This was our third time at Lena Brava and it didn't disappoint. The flavors of the dishes our exceptional and this time, I had the best sea bass I've ever had. Good service, great drinks and great atmosphere. Can't wait to go back.
This was our third time at Lena Brava and it didn't disappoint. The flavors of the dishes our exceptional and this time, I had the best sea bass I've ever had. Good service, great drinks and great atmosphere. Can't wait to go back.
We visited Lena Bravo Saturday, October 1, 2022. Really tried to order a variety of dishes, so we could share. Excellent drinks and Mezcal selection. Skip the basic margarita, Costco makes a better mix. The Highlight of diner were the melted queso fresco and grilled...shrimp. I did not know queso fresco melts, with garlic oil and hot bread, yummy. All down hill from there. Shirt steak was medium rare , under seasoned and seemed to be cut with the grain because I could not chew it. The pork Al pastor must have been cut from a pork shoulder because again, it was not chewable. Baked oysters were nothing great. Basic Mexican was poorly executed. Chips were stale, food was not hot. Final bill $490. I don't understand the great reviews. Maybe the D team was in the kitchen on Saturday night. Would not come back, unless I couldn't make the melted queso fresco myself.More
Had a wonderful time!! Great food and ambiance! We ordered Guac and chips, Taquitos and carnitas. Everything was so good!!! We will be back again soon.
The best empanadas and green Chile -chicken enchiladas ever! Really enjoyed the eclectic mix of food and drinks on offer. Food and service were great. Made for a great night.
Terrible The food was too Spicy for me The waiter took forever to come and check to see if we needed anything
These folks are great. We are from out of town, arrived without a reservation, they were apologetic (!) and seated us at the bar. Lupe and her staff then proceeded to treat us like family: the food was amazing and we had the very best...time. Thank you very much!. We will be back!More
Excellent food and stellar service. We couldn’t have been happier with our dinner on a Tuesday night. We were greeted like friends and treated like regulars, seated at the bar because we hoped to eat dinner earlier than our 8:30 reservation after a long day...of work. The food we ordered—charred queso, carne asada and plantains (oh…those plantains…)—was excellent and presented with care. Our neighbors at the bar ordered sea bass and shared a taste with us…wow. Kudos to Lupe at the front desk and to Charlie and our super-nice barkeep behind the bar. I would go back in a heartbeat.More
Just walking in was amazing, the open kitchen and the wood fire smell I knew I was in for a great experience. As our first trip to Chicago, we couldn’t have had a better experience! Our server was very attentive and made some great suggestions...- even for gluten-free. We ordered the Short Rib, Half Chicken, the Striped Bass, Ceviche and the Cheese. The striped bass butterflied and seasoned two-ways was absolutely AMAZING and stole the show for sure. The most tender and flavorful fish I’ve had in quite some time! Highly recommend eating here and will certainly be back!!More
Excellent meal. Excellent service. Excellent vibe. One of the best meals we have recently had. I cannot recommend enough our experience this evening. A well executed experience that we will certainly be coming back to enjoy again.
I went we my husband for a sunday late lunch and it was awesome!! The portions are kind of small, we shared 3 plates and the three were spectacular. We're both mexican and the food has the real mexican flavor!!! We had the smores for...dessert and were truly surprise.More
Great flavors, simple menu, small portions, but good quality food. Our server was professional, but not too friendly. The biggest let down was when I ordered an in house beer, I was served a think glass half full and a lot of head. A fail...for a brewery.More
We enjoyed a fantastic meal at this gem in the West Loop - one of Rick Bayless’s famous restaurants! Rick Bayless is not just a great chef, he is a great teacher and mentor. He has encouraged and trained people in his restaurants so Chicago...now has countless remarkable chefs who started out under his discerning eye and with his astute guidance. We started early, thank goodness, because the restaurant gets quite loud once it’s full. The food was delicious, innovative, and beautifully served. We adored the melt-in-your mouth short ribs and the superbly prepared cod. Our starters were well-balanced and spicy enough to be memorable, but not over the top, for palettes fearful of too much heat. The dessert, which four of us shared, brought everything together with a lovely finish. Our waiter was excellent and provided good descriptions and suggestions. The restaurant is in a very busy area, so consider valet parking rather than seeking a space. (Spot Hero got us a place at 333 Green Street, about 5 blocks away.) Everything was first class. Thank you, Rick Bayless - you are a treasure! Chicagoans and visitors celebrate the quality, vitality and welcome of your restaurants!More
The food, the drinks, the wine, the dessert and the service were all excellent. Be prepared to be sitting close to other tables. This is also not an inexpensive place to go. Be prepared for a large bill. This is definitely a place to go...to again. Rick Bayless does it again.More
My wife and I celebrated Valentines Day weekend with dinner at Lena Brava and it was great. The short ribs were sublime and so was the black cod. Before that I had the taco appetizer which was fabulous. Be advised if you’re a couple you’ll...be seated very close to your fellow diners-the tables are about a foot apart, but that wasn’t an issue for us. You should go.More
What can I say, he really understands the real mexican flavors and gives it a great upscale twist! Great selection of Mexican wines and I had a mezcal drink with pineapple and chile morita that was perfect!