Emilio's Tapas Bar — Restaurant in Proviso Township

So I was in Chicago and was craving something different. Different flavours, different atmosphere and I stumbled across Emilio's.

I'm glad I did.

This place F'in rocks!!! I went in with the expectation of getting some Paella for dinner but when I arrived the atmosphere and quality/friendliness of the waitstaff made me want more. I tried some tapa's PLATO DE JAMÓN SERRANO was excellent so that led me to the PULPO A LA PLANCHA which was excellent as well. Full of flavour and the contrasting textures with light dressing on top was a perfect follow up to the white sangria that I tried.

They really knocked it out of the park with the first couple plates.

At this point I was mid way through the test drive and it was time to see what this place can really do so I punched it and went for the PAELLA A LA VALENCIANA with a red sangria. I felt that both were more traditional so I thought it would be a good gauge vs my previous experiences with other Spanish restaurants. It did not disappoint! The paella was so flavourful and the shrimp, chicken, clams over the yellow rice were wonderful. The red sangria was a nice addition as it was fruity but not overpowering. It was all perfect for the hot few days that I was in Chicago.

Let's take a pause here to show some love to the bar. They offer a fully stocked and really nice looking bar area. I was ok to sit there and take in all the pictures and surroundings but it started to cool down in the evening and sitting outside just sounded awesome. Shoutout to the lightning fast bartender too!

They have this super interesting wine list too full of regional selections and traditional varietals. Having worked in the wine industry for 16 years I really wanted to take the wine list for a spin but at the same time I knew I was racking up the miles on my bill as-is so I let that one go. Next time...

Lets recap... Awesome starters with a light sangria, Check! Main event with a red sangria, knocked it out of the park! Any normal person would be like, "Ok, let's call it a day" but I didn't travel 2000 miles just for OK.

For the last leg of my spanish dining trip I ordered a marinated cherry over homemade vanilla ice cream topped with mascarpone and nuts thing. Sorry I forgot the name. That took it over the top. Again, I debated about ordering a spanish sherry or something but held out. I should've though lol. The dessert was so delicious. It was sweet but not overbearing which is perfect for me. The textures of the ice cream and the whipped topping was a really nice touch.

In closing, you can tell that the owner/chef and staff really care about this restaurant. It was an absolute blast of an experience and something that I really enjoyed against the stereotypical Chicago dining experience.

The next time I come back to the 'CHI I will absolutely stop by and...

Went with my date based on the positive reviews. Arrived and was asked where we wanted to sit (inside or out). It was a nice evening, but we opted for indoors. It wasn't very occupied inside, but we were asked to wait until a table was prepared for us. In minutes we were lead to a small table at the entrance of the restrooms. My date asked if we could move away from the washrooms to the next table which was slightly larger with a nice outdoor view. The entire seating area was empty and we generally order many small plates so it seemed like a simple enough request. The person seating us said he needed permission and went back to speak with the hostess. He quickly returned offering another small table against the wall in a tight corner. I really didn't want to fight about which empty table to sit at so we agreed; "Let's just go". Maybe the food is good, but the difficulty of seating us on a slow, empty Sunday was frustrating. On our way out, the hostess gave us a sarcastic; "Thank You!" I'm just grateful we didn't spend any money there and feel very generous about leaving the 1 star review.

To the Owner: Actually, you don't have the other side of the story because we did not interact. Your account is 2nd hand-written as if it was first-hand. I sincerely did not know reservations were required at your establishment. It was not posted anywhere. Your staff didn't communicate or ask if we had one. I also had no way of telling all those empty tables were spoken for. All I know is we went to a mostly empty restaurant and offered the worst seats. I wasn't trying to take a reserved table. Had I known, I would have understood and there would not be reason to leave a negative review. To say; "These days Guests know..." implies we should have known all those empty tables were reserved. It also implies that right or wrong, you're not willing to accept any responsibility, which is fine. I'm glad your establishment is so successful that if a customer (or in my case potential customer) has a negative experience, it must be their fault. Because these days your guests...

I am very sad to write this review because this is one of my favorite restaurants and have been coming here for over 20 years. I met a friend of mine this afternoon and we sat at the bar and ordered tapas. We sat there talking and eating several appetizers and I had 3 glasses of wine, over a period of 3 hours. I was tearing a piece of bread and knocked over the empty glass, but didn't spill or break the glass. The bread was hard.

The manager decided to stop serving me, although she never spoke to me to evaluate the situation before making a decision, and I was not driving. My friend with me also explained that I am not intoxicated, that I accidentally hit the glass because I was tearing the bread. I told her that I have been coming to this restaurant for 20-years, and her response was “that she didn’t care how long I had been coming here.” She didn’t want to hear it, targeting us for no reason. Very strange experience. We would have stayed longer and ordered more food and dessert but instead, left.

This woman should NOT be a manager of anything or anywhere because she does NOT know what she is doing or understand how to deal with customers. One the most bizarre and strangest experiences I have had at any restaurant, and I lived in 17 states.

I will NOT be going back to this restaurant until she is no longer there, and instead will be going to Meson Sabik in Naperville from now on.

Emilio, if you read this, please for the sake of your business, get RID of this woman. She will destroy your business. Knocking into a glass with my hand when trying to tear cold, hard bread is not justification on telling me that I cannot be served. I have NEVER been told that I could not be served in my entire life. A real manager would have walked over to have a conversation with me to assess the situation first. She had absolutely no basis to do this and it is simply BAD business.

I was extremely offended, taken off-guard, and shocked really. When she is gone, please announce it on facebook so I...