Came for lunch on a Thursday the restaurant was empty other than one other table. It took 35 minutes to get our food and to me that is inexcusable for 2 tacos. I will not be coming back to this place.
Tina M.
Classificação do local: 4 Wheaton, IL
Went here for the first time for a friend’s birthday and had an overall good time. The staff was friendly, and out waitress was especially nice! It was Taco Tuesday, so most of our party ordered a variety of tacos, which I found to be just okay. We had shots of tequila which happened to be Patron, and ordered Tecate which was the special. I have to come back here and order a cocktail, and another dish to potentially up my rating :)
Victoria B.
Classificação do local: 3 Aurora, IL
We came here for lunch it was both of our first time here. The atmosphere was bright, bold, clean, and chic. The colors certainly stood out. Funny they had colored deers head on the restroom doors. I thought the food was pretty good. We had the tasting uno which consisted of 2 salsas, 2 guacamoles, 2 tacos each, and one dessert. The salsas were ok we had the tomatillo Serrano and the red one. For the guacamoles we had the traditional and chicharron which the chicharron was my fav out of the two. As for tacos we tired: pollo(nice and tender), pastor(kinda dry and pineapple piece was to big), falafel(ok), and shrimp(small pieces cut in half and sauce was too sweet). The dessert we had churros with dulce du leche and chocolate dip nice ending. The cocktails here are good I had the pomegranate ginger habanero mojito(highly recommended it was delicious) and Caramelized pineapple mojito(too sweet for me), my date had the house margarita(good) and the classic mojito(yummy). Oh and they have outdoor seating which is great on sunny days.
Jeff K.
Classificação do local: 4 Chicago, IL
Went there to lunch with some coworkers and I thought the food was good. I would go back and try more of the tacos as that was the original reason why I went there. I got lured in to get the lunch special which was good but I should have gotten the tacos so I could try a few of them. I got the short-rib taco special which included guacamole, salad and beans. All very good but I want to go back and try some of the other tacos. The only reason why I am giving them 4 stars instead of 5 is because of 3 reasons. 1. The food was a bit too salty, gave me a salty after taste for a while afterwards(now I am over sensitive to this because I do not eat a lot of salt) 2. The tacos fell apart, they should be double wrapped to prevent this 3. The tacos tasted good but not amazing. Look at my other reviews to see some of the taco places that I have been to as I love tacos and I am always looking for a great taco place. I would check them out again as the food was good enough to try again. Plus they have a great outdoor space
Jason M.
Classificação do local: 4 La Grange, IL
Fun drinks, great atmosphere, and food was pretty good. We will definitely be back for another visit.
Natalia S.
Classificação do local: 4 Villa Park, IL
Came here at lunch time on a Saturday. Chose to eat here over honey jam café to catch up with an old girlfriend. Starting off with the hostess, 10 minute wait. Ok, she tried sitting me and my friend in the back. Next time she should ask if we have a preference. We chose the bar area instead. She said ok, ill have to check in with the server. We ended up seating ourself in that area. Atmosphere, very pretty inside. Bar like. Neon animals hanging on wall. Velvet booths/high stools. Cute. Anyways, let’s get to the tacos. Pricey. Small. Lots of options. No sides come with. Ordered the falafel, ground beef, and chicken. You can’t do the 4 for $ 9 if you wanna mix your tacos. That was pretty lame. Even the sever said that was a downfall. Very small tacos, but pretty ingredients in side. Definitely with they were bigger or they served chips and salsa. Was hungry a few hours after. Slammed 3 tacos. Charged me for seltzer water too, without mentioning it. Downfall. Wouldn’t come again for the small tacos. Maybe for a weekend night with friends. But can get pricey! Update: Came here on my birthday and server served me free churro a with chocolate and Carmel dip. Churro were so sugary though. Awesome free treat to try!
Sonia L.
Classificação do local: 3 Schaumburg, IL
Barbakoa is an interesting spot. Nice dining room and lighting highlights the artsy décor. We went on a Taco Tuesday night and ordered one of all of them, also tried the tamale and the guac. The flavors were very fresh. I liked the thai inspired fish taco and the carne asada is their recommended one. Pretty good. Lobster was unique too. The tamale left much to be desired – too much masa and I’n not even a latina but I know too much masa when I see it. The side of guac was good topped with chicharones. I have to say even thought they try to be out of the box –nothing really jumped out and shocked me as a wow taco. Also a mexican inspired place with salsas that were forgettable is unfortunate. I love the look and the idea of a twist on Mexican and the bar is cool and hip looking — but it’s almost like too many flavors hit you all at once and everything tastes the same. A+ for the effort for having a unique menu and A+ for service — our servers were wonderful —really nice guys.. Plenty of parking. I’d go back for the atmosphere but because of the pretty pricey menu which made every effort but was short on wow factor I give it, apologetically, 3 stars. I wish I could give it at least one more :-(
Alisha M.
Classificação do local: 3 Palos Heights, IL
What can I say? I’m a sucker for upscale Latin fare so needless to say I HAD to try this place out. I knew right away when my friends suggested a girls night that I’d have them come here. Now for the review: Everything from service to atmosphere and drinks is 5 stars. The margs are made fresh and to order; I was pleasantly surprised when I asked for a half sweet marg and they didn’t blink an eye. Love the music they have playing and all of the decorations. That’s probably why I’ll be back. Only reason I gave them a 3 star review was due to the food. The portions were small and bland. I ordered the short rib, chicken and al pastor taco and none of them were delicious. There where no salsas that came with them or even anything out on the table. My friends ordered the donuts for desert and sent them back due to them being hard and flavorless. The server rocked it though because he took them back and suggested the churros which the girls liked. Overall come for the comfy, fun atmosphere, decent drinks and good service but don’t get too excited about the food.
Nina G.
Classificação do local: 4 Chicago, IL
I came here with my family for Mother’s Day brunch and we had a great experience! Definitely a breath of fresh air in the suburbs, and a great departure from your standard chain restaurant. Food: B+ Great Latin fare. We had two vegetarians in the group so it was nice to see that there were several options for them on the menu. they started with the spinach and cheese empanadas were perfectly fried and came with a delicious chimmichurri sauce. They also shared a variety of the vegetarian tacos which were good, but nothing special. Between the meat-eaters, we tried the pozole soup and the cubano sandwich. The pozole was a special for Mother’s Day Brunch and had a great flavor, but there was very little pork in it. I did appreciate that it came with a bunch of fresh garnish on the side. The Cubano was delicious and came with crispy chimmichurri fries which were a highlight. The presentation of the food was wonderful as well– everything looked great. Service: B+ Our server was not particularly engaging, but the pace of service was appropriate and there were no major issues. Atmosphere: A Beautiful, colorful restaurant. We especially liked the natural wood tables. We would definitely come back here– this I a great place for a big group as well!
Joe E.
Classificação do local: 5 Aurora, IL
WOW!!! That basically sums up my visit to Barbakoa. I arrived with my brother and our friend around 10:30 on a Friday night. The place closes at 11, so we kind of felt bad coming in so late, but my brother, who had been there before, prepped us on what this place was about. Our waiter was a nice guy. We were ready to order right after being seated, but he disappeared for about 10 minutes… I guess they wanted us to stay past closing? Anyways, we all wanted tacos, and that’s what we got. I ordered the pollo(which I said like a gringo), short rib, and hongos(mushrooms, cheese, and poblano peppers. I also ordered a side of the wood-grilled vegetables, which were topped with fresco cheese and a balsamic reductions. My dining companions ordered different types of tacos, so I can’t really comment on them. I will say that my brother ordered the carne asada tacos, which looked amazing! That being said, my tacos were excellent! If I were to rank them, I would say that the chicken was my favorite, followed by the hongos and short rib. The tacos are priced from 2.50−4 dollars for a single taco, or 9 – 15 dollars for four, depending on which meat/seafood you choose. Everything was so good. I really enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant, as well as the food. The food came out quickly, and was enjoyed in the same manner. Our waiter was impressed that my brother and I each downed 12 tacos, as well as my side of vegetables. That’s not a lot of food for me… I probably could have ordered 8 more and still not be completely full. I like being not fat, so I stopped. All in all, an excellent establishment. The waiter came back at 11:05, when we were about done, and apologized that the kitchen was closed and that we wouldn’t be able to have dessert. That wasn’t a problem; I felt bad because we came in so late, but we got out of there as soon as possible. I can’t wait to go back. I love how such a simple food like tacos can be so good. The prices are a bit high, but since this is a once in a while place, I’ll pay a bit extra.
Trixie jane m.
Classificação do local: 4 Elmhurst, IL
@barbakoalatin #downersgrove First time here and why did I wait this long to try it out. Cute décor, great selection of food and lunch specials $ 122 #tacos #soup or #salad and choice of #corn #rice or #beans. My friend n I shared our tacos so we each got #beef and #shrimp can I say delishhhh and I forgot a side of #guacamole The meal was filling and I loved the different flavors of #sweet and #spicy w the #shrimp. And the tenderness if the beef and be sure to ask for the green sauce for some #spice. #Peruvian #Mexican #tapas #foodie #foodporn
Mina N.
Classificação do local: 5 Chicago, IL
Came to celebrate a friends Birthday and what a great experience not only the service but the food and overall experience. I will definitely be back with friends and family. The visual décor is super beautiful
Pat E.
Classificação do local: 5 Aurora, IL
I loved this place! Not only the location, décor, and service, but the food was AWESOME! I can’t think of any other tacos that I’ve had in my twenty seven year eating career that were better! The waitress let us know that it was Cerveza Tuesday! Corona for me and two cocktails for my friend! She went with the Clooney and another one that I can’t remember. She even offered me a sip but I decline since I was staring at the tacos. We ordered to share and it was awesome. We shared every plate except I had the shrimp since I ordered those on my own. Skip the shrimp, but I have to say the carne asada was my favorite! Others we ordered: Pork pibil, al pastor, short rib, rajas con queso and we even started with guacamole! I cannot wait to be back. I want to go again… like right now! Best TACOSEVER!
Marc F.
Classificação do local: 3 Aurora, IL
The good… the food is very tasty and was served very swiftly by very courteous staff. The bad… nothing is complimentary, not even chips and salsa, and its all a bit overpriced. The ugly… the salsa you have to buy amounts to a few tablespoons, im serious, no exaggeration… a few tablespoons. I was not impressed with their business model, we won’t be returning.
Bailey M.
Classificação do local: 4 Bloomingdale, IL
I’ve only been here once but it was fantastic! Our server was very polite and funny! We had the fishbowl Sangria special for $ 19 and it was delicious, for four people we each got 2 glasses out of it. I would highly suggest getting the Sangria, the mango flavor was delicious! For dinner, I had 4 tacos for about $ 13, with no sides. This restaurant is a little pricey but not outrageous. I would probably come back on a week night when they have specials. I had short rib, pastor, pollo, and ground beef tacos. The pastor was really spicy! The pollo was definitely the most mild. The meat in the short rib taco was my favorite! All of the meat was high quality and wasn’t fatty. I’ve driven past the place many times, I’m glad I finally stopped in! My friends recommend the empanadas!
EG D.
Classificação do local: 5 Lombard, IL
The food and drinks here are very good. I particularly enjoyed the mojitos and margaritas!
Herbert P.
Classificação do local: 2 Carol Stream, IL
You’re better off finding a hole-in-the-wall authentic Mexican taco joint. Food is way better at that type of place. This place, Barbakoa is over-rated, over-hyped, and over-priced…the«fusion recipes» were not that good at all. Again, save your hard-earned dinero…
Erika C.
Classificação do local: 2 Berwyn, IL
Was not impressed at all with the food. The restaurant décor is impressive but that’s about all. Expensive tacos and guacamole. Service was good. Our waiter John was very friendly.
Frank P.
Classificação do local: 1 Oak Lawn, IL
Wanted to try this place during Restaurant Week but not afer looking at the Prix fixe menu. They are charging $ 33 per person for 1 Guacamole app, 1 Salsa, 1 Taco(yes, just one), 1 very average side dish, and 1 dessert(only 2 to choose from and they both are below average)??? C’mon man, this is suppose to be about getting people in to try your food at a better price.
Vonda B.
Classificação do local: 5 Chicago, IL
I love this place! The ambience is so classically Spanish… perfect! I have dined here at least 3 times and have never been disappointed in the service, food nor the drinks. The food is very exquisitely prepared and yummy, the service is A+ and the mixologists know what they are doing when it comes to mixing drinks… perfect…Lenny is my favorite bartender. He is very friendly, good on food recommendations and he keeps your glass filled.
Angie R.
Classificação do local: 4 Aurora, IL
I had been wanting to check this place out for a very long time and yesterday was finally the day. My friend had a surprise 30th birthday party for his wife here. We were told to get there by 3 pm sharp and we were all there on time. We were escorted to a back room that was beautifully decorated, had a fire place and it was very private for our group. My friend had ordered our menu for the night which was printed out for us. It consisted of chips with 2 different kinds of guac and 2 different kids of salsa for appetizer. Our entrée was tacos, 4 different kinds. We got carne asada, hongos(mushrooms) vegetarian rajas and al pastor. Our side was beans and rice and for dessert we got to sample different kinds of sweets. I tried one of the guacs which was delicious! The carne asada tacos were my favorite and my Casa Margarita was deliciousness in a glass. My only complaint would be that the service was not so great. We had to keep going out of our room to grab our waitress. The service was slow and they weren’t very attentive. Overall this was a great place to have a Sunday afternoon party at. The restaurant is very nice and the food and cocktails were good. My boyfriend and I can’t wait to return and try the rest if the menu.
Eric Y.
Classificação do local: 3 La Grange, IL
It’s a pretty cool place to get Margaritas even if they are a bit on the pricey side. The place is very attractive in typical Jerry Kleiner way. At 7 pm on Friday night, the bar area was hoppin’ but restaurant area was not that crowded. I would stick with the Margaritas though… I tried a Mojito and it was way too sweet. The food is just meh. Tacos were disappointing, small and lacking in flavor/texture. Chips/salsa/guacamole were ok. Ceviches were good — the Peruvian mixto with leche de tigre was especially good.
Tracie D.
Classificação do local: 4 Bloomingdale, IL
I’ll give this place a solid 3.5(margarita) /4(food and service) stars, and see why it hits 4 stars for many people. With hopes of trying it again I rounded up to 4 stars. It was the kind of place my hubby and I immediately agreed to try again. Why? One reason is location, the other is quality of menu items we did try. We popped in tonight after furniture shopping(because who doesn’t need a margarita after that?). We sat at the bar because it’s where I decide on the caliber of bar tenders and atmosphere. We consider ourselves margarita lovers. Favs in the burbs are Oak Parks Maya del Sol and Geneva or Glen Ellyn Toda Madre. Their margarita menu was interesting. We tried three-the Casa Maragarita, the Aphrodesiac, and the Barbakoa. All use an agave hector sweeter that left a very earthy honey flavor aftertaste. The Aphrodesiac was too tart and we didn’t enjoy it though our bartender did offer to adjust it for me. They do score points for quality and presentation. If I could get same drink with simple sugar I think it would be a winner. Hubby tried the tuna ceviche which was very nice. I tried the chips n salsa-very nice. Fresh and hot and salsa as described in menu. I had to try the churros and they were outstanding! We will go back for one of the nightly specials. Service was excellent and ambience casual and well done. Looking forward to eating our way through the menu!
Migle S.
Classificação do local: 5 Willowbrook, IL
I work in the area and always drive by and have been wanting to stop by for awhile. We did tonight and it was really busy, we did not have a reservation so our wait was about an hour on a Saturday night at 8. We sat at the bar and had a drink while waiting. We had the margarita furtes. Absolutely amazing nice and strong but still very well balanced. Once we got seated we started out with some guac and ceviche. We also got some tacos my favorite was the pork pibil! Our server was Johnny, extremely knowledgeable of the menu and very helpful with his suggestions. It was a busy night so the wait time for the food was a little long but that is understandable. Will definitely be returning more often
Michelle C.
Classificação do local: 5 Aurora, IL
Delicious Mojitos! Tacos al pastor were my favorite! The doughnuts were a fun treat, my kids enjoyed decorating them! Service was excellent, Juan was our server! This is now my new favorite restaurant !!
Steve D.
Classificação do local: 2 Addison, IL
Stopped in here for a bite to eat. This place advertises itself as Latin cuisine but I’m not sure what they mean and I’m pretty sure they don’t either. Menu items were heavy on taco variations. They did have a couple menu items.(Empanadas) but it is heavy on tacos. Upon entering, it was pretty early and only a few were dining. The«Host» decides that he wants to place us in an almost empty restaurant in an open booth right next to a couple of girls. There must have been at least 25 open tables and he decided that this would be a good spot? Only if we knew the other people because we would have been rubbing elbows. Stunod! OK, that’s out of the way. Our server was nice and he was knowledgeable about the menu. I had to order salsa with chips which is always complimentary in Mexican restaurants but here they charge you for a small basket of chips with two shot glass amounts of different salsas. That is called a money grab. It’s also 9 bucks for a small house margarita. We ordered various tacos. Their tacos are about 70% size wise of a normal taco. I don’t know where they get their tortilla’s, but they were the smallest I’VEEVERSEEN. A three bite taco. As for the taste of the tacos themselves… yawn. Nothing special at all. I have had better, much better at a much more reasonable cost. This place is not inexpensive. It is a nicely decorated place inside, just wish it was better on the food + pricing. Others may like it more than me. I can’t recommend it. I live in an area where I can get this type food much better at a better price. Cheers to All
Steve D.
Classificação do local: 2 Addison, IL
Stopped in here for a bite to eat. This places advertises itself as Latin cuisine but I’m not sure what they mean and I’m pretty sure they don’t either. Menu items were heavy on taco variations. They did have a couple menu items.(Empanadas) but it is heavy on tacos. Upon entering, it was pretty early and only a few were dining. The«Host» decides that he wants to place us in an almost empty restaurant in an open booth right next to a couple of girls. There must have been at least 25 open tables and he decided that this would be a good spot? Only if we knew the other people because we would have been rubbing elbows. Stunod! OK, that’s out of the way. Our server was nice and he was knowledgeable about the menu. I had to order salsa with chips which is always complimentary in Mexican restaurants but here they charge you for a small basket of chips with two shot glass amounts of different salsas. That is called a money grab. It’s also 9 bucks for a small house margarita. We ordered various tacos. Their tacos are about 70% size wise of a normal taco. I don’t know where they get their tortilla’s, but they were the smallest I’VEEVERSEEN. A three bite taco. As for the taste of the tacos themselves… yawn. Nothing special at all. I have had better, much better at a much more reasonable cost. This place is not inexpensive. It is a nicely decorated place inside, just wish it was better on the food + pricing. Others may like it more than me. I can’t recommend it. I live in an area where I can get this type food much better at a better price. Cheers to All
Beth P.
Classificação do local: 5 Lombard, IL
My husband and I love coming here– great drinks, guacamole, and tacos! They have regular drink specials and allow you to order individual tacos rather than requiring you to get three of one kind– bonus! My go-to tacos are the carne asada, pastor, and pollo. Delicioso! Plus they have tasty churros for dessert :)
Raj D.
Classificação do local: 3 Villa Park, IL
This place is a nice latin fusion restaurant in the suburbs. Parking is tight but they do have a valet. Restaurant ambiance is dim lit and the bar area has Tv’s incase you want to catch a game. Personally I feel as if the drinks are on point but the food is average. I do recommend the skirt steak or going in on 1.50 taco Tuesdays. They do have a side bar with a lot of windows to give you an outdoor feel while still enjoying heat or ac in the summer. Wait staff was incredible and offered sufficient advice.
Carolina V.
Classificação do local: 4 Chicago, IL
I moved from South Florida and had not had Latin for a while, my sweet friend knew this and he made reservations here and surprised me! Yay! This is not your traditional Latin cuisine, they had some variations on traditional dishes and I thought the worked very well. I love the set up of the place, the décor is really great and the service was friendly without being intrusive. We started with drinks and an appetizer. I ordered a margarita Fuerte, and the alcohol amount was just right. He ordered a Moscow Mule and really like it. They also had ‘Nojitos’ which is their Mojitos but without the spirits.(Great idea!) The piña guacamole was amazing! I don’t know why I never thought about putting pineapple in the guac, but it is delicious. We ended up doing a tasting tray, and it was more than enough food for both of us! It was really fun trying out the different dishes :) I also had the churros for dessert, and they are heavenly. Chrunchy but not burned and just soft enough. You can put as much caramel or/and chocolate on them as you want. As a churro lover, I approve! :D We are going back for brunch this week and I’m looking forward to updating this review!
Jacqueline B.
Classificação do local: 5 Aurora, IL
I’ve been to Barbakoa a few times now and I absolutely adore this place! The ambiance is chic and relaxing and the food is delicious. Plus, they have awesome specials every day of the week! Barbakoa’s chef is very knowledgeable and does a great job pairing together different unique flavors. These are all the amazing offerings I’ve tried(so far)… — Empanadas — Lobster taco — Shrimp taco — Carne asada taco — Slow roasted pork taco — Guacamole trio — Mushroom taco — Ahi tuna ceviche — Shrimp ceviche — Four different types of salsa — Churros with chocolate and caramel — House margaritas — White and red sangria While everything I tried was tasty, my standout favorites by far is the shrimp ceviche, guacamole, carne asada taco, the churros and the house margaritas. You seriously can’t go wrong with those options! Service has been stellar each time I have dined. Prices are fair and their specials are hard to pass up. Off the top of my head I know they have half off wine on Tuesdays and fish bowl cocktails on Fridays! Their locations is super convenient being right by the highway. They have a couple different private rooms, high top tables, lower tables, half booths, a full bar, and a beautiful patio with a fireplace. Definitely give Barbakoa a try! It’s a great spot for a date night, meal with friends, or even just drinks(but good luck trying to avoid such a superb menu!).
Shaheen R.
Classificação do local: 5 Villa Park, IL
While I’m not one to normally repeat restaurants, this one is an exception. I’ve been here twice prior in the previous year but decided to lay low for a while so I wouldn’t get sick of it. Smart choice. Because when I came back today with a friend I noticed there was quite a bit of additions to the menu! Background: Barbakoa is the lovechild concept restaurant brought to you by makers of Buona Beef– which coincidently is what Barbakoa used to be! Décor: Eclectic, colorful, yet refined and bright. Lots of windows, and lots of Birds of Paradise plants. Deep cherry wood tables, and comfortable, colorful leather chairs. Porcelain molds of antler heads dipped dyed in wonderful neon hues. Food: If you’re going to go here, don’t order ala carte! Go for one of the tasting menus. We opted for the«Tasting Dos» which for $ 29 gave us the choice of 2 guacamoles, 2 salsas, 2 ceviches, 4 tacos, 2 sides, and a dessert platter. In actuality its less than $ 29 because if you check into Unilocal you get 10% off! A) Guacamoles: We opted for Traditional and Pina. Traditional hit all the right notes. Pina on the other hand, was a disloyal mistress that tantalized your taste buds with the pineapple, teased with overtones of and lime. left you in blissful habanero agony, and swore to never to do this to you again with after notes of cucumber. Yet for some reason, Pina was addictive and despite KNOWING what she did to you, you did it again and again with each bite. 9/10, 9⁄10. B) Salsas: Morita and Arbol. Morita, despite being a ‘mild’ salsa, is much more than your«girl next door». Morita is smoky, and alluring to any palate. Her flavors smoldered together with the fire roasted tomatoes, and keep you wanting more. On the other hand is Arbol. If Arbol was a zodiac sign, Arbol would be a Scorpio. Arbol is spicy– nay, Arbol is the definition of spicy. Arbol is hot, but curbs the fiery dance on your palate with notes of sweet pineapple. Luring your tastebuds into a false sense of security, before igniting the fire and heat that comes from the roasted tomatillos. 10/10, 10⁄10 C) Ceviches: Shrimp and Amarillo Mixito: Shrimp Ceviche was exquisite. Mexican gulf shrimp bathed in passion fruit-rocoto ají leche de tigre, tied together with choclo, red onions and cilantro. It’s said if you close your eyes as you let the passion fruit rococo aji wash over your tongue you’ll hear angels sing. Try it. Amarillo Mixito; the controversial union of octopus, shrimp, yellow aji leche con tigre and toasted cancha, with beckon with a «come hither» to only the most daring taste buds. Amarillo’s spice palate is not for the weak. 10/10, 9⁄10. D) Tacos: Pollo, Lamb, Cameron, Rajas con Queso. All tacos on in house made corn torillas, or sub for bibb lettuce. Pollo was juicy, yet kept your taste buds guessing with the contrast of the clean fresco to the smoky tinga sauce. Lamb; slow cooked and marinated, with complex red curry. Cameron; a favorite. Asian slaw, tamarind-morita salsa on top of tempura fried shrimp. EXCELLENT. Rajas con Queso; it could easily turn be vegan in a heart beat. Fire roasted Poblanos, cubed potatoes under a respectable portion of manchego. A beam of light from the heavens spotlighted on this taco as I ate it. 7/10, 8/10, 9/10, 10⁄10. E) Sides: Elote, White Rice: Beautiful, clean, modern presentations. Piping hot with the perfect amount of spices and cheese. 9/10, 8⁄10. F) Dessert: Fresh churros with chocolate and tres leches dipping sauce, a scoop of dulce de leche ice cream atop candied peptias. The chocolate sauce I did not like. Tasted straight of out a hershey’s syrup bottle. The churros while fresh, were coated with WAY too much sugar(spent a lot of time brushing sugar off; our table looked like a sugar factory explosion). But the ice cream atop the pepitas was the STAR. For the ice cream alone the dish gets a 10⁄10! Service: Our glasses were never empty, and the service was always timely. But nothing above and beyond that stands apart from the crowd. 4⁄5 Notes:(1) Tons of excellent Vegan options!(2) Baby changing station in the bathroom is AMAZING(See pics). Not the ridiculous plastic fold down table. TL;DR: Get the tasting menu or DON’T BOTHER. Get the full experience! Tasting Dos is $ 29 pp(minimum 2 people) + Get 10% off with Unilocal check in. Spicy means 911 is on speed dial; proceed with caution. Get: Shrimp Ceviche, Pineapple guac, Rajas con Queso and Cameron tacos. Tacos can be made with bibb lettuce to low carb. Menu constantly changing, come back every year-ish.
Joe P.
Classificação do local: 5 Dupage County, IL
So, after half a year I’ve decided to come back to barbakoa. It’s been a half year of lots of stuff with becoming an Elite ’15… I loved my food the first time here I really did. But the fish hook just was unacceptable. Anyhow, I called at 9:45 very late and talked to Xavier and referenced the fishhook he immediately apologized and was profusely sorry for no one reaching out to me. Thank you Xavier for your kind and professional service. I ordered the trilobites bites which were grilled calamari loops, jumbo scallops ++, U-60 shrimp eh, and a sort of orange chicken style breaded cod. If they rid the breeding and focused on the scallops this dish would be top notch. It had guacamole as a dipping sauce. The lobster tacos had a nice style minced lobster meat. You could definitely see the lobster cuts and taste the freshness. The churros were not too greasy just perfect with the chocolate dipping sauce. I’ll gladly return.
Heidi B.
Classificação do local: 4 Woodridge, IL
I’ve read great reviews on Unilocal and found this restaurant on groupon so I thought it was worth checking out. I made a reservation on open table and we were seated right away. The food and drink menus were a little overwhelming. I think everyone could find something they would enjoy. I ordered a beer to go with the appetizer. The BBQ pork rib bites or «pig wings» are a must have! The portion was a reasonable size and the meat was full of flavor. I will defiantly order this again next time. They have a wide variety of tacos and other entrees. I ordered three different tacos – had to save room for dessert! Camaron– This was my favorite taco… plenty of sauce and filled with flavor. Short Rib– This taco had plenty of meat but I thought it was a little salty. Baja– This taco was ok but needed a little sauce or salsa. I look forward to trying some of their other tacos and entrees. I ended the meal with the chocolate cake with ice cream. It was a little rich but very good! I was happy with our overall visit. The service and speed of dinner seemed right on point. I think I will go back but only during their happy hour.
Grant P.
Classificação do local: 3 Downers Grove, IL
Thank goodness we only live about a mile from this place because after downing one of their Friday night fishbowl drink specials, my wife and I were too hammered to even think about driving home. Luckily by the time we walked home, we sobered up enough to grab the other car, drive back and get the SUV. Damn that was a lot of sangria. Those things should come with a warning label. BTW: We got the pineapple and it was seriously tasty. And it didn’t taste like cheap bathtub liquor that burns more than it tastes good. So it went down smooth and we didn’t even realize we were getting lit till oops, surprise, we were. As far as the food? Eh. I’ve been here twice, once for a Unilocal event where we got to sample a little bit of everything, and neither time was I very impressed with the food. Last night I tried the short rib tacos and the duck tacos. The latter which were pretty good. The short rib? They were just dry and not very flavorful. We also shared the tres leches cake for dessert. It was good, but not the best I’ve had. We also grabbed the pineapple guacamole, which sounds(and costs) a lot more than it’s worth. You get a small glob of the stuff with some diced pineapple on top. I remembered liking that a lot more when we came here for the Unilocal event a year ago. Kelly, the hostess was super polite, helpful and friendly when I called to inquire about available outdoor seating. Unfortunately they didn’t have the real patio open for the season yet(which she didn’t actually tell me) but they have kind of a screened porch thing on the opposite side, which is where we sat. And truthfully, after that Fishbowl, I don’t think I could tell the difference anyway. Great service, great drinks. Mediocre food. I think I’d come back for some patio drinking and maybe a snack, but other than that I’d skip it.
Leonard W.
Classificação do local: 4 Bellwood, IL
My Motto: Eat at the bar and you can’t go wrong. I did just that! I ate here Tuesday night. partly inspired by the $ 1.50 taco’s(and by partly I mean 99%) and the $ 3 select draft’s(Stella Artois Cidre was the pick for that night… apple cider and no I didn’t spell it wrong CIDRE lol) which I thought was pretty good as it was my first time trying it) Tried 6 different tacos they were overall good and each one had its own flavor. One was a little dry. The décor is pretty chick, It kind of feels like Will Smith«Welcome to Miami» music video. So grab a shot of tequila and enjoy your stay. Arrachera Asada — Despite coming hear mostly for Taco Tuesday. This is my fav dish.