, this is a delicious restaurant. It is very rare that I eat somewhere and find EACH AND EVERY SINGLE BITE amazing. They take the time to infuse flavor into everything. Even the potato that comes with the salmon is absolutely delightful. The garlic shrimp on the skewer was fantastic and plentiful. I think it was like 8 shirmp on that thing. Great deal. The rice is wonderfully tomatoed and garlic-ed. I wish I could order just a bowl of it - the little scoop on the tapas just isn't enough. It's so good. Bacon-wrapped dates are good. The bread is fresh and delicious - I can eat the entire basket! I do wish that they offered a flavored olive oil, though. But, that's just me being picky! They have a great selection of hot teas, too. I love a place that goes beyond Lipton. If you want paella, call ahead. It takes almost an hour to prepare. Service is good, not great. They sometimes forget to bring some stuff your order. If I want to be blown away by the service - I'll go to Capitol Grille. If you want to be blown away by the flavor, go to Tapas Barcelona! Yum. read more

My first time here and it was AMAZING! the team in the kitchen is fantastic - everything we had was great! we will be back! Front of house worked very hard and were friendly and professional. Restaurant is clean and comfortable. Pro tip: Just remember to save room for coffee and dessert! Highly recommend the coffee. The warm goat cheese in tomato sauce and the lamb chops were my favorites! The fried mixed vegetables were also a favorite...and the whiskey chicken...best tapas I've had since I was in Barcelona! read more

This place offers a middle of the road tapas experience. The bad? Most of our food was fine, only. One dish was awful (but we got that resolved in the good!). Some of the food was over salted. The good? The soups, black bean and lentil, were delicious. Yum for good soup! Dessert was also great. Solid banana with caramel and ice cream, and a yummy and very rich chocolate raspberry mousse. Service was very attentive and polite, and when we left one dish hardly touched, they removed it from our bill when we explained that it was not good and also didn't really fit the description. It seems to me like the menu needs a refresh. I wish they would focus more on some of the amazing Spanish cheese and meats they could feature. I wish there was a brighter array of flavors. Veggies seemed overcooked to the point of mush at times and there was a sweet tomato pepper sauce that overpowered many dishes. It's a cute space and with some menu changes, could be a really great spot. read more

They must have switched the chef. This used to be one of my favorite tapas places in the city. Came here recently for a bite to eat with my two friends, and was disappointed in both the service and the food. Most noticeably, the pincho de solomillo is cooked weirdly, with the caramelized onions (my favorite part in the past) becoming sugar onions, yuck. Grilled calamari was different too, not in a good way. Our server was being kind of mean and dismissive of our surprised faces/comments when we received the food that looked completely different from what we were used to seeing on prior visits. read more

The whole menu here isn't killer, but after going a couple of times I've found the dishes that I will order every time. Octopus was delicious, ceviche was a great value, and the dates come with a bell pepper sauce on them that's incredible! Sangria is nothing to write home about, but its not too sweet so I still enjoyed it. read more

Great place for a small group or even a date. This place is usually pretty packed filled. We came here at 730 without a reservation. At first it was going to be a pretty long wait but I think they added more tables so we could sit. FOOD i'm going to lump everything together into this section since there are so many dishes and call out the ones I liked and didn't. In general, I think the food is just ok. We ordered the meatball, grilled octopus, seafood cevechi, mussels, potatoes, croquettes, and sangria. Sangria - im not expert in this area but I felt it was quite strong. Usually its a light summer drink but the one they made for us had a stronger wine taste than I liked before. It's fine though since summer isn't actually here. Grilled octopus - was probably the best of all of it. Grilled with a sweet, vinegar sauce. It's not chewy at all like some octopus can be if it's prepared poorly. The Cevechi- is probably the worst one. Squid, small scallops, shrimp. I think it's all pre-cooked, pre-frozen seafood that they squeeze lemon over it. It all way overcooked, quality of the seafood is subpar. High quality seafood is impossible to find in the mid-west so I probably shouldn't have ordered that. Everything else was just in between. Nothing really notable. A lot of the menu was semi-italian? italian-american? I generally wish for more pure authentic menus. The price isn't bad at at all though, so you are getting what you are paying for. SERVICE - pretty good overall. Like I said, they found a spot for us. Food came pretty quickly, waiters were fast to get the plates out and was pretty attentive. I see the value of this place in Evanston. The food isn't amazing but it is definitely a good place for a quick drink or a chill night. read more

See all

We pretended we were in Spain and had a lovely dinner at Tapas Barcelona in Evanston. We had abt six dishes and shared a dessert. It was mouthwatering. We sat outdoors and the weather was perfection. We had a lot of company. We tried the dates and bacon. It was wonderful. We had shrimp with garlic, rib eye steak in sauce, sauce with mussels, all good. We had a potato dish that was very spicy but we thought it was just ok. Can't recall the last dish, but we ended with a rice pudding that was delightful and a good choice. Coffee was good too. Not terribly expensive for such a nice meal. Try them. read more

This place is amazing. The food is phenomenal. Flavors are delicious. For "small plates" the portions are still generous. Pacing was perfect- prompt without feeling rushed. Lupita was wonderful! read more

I've been to Tapas Barcelona for years, but finally am writing to sing its praises! No matter what you order, it is sure to be excellent. I have to have ordered probably the whole menu at least once by now, and have never had anything short of great. The staff is so fun, fast, and caring. Favorites are the goat cheese dip, croquettes, and octopus. Miguel (a waiter) is the best! Made our dinner so easy and especially enjoyable. Love this place and will always return. read more

Stopped in for dinner a few nights ago and was pretty unimpressed overall. The flavors were bland and service was sub par. The highlight of our meal was the tomato goat cheese dip (not sure the real name), that had great flavor. Everything else left us wanting something more. read more

We tried this restaurant for the first time last night and were very impressed. The food was wonderful, especially the Aguacate Con Cangrejo, avocado, cucumber and tomato topped with crab meat, which was fresh and vibrant. Another hit was the Gambas al Ajillo, garlic shrimp with olive oil and chiles. Quite simple and quite delicious. We ended with a trio of desserts that we all tried, and we loved the classic flan. Adding to the experience was the friendly and unusually attentive service. The decor was kind of country rustic, with a mix of Spanish film posters and reproductions of Picasso, Goya and Picasso, hung salon style. The only down side? The loudness. Because all the surfaces are hard, including the tile floor, it can be very difficult to carry on a simple conversation. Some sound-dampening panels would be an easy fix and it would be very welcome. Otherwise, this is a real Evanston treasure. We will definitely be back. read more

Love this place. Grilled octopus was perfectly cooked and the baked goat cheese is a must have. My fav local gem!

I really wish Evanston had a great Tapas place but Tapas Barcelona is mediocre at best. Although the place itself is nice, and the service has been good the few times I've been there, they just don't at all measure up in food compared to the Chicago Tapas places I used to go to when I lived downtown Chicago. Such a disappointment. I wish I could tell the owners that they should hire a great Tapas chef for a few months, limit the menu to just outstanding dishes, and they'd have an extraordinarily successful restaurant since all of the other ingredients are there. read more

So, nothing quite compares to 'real' tapas that I've consumed in Barcelona and Madrid, but I will have to find something in the area to suffice. I went here today for lunch w/the bf, his bro and our real estate agent Bob....as usual, we were starving like crazy after condo hunting, so we ordered the patatas bravas, queso de cabra con tomate, some chicken skewer dish w/chipotle sauce, lambchops, and jamon y queso cold plate....and since one of our guests is a veggie-tarian, the asparagus and marinated veggie cold plates. So...patatas bravas were unlike any others I have had before because they are not fried and do not come with a spicy creamy mayo-like sauce. ....they were boiled w/a spicy tomato sauce...different, but tasty nonetheless. The chicken skewer dish (I forgot the name) was VERY tasty...the bf was loving his lambchop, so he was greedy and didn't share his tasty morsels. The ham dish was pretty good as well, and the queso de cabra was pretty standard.....always a safe choice at any tapas place. So, overall I liked it, but only gave 3 stars instead of more because after eating, I got a killer stomach ache! I have NO idea why either and my stomach just didn't agree with me all day after eating here. I will definitely eat here again though and try some different dishes...everything sounded very good on the menu descriptions read more

For a place right next to a retirement home, one might think that the place will be of some aspect catering to the retirement home,but it is not. What this place really is, is quite an excellent tapas location. The cold plate with the asparagus, the hot plate with the goat cheese, and of course the paellas are excellent. Deserts are a little gimmicky but overall the food is very good and service was as well. It can get a little costly though, you'd probably look at around $15-20 if you planned on anything other than sangria with some tapas. Oh, and if you go late, this place is packed, but don't be afraid to eat at the bar! read more

The good... Went to this restaurant a few nights ago with a big group for my birthday. Very nice environment in the restaurant. We ordered a ton of stuff. Standouts were.... bacon wrapped dates, garlic potatoe salad, eggplant dish, this steak dish. Mussels have been raved on here but we found them mediocre, not a lot of flavor. Sangria was also good. The bad....the kitchen was out of the stuffed chicken we ordered and then the waiter still charged us for it on the bill. also, the kitchen did not bring us 3 of our dishes. we waited and waited and waited... over an hour. finally we asked for them and the waiter said that they brought it out... I'm like "uh no they didnt" and he is like "are you sure?" Of course I'm sure. I know what we ate. The manager appoligized... but after all that time, you would think they would comp at least one of the tapas. Or throw in an extra one for the table for free. but nothing. it's bad business in my opinion. read more

Another one of those places you overlook writing a review for when it's second nature but when you move to Chicago and start craving good tapas, the only place that comes to mind reliably is Tapas Barcelona! That's what happened to me just a few days ago and after trying several tapas places in the city including LP, nothing comes close to this place! Their sangria isn't amazing, but their patatas bravas, asparagus/avocado salad and queso de cabra are all outstandingly delicious! We felt adventurous and tried their spinach-goat cheese pizza, but decided to stick to our usuals next time around! read more

I enjoyed their red sangria, although the wine was very weak~ We ordered the shrimp in garlic sauce (Gambas Al Ajillo), snails (Cabrillas Barcelona) and asparagus salad (Esparragos Con Tres Salsas). They were all very good but none too spectacular. Their outside seating was very cozy and romantic, very fitting for a date. Muy bien~ read more

We were headed back from the City--independent book publishers (interesting). Anyways--we've been here often, our daughter recommended it for the introduction. The menu is smaller than before. When the server came, I asked for a plate with sliced meats and cheese--standard tapas fare--not on the menu. Everything we had was adequate. But the little extra pizzaz to each small plate one might expect seemed to be absent. I had the black bean soup (in a very generous portion). Not exciting but acceptable. Also, the goat cheese with tomato--okay. Maybe it was an off-night. Oh. One better than adequate--the server was energetic and accommodating. read more

Love love LOVE this place! The food is amazing and the staff is really welcoming. We came in on a Friday night and they were able to squeeze us in, despite being very busy. My faves are the cheese in tomato sauce, bacon-wrapped dates (duh.), and their croquettes are good. Honestly, you can't go wrong. read more

There wer so many great-sounding items on the menu that it was hard for me to decide. This place would work best with a group so you could try lots of different things. I had the scallops with spinach and the prosciutto with tomato bread. The scallops weren't that great, but the spinach was very tasty. The prosciutto with tomato bread was excellent. There is a lot interesting art and the wait staff was very attentive even though I was alone and there was a huge party of about 30 people nearby. read more

Tapas Barcelona - Interesting artwork. - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

This is my new favorite spot! Outdoor seating to enjoy the nice weather. Great atmosphere inside, but it does get loud due to how busy it can get. Depending on the day or time you may need to make a reservation. It's a small plates place, so you do share the food you order. If you enjoy wine, I would suggest the Barcelona Sangria. It was delicious and a great price! We had the serrano ham, calamari and shrimp, tilapia, and the empanadas. All of it was absolutely delicious. I'm definitely going to be coming here again soon. :) read more

Came to celebrate Mother's Day. We had a large group with 2 moms. Since everyone wanted to try as much as possible, we ordered multiples of many different things on the menu so everyone would get at least a bite. We ended up ordering a ton. Overall everything was pretty tasty, and we got to try a lot of different things. Paella takes a long time to prepare, so we put that order in first. The only "miss" was the snail dish. There was so little actual snail that all you tasted was bread, sauce, and cheese. Could not discern any snail except for the black smear. During the meal, it was clear that everyone would still be hungry, so we ordered the pizzas they had on the menu to "fill up". Not the best pizza, but it did its job. Drinks and cocktails were great. We had a nice time. read more

See all

I was hesitant to go to Tapas Barcelona based on a number of negative reviews in Yelp. However, I was wrong. The place is GREAT! Service was excellent: our waitress came promptly and was polite and efficient. The carriers were also efficient; our water glasses were refilled several times. The food was delicious. We began with large mai-tais. We then ordered seven different tapas, all of which were made perfectly. Don't miss the bacon wrapped dates or the octopus. Portions were generous for a reasonable price. For those of you who had a bad experience, try Tapas Barcelona again: it's excellent. read more

Fantastic evening. Great service and food! Paella was just ok though - the seafood was perfectly cooked but overall flavor was understated, rice undercooked in spots, and not crunchy at the bottom. Will definitely go back and try other dishes. read more

When I first came to Tapas Barcelona a year ago just as the pandemic shut down was beginning to ease up, I was enchanted by the ambiance, reasonable pricing, careful presentation and delicious food. Soft, ambient Spanish music gave the place an additional eclectic touch. I was wowed. A year later, one can't help but notice how popular this place has become. Perhaps to its demise. The pricing is still reasonable, the food is still good. But the ambiance is gone. Even with the interesting Dali-esque decor, it has acquired the hustle and bustle of a cafeteria characterized by loud conversations and clanging plates and glass. Maybe it's possible to become too successful. Hence, my rating dropped from five to three. read more

Tapas Barcelona - tiramisu - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I've been coming here the past 2 years with my family for my mom's birthday. absolutely amazing place. every single plate we've ordered has always been delicious, and this year i was able to order drinks :) the blue curaçao was kinda mehhhh, but the sangria was great and the coffee spiked with jameson whiskey was amazing with the exquisite desserts. definitely would recommend this place for anyone!!! read more

See all

Nothing authentic here... Food is bad, overpriced and the day we went the vibe was really, really annoying. The customers we had next to us were super drunk, yelling, whistling scarring people, being aggressive to us, and other customers. It was extremely uncomfortable. The waiters are very nice. But the manager didn't even care to try to fix the situation. He was encouraging those people to keep acting like that probably because they were drinking a lot and were going to have a big check. It has been hard for the restaurants to stay afloat, so I can be understanding. But it was a really bad experience for us. The food is not worth it, tasteless and too expensive for the quality. read more

Tapas Barcelona is a fun place to go if you want to try out various dishes. When I was out with friends, we enjoyed the decently sized tapas which were fairly priced, along with the outdoor atmosphere. Service was great; the food came fast and our water cups were always filled. Overall, the food was okay. No complaints on the flavor, but I wouldn't come back to eat anything in particular. I would eat here again for the entire experience. read more

Good: They received us 5 minutes before opening, decoration looked Spanish, desert was very good and in general all the food was reasonable, I consider the prices fair. Bad: Asking to the waiter if they add any Spanish employees I received a "No, we don't need those people here" for me that was unnecessary and impolite since he didn't know if we were Spanish and since it is a Spanish want to be place, that was really awkward. I also asked if they would have a tapas board (wood board served with several types of cheeses, presunto, and chorizos) usually served in any tapas place in Spain mainly in the south, despite the fact I was aware I was not in Spain and that they may not have it, I got a "No, our food is more a south Spain kind of tapas, Seville style" that showed me the waiter don't know much about Spain food and it's even weird considering the name of the place is Barcelona not Sevilha. The Jamon (presunto) served was just mediocre flavored (I was expecting a little better from a Spanish tapas place even in US), the Andaluzia paella, was not bad but it lacked a few more shrimps and I guess unpeeled shrimps are not usual around Chicago area. In general I think it would be a good experience if it wasn't the fact of the not so good attitude in the beginning from the waiter. Not even one Spanish speaking music for all the time we were there. Don't have nothing against south Americans or Mexicans but probably they really need one Spanish employee. By the way I'm not Spanish but lived close to Seville for 41 years. read more

Tapas Barcelona - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Tapas Barcelona is very much a hit or miss. I went with three friends today and we got a total of five dishes along with a pitcher of the Barcelona Sangria. We ordered: Dali pizza Bacon covered dates Beef skewers Garlic shrimp Stuffed eggplant Mussels The Dali pizza and stuffed eggplant were very good and I would recommend those. However the skewers, shrimp, mussels, and sangria were all very mediocre. The sangria especially was disappointing to me. It was more like watered down wine to me. With that being said, the bacon covered dates were ones to die for. We got two plates of them because they were so good. The sauce that comes with it also goes really well for the bread. Please do yourself a favor and stop by Tapas Barcelona and try the dates! read more

Tapas Barcelona - Bacon covered dates! Try them :) - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

See all

Wow, wow! We loved this place. Olives, angel hair pasta and seafood, baked goat cheese and tomato sauce plus an eggplant dish were all superb. Going back tonight for my birthday! Don't think we've ever liked a restaurant so much we've gone two nights in a row! Update: here we are again! Just as good as the night before. Tuna catalone, lamb, olives, potato salad and two deserts! read more

See all

Tried the tilapia, octopus and mango salad. All of them are awesome like heaven. Can't believe i still didn't get tired of the restaurant after three years. read more