Azucar Tapas Restaurant and Cocktail Bar

Visited Saturday nite. Easy parking across the street in the pay-​lot. Cute cozy spot great for date nite.
I started with a Margarita which lacked flavor — not liquor just any actual flavor. Ordered my tapas and while everyone else got their food in a very haphazard fashion (plates ordered 30 minutes beforehand were coming out AFTER plates ordered 15 minutes ago) mine never came out. Apparently my ticket had been lost. To me it just seemed that everything lacked any real definitive flavor! Couple other people felt the same while others were ok with the food.
When my food did come out I felt rushed to eat as everyone else had pretty much finished.. :(
Meatballs tasted frozen pre-​packaged. .goat cheese bland… patatas bravas no flavor whatsoever. I don’t like to add salt to food as I want to taste the different flavors and I didn’t but probably should have.

I took my parents to Azucar when they were visiting from out of town, and we had a great time. I was honestly wary when we first came in, given the widely varied reviews on Unilocal that this place has gotten. Honestly, after a first-​hand experience, I do think that a portion of the negative opinions were very subjective.
For instance, one reviewer complained about the table set-​up. The big tables are smart and to be expected, in my opinion, in a tapas restaurant, as it is a family-​style of dining that encourages large groups and sharing. I couldn’t help but laugh when I read the question «Who wants to sit in a window display?» because the first thing my parents and I said was «Oh! Let’s sit in the window booth!» So, certainly a matter of opinion, perhaps not justifying such a negative overall reaction to the place.
The service we got was friendly and attentive and full of good recommendation as far as the beer and wine was concerned. Although the bar-​tender/​server certainly spent some time chatting with patrons who were either regulars or friends of his, I don’t think my parents and I ever felt neglected. And trust me when I say my father would be the first to point out bad service in a restaurant.
On to the food. After reading other reviews, I’m frankly curious to go back to Azucar again and find out if perhaps they have a problem with consistency. Our food was delicious across the board. We each ordered one item to share, assuming we would all then order a second round of 3 dishes because tapas are generally not very filling. We were wrong. Considering it was a small plates restaurant, the portion sizes were very generous, much to our delight. We started with a round of grilled artichoke (Alcachofas Salteadas) that was very good. Then we had a round of shrimp (Gambas A Pil-​Pil) that was a great surprise. Based on the description, I had anticipated a somewhat standard shrimp scampi, but it turned out to be a creamy sauce that we mopped up with our bread, so good we didn’t want to waste a drop. The shrimp themselves were huge and I believe there were 7 of them, far more than we had reasonably expected. Absolutely delicious. Next we had braised lamb (Cordero). Again, a more than generous portion of beautifully tender lamb with an outstanding Romesco sauce (the sauces were certainly a show-​stealer that night). Finally, for dessert, I asked what the waiter recommended, and we took his advice on the doughnut holes (Rosquillas y Chocolate). Fresh, warm, and simply lovely, they were a great finish to the meal.
My small criticisms would be that the lamb could easily have done with a little less salt and been all the better (it was already excellent.). Also the doughnuts for dessert were coated in cinnamon and sugar and paired with a warm chocolate ganache dipping sauce. The chocolate sauce was sumptuous, don’t get me wrong, but it overpowered the doughnuts and the cinnamon & sugar flavor, which in my opinion was all they really needed. Something lighter, like a raspberry drizzle or honey for dipping might have enhanced them rather than overwhelming them.

I come here often and I’m always greeted with friendly faces. The bartenders are amazing! Super friendly and attentive. The owners are nice and make sure their customers are taken care of.
The food here is delicious, I think I’ve tried almost everything on the menu. I recommend the braised pork belly, the empanadas, the pumpkin soup (seasonal), and the cocas are tasty too. They’ve added the option of draft beers to their bar, which I’m excited about.
This is a great spot for date night or grabbing a bite to eat with friends.

Sangria is delicious! I had the white sangria. We had the goat cheese/​marinara which was great. I make that at home sometimes, except I make fresh garlic bread, not just white bread slices. The hanger steak was overcooked and tasted like it was from frozen and it was on a bed of spinach drenched in oil. The potatoes that came with it were ok. Paella was nothing special. I was a little disappointed, but I’m full so that’s good.

This place sucks. I hate writing bad reviews but they earned it. I was so excited to try a Tapas place that was close to home but this place leaves a lot to be desired. Everything we had tasted and had the texture of microwaved food. The bacon wrapped dates were so rubbery I just spit them out. The Sangria tasted like boxed wine and the service is meh. The space itself is dark and oddly set up. The tables are too long and who wants to sit in a window display?

Weird atmosphere inside, too dark. But honestly, the amazing dishes made up for the dim lighting and the awkward waitress. I think the weirdness of this place actually makes it more endearing! After all, it’s all about the food right?

This restaurant is a MUST GO! I would say «hidden gem» but it appears others have already found it… tremendous food (the pork and scallops!), culture (music, décor and overall ambiance) and service! Went here with my girlfriend on a random Thursday night date and we’ll definitely be back with friends.

The food was good. Service was slow. The owner of the restaurant touched both my female friend and me on the back a few times, which made us uncomfortable. We received complimentary sangria; the oranges in ours still had labels sticking to them. Won’t be going back.

I came here last night to grab a drink. The inside has a small New York feel with a nice ambiance. We ended up talking to the owner for a couple hours. He’s very personable, real, and amusing. The homemade red sangria is amazing. I was not as big of a fan of the white. I recommend the brûlée dessert. The drinks and desserts were well crafted, not too sweet but with good flavor.

The reason I gave this place a one star is because everything was not up to par. We came on a Friday night. Anything we ordered the waitress came back and said they didn’t have. We ordered the pancetta and we confirmed 4 times that it was on the way and then she comes back half an hour later and tells us the chef dropped it on the floor and that it was the last one. We all called bs on that. The waitress was not impressive. If you are running or ran out of stuff you shouldn’t lie and you should know what items you do have. So it was our first time there on a celebration and we couldn’t eat half of the menu. What the hell? The bartender was the loudest person in the restaurant. He poured himself and the customer a drink and then went behind to sit with the customer. What?! Will definitely not go back again. I have no reason too. I can get better tapas elsewhere.

We came in here last night with two other couples and were seated immediately at a great table by the window. Our server was hysterical and attentive, and the owner stopped by a bunch too — he was great. The two definitely made our night and provided a fun, comfortable atmosphere.
The food was pretty good — highlights included the cocas (flatbread), patatas bravas, and alcachofas (grilled artichoke).
Food that we weren’t so impressed with: bacon wrapped dates — which I think are pretty hard to mess up, but none of us really liked them! They came out sort of burnt and had a weird consistency. The chicken entrée (pechuga de pollo) was decent but nothing exciting.
As others have said, the amount of time that it took to get food was long! Probably took 45 minutes to get our first round of tapas. We were fine with it because of the great atmosphere and flowing drinks, but if you have any sort of time restriction, or a hungry date, this would be an issue.
If I were in the area, I would definitely go back to this cute little tapas place!

This place definitely ranks up there with the more noted tapas restaurants in Chicago. The braised lamb entrée was amazing. I would go back and just order 3 plates of that and call it a night. Well, maybe I’d start with the chorizo-​stuffed bacon wrapped dates. I also loved their Sangria Royal — it was a bit drier than most sangria, and I prefer that.

The last time I came here I found their small plates to be very tasty and delightful. We were fortunate enough to sit up front by the windows so we had plenty of elbow room. The wine was good and the food came out hot and it was very tasty and flavorable. I would definitely go back again!

Every restaurant was packed last night, the 23^rd of December, except Azucar. I understand why. So hungry and after being told of the 40 minute wait at Reno my hubby and I went into Azucar and sat down at the bar. It was strange that there was only us and one other couple in the place. The bartender blankly said hi, we said hi and I said I wanted something strong to drink. He looked at me like a zombie and said, «I’ll be back». We watched him thump about the restaurant doing whatever he could to ignore us for a good 10 minutes. If the place wasn’t completely empty we wouldn’t have noticed. So we left and we won’t ever go back. I don’t need to be at a place with a tired menu and bitter customer service with so many great restaurants on the same block.

The food deserved 4.5 or 5 stars but the service deserved.
At first there was no host to be found. Turns out the owner was the host and was serving himself and a friend a drink. We sat at the only open seats at the bar. The «mixologist» took a little too long to see we were ready to order.
The owner steered us to great items, the lamb, the scallops and the dates. But apparently our order got lost between the bar and the kitchen. Our dishes took 40 minutes to come out. About 35 minutes in the bartender noticed and told the owner, who never came over to apologize, the first course came out soon after that. We tried to cancel the main dishes but we’re told they were already fired. Another 15 minutes later, we finally got the rest of the food, along with a complimentarily drink, but that was too little too late.

Stopped in a Saturday evening. Was greeted by a fella in a plaid shirt who was super inviting and friendly. Very casual place and we got a good vibe walking in.
Sat at the bar. The barstaff was more interested in their friends than taking care of us. More times than not, there was not even a bartender behind the bar. The drinks were ok, but not special.
The goat cheese tasted like it had been frozen, something definitely off. The gentleman did get us more bread, as the bartender was nowhere to be found. The tomato sauce tasted like it was out of a Ragu jar. Dates were good, Gambas were blah. Left disappointed. Had higher hopes.

Wonderful place. Had paella, queso de cabra, arugula and spinach salad, and a Spanish crème brûlée. They also brought us a complimentary molten chocolate cake. All of it was amazing. Only issue was that it was empty — so this is a call for more Logan Square residents to give this place a try. It won’t disappoint.

We always end up here after attempting to get dinner at L&E. But that’s fine, because I enjoy tapas.
Many dishes here are more entrée-​sized, and we usually don’t order a bunch of stuff. Just a couple things will do the job.
The braised lamb is amazing. So are the donut holes with chocolate sauce. The asparagus tart is perfect.
The drinks are rather pricey, but you have some options of Spanish wines and beers. My favorite thing about Azucar is you can always get a seat, and they serve dinner quite late.

Have you ever walked by a place so many times that it eventually becomes invisible?
1240.
That’s approximately how many times I’ve walked by Azucar without ever venturing inside. I’m not exaggerating either; in fact, I’m likely underestimating that number. I’ve lived in Logan Square for nearly 3 years and I am at the Blue Line station across the street twice a day, five days a week. You do the math.
I’d never had anything against this place, it’s just that there always seemed to be somewhere better to go. I’m actually surprised it’s been around so long. Last night I finally broke my cherry and stopped in.
The décor is intimate and sexy. It’s a nice spot for a date.
We started with a round of mojitos, raspberry for me, and classic for my boo. I love mojitos any way I can get them, but these were squarely average, with no discernible raspberry flavor at all. Come to think of it, there was no mint or lime flavor either. I know there’s a lime shortage, but all I tasted was rum and sugar.
Food was better. We had seared scallops that were plump and swimming in a delicious porcini mushroom broth. I’d have those again in a second. We also had grilled artichoke hearts with lemon and garlic. Good, but they certainly weren’t grilled.
Jumbo shrimp in a spicy garlic butter sauce were excellent, and our waiter brought us bread to sop up the extra sauce. And for good measure, we enjoyed a manchego cheese, pear, and Serrano ham flatbread. Gotta have Spanish cheese and ham in a tapas place, si?
And because I can never resist dessert, we finished with the made-​to-​order cinnamon-​sugar donuts with a warm chocolate ganache dipping sauce. Those were really good.
Service was so friendly. There was only one waiter for the whole place (not that it’s that big), who also served as the bartender and de facto host. He did a great job handling all the guests and he never appeared flustered, despite it being somewhat busy.
I can’t think of any reason not to return; that said, since I am not really a fan of tapas-​style dining, I can’t think of any reason to return either. The proximity of this place is a mitigating factor to giving it another try, but I’ll stick with sangria until the lime shortage is over,

I’m going to assume this place stays in business because of its location. It’s not the atmosphere. The interior is very dark, dated, and tacky. It’s not the food. It wasn’t bad but I would call the tapas uninspired. It’s not the drinks. The «Old Fashioned» was basically bourbon sangria and everything was really overly sweet.
It’s definitely not the service. I could not wrap my head around exactly how inefficient their processes were (and I use the term «processes» liberally). The owner should spend less time forcing awkward chit chat with the customers and think about hiring a some more staff so the servers don’t need to mix their own drinks, bus their own tables, etc.
I can’t say for certain whether or not their business is stable, but I’m considering nominating this place for Restaurant: Impossible just to get Robert Irvine’s take on it. I don’t intend on coming back here so I’m not afraid to see all the nonsense going on behind the scenes.
So that leaves me to conclude it’s overflow from the other nearby hot spots that is keeping Azucar afloat. When you’re quoted an hour+ wait time at Longman & Eagle, I would advise you to put your name in and stay the course. Azucar is not the answer. Grab a drink at Reno or Telegraph, or head down the street to Yusho. Unless you REALLY want mediocre tapas…