Open List Home > Chicago, IL > 60614 > Restaurants & Food > Restaurants > Cafe Ba Ba Reeba
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The Winner of Chicago's 2006 Vegetarian Restaurant of the Year Award
47 deluxe motel units, fine dining, banquets, catering, and more!
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! in Chicago is a three star Spanish restaurant. This inexpensive restaurant is in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. It's been awarded the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence award by cigaraficionado-review. Know before you go: this place features live music. Upon entering the restaurant, you'll find a romantic atmosphere. This restaurant features private rooms, a full bar, and valet parking. This restaurant is open late. Diners found the food exquisite.
Loud, colorful and usually packed to the rafters, Ba-Ba-Reeba's several rooms and outdoor patio brim with flowers and vivid artwork. Sausages hang above an open kitchen, two bars buzz with young singles and a...
citysearch.com - expert review - 06/30/2004
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Fun place - good sangria and good food with fun atmosphere AND outdoor seating! We had great service and plenty of options to choose from. The prices were reasonable as well.
yelp.com - user review - 07/01/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place is a staple of North side Spanish food. Every time I go here I always have something new and wonderful. The potatoes and all the seafood are especially good. My mouth is watering and my…
yelp.com - user review - 07/01/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
We came here at 3:30 on a sunny, Saturday and sat outside. This is a great time to go to a place like this because we got a table right away and it seemed that at about 4:30 it starts to fill up. The…
yelp.com - user review - 06/30/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I would actually give Ba-Ba-Reeba two and a half stars... I would give it four stars for my visit last August (2007) and one star for my visit last Saturday (June 2008). First, the good: The food…
yelp.com - user review - 06/30/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place is great! My friend took me here for my 21st birthday, where I had my first strawberry mojito-- delicious. The service was good, the food was good, and I'm a big fan of tapas, so I would…
yelp.com - user review - 06/27/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I LOVE TAPAS! I will never get tired of this place!! I usually get the same dishes too: the dates wrapped in bacon, goat cheese and marinara, roasted potatoes, olives, cheeses, garlic shrimp and of…
yelp.com - user review - 06/24/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
REALLY GOOD SANGRIA, but REALLY BAD SERVICE! These waiters don't give a shit. They made me feel inferior for not being able to eat gluten. The guy told me that he couldn't list the things I…
yelp.com - user review - 06/24/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
After a bad experience at another tapas restaurant, I decided to try out this place. I'd heard the food and the atmosphere were great. I definitely have to agree. I've now been here about 6 or 7…
yelp.com - user review - 06/23/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I have been here many times and this place was the first tapas place I have ever been to. I fell in love with sitting outside when the awning is open eating small portions of food like the tomato and…
yelp.com - user review - 06/23/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
It is loud, which could be a drawback if you're not expecting it, but everything else is so great it doesn't matter. We had pitchers of both the red and the peach sangrias, both delicious. Our table…
yelp.com - user review - 06/23/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I really like Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. Good sangria, tasty tapas, and fun setting. Spicy potatoes and goat cheese are favories. Long waits at times, but worth it.
yelp.com - user review - 06/22/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Cool place. Went there for a double and ended up getting there a little early than our friends. The wait was about an hour so we went to the bar to have a few. Within 5 minutes of arriving and…
yelp.com - user review - 06/21/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
By far not the best place in Chicago for tapas, but they have a more casual "fun" environment than most tapas spots - a lot of colorful, more Mexican inspired style - which was perfect for me because…
yelp.com - user review - 06/20/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I dig the tapas bar experience and was pretty darn excited to try Ba-Ba-Reeba. (Not to mention, I really enjoy saying the name out loud!) When me and my main squeeze got there, dinnertime on a…
yelp.com - user review - 06/18/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I enjoyed my second time at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba last weekend. We were here on a Saturday night. We had reservations, so we had no problem getting a table. This place fills up fast! After reading all of…
yelp.com - user review - 06/12/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
LOVE THIS PLACE!!! Met some out of town friends here for dinner on a Sunday night - make reservations, even on a Sunday this place filled up by about 7. I will definitely be back to add more…
yelp.com - user review - 06/08/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is my favorite place for tapas, even despite the fact they switched their menus from Spanish to English (rather lame if you ask me). The food is great and the sangria is the best I've had…
yelp.com - user review - 06/06/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place looks okay from the outside, but the inside is much nicer. This is my favorite tapas place so far and it really is pretty reasonable. My favorites are the bacon wrapped dates, meatballs,…
yelp.com - user review - 06/01/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place was amazing. Their food was great and their staff were super friendly and even humored me and spoke to me in Spanish. Their food (I got chicken empanadas and paella) and I just wanted to…
yelp.com - user review - 05/30/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
It's good, i'm not gonna lie. But it is very americanized! I'll have to admit that the Sangria is very good.
yelp.com - user review - 05/30/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
The food and service probably deserve the 4 stars. So does the "programming": I mean, where else can you see Flamenco dancing for $10 and enjoy yummy tapas? The bathrooms, however, deserve .5 stars. I…
yelp.com - user review - 05/29/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Food is very average... a lot of fried things that are not very traditional... the only reason to eat here is for the drinks and the atmosphere when the patio is open. If you are looking for real…
yelp.com - user review - 05/29/2008
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I went here to meet a friend. Initially, I was impressed with the atmosphere...
urbanspoon.com - user review - 05/27/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
loved it! cute, busy, but fast!
yelp.com - user review - 05/27/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Oy vey! NOT BA BA REEBA! NOOooOOoOoO! This is my post cell phone reaction when one of my best girlfriends (who loves this place and I'm sure would give five stars) calls me to tell me we're going…
yelp.com - user review - 05/26/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Been here several times, always leave full, drunk, & satisfied. It always seems packed and I've sat at some bad tables, but all in all this is probably my favorite tapas place in Chicago.
yelp.com - user review - 05/25/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Very good overall. We tried about 6-7 different things and all were quite good. Red or Cava sangria were both delicious. Recommend mixed green salad, roasted beets, oranges & goat cheese, the…
yelp.com - user review - 05/25/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I absolutely love this place...hard to walk in to get a table, so you need a reservation. But the wait is worth it when you can order pitchers of sangria at the bar! My favorite sangria is the…
yelp.com - user review - 05/23/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place is my favorite for tapas in Lincoln Park. It also hold a good place in my list, being the first place where my fiance and I went on our first date.
yelp.com - user review - 05/22/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
While in Chicago I went to this place because Tom Colliche-whateverhisnameis from Top Chef gave it a shout out in his blog on the Bravo website. I tried the marinated olives, spicy potatoes, endive…
yelp.com - user review - 05/20/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I hate tapas, but I don't hate Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.
yelp.com - user review - 05/19/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
this was the worst tapas place i have ever been to in my life. the empanadas were greasy, expensive, and i'm pretty sure i tasted newspaper. the croquetas were the same deal, meat undercook, and the…
yelp.com - user review - 05/12/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Delicious! The first time I had ever had tapas, but I went with my tapas-experienced husband. I had been having a bad week and this place cheered me up. I ordered the special wild mushroom soup with…
yelp.com - user review - 05/10/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This is the tapas restaurant that I compare all others to. The spicy potatoes are awesome, so are the bacon wrapped dates, and the stuffed mushrooms. The prices aren't bad and the menu is easy to…
yelp.com - user review - 05/08/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The first time I came to Ba-Ba-Reeba was in 1999. It was the first time I had ever had tapas, and really, this kind of food in general. My friend did the ordering and I initially turned my nose up…
yelp.com - user review - 05/05/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Very good tapas here!! My only complaint is that the spicy potatos (my favorite tapas item) are only okay here. The sangria is great - they have a ton of different flavors. The mango sangria is really…
yelp.com - user review - 05/04/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
great place for a weekday dinner with girlfriends. we shared a few pitchers of sangria, several small plates, and some desserts. our server gave good suggestions and we were able to select several…
yelp.com - user review - 05/02/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Their sangria is the best best best. Not too sugary, and just the perfect amount of fruit. It's a little more expensive than Emilio's, but the food is way better.
yelp.com - user review - 05/02/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
One of the things I regret most in life is not taking full advantage of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba when I lived in Chicago... At night I dream of their jamon serrano.
yelp.com - user review - 04/30/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! It's my fave tapas place :) The atmosphere is great, the food is awesome and its great to go there with a group of friends. I'm in San Diego, and I miss it…
yelp.com - user review - 04/29/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Decent, crowded, and well run. A typical Lettuce Entertain You take on the Tapas restuarant. Kind of on the pricey side, but food is good and on the bigger side, they suggest maybe 2-3 plates per…
yelp.com - user review - 04/28/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This is my favorite tapas restaurant in Chicago. Love the food, the ambience and everything about it!
yelp.com - user review - 04/25/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I went here on a Thursday night for dinner. We ordered the Spanish Ceasar Salads, Papas Alioli and the Butcher's Paella. It was all very good. The service was perfect and our waiter even brought us…
yelp.com - user review - 04/18/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I've been coming here since it opened and have never had a bad meal. As a matter of fact have had some outstanding and definitely good meals here. And I've had alot of fun too. And a lot of Sangria.…
yelp.com - user review - 04/14/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
It is pretty good. The sangria is excellent, and the tapas are pretty great. It's a really upbeat environment too. I like it a lot. The baked goat cheese is my favorite, it is so good. Personally I…
yelp.com - user review - 04/11/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Cafe Ba-ba-reeba always has such high energy, and the ambience is great, so I was looking forward to my upcoming dinner here. We made a reservation for 10 people on a Saturday night, and believe it…
yelp.com - user review - 04/08/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Wow, there are tons of reviews on this place. The last time I was here was in 2001, and I've got to say that my memory of the place was better than my experience. We went here for a birthday, and in…
yelp.com - user review - 04/08/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I went with my friend and cousin to one of her favorite tapas restaurants in Chicago. I can see why this is her favorite; everything we tried was excellent, the service was fabulous, and the sangria…
yelp.com - user review - 04/06/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Pricey? Yes. Delicious? Good. Service? Excellent. I went to cafe ba ba reeba to celebrate my promotion and may I say that I was very impressed by their service and the food!! The Tapas is really…
yelp.com - user review - 04/05/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Ahh, I love me some Cafe Babareeba! Yes, I know it's not considered "authentic tapas", but whatever it is they serve, it's damn good for this girl! I've been coming here for about almost 20 years…
yelp.com - user review - 03/28/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Picture it: Halstead Street, Lincoln Park, early 2008. It was girls night out.
yelp.com - user review - 03/26/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I like- don't love, but really like Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. It's a great place to go meet friends after work, to have a few glasses of delish fruity Sangria or a fun place to bring out-of-towners. If I'm…
yelp.com - user review - 03/25/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba was pretty good! I decided to go with the tapas while my bf got the pork tenderloin. I ordered the grilled squid, salmon with couscous, grilled chicken w/ chorizo, and goat cheese…
yelp.com - user review - 03/24/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is my go-to place for tapas in Chicago. Reservations are highly recommended considering how delicious this place is. I honestly crave the goat cheese toast points and their jalapeno shrimp. They…
yelp.com - user review - 03/24/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Upon receiving the first of my Fisher Price My First Portions (TM), I was expecting that I was going to be spending $75 to get halfway full. Luckily, that was not the case. Ultimately, I thought the…
yelp.com - user review - 03/24/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Overrated and too expensive. I'd recommend Iberico or People Cafe. Food is generally good, but drinks are too expensive and not strong enough, and you always have a ridiculously long wait. The…
yelp.com - user review - 03/18/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Usually busy, but that's a good thing! This food was awesome and the wine was great too! Would totally go again - I have nothing bad to say...except that I hate waiting at restaurants so if you do…
yelp.com - user review - 03/17/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
At first I wasn't sure I wanted to come here because it only has a collective 3 and a half stars here and I put a lot of trust in what Yelp has to say. But someone in my party of four had heard from a…
yelp.com - user review - 03/16/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I loved this place! It was a little bit loud but our party of 6 still managed to carry on conversation. I recommend reservations since we had them and still waited at the bar for a bit. No…
yelp.com - user review - 03/16/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
My opinion of this place might be a bit skewed because the night we came here, my fiance was stuck in traffic on his way home from work so I found myself stuck in the Ba-ba-reeba bar tossing back…
yelp.com - user review - 03/13/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I was inspired to write this review after seeing its current rating...3.5 stars?! What are you people thinking?! This is my absolute FAVORITE tapas restaurant. I recently moved to SF (by the way,…
yelp.com - user review - 03/13/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I was here for the first time last weekend with two friends and I really enjoyed it! I definitely recommend reservations, by the time we left the wait time was up to 2 hours! The food was really good,…
yelp.com - user review - 03/11/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I like this place. A casual atmosphere but not too informal, generous portions, very quick and attentive service and tons of great stuff to try on the menu. We were there on Valentine's Day so given…
yelp.com - user review - 03/08/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Not as good as Cafe Iberico but closer to me and I always enjoy it. It has the reputation of being touristy, but I dont really care if the food is good, and it is. We love the garlic shrimp, the…
yelp.com - user review - 03/08/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
The atmosphere is a lot of fun, especially when you through Sangria into the mix! I love the tapas - they are so delicious and you get to try so many different kinds (especially if you come with a big…
yelp.com - user review - 03/06/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
This place is average. Cafe Iberico on LaSalle is better.I do feel they use too much oil and/or butter on all of their dishes. What is a show-stopper for me, regardless of the food, is the…
yelp.com - user review - 03/05/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
funny lil diddy about ba-ba...it was one of the only places i could drink at when i was 18 and went to columbia college (for only a semester). my friend was a fellow spaniard and wanted to treat me to…
yelp.com - user review - 03/03/2008
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The food here is great,service is good too. A litle crowded on the weekends so make sure you have reservations. Paella, brochetas and tapas tasted great and they have a wide selection of them.fun atmosphere...
citysearch.com - user review - 03/02/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place is an absolute madhouse on the weekends so prepare to wait at the bar for 1-2 hours for a seat. It is well worth it though to hang in the bar despite the fact that you may crammed closer to…
yelp.com - user review - 03/02/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
My favorite tapas place! I'm so glad my coworker recommended this place. Portions are generous and the prices are reasonable. I can tell the staff are experienced enough to deal with large crowds -…
yelp.com - user review - 03/01/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is my favorite tapas restaurant of all the ones I have tried! (I have been to Cafe Iberico's, Emilio's, Arco de Cuchilleros and Cafe Valencia) The selection of hot and cold tapas is amazing and…
yelp.com - user review - 02/27/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I love this place. I highly recommend this place if you have a large group - and you just want to have good food and a good time. It's such a cute and perky place. It's big, but the wait can be at…
yelp.com - user review - 02/27/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
This place has pretty solid food in a good atmosphere. I gave it three stars because I'm just not a huge fan of tapas and this place didn't WOW me enough to get for or five stars. But, I would still…
yelp.com - user review - 02/25/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I loved Cafe Ba Ba Reeba. I went with one of my girlfriends and we shared a half pitcher of Sangria... I believe it was raspberry. It was just the right amount. We ordered 2 tapas each plus a larger…
yelp.com - user review - 02/25/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place is always packed so definitely make reservations! In the summer, it's really nice to sit in the outdoor patio, although it is very crowded and you feel you're almost on top of the people…
yelp.com - user review - 02/19/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Ah, valet the truck...........and take the walk up the ramp into heaven! I love Cafe Ba Ba Reeba! Came here again last night........had 8pm reservations and the bar area was packed! Finally they…
yelp.com - user review - 02/16/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Really good food and service. We went with a large group and were a pain in the butt. We asked for checks to be divided by the small tables they pushed together for us and they did it but there was…
yelp.com - user review - 02/16/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place is a lot of fun. I had white sangria which was delicious. There is a wide variety of tapas and some other dishes that sound good as well. Everything we had here was really good and the bill…
yelp.com - user review - 02/16/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Big rooms, extremely busy vibe and a systematic approach to tapas. Throughout dinner I couldn't help but feel I was a just a cog in a successful restaurateur's business plan. Cafe Ba Ba Reeba has…
yelp.com - user review - 02/16/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I used to stay away from tapas restaurants when I was younger because of my pickiness. Ba-Ba-Reeba changed my mind instantly upon my first visit. Reservations are essential, but should you have to…
yelp.com - user review - 02/15/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Ba Ba Reeba is a great place for a large group, but reservations are a must! It was completely jammed on Saturday night and we had to wait a little while even though we had reservations. Our server…
yelp.com - user review - 02/10/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I've been here several times and every experience happens to get better. It could be the company or the increased knowledge of menu. So, my only advise is to try several things, from different parts…
yelp.com - user review - 02/09/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
The Ba ba Reeba was one of the first places I tried when I moved to Chicago over a year ago. It is always a good time. The baked goat is out of this world. And I can put away almost a whole pitcher…
yelp.com - user review - 02/09/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This is a nice little place for sure. During the summer you can eat outside and enjoy glass after glass of sangria (their's was ok). The food was decent as well, and the servers are knowledgable of…
yelp.com - user review - 02/09/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Def. get a reservation here, because have done it both ones- once with once without. And the without- not so much. Overall, good experience. Would suggest summer for this place as the patio is a…
yelp.com - user review - 02/04/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I have eaten here a couple of times and it was ok. I love to come to this place in the summer though and sit on the patio. Nothing is better than their sangria on a hot Saturday afternoon.
yelp.com - user review - 01/31/2008
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this is not a hidden treasure because it is a lettuce entertain you place...
urbanspoon.com - user review - 01/30/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This is one of my favoriate tapas places. I love the variety for both food and sangria. I've tried so many things here before. I think tapas are best experienced with groups of 4. I've had this one…
yelp.com - user review - 01/30/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Quickly becoming one of my top restaurants! Now, I WANT to have a problem with this place, just for the reason that it is part of the Lettuce Entertain You Empire, which employed my sister and best…
yelp.com - user review - 01/30/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place gets super packed!!! Therefore, I suggest making reservations here. It's a good thing I did. After getting past the hectic-ness of the front door, you can appreciate its upbeat ambiance and…
yelp.com - user review - 01/30/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Definitely make reservations here - when we checked in for our 8:30 reservation, the wait was over two hours without one. Sangria (the red variety, at least) was strong, with maybe a bit too much…
yelp.com - user review - 01/28/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Reservations for dinner are an absolute must. Don't try to walk in on the weekends either. You'll have at least a 1-2 hour wait before you are seated. This restaurant has excellent tapas. I recommend…
yelp.com - user review - 01/24/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I absolutely love Tapas!! I find myself going to Tapas restaurants more than any other type of restaurant. I love small dishes. I love different takes on traditional Tapas and I love new inventive…
yelp.com - user review - 01/24/2008
