Good golly gosh, where do I even begin. Let's start with those pathetic excuses for fish tacos. So. Ever had Van De Camp frozen fish sticks from the supermarket? You know, the kind the five out to homeless shelters and schools in impoverished south-side neighborhoods on Fridays during lent? Yeah, they put THOSE on their tacos de pescado. More like tacos de PISScado... Awful... Moving forward. Let's talk about those trash ridden steak tacos, or "tacos de carnes", as they wrongfully labeled them. Pure basura!!! No steak, just gristle and fat. Kinda like they dumped the leftover trimmings from previous patrons meals into their tacos. Despicable! Outrageous! Downright unreasonable, and I'm offended. Service was a bag of lard too. Waited at least 10 minutes before anyone even acknowledged our presence. Restaurant was not even busy at this time. As a willing customer, I felt downright molested. All and all, it was an awful experience. We even heard a large Italian man complaining loudly about a used diaper underneath their booth. Avoid this establishment at all costs.
(1)
Dan S.
I can only say good things! We ordered 5 different dishes which were all absolutely delicious. Service was pretty fast and the waiter was very friendly. All the food was displayed beautifully and tasted even better. Would definitely recommend the following dishes specifically: -Fried goat cheese with tomato sauce and garlic bread -Bacon wrapped dates -Beef kabobs with avocado and onions/green peppers
Our party of ten was well taken care of. We received impeccable customer service, they catered to my daughter who is a picky eater. Our order consisted of Gambas al ajillo which were perfectly cooked, Bolitas de Qeso,platanos maduro and croqueta de pollo, beef empanadillas and pinchos de ternera. I cannot tell you how great every dish tasted. The food was worth it, and the prices are reasonable. Taste it all or come a few times and take advantage of the greatness. Mmmmmm... I cant wait to come back for drinks. Enjoy.
(5)
Nick D.
We stopped in for dinner when my mother in law was in town. The food was very good and the staff was very friendly. We especially liked the garlic potato salad, smoked salmon and shrimp in garlic and oil. We will definitely come back and would recommend to anyone that enjoys tapas.
(4)
Laura C.
Good food, fresh and outdoor seating was nice, it was a beautiful night. I had a mango mojito, very delish! It was pricey though! I ordered shrimp tacos, my hubby ordered chicken tacos. Both very flavorful. We ordered chips and salsa, chips weren't homemade, but the salsa was yummy! We would come back....
(4)
Keegan W.
I've been here a couple of times now and have finally given up on the place. I don't think they could pay me to come back. The food has been consistently disappointing and service is just so-so. In a city with so many culinary delights this place isn't worth your time or money.
(1)
Raymond C.
I went here this past Tuesday for their dollar tacos. I tried the chicken and the steak tacos. Both were very good and very flavorful (unlike another taco Tuesday place down the road). The chicken wings were a little different, not as crispy, but were also very good. Nice decor inside and good service. I'll be back.
(5)
Bill C.
Although the menu clearly stated that the Thursday drink special was $5 margaritas, when the bill came we were charged $10 each. The manager who said he was the owner said that with Groupon no other discounts can be taken. He also told me "If you can't afford to pay the bill, don't go out to dinner." Don't eat here.
(1)
Cindy C.
This was sad. Went today on "Taco Tuesday" for $1.99 tacos...boy that was a gimmick! There was an up charge for fish and steak tacos. We ordered tapas and the portions are so small, a toddler would still be hungry. We ordered a beer and the waiter brings the wrong kind...no apology or offer to keep it, an already opened bottle. Were they going to "save" it for another customer?? haha. Salsa and chips were $4.99 and the portion was small! Really? What restaurant charges extra for chips and salsa??!! They would be better off building that into the price somewhere. For 3 people, we figured it was $25 a head for "Taco Tuesday!"
(2)
Margaux D.
Oh my. So apparently this place partakes in the age-old tradition of Taco Tuesday. They're too classy to say this, so they just say "$1 tacos on Tuesday." We see through your ruse, but I'll let it slide because of the amazing food. This time. Anyways. I went on Friday night and got a reservation because, you know, if you're given the option on a Friday night, you go with it. We got there at 5:30 and it was pretty much empty. Cue laughing at myself and the Seating Host joking about how "It really does get busy, I swear!" Turns out he was right. In the two hours my friend and I were there, it really did start to pick up and by the time we left every table was taken. Lesson one: use a reservation on Friday, Saturday, or Tuesday because those are their busy nights. Unless, like me, you decide to eat at a geriatric time of night. We ordered Tapas one at a time. First with the bacon wrapped dates, then we got beef empanadas, garlic mushrooms, and then an order of chicken tacos. Because you have to see if you'll like taco Tuesday. We wanted a recommendation, and the waiter (who is, coincidentally, a part-owner) recommended the chicken tacos. Thank you, my friend! They were great. I'd absolutely recommend any of these four dishes to you, but I have a feeling that just about anything on their menu would be good. I have to say, I really really love this place. As someone who's lived in or near St. Charles my whole life, I'm so glad that there's finally a decent restaurant near that intersection.
We got seated but it took nearly 15 minutes for anybody to show up at our table. It wasn't even busy, but there was only one server in the entire restaurant. When our server showed up, he was at the table next to us where the customer complained that their food arrived cold. We were quickly discouraged about trying this place for our first time. We ordered and our 4 tapas MAGICALLY showed up quickly in about 3 minutes. Was it freshly made or been sitting there in advance of any orders??? Maybe it was just nothing complicated to make. Other reviewers raved about the meatballs, which I thought was overrated, mediocre, and mushy like they've been braising all day. They didn't taste anything spectacular sitting in a tomato sauce. The smoked salmon was okay and drowned in a heavy drizzle of sour cream sauce that we had to scrape off. We did find the bacon scallops, beef tacos with pineapple, and beef empanadas all to be pretty good. The rest were just average. Although the server when he served us was a very pleasant fellow, I think the place is too pricey for the service, and annoying waiting time for service throughout the meal, and the food wasn't that spectactular. We'll be returning to our other favorite tapas restaurants instead. We do not plan to return.
(2)
Avinash K.
Let me start off by saying, this place has really really nice decor and people can write on walls if they have enjoyed their food, which is amazing. My friend didn't really like most of the options because all the tacos had a "premade" filling to it and she does not eat Onions, so everything had them, she everything just went for tacos with mushroom filling, which was pretty sad. We did order "Patatas Bravas a Nuestra Manera" - sauteed potatos which I thought was really good and it looked really good as well. I ordered the "Tortas de Cangrejo" - crab cakes served in a wooden plank. It was definitely smaller than expected, I thought I would get a side of coleslaw but it was just like a topping. I really wanted to have some desserts here, but we didn't. But, I would defnitely recommend this place if you are in a group and just want to hang out for some drinks and some light appetizers. The place had awesome ambiance and some nice music as well.
(4)
Carrie D.
Great food, awesome atmosphere!! Such a friendly staff love this place !!! Definitely be back again!!!
(5)
Christina B.
Like a couple of the other recent reviewers, I also went this past Tuesday for the $1 tacos. We got there fairly early, around 5:30, so the wait wasn't too bad. They were getting pretty busy though while we were leaving. They were out of the pork tacos, which wasn't a huge deal. We ordered the Empanadillas de Ternera con Salsa de Ajo y Perejil tapas, which were AMAZING, and had the shrimp, steak and cod tacos. Everything was very delicious. I only docked 1 star b/c of the wait, and the bathroom was FREEZING! Otherwise, the food was excellent and I really liked the decor/ambiance. I will definitely be back!
(4)
John M.
Went for 1.99 taco tuesday. Ordered 2 Corona beers and a ceviche appetizer. Beers were only 7 Oz and cost 6.00 each! Appetizer was frozen shrimp with no taste at all. Watch your bill..tacos charged full price so server had to fix it. Tacos came out with appetizer so they were cold by the time we ate them . Not worth it..go elsewhere
(2)
Catherine P.
I've been here twice now for two different occasions. The first time was for a large group event. It was an average experience. I wasn't all that interested in coming back. My coworkers suggested coming here for Taco Tuesday. My review will based solely upon my experience with my visit today. We walked in and the atmosphere was great. They had the lighting turned down and candles lit throughout the restaurant. The restaurant was pretty busy which is always a good sign. We were greeted within 30 seconds of walking through the door. We were also seated fairly quick. It took an average amount of time for our waiter to greet us once we were seated. We were given a jug of water and a basket of bread with packets of butter. Our waiter appeared to be tending bar as well. It took a little while to receive our food after we ordered. They were busy so I can't fault them much for this. We asked if they had any tortilla chips or something of the sort and were promptly told, "We're not a Mexican restaurant." A basket of bread with butter packets doesn't exactly scream Spanish cuisine but whatever. Eventually our food started to trickle out of the kitchen. We got pork, chicken, and steak. All of them were very good! The pork had a little heat which was really nice. The steak was the favorite for all of us. I will point out though that a couple of us did have some gristle on the steak tacos. The chicken was good as well. One of my chicken tacos had a bay leaf on it! That is a huge no-no. I'm glad that I saw it before I consumed it! At one point we were waiting for another person to arrive. We politely asked for their utensils, napkin, and water glass to be brought over. The waiter/bartender snapped, "I'll bring it over after they get here." We were all taken aback by this answer from him. It was really surprising. I don't think people realize how much customer service really impacts someone's decision on whether or not they'll return to an establishment. I can't really see myself coming back here for dollar tacos and bad customer service. I can get more for my money somewhere else and be treated well at the same time. A little politeness goes a long way!
(2)
Eddie C.
Went here with a date on a Wednesday evening. When we walked in it took a minute for someone to greet us even though what appeared to be an employee sitting at a table entertaining a guest. After we were seated there was about a 10 minute gap before the server (who was also our host) came to greet us. We ordered the Goat cheese croquettes, the steak empanadas, and plantains with cheese. We both got water to drink. The waiter brought us a pitcher of water to pour it ourselves. He seemed like the only server on so i didn't really mind pouring it myself as he was running around like crazy. The appetizer came out super quick, like literally less than 5 minutes later. The goat cheese croquettes were dipped in honey and had balsamic vinegar drizzled over it. It was just okay. I think i could have done without the honey. 2/5. The empanadas had a great flaky crust on it but the steak inside was chewy and tough. The avocado lime sauce was really sour and just no pleasant.1.5/5 The plantains with manchego cheese were some of the worst things ive ever tried at a restaurant. Awful combination, bad prep, and just a bad idea. 0/5. We tapped out after the appetizers. We came in because we had a groupon and i wouldn't come back. Much better tapas places in the area. 1/5.
(1)
Brian P.
Service was poor, food was even worse. I would rather go to On the Border. Yeah that bad, I know. I ordered de pescado tacos, they should have been called palo de pescado. I kid you know the "fish" tacos were literally fish sticks with some sweet and sour sauce on top. Absolutely awful. Then we got the steak tacos. They were full of gristle and fat I couldn't even finish them. Seriously what is this. Now I know I'm not the only one here because the couple sitting near us were complaining as well. This place sucks and I'm sorry whoever wastes their time and money here. It was so bad I specifically made a yelp just to warn people Not to waste their time and money on this sad excuse for an establishment.
(1)
Anthony S.
Very nice decor that allows people to write on the walls. The food was very tasty I had the crab cakes with a hint of cole topping, I also had asparagus which were the best I ever had and the spicy potatoes (add chicken)are to die for. Overall great experience I can't wait to come back.
(4)
Dee S.
5:45pm - Arrive at Macarena's without reservation for three. After the "host" huffed and puffed, he told us that there would be a 5-10 minute wait. Fine. 6:00pm - Seated at a booth near the bar, where we sat for a good 15 minutes until someone finally came to our table and asked what we would like to drink. Cool, we placed our order. 10 minutes later we receive our drinks. My Pepsi wasn't the best, my boyfriend's lemonade was watered down, and my friends strawberry lemonade was "OK." 6:43pm - Waiter comes to our booth and asked us what we would like to order. I was so excited to the point where I wanted every taco they had because it was my first time here. Until he told us, "The dollar tacos are $4 since there is 4 to a plate. But, we are out of pork and sirloin tacos." Hmm.. okay then. We ordered chicken, shrimp and fish tacos with a side of crab cakes. He took down our order and advised us that the kitchen is backed up and it will be a little while. (Can't wait!) 7:30pm - No food. No acknowledgement. Ok, cool. Now we're all huffing and puffing. 7:35pm - Ok, we understand that you said it will be a while, but damn... 52 minutes? Talk about being patient. I barely drank my Pepsi because I wanted to save it and wash the tacos down! Ok, this is where we said, we'll give them 5 more minutes. 7:45pm - We obviously gave them a grace period, but we had enough. No one came over to apologize for the long wait or to tell us that our food will be coming right up. NOTHING. We call the waiter over and this is where I said.. "We're leaving. We've been waiting for an hour and we're definitely not going to wait another hour just to get our food. This is ridiculous." His response, "I'm sorry guys." 7:47pm - We walk out and never return. EVER. Summary: Horrible service.
(1)
Sarah S.
Had the bacon wrapped scallops as recommended by our server... not good. Too fishy and chewy. Also had some sort of beef on a stick which was okay. Had some fried goat cheese on a piece of toast which was soggy. The sangria, however, was really good! Overall, this place is too expensive for the quality of the food served.
(2)
Larry J.
Visited today at 5:30. Three tables with customers and we discovered why. Prices were steep. We ordered one of the sliders. Very dry and did not match the menu. We also ordered a bean soup that was good but over priced. We will not return.
(1)
Steve G.
The waiter shared that the reason there are no entrees on the menu in St. Charles like the other restaurant in Naperville is because they are only in the middle of their "soft opening". I think the place has been opened for about two months at this point, so something is under review, right? Let's hope it's the details of this place. Specifically the details of the food presentation. We were in on a Thursday, so perhaps the chef is off that night. But it looked like several other people were in the house, probably owners, so that would seem unlikely. The details I think they got wrong - all correctable, of course... -- The goat cheese on toast... The goat cheese croquette was fine, but not house made. The sauce was overcooked and presented as a kind of tomato-ey paste on the goat cheese. The "garlicky toast" had black burn grill marks on it, but it was not toast. It was soft as fresh bread. Make this into a true fresh bruschetta with a fresh pico di gallo tomato salsa topping a goat cheese croquette served on a real toasted slice of artisan bread. -- Wagyu sliders... tiny frozen wagyu patties? On a tiny pretzel roll? This could be so much better if it was fresh ground wagyu or even sirloin and served on a tasty house made brioche roll. -- Charcuterie... Lump of cold roasted red peppers piled in the middle on top of the serrano. plain pitted small green olives arranged like traffic cones around the peppers. salami, chorizo and serrano ham stuck tight to the plate like it was sitting in the fridge until served. Thin wedges of manchego. Serve the olives and peppers in a small bowl on the plate as a tapenade, add some herbs to the oil. Serve the cheese in cubes or thick slices so you can bite into and savor the cheese. Slice the sausage at service -- or at least put them on the dish at service. -- Sangria -- Give me a nice slice or wedge of orange and lemon or two on the edge of the glass to squeeze into the drink so there's some depth and fresh complexity in the sangria. Prices aren't bad -- if the quality is improved. And a sangria for less than $7, in a cool mason jar, no less, is a good deal. I think there are some great potentials here. Especially when they start serving paella, for example. And with some attention to the details, I think this place could excel. I wish them success with their experimentation before the grand opening... I look forward to returning and hopefully adding a couple of stars to my review.
(2)
M W.
We've been here a number of times (like, multiple times in a week, even!) and the food is always on point and flavorful. The menu includes a good variety of items--there really is something for everyone. I personally love their Taco Tuesdays, when the tacos are $1 each. YUM. The drink special on Wednesdays is $5 sangria, which is also very tasty. Service is great and prompt. The atmostphere here is cozy and eclectic, with a nice patio area for warm evenings. Go and enjoy!
(5)
Jennifer D.
We walked into a cacophony of noise, and the restaurant wasn't even half full. This acoustic nightmare made it difficult to hear my dinner date. The tapas pace is more consistent with a long dining experience... E.g we arrived at 7:30p and finished our meal close to 10p. The cold tapas meat combination platter was very good and was served with delicious olives. The spinach salad with fruit left something to be desired. There was a significant amount of dressing and the fruit seemed as though it came out of a can. The goat cheese as well as the scallops hot tapas plates had a lot of flavor, and we would happily order this again. The dates had a nice drizzle of honey, but was lacking something... Maybe some blue cheese or chorizo stuffing? This one fell flat. The cafe latte leaned towards Spanish style coffee, which I enjoyed... The dessert, not so much. My instincts had me thinking it was time to head to Graham's for some bitter dark chocolate chip ice cream, but decided to stick it out and try the pistachio cake as well as the chocolate granache fritters. The cake was dry - and much improved when I spooned some coffee over it. The fritters were very inconsistent... One super bitter, the next OK, and finally one great one. Overall, we will try again in a few months and definitely enjoyed our dinner more than the awful Fat Rosie predecessor.
(3)
Jen K.
I went out to dinner here on Friday night with a couple of people. We sat by the window. The place has a great look to it. The tables are rustic and the art is bright. We ordered a pitcher of red sangria. It was not too sweet, which I personally love. Between the 3 of us, we had 6 items. The paella is seafood paella is delicious. Don't let anyone fool you. The portion is said to be for 2, but it's more like it could feed 4 people alone, or 6 people if you order other items. The bacon wrapped dates, empanadas and garlic mushrooms were very very good. I did not like the tomato sauce with manchego cheese. It was like dipping bread into tomato soup. I also wasn't a big fan of the beef skewers. Not to say they weren't good, but they just weren't anything special. The waitstaff was very nice and quick. I would recommend for a date night spot.
(4)
T T.
Good Tapas food. We had five dishes and all we very good. Service was prompt and efficient. I have just one complaint and this it is very noisy, there are no soft surfaces to deaden sound of music and patrons talking. I did mention this to the owner Juan. He said they are working on a solution to the noise problem. Juan is a very nice guy and my wife and I will be back soon. The decor is very warm and inviting and once they fix the noise level it will be perfect. Also plate entrees should be be an even number, five pieces for two people is not balanced. It should be even number so two people can enjoy an equal quantity of each entree.
(4)
Abby T.
Great surprise. We're self confessed food snobs. Not sure walking in given it's in a small little strip mall. Decor was beautiful. Service is excellent, helpful waitress and hostess. Food came out very fast. BLT is amazing - must have dish with pork belly. Bacon wrapped scallops were prepared perfectly which is hard to do. Bacon was crispy and scallop was not overcooked. Great sangria as well - we had the mango. Fruity and refreshing - perfect for hot summer nights. Definitely will visit again. Not driving an hour to Meson Sabika, Cafe Iberco, or Cafe Ba Ba Reeba anymore for good tapas! Who would have guessed St. Charles would have such a gem.
(5)
Joseph B.
First time here. Open about 3 weeks and this is just what west side of St charles needs. Came on Fri nite with coworkers. Sangria, mixed drinks and tapas all excellent. Host Alex really took care of us and staff very attentive. No glasses went dry and food was great.
(5)
Kyle K.
Writing this review as I sit at the table and one quarter of the table has their foodans the other 3/4 have been waiting 15 minutes. Food is ok, service is pathetic.
(2)
Kenneth C.
We had a great time. We ate on their covered patio, which had a great breeze which made it seem cool even on an 84 degree day. We had Patatas Alioli (garlic potato salad) which was very tasty not as garlic as we have had at other tapas restaurants. Aceitunas Marinadas (marinated olives) were great and had marinated pickles and peppers included. Pinchos de Solomillo (beef skewers) were flavored to perfection, the highlight of our meal. We also had the De Cochino (pork tacos) which were toped with fresh pineapple and onion making it one of my favorites. The flan was just average and the red sangria would have been better if it was served with sliced fresh fruit in the glass like at other tapas restaurants. We are definitely looking forward to visiting again to try some of their other dishes.
(4)
Wisa F.
Went for an early dinner tonight. Arrived at the restaurant at 4:30pm. There were 2 other tables seated. We were given the option to sit wherever we wanted to. We chose a table near the window. Service was great. Our server was fast, friendly, and attentive. We ordered the Patatas Aioli, Champiñones al Ajillo, Pinchos de Solomillo, Croquetas de Queso de Cabra, and Gambas al Ajillo. Delicious and garlic-y. My husband and I can still taste the garlic on our breaths. We used a Groupon, and there were no issues with that at all. The food was good, but pricey compared to other tapas restaurants I've been to.
(4)
Matthew H.
I'm a local and really wanted to like this place. The quick summary is mixed food (some really bad, some really good) combined with bad service equals a place I will not be going to again. We came at 6 and it was not crowded by any stretch. We waited 10 minutes before anyone even asked for our drink order and all we wanted was water (at the time). It then took another 8 minutes just to have the server ask again and when we repeated, he grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator 10ft away and put it on the table. The food was mixed at best. Be careful if you order the mushrooms as they are coated in red pepper. I like very spicy food but this was a complete pallet killer. The pork tacos were also so dry they truly tasted like jerky and should have never been served. On the positive side, the empanadas, goat cheese fritters, and kid's pizza were good. I will not be back based on our service and the very mixed food we received.
(2)
Mary P.
Best tapas EVER!!! Went on a date night and enjoyed the food so much. It was fresh and simple and reminded us of Spain! We had the Combinado appetizer. It was the best combination of all the appetizers! For dinner, we ordered the Empanadillas, Datilles con Toscino and Contampalitos. Everything was amazing! The waiters and staff were very attentive and super friendly. They were very knowledgeable of the food and wines. They offered us samples of 3 different wines before we ordered our bottle. We chose the Flavium! Delishhhhh We will definitely be back. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(5)
Fred C.
The food was great I love the shrimp tacos the tapas are phenomenal. One of the owners took care of us food is fresh and perfect
(5)
Gin S.
We stopped in with friends on a Friday night, around 6:30. There were plenty of open tables and our party of 5 was seated right away. The red & white sangria tasted like table wine with two or three pieces of apple and orange, and my husband's $11 margarita was weak. We each ordered a plate around $10-$12 and planned to share. All but one dish came out promptly, but the potions were incredibly small barely enough for each of us to have a bite. I know tapas is small plates" but for what they charged the servings were too small. Fifteen minutes after we had finished the last order finally arrived at the table. The food tasted good but $90 later we left hungry, and ordered a pizza at the place next door.
(2)
c g.
Very bland. Nice service, prompt attention. Nice manager. But the food was bland. First tapas place that I have found bland food. We pre ordered paella to save some time. It was prompt but bland. Potatoe salad no better than what I get at The Jewel. Octopus, eh. Maybe the regular cook is on vacation but this place had a chance, we won't be back.
(2)
Melissa S.
We had tried two dish and the Beef Bikini Sliders were terrific. We also had the mango sangria and it was delicious. We did go in on a Friday and the music and noise was very loud. They had music and a dancer but it was so loud we didn't enjoy it. Even without the music it is very noisy. The space needs some pictures on the wall to absorb some of the noise. We will go back but sit outside.
(4)
Nendaz S.
Uninventive selection of tacos that are quite blend. Very average food...
(3)
Tim L.
Went on a Saturday night, got there a little after 8 PM. The restaurant was only half full but very loud. We were seated right away. It took about 10 minutes for our waiter to get to us, and we thought about leaving. Ordered bacon wrapped scallops which were good. 5 scallops for $13. We also had the cold salmon which was way over dressed, and I could barely taste the salmon. Scallops came out after about 15 minutes. Salmon came out about 20 minutes later., after we asked about the dish. We had water and two dishes. $30 plus tip. Very small portions, which were priced way to high for such small portions. I think they are on the right track, but have to work on: 1) better prices to tapas, 2) slightly larger portions, and 3) faster service.
(3)
Scott T.
This place is great! Extremely knowledgable and friendly staff and every dish we had was amazing. We had 4 or 5 items off the tapas menu and 2 different types of tacos; the shredded chicken and the pork. If I had to choose between the 2, and I wouldn't choose just get both, the pork with the pineapple on top is just delicious. We will definitely go back no question about it.
(5)
Jeff S.
We first found their location in Naperville and loved it. We love they have a St. Charles location! This is the only Tapas restaurant that has it all. Fantastic food, extremely friendly/professional staff and a great atmosphere! We have eaten there about 10 times since they opened and have always had a great experience. This is the only place for Tapas
(5)
Paula C.
We used yelp to locate an upbeat restaurant with solid food in St Charles before attending a concert at the Arcada theater. We pre-ordered the paella prior to our arrival. We were greeted by a friendly hostess. Carmen was our pleasant server. Downside, restaurant temperature very cold but but the food was the most bland we'd ever been served, even after asking for hot sauce on the side. The "paella" was in a flavorless red sauce and not the traditional yellow saffron, the grilled octopus and garlic potato dishes were also bland, but the chicken tacos were so dry and flavorless - worst offender. When I told Carmen Carmen at th end our disappointment, she seemed so surprised. No manager stopped by. This is why I'd never return and why decent suburban tapas is non existent.
(2)
S L.
Pricey but delicious. Love that they list which items are vegetarian/vegan/gluten free. In addition to tapas they also offer a few varieties of tacos (four per order for $9.99) for those who either don't want to share or want a more budget-friendly option.
(4)
Patrick O.
I can't get enough of this place. They haven't been overly busy anytime we've gone, so get here before they do. Suggestions: goat cheese croquettes, bacon wrapped scallops, patatas bravas, and many more.
(5)
Deb J.
The food here was very good, especially the Croquetas de Pollo, but really everything we had tasted great. The reason for my 3 stars is more about the price and the service. The prices here are very high and it quickly adds up with a pitcher of sangria and some tapas, we didn't even have the paella. Also, we couldn't use a credit card and had to pay cash. They said the internet was down, but really, couldn't you use an old-fashioned credit card machine. Lucky we had the $100 cash it required, but seemed odd we had to do that. We'll probably drive to Naperville Mason Sabika if we are craving tapas.
(3)
Terrell B.
We had dinner last night and we really enjoyed it. The service was great, food was awesome and the sangria was tasty. We had the bacon wrapped scallops, empanadillas, beef skewers, garlic mushrooms, and the fried goat cheese balls. Everything was very good. I see a lot of people complaining about the prices but they are on par. The only downfall was the loud music with the blown speaker which was turned down immediately after we pointed it out. All around a great experience and we will be back.
(5)
M f.
Never again. Awful place to eat since they have no customer service and show no respect if you're a small family of three. The bigger the group and they seat you towards the front. If you're a group of two or a odd three you're next to the kitchen doors being pushed by servers as they rush out to get food out to tables at the front of the restaurant. Never again. Such bad bad customer service and an I dont care attitude to a return guest. Good to know. You won't get my business and I will let everyone know what bad service you give.
(1)
Eric S.
Tonight my wife and I paid our first of what will hopefully be many visits. Good food and great service. Our server Rene was fantastic and attentive and made some good recommendations. Just a genuinely nice guy and probably one of the best servers we have ever had! We tried the goat cheese fritters, chicken fritters, potatoes brava, dates and pork belly BLT. All were good but the one that stood out above them all was the potatoes brava. Not just the normal fried wedges of potatoes with the side of aioli like a lot of tapas restaurants. These came out with a spicy tomato broth, cheese and a chipotle aioli drizzled over the top. It sounds simple but it was extremely flavorful. Awesome ambiance too! Especially for date night which is exactly why we went!
(4)
Tamara C.
My husband and I wanted paella, and found out that our town has a new restaurant that served paella. We hadn't had any since we visited Seattle last year. The place was great, in a great location. We sat in a pretty dark area in the restaurant, and couldn't really see the menu, we had to use our cell phones for light. Nevertheless, just before we left home to got to the restaurant, which is about 10 minutes away, we saw that there was a Groupon offer. I called the restaurant to see if we could get the paella with the Groupon offer, and was told that we could. It was also recommended that we pre-order the paella because it takes 1 hour to prepare. So, we waited about 45 minutes before leaving home, and when we got to the restaurant, our paella arrived at our table just after we had our first tapas dish. What awesome timing. Our waiter (his last name is Perez) was excellent. He gave us suggestions, and and gave us some recommendations for ordering for our next visit. This particular location has had many restaurants over the years that haven't lasted long, I really hope this one lasts a long time. We will definitely visit again, and will tell our friends and neighbors. Next time, we will sit in an area that has better lighting so that we can see our food and the menu better. One more thing, the restaurant is very very loud, so don't expect a quiet romantic dinner. Even though it was loud, the atmosphere was still welcoming. The paella wasn't as good as the one we had in Seattle, but it was decent.
(4)
Freddy O.
Horrible service. We came on tuesday for $1 tacos. Made a 6:30 pm reservation for 4 people. Had to wait 15 minutes until being seated, even though there were plenty of tables open. Then once seated waited over 15 minutes before even being acknowledged. FINALLY once our server came we were told $1 tacos are only chicken, steak and fish, even though they advertise it for all tacos. Also you can only order the same kind of tacos. Totally false advertisement. Then after waiting more than 30 minutes we finally had to find the host due to the fact our waiter seemed like he was the only one taking care of all the tables, and told her cancel our order we were leaving. I also noticed several other tables waiting a long time to be acknowledged as well. At 7:00pm a couple that was seated near us were told "sorry we are all out of tacos." Needless to say that couple left as well. They definitely need more workers and proper advertisement. We will not be coming back.
(1)
Caron C.
Well, I have to agree with the other two negative comments as our experience was very similar. Although my husband did like the sangria, I think it was a bit overpriced at $8 for lots of ice and cheap red wine with a few small pieces of fruit thrown in. But, the food ... The bartender was our server and not very attentive. We had three things, the garlic mushrooms. Not bad, but something more like what you might get as a side to a steak. Just mushrooms in a little bowl. Then the steak (tenderloin? Not so sure) skewers. Very dry, over cooked and chewy. $13 for three, each had 4 little bites. Then the aged sausages with potatoes, onion and pepper. Very greasy, the sausages were okay. I thought it was the best of the three, but hubby who is not so discriminating called them cocktail weenies, lol The third dish took forever, we had to ask twice where our food was, and when they finally brought it, one by one runners brought out duplicates to the other two dishes we had already been served and had finished. They clearly do not have their act together. Still not sure why the restaurant that was there closed ( Fat Rosie's) but it was much better than this. This place is not awful, really, just not inventive or worth the money. Sad to say... Anyway, if you are in the mood for tapas, check out Bien Trucha in Geneva, after over 350 reviews, they are still well over 4stars, and well deserved!
(2)
Brian V.
My wife and I picked up a groupon a few months back and finally got around to using it. Wish we would have used it sooner. The food was delicious (we had 4 different tapas dishes), the server was prompt, courteous and kept our drinks filled at all times. We will be returning frequently. Great find!
(5)
Lindsay B.
We went to Macarena Tapas on a Saturday night with a Groupon, and it was an interesting experience for sure. When we arrived we felt very awkward because the restaurant was almost empty on a Saturday night :( There were several tables outside, and only three seated inside which made us a bit nervous. Luckily, nothing went wrong the entire evening. Our server was very friendly, speedy, and did a nice job. He was still friendly even after we showed our Groupon, which is always a plus for me. We ordered three tapas items- the dates, crab cakes, and goat cheese warm items. This was plenty for us to be full, but not too full. I did notice that all of the plates were fairly small, and still quite expensive. I've found this to be true at many shared plate restaurants though, so I wasn't upset by it. All three of the dishes were good- not fantastic- but definitely tasty. We also ordered two desserts- the flan (which I never like, but my husband loves), and their version of Creme Brulee. We really liked both desserts. Overall, our experience here was good. There weren't a lot of things that make me want to rush back, but certainly nothing that would keep me from coming here again.
(3)
Marita O.
Food was outstanding..goat cheese coquettes, bacon wrapped scallops, beef empanadas. Great atmosphere, knowledgeable staff...we really enjoyed ourselves and will go back
(5)
Eric N.
Food is good, but not what I'd call traditional tapas. I do recommend brunch and it's a great place for large groups.
(4)
David H.
We were on the patio last night ordered 3 dishes and informed the waiter we would be ordering more. I'm all for a slow paced dinner but the first two cold plates came right away and were good but Our waiter never checked in with us till 45 min later and still no dates with bacon ordered as the third dish. 10 more min later they finally came but the bacon was totally in edible/not cooked. Several tables started moving indoors. At first thought it was Mosquitos but started wondering if it was the service. Saw one couple walk out after not being waited on and either the hostess or manager seemed to take over and we asked for check. Then drove to the turf room for some light appetizers, drinks and dessert and recovered the evening. All money they could have had if more attentive.
(1)
Geno C.
Liked the sangria and the service, but the food was bad...the BLT tasted like shoe leather & fat marinated in campfire smoke. And the seafood paella tasted like it had been steamed for days; all the flavor and moisture had left the dish by the time it came to our table....hope the kitchen can turn it around for our waiter's sake.
(1)
Patty B.
Not great. Food was mediocre. Sat at the bar for several minutes before greeted (and we were the only ones at the bar) . Sliders were way over cooked and salty. Grilled octopus was not grilled, defrosted and put on a plate of greasy potatoes and peppers. On a good note, after we ordered our food was served very quickly. I wish them all the best but don't see the place lasting. Bring back Fat Rosie's!
(2)
Jay j.
This location is cursed. Another poorly executed restaurant. There are many problems with the menu and service. Here would be my recommendations to improve the experience. First, the tables against the walls can only seat 4 people comfortably. Not 6, never 6!!! The fact that you sat our party of 4 at this table with 6 chairs made us feel extremely cramped. So basically, the table sucks when you sit 4 people there because of the two extra chairs limiting the space for people to spread out, forcing the 4 people to be on top of each other, and the table would suck if you sat 6 people there because they'd be way too cramped; guaranteeing a negative experience for which ever size party you sit at those tables. Our girls both weigh less than 120 lbs and the dudes are dapper too, this wasn't some intimate Mediterranean seating issue complaint, nope it was just poor management trying to squeeze some extra seats into the joint for no reason. There is definitely not a line going around the corner to get into this place. The food was decent, however each dish left us feeling as if we were being punked. I get the whole tapas thing, small plates, try some variety etc... However, I don't get how paying $9 for 8 asparagus in balsamic vinegar is a good time. Seriously, by the end of the night none of our pee smelled like we had asparagus. The 4 tiny empanadas were decent, however they half fill a tiny ramekin with the sauce that goes with the dish. Seriously, they gave us less than the size of one ketchup packet of the cilantro garlic aioli for the four of us. Anyway, despite the fact that the food was decent, dish after dish kept on making us feel stupid. Teeny tiny portions for the price. Morton's steakhouse charges less for their asparagus, plus they give you about 3 times the amount. Hahaha, but the funny thing is that this restaurant is going to have trouble making money despite selling 8 asparagus for $9.
(1)
Sarah V.
The food was wonderful, the service was awesome, and even our two year old had a good time. We would highly recommend this restaurant and plan to go back soon.
(5)
Warren W.
Food was quite good BUT very expensive. Wait staff was indifferent. Ordered Pyea and was told 20min wait. After 20min asked status and was told min 40min wait -- complained and was told min 1hr 20min. Complained again and was told would be given a gift card --- NOT! Never honored. Chef is very good, but management is TERRIBLE. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY - GO ELSEWHERE.
(1)
Jodi J.
We had a marvelous meal! We have been to many excellent tapas restaurants before but this one has a warm welcoming feel that the others were missing! The food was outstanding particularly the beef tostada and roasted asparagus! We will be back, with friends.
(4)
C L.
Food was wonderful but Service could have been a little better. Restaurants in this location are notorious for not thriving very long, so I hope they do well.
(4)
Kylie R.
Our dinner was thoroughly disappointing. We ordered the goat cheese fritters, breaded cod tacos, and steak tacos. I thought maybe we'd order more but I'm so glad we didn't. The goat cheese fritters were pretty good but the tacos were so disappointing. The fish tacos were definitely made with frozen pre-battered fish, came with no avocado(despite being in the description), and had no flavor other then the strange sweet and sour tasting sauce in the coleslaw. The steak tacos had zero flavor and were so dry I could barely manage eating one taco. The salsa that came with the steak tacos was very clearly from a can or jar and didn't taste good. After that we were very done with this place but still hungry. Our server never asked us how our tacos were. I think he knew they weren't very good. We didn't complain or have an attitude, what good would that do? I regret ignoring the multiple poor ratings I saw because it looked like a nicer place with fresh ingredients. I honestly could have made a much fresher tastier meal at home for a quarter of the price. I want to go to Bein Trucha in Geneva and apologize for ever thinking another Mexican tapas restaurant could complete with them. I just wanted some fresh authentic delicious tacos and that is NOT what they serve. We won't be returning.
(1)
Jan H.
My husband, son and I had an exceptional dinner at Mararena St Charles on Friday, May 17th! It's a beautiful, elegant restaurant with wonderful food and attentive service. We each choose a variety of tapas that we wanted to taste and share. It was a delicious and fun dining experience for all!
(5)
Judy R.
WOW! This place is incredible! First, the food has to be to die for, and it meets this world traveler's ideals- great flavor combos, presentation etc. check! Second the service exceeds expectations (which are high) and our waiter was even able to describe in detail all the menu items we asked about and then some, and leave the right amount of time between tapas orders to enjoy the previous order. Check. Third the ambiance. Real attention to detail - again, exceeding expectations- loved the intimate atmosphere. Check. We (group of 5 - 20yrs to 75- 3 generations of family) particularly liked the bruschetta steak, the bacon wrapped dates, the crab cakes, the bacon scallops the apple tart - a lot of favs, but more to try next time! We'll be back again and again, and looking forward to spring when they open up the outdoor eating covered patio!
(5)
Thomas L.
The worst dining experience I have had in a long time. Apparently, they were offering $1 dollar tacos today - although it seems they were only actually honoring this price for friends and family of the waitstaff. If you weren't a friend or family you waited for hours. It took 30 minutes to get our drinks - 20 minutes to get our first tapa ( a cheese and cold cut plate - which was missing the cheese) and 20 minutes more for water. Then, we were told that they were out of tacos ( even though we were willing to pay full price) - however the tacos continued to be delivered to several tables. The tapas when they ultimately arrived were good - not spectacular. However, since we were still hungry 3 hours into the meal we got our check and crossed the street to the Kabob restaurant where the food was better and much quicker. There are too many good tapas restaurants around to bother with this fiasco. Save yourself the aggravation.
(1)
Danielle C.
My boyfriend and I decided to try this place in spite of the mixed reviews. We love tapas and haven't found a great place near us-until we came here. We were initially nervous to the fact it was dead when we arrived at 6:30 for dinner. (It was a Thursday so maybe that's the reason, we didn't end up leaving until almost 9) We ordered the red sangria (YUM!), the meat & cheese tray, goat cheese frittatas (amazing, HAVE to get!), the empananillas (so good), the petite sausage w/ potatoes and onions, and the scallops. All were amazing and the timing of the delivery of all the food was perfect. After that we ordered a bottle of Malbec (delicious) and the cookie ice cream dessert. The waiter (Jordan) was so polite and pleasant. He provided fantastic service. I did not have any issues with loud noise or music or the staff. I would highly recommend you try this place. We will definitely be repeat patrons.
(5)
Ellin S.
Excellent food, drinks and service! I highly recommend this restaurant!
Really good Tapas! Original and good portions for Tapas. Very nice owner and great service. Very nice ambience. Be sure to try it!
(5)
Timothy B.
A great date place. The staff were friendly and the young-ish bartender even knew his liquor. After reading earlier reviews I was a bit nervous about the food and the price. After eating there, Macarena is on my short list of place to go for fun. The food was great, the service as great, and the atmosphere was fun. I'd def. go back with a group of friends. I do think the prices are a touch high but isn't that true everywhere? It's nice to have a quality tapas joint along Randall road.
(4)
heather s.
We are still waiting for our check as I write this. The food is good, not spectacular but as far as service. Ugh. One girl just wandered around while 2 servers covered 7 tables including 2 groups of 10. Our waiter was fine but food was slow. Garlic potato salad should come out ASAP. Sangria was great. Plan on spending time waiting .
(3)
Monica D.
great place great food/atmosphere everything was deliciouse
(5)
Mike H.
We were walk ins at 5PM on a Saturday. We like to try the new restaurants in the area. We were the second couple in the place, since it was early. We got off to a strange start as the menu posted import beers and domestic beer pricing but there were no domestics on the menu. When the waitress was asked she came back with the answer that there were no domestics. OK, I ordered a Carlsberg and an over priced glass of Chardonnay for my wife. VERY limited wine/beer listing. I ordered the pork tenderloins and garlic potato salad and my wife ordered the crab cakes. Crab cakes were outstanding! Pork, not so much. Dry. Potato salad did not come and after a considerable time I called over our server and it showed up twice! Sometimes the server brought items and sometimes other people brought them. They seemed very unorganized. Table next to us also had delivery problems. By now the place was mostly filled. Potato salad was good. Our server seemed to disappear. When she arrived back, my wife ordered dessert. They came back much later with a different dessert and asked her if she would want it since they were out of her choice(at 6:30 on a Saturday night). She ordered another. Would like to comment on it it but it never came!! We left. Found out that the Carlsberg beer was priced as a domestic.
(2)
Lindsay B.
We went to Macarena Tapas on a Saturday night with a Groupon, and it was an interesting experience for sure. When we arrived we felt very awkward because the restaurant was almost empty on a Saturday night :( There were several tables outside, and only three seated inside which made us a bit nervous. Luckily, nothing went wrong the entire evening. Our server was very friendly, speedy, and did a nice job. He was still friendly even after we showed our Groupon, which is always a plus for me. We ordered three tapas items- the dates, crab cakes, and goat cheese warm items. This was plenty for us to be full, but not too full. I did notice that all of the plates were fairly small, and still quite expensive. I've found this to be true at many shared plate restaurants though, so I wasn't upset by it. All three of the dishes were good- not fantastic- but definitely tasty. We also ordered two desserts- the flan (which I never like, but my husband loves), and their version of Creme Brulee. We really liked both desserts. Overall, our experience here was good. There weren't a lot of things that make me want to rush back, but certainly nothing that would keep me from coming here again.
(3)
Marita O.
Food was outstanding..goat cheese coquettes, bacon wrapped scallops, beef empanadas. Great atmosphere, knowledgeable staff...we really enjoyed ourselves and will go back
(5)
Eric N.
Food is good, but not what I'd call traditional tapas. I do recommend brunch and it's a great place for large groups.
(4)
David H.
We were on the patio last night ordered 3 dishes and informed the waiter we would be ordering more. I'm all for a slow paced dinner but the first two cold plates came right away and were good but Our waiter never checked in with us till 45 min later and still no dates with bacon ordered as the third dish. 10 more min later they finally came but the bacon was totally in edible/not cooked. Several tables started moving indoors. At first thought it was Mosquitos but started wondering if it was the service. Saw one couple walk out after not being waited on and either the hostess or manager seemed to take over and we asked for check. Then drove to the turf room for some light appetizers, drinks and dessert and recovered the evening. All money they could have had if more attentive.
(1)
Jeff S.
We first found their location in Naperville and loved it. We love they have a St. Charles location! This is the only Tapas restaurant that has it all. Fantastic food, extremely friendly/professional staff and a great atmosphere! We have eaten there about 10 times since they opened and have always had a great experience. This is the only place for Tapas
(5)
Paula C.
We used yelp to locate an upbeat restaurant with solid food in St Charles before attending a concert at the Arcada theater. We pre-ordered the paella prior to our arrival. We were greeted by a friendly hostess. Carmen was our pleasant server. Downside, restaurant temperature very cold but but the food was the most bland we'd ever been served, even after asking for hot sauce on the side. The "paella" was in a flavorless red sauce and not the traditional yellow saffron, the grilled octopus and garlic potato dishes were also bland, but the chicken tacos were so dry and flavorless - worst offender. When I told Carmen Carmen at th end our disappointment, she seemed so surprised. No manager stopped by. This is why I'd never return and why decent suburban tapas is non existent.
(2)
S L.
Pricey but delicious. Love that they list which items are vegetarian/vegan/gluten free. In addition to tapas they also offer a few varieties of tacos (four per order for $9.99) for those who either don't want to share or want a more budget-friendly option.
(4)
Patrick O.
I can't get enough of this place. They haven't been overly busy anytime we've gone, so get here before they do. Suggestions: goat cheese croquettes, bacon wrapped scallops, patatas bravas, and many more.
(5)
Deb J.
The food here was very good, especially the Croquetas de Pollo, but really everything we had tasted great. The reason for my 3 stars is more about the price and the service. The prices here are very high and it quickly adds up with a pitcher of sangria and some tapas, we didn't even have the paella. Also, we couldn't use a credit card and had to pay cash. They said the internet was down, but really, couldn't you use an old-fashioned credit card machine. Lucky we had the $100 cash it required, but seemed odd we had to do that. We'll probably drive to Naperville Mason Sabika if we are craving tapas.
(3)
Terrell B.
We had dinner last night and we really enjoyed it. The service was great, food was awesome and the sangria was tasty. We had the bacon wrapped scallops, empanadillas, beef skewers, garlic mushrooms, and the fried goat cheese balls. Everything was very good. I see a lot of people complaining about the prices but they are on par. The only downfall was the loud music with the blown speaker which was turned down immediately after we pointed it out. All around a great experience and we will be back.
(5)
Sarah S.
Had the bacon wrapped scallops as recommended by our server... not good. Too fishy and chewy. Also had some sort of beef on a stick which was okay. Had some fried goat cheese on a piece of toast which was soggy. The sangria, however, was really good! Overall, this place is too expensive for the quality of the food served.
(2)
Larry J.
Visited today at 5:30. Three tables with customers and we discovered why. Prices were steep. We ordered one of the sliders. Very dry and did not match the menu. We also ordered a bean soup that was good but over priced. We will not return.
(1)
Jay j.
This location is cursed. Another poorly executed restaurant. There are many problems with the menu and service. Here would be my recommendations to improve the experience. First, the tables against the walls can only seat 4 people comfortably. Not 6, never 6!!! The fact that you sat our party of 4 at this table with 6 chairs made us feel extremely cramped. So basically, the table sucks when you sit 4 people there because of the two extra chairs limiting the space for people to spread out, forcing the 4 people to be on top of each other, and the table would suck if you sat 6 people there because they'd be way too cramped; guaranteeing a negative experience for which ever size party you sit at those tables. Our girls both weigh less than 120 lbs and the dudes are dapper too, this wasn't some intimate Mediterranean seating issue complaint, nope it was just poor management trying to squeeze some extra seats into the joint for no reason. There is definitely not a line going around the corner to get into this place. The food was decent, however each dish left us feeling as if we were being punked. I get the whole tapas thing, small plates, try some variety etc... However, I don't get how paying $9 for 8 asparagus in balsamic vinegar is a good time. Seriously, by the end of the night none of our pee smelled like we had asparagus. The 4 tiny empanadas were decent, however they half fill a tiny ramekin with the sauce that goes with the dish. Seriously, they gave us less than the size of one ketchup packet of the cilantro garlic aioli for the four of us. Anyway, despite the fact that the food was decent, dish after dish kept on making us feel stupid. Teeny tiny portions for the price. Morton's steakhouse charges less for their asparagus, plus they give you about 3 times the amount. Hahaha, but the funny thing is that this restaurant is going to have trouble making money despite selling 8 asparagus for $9.
(1)
Sarah V.
The food was wonderful, the service was awesome, and even our two year old had a good time. We would highly recommend this restaurant and plan to go back soon.
(5)
Warren W.
Food was quite good BUT very expensive. Wait staff was indifferent. Ordered Pyea and was told 20min wait. After 20min asked status and was told min 40min wait -- complained and was told min 1hr 20min. Complained again and was told would be given a gift card --- NOT! Never honored. Chef is very good, but management is TERRIBLE. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY - GO ELSEWHERE.
(1)
Sunshine V.
Our party of ten was well taken care of. We received impeccable customer service, they catered to my daughter who is a picky eater. Our order consisted of Gambas al ajillo which were perfectly cooked, Bolitas de Qeso,platanos maduro and croqueta de pollo, beef empanadillas and pinchos de ternera. I cannot tell you how great every dish tasted. The food was worth it, and the prices are reasonable. Taste it all or come a few times and take advantage of the greatness. Mmmmmm... I cant wait to come back for drinks. Enjoy.
(5)
Nick D.
We stopped in for dinner when my mother in law was in town. The food was very good and the staff was very friendly. We especially liked the garlic potato salad, smoked salmon and shrimp in garlic and oil. We will definitely come back and would recommend to anyone that enjoys tapas.
(4)
Steve G.
The waiter shared that the reason there are no entrees on the menu in St. Charles like the other restaurant in Naperville is because they are only in the middle of their "soft opening". I think the place has been opened for about two months at this point, so something is under review, right? Let's hope it's the details of this place. Specifically the details of the food presentation. We were in on a Thursday, so perhaps the chef is off that night. But it looked like several other people were in the house, probably owners, so that would seem unlikely. The details I think they got wrong - all correctable, of course... -- The goat cheese on toast... The goat cheese croquette was fine, but not house made. The sauce was overcooked and presented as a kind of tomato-ey paste on the goat cheese. The "garlicky toast" had black burn grill marks on it, but it was not toast. It was soft as fresh bread. Make this into a true fresh bruschetta with a fresh pico di gallo tomato salsa topping a goat cheese croquette served on a real toasted slice of artisan bread. -- Wagyu sliders... tiny frozen wagyu patties? On a tiny pretzel roll? This could be so much better if it was fresh ground wagyu or even sirloin and served on a tasty house made brioche roll. -- Charcuterie... Lump of cold roasted red peppers piled in the middle on top of the serrano. plain pitted small green olives arranged like traffic cones around the peppers. salami, chorizo and serrano ham stuck tight to the plate like it was sitting in the fridge until served. Thin wedges of manchego. Serve the olives and peppers in a small bowl on the plate as a tapenade, add some herbs to the oil. Serve the cheese in cubes or thick slices so you can bite into and savor the cheese. Slice the sausage at service -- or at least put them on the dish at service. -- Sangria -- Give me a nice slice or wedge of orange and lemon or two on the edge of the glass to squeeze into the drink so there's some depth and fresh complexity in the sangria. Prices aren't bad -- if the quality is improved. And a sangria for less than $7, in a cool mason jar, no less, is a good deal. I think there are some great potentials here. Especially when they start serving paella, for example. And with some attention to the details, I think this place could excel. I wish them success with their experimentation before the grand opening... I look forward to returning and hopefully adding a couple of stars to my review.
(2)
M f.
Never again. Awful place to eat since they have no customer service and show no respect if you're a small family of three. The bigger the group and they seat you towards the front. If you're a group of two or a odd three you're next to the kitchen doors being pushed by servers as they rush out to get food out to tables at the front of the restaurant. Never again. Such bad bad customer service and an I dont care attitude to a return guest. Good to know. You won't get my business and I will let everyone know what bad service you give.
(1)
Eric S.
Tonight my wife and I paid our first of what will hopefully be many visits. Good food and great service. Our server Rene was fantastic and attentive and made some good recommendations. Just a genuinely nice guy and probably one of the best servers we have ever had! We tried the goat cheese fritters, chicken fritters, potatoes brava, dates and pork belly BLT. All were good but the one that stood out above them all was the potatoes brava. Not just the normal fried wedges of potatoes with the side of aioli like a lot of tapas restaurants. These came out with a spicy tomato broth, cheese and a chipotle aioli drizzled over the top. It sounds simple but it was extremely flavorful. Awesome ambiance too! Especially for date night which is exactly why we went!
(4)
M W.
We've been here a number of times (like, multiple times in a week, even!) and the food is always on point and flavorful. The menu includes a good variety of items--there really is something for everyone. I personally love their Taco Tuesdays, when the tacos are $1 each. YUM. The drink special on Wednesdays is $5 sangria, which is also very tasty. Service is great and prompt. The atmostphere here is cozy and eclectic, with a nice patio area for warm evenings. Go and enjoy!
(5)
Joseph B.
First time here. Open about 3 weeks and this is just what west side of St charles needs. Came on Fri nite with coworkers. Sangria, mixed drinks and tapas all excellent. Host Alex really took care of us and staff very attentive. No glasses went dry and food was great.
(5)
Kyle K.
Writing this review as I sit at the table and one quarter of the table has their foodans the other 3/4 have been waiting 15 minutes. Food is ok, service is pathetic.
(2)
Brian P.
Service was poor, food was even worse. I would rather go to On the Border. Yeah that bad, I know. I ordered de pescado tacos, they should have been called palo de pescado. I kid you know the "fish" tacos were literally fish sticks with some sweet and sour sauce on top. Absolutely awful. Then we got the steak tacos. They were full of gristle and fat I couldn't even finish them. Seriously what is this. Now I know I'm not the only one here because the couple sitting near us were complaining as well. This place sucks and I'm sorry whoever wastes their time and money here. It was so bad I specifically made a yelp just to warn people Not to waste their time and money on this sad excuse for an establishment.
(1)
Anthony S.
Very nice decor that allows people to write on the walls. The food was very tasty I had the crab cakes with a hint of cole topping, I also had asparagus which were the best I ever had and the spicy potatoes (add chicken)are to die for. Overall great experience I can't wait to come back.
(4)
Dee S.
5:45pm - Arrive at Macarena's without reservation for three. After the "host" huffed and puffed, he told us that there would be a 5-10 minute wait. Fine. 6:00pm - Seated at a booth near the bar, where we sat for a good 15 minutes until someone finally came to our table and asked what we would like to drink. Cool, we placed our order. 10 minutes later we receive our drinks. My Pepsi wasn't the best, my boyfriend's lemonade was watered down, and my friends strawberry lemonade was "OK." 6:43pm - Waiter comes to our booth and asked us what we would like to order. I was so excited to the point where I wanted every taco they had because it was my first time here. Until he told us, "The dollar tacos are $4 since there is 4 to a plate. But, we are out of pork and sirloin tacos." Hmm.. okay then. We ordered chicken, shrimp and fish tacos with a side of crab cakes. He took down our order and advised us that the kitchen is backed up and it will be a little while. (Can't wait!) 7:30pm - No food. No acknowledgement. Ok, cool. Now we're all huffing and puffing. 7:35pm - Ok, we understand that you said it will be a while, but damn... 52 minutes? Talk about being patient. I barely drank my Pepsi because I wanted to save it and wash the tacos down! Ok, this is where we said, we'll give them 5 more minutes. 7:45pm - We obviously gave them a grace period, but we had enough. No one came over to apologize for the long wait or to tell us that our food will be coming right up. NOTHING. We call the waiter over and this is where I said.. "We're leaving. We've been waiting for an hour and we're definitely not going to wait another hour just to get our food. This is ridiculous." His response, "I'm sorry guys." 7:47pm - We walk out and never return. EVER. Summary: Horrible service.
(1)
Dan S.
I can only say good things! We ordered 5 different dishes which were all absolutely delicious. Service was pretty fast and the waiter was very friendly. All the food was displayed beautifully and tasted even better. Would definitely recommend the following dishes specifically: -Fried goat cheese with tomato sauce and garlic bread -Bacon wrapped dates -Beef kabobs with avocado and onions/green peppers
(5)
Jennifer D.
We walked into a cacophony of noise, and the restaurant wasn't even half full. This acoustic nightmare made it difficult to hear my dinner date. The tapas pace is more consistent with a long dining experience... E.g we arrived at 7:30p and finished our meal close to 10p. The cold tapas meat combination platter was very good and was served with delicious olives. The spinach salad with fruit left something to be desired. There was a significant amount of dressing and the fruit seemed as though it came out of a can. The goat cheese as well as the scallops hot tapas plates had a lot of flavor, and we would happily order this again. The dates had a nice drizzle of honey, but was lacking something... Maybe some blue cheese or chorizo stuffing? This one fell flat. The cafe latte leaned towards Spanish style coffee, which I enjoyed... The dessert, not so much. My instincts had me thinking it was time to head to Graham's for some bitter dark chocolate chip ice cream, but decided to stick it out and try the pistachio cake as well as the chocolate granache fritters. The cake was dry - and much improved when I spooned some coffee over it. The fritters were very inconsistent... One super bitter, the next OK, and finally one great one. Overall, we will try again in a few months and definitely enjoyed our dinner more than the awful Fat Rosie predecessor.
(3)
Christina B.
Like a couple of the other recent reviewers, I also went this past Tuesday for the $1 tacos. We got there fairly early, around 5:30, so the wait wasn't too bad. They were getting pretty busy though while we were leaving. They were out of the pork tacos, which wasn't a huge deal. We ordered the Empanadillas de Ternera con Salsa de Ajo y Perejil tapas, which were AMAZING, and had the shrimp, steak and cod tacos. Everything was very delicious. I only docked 1 star b/c of the wait, and the bathroom was FREEZING! Otherwise, the food was excellent and I really liked the decor/ambiance. I will definitely be back!
(4)
John M.
Went for 1.99 taco tuesday. Ordered 2 Corona beers and a ceviche appetizer. Beers were only 7 Oz and cost 6.00 each! Appetizer was frozen shrimp with no taste at all. Watch your bill..tacos charged full price so server had to fix it. Tacos came out with appetizer so they were cold by the time we ate them . Not worth it..go elsewhere
(2)
Jen K.
I went out to dinner here on Friday night with a couple of people. We sat by the window. The place has a great look to it. The tables are rustic and the art is bright. We ordered a pitcher of red sangria. It was not too sweet, which I personally love. Between the 3 of us, we had 6 items. The paella is seafood paella is delicious. Don't let anyone fool you. The portion is said to be for 2, but it's more like it could feed 4 people alone, or 6 people if you order other items. The bacon wrapped dates, empanadas and garlic mushrooms were very very good. I did not like the tomato sauce with manchego cheese. It was like dipping bread into tomato soup. I also wasn't a big fan of the beef skewers. Not to say they weren't good, but they just weren't anything special. The waitstaff was very nice and quick. I would recommend for a date night spot.
(4)
T T.
Good Tapas food. We had five dishes and all we very good. Service was prompt and efficient. I have just one complaint and this it is very noisy, there are no soft surfaces to deaden sound of music and patrons talking. I did mention this to the owner Juan. He said they are working on a solution to the noise problem. Juan is a very nice guy and my wife and I will be back soon. The decor is very warm and inviting and once they fix the noise level it will be perfect. Also plate entrees should be be an even number, five pieces for two people is not balanced. It should be even number so two people can enjoy an equal quantity of each entree.
(4)
Abby T.
Great surprise. We're self confessed food snobs. Not sure walking in given it's in a small little strip mall. Decor was beautiful. Service is excellent, helpful waitress and hostess. Food came out very fast. BLT is amazing - must have dish with pork belly. Bacon wrapped scallops were prepared perfectly which is hard to do. Bacon was crispy and scallop was not overcooked. Great sangria as well - we had the mango. Fruity and refreshing - perfect for hot summer nights. Definitely will visit again. Not driving an hour to Meson Sabika, Cafe Iberco, or Cafe Ba Ba Reeba anymore for good tapas! Who would have guessed St. Charles would have such a gem.
(5)
Kenneth C.
We had a great time. We ate on their covered patio, which had a great breeze which made it seem cool even on an 84 degree day. We had Patatas Alioli (garlic potato salad) which was very tasty not as garlic as we have had at other tapas restaurants. Aceitunas Marinadas (marinated olives) were great and had marinated pickles and peppers included. Pinchos de Solomillo (beef skewers) were flavored to perfection, the highlight of our meal. We also had the De Cochino (pork tacos) which were toped with fresh pineapple and onion making it one of my favorites. The flan was just average and the red sangria would have been better if it was served with sliced fresh fruit in the glass like at other tapas restaurants. We are definitely looking forward to visiting again to try some of their other dishes.
(4)
Wisa F.
Went for an early dinner tonight. Arrived at the restaurant at 4:30pm. There were 2 other tables seated. We were given the option to sit wherever we wanted to. We chose a table near the window. Service was great. Our server was fast, friendly, and attentive. We ordered the Patatas Aioli, Champiñones al Ajillo, Pinchos de Solomillo, Croquetas de Queso de Cabra, and Gambas al Ajillo. Delicious and garlic-y. My husband and I can still taste the garlic on our breaths. We used a Groupon, and there were no issues with that at all. The food was good, but pricey compared to other tapas restaurants I've been to.
(4)
Matthew H.
I'm a local and really wanted to like this place. The quick summary is mixed food (some really bad, some really good) combined with bad service equals a place I will not be going to again. We came at 6 and it was not crowded by any stretch. We waited 10 minutes before anyone even asked for our drink order and all we wanted was water (at the time). It then took another 8 minutes just to have the server ask again and when we repeated, he grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator 10ft away and put it on the table. The food was mixed at best. Be careful if you order the mushrooms as they are coated in red pepper. I like very spicy food but this was a complete pallet killer. The pork tacos were also so dry they truly tasted like jerky and should have never been served. On the positive side, the empanadas, goat cheese fritters, and kid's pizza were good. I will not be back based on our service and the very mixed food we received.
(2)
Mary P.
Best tapas EVER!!! Went on a date night and enjoyed the food so much. It was fresh and simple and reminded us of Spain! We had the Combinado appetizer. It was the best combination of all the appetizers! For dinner, we ordered the Empanadillas, Datilles con Toscino and Contampalitos. Everything was amazing! The waiters and staff were very attentive and super friendly. They were very knowledgeable of the food and wines. They offered us samples of 3 different wines before we ordered our bottle. We chose the Flavium! Delishhhhh We will definitely be back. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(5)
Fred C.
The food was great I love the shrimp tacos the tapas are phenomenal. One of the owners took care of us food is fresh and perfect
(5)
Gin S.
We stopped in with friends on a Friday night, around 6:30. There were plenty of open tables and our party of 5 was seated right away. The red & white sangria tasted like table wine with two or three pieces of apple and orange, and my husband's $11 margarita was weak. We each ordered a plate around $10-$12 and planned to share. All but one dish came out promptly, but the potions were incredibly small barely enough for each of us to have a bite. I know tapas is small plates" but for what they charged the servings were too small. Fifteen minutes after we had finished the last order finally arrived at the table. The food tasted good but $90 later we left hungry, and ordered a pizza at the place next door.
(2)
c g.
Very bland. Nice service, prompt attention. Nice manager. But the food was bland. First tapas place that I have found bland food. We pre ordered paella to save some time. It was prompt but bland. Potatoe salad no better than what I get at The Jewel. Octopus, eh. Maybe the regular cook is on vacation but this place had a chance, we won't be back.
(2)
Melissa S.
We had tried two dish and the Beef Bikini Sliders were terrific. We also had the mango sangria and it was delicious. We did go in on a Friday and the music and noise was very loud. They had music and a dancer but it was so loud we didn't enjoy it. Even without the music it is very noisy. The space needs some pictures on the wall to absorb some of the noise. We will go back but sit outside.
(4)
Nendaz S.
Uninventive selection of tacos that are quite blend. Very average food...
(3)
Tim L.
Went on a Saturday night, got there a little after 8 PM. The restaurant was only half full but very loud. We were seated right away. It took about 10 minutes for our waiter to get to us, and we thought about leaving. Ordered bacon wrapped scallops which were good. 5 scallops for $13. We also had the cold salmon which was way over dressed, and I could barely taste the salmon. Scallops came out after about 15 minutes. Salmon came out about 20 minutes later., after we asked about the dish. We had water and two dishes. $30 plus tip. Very small portions, which were priced way to high for such small portions. I think they are on the right track, but have to work on: 1) better prices to tapas, 2) slightly larger portions, and 3) faster service.
(3)
Scott T.
This place is great! Extremely knowledgable and friendly staff and every dish we had was amazing. We had 4 or 5 items off the tapas menu and 2 different types of tacos; the shredded chicken and the pork. If I had to choose between the 2, and I wouldn't choose just get both, the pork with the pineapple on top is just delicious. We will definitely go back no question about it.
(5)
Tamara C.
My husband and I wanted paella, and found out that our town has a new restaurant that served paella. We hadn't had any since we visited Seattle last year. The place was great, in a great location. We sat in a pretty dark area in the restaurant, and couldn't really see the menu, we had to use our cell phones for light. Nevertheless, just before we left home to got to the restaurant, which is about 10 minutes away, we saw that there was a Groupon offer. I called the restaurant to see if we could get the paella with the Groupon offer, and was told that we could. It was also recommended that we pre-order the paella because it takes 1 hour to prepare. So, we waited about 45 minutes before leaving home, and when we got to the restaurant, our paella arrived at our table just after we had our first tapas dish. What awesome timing. Our waiter (his last name is Perez) was excellent. He gave us suggestions, and and gave us some recommendations for ordering for our next visit. This particular location has had many restaurants over the years that haven't lasted long, I really hope this one lasts a long time. We will definitely visit again, and will tell our friends and neighbors. Next time, we will sit in an area that has better lighting so that we can see our food and the menu better. One more thing, the restaurant is very very loud, so don't expect a quiet romantic dinner. Even though it was loud, the atmosphere was still welcoming. The paella wasn't as good as the one we had in Seattle, but it was decent.
(4)
Freddy O.
Horrible service. We came on tuesday for $1 tacos. Made a 6:30 pm reservation for 4 people. Had to wait 15 minutes until being seated, even though there were plenty of tables open. Then once seated waited over 15 minutes before even being acknowledged. FINALLY once our server came we were told $1 tacos are only chicken, steak and fish, even though they advertise it for all tacos. Also you can only order the same kind of tacos. Totally false advertisement. Then after waiting more than 30 minutes we finally had to find the host due to the fact our waiter seemed like he was the only one taking care of all the tables, and told her cancel our order we were leaving. I also noticed several other tables waiting a long time to be acknowledged as well. At 7:00pm a couple that was seated near us were told "sorry we are all out of tacos." Needless to say that couple left as well. They definitely need more workers and proper advertisement. We will not be coming back.
(1)
Caron C.
Well, I have to agree with the other two negative comments as our experience was very similar. Although my husband did like the sangria, I think it was a bit overpriced at $8 for lots of ice and cheap red wine with a few small pieces of fruit thrown in. But, the food ... The bartender was our server and not very attentive. We had three things, the garlic mushrooms. Not bad, but something more like what you might get as a side to a steak. Just mushrooms in a little bowl. Then the steak (tenderloin? Not so sure) skewers. Very dry, over cooked and chewy. $13 for three, each had 4 little bites. Then the aged sausages with potatoes, onion and pepper. Very greasy, the sausages were okay. I thought it was the best of the three, but hubby who is not so discriminating called them cocktail weenies, lol The third dish took forever, we had to ask twice where our food was, and when they finally brought it, one by one runners brought out duplicates to the other two dishes we had already been served and had finished. They clearly do not have their act together. Still not sure why the restaurant that was there closed ( Fat Rosie's) but it was much better than this. This place is not awful, really, just not inventive or worth the money. Sad to say... Anyway, if you are in the mood for tapas, check out Bien Trucha in Geneva, after over 350 reviews, they are still well over 4stars, and well deserved!
(2)
Brian V.
My wife and I picked up a groupon a few months back and finally got around to using it. Wish we would have used it sooner. The food was delicious (we had 4 different tapas dishes), the server was prompt, courteous and kept our drinks filled at all times. We will be returning frequently. Great find!
We had a marvelous meal! We have been to many excellent tapas restaurants before but this one has a warm welcoming feel that the others were missing! The food was outstanding particularly the beef tostada and roasted asparagus! We will be back, with friends.
(4)
Jan H.
My husband, son and I had an exceptional dinner at Mararena St Charles on Friday, May 17th! It's a beautiful, elegant restaurant with wonderful food and attentive service. We each choose a variety of tapas that we wanted to taste and share. It was a delicious and fun dining experience for all!
(5)
C L.
Food was wonderful but Service could have been a little better. Restaurants in this location are notorious for not thriving very long, so I hope they do well.
(4)
Kylie R.
Our dinner was thoroughly disappointing. We ordered the goat cheese fritters, breaded cod tacos, and steak tacos. I thought maybe we'd order more but I'm so glad we didn't. The goat cheese fritters were pretty good but the tacos were so disappointing. The fish tacos were definitely made with frozen pre-battered fish, came with no avocado(despite being in the description), and had no flavor other then the strange sweet and sour tasting sauce in the coleslaw. The steak tacos had zero flavor and were so dry I could barely manage eating one taco. The salsa that came with the steak tacos was very clearly from a can or jar and didn't taste good. After that we were very done with this place but still hungry. Our server never asked us how our tacos were. I think he knew they weren't very good. We didn't complain or have an attitude, what good would that do? I regret ignoring the multiple poor ratings I saw because it looked like a nicer place with fresh ingredients. I honestly could have made a much fresher tastier meal at home for a quarter of the price. I want to go to Bein Trucha in Geneva and apologize for ever thinking another Mexican tapas restaurant could complete with them. I just wanted some fresh authentic delicious tacos and that is NOT what they serve. We won't be returning.
(1)
Judy R.
WOW! This place is incredible! First, the food has to be to die for, and it meets this world traveler's ideals- great flavor combos, presentation etc. check! Second the service exceeds expectations (which are high) and our waiter was even able to describe in detail all the menu items we asked about and then some, and leave the right amount of time between tapas orders to enjoy the previous order. Check. Third the ambiance. Real attention to detail - again, exceeding expectations- loved the intimate atmosphere. Check. We (group of 5 - 20yrs to 75- 3 generations of family) particularly liked the bruschetta steak, the bacon wrapped dates, the crab cakes, the bacon scallops the apple tart - a lot of favs, but more to try next time! We'll be back again and again, and looking forward to spring when they open up the outdoor eating covered patio!
(5)
Thomas L.
The worst dining experience I have had in a long time. Apparently, they were offering $1 dollar tacos today - although it seems they were only actually honoring this price for friends and family of the waitstaff. If you weren't a friend or family you waited for hours. It took 30 minutes to get our drinks - 20 minutes to get our first tapa ( a cheese and cold cut plate - which was missing the cheese) and 20 minutes more for water. Then, we were told that they were out of tacos ( even though we were willing to pay full price) - however the tacos continued to be delivered to several tables. The tapas when they ultimately arrived were good - not spectacular. However, since we were still hungry 3 hours into the meal we got our check and crossed the street to the Kabob restaurant where the food was better and much quicker. There are too many good tapas restaurants around to bother with this fiasco. Save yourself the aggravation.
(1)
Geno C.
Liked the sangria and the service, but the food was bad...the BLT tasted like shoe leather & fat marinated in campfire smoke. And the seafood paella tasted like it had been steamed for days; all the flavor and moisture had left the dish by the time it came to our table....hope the kitchen can turn it around for our waiter's sake.
(1)
Patty B.
Not great. Food was mediocre. Sat at the bar for several minutes before greeted (and we were the only ones at the bar) . Sliders were way over cooked and salty. Grilled octopus was not grilled, defrosted and put on a plate of greasy potatoes and peppers. On a good note, after we ordered our food was served very quickly. I wish them all the best but don't see the place lasting. Bring back Fat Rosie's!
(2)
Danielle C.
My boyfriend and I decided to try this place in spite of the mixed reviews. We love tapas and haven't found a great place near us-until we came here. We were initially nervous to the fact it was dead when we arrived at 6:30 for dinner. (It was a Thursday so maybe that's the reason, we didn't end up leaving until almost 9) We ordered the red sangria (YUM!), the meat & cheese tray, goat cheese frittatas (amazing, HAVE to get!), the empananillas (so good), the petite sausage w/ potatoes and onions, and the scallops. All were amazing and the timing of the delivery of all the food was perfect. After that we ordered a bottle of Malbec (delicious) and the cookie ice cream dessert. The waiter (Jordan) was so polite and pleasant. He provided fantastic service. I did not have any issues with loud noise or music or the staff. I would highly recommend you try this place. We will definitely be repeat patrons.
(5)
Ellin S.
Excellent food, drinks and service! I highly recommend this restaurant!
Really good Tapas! Original and good portions for Tapas. Very nice owner and great service. Very nice ambience. Be sure to try it!
(5)
Timothy B.
A great date place. The staff were friendly and the young-ish bartender even knew his liquor. After reading earlier reviews I was a bit nervous about the food and the price. After eating there, Macarena is on my short list of place to go for fun. The food was great, the service as great, and the atmosphere was fun. I'd def. go back with a group of friends. I do think the prices are a touch high but isn't that true everywhere? It's nice to have a quality tapas joint along Randall road.
(4)
heather s.
We are still waiting for our check as I write this. The food is good, not spectacular but as far as service. Ugh. One girl just wandered around while 2 servers covered 7 tables including 2 groups of 10. Our waiter was fine but food was slow. Garlic potato salad should come out ASAP. Sangria was great. Plan on spending time waiting .
(3)
Monica D.
great place great food/atmosphere everything was deliciouse
(5)
Mike H.
We were walk ins at 5PM on a Saturday. We like to try the new restaurants in the area. We were the second couple in the place, since it was early. We got off to a strange start as the menu posted import beers and domestic beer pricing but there were no domestics on the menu. When the waitress was asked she came back with the answer that there were no domestics. OK, I ordered a Carlsberg and an over priced glass of Chardonnay for my wife. VERY limited wine/beer listing. I ordered the pork tenderloins and garlic potato salad and my wife ordered the crab cakes. Crab cakes were outstanding! Pork, not so much. Dry. Potato salad did not come and after a considerable time I called over our server and it showed up twice! Sometimes the server brought items and sometimes other people brought them. They seemed very unorganized. Table next to us also had delivery problems. By now the place was mostly filled. Potato salad was good. Our server seemed to disappear. When she arrived back, my wife ordered dessert. They came back much later with a different dessert and asked her if she would want it since they were out of her choice(at 6:30 on a Saturday night). She ordered another. Would like to comment on it it but it never came!! We left. Found out that the Carlsberg beer was priced as a domestic.
(2)
Laura C.
Good food, fresh and outdoor seating was nice, it was a beautiful night. I had a mango mojito, very delish! It was pricey though! I ordered shrimp tacos, my hubby ordered chicken tacos. Both very flavorful. We ordered chips and salsa, chips weren't homemade, but the salsa was yummy! We would come back....
(4)
Keegan W.
I've been here a couple of times now and have finally given up on the place. I don't think they could pay me to come back. The food has been consistently disappointing and service is just so-so. In a city with so many culinary delights this place isn't worth your time or money.
(1)
Raymond C.
I went here this past Tuesday for their dollar tacos. I tried the chicken and the steak tacos. Both were very good and very flavorful (unlike another taco Tuesday place down the road). The chicken wings were a little different, not as crispy, but were also very good. Nice decor inside and good service. I'll be back.
(5)
Bill C.
Although the menu clearly stated that the Thursday drink special was $5 margaritas, when the bill came we were charged $10 each. The manager who said he was the owner said that with Groupon no other discounts can be taken. He also told me "If you can't afford to pay the bill, don't go out to dinner." Don't eat here.
(1)
Cindy C.
This was sad. Went today on "Taco Tuesday" for $1.99 tacos...boy that was a gimmick! There was an up charge for fish and steak tacos. We ordered tapas and the portions are so small, a toddler would still be hungry. We ordered a beer and the waiter brings the wrong kind...no apology or offer to keep it, an already opened bottle. Were they going to "save" it for another customer?? haha. Salsa and chips were $4.99 and the portion was small! Really? What restaurant charges extra for chips and salsa??!! They would be better off building that into the price somewhere. For 3 people, we figured it was $25 a head for "Taco Tuesday!"
(2)
Dulce B.
We got seated but it took nearly 15 minutes for anybody to show up at our table. It wasn't even busy, but there was only one server in the entire restaurant. When our server showed up, he was at the table next to us where the customer complained that their food arrived cold. We were quickly discouraged about trying this place for our first time. We ordered and our 4 tapas MAGICALLY showed up quickly in about 3 minutes. Was it freshly made or been sitting there in advance of any orders??? Maybe it was just nothing complicated to make. Other reviewers raved about the meatballs, which I thought was overrated, mediocre, and mushy like they've been braising all day. They didn't taste anything spectacular sitting in a tomato sauce. The smoked salmon was okay and drowned in a heavy drizzle of sour cream sauce that we had to scrape off. We did find the bacon scallops, beef tacos with pineapple, and beef empanadas all to be pretty good. The rest were just average. Although the server when he served us was a very pleasant fellow, I think the place is too pricey for the service, and annoying waiting time for service throughout the meal, and the food wasn't that spectactular. We'll be returning to our other favorite tapas restaurants instead. We do not plan to return.
(2)
Avinash K.
Let me start off by saying, this place has really really nice decor and people can write on walls if they have enjoyed their food, which is amazing. My friend didn't really like most of the options because all the tacos had a "premade" filling to it and she does not eat Onions, so everything had them, she everything just went for tacos with mushroom filling, which was pretty sad. We did order "Patatas Bravas a Nuestra Manera" - sauteed potatos which I thought was really good and it looked really good as well. I ordered the "Tortas de Cangrejo" - crab cakes served in a wooden plank. It was definitely smaller than expected, I thought I would get a side of coleslaw but it was just like a topping. I really wanted to have some desserts here, but we didn't. But, I would defnitely recommend this place if you are in a group and just want to hang out for some drinks and some light appetizers. The place had awesome ambiance and some nice music as well.
(4)
Carrie D.
Great food, awesome atmosphere!! Such a friendly staff love this place !!! Definitely be back again!!!
(5)
Catherine P.
I've been here twice now for two different occasions. The first time was for a large group event. It was an average experience. I wasn't all that interested in coming back. My coworkers suggested coming here for Taco Tuesday. My review will based solely upon my experience with my visit today. We walked in and the atmosphere was great. They had the lighting turned down and candles lit throughout the restaurant. The restaurant was pretty busy which is always a good sign. We were greeted within 30 seconds of walking through the door. We were also seated fairly quick. It took an average amount of time for our waiter to greet us once we were seated. We were given a jug of water and a basket of bread with packets of butter. Our waiter appeared to be tending bar as well. It took a little while to receive our food after we ordered. They were busy so I can't fault them much for this. We asked if they had any tortilla chips or something of the sort and were promptly told, "We're not a Mexican restaurant." A basket of bread with butter packets doesn't exactly scream Spanish cuisine but whatever. Eventually our food started to trickle out of the kitchen. We got pork, chicken, and steak. All of them were very good! The pork had a little heat which was really nice. The steak was the favorite for all of us. I will point out though that a couple of us did have some gristle on the steak tacos. The chicken was good as well. One of my chicken tacos had a bay leaf on it! That is a huge no-no. I'm glad that I saw it before I consumed it! At one point we were waiting for another person to arrive. We politely asked for their utensils, napkin, and water glass to be brought over. The waiter/bartender snapped, "I'll bring it over after they get here." We were all taken aback by this answer from him. It was really surprising. I don't think people realize how much customer service really impacts someone's decision on whether or not they'll return to an establishment. I can't really see myself coming back here for dollar tacos and bad customer service. I can get more for my money somewhere else and be treated well at the same time. A little politeness goes a long way!
(2)
Eddie C.
Went here with a date on a Wednesday evening. When we walked in it took a minute for someone to greet us even though what appeared to be an employee sitting at a table entertaining a guest. After we were seated there was about a 10 minute gap before the server (who was also our host) came to greet us. We ordered the Goat cheese croquettes, the steak empanadas, and plantains with cheese. We both got water to drink. The waiter brought us a pitcher of water to pour it ourselves. He seemed like the only server on so i didn't really mind pouring it myself as he was running around like crazy. The appetizer came out super quick, like literally less than 5 minutes later. The goat cheese croquettes were dipped in honey and had balsamic vinegar drizzled over it. It was just okay. I think i could have done without the honey. 2/5. The empanadas had a great flaky crust on it but the steak inside was chewy and tough. The avocado lime sauce was really sour and just no pleasant.1.5/5 The plantains with manchego cheese were some of the worst things ive ever tried at a restaurant. Awful combination, bad prep, and just a bad idea. 0/5. We tapped out after the appetizers. We came in because we had a groupon and i wouldn't come back. Much better tapas places in the area. 1/5.
Oh my. So apparently this place partakes in the age-old tradition of Taco Tuesday. They're too classy to say this, so they just say "$1 tacos on Tuesday." We see through your ruse, but I'll let it slide because of the amazing food. This time. Anyways. I went on Friday night and got a reservation because, you know, if you're given the option on a Friday night, you go with it. We got there at 5:30 and it was pretty much empty. Cue laughing at myself and the Seating Host joking about how "It really does get busy, I swear!" Turns out he was right. In the two hours my friend and I were there, it really did start to pick up and by the time we left every table was taken. Lesson one: use a reservation on Friday, Saturday, or Tuesday because those are their busy nights. Unless, like me, you decide to eat at a geriatric time of night. We ordered Tapas one at a time. First with the bacon wrapped dates, then we got beef empanadas, garlic mushrooms, and then an order of chicken tacos. Because you have to see if you'll like taco Tuesday. We wanted a recommendation, and the waiter (who is, coincidentally, a part-owner) recommended the chicken tacos. Thank you, my friend! They were great. I'd absolutely recommend any of these four dishes to you, but I have a feeling that just about anything on their menu would be good. I have to say, I really really love this place. As someone who's lived in or near St. Charles my whole life, I'm so glad that there's finally a decent restaurant near that intersection.
(5)
Jenoa F.
Good golly gosh, where do I even begin. Let's start with those pathetic excuses for fish tacos. So. Ever had Van De Camp frozen fish sticks from the supermarket? You know, the kind the five out to homeless shelters and schools in impoverished south-side neighborhoods on Fridays during lent? Yeah, they put THOSE on their tacos de pescado. More like tacos de PISScado... Awful... Moving forward. Let's talk about those trash ridden steak tacos, or "tacos de carnes", as they wrongfully labeled them. Pure basura!!! No steak, just gristle and fat. Kinda like they dumped the leftover trimmings from previous patrons meals into their tacos. Despicable! Outrageous! Downright unreasonable, and I'm offended. Service was a bag of lard too. Waited at least 10 minutes before anyone even acknowledged our presence. Restaurant was not even busy at this time. As a willing customer, I felt downright molested. All and all, it was an awful experience. We even heard a large Italian man complaining loudly about a used diaper underneath their booth. Avoid this establishment at all costs.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Jenoa F.
Good golly gosh, where do I even begin. Let's start with those pathetic excuses for fish tacos. So. Ever had Van De Camp frozen fish sticks from the supermarket? You know, the kind the five out to homeless shelters and schools in impoverished south-side neighborhoods on Fridays during lent? Yeah, they put THOSE on their tacos de pescado. More like tacos de PISScado... Awful... Moving forward. Let's talk about those trash ridden steak tacos, or "tacos de carnes", as they wrongfully labeled them. Pure basura!!! No steak, just gristle and fat. Kinda like they dumped the leftover trimmings from previous patrons meals into their tacos. Despicable! Outrageous! Downright unreasonable, and I'm offended. Service was a bag of lard too. Waited at least 10 minutes before anyone even acknowledged our presence. Restaurant was not even busy at this time. As a willing customer, I felt downright molested. All and all, it was an awful experience. We even heard a large Italian man complaining loudly about a used diaper underneath their booth. Avoid this establishment at all costs.
(1)Dan S.
I can only say good things! We ordered 5 different dishes which were all absolutely delicious. Service was pretty fast and the waiter was very friendly. All the food was displayed beautifully and tasted even better. Would definitely recommend the following dishes specifically: -Fried goat cheese with tomato sauce and garlic bread -Bacon wrapped dates -Beef kabobs with avocado and onions/green peppers
(5)Ashley F.
Excellent and trendy atmosphere, great service, awesome Sangria! I loved the décor and the food was delicious. The bacon-wrapped dates drizzled with honey were the best! The only drawback was that I felt it was extremely pricey for extremely small portions. $8 for a plate with two pieces of bread on it?!
(4)Sunshine V.
Our party of ten was well taken care of. We received impeccable customer service, they catered to my daughter who is a picky eater. Our order consisted of Gambas al ajillo which were perfectly cooked, Bolitas de Qeso,platanos maduro and croqueta de pollo, beef empanadillas and pinchos de ternera. I cannot tell you how great every dish tasted. The food was worth it, and the prices are reasonable. Taste it all or come a few times and take advantage of the greatness. Mmmmmm... I cant wait to come back for drinks. Enjoy.
(5)Nick D.
We stopped in for dinner when my mother in law was in town. The food was very good and the staff was very friendly. We especially liked the garlic potato salad, smoked salmon and shrimp in garlic and oil. We will definitely come back and would recommend to anyone that enjoys tapas.
(4)Laura C.
Good food, fresh and outdoor seating was nice, it was a beautiful night. I had a mango mojito, very delish! It was pricey though! I ordered shrimp tacos, my hubby ordered chicken tacos. Both very flavorful. We ordered chips and salsa, chips weren't homemade, but the salsa was yummy! We would come back....
(4)Keegan W.
I've been here a couple of times now and have finally given up on the place. I don't think they could pay me to come back. The food has been consistently disappointing and service is just so-so. In a city with so many culinary delights this place isn't worth your time or money.
(1)Raymond C.
I went here this past Tuesday for their dollar tacos. I tried the chicken and the steak tacos. Both were very good and very flavorful (unlike another taco Tuesday place down the road). The chicken wings were a little different, not as crispy, but were also very good. Nice decor inside and good service. I'll be back.
(5)Bill C.
Although the menu clearly stated that the Thursday drink special was $5 margaritas, when the bill came we were charged $10 each. The manager who said he was the owner said that with Groupon no other discounts can be taken. He also told me "If you can't afford to pay the bill, don't go out to dinner." Don't eat here.
(1)Cindy C.
This was sad. Went today on "Taco Tuesday" for $1.99 tacos...boy that was a gimmick! There was an up charge for fish and steak tacos. We ordered tapas and the portions are so small, a toddler would still be hungry. We ordered a beer and the waiter brings the wrong kind...no apology or offer to keep it, an already opened bottle. Were they going to "save" it for another customer?? haha. Salsa and chips were $4.99 and the portion was small! Really? What restaurant charges extra for chips and salsa??!! They would be better off building that into the price somewhere. For 3 people, we figured it was $25 a head for "Taco Tuesday!"
(2)Margaux D.
Oh my. So apparently this place partakes in the age-old tradition of Taco Tuesday. They're too classy to say this, so they just say "$1 tacos on Tuesday." We see through your ruse, but I'll let it slide because of the amazing food. This time. Anyways. I went on Friday night and got a reservation because, you know, if you're given the option on a Friday night, you go with it. We got there at 5:30 and it was pretty much empty. Cue laughing at myself and the Seating Host joking about how "It really does get busy, I swear!" Turns out he was right. In the two hours my friend and I were there, it really did start to pick up and by the time we left every table was taken. Lesson one: use a reservation on Friday, Saturday, or Tuesday because those are their busy nights. Unless, like me, you decide to eat at a geriatric time of night. We ordered Tapas one at a time. First with the bacon wrapped dates, then we got beef empanadas, garlic mushrooms, and then an order of chicken tacos. Because you have to see if you'll like taco Tuesday. We wanted a recommendation, and the waiter (who is, coincidentally, a part-owner) recommended the chicken tacos. Thank you, my friend! They were great. I'd absolutely recommend any of these four dishes to you, but I have a feeling that just about anything on their menu would be good. I have to say, I really really love this place. As someone who's lived in or near St. Charles my whole life, I'm so glad that there's finally a decent restaurant near that intersection.
(5)Kate B.
Being a fan of tapas we were excited when this place came to the neighborhood, but we were disappointed and skeptical when we first sat down. The décor was just ok, it felt more like a fast food place than a nice tapas place, and all the menu items, including the drinks, seemed exorbitantly overpriced. We almost got up and left, but decided to try at least two of the items and see how it was. We are soooo glad we did because we found out a few things about this restaurant which they don't advertise. 1. NONE of their mixed drinks are made from mixes. They are all hand made, hand squeezed, hand crushed, and custom created by their amazingly skilled bartender. Both sangrias, the margarita and some unique concoction we had were out of this world! (....there were four of us, we aren't completely alcoholics!) 2. Their wine selection is hand picked and includes some wonderful choices that are not on any other menu in town. 3. The paella is real! It takes 45 minuets to make, but you can call ahead and have them start it for you before you get there! 4. All of the tapas are of the highest quality foods. There wasn't a thing we ordered that we didn't like. The dates were some of the best I've had. 5. The service was fantastic! The server knew this menu, even if he wasn't particularly familiar with other tapas restaurants. He made great suggestions and did everything he could to make the experience enjoyable. All in all, while this place seems expensive when you first look at the menu compared to other tapas restaurants, keep in mind that everything is hand prepared from scratch and tastes amazing because of it! If you like tapas, you'll like this place.
(4)Dulce B.
We got seated but it took nearly 15 minutes for anybody to show up at our table. It wasn't even busy, but there was only one server in the entire restaurant. When our server showed up, he was at the table next to us where the customer complained that their food arrived cold. We were quickly discouraged about trying this place for our first time. We ordered and our 4 tapas MAGICALLY showed up quickly in about 3 minutes. Was it freshly made or been sitting there in advance of any orders??? Maybe it was just nothing complicated to make. Other reviewers raved about the meatballs, which I thought was overrated, mediocre, and mushy like they've been braising all day. They didn't taste anything spectacular sitting in a tomato sauce. The smoked salmon was okay and drowned in a heavy drizzle of sour cream sauce that we had to scrape off. We did find the bacon scallops, beef tacos with pineapple, and beef empanadas all to be pretty good. The rest were just average. Although the server when he served us was a very pleasant fellow, I think the place is too pricey for the service, and annoying waiting time for service throughout the meal, and the food wasn't that spectactular. We'll be returning to our other favorite tapas restaurants instead. We do not plan to return.
(2)Avinash K.
Let me start off by saying, this place has really really nice decor and people can write on walls if they have enjoyed their food, which is amazing. My friend didn't really like most of the options because all the tacos had a "premade" filling to it and she does not eat Onions, so everything had them, she everything just went for tacos with mushroom filling, which was pretty sad. We did order "Patatas Bravas a Nuestra Manera" - sauteed potatos which I thought was really good and it looked really good as well. I ordered the "Tortas de Cangrejo" - crab cakes served in a wooden plank. It was definitely smaller than expected, I thought I would get a side of coleslaw but it was just like a topping. I really wanted to have some desserts here, but we didn't. But, I would defnitely recommend this place if you are in a group and just want to hang out for some drinks and some light appetizers. The place had awesome ambiance and some nice music as well.
(4)Carrie D.
Great food, awesome atmosphere!! Such a friendly staff love this place !!! Definitely be back again!!!
(5)Christina B.
Like a couple of the other recent reviewers, I also went this past Tuesday for the $1 tacos. We got there fairly early, around 5:30, so the wait wasn't too bad. They were getting pretty busy though while we were leaving. They were out of the pork tacos, which wasn't a huge deal. We ordered the Empanadillas de Ternera con Salsa de Ajo y Perejil tapas, which were AMAZING, and had the shrimp, steak and cod tacos. Everything was very delicious. I only docked 1 star b/c of the wait, and the bathroom was FREEZING! Otherwise, the food was excellent and I really liked the decor/ambiance. I will definitely be back!
(4)John M.
Went for 1.99 taco tuesday. Ordered 2 Corona beers and a ceviche appetizer. Beers were only 7 Oz and cost 6.00 each! Appetizer was frozen shrimp with no taste at all. Watch your bill..tacos charged full price so server had to fix it. Tacos came out with appetizer so they were cold by the time we ate them . Not worth it..go elsewhere
(2)Catherine P.
I've been here twice now for two different occasions. The first time was for a large group event. It was an average experience. I wasn't all that interested in coming back. My coworkers suggested coming here for Taco Tuesday. My review will based solely upon my experience with my visit today. We walked in and the atmosphere was great. They had the lighting turned down and candles lit throughout the restaurant. The restaurant was pretty busy which is always a good sign. We were greeted within 30 seconds of walking through the door. We were also seated fairly quick. It took an average amount of time for our waiter to greet us once we were seated. We were given a jug of water and a basket of bread with packets of butter. Our waiter appeared to be tending bar as well. It took a little while to receive our food after we ordered. They were busy so I can't fault them much for this. We asked if they had any tortilla chips or something of the sort and were promptly told, "We're not a Mexican restaurant." A basket of bread with butter packets doesn't exactly scream Spanish cuisine but whatever. Eventually our food started to trickle out of the kitchen. We got pork, chicken, and steak. All of them were very good! The pork had a little heat which was really nice. The steak was the favorite for all of us. I will point out though that a couple of us did have some gristle on the steak tacos. The chicken was good as well. One of my chicken tacos had a bay leaf on it! That is a huge no-no. I'm glad that I saw it before I consumed it! At one point we were waiting for another person to arrive. We politely asked for their utensils, napkin, and water glass to be brought over. The waiter/bartender snapped, "I'll bring it over after they get here." We were all taken aback by this answer from him. It was really surprising. I don't think people realize how much customer service really impacts someone's decision on whether or not they'll return to an establishment. I can't really see myself coming back here for dollar tacos and bad customer service. I can get more for my money somewhere else and be treated well at the same time. A little politeness goes a long way!
(2)Eddie C.
Went here with a date on a Wednesday evening. When we walked in it took a minute for someone to greet us even though what appeared to be an employee sitting at a table entertaining a guest. After we were seated there was about a 10 minute gap before the server (who was also our host) came to greet us. We ordered the Goat cheese croquettes, the steak empanadas, and plantains with cheese. We both got water to drink. The waiter brought us a pitcher of water to pour it ourselves. He seemed like the only server on so i didn't really mind pouring it myself as he was running around like crazy. The appetizer came out super quick, like literally less than 5 minutes later. The goat cheese croquettes were dipped in honey and had balsamic vinegar drizzled over it. It was just okay. I think i could have done without the honey. 2/5. The empanadas had a great flaky crust on it but the steak inside was chewy and tough. The avocado lime sauce was really sour and just no pleasant.1.5/5 The plantains with manchego cheese were some of the worst things ive ever tried at a restaurant. Awful combination, bad prep, and just a bad idea. 0/5. We tapped out after the appetizers. We came in because we had a groupon and i wouldn't come back. Much better tapas places in the area. 1/5.
(1)Brian P.
Service was poor, food was even worse. I would rather go to On the Border. Yeah that bad, I know. I ordered de pescado tacos, they should have been called palo de pescado. I kid you know the "fish" tacos were literally fish sticks with some sweet and sour sauce on top. Absolutely awful. Then we got the steak tacos. They were full of gristle and fat I couldn't even finish them. Seriously what is this. Now I know I'm not the only one here because the couple sitting near us were complaining as well. This place sucks and I'm sorry whoever wastes their time and money here. It was so bad I specifically made a yelp just to warn people Not to waste their time and money on this sad excuse for an establishment.
(1)Anthony S.
Very nice decor that allows people to write on the walls. The food was very tasty I had the crab cakes with a hint of cole topping, I also had asparagus which were the best I ever had and the spicy potatoes (add chicken)are to die for. Overall great experience I can't wait to come back.
(4)Dee S.
5:45pm - Arrive at Macarena's without reservation for three. After the "host" huffed and puffed, he told us that there would be a 5-10 minute wait. Fine. 6:00pm - Seated at a booth near the bar, where we sat for a good 15 minutes until someone finally came to our table and asked what we would like to drink. Cool, we placed our order. 10 minutes later we receive our drinks. My Pepsi wasn't the best, my boyfriend's lemonade was watered down, and my friends strawberry lemonade was "OK." 6:43pm - Waiter comes to our booth and asked us what we would like to order. I was so excited to the point where I wanted every taco they had because it was my first time here. Until he told us, "The dollar tacos are $4 since there is 4 to a plate. But, we are out of pork and sirloin tacos." Hmm.. okay then. We ordered chicken, shrimp and fish tacos with a side of crab cakes. He took down our order and advised us that the kitchen is backed up and it will be a little while. (Can't wait!) 7:30pm - No food. No acknowledgement. Ok, cool. Now we're all huffing and puffing. 7:35pm - Ok, we understand that you said it will be a while, but damn... 52 minutes? Talk about being patient. I barely drank my Pepsi because I wanted to save it and wash the tacos down! Ok, this is where we said, we'll give them 5 more minutes. 7:45pm - We obviously gave them a grace period, but we had enough. No one came over to apologize for the long wait or to tell us that our food will be coming right up. NOTHING. We call the waiter over and this is where I said.. "We're leaving. We've been waiting for an hour and we're definitely not going to wait another hour just to get our food. This is ridiculous." His response, "I'm sorry guys." 7:47pm - We walk out and never return. EVER. Summary: Horrible service.
(1)Sarah S.
Had the bacon wrapped scallops as recommended by our server... not good. Too fishy and chewy. Also had some sort of beef on a stick which was okay. Had some fried goat cheese on a piece of toast which was soggy. The sangria, however, was really good! Overall, this place is too expensive for the quality of the food served.
(2)Larry J.
Visited today at 5:30. Three tables with customers and we discovered why. Prices were steep. We ordered one of the sliders. Very dry and did not match the menu. We also ordered a bean soup that was good but over priced. We will not return.
(1)Steve G.
The waiter shared that the reason there are no entrees on the menu in St. Charles like the other restaurant in Naperville is because they are only in the middle of their "soft opening". I think the place has been opened for about two months at this point, so something is under review, right? Let's hope it's the details of this place. Specifically the details of the food presentation. We were in on a Thursday, so perhaps the chef is off that night. But it looked like several other people were in the house, probably owners, so that would seem unlikely. The details I think they got wrong - all correctable, of course... -- The goat cheese on toast... The goat cheese croquette was fine, but not house made. The sauce was overcooked and presented as a kind of tomato-ey paste on the goat cheese. The "garlicky toast" had black burn grill marks on it, but it was not toast. It was soft as fresh bread. Make this into a true fresh bruschetta with a fresh pico di gallo tomato salsa topping a goat cheese croquette served on a real toasted slice of artisan bread. -- Wagyu sliders... tiny frozen wagyu patties? On a tiny pretzel roll? This could be so much better if it was fresh ground wagyu or even sirloin and served on a tasty house made brioche roll. -- Charcuterie... Lump of cold roasted red peppers piled in the middle on top of the serrano. plain pitted small green olives arranged like traffic cones around the peppers. salami, chorizo and serrano ham stuck tight to the plate like it was sitting in the fridge until served. Thin wedges of manchego. Serve the olives and peppers in a small bowl on the plate as a tapenade, add some herbs to the oil. Serve the cheese in cubes or thick slices so you can bite into and savor the cheese. Slice the sausage at service -- or at least put them on the dish at service. -- Sangria -- Give me a nice slice or wedge of orange and lemon or two on the edge of the glass to squeeze into the drink so there's some depth and fresh complexity in the sangria. Prices aren't bad -- if the quality is improved. And a sangria for less than $7, in a cool mason jar, no less, is a good deal. I think there are some great potentials here. Especially when they start serving paella, for example. And with some attention to the details, I think this place could excel. I wish them success with their experimentation before the grand opening... I look forward to returning and hopefully adding a couple of stars to my review.
(2)M W.
We've been here a number of times (like, multiple times in a week, even!) and the food is always on point and flavorful. The menu includes a good variety of items--there really is something for everyone. I personally love their Taco Tuesdays, when the tacos are $1 each. YUM. The drink special on Wednesdays is $5 sangria, which is also very tasty. Service is great and prompt. The atmostphere here is cozy and eclectic, with a nice patio area for warm evenings. Go and enjoy!
(5)Jennifer D.
We walked into a cacophony of noise, and the restaurant wasn't even half full. This acoustic nightmare made it difficult to hear my dinner date. The tapas pace is more consistent with a long dining experience... E.g we arrived at 7:30p and finished our meal close to 10p. The cold tapas meat combination platter was very good and was served with delicious olives. The spinach salad with fruit left something to be desired. There was a significant amount of dressing and the fruit seemed as though it came out of a can. The goat cheese as well as the scallops hot tapas plates had a lot of flavor, and we would happily order this again. The dates had a nice drizzle of honey, but was lacking something... Maybe some blue cheese or chorizo stuffing? This one fell flat. The cafe latte leaned towards Spanish style coffee, which I enjoyed... The dessert, not so much. My instincts had me thinking it was time to head to Graham's for some bitter dark chocolate chip ice cream, but decided to stick it out and try the pistachio cake as well as the chocolate granache fritters. The cake was dry - and much improved when I spooned some coffee over it. The fritters were very inconsistent... One super bitter, the next OK, and finally one great one. Overall, we will try again in a few months and definitely enjoyed our dinner more than the awful Fat Rosie predecessor.
(3)Jen K.
I went out to dinner here on Friday night with a couple of people. We sat by the window. The place has a great look to it. The tables are rustic and the art is bright. We ordered a pitcher of red sangria. It was not too sweet, which I personally love. Between the 3 of us, we had 6 items. The paella is seafood paella is delicious. Don't let anyone fool you. The portion is said to be for 2, but it's more like it could feed 4 people alone, or 6 people if you order other items. The bacon wrapped dates, empanadas and garlic mushrooms were very very good. I did not like the tomato sauce with manchego cheese. It was like dipping bread into tomato soup. I also wasn't a big fan of the beef skewers. Not to say they weren't good, but they just weren't anything special. The waitstaff was very nice and quick. I would recommend for a date night spot.
(4)T T.
Good Tapas food. We had five dishes and all we very good. Service was prompt and efficient. I have just one complaint and this it is very noisy, there are no soft surfaces to deaden sound of music and patrons talking. I did mention this to the owner Juan. He said they are working on a solution to the noise problem. Juan is a very nice guy and my wife and I will be back soon. The decor is very warm and inviting and once they fix the noise level it will be perfect. Also plate entrees should be be an even number, five pieces for two people is not balanced. It should be even number so two people can enjoy an equal quantity of each entree.
(4)Abby T.
Great surprise. We're self confessed food snobs. Not sure walking in given it's in a small little strip mall. Decor was beautiful. Service is excellent, helpful waitress and hostess. Food came out very fast. BLT is amazing - must have dish with pork belly. Bacon wrapped scallops were prepared perfectly which is hard to do. Bacon was crispy and scallop was not overcooked. Great sangria as well - we had the mango. Fruity and refreshing - perfect for hot summer nights. Definitely will visit again. Not driving an hour to Meson Sabika, Cafe Iberco, or Cafe Ba Ba Reeba anymore for good tapas! Who would have guessed St. Charles would have such a gem.
(5)Joseph B.
First time here. Open about 3 weeks and this is just what west side of St charles needs. Came on Fri nite with coworkers. Sangria, mixed drinks and tapas all excellent. Host Alex really took care of us and staff very attentive. No glasses went dry and food was great.
(5)Kyle K.
Writing this review as I sit at the table and one quarter of the table has their foodans the other 3/4 have been waiting 15 minutes. Food is ok, service is pathetic.
(2)Kenneth C.
We had a great time. We ate on their covered patio, which had a great breeze which made it seem cool even on an 84 degree day. We had Patatas Alioli (garlic potato salad) which was very tasty not as garlic as we have had at other tapas restaurants. Aceitunas Marinadas (marinated olives) were great and had marinated pickles and peppers included. Pinchos de Solomillo (beef skewers) were flavored to perfection, the highlight of our meal. We also had the De Cochino (pork tacos) which were toped with fresh pineapple and onion making it one of my favorites. The flan was just average and the red sangria would have been better if it was served with sliced fresh fruit in the glass like at other tapas restaurants. We are definitely looking forward to visiting again to try some of their other dishes.
(4)Wisa F.
Went for an early dinner tonight. Arrived at the restaurant at 4:30pm. There were 2 other tables seated. We were given the option to sit wherever we wanted to. We chose a table near the window. Service was great. Our server was fast, friendly, and attentive. We ordered the Patatas Aioli, Champiñones al Ajillo, Pinchos de Solomillo, Croquetas de Queso de Cabra, and Gambas al Ajillo. Delicious and garlic-y. My husband and I can still taste the garlic on our breaths. We used a Groupon, and there were no issues with that at all. The food was good, but pricey compared to other tapas restaurants I've been to.
(4)Matthew H.
I'm a local and really wanted to like this place. The quick summary is mixed food (some really bad, some really good) combined with bad service equals a place I will not be going to again. We came at 6 and it was not crowded by any stretch. We waited 10 minutes before anyone even asked for our drink order and all we wanted was water (at the time). It then took another 8 minutes just to have the server ask again and when we repeated, he grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator 10ft away and put it on the table. The food was mixed at best. Be careful if you order the mushrooms as they are coated in red pepper. I like very spicy food but this was a complete pallet killer. The pork tacos were also so dry they truly tasted like jerky and should have never been served. On the positive side, the empanadas, goat cheese fritters, and kid's pizza were good. I will not be back based on our service and the very mixed food we received.
(2)Mary P.
Best tapas EVER!!! Went on a date night and enjoyed the food so much. It was fresh and simple and reminded us of Spain! We had the Combinado appetizer. It was the best combination of all the appetizers! For dinner, we ordered the Empanadillas, Datilles con Toscino and Contampalitos. Everything was amazing! The waiters and staff were very attentive and super friendly. They were very knowledgeable of the food and wines. They offered us samples of 3 different wines before we ordered our bottle. We chose the Flavium! Delishhhhh We will definitely be back. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(5)Fred C.
The food was great I love the shrimp tacos the tapas are phenomenal. One of the owners took care of us food is fresh and perfect
(5)Gin S.
We stopped in with friends on a Friday night, around 6:30. There were plenty of open tables and our party of 5 was seated right away. The red & white sangria tasted like table wine with two or three pieces of apple and orange, and my husband's $11 margarita was weak. We each ordered a plate around $10-$12 and planned to share. All but one dish came out promptly, but the potions were incredibly small barely enough for each of us to have a bite. I know tapas is small plates" but for what they charged the servings were too small. Fifteen minutes after we had finished the last order finally arrived at the table. The food tasted good but $90 later we left hungry, and ordered a pizza at the place next door.
(2)c g.
Very bland. Nice service, prompt attention. Nice manager. But the food was bland. First tapas place that I have found bland food. We pre ordered paella to save some time. It was prompt but bland. Potatoe salad no better than what I get at The Jewel. Octopus, eh. Maybe the regular cook is on vacation but this place had a chance, we won't be back.
(2)Melissa S.
We had tried two dish and the Beef Bikini Sliders were terrific. We also had the mango sangria and it was delicious. We did go in on a Friday and the music and noise was very loud. They had music and a dancer but it was so loud we didn't enjoy it. Even without the music it is very noisy. The space needs some pictures on the wall to absorb some of the noise. We will go back but sit outside.
(4)Nendaz S.
Uninventive selection of tacos that are quite blend. Very average food...
(3)Tim L.
Went on a Saturday night, got there a little after 8 PM. The restaurant was only half full but very loud. We were seated right away. It took about 10 minutes for our waiter to get to us, and we thought about leaving. Ordered bacon wrapped scallops which were good. 5 scallops for $13. We also had the cold salmon which was way over dressed, and I could barely taste the salmon. Scallops came out after about 15 minutes. Salmon came out about 20 minutes later., after we asked about the dish. We had water and two dishes. $30 plus tip. Very small portions, which were priced way to high for such small portions. I think they are on the right track, but have to work on: 1) better prices to tapas, 2) slightly larger portions, and 3) faster service.
(3)Scott T.
This place is great! Extremely knowledgable and friendly staff and every dish we had was amazing. We had 4 or 5 items off the tapas menu and 2 different types of tacos; the shredded chicken and the pork. If I had to choose between the 2, and I wouldn't choose just get both, the pork with the pineapple on top is just delicious. We will definitely go back no question about it.
(5)Jeff S.
We first found their location in Naperville and loved it. We love they have a St. Charles location! This is the only Tapas restaurant that has it all. Fantastic food, extremely friendly/professional staff and a great atmosphere! We have eaten there about 10 times since they opened and have always had a great experience. This is the only place for Tapas
(5)Paula C.
We used yelp to locate an upbeat restaurant with solid food in St Charles before attending a concert at the Arcada theater. We pre-ordered the paella prior to our arrival. We were greeted by a friendly hostess. Carmen was our pleasant server. Downside, restaurant temperature very cold but but the food was the most bland we'd ever been served, even after asking for hot sauce on the side. The "paella" was in a flavorless red sauce and not the traditional yellow saffron, the grilled octopus and garlic potato dishes were also bland, but the chicken tacos were so dry and flavorless - worst offender. When I told Carmen Carmen at th end our disappointment, she seemed so surprised. No manager stopped by. This is why I'd never return and why decent suburban tapas is non existent.
(2)S L.
Pricey but delicious. Love that they list which items are vegetarian/vegan/gluten free. In addition to tapas they also offer a few varieties of tacos (four per order for $9.99) for those who either don't want to share or want a more budget-friendly option.
(4)Patrick O.
I can't get enough of this place. They haven't been overly busy anytime we've gone, so get here before they do. Suggestions: goat cheese croquettes, bacon wrapped scallops, patatas bravas, and many more.
(5)Deb J.
The food here was very good, especially the Croquetas de Pollo, but really everything we had tasted great. The reason for my 3 stars is more about the price and the service. The prices here are very high and it quickly adds up with a pitcher of sangria and some tapas, we didn't even have the paella. Also, we couldn't use a credit card and had to pay cash. They said the internet was down, but really, couldn't you use an old-fashioned credit card machine. Lucky we had the $100 cash it required, but seemed odd we had to do that. We'll probably drive to Naperville Mason Sabika if we are craving tapas.
(3)Terrell B.
We had dinner last night and we really enjoyed it. The service was great, food was awesome and the sangria was tasty. We had the bacon wrapped scallops, empanadillas, beef skewers, garlic mushrooms, and the fried goat cheese balls. Everything was very good. I see a lot of people complaining about the prices but they are on par. The only downfall was the loud music with the blown speaker which was turned down immediately after we pointed it out. All around a great experience and we will be back.
(5)M f.
Never again. Awful place to eat since they have no customer service and show no respect if you're a small family of three. The bigger the group and they seat you towards the front. If you're a group of two or a odd three you're next to the kitchen doors being pushed by servers as they rush out to get food out to tables at the front of the restaurant. Never again. Such bad bad customer service and an I dont care attitude to a return guest. Good to know. You won't get my business and I will let everyone know what bad service you give.
(1)Eric S.
Tonight my wife and I paid our first of what will hopefully be many visits. Good food and great service. Our server Rene was fantastic and attentive and made some good recommendations. Just a genuinely nice guy and probably one of the best servers we have ever had! We tried the goat cheese fritters, chicken fritters, potatoes brava, dates and pork belly BLT. All were good but the one that stood out above them all was the potatoes brava. Not just the normal fried wedges of potatoes with the side of aioli like a lot of tapas restaurants. These came out with a spicy tomato broth, cheese and a chipotle aioli drizzled over the top. It sounds simple but it was extremely flavorful. Awesome ambiance too! Especially for date night which is exactly why we went!
(4)Tamara C.
My husband and I wanted paella, and found out that our town has a new restaurant that served paella. We hadn't had any since we visited Seattle last year. The place was great, in a great location. We sat in a pretty dark area in the restaurant, and couldn't really see the menu, we had to use our cell phones for light. Nevertheless, just before we left home to got to the restaurant, which is about 10 minutes away, we saw that there was a Groupon offer. I called the restaurant to see if we could get the paella with the Groupon offer, and was told that we could. It was also recommended that we pre-order the paella because it takes 1 hour to prepare. So, we waited about 45 minutes before leaving home, and when we got to the restaurant, our paella arrived at our table just after we had our first tapas dish. What awesome timing. Our waiter (his last name is Perez) was excellent. He gave us suggestions, and and gave us some recommendations for ordering for our next visit. This particular location has had many restaurants over the years that haven't lasted long, I really hope this one lasts a long time. We will definitely visit again, and will tell our friends and neighbors. Next time, we will sit in an area that has better lighting so that we can see our food and the menu better. One more thing, the restaurant is very very loud, so don't expect a quiet romantic dinner. Even though it was loud, the atmosphere was still welcoming. The paella wasn't as good as the one we had in Seattle, but it was decent.
(4)Freddy O.
Horrible service. We came on tuesday for $1 tacos. Made a 6:30 pm reservation for 4 people. Had to wait 15 minutes until being seated, even though there were plenty of tables open. Then once seated waited over 15 minutes before even being acknowledged. FINALLY once our server came we were told $1 tacos are only chicken, steak and fish, even though they advertise it for all tacos. Also you can only order the same kind of tacos. Totally false advertisement. Then after waiting more than 30 minutes we finally had to find the host due to the fact our waiter seemed like he was the only one taking care of all the tables, and told her cancel our order we were leaving. I also noticed several other tables waiting a long time to be acknowledged as well. At 7:00pm a couple that was seated near us were told "sorry we are all out of tacos." Needless to say that couple left as well. They definitely need more workers and proper advertisement. We will not be coming back.
(1)Caron C.
Well, I have to agree with the other two negative comments as our experience was very similar. Although my husband did like the sangria, I think it was a bit overpriced at $8 for lots of ice and cheap red wine with a few small pieces of fruit thrown in. But, the food ... The bartender was our server and not very attentive. We had three things, the garlic mushrooms. Not bad, but something more like what you might get as a side to a steak. Just mushrooms in a little bowl. Then the steak (tenderloin? Not so sure) skewers. Very dry, over cooked and chewy. $13 for three, each had 4 little bites. Then the aged sausages with potatoes, onion and pepper. Very greasy, the sausages were okay. I thought it was the best of the three, but hubby who is not so discriminating called them cocktail weenies, lol The third dish took forever, we had to ask twice where our food was, and when they finally brought it, one by one runners brought out duplicates to the other two dishes we had already been served and had finished. They clearly do not have their act together. Still not sure why the restaurant that was there closed ( Fat Rosie's) but it was much better than this. This place is not awful, really, just not inventive or worth the money. Sad to say... Anyway, if you are in the mood for tapas, check out Bien Trucha in Geneva, after over 350 reviews, they are still well over 4stars, and well deserved!
(2)Brian V.
My wife and I picked up a groupon a few months back and finally got around to using it. Wish we would have used it sooner. The food was delicious (we had 4 different tapas dishes), the server was prompt, courteous and kept our drinks filled at all times. We will be returning frequently. Great find!
(5)Lindsay B.
We went to Macarena Tapas on a Saturday night with a Groupon, and it was an interesting experience for sure. When we arrived we felt very awkward because the restaurant was almost empty on a Saturday night :( There were several tables outside, and only three seated inside which made us a bit nervous. Luckily, nothing went wrong the entire evening. Our server was very friendly, speedy, and did a nice job. He was still friendly even after we showed our Groupon, which is always a plus for me. We ordered three tapas items- the dates, crab cakes, and goat cheese warm items. This was plenty for us to be full, but not too full. I did notice that all of the plates were fairly small, and still quite expensive. I've found this to be true at many shared plate restaurants though, so I wasn't upset by it. All three of the dishes were good- not fantastic- but definitely tasty. We also ordered two desserts- the flan (which I never like, but my husband loves), and their version of Creme Brulee. We really liked both desserts. Overall, our experience here was good. There weren't a lot of things that make me want to rush back, but certainly nothing that would keep me from coming here again.
(3)Marita O.
Food was outstanding..goat cheese coquettes, bacon wrapped scallops, beef empanadas. Great atmosphere, knowledgeable staff...we really enjoyed ourselves and will go back
(5)Eric N.
Food is good, but not what I'd call traditional tapas. I do recommend brunch and it's a great place for large groups.
(4)David H.
We were on the patio last night ordered 3 dishes and informed the waiter we would be ordering more. I'm all for a slow paced dinner but the first two cold plates came right away and were good but Our waiter never checked in with us till 45 min later and still no dates with bacon ordered as the third dish. 10 more min later they finally came but the bacon was totally in edible/not cooked. Several tables started moving indoors. At first thought it was Mosquitos but started wondering if it was the service. Saw one couple walk out after not being waited on and either the hostess or manager seemed to take over and we asked for check. Then drove to the turf room for some light appetizers, drinks and dessert and recovered the evening. All money they could have had if more attentive.
(1)Geno C.
Liked the sangria and the service, but the food was bad...the BLT tasted like shoe leather & fat marinated in campfire smoke. And the seafood paella tasted like it had been steamed for days; all the flavor and moisture had left the dish by the time it came to our table....hope the kitchen can turn it around for our waiter's sake.
(1)Patty B.
Not great. Food was mediocre. Sat at the bar for several minutes before greeted (and we were the only ones at the bar) . Sliders were way over cooked and salty. Grilled octopus was not grilled, defrosted and put on a plate of greasy potatoes and peppers. On a good note, after we ordered our food was served very quickly. I wish them all the best but don't see the place lasting. Bring back Fat Rosie's!
(2)Jay j.
This location is cursed. Another poorly executed restaurant. There are many problems with the menu and service. Here would be my recommendations to improve the experience. First, the tables against the walls can only seat 4 people comfortably. Not 6, never 6!!! The fact that you sat our party of 4 at this table with 6 chairs made us feel extremely cramped. So basically, the table sucks when you sit 4 people there because of the two extra chairs limiting the space for people to spread out, forcing the 4 people to be on top of each other, and the table would suck if you sat 6 people there because they'd be way too cramped; guaranteeing a negative experience for which ever size party you sit at those tables. Our girls both weigh less than 120 lbs and the dudes are dapper too, this wasn't some intimate Mediterranean seating issue complaint, nope it was just poor management trying to squeeze some extra seats into the joint for no reason. There is definitely not a line going around the corner to get into this place. The food was decent, however each dish left us feeling as if we were being punked. I get the whole tapas thing, small plates, try some variety etc... However, I don't get how paying $9 for 8 asparagus in balsamic vinegar is a good time. Seriously, by the end of the night none of our pee smelled like we had asparagus. The 4 tiny empanadas were decent, however they half fill a tiny ramekin with the sauce that goes with the dish. Seriously, they gave us less than the size of one ketchup packet of the cilantro garlic aioli for the four of us. Anyway, despite the fact that the food was decent, dish after dish kept on making us feel stupid. Teeny tiny portions for the price. Morton's steakhouse charges less for their asparagus, plus they give you about 3 times the amount. Hahaha, but the funny thing is that this restaurant is going to have trouble making money despite selling 8 asparagus for $9.
(1)Sarah V.
The food was wonderful, the service was awesome, and even our two year old had a good time. We would highly recommend this restaurant and plan to go back soon.
(5)Warren W.
Food was quite good BUT very expensive. Wait staff was indifferent. Ordered Pyea and was told 20min wait. After 20min asked status and was told min 40min wait -- complained and was told min 1hr 20min. Complained again and was told would be given a gift card --- NOT! Never honored. Chef is very good, but management is TERRIBLE. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY - GO ELSEWHERE.
(1)Jodi J.
We had a marvelous meal! We have been to many excellent tapas restaurants before but this one has a warm welcoming feel that the others were missing! The food was outstanding particularly the beef tostada and roasted asparagus! We will be back, with friends.
(4)C L.
Food was wonderful but Service could have been a little better. Restaurants in this location are notorious for not thriving very long, so I hope they do well.
(4)Kylie R.
Our dinner was thoroughly disappointing. We ordered the goat cheese fritters, breaded cod tacos, and steak tacos. I thought maybe we'd order more but I'm so glad we didn't. The goat cheese fritters were pretty good but the tacos were so disappointing. The fish tacos were definitely made with frozen pre-battered fish, came with no avocado(despite being in the description), and had no flavor other then the strange sweet and sour tasting sauce in the coleslaw. The steak tacos had zero flavor and were so dry I could barely manage eating one taco. The salsa that came with the steak tacos was very clearly from a can or jar and didn't taste good. After that we were very done with this place but still hungry. Our server never asked us how our tacos were. I think he knew they weren't very good. We didn't complain or have an attitude, what good would that do? I regret ignoring the multiple poor ratings I saw because it looked like a nicer place with fresh ingredients. I honestly could have made a much fresher tastier meal at home for a quarter of the price. I want to go to Bein Trucha in Geneva and apologize for ever thinking another Mexican tapas restaurant could complete with them. I just wanted some fresh authentic delicious tacos and that is NOT what they serve. We won't be returning.
(1)Jan H.
My husband, son and I had an exceptional dinner at Mararena St Charles on Friday, May 17th! It's a beautiful, elegant restaurant with wonderful food and attentive service. We each choose a variety of tapas that we wanted to taste and share. It was a delicious and fun dining experience for all!
(5)Judy R.
WOW! This place is incredible! First, the food has to be to die for, and it meets this world traveler's ideals- great flavor combos, presentation etc. check! Second the service exceeds expectations (which are high) and our waiter was even able to describe in detail all the menu items we asked about and then some, and leave the right amount of time between tapas orders to enjoy the previous order. Check. Third the ambiance. Real attention to detail - again, exceeding expectations- loved the intimate atmosphere. Check. We (group of 5 - 20yrs to 75- 3 generations of family) particularly liked the bruschetta steak, the bacon wrapped dates, the crab cakes, the bacon scallops the apple tart - a lot of favs, but more to try next time! We'll be back again and again, and looking forward to spring when they open up the outdoor eating covered patio!
(5)Thomas L.
The worst dining experience I have had in a long time. Apparently, they were offering $1 dollar tacos today - although it seems they were only actually honoring this price for friends and family of the waitstaff. If you weren't a friend or family you waited for hours. It took 30 minutes to get our drinks - 20 minutes to get our first tapa ( a cheese and cold cut plate - which was missing the cheese) and 20 minutes more for water. Then, we were told that they were out of tacos ( even though we were willing to pay full price) - however the tacos continued to be delivered to several tables. The tapas when they ultimately arrived were good - not spectacular. However, since we were still hungry 3 hours into the meal we got our check and crossed the street to the Kabob restaurant where the food was better and much quicker. There are too many good tapas restaurants around to bother with this fiasco. Save yourself the aggravation.
(1)Danielle C.
My boyfriend and I decided to try this place in spite of the mixed reviews. We love tapas and haven't found a great place near us-until we came here. We were initially nervous to the fact it was dead when we arrived at 6:30 for dinner. (It was a Thursday so maybe that's the reason, we didn't end up leaving until almost 9) We ordered the red sangria (YUM!), the meat & cheese tray, goat cheese frittatas (amazing, HAVE to get!), the empananillas (so good), the petite sausage w/ potatoes and onions, and the scallops. All were amazing and the timing of the delivery of all the food was perfect. After that we ordered a bottle of Malbec (delicious) and the cookie ice cream dessert. The waiter (Jordan) was so polite and pleasant. He provided fantastic service. I did not have any issues with loud noise or music or the staff. I would highly recommend you try this place. We will definitely be repeat patrons.
(5)Ellin S.
Excellent food, drinks and service! I highly recommend this restaurant!
(5)Catherine M.
We stopped by for dinner on Tuesday night. First time and last time there. We were the only one in the restaurant, the décor was depressing. The food was cold, and overpriced . The charcuterie plate was dry and very unattractive. The server was very nice but the staff around her was unprofessional ( bar tender and manager). The only good thing was the wine! On top of all the bad experience, the bill was extremely high. Getting out of the restaurant we went to another restaurant in the same area to eat a dessert , we needed to relax after that bad experience. A place to avoid.
(1)GrammaCindy L.
Really good Tapas! Original and good portions for Tapas. Very nice owner and great service. Very nice ambience. Be sure to try it!
(5)Timothy B.
A great date place. The staff were friendly and the young-ish bartender even knew his liquor. After reading earlier reviews I was a bit nervous about the food and the price. After eating there, Macarena is on my short list of place to go for fun. The food was great, the service as great, and the atmosphere was fun. I'd def. go back with a group of friends. I do think the prices are a touch high but isn't that true everywhere? It's nice to have a quality tapas joint along Randall road.
(4)heather s.
We are still waiting for our check as I write this. The food is good, not spectacular but as far as service. Ugh. One girl just wandered around while 2 servers covered 7 tables including 2 groups of 10. Our waiter was fine but food was slow. Garlic potato salad should come out ASAP. Sangria was great. Plan on spending time waiting .
(3)Monica D.
great place great food/atmosphere everything was deliciouse
(5)Mike H.
We were walk ins at 5PM on a Saturday. We like to try the new restaurants in the area. We were the second couple in the place, since it was early. We got off to a strange start as the menu posted import beers and domestic beer pricing but there were no domestics on the menu. When the waitress was asked she came back with the answer that there were no domestics. OK, I ordered a Carlsberg and an over priced glass of Chardonnay for my wife. VERY limited wine/beer listing. I ordered the pork tenderloins and garlic potato salad and my wife ordered the crab cakes. Crab cakes were outstanding! Pork, not so much. Dry. Potato salad did not come and after a considerable time I called over our server and it showed up twice! Sometimes the server brought items and sometimes other people brought them. They seemed very unorganized. Table next to us also had delivery problems. By now the place was mostly filled. Potato salad was good. Our server seemed to disappear. When she arrived back, my wife ordered dessert. They came back much later with a different dessert and asked her if she would want it since they were out of her choice(at 6:30 on a Saturday night). She ordered another. Would like to comment on it it but it never came!! We left. Found out that the Carlsberg beer was priced as a domestic.
(2)Lindsay B.
We went to Macarena Tapas on a Saturday night with a Groupon, and it was an interesting experience for sure. When we arrived we felt very awkward because the restaurant was almost empty on a Saturday night :( There were several tables outside, and only three seated inside which made us a bit nervous. Luckily, nothing went wrong the entire evening. Our server was very friendly, speedy, and did a nice job. He was still friendly even after we showed our Groupon, which is always a plus for me. We ordered three tapas items- the dates, crab cakes, and goat cheese warm items. This was plenty for us to be full, but not too full. I did notice that all of the plates were fairly small, and still quite expensive. I've found this to be true at many shared plate restaurants though, so I wasn't upset by it. All three of the dishes were good- not fantastic- but definitely tasty. We also ordered two desserts- the flan (which I never like, but my husband loves), and their version of Creme Brulee. We really liked both desserts. Overall, our experience here was good. There weren't a lot of things that make me want to rush back, but certainly nothing that would keep me from coming here again.
(3)Marita O.
Food was outstanding..goat cheese coquettes, bacon wrapped scallops, beef empanadas. Great atmosphere, knowledgeable staff...we really enjoyed ourselves and will go back
(5)Eric N.
Food is good, but not what I'd call traditional tapas. I do recommend brunch and it's a great place for large groups.
(4)David H.
We were on the patio last night ordered 3 dishes and informed the waiter we would be ordering more. I'm all for a slow paced dinner but the first two cold plates came right away and were good but Our waiter never checked in with us till 45 min later and still no dates with bacon ordered as the third dish. 10 more min later they finally came but the bacon was totally in edible/not cooked. Several tables started moving indoors. At first thought it was Mosquitos but started wondering if it was the service. Saw one couple walk out after not being waited on and either the hostess or manager seemed to take over and we asked for check. Then drove to the turf room for some light appetizers, drinks and dessert and recovered the evening. All money they could have had if more attentive.
(1)Jeff S.
We first found their location in Naperville and loved it. We love they have a St. Charles location! This is the only Tapas restaurant that has it all. Fantastic food, extremely friendly/professional staff and a great atmosphere! We have eaten there about 10 times since they opened and have always had a great experience. This is the only place for Tapas
(5)Paula C.
We used yelp to locate an upbeat restaurant with solid food in St Charles before attending a concert at the Arcada theater. We pre-ordered the paella prior to our arrival. We were greeted by a friendly hostess. Carmen was our pleasant server. Downside, restaurant temperature very cold but but the food was the most bland we'd ever been served, even after asking for hot sauce on the side. The "paella" was in a flavorless red sauce and not the traditional yellow saffron, the grilled octopus and garlic potato dishes were also bland, but the chicken tacos were so dry and flavorless - worst offender. When I told Carmen Carmen at th end our disappointment, she seemed so surprised. No manager stopped by. This is why I'd never return and why decent suburban tapas is non existent.
(2)S L.
Pricey but delicious. Love that they list which items are vegetarian/vegan/gluten free. In addition to tapas they also offer a few varieties of tacos (four per order for $9.99) for those who either don't want to share or want a more budget-friendly option.
(4)Patrick O.
I can't get enough of this place. They haven't been overly busy anytime we've gone, so get here before they do. Suggestions: goat cheese croquettes, bacon wrapped scallops, patatas bravas, and many more.
(5)Deb J.
The food here was very good, especially the Croquetas de Pollo, but really everything we had tasted great. The reason for my 3 stars is more about the price and the service. The prices here are very high and it quickly adds up with a pitcher of sangria and some tapas, we didn't even have the paella. Also, we couldn't use a credit card and had to pay cash. They said the internet was down, but really, couldn't you use an old-fashioned credit card machine. Lucky we had the $100 cash it required, but seemed odd we had to do that. We'll probably drive to Naperville Mason Sabika if we are craving tapas.
(3)Terrell B.
We had dinner last night and we really enjoyed it. The service was great, food was awesome and the sangria was tasty. We had the bacon wrapped scallops, empanadillas, beef skewers, garlic mushrooms, and the fried goat cheese balls. Everything was very good. I see a lot of people complaining about the prices but they are on par. The only downfall was the loud music with the blown speaker which was turned down immediately after we pointed it out. All around a great experience and we will be back.
(5)Sarah S.
Had the bacon wrapped scallops as recommended by our server... not good. Too fishy and chewy. Also had some sort of beef on a stick which was okay. Had some fried goat cheese on a piece of toast which was soggy. The sangria, however, was really good! Overall, this place is too expensive for the quality of the food served.
(2)Larry J.
Visited today at 5:30. Three tables with customers and we discovered why. Prices were steep. We ordered one of the sliders. Very dry and did not match the menu. We also ordered a bean soup that was good but over priced. We will not return.
(1)Jay j.
This location is cursed. Another poorly executed restaurant. There are many problems with the menu and service. Here would be my recommendations to improve the experience. First, the tables against the walls can only seat 4 people comfortably. Not 6, never 6!!! The fact that you sat our party of 4 at this table with 6 chairs made us feel extremely cramped. So basically, the table sucks when you sit 4 people there because of the two extra chairs limiting the space for people to spread out, forcing the 4 people to be on top of each other, and the table would suck if you sat 6 people there because they'd be way too cramped; guaranteeing a negative experience for which ever size party you sit at those tables. Our girls both weigh less than 120 lbs and the dudes are dapper too, this wasn't some intimate Mediterranean seating issue complaint, nope it was just poor management trying to squeeze some extra seats into the joint for no reason. There is definitely not a line going around the corner to get into this place. The food was decent, however each dish left us feeling as if we were being punked. I get the whole tapas thing, small plates, try some variety etc... However, I don't get how paying $9 for 8 asparagus in balsamic vinegar is a good time. Seriously, by the end of the night none of our pee smelled like we had asparagus. The 4 tiny empanadas were decent, however they half fill a tiny ramekin with the sauce that goes with the dish. Seriously, they gave us less than the size of one ketchup packet of the cilantro garlic aioli for the four of us. Anyway, despite the fact that the food was decent, dish after dish kept on making us feel stupid. Teeny tiny portions for the price. Morton's steakhouse charges less for their asparagus, plus they give you about 3 times the amount. Hahaha, but the funny thing is that this restaurant is going to have trouble making money despite selling 8 asparagus for $9.
(1)Sarah V.
The food was wonderful, the service was awesome, and even our two year old had a good time. We would highly recommend this restaurant and plan to go back soon.
(5)Warren W.
Food was quite good BUT very expensive. Wait staff was indifferent. Ordered Pyea and was told 20min wait. After 20min asked status and was told min 40min wait -- complained and was told min 1hr 20min. Complained again and was told would be given a gift card --- NOT! Never honored. Chef is very good, but management is TERRIBLE. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY - GO ELSEWHERE.
(1)Sunshine V.
Our party of ten was well taken care of. We received impeccable customer service, they catered to my daughter who is a picky eater. Our order consisted of Gambas al ajillo which were perfectly cooked, Bolitas de Qeso,platanos maduro and croqueta de pollo, beef empanadillas and pinchos de ternera. I cannot tell you how great every dish tasted. The food was worth it, and the prices are reasonable. Taste it all or come a few times and take advantage of the greatness. Mmmmmm... I cant wait to come back for drinks. Enjoy.
(5)Nick D.
We stopped in for dinner when my mother in law was in town. The food was very good and the staff was very friendly. We especially liked the garlic potato salad, smoked salmon and shrimp in garlic and oil. We will definitely come back and would recommend to anyone that enjoys tapas.
(4)Steve G.
The waiter shared that the reason there are no entrees on the menu in St. Charles like the other restaurant in Naperville is because they are only in the middle of their "soft opening". I think the place has been opened for about two months at this point, so something is under review, right? Let's hope it's the details of this place. Specifically the details of the food presentation. We were in on a Thursday, so perhaps the chef is off that night. But it looked like several other people were in the house, probably owners, so that would seem unlikely. The details I think they got wrong - all correctable, of course... -- The goat cheese on toast... The goat cheese croquette was fine, but not house made. The sauce was overcooked and presented as a kind of tomato-ey paste on the goat cheese. The "garlicky toast" had black burn grill marks on it, but it was not toast. It was soft as fresh bread. Make this into a true fresh bruschetta with a fresh pico di gallo tomato salsa topping a goat cheese croquette served on a real toasted slice of artisan bread. -- Wagyu sliders... tiny frozen wagyu patties? On a tiny pretzel roll? This could be so much better if it was fresh ground wagyu or even sirloin and served on a tasty house made brioche roll. -- Charcuterie... Lump of cold roasted red peppers piled in the middle on top of the serrano. plain pitted small green olives arranged like traffic cones around the peppers. salami, chorizo and serrano ham stuck tight to the plate like it was sitting in the fridge until served. Thin wedges of manchego. Serve the olives and peppers in a small bowl on the plate as a tapenade, add some herbs to the oil. Serve the cheese in cubes or thick slices so you can bite into and savor the cheese. Slice the sausage at service -- or at least put them on the dish at service. -- Sangria -- Give me a nice slice or wedge of orange and lemon or two on the edge of the glass to squeeze into the drink so there's some depth and fresh complexity in the sangria. Prices aren't bad -- if the quality is improved. And a sangria for less than $7, in a cool mason jar, no less, is a good deal. I think there are some great potentials here. Especially when they start serving paella, for example. And with some attention to the details, I think this place could excel. I wish them success with their experimentation before the grand opening... I look forward to returning and hopefully adding a couple of stars to my review.
(2)M f.
Never again. Awful place to eat since they have no customer service and show no respect if you're a small family of three. The bigger the group and they seat you towards the front. If you're a group of two or a odd three you're next to the kitchen doors being pushed by servers as they rush out to get food out to tables at the front of the restaurant. Never again. Such bad bad customer service and an I dont care attitude to a return guest. Good to know. You won't get my business and I will let everyone know what bad service you give.
(1)Eric S.
Tonight my wife and I paid our first of what will hopefully be many visits. Good food and great service. Our server Rene was fantastic and attentive and made some good recommendations. Just a genuinely nice guy and probably one of the best servers we have ever had! We tried the goat cheese fritters, chicken fritters, potatoes brava, dates and pork belly BLT. All were good but the one that stood out above them all was the potatoes brava. Not just the normal fried wedges of potatoes with the side of aioli like a lot of tapas restaurants. These came out with a spicy tomato broth, cheese and a chipotle aioli drizzled over the top. It sounds simple but it was extremely flavorful. Awesome ambiance too! Especially for date night which is exactly why we went!
(4)M W.
We've been here a number of times (like, multiple times in a week, even!) and the food is always on point and flavorful. The menu includes a good variety of items--there really is something for everyone. I personally love their Taco Tuesdays, when the tacos are $1 each. YUM. The drink special on Wednesdays is $5 sangria, which is also very tasty. Service is great and prompt. The atmostphere here is cozy and eclectic, with a nice patio area for warm evenings. Go and enjoy!
(5)Joseph B.
First time here. Open about 3 weeks and this is just what west side of St charles needs. Came on Fri nite with coworkers. Sangria, mixed drinks and tapas all excellent. Host Alex really took care of us and staff very attentive. No glasses went dry and food was great.
(5)Kyle K.
Writing this review as I sit at the table and one quarter of the table has their foodans the other 3/4 have been waiting 15 minutes. Food is ok, service is pathetic.
(2)Brian P.
Service was poor, food was even worse. I would rather go to On the Border. Yeah that bad, I know. I ordered de pescado tacos, they should have been called palo de pescado. I kid you know the "fish" tacos were literally fish sticks with some sweet and sour sauce on top. Absolutely awful. Then we got the steak tacos. They were full of gristle and fat I couldn't even finish them. Seriously what is this. Now I know I'm not the only one here because the couple sitting near us were complaining as well. This place sucks and I'm sorry whoever wastes their time and money here. It was so bad I specifically made a yelp just to warn people Not to waste their time and money on this sad excuse for an establishment.
(1)Anthony S.
Very nice decor that allows people to write on the walls. The food was very tasty I had the crab cakes with a hint of cole topping, I also had asparagus which were the best I ever had and the spicy potatoes (add chicken)are to die for. Overall great experience I can't wait to come back.
(4)Dee S.
5:45pm - Arrive at Macarena's without reservation for three. After the "host" huffed and puffed, he told us that there would be a 5-10 minute wait. Fine. 6:00pm - Seated at a booth near the bar, where we sat for a good 15 minutes until someone finally came to our table and asked what we would like to drink. Cool, we placed our order. 10 minutes later we receive our drinks. My Pepsi wasn't the best, my boyfriend's lemonade was watered down, and my friends strawberry lemonade was "OK." 6:43pm - Waiter comes to our booth and asked us what we would like to order. I was so excited to the point where I wanted every taco they had because it was my first time here. Until he told us, "The dollar tacos are $4 since there is 4 to a plate. But, we are out of pork and sirloin tacos." Hmm.. okay then. We ordered chicken, shrimp and fish tacos with a side of crab cakes. He took down our order and advised us that the kitchen is backed up and it will be a little while. (Can't wait!) 7:30pm - No food. No acknowledgement. Ok, cool. Now we're all huffing and puffing. 7:35pm - Ok, we understand that you said it will be a while, but damn... 52 minutes? Talk about being patient. I barely drank my Pepsi because I wanted to save it and wash the tacos down! Ok, this is where we said, we'll give them 5 more minutes. 7:45pm - We obviously gave them a grace period, but we had enough. No one came over to apologize for the long wait or to tell us that our food will be coming right up. NOTHING. We call the waiter over and this is where I said.. "We're leaving. We've been waiting for an hour and we're definitely not going to wait another hour just to get our food. This is ridiculous." His response, "I'm sorry guys." 7:47pm - We walk out and never return. EVER. Summary: Horrible service.
(1)Dan S.
I can only say good things! We ordered 5 different dishes which were all absolutely delicious. Service was pretty fast and the waiter was very friendly. All the food was displayed beautifully and tasted even better. Would definitely recommend the following dishes specifically: -Fried goat cheese with tomato sauce and garlic bread -Bacon wrapped dates -Beef kabobs with avocado and onions/green peppers
(5)Jennifer D.
We walked into a cacophony of noise, and the restaurant wasn't even half full. This acoustic nightmare made it difficult to hear my dinner date. The tapas pace is more consistent with a long dining experience... E.g we arrived at 7:30p and finished our meal close to 10p. The cold tapas meat combination platter was very good and was served with delicious olives. The spinach salad with fruit left something to be desired. There was a significant amount of dressing and the fruit seemed as though it came out of a can. The goat cheese as well as the scallops hot tapas plates had a lot of flavor, and we would happily order this again. The dates had a nice drizzle of honey, but was lacking something... Maybe some blue cheese or chorizo stuffing? This one fell flat. The cafe latte leaned towards Spanish style coffee, which I enjoyed... The dessert, not so much. My instincts had me thinking it was time to head to Graham's for some bitter dark chocolate chip ice cream, but decided to stick it out and try the pistachio cake as well as the chocolate granache fritters. The cake was dry - and much improved when I spooned some coffee over it. The fritters were very inconsistent... One super bitter, the next OK, and finally one great one. Overall, we will try again in a few months and definitely enjoyed our dinner more than the awful Fat Rosie predecessor.
(3)Christina B.
Like a couple of the other recent reviewers, I also went this past Tuesday for the $1 tacos. We got there fairly early, around 5:30, so the wait wasn't too bad. They were getting pretty busy though while we were leaving. They were out of the pork tacos, which wasn't a huge deal. We ordered the Empanadillas de Ternera con Salsa de Ajo y Perejil tapas, which were AMAZING, and had the shrimp, steak and cod tacos. Everything was very delicious. I only docked 1 star b/c of the wait, and the bathroom was FREEZING! Otherwise, the food was excellent and I really liked the decor/ambiance. I will definitely be back!
(4)John M.
Went for 1.99 taco tuesday. Ordered 2 Corona beers and a ceviche appetizer. Beers were only 7 Oz and cost 6.00 each! Appetizer was frozen shrimp with no taste at all. Watch your bill..tacos charged full price so server had to fix it. Tacos came out with appetizer so they were cold by the time we ate them . Not worth it..go elsewhere
(2)Jen K.
I went out to dinner here on Friday night with a couple of people. We sat by the window. The place has a great look to it. The tables are rustic and the art is bright. We ordered a pitcher of red sangria. It was not too sweet, which I personally love. Between the 3 of us, we had 6 items. The paella is seafood paella is delicious. Don't let anyone fool you. The portion is said to be for 2, but it's more like it could feed 4 people alone, or 6 people if you order other items. The bacon wrapped dates, empanadas and garlic mushrooms were very very good. I did not like the tomato sauce with manchego cheese. It was like dipping bread into tomato soup. I also wasn't a big fan of the beef skewers. Not to say they weren't good, but they just weren't anything special. The waitstaff was very nice and quick. I would recommend for a date night spot.
(4)T T.
Good Tapas food. We had five dishes and all we very good. Service was prompt and efficient. I have just one complaint and this it is very noisy, there are no soft surfaces to deaden sound of music and patrons talking. I did mention this to the owner Juan. He said they are working on a solution to the noise problem. Juan is a very nice guy and my wife and I will be back soon. The decor is very warm and inviting and once they fix the noise level it will be perfect. Also plate entrees should be be an even number, five pieces for two people is not balanced. It should be even number so two people can enjoy an equal quantity of each entree.
(4)Abby T.
Great surprise. We're self confessed food snobs. Not sure walking in given it's in a small little strip mall. Decor was beautiful. Service is excellent, helpful waitress and hostess. Food came out very fast. BLT is amazing - must have dish with pork belly. Bacon wrapped scallops were prepared perfectly which is hard to do. Bacon was crispy and scallop was not overcooked. Great sangria as well - we had the mango. Fruity and refreshing - perfect for hot summer nights. Definitely will visit again. Not driving an hour to Meson Sabika, Cafe Iberco, or Cafe Ba Ba Reeba anymore for good tapas! Who would have guessed St. Charles would have such a gem.
(5)Kenneth C.
We had a great time. We ate on their covered patio, which had a great breeze which made it seem cool even on an 84 degree day. We had Patatas Alioli (garlic potato salad) which was very tasty not as garlic as we have had at other tapas restaurants. Aceitunas Marinadas (marinated olives) were great and had marinated pickles and peppers included. Pinchos de Solomillo (beef skewers) were flavored to perfection, the highlight of our meal. We also had the De Cochino (pork tacos) which were toped with fresh pineapple and onion making it one of my favorites. The flan was just average and the red sangria would have been better if it was served with sliced fresh fruit in the glass like at other tapas restaurants. We are definitely looking forward to visiting again to try some of their other dishes.
(4)Wisa F.
Went for an early dinner tonight. Arrived at the restaurant at 4:30pm. There were 2 other tables seated. We were given the option to sit wherever we wanted to. We chose a table near the window. Service was great. Our server was fast, friendly, and attentive. We ordered the Patatas Aioli, Champiñones al Ajillo, Pinchos de Solomillo, Croquetas de Queso de Cabra, and Gambas al Ajillo. Delicious and garlic-y. My husband and I can still taste the garlic on our breaths. We used a Groupon, and there were no issues with that at all. The food was good, but pricey compared to other tapas restaurants I've been to.
(4)Matthew H.
I'm a local and really wanted to like this place. The quick summary is mixed food (some really bad, some really good) combined with bad service equals a place I will not be going to again. We came at 6 and it was not crowded by any stretch. We waited 10 minutes before anyone even asked for our drink order and all we wanted was water (at the time). It then took another 8 minutes just to have the server ask again and when we repeated, he grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator 10ft away and put it on the table. The food was mixed at best. Be careful if you order the mushrooms as they are coated in red pepper. I like very spicy food but this was a complete pallet killer. The pork tacos were also so dry they truly tasted like jerky and should have never been served. On the positive side, the empanadas, goat cheese fritters, and kid's pizza were good. I will not be back based on our service and the very mixed food we received.
(2)Mary P.
Best tapas EVER!!! Went on a date night and enjoyed the food so much. It was fresh and simple and reminded us of Spain! We had the Combinado appetizer. It was the best combination of all the appetizers! For dinner, we ordered the Empanadillas, Datilles con Toscino and Contampalitos. Everything was amazing! The waiters and staff were very attentive and super friendly. They were very knowledgeable of the food and wines. They offered us samples of 3 different wines before we ordered our bottle. We chose the Flavium! Delishhhhh We will definitely be back. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(5)Fred C.
The food was great I love the shrimp tacos the tapas are phenomenal. One of the owners took care of us food is fresh and perfect
(5)Gin S.
We stopped in with friends on a Friday night, around 6:30. There were plenty of open tables and our party of 5 was seated right away. The red & white sangria tasted like table wine with two or three pieces of apple and orange, and my husband's $11 margarita was weak. We each ordered a plate around $10-$12 and planned to share. All but one dish came out promptly, but the potions were incredibly small barely enough for each of us to have a bite. I know tapas is small plates" but for what they charged the servings were too small. Fifteen minutes after we had finished the last order finally arrived at the table. The food tasted good but $90 later we left hungry, and ordered a pizza at the place next door.
(2)c g.
Very bland. Nice service, prompt attention. Nice manager. But the food was bland. First tapas place that I have found bland food. We pre ordered paella to save some time. It was prompt but bland. Potatoe salad no better than what I get at The Jewel. Octopus, eh. Maybe the regular cook is on vacation but this place had a chance, we won't be back.
(2)Melissa S.
We had tried two dish and the Beef Bikini Sliders were terrific. We also had the mango sangria and it was delicious. We did go in on a Friday and the music and noise was very loud. They had music and a dancer but it was so loud we didn't enjoy it. Even without the music it is very noisy. The space needs some pictures on the wall to absorb some of the noise. We will go back but sit outside.
(4)Nendaz S.
Uninventive selection of tacos that are quite blend. Very average food...
(3)Tim L.
Went on a Saturday night, got there a little after 8 PM. The restaurant was only half full but very loud. We were seated right away. It took about 10 minutes for our waiter to get to us, and we thought about leaving. Ordered bacon wrapped scallops which were good. 5 scallops for $13. We also had the cold salmon which was way over dressed, and I could barely taste the salmon. Scallops came out after about 15 minutes. Salmon came out about 20 minutes later., after we asked about the dish. We had water and two dishes. $30 plus tip. Very small portions, which were priced way to high for such small portions. I think they are on the right track, but have to work on: 1) better prices to tapas, 2) slightly larger portions, and 3) faster service.
(3)Scott T.
This place is great! Extremely knowledgable and friendly staff and every dish we had was amazing. We had 4 or 5 items off the tapas menu and 2 different types of tacos; the shredded chicken and the pork. If I had to choose between the 2, and I wouldn't choose just get both, the pork with the pineapple on top is just delicious. We will definitely go back no question about it.
(5)Tamara C.
My husband and I wanted paella, and found out that our town has a new restaurant that served paella. We hadn't had any since we visited Seattle last year. The place was great, in a great location. We sat in a pretty dark area in the restaurant, and couldn't really see the menu, we had to use our cell phones for light. Nevertheless, just before we left home to got to the restaurant, which is about 10 minutes away, we saw that there was a Groupon offer. I called the restaurant to see if we could get the paella with the Groupon offer, and was told that we could. It was also recommended that we pre-order the paella because it takes 1 hour to prepare. So, we waited about 45 minutes before leaving home, and when we got to the restaurant, our paella arrived at our table just after we had our first tapas dish. What awesome timing. Our waiter (his last name is Perez) was excellent. He gave us suggestions, and and gave us some recommendations for ordering for our next visit. This particular location has had many restaurants over the years that haven't lasted long, I really hope this one lasts a long time. We will definitely visit again, and will tell our friends and neighbors. Next time, we will sit in an area that has better lighting so that we can see our food and the menu better. One more thing, the restaurant is very very loud, so don't expect a quiet romantic dinner. Even though it was loud, the atmosphere was still welcoming. The paella wasn't as good as the one we had in Seattle, but it was decent.
(4)Freddy O.
Horrible service. We came on tuesday for $1 tacos. Made a 6:30 pm reservation for 4 people. Had to wait 15 minutes until being seated, even though there were plenty of tables open. Then once seated waited over 15 minutes before even being acknowledged. FINALLY once our server came we were told $1 tacos are only chicken, steak and fish, even though they advertise it for all tacos. Also you can only order the same kind of tacos. Totally false advertisement. Then after waiting more than 30 minutes we finally had to find the host due to the fact our waiter seemed like he was the only one taking care of all the tables, and told her cancel our order we were leaving. I also noticed several other tables waiting a long time to be acknowledged as well. At 7:00pm a couple that was seated near us were told "sorry we are all out of tacos." Needless to say that couple left as well. They definitely need more workers and proper advertisement. We will not be coming back.
(1)Caron C.
Well, I have to agree with the other two negative comments as our experience was very similar. Although my husband did like the sangria, I think it was a bit overpriced at $8 for lots of ice and cheap red wine with a few small pieces of fruit thrown in. But, the food ... The bartender was our server and not very attentive. We had three things, the garlic mushrooms. Not bad, but something more like what you might get as a side to a steak. Just mushrooms in a little bowl. Then the steak (tenderloin? Not so sure) skewers. Very dry, over cooked and chewy. $13 for three, each had 4 little bites. Then the aged sausages with potatoes, onion and pepper. Very greasy, the sausages were okay. I thought it was the best of the three, but hubby who is not so discriminating called them cocktail weenies, lol The third dish took forever, we had to ask twice where our food was, and when they finally brought it, one by one runners brought out duplicates to the other two dishes we had already been served and had finished. They clearly do not have their act together. Still not sure why the restaurant that was there closed ( Fat Rosie's) but it was much better than this. This place is not awful, really, just not inventive or worth the money. Sad to say... Anyway, if you are in the mood for tapas, check out Bien Trucha in Geneva, after over 350 reviews, they are still well over 4stars, and well deserved!
(2)Brian V.
My wife and I picked up a groupon a few months back and finally got around to using it. Wish we would have used it sooner. The food was delicious (we had 4 different tapas dishes), the server was prompt, courteous and kept our drinks filled at all times. We will be returning frequently. Great find!
(5)Ashley F.
Excellent and trendy atmosphere, great service, awesome Sangria! I loved the décor and the food was delicious. The bacon-wrapped dates drizzled with honey were the best! The only drawback was that I felt it was extremely pricey for extremely small portions. $8 for a plate with two pieces of bread on it?!
(4)Jodi J.
We had a marvelous meal! We have been to many excellent tapas restaurants before but this one has a warm welcoming feel that the others were missing! The food was outstanding particularly the beef tostada and roasted asparagus! We will be back, with friends.
(4)Jan H.
My husband, son and I had an exceptional dinner at Mararena St Charles on Friday, May 17th! It's a beautiful, elegant restaurant with wonderful food and attentive service. We each choose a variety of tapas that we wanted to taste and share. It was a delicious and fun dining experience for all!
(5)C L.
Food was wonderful but Service could have been a little better. Restaurants in this location are notorious for not thriving very long, so I hope they do well.
(4)Kylie R.
Our dinner was thoroughly disappointing. We ordered the goat cheese fritters, breaded cod tacos, and steak tacos. I thought maybe we'd order more but I'm so glad we didn't. The goat cheese fritters were pretty good but the tacos were so disappointing. The fish tacos were definitely made with frozen pre-battered fish, came with no avocado(despite being in the description), and had no flavor other then the strange sweet and sour tasting sauce in the coleslaw. The steak tacos had zero flavor and were so dry I could barely manage eating one taco. The salsa that came with the steak tacos was very clearly from a can or jar and didn't taste good. After that we were very done with this place but still hungry. Our server never asked us how our tacos were. I think he knew they weren't very good. We didn't complain or have an attitude, what good would that do? I regret ignoring the multiple poor ratings I saw because it looked like a nicer place with fresh ingredients. I honestly could have made a much fresher tastier meal at home for a quarter of the price. I want to go to Bein Trucha in Geneva and apologize for ever thinking another Mexican tapas restaurant could complete with them. I just wanted some fresh authentic delicious tacos and that is NOT what they serve. We won't be returning.
(1)Judy R.
WOW! This place is incredible! First, the food has to be to die for, and it meets this world traveler's ideals- great flavor combos, presentation etc. check! Second the service exceeds expectations (which are high) and our waiter was even able to describe in detail all the menu items we asked about and then some, and leave the right amount of time between tapas orders to enjoy the previous order. Check. Third the ambiance. Real attention to detail - again, exceeding expectations- loved the intimate atmosphere. Check. We (group of 5 - 20yrs to 75- 3 generations of family) particularly liked the bruschetta steak, the bacon wrapped dates, the crab cakes, the bacon scallops the apple tart - a lot of favs, but more to try next time! We'll be back again and again, and looking forward to spring when they open up the outdoor eating covered patio!
(5)Thomas L.
The worst dining experience I have had in a long time. Apparently, they were offering $1 dollar tacos today - although it seems they were only actually honoring this price for friends and family of the waitstaff. If you weren't a friend or family you waited for hours. It took 30 minutes to get our drinks - 20 minutes to get our first tapa ( a cheese and cold cut plate - which was missing the cheese) and 20 minutes more for water. Then, we were told that they were out of tacos ( even though we were willing to pay full price) - however the tacos continued to be delivered to several tables. The tapas when they ultimately arrived were good - not spectacular. However, since we were still hungry 3 hours into the meal we got our check and crossed the street to the Kabob restaurant where the food was better and much quicker. There are too many good tapas restaurants around to bother with this fiasco. Save yourself the aggravation.
(1)Geno C.
Liked the sangria and the service, but the food was bad...the BLT tasted like shoe leather & fat marinated in campfire smoke. And the seafood paella tasted like it had been steamed for days; all the flavor and moisture had left the dish by the time it came to our table....hope the kitchen can turn it around for our waiter's sake.
(1)Patty B.
Not great. Food was mediocre. Sat at the bar for several minutes before greeted (and we were the only ones at the bar) . Sliders were way over cooked and salty. Grilled octopus was not grilled, defrosted and put on a plate of greasy potatoes and peppers. On a good note, after we ordered our food was served very quickly. I wish them all the best but don't see the place lasting. Bring back Fat Rosie's!
(2)Danielle C.
My boyfriend and I decided to try this place in spite of the mixed reviews. We love tapas and haven't found a great place near us-until we came here. We were initially nervous to the fact it was dead when we arrived at 6:30 for dinner. (It was a Thursday so maybe that's the reason, we didn't end up leaving until almost 9) We ordered the red sangria (YUM!), the meat & cheese tray, goat cheese frittatas (amazing, HAVE to get!), the empananillas (so good), the petite sausage w/ potatoes and onions, and the scallops. All were amazing and the timing of the delivery of all the food was perfect. After that we ordered a bottle of Malbec (delicious) and the cookie ice cream dessert. The waiter (Jordan) was so polite and pleasant. He provided fantastic service. I did not have any issues with loud noise or music or the staff. I would highly recommend you try this place. We will definitely be repeat patrons.
(5)Ellin S.
Excellent food, drinks and service! I highly recommend this restaurant!
(5)Catherine M.
We stopped by for dinner on Tuesday night. First time and last time there. We were the only one in the restaurant, the décor was depressing. The food was cold, and overpriced . The charcuterie plate was dry and very unattractive. The server was very nice but the staff around her was unprofessional ( bar tender and manager). The only good thing was the wine! On top of all the bad experience, the bill was extremely high. Getting out of the restaurant we went to another restaurant in the same area to eat a dessert , we needed to relax after that bad experience. A place to avoid.
(1)GrammaCindy L.
Really good Tapas! Original and good portions for Tapas. Very nice owner and great service. Very nice ambience. Be sure to try it!
(5)Timothy B.
A great date place. The staff were friendly and the young-ish bartender even knew his liquor. After reading earlier reviews I was a bit nervous about the food and the price. After eating there, Macarena is on my short list of place to go for fun. The food was great, the service as great, and the atmosphere was fun. I'd def. go back with a group of friends. I do think the prices are a touch high but isn't that true everywhere? It's nice to have a quality tapas joint along Randall road.
(4)heather s.
We are still waiting for our check as I write this. The food is good, not spectacular but as far as service. Ugh. One girl just wandered around while 2 servers covered 7 tables including 2 groups of 10. Our waiter was fine but food was slow. Garlic potato salad should come out ASAP. Sangria was great. Plan on spending time waiting .
(3)Monica D.
great place great food/atmosphere everything was deliciouse
(5)Mike H.
We were walk ins at 5PM on a Saturday. We like to try the new restaurants in the area. We were the second couple in the place, since it was early. We got off to a strange start as the menu posted import beers and domestic beer pricing but there were no domestics on the menu. When the waitress was asked she came back with the answer that there were no domestics. OK, I ordered a Carlsberg and an over priced glass of Chardonnay for my wife. VERY limited wine/beer listing. I ordered the pork tenderloins and garlic potato salad and my wife ordered the crab cakes. Crab cakes were outstanding! Pork, not so much. Dry. Potato salad did not come and after a considerable time I called over our server and it showed up twice! Sometimes the server brought items and sometimes other people brought them. They seemed very unorganized. Table next to us also had delivery problems. By now the place was mostly filled. Potato salad was good. Our server seemed to disappear. When she arrived back, my wife ordered dessert. They came back much later with a different dessert and asked her if she would want it since they were out of her choice(at 6:30 on a Saturday night). She ordered another. Would like to comment on it it but it never came!! We left. Found out that the Carlsberg beer was priced as a domestic.
(2)Laura C.
Good food, fresh and outdoor seating was nice, it was a beautiful night. I had a mango mojito, very delish! It was pricey though! I ordered shrimp tacos, my hubby ordered chicken tacos. Both very flavorful. We ordered chips and salsa, chips weren't homemade, but the salsa was yummy! We would come back....
(4)Keegan W.
I've been here a couple of times now and have finally given up on the place. I don't think they could pay me to come back. The food has been consistently disappointing and service is just so-so. In a city with so many culinary delights this place isn't worth your time or money.
(1)Raymond C.
I went here this past Tuesday for their dollar tacos. I tried the chicken and the steak tacos. Both were very good and very flavorful (unlike another taco Tuesday place down the road). The chicken wings were a little different, not as crispy, but were also very good. Nice decor inside and good service. I'll be back.
(5)Bill C.
Although the menu clearly stated that the Thursday drink special was $5 margaritas, when the bill came we were charged $10 each. The manager who said he was the owner said that with Groupon no other discounts can be taken. He also told me "If you can't afford to pay the bill, don't go out to dinner." Don't eat here.
(1)Cindy C.
This was sad. Went today on "Taco Tuesday" for $1.99 tacos...boy that was a gimmick! There was an up charge for fish and steak tacos. We ordered tapas and the portions are so small, a toddler would still be hungry. We ordered a beer and the waiter brings the wrong kind...no apology or offer to keep it, an already opened bottle. Were they going to "save" it for another customer?? haha. Salsa and chips were $4.99 and the portion was small! Really? What restaurant charges extra for chips and salsa??!! They would be better off building that into the price somewhere. For 3 people, we figured it was $25 a head for "Taco Tuesday!"
(2)Dulce B.
We got seated but it took nearly 15 minutes for anybody to show up at our table. It wasn't even busy, but there was only one server in the entire restaurant. When our server showed up, he was at the table next to us where the customer complained that their food arrived cold. We were quickly discouraged about trying this place for our first time. We ordered and our 4 tapas MAGICALLY showed up quickly in about 3 minutes. Was it freshly made or been sitting there in advance of any orders??? Maybe it was just nothing complicated to make. Other reviewers raved about the meatballs, which I thought was overrated, mediocre, and mushy like they've been braising all day. They didn't taste anything spectacular sitting in a tomato sauce. The smoked salmon was okay and drowned in a heavy drizzle of sour cream sauce that we had to scrape off. We did find the bacon scallops, beef tacos with pineapple, and beef empanadas all to be pretty good. The rest were just average. Although the server when he served us was a very pleasant fellow, I think the place is too pricey for the service, and annoying waiting time for service throughout the meal, and the food wasn't that spectactular. We'll be returning to our other favorite tapas restaurants instead. We do not plan to return.
(2)Avinash K.
Let me start off by saying, this place has really really nice decor and people can write on walls if they have enjoyed their food, which is amazing. My friend didn't really like most of the options because all the tacos had a "premade" filling to it and she does not eat Onions, so everything had them, she everything just went for tacos with mushroom filling, which was pretty sad. We did order "Patatas Bravas a Nuestra Manera" - sauteed potatos which I thought was really good and it looked really good as well. I ordered the "Tortas de Cangrejo" - crab cakes served in a wooden plank. It was definitely smaller than expected, I thought I would get a side of coleslaw but it was just like a topping. I really wanted to have some desserts here, but we didn't. But, I would defnitely recommend this place if you are in a group and just want to hang out for some drinks and some light appetizers. The place had awesome ambiance and some nice music as well.
(4)Carrie D.
Great food, awesome atmosphere!! Such a friendly staff love this place !!! Definitely be back again!!!
(5)Catherine P.
I've been here twice now for two different occasions. The first time was for a large group event. It was an average experience. I wasn't all that interested in coming back. My coworkers suggested coming here for Taco Tuesday. My review will based solely upon my experience with my visit today. We walked in and the atmosphere was great. They had the lighting turned down and candles lit throughout the restaurant. The restaurant was pretty busy which is always a good sign. We were greeted within 30 seconds of walking through the door. We were also seated fairly quick. It took an average amount of time for our waiter to greet us once we were seated. We were given a jug of water and a basket of bread with packets of butter. Our waiter appeared to be tending bar as well. It took a little while to receive our food after we ordered. They were busy so I can't fault them much for this. We asked if they had any tortilla chips or something of the sort and were promptly told, "We're not a Mexican restaurant." A basket of bread with butter packets doesn't exactly scream Spanish cuisine but whatever. Eventually our food started to trickle out of the kitchen. We got pork, chicken, and steak. All of them were very good! The pork had a little heat which was really nice. The steak was the favorite for all of us. I will point out though that a couple of us did have some gristle on the steak tacos. The chicken was good as well. One of my chicken tacos had a bay leaf on it! That is a huge no-no. I'm glad that I saw it before I consumed it! At one point we were waiting for another person to arrive. We politely asked for their utensils, napkin, and water glass to be brought over. The waiter/bartender snapped, "I'll bring it over after they get here." We were all taken aback by this answer from him. It was really surprising. I don't think people realize how much customer service really impacts someone's decision on whether or not they'll return to an establishment. I can't really see myself coming back here for dollar tacos and bad customer service. I can get more for my money somewhere else and be treated well at the same time. A little politeness goes a long way!
(2)Eddie C.
Went here with a date on a Wednesday evening. When we walked in it took a minute for someone to greet us even though what appeared to be an employee sitting at a table entertaining a guest. After we were seated there was about a 10 minute gap before the server (who was also our host) came to greet us. We ordered the Goat cheese croquettes, the steak empanadas, and plantains with cheese. We both got water to drink. The waiter brought us a pitcher of water to pour it ourselves. He seemed like the only server on so i didn't really mind pouring it myself as he was running around like crazy. The appetizer came out super quick, like literally less than 5 minutes later. The goat cheese croquettes were dipped in honey and had balsamic vinegar drizzled over it. It was just okay. I think i could have done without the honey. 2/5. The empanadas had a great flaky crust on it but the steak inside was chewy and tough. The avocado lime sauce was really sour and just no pleasant.1.5/5 The plantains with manchego cheese were some of the worst things ive ever tried at a restaurant. Awful combination, bad prep, and just a bad idea. 0/5. We tapped out after the appetizers. We came in because we had a groupon and i wouldn't come back. Much better tapas places in the area. 1/5.
(1)Kate B.
Being a fan of tapas we were excited when this place came to the neighborhood, but we were disappointed and skeptical when we first sat down. The décor was just ok, it felt more like a fast food place than a nice tapas place, and all the menu items, including the drinks, seemed exorbitantly overpriced. We almost got up and left, but decided to try at least two of the items and see how it was. We are soooo glad we did because we found out a few things about this restaurant which they don't advertise. 1. NONE of their mixed drinks are made from mixes. They are all hand made, hand squeezed, hand crushed, and custom created by their amazingly skilled bartender. Both sangrias, the margarita and some unique concoction we had were out of this world! (....there were four of us, we aren't completely alcoholics!) 2. Their wine selection is hand picked and includes some wonderful choices that are not on any other menu in town. 3. The paella is real! It takes 45 minuets to make, but you can call ahead and have them start it for you before you get there! 4. All of the tapas are of the highest quality foods. There wasn't a thing we ordered that we didn't like. The dates were some of the best I've had. 5. The service was fantastic! The server knew this menu, even if he wasn't particularly familiar with other tapas restaurants. He made great suggestions and did everything he could to make the experience enjoyable. All in all, while this place seems expensive when you first look at the menu compared to other tapas restaurants, keep in mind that everything is hand prepared from scratch and tastes amazing because of it! If you like tapas, you'll like this place.
(4)Margaux D.
Oh my. So apparently this place partakes in the age-old tradition of Taco Tuesday. They're too classy to say this, so they just say "$1 tacos on Tuesday." We see through your ruse, but I'll let it slide because of the amazing food. This time. Anyways. I went on Friday night and got a reservation because, you know, if you're given the option on a Friday night, you go with it. We got there at 5:30 and it was pretty much empty. Cue laughing at myself and the Seating Host joking about how "It really does get busy, I swear!" Turns out he was right. In the two hours my friend and I were there, it really did start to pick up and by the time we left every table was taken. Lesson one: use a reservation on Friday, Saturday, or Tuesday because those are their busy nights. Unless, like me, you decide to eat at a geriatric time of night. We ordered Tapas one at a time. First with the bacon wrapped dates, then we got beef empanadas, garlic mushrooms, and then an order of chicken tacos. Because you have to see if you'll like taco Tuesday. We wanted a recommendation, and the waiter (who is, coincidentally, a part-owner) recommended the chicken tacos. Thank you, my friend! They were great. I'd absolutely recommend any of these four dishes to you, but I have a feeling that just about anything on their menu would be good. I have to say, I really really love this place. As someone who's lived in or near St. Charles my whole life, I'm so glad that there's finally a decent restaurant near that intersection.
(5)Jenoa F.
Good golly gosh, where do I even begin. Let's start with those pathetic excuses for fish tacos. So. Ever had Van De Camp frozen fish sticks from the supermarket? You know, the kind the five out to homeless shelters and schools in impoverished south-side neighborhoods on Fridays during lent? Yeah, they put THOSE on their tacos de pescado. More like tacos de PISScado... Awful... Moving forward. Let's talk about those trash ridden steak tacos, or "tacos de carnes", as they wrongfully labeled them. Pure basura!!! No steak, just gristle and fat. Kinda like they dumped the leftover trimmings from previous patrons meals into their tacos. Despicable! Outrageous! Downright unreasonable, and I'm offended. Service was a bag of lard too. Waited at least 10 minutes before anyone even acknowledged our presence. Restaurant was not even busy at this time. As a willing customer, I felt downright molested. All and all, it was an awful experience. We even heard a large Italian man complaining loudly about a used diaper underneath their booth. Avoid this establishment at all costs.
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