🍽️ Choosing a Chicago Date Restaurant: Leña Brava

Leña Brava is a Mexican grill + spice-focused restaurant I recently visited with my partner (let's call him Six-Sided Dragon 🐉) for a date night. I’m usually not the biggest fan of Mexican food (anti-beans & anti-taco here 😅), but decided to give it a try since they specialize in grilled fish and meats — and it was worth it! Ambiance: 🌟🌟🌟 Located on lively Randolph St. with a cute little Christmas tree outside 🎄. Dim lighting, well-spaced tables, two floors. Recommend sitting upstairs by the window — nice street view and you can play with the holiday decor on the windowsill! Food: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 1️⃣ Lamb Chops – tender, slightly charred, perfect as a tapa for one each. 2️⃣ Striped Bass – their signature dish! The server said the owner opened this place because of this fish 😄. We chose half green sauce / half red sauce grilled. The sea bass was fresh, huge, and flavorful — didn’t even need extra sauce. We both preferred the green sauce side — super aromatic and well-seasoned. 3️⃣ Grilled Cauliflower – a whole roasted cauliflower head. Sauce was oily; honestly, would’ve preferred Lao Gan Ma chili crisp as a base 😂. Not recommended. 4️⃣ Tortillas – pleasant surprise! Usually I find corn tortillas slightly sour, but theirs had a pure, comforting corn aroma. We used them like Peking duck wrappers to roll fish + cauliflower — our own version of a Beijing-style taco 🌮✨ Date-Friendliness: 🌟🌟🌟 Lighting is dim and warm — not the easiest for photos. Tables are mostly set face-to-face, no side-by-side seating option. Since it’s grilled food, eating elegantly can be a challenge (Six-Sided Dragon went full caveman on the lamb chops 🍖). But servers are very friendly and helpful with recommendations. Atmosphere is relaxed — not too quiet, not too loud — great for conversation. Overall: A cozy winter date option, especially around the holidays 🧣. Felt warm and satisfied afterward. Heads up: traffic around Randolph is heavy and street parking is tough. 💰 Price: Around $70 per person Thinking of starting a Chicago Date-Night Restaurant Series with all reviews focused on the dating experience — hope this helps you pick a spot for your next special night out! #ChicagoEats #DateNight #MexicanGrill #LeñaBrava #ChicagoDateSpot #FoodieCouple