(312) 573-1510

739 N La Salle Dr
Chicago, IL 60610 41.8959 -87.6325

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Neighborhoods: Near North Side, Central

Price:

$$

Last updated 12.16.09

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Cash, Visa, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, People Watching, Date Spot, Group Dining, Happy Hour, Dine At The Bar, Bar Scene, Notable Wine List

Cuisine:

Tapas / Small Plates

Smoking Permitted:

Special section

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Cafe Iberico

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – Seems like every restaurant in town is doing "small plates" these days; credit should go to this tapas hangout, whose zesty menu and atmosphere make conventional dining seem absolutely ho-hum. Sangria flows like water, bodies pack the bar, and voices rise to be heard in the convivial 400-seat restaurant, which has the comfortable, open feel of a Spanish villa. Crowds of Euro-folk line out the door on weekends, but servers stay pleasantly cool and collected. – – The Food – Be sure to try the cold tapas (tangy Spanish olives, tuna cannelloni), but focus on…

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
Iberico has an impressively lengthy list of wines and sherries--but most people go for generous pitchers of fruity red or white sangria, a bargain at just $12.95.
Parking:
Valet is available from 5pm to 12am everyday.
ambiance
88.88999938964844% positive
  1. “It's a fun little place to go out, some of the dishes are pretty good, and the desserts are not bad.”
  2. “The ambiance is great, the Sangria is to die for, the staff recognizes you, and there is always prompt seating due to its size!”
  3. “Not a very romantic setting but nice to go to with a group of friends or a party.”
  4. “The sharing is fun and the sangria is excellent.”
  5. “Frankly, most Americans have a tough time aclimating to "traditional" flavors, and so other so-call tapas bars such as La Tasca in the 'burbs or 1492 will stoop to "Americanizing" the flavors so people feel more comfortable ordering.”
  6. “the food was decent and the atmosphere was good.”
  7. “good location-one of a handful of places in downtown chicago that serves tapas.”
  8. “Great food, fun environment, and a great value!”
  9. “This place has a great atmosphere, with great 'scenery', if you know what I mean.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “Sangria, any of the seafood tapas, and the awesome white and dark chocolate mousse are highly recommended.”
  2. “desserts and wine list also big winners!”
  3. “It's a fun little place to go out, some of the dishes are pretty good, and the desserts are not bad.”
drinks
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “The bar area was way too crowded, sangaria tasted too sweet but the food was pretty good overall.”
  2. “MAybe the cheapest tapas bar in downtown with the worst waistaff crew”
  3. “As we waited for about 30 minutes for our table we ordered drinks at the bar and the bartender was VERY nice!”
  4. “There will definitely be a wait on the weekend but that's the perfect opportunity to enjoy the livelihood of the bar.”
  5. “desserts and wine list also big winners!”
  6. “When you enter the restaurant, you have to walk through a dirty, smokey bar.”
  7. “The food here is pretty good, it's jut hard as h*** to ever get drink refills.”
  8. “Right when you enter this establishment, smoke from the bar will great you, so if you are like us( we don't smoke and don't like that nicotine burning smell around us, specially when we eat) make sure to inhale before entering into this establishment.”
  9. “The service was terrible, they seemed to be annoyed with my request for water and a glass of wine.”
food quality
83.14999580383301% positive
  1. “Incredibly authentic food!”
  2. “it was extremely crowded and the food was not as authentic as i thought it would be.”
  3. “good spot to meet up and have some quick good finger food.”
  4. “The food certainly did not make up for the terrible service.”
  5. “the most authentic tapas experience in town.”
  6. “Great food, Great Value”
  7. “The food and sangria is not only great but it is cheap!”
  8. “Expect crowds, rude service, decent food”
  9. “Cafe Iberico is one of the ONLY authentic Spanish restaurants in the Midwest!”
  10. “This place was just like I remember in Spain-- great food, no frills.”
  11. “love their food.”
  12. “The food is great for the price.”
  13. “Good food, bad bad bad staff!”
  14. “Sangria, any of the seafood tapas, and the awesome white and dark chocolate mousse are highly recommended.”
  15. “Yes, the tappas was very tasty.”
  16. “enjoy the food.”
  17. “think the service is good and the food is great.”
  18. “The food is terrific, and I love the energy of the crowd.”
  19. “the food was good but not authentic by any streach of the imagination, e.g., the "chirizo" was kilbasa or something, but it was not chorizo”
  20. “this place was the best place to go if you like to wait over three hours long to get seated, wouldn't mind the wait if the food was good, but it wasn't.”
  21. “I'd love to talk about the food as opposed to the insane wait and rude staff, but if you're going to this restaurant, there's no way to get around those issues.”
  22. “Cafe Iberico captures the flavors perfectly; you know you're in a great spot for Spanish food when nothing but Spaniards or other Europeans are there.”
  23. “All in all I'd highly recommend this restaurant if you're looking for a truly authentic tapas experience.”
  24. “Horrible service & below average food”
  25. “great food, sangria and service.”
  26. “There food is great and the sangria is soooooooooo good.”
  27. “the food was decent and the atmosphere was good.”
  28. “The bar area was way too crowded, sangaria tasted too sweet but the food was pretty good overall.”
  29. “When the food came, it was cold and gross, and not to mention the menu has pictures on it, I thought this place would be great, and was not even close to being a place I would return to.”
  30. “The jamon & manchego plate was excellent, as were the chicken croquetas and tortilla espanola (almost as good as the one I make!)”
  31. “food was for the most part decent, the prices (especially for downtown) are about the least expensive for this style of restaurant.”
  32. “So Team Splashi will not recommend this place , unless you are looking for average food with loud patrons and untrained staff.”
  33. “The food was awful!”
  34. “was pleasantly surprised to find that it was probably the most authentic Spanish tapas place I've found thus far in the States.”
  35. “The sangria is delicious go for white if you dig a sweeter taste.”
  36. “Great food, fun environment, and a great value!”
  37. “The food is tasty, but you can find equally good food at just about any other tapas restaurant in the city, without the attitude.”
  38. “Great food, if you can get in”
  39. “The best deal is the paella, but there are too many good dishes to name!”
  40. “The food here is pretty good, it's jut hard as h*** to ever get drink refills.”
  41. “Amazing food for a steal!”
  42. “The chicken skewers were good though, with caramelized onions and alioli-- it was a good blend of flavors.”
  43. “Their food is always good.”
  44. “I've been lucky enough to have traveled to Spain multiple times in my life, and one of my favorite things about the country is the wonderful food.”
  45. “dunno what it is bu damn is that delicious.”
  46. “It's a fun little place to go out, some of the dishes are pretty good, and the desserts are not bad.”
menu variety
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “The croquetas are the best thing on the menu and the oysters are good.”
  2. “When the food came, it was cold and gross, and not to mention the menu has pictures on it, I thought this place would be great, and was not even close to being a place I would return to.”
  3. “It has a large selection of both cold and hot tapas, and weekly specials.”
overall
90.0% positive
  1. “My favorite restaurant in chicago!”
  2. “The only down side is that since this is such a great restaurant you need to go early like about 6 to get seated because after that it become about 1-2 hour wait.”
  3. “When the food came, it was cold and gross, and not to mention the menu has pictures on it, I thought this place would be great, and was not even close to being a place I would return to.”
  4. “can't believe that it is considered a great place to eat.”
  5. “great place for a first date -- and countless thereafter.”
  6. “great place for a group of friends, but also a good date spot.”
  7. “The after work crowd is generally young single professionals, great place to meet people.”
  8. “Ever since visiting Granada, Spain (said to be the birthplace of tapas) in 2004 I'm always on the hunt for a good tapas place.”
  9. “this place was the best place to go if you like to wait over three hours long to get seated, wouldn't mind the wait if the food was good, but it wasn't.”
  10. “would go again but not on a weekend because the appetizers are great but the place was too crowded.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “When the food came, it was cold and gross, and not to mention the menu has pictures on it, I thought this place would be great, and was not even close to being a place I would return to.”
service
40.219998359680176% positive
  1. “The ambiance is great, the Sangria is to die for, the staff recognizes you, and there is always prompt seating due to its size!”
  2. “Expect crowds, rude service, decent food”
  3. “This restaurant is like an Spanish Old Country Buffet, with a bad attitude staff.”
  4. “The poor service starts at the top and carries down to the wait staff.”
  5. “The food certainly did not make up for the terrible service.”
  6. “As we waited for about 30 minutes for our table we ordered drinks at the bar and the bartender was VERY nice!”
  7. “think the service is good and the food is great.”
  8. “The service was terrible, they seemed to be annoyed with my request for water and a glass of wine.”
  9. “Good food, bad bad bad staff!”
  10. “I'd love to talk about the food as opposed to the insane wait and rude staff, but if you're going to this restaurant, there's no way to get around those issues.”
  11. “great food, sangria and service.”
  12. “The service was slow but not terrible.”
  13. “The staff is usually busy so try to order everything at once and dont be one of those annoying jerks that needs something else every 5 minutes and you will enjoy.”
  14. “Frankly, most Americans have a tough time aclimating to "traditional" flavors, and so other so-call tapas bars such as La Tasca in the 'burbs or 1492 will stoop to "Americanizing" the flavors so people feel more comfortable ordering.”
  15. “Be prepared for bad wait staff and long waits!”
  16. “The service was just plain awful!”
  17. “The after work crowd is generally young single professionals, great place to meet people.”
  18. “So Team Splashi will not recommend this place , unless you are looking for average food with loud patrons and untrained staff.”
  19. “Horrible service & below average food”
  20. “Food was excellent, hostess was very flexible in accomodating our (late) large party!”
  21. “We were seated in a basement which was ok and our waitress was nice.”
  22. “don't want to criticize all of the waiters, but our waiter was rude, non english speaker and inattentive, and not helpful in the least.”
  23. “There are too many good places to eat in Chicago to put up with the unbelievably poor service that you will receive at this restaurant.”
value
87.5% positive
  1. “Good value and FUN”
  2. “Tasty tapas at a very reasonable price!”
  3. “If you really want tapas on a Saturday evening and don't want to sit in the crowd or deal with an extremely busy waitstaff, I would suggest stopping by the deli area where you can order all of your favorites to go, again at very reasonable prices.”
  4. “Great food, fun environment, and a great value!”
  5. “The tapas isn't the best I've ever tasted, but it's cheap and bigger portions than I've seen anywhere.”
  6. “The food is great for the price.”
  7. “The food and sangria is not only great but it is cheap!”
  8. “Sangria was also very good, and a great value to boot.”
  9. “Great prices!”
  10. “While Philadelphia and New York have some fantastic tapas-style restaurants, they tend to be way too "chic" (not to mention expensive!)”
  11. “The crowds can be overwhelming and often it's not worth it at night.”
  12. “food was for the most part decent, the prices (especially for downtown) are about the least expensive for this style of restaurant.”
wait time
58.33000183105469% positive
  1. “Be prepared for bad wait staff and long waits!”
  2. “The service was slow but not terrible.”
  3. “good spot to meet up and have some quick good finger food.”
  4. “As we waited for about 30 minutes for our table we ordered drinks at the bar and the bartender was VERY nice!”
  5. “The staff is usually busy so try to order everything at once and dont be one of those annoying jerks that needs something else every 5 minutes and you will enjoy.”
  6. “this place was the best place to go if you like to wait over three hours long to get seated, wouldn't mind the wait if the food was good, but it wasn't.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

04/08/11

My favorite restaurant of all time

by LBiljan86

I've been a tour guide for a university in Chicago, and I tell all of the parents and students to go the Iberico for a reasonable, delicious and authentic dinner out in the city. My girlfriends even have claimed it for themselves as thier fav place, too. It's just that good.

The red sangria- just give me a pitcher with a straw.

Queso de cabra...yes please.

Croquetas (sp?) - Ham and cheese puffs- hot pockets you are a disgrace. To die for.

Gazpacho on special- so fresh and simple.

Vegetarians, meat lovers, and those who like to drink-come here with a group and you will be very happy. Order 4-5 things right away! And then keep em coming.

1 Star Rating: Poor

07/12/10

Very bad service

by mcolapi

We Iberico to reserve a table for the day of the World Cup final and they told us they didn't accept reservations and that it would have been "first come first served"! So we went the day of the W/C final at 11.30am (2hrs before kick off) and there was already a line. When we finally entered the hostess told us there were no tables available and that we could stay at the bar (which was already over crowded) if we wanted or eat and leave at a table before the W/C final started! The bar was full and all the tables were all RESERVED! The hostess confirmed they didn't accept reservations and when we asked why all the tables were reserved she didn't know what to say other than "sorry"! I work in the media and broadcast business and for sure I will never recommend this restaurant to anyone! Very bad service and very poor organization!

  • Pros: Cheap prices
  • Cons: very poor service and organization
3 Star Rating: Average

08/01/09

AWFUL SERVICE

by briannalynn

So I'm giving this place 3 stars. Some of the food we got was pretty good. The COLD avocado soap was nasty! The service was just plain awful! I don't know if they were short staffed or what, but finally my boyfriend had to go refill his own glass of water. It was unreal! I wouldn't go back

  • Pros: interesting things on menu
  • Cons: Way to LOUD
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/11/09

Excellent Food and Service

by socialbunny

I've tried a few other tapa places and they never measured up to Iberico's.

There food is great and the sangria is soooooooooo good. :-)

I can't say I've ever had a bad experience. And there is always a wait but well worth it. Try the gambas de ajo yum!

Dont go anywhere else or try another place. This is it people. lol

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/14/09

Chicago's best TAPAS.

by idigtolstoy

Queso de cabra is so good we usually order 2 orders for 4 plus. Theres a garlic and olive oil shrimp you must try. The sangria is delicious go for white if you dig a sweeter taste. I prefer the red. The seafod paella's make my pants dance and OMG tell them to give you the birthday cake. I dunno what it is bu damn is that delicious. The staff is usually busy so try to order everything at once and dont be one of those annoying jerks that needs something else every 5 minutes and you will enjoy. But it takes forever to get seated but so what? How easy is to get food that has the authenticity you find on a spanish isle. Olive oil is antioxidant and helps protect cells from the mutations that cause cancer...if that helps ease the thought of waiting. : / Me likey.

  • Pros: Authentic Spanish Cuisine
  • Cons: slooow seating, super loud and over worked wait stuff unable to provide lots of attention. But cool ,I still go!

The Details on Cafe Iberico

Place Categories:

  • great finger food
  • great sangria
  • terrible service
  • favorite restaurant
  • great tapas place
  • authentic spanish tapas
  • not only great average food
  • bad staff
  • good date spot
  • very reasonable prices
  • great atmosphere
  • good dining experience
  • hot tapas
  • not nice romantic setting
  • great cafe iberico
  • not recommend team splashi
  • highly recommended chocolate mousse
  • good blend
  • perfect opportunity
  • nasty cold avocado soap
  • great ambiance
  • excellent meeting
  • great value
  • full plate
  • rude non english speaker

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