Nacional 27

Went there on Friday with friends, mostly to dance salsa and bachata, etc. They played tons of Latin music but most of it was club music instead of something more dance specific such as salsa, bachata, merengue. Very diverse crowd, from Morocco, Albania, Poland, Russia — all united by one language of dance.

An okay place, but very little salsa and bachata, even though it was supposed a «Latin night». Too much reggaeton and top-​hits type of music. Acoustics also leaves much to be desired.

My wife and I went to National 27 tonight for the first time and the food was excellent and Lilly was very attentive and great at providing suggestions for us ! Everything she recommended was great. Atmosphere was great will be coming again soon.

Maybe I was just really hungry, but my enchiladas at Nacional 27 were excellent! (I was also pleased that they were able to make cheese enchiladas, even though they weren’t specifically on the menu). The free chips and salsa were also great. Otherwise, I was overall impressed with Nacional 27, although I found the ambiance to be a bit random. Sort of like a club, sort of not? Oh well… I digress. In any event, the food was good and the service was kind, so I would definitely come back!

Based in just their restaurant role, Nacional 27 is a place I’d recommend to friends. Food is ⁵⁄₅.
Our table ordered a ceviche flight, and each one tasted so fresh and flavorful.
You’ll be served chips and salsa, which is the best chips and salsa I’ve had in the Chicagoland area. Their chips are made fresh and not overly salty while still giving me a lot of flavor. Salsa is slightly sweet and very mild… Super addicting.
I ordered a sample platter and got to try a few things. There was nothing I didn’t like: lamb tacos were tender and a wonderful kick in the taste buds. Chicken empanadas quickly became one of my favorites.
Our table also got a pitcher of their mojito. They know how to make a crisp, wonderfully minty mojito.
Excited to come back.

Very surprised by this place. My boyfriend and I came to Chicago on vacation from New York and wanted a spot to dance Latin music… A local recommended this restaurant that clears the floors at night. Friday nights ladies for free and guys $ 10. Cocktails r good and range around $ 12… Dance space was a good size… Loved the mix of Latin music, but the dj seemed a little rusty.
We also came back Saturday night for dinner. MAKE RESERVATIONS. we didn’t know so only had access to the a la carte menu in bar area (first come first serve). Tacos and chicken quesadilla were pretty yummy.

Best Latin music place in town with great environment plus awesome drinks with it ! Mix of bachata, reggeaton, salsa + more!
Friday night ladies for free … $ 10 for guys … Coat check is gratuity so u choose how much u give.

Great service and ambiance. The food has amazing flavor. The service as well as the cleanliness was definitely perfect.

This place was fun and sexy!
We had a Saturday evening event here, a semi private room over in the dining room area. Out waitress was fun and efficient, the food was plentiful and delish. Awesome drinks! Try the mojitos! After 11p on the weekends this place gets turnt up. It turns into Hot Havana nights in there, sexy Latinos all around steaming it up on the dance floor and everywhere shakin it to an awesome DJ who knew how to rock those bodies. Probably no jeans, maybe dressy ones. If you’re ready to dance and are kinda sexy, you should go!

This place was fantastic! My fiancé and I went out for our anniversary at 7pm on a Saturday night and had their family style meal, even though it was just two of us. We felt that we would get to taste the most amount of things. We ended up getting the beef goucho, the chicken enchiladas, and the mahi mahi tacos, we also got the red sangria. I felt that the price was completely fair for the amount of food we got, the food was fantastic and our waiter was great and very attentive. The only reason this place doesn’t get 5 stars is for the mahi mahi tacos. I felt they were very bland. My partner agreed, but decided he really liked them when he put the sauce on them.
Delicious and I am excited to come out again!

Nacional 27 has been around for a long time and is synonymous with the Chicago Latin food, music and dance scene. That said, it aspires to be a nicer sit down restaurant and a club, all at the same time and if not executed well, can be a problem.
We were a party of 10 with a reservation at 8:30 on a Sat to celebrate a birthday. Here’s my assessment of the dining experience
Ambience — 5 stars with white tablecloth, sit down, servers in black
Service — 3 stars since it felt rushed but that would have been fine, had we not have to move from our table post dinner at 10:40 while we were still finishing our drinks. Apparently, our table was a VIP bottle service table starting at 11. A heads up before we sat down or an alternate dining area would have been more appreciated, rather than having to move all together.
Food — 3 stars since as much as the food is good, it’s not wow worthy. My salmon was a little too dry while my wife’s skirt steak a little chewy. Complimentary chips and salsa, although a good touch are very greasy. Margarita pitcher was $ 65 but we weren’t offered salt rims and the margarita itself was A-​ok.

Great place. Lively ambiance, lots of people, a little pricey but overall great.
$ 10 cover for guys and $ 0 for ladies violates my equality standards but that’s another story!
Great on Fri and Sat nights!!!

Went with my husband and in-​laws. They were very accommodating when we asked to move to an area where the band would not be playing so close to us. Great atmosphere, service and food! We all agreed we would definitely go back and had a wonderful time.

The food is… Just good…
The music is really good, but the place was full, so you can’t moving.

Came here for a birthday dinner and was more than satisfied! great food, great staff, great everything. it is a bit pricey but it is so worth it. the music, the lighting, the environment! I loved it so much. We were really taken care of and I definitely would come back here again. Good place for a night out with friends or a date night.

Came for a dinner party with about 6 people. We had a 8:30 reservation for dinner. wasn’t seated till 10:15. Once seated with in 5 minutes of siting down we were told that we have to buy a bottle to sit at the table. The staff was rude especially the host. I and my friends will NEVER return to this establishment. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY HERE…

We had dinner here last night for restaurant week, and all 4 of us were impressed. The food was wonderful as was the staff. I thought it was quite a good deal to come for restaurant week.
For $ 33 we got chips, salsa, guacamole, and corn fundido to start with. Then we got short rib empanadas, papas bravas, and chimichurri tacos (one per person of the small empanadas and tacos). After that we got to choose our entrée (and in fact we didn’t even have to choose anything until this point. It was pretty nice to sit down and have food come out to you while you are reading the menu and deciding.
I had the salmon with salsa verde, and it was an amazing dish. I could eat that again right now. We’re already talking about when we can return so I can order this again. The salmon came on top of a bed of delicious rice on top of a fabulous salsa verde. My husband had the chicken enchiladas, which were also outstanding. I would definitely order those again as well. They were enchiladas in a delicious red sauce, they weren’t greasy or heavy, just amazing. The enchiladas came with rice & beans and guacamole.
Our friends ordered the skirt steak, which came on a bed of crispy potatoes, and the suckling pig that came with a different kind of potato. They both said they were great.
At this point I was quite full, but then the tres leches cake came out. I love tres leches, and this was an excellent version. It was quite liquidy (as it’s supposed to be), and had a great flavor.
I ordered a chia limon fresco to drink which was well worth the $ 3. It was a perfect homemade lemonade.
On top of the delicious food, the staff was wonderful. Everyone in here was friendly and helpful.
I would come back in a heartbeat. In fact I’d really like to return on a Wednesday night for the free salsa dancing lesson.

Headline: Great service. Very good food. Small portions.
Have been the bar at Nacional27 many times before. Always a great drinking experience. Came in for dinner and was delighted with how good the food was. Being Puerto Rican, I’m discerning when it comes to latin food. The tapas menu is what you’d expect from tapas: small portions and high prices. Though, very good. The chorizo fundido was outstanding and the short rib empanadas were solid. The rest of dinner was also very good. Though I will say, small portions, even for the items listed as shareable for 2. What 2? 2 kids? That said, great flavor, beautifully plated and perfect pacing. The service was on point. Excellent in my opinion. I’ll be back!

**This review is purely on their nightclub aspect of this place**
Have gone to Nacional a few times with a group of friends for just the dancing and every time I go I have the best time dancing and with the ambiance! The place has a cover ($ 20 for guys and $ 10 for ladies) however that is def worth it if you like latin music/​dancing and are up to have a great time! Drinks are average ($ 10 for a Jack and coke) but I come here for the music and the crowd! Ladies like dancing and just want to get down on the dance floor. I was just there and I am planning my next visit!
Tip: Make sure you bring your dancing shoes!

Great venue for groups and Latin music. The service is amazing and the waiters are super friendly. The drinks are great and freshly made from real fruit. The food is amazing, but the potions are very small.

Nacional… This is THE spot to go to if you are looking for a Latin themed night out. The food is AMAZING, the music is on point and the cocktails are to die for. Everything is set up very nicely and have never had an issue here at all.
It kind of gives me a «Babalon Club» feel when I am there. (Babalon Club is the place that Tony Montana liked to go to in the movie Scarface).
I will be coming here many more time!

Love the food here!
The roasted corn fundido is a must try! It is a creamy corn that i wish I could eat every single day.
I also recommend the enchiladas! The chicken one may sound boring but it is not! I will definitely get it next time I go. The suckling pig was also really great (I am getting hungry thinking about it)
They have family style menus where you can get tapas for the table and sample a bit of everything. This is a great option so you can try all the tasty food.
The only thing we did not think lived up to the hype was the Latin Skirt Steak. The waitstaff recommended it but it was just mediocre.

The venue hosted a birthday party for my wife, the staff and the food was awesome… Later after diner the salsa club was popping, we felt like we where in Cuba the atmosphere was phenomenal didn’t realize we where still in the windy city.

Nacional 27 is like a better version of Lalo’s. lol. If you’re from Chicago you should remember Lalo’s. Restaurant during the day and 10pm the tables get pulled aside and the dance floor opens up.
Nacional 27 works the same way but it is much classier. White table clothes, elegant plates and table set up. (2) well stocked bars… great drinks and music.
This place is expensive compared to most «Taco spots.» It is more for professionals, well dressed types, dating, birthdays… etc. The music is awesome and you will find plenty of «Gringos/​white people» dancing on the floor and trying to move to the latin beats. lol.
You will not be judged here! It’s the perfect time to get drunk and get in a congo line. Great for other cultures that want to get a taste of Latin food and music without going into one of those communities. Great place!

This place is wonderful for the drinks; I had the spicy gin flip, which was delicious and substantial enough to last me over dinner. Dinner, however, did not. For the low price of 10.95, you can get 5 and a half bites of food. It’s not bad, but hardly worth $ 2 per bite.
The servers were pretty anxious for us to leave, as they didn’t ask if we wanted another round; they brought the check. Granted, since they hadn’t come around to check on us for quite some time, we were pretty ready to go anyway.

Went here for strictly dancing, and cocktails. Drinks were okay, not worth the $ 10+, waitresses stop serving once the food is done, around 10ish. They even put the bar stools up, tacky. Place gets really crowded, so unless you come early & snag a table or keep your table from dinner, you’ll be standing! Which sucks for ladies that have nice heels on, but no where to sit. The dance club gets jam packed!!! They have coat check it’s not mandatory its not a set price, you just tip. Also they have a bathroom matron which is cheesy. I’m not going to tip for things i should be getting as a common courtesy anyways, toilet paper, soap paper towels, that’s a given! Music was good though, DJ kept the floor packed. Service could be better, but they’re obviously doing something right. I will be back for dinner next time & I will keep my table as it transitions into dancing.

It is a quite nice place to spend a night with friends. Music is very engaging for dancing until closure. It gets quite packed on a Saturday night so it is going to be hard to find a dancing spot as a group… you need to fight a little bit for your space.
I would definitely go back for a fun night and for good drinks!

A group of friends and I came here for a Hennessy Privilege toast. Everything we drank and ate was PHENOMENAL!!! We started with drinks and anything with mango purée is a must for me because I love mangoes. We tried different types of ceviche and tacos to start. Everything else was a delicious blur since one of the guys we dined with had been there multiple times so he took care of ordering. No one put up a fight and everyone was singing praises because everything we had was so. freaking. good. The meats were tender, juicy, and full of flavor.
I always have room for dessert. I’m actually convinced there is a separate compartment in my stomach that is only for desserts. We had pastel tres leches, boniato churros, and one other scrumptious dessert that I can’t recall the name of, but I can still imagine my glee as I ate. We also had some cake to celebrate another friend’s birthday.
I would definitely come back!

Love the food, been here many times and I always enjoy it but the service is not good. I’ve never been so rushed in my life. No sooner do you tell them your order and the food is in front of you. We could have been out of there in 25 minutes with that speed. When I spend a $ 100 on meal for 2, I’d like to relax and savor it.
Had the shrimp & scallop ceviche, guacamole, tacos, empanadas, flan & several drinks and still rushed out. Disappointing considering the place wasn’t busy, they didn’t need our table.

This place is one of my top list of dancing. They have the best latin music and you can dance all night. My friends and I came here for some drinks and dancing but not just not dancing with our selves but real dancing with men. Men who come here do know how to dance.
Great drinks and good food.
If you like latin music and want to go dance some good bachata, salsa or merengue. This is the place.

Love this place, felt kinda at home here. Never had a mojito with brugal and it was super delicious. I had the al pastor pork taco it was sooo good! It’s small but I had 2 and it was pretty filling. The prices are a little higher but the food tastes amazing so that didn’t bother me. So much more I’d like to try out. Staff bartenders and the host was very nice, everything was sent to me very quickly. They have dancing that starts around 11pm unfortunately can’t stay but will try next weekend to go. It’s very clean and spacious enough. This is definitely my go to place and probably where I feel most at home in Chicago. Loved all the music

Awesome place to host a laid back bachelorette party! We had a late reservation (9:30pm) in order to secure a table through the night for dancing (which I didn’t stay too late for.) While it seemed there may have been some confusion between the party organizer and the restaurant — everything ended up going great.
It seems that when you want to reserve a table for the evening with dancing — there is a «per person“minimum order — $ 35. With a group of 9 ladies who were eating and drinking — this was not a problem. Our organizer went the «heavy appetizers» route — which was absolutely perfect.
We had the opportunity to taste:
: shrimp & scallops ceviche — citrus, sweet peppers, avocado. Everything about this was on point. The taste, texture, balance of flavor — really delicious.
: ahi tuna & watermelon ceviche — spicy rice wine vinaigrette. Another winner — and quite possibly my favorite of the evening. The sweet/​spicy/​buttery combination between the watermelon, vinaigrette, and tuna. My mouth is watering just thinking about it now, a few weeks later.
: short rib empanadas — caramelized onions, pepperjack cheese — the flaky crust on these was my favorite.
: tostones with corn salsa — I love a good plantain. The flavors were a little flat — but I still devoured these.
:beef & chicken gaucho skewers — really really delicious. Well cooked, seasoned, nice vegetables to go along with.
I would love to come back to Nacional 27 for an early dinner before the dancing craziness begins — or to even sit in the bar and try some of the tiny tacos.