02/25/09

Some of the best Spanish in Chicago

by writeon1

I'm a native Chicagoan, very familiar with Spanish cuisine and I love 1492. For one of these "reviewers" to call it fake is just patently absurd. Simply put, I have never had a bad experience at this restaurant. Everything is fresh, the space is cozy and the service is knowledgable. Granted, Cafe Iberico offers more variety than 1492 but it's also a much different ambiance. Even though I haven't lived in Chicago for 10 years, I return regularly to 1492 to meet with friends over lovely, well-priced wines and tapas. Ignore the other reviews- they obviously have some sort of ax to grind or else don't understand the nuances of ethnic dining.

• Pros: authentic Spanish cuisine, nice wine list and reasonable prices
• Cons: service can sometimes be eratic

11/17/08

horrible

by cyrilsanfrancisco

I went there with my coworkers during a conference trip and we were totally disappointed by this FAKE Spanish restaurant.

First, we arrived around 9.30pm; we asked them if it was OK to eat at this hour. The waitress said Ok but after receiving the entree (2minutes after), they asked us to pay without asking if we wanted desserts or coffee. We were in middle of our dinner and they kicked us out.

Secondly, the food was awful. Some of tapas were really terrible and the paella was ridiculous. And they call themselves Spanish restaurant. I swear that it is better to go to Chevy?s or Mc Donalds

• Pros: Ambience
• Cons: food, service

10/14/08

Disappointing food and service

by ABC423

Even after reading the horrific reviews of this place, I decided to go try it with some friends. The building itself is lovely, and it still has the feel of an old house. The food and service, however, really didn't measure up. The drinks were good, but it took the waiter 20 minutes to bring me a glass of sangria after I asked for it twice, and my friends already had their drinks, with no apology. We ordered five different tapas, and I couldn't actually say that any of them were good. The potatoes in the patatas bravas were undercooked, the croquettas de pollo and the goat cheese were bland, and the pinchos de pollo and camerones were overcooked, and had an overwhelmingly charred taste. On top of all that, all the food was luke-warm. For far better versions of these tapas and better service, I'll be sticking with Cafe Iberico, which is right nearby.

• Pros: Nice building
• Cons: Food and service