Carnivale

Recommends

Erin P.

Joined 7 months ago

Carnivale is restaurant full of vibrant colors, lively music and delicious Latin cuisine. I absolutely loved their guacamole & raspberry mojitos!

Doesn't Recommend

Edgard R.

Joined 2 years ago

I dont know wether to eat my food or hang it on a wall?!?. Sweet and simple. First time visitor to Carnivale and last. The restaurant looks great visually .. but thats it. This place is alll fluff, especially for the price. This is a so called Spanish and Central American type of orgy cuisines from many places around the world. Luckily I have had to visit a few of these countries. Example, Cuba, Nicaraua, Mexico, Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica. I myself being from Nicaragua and a restaurant buff, I went to eat here with high hopes and expectations of unique flavors while holding true to their heritages flavors. Pricing was a bit high compared to other "foo foo" places. I ordered the Churasco which was $32 bucks, my wife ordered a NY Strip that was $38 bucks. Totally dissapointed with Churasco, thi is NOT a traditional Nicaraguen style Churasco .. we do not serve our churasco with sweet potatoe puree and with a goop of green stuff, which I can only assume is the Chimichuri sauce, which makes the dish. Chimichuri is actually parsley, olive oil, garlic and vinegar in a tasty colorful spread, not sauce. The NY my wife had was, well not as tender and juicy, and even smaller thant my cut of meat. The drinks were reasonable for the area and again "foo foo", but that was expected. The Ceviche was not a traditional ceviche, I ordered the shrimp and it was pretty, hence my title, but thats about it. Tasted too much like corn. I was expecting something different, but ateast having a citrus flavor as the foundation for a good ceviche. Very small portion as well. And desert, well .. nothing Latin about the selection. Not even a flan .. but the did have cotton candy selection?? Really?? Cotton candy as desert?

Well atleast I can say I was there, I tried it and never going back. Total bill for 4 people with no desert and 5 drinks.. $237.00 and still hungry as a group. If im gonna pay that much, im sticking to Fogo De Chao, or Spiagga.

Doesn't Recommend

rje123

Joined 2 years ago

Not for Family. Me, my wife and our 7-year old daughter had a terrible experience! The server was snotty. She gave my wife an attitude when she told her that my daughter has food allergies. She didn't even give suggestions on good alternatives.

The food was okay, but the service is the worst I've experienced. I don't think we'll go back there again!

Recommends

Kimberly Peiffer

Joined 3 years ago

Citysearch Editorial Review. Full of color and flavor, this vibrant restaurant in West Fulton Market comes complete with a mixed crowd of families and see-and-be-seen types. Inside you'll find a huge main bar to belly up for cocktails, a lavishly decorated main dining room with vaulted ceilings and an upstairs space that can be rented out for parties. The menu doesn't disappoint either. Executive Chef David Dworshak is at the helm of this Latin-inspired menu which explores the savory dishes of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Argentina, El Salvador and Mexico.

Recommends

blestrn2

Joined 3 years ago

GREAT PLACE FOR SKIRT STEAK. GREAT!!! FOOD Me and my Girlfriends loved it, LADIES NIGHT OUT

Doesn't Recommend

Ruby13

Joined 4 years ago

Reservations: Carnivale 's definition means 45minutes at least from your reserved time. I was very excited to go to Carnivale but turns out it was a huge dissapointment. My fiance and I had made a reservation for 10:00p.m. and didn't get seated until 10:45p.m. on Valentine's day. By the time we ordered, the specials were gone and the waitress was not very friendly..... she looked bothered that she had to wait on our table. The food was ok but for the price it is not worth it. I had the short rib which had alot of fat on it and the seviche was pretty good however. The decor is the best part of Carnivale. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone and considering that I saw it on Check Please which I love , the number thing that a customer wants is good service and this place needs a course on great customer service!

Doesn't Recommend

chloe01

Joined 5 years ago

Not so Great. I went in for Fathers day with my hubby and son! I wanted to show him a good time since we hardly ever go out. My friends had told me about this place and I thought "hey why not" Well the entire time I was there I was bothered. The music was much to loud to have conversation and I was bothered by my server during the entire meal. I understand you want to check on us but ever few seconds is just ridiculous. Also, there was this manager that kept yelling at the servers (or maybe she talks too loud) I dont know but it was horrible. The food was decent but nothing spectacular. I can make better rice and steak. There are much better places here in Chicago that are worth the money! Never Again

Recommends

ABC423

Joined 5 years ago

Delicious and beautiful. I went to Carnivale for my birthday with 3 of my friends, and I am so happy we did! The space is gorgeous, with a lot of interesting photography all over, including in the bathroom. Service was great, from the moment we walked in, and our waiter was very helpful in explaining the menu. I especially liked that they buy from local farmers. Their signature raspberry mojito is worth the hype, and the caipairinhas and margaritas are very good as well. We had the guacamole to start, which was a very generous serving, with a really nice amount of spice, and it was very fresh. I had the pernil for my main course, which is shredded pork with a rum glaze, and it was fantastic! It was served with rice and beans and fried plantains, which were also excellent. It can be VERY difficult to find well-made plantains in Chicago, but Carnivale does it. The portions were very generous, as well, which is often not the case in some upscale restaurants. They even brought out a birthday dessert for me, which was tasty, but not as tasty as everything else. I didn't really care at that point, though, since I was stuffed already. I would definitely recommend making reservations here, though, because it was pretty busy, even on a rainy Thursday night.

Recommends

Lynnchicago

Joined 5 years ago

Great food and Atmosphere!!!. I have been to Carnivale several times and loved it each time!!! The food is great - it is a bit pricey - but they also only use produce from local farmers and fish in sustainable ways - The slightly higher prices are justified. I would highly suggest making reservations - I made the mistake of not making reservations and had to wait. I totally disagree with the other posters - i thought the service was great. My waiter was attentive and very nice

Recommends

javend

Joined 5 years ago

Food Not So Special!. I went here for a friend's birthday. The decoration, color and overall presentation of the place is great but not the service nor the food. Overly priced menu with nothing special. The food selection is something I can make at home and somewhere I can find cheaper. I love the space but the service sucked! The servers were rude and the bartender more rude but I did go back for the Mardi Gras event just recently, it was great!