Twisted Tapas

They would get five stars If the service was as fabulous the food. The décor is lovely esp. as it opens onto Pratt which is all residential and you can pretend Sheridan Rd. isn’t right there. I went with friends who had been before and raved about it. We had the Spanish Omelette, Lemon chicken with capers, Twisted Eggplant, Tilapia, bacon wrapped dates, mushroom gnocchi with spinach, poached pear for dessert. Each dish was a perfect melding of flavors and textures. The only fly in the ointment was the inattentive waiter.

I’ve been going to Twist for years. This WAS my favorite restaurant in all of America. I used to live in Chicago, flew in from LA, this MDW went to a ball game, got in a cab (after checking the website to make sure it’s open and to verify the address) showed up 35 minutes before closing and the manager wouldn’t let us eat, or order drinks, we spent 30 mins in a cab, just to eat there, offered to pay the guy and entire kitchen to stay open and serve us food (since we traveled so far and came within their hours posted online and the guy wouldn’t serve us anything. The owners I knew when they were in Wrigley would have NEVER turned away customers 35 mins before closing, (let alone a customer that’s been there a million times)

I’ve been here four times and have enjoyed the service and food each time. I always try something different, usually get four plates between myself and a friend I’m with. We leave feeling full and satisfied with the service. Drinks are good, as is the coffee, and desserts! This has definitely become a favorite spot to meet up with friends and enjoy sharing.

I’ve dined here and ordered take out on many occasions and really enjoy the food, so I was excited to try the brunch on Mother’s Day last weekend. The portabella mushroom with spinach and egg was delicious. I ordered the chicken and waffle for my 22 month old daughter and she ate all of the waffle and most of the chicken. All in all, quite a pleasant brunch experience.

We love the space this restaurant is in — beautiful tiled floors and a nice atmosphere. However, we tried it out 2x with the same outcome — pretty limp cooking. The tapas sound wonderful, experimental and fun — but what comes out is formulaic and straight off the Sysco Truck. Disappointing experience.

First time, and wanted to see what they have done to the place, since I live in the neigborhood, and there have been several restaurants in this location. Still really comfortable and relaxing. Service was very friendly and helpful. We loved the tapas! Two of us shared 4: grilled shrimp, crab cakes, grilled salmon, and spicy potatoes. The crab cakes and salmon were accompanied by fresh vegetables. They were all delicious, and left us satisfied. A basket of bread rounds were good for sopping up the sauces. Total bill, without drinks: $ 35. We went on a Tuesday evening in May, and there were several tables filled — my friend said when the weather gets warm, the place is packed.

Eh. I just can’t anymore. I gave it a second chance. You know how it goes. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I had a very mediocre dinner there a couple years back and have avoided it since. It was too pricey for what I got, and I’ve had far better and more authentic tapas elsewhere in the city. So some friends and I decided to try it for brunch. They’re huge fans but never had the brunch. We were all in it together. First, $ 8.50 for a mimosa when other area restaurants are serving them for $ 3 in the area? Service took forever. When we asked for a refill on the mimosas, this was an even longer wait because the waiter didn’t have the champagne chilled yet. He only had one bottle open. If you’re offering mimosas during brunch, you sure has hell better have more than one bottle ready.
Secondly, a long hair in the bacon-​wrapped dates.
Thirdly, two of us ordered the chicken & waffles. The waiter said the chicken was actually chicken breast and if we were okay with that. I asked no less than three times at that moment if the chicken was fried chicken. He said yes, and I replied that’d be fine. When they meal came, it was more like chicken cutlet on top of a small waffle. They weren’t even close to chicken tenders. Very bland, lightly-​coated chicken «tenders». It wasn’t even a full breast of chicken, and nowhere near fried chicken. Again, very bland. My friend and I were in agreement and didn’t finish our dish. All this for a $ 94 bill for 3 people.
We went out for bagels afterward and spent $ 85 less. I’m not going back. Well, to the bagel place I am.

Just a gem of a place in the heart of Rogers Park! Great food, great atmosphere and great staff.

Our party of 4 had dinner here on a Tuesday night. Everything we ate was decent, nothing stood out as excellent or terrible. The red sangria was ok. Service was fine.

I decided to give this place a shot a few weeks ago with a few friends because I found a Groupon for it and it was a hidden gem so close to where I live. I can’t forget to mention the high ratings on Unilocal,which I always check before buying a Groupon. However, my experience was less than mediocre.
Let’s start with the service. We came here on a Saturday morning with NO RUSH. The waiter took forever with everything — to take our order, to come out with our food, and to even bring us our check. He also never checked in to see how we were doing or if we needed anything additional (like the dish that he forgot to bring to our table) — he instead hung out by the bar to chat with his colleagues. Then, brought us our check without even double checking that my Groupon was not deducted from the total. I did not get the impression that he lacked the experience, but that he was just being careless.
Next, the food. I ordered orange juice as well as the baked goat cheese, stuffed mushrooms, and the garlic potato salad tapas. The orange juice was delicious and the baked goat cheese and stuffed mushrooms were worth the try. The garlic potato salad was served to me still frozen, which ultimately ruined my appetite and made me wonder what else was not served to us fresh.
Overall, Twisted Tapas was not worth my morning or my appetite. I would not recommend this place.

This place is great and every time we go, we say «We should come here often». We tried the Buffalo with cauliflower purée last night. Amazing

EVERYTHING WAS WONDERFUL. The waitress was a doll, the hot toddy was just the thing, we ate shrimp and scallops on toast and mushroom stuffed gnocchi and paella and every bite was delicious. And to finish it off, nutella empanadas. I just walked out and I already want to go back!!!

Heard good things about the place. Stopped by at 11:45 AM and was told they didn’t have room (despite two empty tables). No offer to wait at the bar, no estimate of wait time.
OK, we will take our business elsewhere.
— — — —
We returned, and the craft drinks were delightful, the variety of tapas was really nice, and the bacon-​wrapped dates were amazing! I’m glad I gave it a second chance. I’ll also give it a third.

I love tapas but these tapas, unfortunately, just didn’t do it for me.
They offer a bottomless bread basket which is nice and the portion size of the tapas are definitely shareable, but the flavors just didn’t jump out at us.
My friend and I ordered the lobster ravioli, grilled octopus, ahi tuna, shrimp and scallops, and the crème brûlée. The lobster ravioli was crazy salty! We needed to take gulps of water in between each bite and some bread to cut the salt. The ahi tuna was bland and has no flavor whatsoever. The grilled octopus was cooked well but the pico de gallo was very acidy which made it hard to want to keep eating it. The shrimp and scallops were just okay; it was creamy but when eating it, you can’t really tell which are scallop chunks and which are cheese, so you end up surprising yourself. The crème brûlée was also not noteworthy.
Our server also was not very professional. He would just take his time writing our orders and sat in an empty chair next to us.

I came here with a Groupon. It was alright as far as tapas go. Nothing particularly stood out. If you live in the area and want a date spot with romantic ambiance, I would try this place out. There bar is quite beautiful. The Sangria is VERY sweet. If you prefer spicy food though this is not your place… try Bulerias instead.

I went here for brunch because I had a groupon and the reviews looked good.
I got a chicken breakfast burrito, deviled eggs, stuffed mushrooms, and bacon wrapped dates. The service was satisfactorily polite, and the dishes came to the table at a good pace.
The burrito was incredibly mediocre. It was like an egg scramble with veggies and dry chicken breast drowning in melted american cheese wrapped in a grilled tortilla. Despite being so cheesy, this was somehow bland. The burrito was served with sour cream and a typical tomato, cilantro, onion salsa. One thing I did like about this dish was that the salsa was served in a soft, flexible silicon cup so that it was easy to aim where you pour on the burrito.
The deviled eggs were ok as a whole, but really it was great and bad at the same time. The dish served 5 different iterations of deviled egg for you try to including a beet, bacon, and tuna. Visually, it was a beautiful plate. All the deviled eggs were too cold as if they were sitting in a fridge right up until it was brought to the table. Most of the deviled eggs tasted like grocery store deviled eggs (even the bacon one disappointed), but i absolutely loved the tuna one. I think it was made with sriracha mayo mixed into the yolk with raw tuna and topped with fish eggs. That bite was absolutely fantastic!
The stuffed mushrooms were pretty good, but there was nothing special about them. I think they were stuffed with rice and topped with tomato sauce and cheese.
The bacon wrapped dates were good with crispy, flavorful bacon, but i didnt like the sauce. It tasted like a creamy maple sauce, but i really have no idea what it was supposed to be. I was a little disappointed because this is usually a favorite for me when i eat at tapas restaurants.
This meal had some good things about it, but i regret coming here overall. The food was just not good as a whole. The only thing i really liked was the tuna deviled egg; i just ate everything else because i was very hungry.
Although this brunch was a disappointment, i feel that this doesnt paint the whole picture for twisted tapas. The pictures from dinner just look so good, but none of those items were available at brunch time unfortunately. I wouldnt mind coming back here for dinner and giving it a try.

I had a great first dinner here! Lots of traditional tapas in a cute setting for a reasonable price! There are some other unique tapas that are less traditional. We were really pleased with all but a couple dishes (we didn’t think the paella was worth it). But the filet was amazing and so was the gnocchi! Our only criticism was that we ordered our food all at once (8 dishes for the four of us) and they came out at nearly the same time, way too fast, so that we had some dishes cold by the time we got to them. I would suggest that they either tell people that or even better as how they want it paced. If I go back I will split my order in half to have it be a bit slower and more relaxed.

The service is a solid 4 stars. Jill, our waitress, deserves a 5. She was witty and helpful. The bus service could have been better. Most people who enjoy tapas like clean plates brought over. We had to ask. We also had a empty few plates and glasses that lingered on our table far too long.
The food was mixed. Some plates were very good like the mac and cheese, bacon wrapped dates, and the beef wagyu. However, some were not good at all. The Jalepeno gnocchi was just gross. It tasted like a lean cuisine. The bread was offered without oil or butter amd wasn’t that good either. The sangria was too sweet. The shrimp in oil was nothing special.
This earns a solid C+ in my book. I would not go back. If I lived in the neighborhood, maybe. But I don’t.

The only thing good here are the drinks and service. I wanted to like this place soooo much and have gone here 4 – 5 times. Hands down the most boring BLAND food I’ve ever had. Every time. Very disappointing

I was pleased to dine at Twisted Tapas prior to a recent performance at nearby Lifeline Theatre. Rogers Park is notably undistinguished with regard to decent dining options, but TT proved an exception in terms of food and ambiance.
VIBE: Comfortable tavern-​like setting. Music not to loud. Conversation-​friendly. Not too dimly lit.
SERVICE: Prompt and attentive. Tapas came quickly. Servers courteous & helpful.
GOOD: Broad, varied menu of tapas, both traditional and non-​. Well-​chosen, affordable wine list. We enjoyed all four dishes we ordered; favorites were Twisted Cigars (spiced chicken sausage in phyllo, very tasty) and jalapeño gnocchi (surprisingly light, perky but not too).
NOT SO GOOD: White chocolate malt mousse was well-​conceived and flavorful, but the mousse was gummy (too much gelatin?).
I’m glad this is an option in the neighborhood. (Years ago, Heartland Café was my destination, but they’ve been on a long downhill slide.) I’ll definitely be back.

Ordered the hotty toddy drink which was hot cider and bourbon. Thought it was pretty good
For food I got the grilled shrimp, baby octopus, paella and short rib
For dessert I got the chocolate mousse cake and pumpkin cheesecake.
Overall the food was very good and the service was good as well. A little expensive for the amount of food you get though but it doesn’t break the bank

Twisted Tapas is great. The service is fantastic — our server was very knowledgeable about the food and his recommendations were on point. I really enjoyed the imperial short rib, the beef tenderloin with blue cheese sauce, the grilled octopus and the jalapeño gnocchi. I definitely recommend these (in that order). We also had the cigar, which was new on the menu. This needed more flavor, but the texture was good.
For the cocktails, I really liked the chili mango margarita. It was refreshing but strong. I originally had the new fashioned, a twist on the old fashioned, but didn’t quite enjoy it. Our server was gracious enough to replace the drink for me, which I really appreciated.

I visited here because I had Groupon voucher for their Sunday brunch, which is much better than expected. We ordered three tapas, all three were very delicious. My bf had french toast which he enjoyed a lot. However, the eggs for my egg benedict was a bit overcooked. Overall, except that the food is pricy like most tapas place, I’d come back again.

If you are in the mood for small plates — this is the place to go! The service was great (Jill) and the décor was solid. Jill was very friendly over the phone and when we got there she knew exactly who we were. Not sure if that is a good thing ora bad thing. I happened to have called back before heading out for the 30 minute drive to ask if they had anything Gluten Free for a friend of ours and sure enough they have an entire menu full of items. I have snapped some pictures of our bill and some others. If not for this restaurant being in the city, where the parking could be hard to come by I would have given it 5 stars.
Enjoy–

My fella and I used to make up occasions as excuses to go out to eat at Twisted Tapas. (I’m serious, we even celebrated the day we became FB official… lol). That’s how much we freaking loooove the food!
The sangria will actually make you tipsy! Andddd, the friendly, cool, and efficient waitstaff is the
(we absolutely adore Charlie and Jill).
Every friend, colleague, couple, and family member we’ve convinced to come with us has loved the place too. We even got my mother-​in-​law to change her mind about tapas! Check it out; you’ll be glad you did, and I bet you’ll even go back (and see us there ;))

As a person who loves variety in her meal, this tapas style restaurant was a perfect choice. A friend and I split the bacon wrapped dates, spicy potatoes and macaroni & cheese (my personal favorite). Each dish was tasty and I was a big fan of the fact that they brought each one out as it was ready, not all at one time.
The service was also spectacular. I tend to drink water very quickly and the waiter was always promptly there to refill my glass. The prices are extremely reasonable too, with each tapa priced around $ 6-​$ 8. The only thing I was unimpressed by was the crème brûlée dessert, but the quality of everything else made up for it.

A new (ish) tapas restaurantin Rogers Park!
Here’s what we got:
Baked goat cheese ($ 7.50) in tomato sauce served with 5 garlic herb toast points.
Verdict: Would not order again for 2 people. This is a better dish for when you have at least 4 people to share! Tasted alright, not the best I’ve had.
Bacon wrapped dates ($ 7.75) 6 in a roasted pepper sauce
Verdict: The dates themselves were delicious, but the presentation was lacking. It looked like they were just thrown quickly into a dish haphazardly, and they got the sauce all over the toothpicks.
Mini crabcakes ($ 8.50) served with dijon mustard sauce
Verdict: Delicious!!! They are truly «mini” — one per person, and it comes with 2, so order accordingly.
Braised beef and corn cake ($ 9.75) with tomatoes, queso fresco and chipotle mayo all atop a corn cake
Verdict: Pretty good. The beef was really dry, but the portion was generous. The corn cake was really good on its own.
Caramelized banana ($ 5.95) with tequila caramel, vanilla ice cream and walnuts
Verdict: Pretty standard dessert. Can definitely taste the tequila. Ice cream was really quite good– better than the banana.
Street parking is available but can be difficult to find– try different side streets away from the lake!
Service was excellent– our waitress was kind and friendly.
One small note– as an avid Unilocaler, I didn’t really appreciate their large chalkboard making fun of a Unilocaler who didn’t like their sangria. Seemed petty to me.

Helped friends move into the neighborhood, so they obliged by inviting me here for dinner. They also allowed me to run with the ordering. Per TT’s Instagram feed, I went down the line ordering those I thought would be the most flavorful and a few more which sounded interesting. There were five of us for a late dinner.
Our menu:
Bacon wrapped dates
Paella
Baked goat cheese
Jalapeño gnocchi
Lobster ravioli
(My buddy ordered a) Lamb tenderloin that was served with assorted vegetables tossed in a balsamic sauce.
Dessert:
Bacon wrapped dates
Tiramisu
With every plate ordered, my mouth experienced orgasms from flavor explosions created within every dish. The one word which described each plate; superb.
The dates were covered with a tasty, beef gravy but the portions were kinda tiny. The gravy is what tied the flavors together. (It was so good, we needed another!) The paella was on the spot. The seafood within it, was über fresh and complimented well. The goat cheese was accompanied by buttery garlic strips of bread. Once that was finished off, the sliced house bread came in handy. (If they offered additional garlic bread for a cost, I would definitely buy more. How about for an extra $ 2 bucks?) I could go down the list, but I’ll stop here. With each dish, we shared an overwhelming feeling of. Damn, this is pretty f%$King good!
That’s huge right?
Through dinner and drinks, I kept thinking. «man, this would be a great spot for a date.» Now to find a hot date…

had a dinner here for 10 in the private room – did a great job – this really is a nice neighborhood spot – very good food and a real kichen – I don’t really understand the whole discussion about the Unilocal Sangria – that drink sucks anywhere on Earth – T2’s is better than most! – One pissy comment – I do not like bread sliced into the super thin pieces (i saw that they had a bakery bread slicer) – I think you should serve it in larger chunks
Place is very good and recomended

Maybe I only like this place because I’ve never been to Spain, nor had tapas before. But I have been to Rogers Park and this place is great.
Got caprese salad, Mac and cheese, and spicy potatoes. I wouldn’t get the mac again, it wasn’t bad but there were a few other things on the menu id like to try that are more unique. Sick potatoes are a must with the cumin and paprika… yummm!
I’ll be back for sure to try the sangria and jalapeño gnocchi.