ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! This used to be my favorite restaurant when I was in college 14 years ago and I still remember it being such a treat to eat here on a Friday evening. After nearly 15 years my husband and I were finally able to come back to Evanston and the food here was just as delicious as I remember! The baked goat cheese is one of my favorite dishes of all time and the sangria is fantastic! I wish we lived closer because this would definitely be my "go to spot". read more

Tapas Barcelona - Red Sangria - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I had been eyeing this place for a while. Last week we tried to go and unfortunately they were booked, so I do recommend making a reservation. We were able to get in last night and luckily it completely was worth the wait. We were seated right away even though we were there 5 minutes early. The ambience is very warm and welcoming. A waitress came over right away. I got the sangria and it was delightful. We ended up ordering 5 tapas. The goat cheese, the meatballs, the chicken whiskey, bacon wrapped dates, and a beef skewer. It was all incredible. The meatballs, goat cheese, and chicken were a stand out for me. We ended with the tiramisu and I got an Irish coffee, which was incredible. The whole bill was about 105 before tip, which is pretty reasonable. We can't wait to go back and try other options! read more

The food was delicious. Went with 4 friends for a birthday dinner. All of us are ex-restaurant and bar industry. So I would say we have an elevated pallet. We had the following items. Patatas Alioli (GF), Tortilla Espanola (GF), Berenjenas Rellenas con Queso (GF), Pulpito a la Plancha (GF), Pincho de Solomillo (GF), Pincho de Pollo (GF), Salmon con Esparragos (GF), Gambas al Ajillo (GF), Mejillones a la Plancha (GF), Chipirones a la Plancha (GF), De Remolachas (GF), Datilles a la Sevillana (only non-gluten free item so I stayed clear. The only dishes would not get again would be pincho de pollo as the chicken was dry and the flavor was over powering and the spices and the cause didn't mesh. The tortilla espanola was ok. There wasn't anything wrong with it but compared to other dishes it fell flat. The Berenjenas Rellenas con Queso was amazing. The flavor of the sauce with the eggplant and goat cheese was a perfect combination. Pulpito a la Plancha the better of the two octopus options. Very good. The tenderloin and the papayas Alioli along with the mussels were my other 3 favorites. It was very busy but cleared out fairly early. Our waiter was very nice and understood my celiac needs. But I would say the service after initial ordering wasn't the best. Trying to order more tapas or drinks and acquiring additional plates and silverware as well getting ice we always had to flag someone down. We were busy enjoying the evening so it wasn't ruining our evening or anything and we aren't shy flagging down a waiter. It just would have been nice for them to check on us once in a while. Will definitely go back. But deducted 1 star for the service and a few tapas that fell short. read more

We are actually surprised by the lower reviews. The restaurant itself is dark so we sat outside on the patio. We enjoyed most of what we ordered; a couple plates needed a light sprinkle of salt, which was already on the table. So yeah, the food was pretty good. We went for lunch, both servers were great. read more

Great food huge variety to choose from and shoutout to Josh for the great service and recommendations he made our night! read more

Tapas Barcelona - Fried goat cheese with tomato soup - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Good tapas in a lively cute atmosphere located in the heart of downtown Evanston. This place has been here for over 28 years and was absolutely packed on a snowy freezing night when most of the other restaurants in the neighborhood looked empty so they must be doing something right, Good sangria. Tapas were solidly good. Not outstanding but good. I enjoyed the spicy kick from the patatas bravas and the tortilla española and the pulpo a la plancha. The bacon wrapped figs were excellent too. Artichokes we're ok and the queso de cabrá was a little bland and muscles fine but nothing special so I might skip those. Service was good. This place had a nice positive energy and was fairly priced. Good choice if craving tapas and don't want to drive all the way to the city for them. read more

Place was nice. Service was good. It's just the food was okay. I think our favorite Tapas place is still the one up in Northfield (you can Google it), so that is my benchmark. I think the tapas here just lacked some imagination maybe? Here's my hot take. 1. Bacon wrapped dates in sauce - excellent and hard to mess up but you'd be surprised at some places 2. Cheese pizza - was for kids, soft and had ok taste, but really thick bread/crust and not my thing. Almost like cafeteria pizza. 3. Lamb chops - excellent. Was it lentils or cous cous? Idk but it was good! 4. Salmon and asparagus - it is what it said it was, but also expensive. 5. Patatas bravas - ok. Small potatoes and doused in spicy sauce. I would have preferred larger potatoes with texture and light sauce coating. I've had it other places this way; I think it's my preference. 6. Pan de tomate + jamon - laughably small pieces of crusty bread with tomato. Real thin cheese slices. Ham was ok. I was more excited than I think I should have been. 7. Lamb and chorizo empanada - again ok. My wife and so enjoyed the chocolate mousse. The arroz con leche was my dessert. Real shallow bowl and shallow serving. I get it is meant to be soupy, but it was presented the wrong way imo. Felt like when you're near finishing a bowl of cereal. Wife and I both had the same thought when we left which was we probably won't come back. For $155 it was not what we could get at our other favorite place for almost the same price. Sorry Evanston. It had ambiance tho! If you're into that. read more

Tapas Barcelona isn't good nor terrible. Is the service good? Yeah it's fine. Food? Depends on what you get but it doesn't blow your socks off. I found the Patatas Bravas to be TERRIBLE -- inauthentic sauce and super small, soggy potatoes. This dish is one that should be crispy and not wet breakfast potatoes. For this dish alone I have to reduce their rating. I also thought the bread was sort of stale last time I went. The sangria is good though and I enjoyed a chicken thigh dish. In all honesty, without the bravas disaster this place is probably a 4, maybe leaning closer to a 3.5. read more

3 stars for service and atmosphere and 1 for food. Service was amazing - food was not. Goat cheese was bland. Beef was fatty and covered in tasteless gravy. Shrimp looked it belonged in school programs from my youth... Profiterole and tiramisu were unexpected on a tapas restaurant menu but they were ordered frequently (we were seated my kitchen). Did not try. Very lively atmosphere and people were enjoying their time. Maybe we just pick poorly? read more

Amazing!!! Loved the food, environment, and staff, especially the owner Maria L. Magnífico!!!

Longing to recapture some memories of our trip to Spain, my husband chose Tapas Barcelona for his birthday dinner. Recommend reservations, especially if a table of four or more, as even on a Tuesday evening, the restaurant filled quickly after 6. We decided on a variety of tapas that were familiar to us from our travels. Gambas al Ajillo was our favorite. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, and the oil and garlic were perfect for dipping. Next time we'll be sure to mix it up a bit (the garlic and salt were not evenly distributed in the dish), and we'll crush the red peppers to get the spicy paste from them to enhance the flavor. Pulpito a la Plancha - the octopus was grilled perfectly, which is not easy to do because it varies so much in size and girth. The escarole and sauce beneath it were a perfect combo for it, and the latter provided more excuses to dip the bread. Tortilla Espanola - this was a perfect balance of potato, egg, and garlic, served with dressed salad greens. I would choose this over a quiche nearly always as a perfect lunch or brunch dish. When prepared well, you can see the layers of potato, but they do not separate as you cut into it. This was exquisitely prepared and took me back to the many bars where we would stop for Sangria or cerveza and get a small slice for free with each drink. The Croquette of the day was nicely fried and reminiscent of Spain. They were homey and warming, altho it was hard to distinguish the flavors from the potato. Maybe slightly bigger chunks within would have helped. The Jamon con Pan de Tomate missed the mark. Because of food refrigeration requirements here in the US, it can never truly be the same as Spain where the Manchego is left on the counter and the ham hangs from the ceiling to be sliced to order, but this was served on a cold plate, too, so it was hard to get the meat and cheese to room temp before consuming. There's nothing like the thin ham slices quite literally melting on your tongue with a bit of funky saltiness. Our memories of Catalan bread was thin slices of toasted baguette rubbed with both a broken garlic clove and the open side of a ripe tomato. The crustini was perfect, but the tomato topping was about a quarter inch of very small diced tomatoes. It was tasty but needed salt and pepper, and it just was not what we hoped for overall with this common tapas dish in Spain. We also ordered the Asparagus Cabrales, a special that day, which was grilled with bacon crumbles and bleu cheese. The asparagus and seared tomato were lovely, if not a bit over cooked, the bacon and bleu cheese plentiful, but the bleu cheese was so overpowering, even when we scraped it off. A good example of less being more. We shared a pitcher of sangria, which was pleasant. The fruit appeared fresh to order rather than soaked in the wine, and we prefer a lot less ice so that we can enjoy a bit of the fruit in the final sips from the glass. The service is very attentive, and Manuel was great. He solo serenaded the happy birthday song to my hubby as he presented him with a perfectly cooked flan. Our bill was under $120 for 6 tapas and a pitcher, and we were perfectly sated. We will return again for our faves (the top three above were in a virtual tie), to try others, and to have paella. It was a great experience that we highly recommend! read more

In a nutshell: let me do my best Joey from Friends imitation... Bread? Goooood. Rib? Goooood. Pizza? GOOOOOOOD! ----- With festive Spanish-infused music playing in the background, colourful displays of art and posters around the walls, and spirited servers who oscillate between Spanish and English, a meal at Tapas Barcelona almost whisks you to Barcelona itself. My parents and I aren't that familiar with Spanish-style foods (in fact, this marked our first time at such a restaurant), so I'm not really able to evaluate how authentic the dishes are, but I will say the overall atmosphere created seems like what one would expect from a vibrant, dynamic city like Barcelona. I really liked the free crostini bread appetizers that came with each table, and definitely appreciated that you could refill your bread basket with no extra charges. My new discovery of the day is that just one brush or dab of olive oil on a slice of toasted crostini can make THE difference. It's like piping frosting on a cake or adding tomato sauce to potato fries. I don't know how I've been ever eating bread without olive oil! My dad ordered the Filete con Patatas, a plate of grilled rib eye with roasted potatoes and onions well-complemented by red wine sauce, which he preferred dipping the crostini in rather than the olive oil, to my weary, feigned horror (my father regularly enjoys what he calls "culinary creative experimentation"). I, for one, liked the potatoes for their crispiness, though the rib eye had a stretchiness to the meat that was a bit odd. I also wish the overall presentation was stronger than the recurring shades of brown, beige, and bronze. My small party of three also shared the Miro pizza, which is your classic cheese pizza spread with tomato sauce on the crust with sprinkles of basil overtop. Since the kitchen staff bake the pizzas in the oven once you place an order, our pizza arrived with that undoubtedly and satisfyingly homemade touch. Once you sink your teeth into the admittedly large slice, you're transported on a vivd, gustatory adventure, from the crunchy, buttered, firm crust to the fresh, sweet tomato spread to the cool hint of basil to the stringy, delectable cheese that brings all the ingredients together until you have a pizza that puts Dominos and Pizza Hut to shame! (Guess which dish I liked the best???) My family wasn't that hungry so we opted for a smaller dinner and unfortunately didn't get to try much of the tapas, but I can definitely see Joey Tribbiani stuffing himself silly here. So you should get over there and stuff yourself too :) read more

Tapas Barcelona - Filete con Patatas - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Great menu, people, location. Perfectly sized portions, great prices. Especially like dinner at the bar! read more

Came here with a group of friends for some tapas. While my group was mixed (vegetarians and no veg), I only can speak to the things I ate (vegetarian): Baked Stuffed Eggplant was easily my favorite thing on the menu - super creamy and flavorful We also tried the veggie paella and the patatas bravas which were just ok. Ambiance is nice and a decent spot to go with friends, but food is just ok read more

The food was amazing and the prices were reasonable. The service was also very good. The lamb was expensive but very good. Overall great experience. read more

Play it safe and make a reservation. Tapas Barcelona has a nice atmosphere inside and the service is very good. The menu has variety, but a lot of the dishes are just OK. The dishes gave me more the feeling of small bar snacks and didn't leave me craving to go back. Even though the food didn't wow me, I do appreciate having the option of a tapas restaurant in town and I think it was still worth the try. read more

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This is the place for Spanish food if you're in Evanston, and it seems to be a favorite for many students, but the food is honestly on the lower side of mediocre. I suspect this partially has to do with what we ordered (I would definitely have ordered a paella and different tapas). Dined: April 7, 2022 read more

This is my favorite Tapas restaurant. I've been going there for 4 years. Last night, although the food was great, our server was not knowledgeable regarding the menu and inattentive. I had to ask her twice for a refill on my water... the bus staff was understaffed. A very disappointing experience for me and my friend who had never eaten there before! I will try to speak with someone in management to air my concerns. At this point if someone asks me about the restaurant, I will tell them the food is great but service is disappointing. read more

We make reservations for Easter Sunday at 2:00 pm by the time we seat and get the menus took by 7 minutes we order drinks and a couple appetizers ,when we try to order more food they told us ,we can't order any dinner because the restaurant close at 2:30. How they take reservations at 2 when the restaurant close at 2:30 and not telling the customers specifically on Easter Sunday at family day.we order Gambas al ajillo wish was terrible look precooked shrimp with no flavor,we ordered sangria taste like water with color really a bad experience for a family dinner.Don't recommend this place to no one read more

~Monica's T.A.S.T.E. Test~ Taste: We had so many different dishes as each person (4) ordered 2-3 tapas and we all shared (see Nathan's review for his take on each dish!). My favorites were the eggplant with goat cheese and hazelnuts (sweet and smooth) and the grilled vegetables with balsamic. However there were no bad choices. Atmosphere: Super crowded but the noise level was surprisingly medium. You could easily carry a conversation. The décor was Spanish with bright reds and oranges on the walls. And tables were far enough away to not hear the conversation next to you. Service: Our waiter was great. He allowed us to order each round after receiving/finishing the last, and gave great suggestions. Waters always filled. Tab: Each tapas was around $5-8, and 2-3 were needed for a meal. Reasonable for sure. Extra wow factor: So many choices! Does it pass the T.A.S.T.E test? Yes, no complaints here! When we are looking for a little Spanish flare in our cuisine we know where to go. read more

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Recently, several of us agreed to meet at Tapas Barcelona to catch up over dinner. I had heard and read some really good things about this restaurant, and I was NOT disappointed! Our friendly and helpful server suggested that if each of us ordered two "tapas" dishes to share, our dinner would proceed flawlessly - his advice was right on the money and our dinner was a delicious and totally enjoyable experience :-) We started the meal with Sangria for the table; it did it's job very nicely by both enhancing our appetites and stimulating conversation. Next, our food came - with four of us having ordered two dishes each, everyone got to try all eight dishes. Everything (mussels, beef tenderloin, chicken, goat cheese, shrimp, calamari, and chicken with potatoes) was beautifully presented and completely delicious. The food combined with spot-on, friendly service resulted in a great dining experience. While the prices were a touch high for the quantity of food we were served, we were all satisifed by the extremely tasty fare :-) read more

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I wanted to like Tapas Barcelona, especially after hearing so much about it, but unfortunately but unfortunately our time there was not a pleasant experience. We were seated outside in 40 degree weather about 6 inches away from roadside traffic, and despite asking several times to be moved indoors, we were not allowed. The food wasn't all that great either. I enjoyed the free bread and olive oil- it was probably my favorite part of the meal. I did not enjoy the paella. I can only compare it to the obscure vegetable medleys that would be served in a dining hall or cafeteria. For that price point, I would not recommend trying it. read more

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We were looking for a new Tapas place. The one we loved has closed. Tapas Barcelona did not disappoint. The menu is extensive and every dish we tried was delicious. The ambiance was lovely and the diners at each table seemed to enjoy their meals and to be having a good time. The staff was friendly and service was good. Prices were reasonable for the quality and quantity. Tapas Barcelona will definitely be a new "go to" favorite. There's no parking lot. We were concerned about finding street parking, but we lucked out and got a spot on Chicago Ave. read more

Best tapas we've ever had!! A pleasant surprise!! We came across this restaurant by accident and were so glad we did.

Amazing food, patient staff, good environment Would recommend to a family or friend read more

Tapas Barcelona - Dates and bacon - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Normal Spanish restaurant. Not the most authentic place, but hey, it's in Evanston. Nothing great. Overall, pretty meh and standard. read more

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This was our 3rd time here and the service, food and drinks was excellent every time. Last week we sat outside on the small sidewalk dining area. We have had the paella each time and it was delicious! It was served in a piping hot skillet with a large spoon to dish out to everyone. It serves about 3-4 people. We tried so many of the tapas small plates- all were fresh and the sauces were so flavorful. The Spanish Margarita and the MaiTai were strong and sweet, perfect! Reservations online showed they were full, but when I called we were given a reservation no problem. read more

Celebrated my birthday here, ended up being a huge mistake. Mentioned it was my birthday on my online reservation, no acknowledgement from staff. My reserved table was not ready on time and the salmon con esparragos I ordered had very little flavor and salmon was undercooked. Menu prices have gone up in recent years and food quality has declined. When my girlfriend mentioned it was my birthday to the server, he blamed ownership for removing any celebrations. Our server didn't even wish me a happy birthday. Very disappointing and as a former loyal customer, I won't be going back. read more

Love this amazing tapas restaurant located in the heart of Evanston. Outside seating has a great atmosphere and feel. It also has indoor seating options. Both come with amazing service our server was super knowledge and helpful. The Tapas selection was large enough that any pallet could find something they like. They also have a large beverage selection which is a plus. Lastly the price is very reasonable given the cuisine and location read more

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

The only thing that was good was the desserts . The service was good too. The food was so mediocre that it was painfully. What is so hard to add some taste to the food that comes from Spain. Use your spices please! read more

Amazing food, consistently. Wonderful, friendly, attentive service. Great outdoor dining option. We've had almost everything on the menu. Our favorites include the olives, Tortilla Espanola, Pollo Al Whiskey, Parilla de Vegetales, Pincho de Pollo, Pincho de Solomillo, Chipirones, Catelana Paella, and Tarrina de Chocolate. read more

It was a good meal, but just not superb. They have complimentary bread and oil on the table but the bread was close to stale and the oil had an odd flavor. My friend and I each had a glass of sangria which, again, was just ok. It tasted like a cheap red wine and didn't have much fruit topping. We shared the patatas bravas which were way different than what I've tried in the past. The potatoes were cooked perfectly and were tender and were tossed in an extremely spicy red sauce. Our favorite dish was the farfalle pasta with vegetable and a cream sauce. It was cooked well and the sauce was luxurious! Last, we had the beef skewer with horseradish sauce and caramelized onions. The beef was pretty tender and went well with the horseradish sauce which had a little zing/spice. The onions were served cold, which was a bit off-putting and would have been better served warm. Server Lupita was prompt and super friendly. read more

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Went to Spain last fall & was craving tapas. Great place in Evanston to recreate my culinary journey! Come with a few friends & order to share! The Valencia paella brought me back to that wonderful city & all the Spanish flavors! Don't skip dessert & order a couple to try you won't b disappointed! Luv the Castilian crime brûlée! read more

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We have been going to Tapas Barcelona for over 20 years. In fact, when our daughter got engaged we booked her engagement party at Tapas Barcelona not only for its amazing food but because it had been so much a part of her childhood. It is still one of our favorites because of their exquisite paella, authentic tapas, and friendly service. The restaurant is intimate yet vivacious. It is the best Spanish tapas restaurant in the city, and we have been to many! read more

Lovely place for a buzzing date night!! Loved this dinner. Pls call ahead for reservation. read more

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

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I enjoyed this restaurant. The ambiance is relaxed and decor is cute, it reminded me of the places from South of Spain that I know : Malaga, Torre del Mar, Velez. I feel is the first Spanish tapas restaurant in US where they are generous with the tapas. We ordered octopus, squid, tortilla española which came with fresh Aurugula salad, we also ordered croquetas, patatas bravas , a glass of nice shiraz wine, and lamb empanadas besides crema catalana. I liked all of it, and I specially I enjoyed the dessert. We paid $85 dollars for all of that for 2 people and left pretty full. My favorite was dessert, creamy and delicate. I dont post more pictures cause we ate quickly, mostly devoured everything and did not take pics that I was proud of. I recommend the place and next time would like to come for paella which is around $25. I think for the price, the cuteness, the food and the service this place is a nice spot. Good for a romantic dinner and for groups, if you want to invite friends from abroad to a nice place with a tasty menu without breaking the bank. Give it 5 stars! read more

Tapas Barcelona - Crema catalana - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Food was decent, my favorite was the shrimp in butter sauce. Pallela was ok, have had better. Drinks were great: Sangria, Margarita and the Martini were amazing. One and only reason for rating with 1 star, their overall service. Our server was extremely rude, was rushing us to place order, would not answer our questions regarding food suggestions and seemed so irritated. Just ruined our whole night and dinner. Definitely would not be returning here for sure! read more

Tapas Barcelona - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Great place and atmosphere for tapas and desserts. Food and drinks have an authentic aura about them with a price that can't be beat. read more

Deceptive pricing practices! The food here is great and the service was very good but when we got our bill, the glasses of wine that were on the menu for $10.25 were suddenly $13.09. Weird amount, right? When we asked about it, the waiter said it was because we were using a credit card and that there was information on the menu about this. If there was, it was either in very small print or buried deeply. Plus, these prices were charged even before they knew how we would pay. Be up front about your policy! read more

Fun atmosphere and love sharing all the small plates with my friends. The portions are great for the price. For my friends birthday they brought out a funny dessert and sang a veryyy festive happy birthday. Recommend celebrating here read more

Tapas Barcelona - Spanish Near Me - Evanston, Illinois