Dos Urban Cantina

Had a Tuesday night dinner here with my husband and a friend. Its small plates sharing mexican food and its absolutely delish! There was not a single item we had that was not memorable. We started with a «snack» of chips and dip which was so good and the hummus is very tasty and unique.
The items we had and cannot stop talking about are the following:
Street style corn, raw scallops, trout, beef bavette, shrimp taquitos, tostada and chayote.
Everything had a burst of flavor and was appropriately portioned for 3 diners. The service was great and drinks were fun.
Street parking is doable and food is fun. We look forward to returning to this hot new gem!

I could see going back here and having cocktails and their chips & salsa/​guacamole/​hummus plate at the bar. Drinks were good and the chip plate was amazing. The squid ink sauce on that octopus? YES. Bit of a guacamole overload after starting with the chips, then getting the torta and one other small plate I can’t recall but it had avocado. That’s our oversight though.
Unimpressed with the meat section for the price. Simple seafood and veggie seems to be the way to go here, even for a meat-​lover.

Service was a bit to be desired. It seems like the kind of place where sitting and waiting is part of the whole experience. Luckily I was among good company so we didn’t mind too much. Food was excellent, though. Small portions but they feed you well. Definitely coming back here for a date sometime.

Truly enjoyed a dinner here with friends last weekend. We were unable to get a decent time reservation on a Saturday night (in a new Chicago restaurant? imagine that) but we were feeling flexible so we walked in around 7:00 and put our name in. The hostess was very nice and said although the dining room was committed all night, she would come find us at the bar whenever a bar table opened up. We never say no to a little happy hour and were fine with that. We were seated about 25 minutes later in a great table in the «bar» which seemed just like the dining room to me!
It’s a HUGE place and a very unique space. When you first walk in you walk up a few stairs and then are immediately in the bar space with a big bar and multiple tables. There’s also a large, romantic, adjacent dining room. The kitchen is open in the back and there seems to be a chef’s table style of bar seating there in the back.
We started with margaritas for the gals and beer for the guys. We ordered the chips and dip (came with guac, salsa, and pumpkin seed hummus). It is tapas/​shared plates style, and although we wanted everything on the menu, we settled on the carnitas, the salmon tartare, grilled mushrooms, street style corn, enchiladas, and «the best ever chocolate cake» for dessert. Everything was phenomenal.
Only negatives were the service was average, but I was hoping for a little bit more. We received three of our dishes right away and then there was about a 20 minute gap before receiving our other dishes. I felt like things were a little slow. However, we were with some of our best friends and so that makes slow service seem less annoying. Another thing is that the dishes were small. I never really felt like I got enough of each dish even though I didn’t leave hungry. Maybe it was because we were sharing with 4 people… maybe we should have gotten multiple dishes of each thing. Overall, however… a great experience and I look forward to coming back.

Props to the Mexican inspired menu, but if you’re looking for Mexican food, this isn’t the place for it.
Admittedly, I’m anti small portions and pretentious plating so this isn’t a place I would normally choose to dine at (but it was a friend’s birthday). I had the mushroom dish, which was in an excellent mole sauce and included a sliver of nutty-​flavored cornbread. My friend had the tostada and was treated to a large cracker with toppings, not really suitable for even an appetizer. The poached egg that came on the quinoa made the table queasy with its gelatinous wobbling. The dips that came with the chips were the highlight, particularly the pumpkin seed dip, which tasted a bit like pâté (a plus in my book!)
The atmosphere was convivial and upscale. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a new place to try, but the value for the money is lacking, and the experimentation loses some of the «spirit» of Mexican food in its extrapolation.

Came a little early before our Reservation so we split a bottle of Red at the bar. Bar tender gave a solid recommendation! We had a great meal, and the service was excellent. Portions are on the smaller side and after a little while ended up eating again.
Good taste, great service but overall was OK for the price.

Came in tonight for restaurant week without a reservation and was sat promptly. I love the space and ambiance I didn’t feel like I was in Logan Square as it was a bit more upscale but definitely not pretentious. Their restaurant week menu offers some of their top selling items and it was a great way to try multiple items at a very affordable price. Service and food were above our expectations and we can’t wait to spread the word and become regulars!

Ok YUM. Our server, Erin, was fantastic and made us feel totally at home. She had great descriptions and recommendations, and every bite was delicious.
We started with the Margaritas and Chips & Dip (can’t go wrong). The scallop ceviche was so fresh and not to mention beautiful. I practically liked the plate of the Sweet Corn Tamal and the shrimp tacquitos were extremely flavorful.

Oh my… best meal I’ve had in a REALLY LONG TIME! From the drinks, to the meal, and the staff, there wasn’t a single thing we didn’t enjoy.
We were 4 people and ordered 10 dishes… more than enough. We had the chef come out to thank us for ordering all the yummy food. These power couple owners know what they’re doing when it comes to food and service.
The scallops and tostada were my favorites but you must try the goat, beef bavette, and the taquitos too. Soooo good. As far as dessert, the sugar pie was our favorite. What a great way to end the meal.
This is a must repeat for us and hope you all make it out there too.

Dos Urban Cantina is a great addition to the neighborhood. My friend and I came for dinner on a Tuesday night. We made a reservation but there was plenty of open tables. We ordered a three dishes to split. All were flavorful and delicious by far my favor was the Sweet Corn Tamal.
Our waiter brought us Snickerdoodles when he brought out our check. I don’t think this is a normal part of the service. I really think he just over heard us talking about Snickerdoodles. It was funny and a nice gesture.

After a particularly bad day at work, my boyfriend and I finally made our way to Dos Urban Cantina for some margarita therapy. We’ve been wanting to visit ever since it opened just around the corner from us.
Holy God.
In my fourth year as a Chicago-​dweller, I finally found solace in leaving behind my Texas homeland, because Dos Urban Cantina has given me perfect margarita that I have been searching for. Fresh lime juice, not bogged down by unnecessary sweetness, and still a solid tequila after-​kick. This by itself will make me a regular.
Get the chips and sauces even if it is solely for the pumpkin seed hummus. Don’t make that face. You’ll love it.
Between the two of us, we also shared the street corn, grilled mushrooms, and carnitas. I HATE mushrooms (the spongy texture weirds me out) but I keep trying different versions of them to see if I can trick my brain. At the suggestion of our server Erin, we tried them. I was nearly licking the sauce off the plate (don’t judge me). This is a must-​try.
The street corn had a great spicy kick, and I could feel my Polish pride beaming when the Carnitas came with fluffy potatoes and topped with the chef’s own take of sauerkraut. I mean, really. Every single dish wooed me into some strange, cuisine-​fantasy world.
And then we had the Sugar Pie for dessert. Aside from the outstanding flavors, the variety of textures was genius. Bravo.
Let’s face it– Chicago has some outstanding food. I’ve gone to some truly wonderful restaurants with truly wonderful dishes and chefs, but often the service is lacking. This is not one of those places. Our server, Erin, was the bomb. Her suggestions were spot on and she was warm and friendly without being overwhelming. We were in our booth for about two and a half hours and never felt rushed.
Plus, we noticed another server from afar who we’ve had several times at Parson’s. She is also wonderful. Sorry for being creepy.
Erin told us they would start serving brunch in the summer, but I’ll be back before then. Thank you for this Logan Square gem.

2016 is the year of masa, or at least that’s what you’ll think after eating at Dos Urban Cantina.
For drinks, we had the Charred Canary and Bodega. Both Mezcal drinks, both excellent depending on your drink profile preference (the former light, citrus cocktail; the latter smokey, smooth in the vein of a Manhattan).
For dinner, we had four plates: Sweet Corn Tamal, Shrimp Taquitos, Goat Albondigas, and Raw Scallops. I recommend them in that order, with the first three being absolute musts.
For dessert, we had the Pilloncillo Sugar Pie and Plantains. My one complaint is that the plantains were SO SMALL (seriously, five measly pieces of plantains), but the flavors were so good that it was worth overlooking.

I kicked off 2016 on the right foot, with Dos Urban Cantina being my first restaurant of the year. It was incredible. Wonderful service, friendly staff, amazing stiff drinks! We started with the chips and dips — awesome. Pumpkin Seed Hummus, spicy salsa and guacamole. The hummus was amazing. I had the smoked trout and my friend had the salmon — she was it was the best she ever had!
We had the tres leches coconut cake — it was to die for. I cannot wait to return, over and over and over and over again. And, its only 2 blocks from my house — I will most likely be a regular.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Bayless alum know how to make a restaurant right. (Although Wharton is an excellent school and it produced Trump, so sometimes things slip through the cracks, but I digress…)
«Dos» is yet another welcome addition to the booming Logan Square dining scene.
It’s a large space with a casually smart feeling inside. Think Trencherman, Presidio, or Billy Sunday in terms of décor and look. The dishware and menus are modern, and it’s really a great place to «take people» if you live in the neighborhood since it’s unique but also a crowd pleaser.
Dishes our table had were:
* Olives (standard issue from Spain)
* Chicharron in french onion yogurt (a great snack while perusing the menu)
* Tamal (it’s a block of amazing cornmeal with a great salsa)
* Tostada with ceviche (great flavor combinations, and the shrimp was so fresh)
* Grilled Mushrooms (I’m a registered carnivore, but this was my favorite dish — balanced perfectly)
* Chicken Enchilada (Tasty, but I had to add some habanero salsa)
* Chocolate cake (it really might have been the best ever, just as the menu describes it)
Everything was good to great. What impressed me the most is that these dishes had very little salt, a crutch that some chefs use to bring out flavor. But not here. The ingredients supplied the amazing flavor, so much so that I’m looking forward to return visits to try everything.
The wine list had some character, as did the cocktail list.
Why not 5 stars? Well, while our waiter was fantastic, he seemed to be the only waiter for a huge room. The lack of a fifth star is not his fault; it’s management’s. At a minimum, there should have been 2 waiters working the room, as well as the current «runners» who’d bring things from the kitchen/​bar. It’s not just about taking orders, there are also times when special requests need to be made, so when the waiter is spread thin, it’s hard for him/​her to provide adequate check-​ups to each table.
I have no doubt, though, this place can get an edited review from me to earn the fifth star. :)
Go try «Dos» — you’ll like it.

This was such an amazing experience coming here recently! The food is absolutely delicious and the staff is professional and knows their stuff. The management staff is warming and eager to providing a positive experience. With the owners coming from a heavy restaurant background and both working for Prestigious chefs in the past has proven their quality to be impeccable.
This is a must if you live near Chicago!

My boyfriend and I left very happy. Kiah really made our night. We are both a fan of good food, but find that good food is often overshadowed by poor service. This was not the case here at all. We were quite impressed.
Kiah knew the menu and was also warm and open to sharing her opinion. I often like to ask what a server’s favorite dish is, and I despise when the response is «Well, it depends on what you feel like.» No s**t, Sherlock. I appreciate that Kiah gave her personal thoughts (and they proved insightful and true). Alas, it is also possible that there is nothing bad on the menu, because everything tasted derishus. Each dish brought my taste buds to climax.
What did we order?
Shrimp taquitos: It came in a red broth-​esque sauce, an unexpected, but joyous wetness. This was our appetizer, and it was like foreplay to the meal.
Grilled mushrooms: Yummy. It came with buttery cornbread soaked in some sort of unicorn-​y happiness concoction. If my tongue wore pantalones, they would have needed to be changed at this point. I was excited.
Goat albondigas: Santa should give some of these to everyone on the nice list. These were the best balls my boyfriend ever put his mouth on (and the second best balls I ever put my mouth on). They will make you bleat.
Carnitas: solid, comforting, tasty.
Chocolate cake: The second most moist thing at the table.
Calle 23 tequila: great recommendation by Kiah. Very good on ice, even better for my boyfriend as I downed three of them. Very smooth like dolphin, and a nice vanilla-​like aftertaste.
Positive notes:
We were never rushed.
We were asked what order we would like the food in.
The food itself was delicious.
The menu was easy to read, with clear descriptions.
Nice balance of traditional items/​unique items.
Food arrived promptly.
Service: Excellent
Inviting décor: dim lights, exposed brick, lots of booths (great for footsies, thigh rubbing, or pg rated friction).
I’ll be back (Arnold voice).

Had a good time here our first time checking it out. Cocktails were good, we both ordered drinks with mezcal. Also got the chicharrones to snack on, which were served with a French onion dip thing. They were good, but I’m not sure I’m bought in to the concept 100%.
We took recommendations to get the grilled mushrooms and eggplant sope next. Both were really good mid-​meal dishes, smaller portions but tasty and satisfying.
We shared the carnitas for our main dish. I was slightly disappointed, it was a really straightforward meat and potatoes dish. I don’t know how it was prepared, so I can’t comment on the authenticity, but I didn’t get a «carnitas» vibe. It tasted like oven roasted pork shoulder, not a strong Mexican flavor, and serviced with mashed potatoes which cemented my opinion. I wouldn’t order this again.
Overall though, service was great, it’s a really cool spot, and some of the food was notably good! I want to come back soon and try some more of the entrees.

This place is amazing, I’ve been twice and execution from the kitchen has been perfect both times! Great modern spare buildout with lots of dark leather & glass, it’s actually quite big after you get inside and look around. The Margaritas are really good so that’s as far as I got. Good long list of local beers all served in a frozen goblet! We had the «Tomal» which was outstanding and the salsa trio which was good as well although HUMMUS isn’t my thing. For mains we tried the Beef Bavette & Carnitas; both were amazing with the beef edging out the carnitas because of the amazing black sauce/​salsa! Tenderloin cooked a perfect MR both times I’ve had it. The Carnitas was awesome as well, a totally different preparation and cooked just right! Onto dessert, they have this award winning pastry chef I think from Topolo. You have to try this «Sugar Pie». Just to die for! Trust me here. We had great, knowledgeable service in the dining area as well as outstanding service from the blonde bartender! They just do everything right. Get dat did!

Even though it has only been open 5 days, we were very impressed. All the flavors on the menu popped and well balanced. The service at first was weak and lacked confidence, and the two mezcal cocktails we ordered were not very good. However, the food was amazing. Scallops were sort of sashimi styled, and had really good citrus and spice mix. The mushroom salad was creative with nice flavor. The tostada was super small to share but really good. The beef bavette was seared and cooked perfectly with fried potatoes. Trout showed a ton of finesse sitting over a nice vegetable side. Lastly, the coconut dessert was absolutely delicious. Coconut did not overpower and had a well balanced sweetness. Wow
Mezcal cocktails — B–
Mushroom salad– A
Scallop — A
Tostada — A–
Beef bavette — A
Trout — A
Coconut dessert — A

I was nervous as I sat down at Dos Urban Cantina: Having loved the desserts Jennifer Jones Enyart had done at Topolobampo, and knowing the great pedigree of her husband, Brian, I wanted Dos, their first restaurant, to be awesome.
I didn’t need to worry. Dos is amazing — in every way.
First, it’s beautiful: with exposed brick, gauzy curtains, beautiful lighting. Secondly, the servers are friendly and knowledgeable — ours regaled us with interesting anecdotes about how various dishes are prepared in different regions of Mexico. Thirdly, it’s conversation friendly which is great because this is a place I want to enjoy with friends. The price point is right too. The modest prices encourage you to try a bunch of different things.
But it’s the food — the buttered chayote, the corn tamal, the street style corn, the beef pibil – (which is so far all I’ve been able to try) that makes you wish you had just a little bit more room.
We had to order desserts — of course. The «Best Chocolate Cake… ever» lived up to its name while the coconut tres leches has been on my mind for a week now.
What a great addition to the restaurant scene.
As an FYI: There isn’t valet parking. We went on a Friday at 6:30 and easily found parking on a side street 1 block west.