The food here was decent, and the service passable, but we had an incident that requires noting. We ordered the mussels a la planxa, which came sizzling on a cast iron skillet. It was obviously hot, but the handle was left sticking right in my sister's head space, so 30 minutes later, when the heat was assumed to have dissipated, my sister absently reached out to move the handle away, and he ended up with a nasty burn on her hand. Considering she was injured due to the clumsiness of the waiter's dish placement, the management ought to have been more attentive to this issue. One waiter did come out and slather my sister's finger with oil and mustard (some kind of fish-wife's remedy I guess) which was nice, but they were reluctant to comp anything on our bill. read more

Nothing amazing. They forgot the one thing I really wanted to try which was the dates wrapped in bacon. White wine sangria is ok, but so so watery with fruits that are cut up so small they're the size of my pinky nail. Service was inattentive, seemed like I was trying really hard to find a waiter when I needed one because everyone seems so busy. Hardly ever saw my actual waiter and was left to find other peoples waiters. Bread came out cold with olive oil, but there was a lot of bread maybe to hold us over because our waiter took 10 years to get to us. Then he gave us another basket of bread. -__- I want tapas, not bread. Tapas themselves were decent. Large portions. I like the goat cheese with tomato sauce on the bread. grilled calamari was good. but all I really wanted was the dates, and they forgot. To top it off, they screwed up the check. They don't show you what you pay for (which I think it the best way they can rip you off, because I wanted to make sure I got what I paid for.) Then when I said, half&half between two cards, they charged more on one card than the other, and I -again-had to find someone---who was not my waiter, and get it fixed. actually, I went to the bar to get it fixed because lord knows when ANYONE was going to come by the table. boo. read more

This place is a wonderful place to have delicious food. It is a dimly lit romantic restaurant with outdoor seating available in the warmer months. It is a favorite place of mine that has good memories with loved ones. We ordered so many different dishes and all of them were fantastic. The food is fresh, high quality and delicious. read more

Tapas Barcelona - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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This is a nice tapas place my boyfriend and I found one day while wandering downtown Evanston. It has a romantic, quiet atmosphere to it but I'm sure that's more emphasized at night. We were there around 1pm so of course there was a lot of light. I can't remember our server's name but he was helpful and nice. There were a lot of wines on the menu that I had never heard of and he recommended a really good Tempranillo. The food was pretty good, I would definitely recommend the shrimp skewers and the crab croquettes. The prices were not too expensive but I would hope for a little bigger of a portion on some items such as the fried calamari and shrimp but depending on the plate, some portions were bigger. This is definitely a place I would like to go to again to try their other items. read more

Their tapas are ok. I have had in Chicago worst. Spanish tortilla decent, croquetas ok, ad other tapas such as dates with bacon very good ( I don't like that dish but the companion said the were very good.) I would like to know how their paella is, maybe next time. Their tapas are small and pricey but that's the usual thing with spanish restaurants in the US. read more

A paella without saffron isn't a paella. Not to mention it also lacked the correct rice. The restaurant was cutting corners to save money figuring most patrons won't notice or care. read more

nothing confuses me more than the hype about this place. I've spent the past 4 years in Evanston for college and have heard so many people rave about this place and i have tried and TRIED to like it because its convenient and the only tapas place not 30+ minutes away but i GIVE UP. it's more and more disappointing every time i come. the ONLY reason i ever come here is if all my friends are going so i dont get FOMO but i'm disappointed every time. if you don't believe me, just try the patatas bravas. if you're gonna be a bad tapas restaurant, at least have some good patatas bravas - quite literally the easiest and most classic/popular tapa. but NO!! THEY CAN'T EVEN DO THAT!!! que VERGÜENZA!!!! the potatoes are simply boiled and not even remotely crispy. the "spicy tomato sauce" tastes like watered down tomato sauce. similarly, crema catalana, a staple spanish dessert, BASURA!!!! the top tastes like there's a thin layer of glass, honestly almost cut the inside of my mouth. pls trust me and sacrifice the gas or time to go down to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba or something. ps i'd like to go out of my way to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the service and this review does not reflect their impact on my experience at all, ur doing great!!! read more

Service very poor. Did not refill water, bring bill promptly, refill bread, bring plates, take our order, the list goes on and on. The food however, tasted fairly decent for the most part. Not the most economical but not bad either. Would probably not come back. read more

Avoid this place until Covid is long-gone. Restaurants opened last week with outdoor, well spaced dining. All good. Big sign in the entrance for everyone to wear a mask. All good. But the waitstaff and buspeople were all taking off masks and wearing below their noses while talking to tables. The waiter got right in our face with his mask below his nose. It was disgusting. I would avoid this place. read more

Nice atmosphere and menu. Great place for a date or to go with a group. Queso De Cabra Con Tomate, Datiles Con Tocino, and sangria are a must! (getting hungry just thinking about it...mmmmm) read more

Every time I've been to Tapas Barcelona the food and service have been good and I've walked out with a smile...and I've been going there for nearly 6 years. I can't say that their tapas and sangria is the best I've had or absolutely to die for....but it is definitely a decent go-to spot with excellent outdoor seating. read more

My roommates and I would frequent this restaurant a lot when I was living in Evanston. Even my boss loved to bring the office down here or treat visiting researchers. If you haven't experienced tapas before, you seriously should. My roommates an I would have everyone pick at least one dish to start with, and then pass and share in the true tapas nature. But don't scarf it down or get protective about it -- eat it slow and talk! My friends and I had the talking part down, but we devoured that food like crazy. Don't feel bad spending a couple hours having dinner! I personally think that's the best way to do it. If you're not in a sharing mood, do what I'd do every now and then... order two for yourself and tell your friends to back off! ;) Of course, you have to order at least two rounds of bacon wrapped dates! They are so amazing. Just forget about the seemingly weird combination, these things are like a taste explosion of awesomeness. I also recommend the fried olives, the duck pastry, baked goat cheese, and the black bean soup! All amazing. My friends never saved room for dessert (because they woofed everything down so quickly!), but you really should! I've tried them all and they're all amazing! Also, don't let them take those plates away so quickly! The sauces are really great -- since you keep getting bread, just soak it all up and don't let any of that amazing flavor go to waste! read more

The food is good, but the service is a little flaky. I have to agree with the other reviewers who said they were irritated by the busboys' eagerness to clear the table. I personally think it's rude to reach across diners just to clear one plate. We barely put a plate down and a busboy was clearing it. In fact, it still had some food on it. With that being said, I wouldn't let it deter me from visiting this place. Their outdoor patio is very nice and relatively shielded from the blazing sun. read more

Great spot in downtown Evanston, especially in summer when you can sit on the patio. Bartenders make a wicked margarita. Love the lamb empanada and the shrimp and avocado salad. Service is always friendly and efficient. Only downside, last time we went in February, the kitchen was having an off night. Dishes lacked flavor and one beef dish was sent back. We weren't charged for it, which seemed fair. read more

Pros: - Variety - Every dish was tasty and distinctive - Friendly service Cons: - Small space + good food = long wait - Located in Evanston - Crowded Recommend: - Salvador Dali Pizza - Mussels - Croquettes read more

Good place. Always a favorite hangout of mine when I was in college. The main dishes are good. I'm a big fan of Goat Cheese and Marinera dip, but that's just me. Not too much of a fan of the dark Sangria though. Great service and a great place to walk to in the summertime when its warm. read more

My Spanish teacher highly recommended this place for authentic Spanish food. The best thing is they do have a lot of options for veggies for tapas. "Esparragos Con Tres Salsas";"patatas bravas"; are some of the many great options. Chicken and salmon dishes are all delicious. A great place for college kids, family and after-office hangout. read more

Hashtag real food!!!! Terrific menu exquisitely executes. Absolutely worth to visit. The garnished vegetables are artfully arranged within the dish, with nuts and creamy rich sauce. The salmon was really good. read more

The food here is pretty good, but service is spotty. The waiter that takes your order, has no idea what food is being brought out and what has yet to come. When you come with a group (we had 6) and plenty of dishes are ordered, its up to YOU to keep track. We had 2 same dishes come out, when we ordered one. Sent it back, but was still on the bill. About 12 dishes in, we asked what else is on the way (we had already polished off 3 pitchers of sangria at this point) and the waiter had no clue. Basically told us to remember what we ordered and what we ate, the difference would be what else is still coming (Genius! Why didn't I think of that). Sangria @ $17/pitcher is not too bad. The best dish is the goat cheese and any tilapia entree. I like the Evanston location and prefer coming here over heading into the city for tapas. I am giving a generous 4 star here, but in reality about a 3.5. read more

Tapas Barcelona is my favorite tapas place around! I lived in Spain so I can say that most tapas restaurants in the area are not exactly authentic. Sure, they always have the main Spanish staples, but then also have many other items that are much harder to find in Spain. I have come to judge these restaurants on their food alone without comparing too much to the "real thing". Every time I have gone to Tapas Barcelona, I try at least one different dish than the last time, and am never disappointed! Their sangria is not my favorite but is cheaper than at many other restaurants. Here are just a few dishes that I have tried and love: -Avocado con Cangrejo (avocado with shrimp) ($6.95) - DELICIOUS, fresh, light, YUM -Aceitunas Rellenas (stuffed olives) ($3.50) - lightly fried, very tasty -Datiles Con Tocino (dates wrapped in bacon) ($5.50) - the sauce is sweeter, almost like caramel, than is served with this dish at other restaurants, but so good! -Berenjenas Con Queso y Avellanas (eggplant with goat cheese) ($5.95) - never seen this on other menus & the goat cheese goes great with the eggplant -Vieriras Con Salsa De Azafran (Grilled sea scallops, spinach, saffron sauce) ($7.25) - big serving size of scallops compared to most, comes with 4 big scallops, spinach, saffron sauce, pine nuts, and a potato Their patatas bravas are different than some others - they are not fried and are served IN the sauce, rather than having the sauce on the side. Not my favorite. They also carry my favorite Spanish dessert - Arroz con Leche. Qué rico! All in all, go! Try for yourself! And if the weather is nice, their outdoor seating area is very nice! read more

We had some friends that were visiting from out of town, so we decided to give this place a try. It was on a Saturday so the place was pretty packed, but we had called ahead to make reservations so the seating process was pretty quick. The atmosphere is pretty nice, ambient lighting and cozy. It is around the Northwestern campus neighborhood so there is a mix of college students and regular cliental. The food is supposed to be as close to real Spanish tapas as a midwestern place can get, and from all the tapas places I tried in the Chicago area this was probably my favorite. We tried 5 tapas. The Esparragos Con Tres Salsas which is a pretty light salad type dish to complement the other ones. The Pollo Relleno or stuffed chicken which was pretty good although it is served cold and i don't really like cooked meat served cold. The Vieriras Con Salsa De Azafran or grilled sea scallops in saffron sauce. I never had sea scallops prepared that way and I thought the mix worked really well. The Fritura De Calamares y Gambas or fried calamari was a bit salty. The best dish by far was the Crab croquettes with sherry mayonnaise I could have eaten those all night long. Overall it was a good dining experience. We ate until we were full and all for only $30 dollars for 2 people. This will definitely be a return visit for when I feel like having some tapas. read more

Flavor: Lacking, Out of 6 Tapas that we ordered, we thought only 3 of them had flavor. We would not reorder the other ones. We even sent one back to the kitchen without eating much of it...we still paid for it and didn't complain about it... but it was just blah. I would not order the desserts because they were small and not that great. I would stick to the stuffed chicken and all their beef dishes. Service: Very friendly and attentive. Cost: A bit too expensive if you add up a few tapas for each person. After a few hours, I was a bit hungry. The drinks were very reasonably priced, so this would be a great place to go if you want to snack and drink. Decor: Very nice and they play fun Mexican/Spanish music! read more

This was definitely one of my favorite spots during my time at Northwestern. Although it can be a bit pricey for college students, it's well worth it. My favorite dish is definitely the baked goat cheese, but you really can't go wrong with any dish on the menu. The paella rocks, and there are even some choices on the menu that accommodate persons with the blandest of taste buds. If you're up for dessert, get the banana - it's absolutely divine. Despite the fact that I may be a bit biased seeing as my sister previously worked here, it's definitely a must for any tapas lover in the Evanston area. read more

Came here with a friend based on her rave review, and I have to agree it's pretty good. And I'm sure it's even better when it's on someone else's dime ;-). We had a Groupon, and made a reservation for Friday night, which was a good thing because the place was pretty full. We got the bacon-wrapped dates, which were great. I love the combination of sweet and savory, and was sopping up the leftover bell pepper sauce with my bread. Baked goat cheese in tomato sauce was not my favorite, but they did it well. Scallops were excellent, came with about 4 pieces. I would definitely get that again. And the beef skewer with caramelized onion was good, too. The horseradish sauce it came with tasted more like sour cream - it would have been nice with a little more kick, but I still liked the combination of ingredients. For dessert, we had the pear with white chocolate, raspberry sauce and ice cream. A nice combo, although we both agreed that having both the white chocolate and the ice cream ended up taking away flavor from each. And we did end up getting a glass of sangria each. They put lots of fruit in it, so it was a tad bit smaller than I expected, but it was enough for me given the small portion sizes of the food. (They do sell half-pitchers on request). I guess I would say the prices are reasonable for tapas, But they'd have to be fantastic to merit 5 stars from me, hence the 1 docked star. read more

This is more like a 2.5 star review. We came here for dinner one evening a few weeks ago on a Friday evening around 6pm. The restaurant was near full, but we were seated immediately. That was the good. The service was not good. We had to ask for water twice; I waited 25 minutes for my (overly-weak, flavorless) sangria; we were brought an incorrect dish which was followed by perhaps a 15 minute wait for our next one. Guh. And then the food was just so-so. I know some people might tear me a new one for commending a Lettuce restaurant, but Ba Ba Reeba ran flavor circles around the dishes we ordered. Now, perhaps we ordered wrong. Perhaps we didn't select the star dishes from the menu. But if you order six, reasonably common tapas, one would think you'd get at least one standout. Nope. We'll probably be back since it's in our neighborhood, but I'm certainly not dying to go. read more

Friendly but slow service. Relatively limited number of tapas items. So-so sangria. Mediocre food. I love tapas, try to eat at as many of the tapas places in Chicago as possible, have been to Barcelona (and Madrid, in two separate trips), and cook tapas at home sometimes. This place has a nice outdoor patio for summer dining. The servers are friendly but somehow both slow and rushed at the same time. I don't live close, but even if I did, I doubt I'd be a regular. That said, nothing was actually bad, so if I were in the area with someone who wanted to go there, it'd be okay with me. read more

Small Plates can be deceiving..about two to three is more than enough. The Marques de Caceres at 33 a bottle was nicely priced. Fantastic Rioja that was complimentary to their signature items. The goat cheese with tomato sauce and the bacon wrapped dates were outstanding. The service kept it from being five stars..the bus boys spilled water on the floor and the server with more than five tables was mildly attentive. Overall a fantastic experience including local Chicago celebrities to be seen. How many times will you walk or drive by Tapas Barcelona? Don't..just stop in. read more

While I have nothing to complain about here, Tapas Barcelona is good, adequate, not great. I was surprised when they poured the sangria that the empty wine glasses came out with fruit on top of the ice. Little is more delicious in an alcoholic beverage than long-soaked, boozy fruit. And the sangria is not the fortified ambrosia you'd expect. My guess is its the bottled wine you buy at he store called sangria, rather than a red mixed with a harder spirit like brandy, peach brandy, triple sec or port. Big bummer. And a tapas can't get more creative than apples and oranges for fruit in the sangria? I make more interesting sangria a at home, with plums and strawberries in my red sangria and apricots and peaches in my white. I'd rather stay home! A note with the paella. Paella is supposed to be a slow-cooked dish, cooked all day over an open flame, I believe. I'm happy to give that up for more conventional means. But in the finished product, the rice, much like in risotto, is supposed to melt together, the starches releasing in an unctuous goodness. The paella that came to our table had perfectly defined grains and lacked that awesome, cooked-all-day taste. This is still possible in restaurants today, to receive a dish that has cooked all day. Think cassoulet at a French restaurant. I argue Paella is Spain's answer to Cassoulet. That said, service was kind and polite. I would come back again, if invited. And some of the tapas are really nice. The bacon-wrapped dates, always a hit. The tenderloin with a horseradish cream sauce was very nice. The octopus was surprisingly delicious. read more

This is for the times we've been, which was a few years back 2007-2009. Great place and the best Serrano ham outside España. Cafe Iberico can't top it. Go there if you are near. Have had several dishes including the seafood. And happy with most. read more

Had dinner for the first time last night with my husband and it was nice for the two of us. Sat at the bar since it was a bit crowded. Drinks were excellent. Wine selection was good and recommendation based on my preferences was right on. Same as the beer on tap. Food was OK to good . There were some dishes that were outstanding such as the stew of shrimp and sausage but others were just Ok like the octopus a la plancha. The octopus was perfectly cooked but the sauce was too sweet. Service was good. Quick and good recommendations. I would go again read more

Very good food. Great place for Tapas. We had the Spanish Rice dish. The sangria was very good at a great price. read more

Tapas Barcelona - So good it makes one lick their plate. - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I'm not sure why I had this down as only 4 stars before. The food is excellent and the staff are incredibly kind. I don't live in Illinois anymore but every time I visit home I make sure to eat here at least once. I miss their bacon wrapped dates every day!! read more

Not sure where to begin... fantastic! The wait staff was excellent. We tried to order as many items as we could to try. We love everything expect the Aguacate con Cangrejo. We will be returning so we can try item on the menu. Good Job TB! read more

Don't bother! Ate here on a warm day. Food and drinks sub par, worst was very unclean environment, old run down.

One of my favorite tapas restaurants in Chicagoland. The food is consistently good, fast, and relatively close to what I've enjoyed at "real" tapas bars in Spain. Ambiance is nice and attempts to replicate an authentic Spanish tapas bar. Too many choices from the menu to list my favorites, but definitely try the croquettas. read more

Great food, and easy to share. Love the patio, and the interior is nice too. Definitely try something with goat cheese. Equally good for dates and for big groups of people. This place is usually pretty busy though, so be prepared to wait on weekends. read more

I was visiting Wisconsin and came down to Chicago with family to see a Cubs game; we stayed at the Best Western across the street and found this place on Yelp. Should have made a reservation, because it was packed inside and raining outside. We waited about 45 minutes; the food was worth a wait twice that long. The bacon-wrapped dates might be my favorite appetizer of all time. The service was good, too. I didn't much care for the sangria, but maybe that's just me. read more

I'v been here twice. I like the food, particularly the goat cheese and the spinach and pear salad. The goat cheese pizza was also delicious. The spicy potatoes were not very spicy. I think its a nice place to go to fora small bite but def. could not eat dinner there. On the decor, the place is very crowded and the tables are too small. For two people you need a typical 4 person table to fit all the dishes. We had a small table for the two of us and couldn't fit the four dishes we ordered without fearing that we'd spill. The waiter service was less than good. We rarely saw them and it took forever just to order dessert. A positive was the dessert.We got the lady fingers and they were delicious. I'd go back just for that! Overall: I've had beter tapas with better service, but I've also had worse tapas with worse service. read more

Hmmm, wish my gesture was mmm! I tease myself that I will find a Spanish tapas restaurant that has freshly cooked entrees versus precooked and heated at your request slightly above par TV delights. The food was not bad, but it reminded me of a great dinner you cooked a week ago and happened to find the left overs still in your refrigerator, you were a bit suspicious to eat but was left with no other options. Hence you decided to over heat in the microwave hoping your nuking would kill off any possible specimen not welcoming to your digestive system. read more

Tapas Barcelona - Spanish cafeteria style. - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Nice place. Could use some good music. The service top notch. We started off great. Their goat cheese was fabulous, very good olives too. I especially liked the grilled squid. And than it went down the hill. The garlic shrimp was too salty. The chicken skewer- I have doubts, if it was even grilled. Maybe it was just left outside to dry out. To the point, that it was impossible to get it off the little stick without a piece flying off our table. My date wasn't even embarrassed with it happening, as it was just bound to happen. Ive only tried a tiny piece of the chicken, but he claimed once he put all these onions and sauce on it, it was way better. And Ive only been here once, maybe it is not always this mediocre? read more