We went to this restaurant on a whim with friends and the service was stellar. Â The bartender was engaged with our every need. Â The food is listed as small plates but the portions are very very generous. Â We were able to share and mix and match. Â If you live nearby this place is definitely worth a visit. Â Skimpy on the bourbon pour, but the specialty cocktails are clever and original. Â After having visited Spain and Mexico, this is an upscale blend of both cultures leaning more in the direction of traditional high end Spanish style tapas. Â Very cute intimate environment as well. Â The caramel desert is a must try as well.
Review Source:Everything was perfect on our recent visit to Libertad. First time here, and I can't wait to go back. Service was attentive, from the server to the busboy. The food was excellent! We ordered the hummus, salmon, asada skirt steak and the apple cobbler. Without a doubt, probably the best hummus ever! It has a touch of heat that was a perfect touch. Â Serving sizes are on the lines of tapas/small dishes that can be shared. Â Each dish could probably feed 2-4 individuals, depending on how hungry you are. Â The restaurant is pretty small and cozy. Â Kitchen is open to the dining room. Â I'm so happy we found this top notch restaurant in downtown Skokie.
Review Source:I feel as if I have been throwing around 5 stars lately, but I cannot help myself when I find something great. Â Libertad, yet another great find in downtown Skokie. Â I guess when reviewing the menu I skipped over the part that said it was small plate, which I love. Â We had a little bit of everything and will be back for the rest. Â We decided with there being three of us we would do two from the veggie, fish and meat categories. Â WOW! Â here is what we had.
1.Corn cakes - perfectly fried, and the sauce and mushrooms that came with were great pairs.
2. Hummus - this I was not excited about at first, how great can hummus be? Â WOW Â so delicious and served with the most interesting tortilla. Â Loved the sesame seed and heat that came with.
3. Scallops - never have been a fan, still am not, but as far as scallops go these were the best I have had. Â It is not a flavor thing with me with scallops it is a texture thing, but these were perfectly cooked. Â Loved the yuzu and the black rice that they served with them.
4. Salmon - I can NOT get over the perfectly seared perfection that this was. Â there was a perfect char crust and the salmon melted in your mouth. Â no fishy taste either that I often expereience with salmon.
5. skirt steak - wow no explanation needed, perfection.
6. Lamb - perfectly fatty and tender. Â Loved this one too.
Desserts, chocolate and apple, the only complaint I have would be dessert, I like a more cocoa flavor with a chocolate cake, but this one was good. Â The apple was ok, it boasted a salted carmel ice cream I expected a little bit more punch from the ice cream that I didnt get.
Drinks, Â I had the natural margarita, in celebration of tomorrow being natl. maragrita day, Â perfect, not to sour, not too boozy. Â After three had the nice little dinner buzz going that was so perfect it was gone by the time I got home. Â My fav, not too strong, just strong enough.
Finally, one can't help but admire all of the sexy latino men working there, Â Feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.
Service was great , loved the natural wood decor, and the prices were underpriced for the quality they serve.
Proof once again to all the "foodies" out there that there are more things happening in the culinary world in Chicago (area) besides whats happening on Randolph street.
I love brunch. a Lot. a Lot.
Especially when it's accompanied by a beverage of some sort.
This particular Sunday, man & I were craving tacos & Michelada's.
Diablo Tacos in Evanston were closed during their normal business hours (ODD. They should fix that asap) so we scrounged around for other nearby Latino restaurants.
Stumbled upon Libertad & their "great" reviews from other yelpers. Don't take this the wrong way, reviews are subjective and all. However, I feel that the people who have only ventured within the land of surburbia haven't quite grasped the concept of good latino food & beverages.
PROS:
+ service was great. She was friendly, prompt, helpful at explaining brunch menu.
+ Not crowded. Decent amount of diners
CONS:
- My breakfast burrito was aiiiite. It didn't WOW me. Standard scrambled eggs, avocado, cheddar cheese, creme fraiche, pico de gallo. Meh
- Eggs benedict. The truffle hollandaise was extremely overpowering.
-MICHELADA's - HOly moly, it was bad.
         We originally thought they put too much beer and not enough sauce, so we asked for more, which they brought right away. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but their sauce lacked that tangy Worcestershire sauce and tobasco. It was just this thick, bbq like-goop that gave the drink NO flavor what so ever. I tried to enjoy it, but it was no bueno.
I should have known better. Latino style restaurant in Skokie??
I'll pass.
We went for their V-Day four course Dinner, and the experience was great. The staff was attentive and the food was spectacular. Â We had the berry-honey bisque, tuna, scallops, fillet Mignon and chocolate cake dessert. Â I also tried their signature martini which was delicious.
Nice place for a date.
Went there for the first time on a Saturday night with reservations at 8:30pm. A group was taking a little longer to leave than the wait staff expected, so they seated us at the bar while we were waiting. The staff was awesome and very attentive. Our glasses were never empty.
After being seated, our waiter was also very attentive but not over bearing. The food we ordered was great! Loved the Pablano, the skirt steak, the fritters, scallops, and the pear salad. We also ordered the pork loin which I felt was a little tough, but it came with a butternut squash which was great.
The portions were bigger than typical small plates- 3 small plates for two is perfect. The setting was intimate but also lively- lots o' laughs and bigger groups. For being a smaller place, it didn't feel too crowded.
I definitely would recommend this place!
Great service. We were seated at the bar due to lack of available tables,And  the bar tender provided excellent service. He made great recommendations, from drinks to food. Very friendly staff. The Sangria is delicious. Everything my party ordered was very tasty. The pita and hummus was great. Another vegan plate we ordered, I can't remember the name, may have had corn in it, was my favorite dish. The chicken Tacos are yummy. Like I said, the foods very tasty. Nice atmosphere and very clean too. The decor on the wall by the bar is really nice. Gave me and my sister some decorating ideas for our personal spaces ;-).  I definitely will be back, again and again and I'm bringing my friends too.
Review Source:Great wine list, creative cocktails, interesting menu. Â We enjoyed our dinner, but it was the little things that missed- no seasoning on most of the food, over cooked boar, and sloppy service. Â The amuse bouche was a nice little chipotle gazpacho, was it was not cold. Â The beet salad was good, but needed texture. Â The scallops were divine, perfectly seasoned and cooked superbly. The soft shell crab was an interesting presentation, but none of the ingredients, which all tasted good individually, worked together as a dish.
Review Source:This place makes me feel like I've been giving away my 5 star ratings too easily. Libertad is located off Lincoln and Oakton in downtown Skokie. It's almost easy to miss if you are not looking carefully enough. I picked this place based on the Yelp reviews, and with 4 1/2 stars, it MUST be good.
For a Wednesday night, the place was PACKED. I was so glad we made reservations in advance. For drinks, I ordered the Libertad Real: prosecco, tequila, and cinnamon bitters. The taste was refreshing and fruity. My fiance ordered the Sangria Libre. One of the BEST sangrias I've had. As for the food, based on recommendations, we ordered three dishes. We ordered the Albondigas, Hummus, and Asada. They brought out the Hummus first. The presentation was so impressive we didn't want to eat it at first. The Hummus had a Latin twist with the chipotle and the chapati was chewy...a good change from the normal pita chips. We also ordered another vegetarian dish-- the Albondigas. It came with four fritters, so we had two each. I HAD to order this dish because I'm a fan of all of the three ingredients: corn, Â mushrooms, and tomatillo sauce. Finally, we ordered the Asada. The waiter suggested "medium rare". It was okay- juicy and tender, don't get me wrong, but I'm not really a fan of rare, so that might have left me bias. The crispy yuca frites added an complementary texture.
The ambiance was classy. It almost felt like we were at a restaurant in Downtown Chicago. From the hostess, to waiter, to cook, to busboy, service was excellent. The waiter was very professional and courteous. But, I really have to give props to the busboy. He was super polite.
I would definitely return. I'd love to try brunch next time.
One of the best meals we have had in a long time. Â We ordered a wide variety of dishes and shared among the four of us. Â The corn fritters were fantastic, as was the beet salad. Â Lamb, octopus, chicken and carne asada were excellent. Â The Margarita Roja was much better than the "regular" margarita. Â Excellent service.
Review Source:First time at Libertad, and we were not disappointed. Here are my thoughts.
Pros: Â A nice selection of dishes to choose from from three mains entrees, Vegetables, Fish and Meat. Â My big winners were the Asada, (skirt steak, tomato, chipotle-goat cheese, yuca frites, chimichurri for $17) and the Albondigas (corn fritters, wild mushrooms, tomatillo-basil sauce for $13). Â The drinks were also delicious. Â My wife tried both Margaritas, with the better of the two going to the Margarita Roja. The service was also fantastic. Â New plates and silverware were always switched out with each new entree and our water was always replenished. Decor and interior was also very nice. Not a lot of tables keep this place intimate and cozy. You also get a view of the open kitchen seeing everything that is going on.
Cons: Not many cons with this place. Â I was surprised with the sharing portions and prices, as they recommend three-four entrees for two people which can drive up the cost of the bill. Â I came in thought I would only be spending around $60-$75, but after having four drinks and three entrees, plus tip came out to be around a $100 bill. Â Also, our Fish entree, the Pulpo (Spanish Octopus, house-made chorizo, fingerling potato, scallions, grape tomato, spiced garbanzo, lemon vinaigrette for $18) was a little overpowering and oily with the Chorizo. Â It was good, but not great. Â
Overall, very happy with our experience at Libertad and I will definitely be going back.
This review is based on a New Year's Eve dinner. Â 5 courses plus a very serviceable glass of prosecco; we each added a very tasty Mojito. Â
Reservations were limited; we went with an early one. Â This is not the place for a slow dine; the courses came out with swift regularity and we were finsihed in under an hour! However, nothing really seemed rushed and the courses were small enough so that each course could be enjoyed.
The Chefery here is outstanding; the second through the fourt courses were particularly tasty: Risotto with Lobster, sweet peas, Chamomille and Habanero sauce (mildly spicy and sweet); perfectly cooked Chilean Sea Bass with fennel puree, beet relish and a saffron Mandarin Salsa (foamy and sweet, with a creamy orange flavor up front); Â medium rare lamb chops with mushrooms, potatoes, leeks and a mint chimichurri sauce- perfect.
Place is small (seats around 44) and noisy, but not noisier than alot of other places; the regular menu has some very tasty sounding dishes, so we will certainly be back.
Libertad is a not-so-hidden gem in Skokie. It is booked solid many weekend evenings, and there is no secret why: the food is mouth-watering, cocktails are craft, the interior is classy, and the price point cannot be beat.
Try the manhattan made with tequila, the beet salad, carne asada, really, anything. The servers are happy to accommodate your special requests. My pregnant friend requested a sparkling water with lime in a wine glass, no problem! Goat cheese on the side of a side of  yuca frites. The owner frequently comes around to check in on guests, and servers attentively yet unassuming lay monitor the level I the water glasses.
Hurry to Libertad! Andele!
Dearest Libertad,
I love your food! I love your drinks! I love your price point! I love your staff!
I'm no longer in Chicago, but I sincerely miss the Calabaza! Will visit you as soon as we make our way back to the Midwest.
Drink recommendation: margarita natural! Food recommendation: EVERYTHING!
I wish I could say this was a hidden gem, but people seem to know about it, as the only reservation we could get the week before for a Saturday night was at 5:45. When we left at 7:15, people were congregating at the bar, waiting for tables. It's not a large place - maybe 30ish seats.
It's worth the wait. It's tapas style, so we shared The Asian pear salad (comes with a lot of greens - a large portion), the remolacha (beets especially were delish), the albondigas (great after two salads, and really tasty), but the star was the tempura poblano pepper stuffed with goat cheese. A bit of a kick, but really excellent.
Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and maple ice cream for dessert.
Dinner for 2, no drinks, set us back $50. Worth it, IMO.
Horrible Experience ! I  Ate here Friday night. The resto called earlier in the day to confirm my 6:15 reservation for a party of two. Shame on me, but I was running late, so I called just before my res. time to let them know I was running 10-15 minutes late. The same gentleman I spoke w/earlier answered the phone again and said that was fine. When we arrived at Libertad around 6:27, the hostess took a few min.  to seat us, although there were probably  4-5 tables empty. But, before letting us sit down at our table, she said that we could choose to sit at the bar or our original table, but there was another reservation coming in at ?(I couldn't really hear her bc it was pretty loud in there.).  We chose to sit at our table, since we ALSO made a res. Our server came to our table quickly and the 1st thing she said was, "I know you're in a rush, so I can take your drink order whenever you're ready." Rush??  We weren't in a rush, THEY were rushing us out from the very beginning. We ignored her rudeness & ordered.  Throughout dinner, the server kept asking us how we were doing in a rushful manner. The busser even asked us a few times if he could take our plates away when there was still food on it. Then, the server puts the check on our table & tells us she will take it whenever we are ready. We still had half of our food left on our plates & my glass of wine was still half full. My friend had an empty glass. She had to ask the busser for another glass. They were already out of the Malbec at 7:47 on a Fri. night. THEN, the manager came to our table and told us he's sorry, but we were told at the start of our meal that Libertad was going to need our table for another res. My friend told him that asking us to leave was horrible customer service. He said, "I'm really sorry, but it's our policy that we only hold your table for 1 hour and 15 minutes." My friend said that was a ridiculous policy, especially for a Friday night. He said he was sorry, but the hostess told us when she seated us. I told him Open Table should state the 1 hr 15 min policy or it should be stated on the Libertad website, and I should have been forewarned about the policy when I called to confirm my res. or, when I called the second time and said I was going to be late. He blamed the hostess and said he would talk to her bc she should have told us. BUT, I KNOW HE was the person I spoke to both times on the phone; I recognized his voice and distinct accent. I told him I could have made my res. at another resto, that would not have kicked us out. He just kept apologizing. Finally, I said I was just going to finish eating my plate of food. He responded, well, the other party has already been waiting for 30 minutes. Seriously??  You're not going to let me eat my food? Then you should have sat us at one of the empty two tops along the wall that we saw when we came in(He was waiting to combine our two-top w/ the two-top next to us for a party of six.). He was honestly a very nice man, but a VERY POOR manager. So, after 5-10 min. he gave us a $15 gift certificate to use for next time. My friend said we were never coming back, and to pls. take the $15 off of our check. He left. Meanwhile, the server came back and asked if she could get us anything else. We were furious. We told her how we wanted another round of drinks & to order dessert, & how she rudely put the check on our table while we were still eating. Do you know what she said to us? "They MADE me drop off the check."  Horrible, horrible customer service! Eventually, the server came back & said the manager took care of our whole bill, which I honestly thought that was the least he could do. Strange that he didn't tell us himself.  We moved up to the bar and ordered our 2nd round of drinks, since we never got to order them at our table. The bartender was very nice & did not rush us. The manager also took care of our drinks, but never came back to check on us or try to remedy the situation himself.  I just want you to know that the 1 hr 15 min policy only applied to us, bc we actually timed the other tables around us. They ALL ate longer than 1 hr and 15 min. We didn't see any of them being asked to leave. I honestly don't know if they were just so rude to us bc we were only a party of two, or if someone messed up w/the reservations/seating. Just be sure that if you ever eat at Libertad, and think you might be taking longer than 1 hr and 15 min to eat, that you make sure when you confirm your res. that you will not be forced out of your table.
Oh, I was so upset with the service that I forgot to say that the food was really good. The octopus was SO TASTY! I was just so disappointed with the way we were treated. Libertad did not give us the "freedom" to enjoy our meal. We will not make a res. here again for a very long time. If you like small plates & want great service, then you should try Avec, The Publican, Two, Nellcote, The Girl and the Goat, Davanti Enoteca, Sable, Prasino . Â . Â .
I was really torn between 3 or 4 stars. Â This is a small tapas style restaurant. Â The interior was on the dark side. Â Noisy. Â Tight. Â This is an adult only restaurant. Â Not for kids at all. Â Sophisticated, refined, and upper crust with a hint of "laid back" atmosphere. Â
If you like "girl and goat" type of restaurant, then 5 stars. Â Food was very unique, very tasty, and very interesting.
If you like trendy, then 4 stars. Â Food was very unique, very tasty, and very interesting. Â
If you just like good eats, then I give it my 3 stars. Â Just not my type of place. Â The service was decent. Â Acceptable. Â I did miss the waitress or someone to explain the unique food. Come'on. Â Your a trendy, unique place. Â Take some time to explain. Â
I did order and try about 8 of the 15 items. Â All were good and I liked some more then others. Â My favorite was the venison and the crabcake. Â You need to be adventurous with this type of place. Â I was. Â
Bottom line is I was not satisfied.
Phenomenal! The menu is always changing but I haven't tried one thing I didn't love. The Asada is juicy and packed with flavor, the Scallops are mouth watering, and all the desserts are incredible! The drinks are also something to be desired. Go in now and get the pumpkin stuffed with crab, it's seasonal and delicious!
Ask to sit in Shannon's section when you go, because she is the BEST!
Great service, amazing food, and a warm environment. Very pricey, and the dishes are small, but soooo worth it! Go with friends, order several dishes, and share!
Suburban restaurant with a city feel. Â In fact, I almost forget I was in the suburbs considering it was 9 PM and the restaurant was still full. Â The food is fantastic. Â There were six of us dining, so we ordered a lot. Â
What we tasted:
Calabaza: Â One of my favorite dishes of the night. Â Acorn squash stuffed with wild mushroom risotto, a flawless fall creation. Â
Poblano: Very similar to chile relleno, but with a fabulous twist. Â The goat cheese made this dish magical. Â Also, the salsa de' arbol spiced up the dish nicely. Â
Hummus: Â Exactly what you would expect with Mexican infused hummus. Â The chipotle added some great boldness. Â
Camarones: Liked this shrimp dish, but wasn't my favorite. Â I wasn't a huge fan of the texture of the shrimp. Â
Scallops: Ridiculous...I will definitely be going back to Libertad just to have this dish again. Â The scallops were cooked perfectly, and the flavors were incredible. My only complaint would be the long beans, I felt they were a little stringy. Â
Calabasita: Â This dish had a beautiful presentation. Â I loved that the crab was stuffed inside a pumpkin. Â However, it was my least favorite dish of the night. Â I didn't like the crab, which was the main part of the entree. Â
Great portion size, especially for tapas. Â This is a fantastic restaurant, well worth the drive to Skokie.
Since moving to Skokie about a year ago, I have to admit that I still look to Chicago for the fine dining scene. However, since Libertad has opened up, I'm glad that I have somewhere close to home to go when I'm feelin' fancy! The decor was nice and reflected the food well: rustic but refined.
First of all, do yourself a favor and get the Hummingbird Mojito! The glass is jam-packed with blueberries, raspberries, and barely tasted of alcohol at all. This drink is perfect -- if you are like me -- if you are a lightweight lover of fruits!
In terms of entrees, I very much enjoyed the crab cakes. The texture was light and fluffy, but at the same time crunchy with the apples, onions, and cucumbers. I thought that the jalapeno mayonnaise was done very well and, in addition to the avocados, added a creamy texture to the dish too. I also liked the roasted beet salad (but I am admittedly a bit biased because I am a fiend for beets!). I liked the use of watercress and I also liked the truffle vinaigrette; however, I would have preferred a more finely-shaven cheese, or perhaps a type of cheese that had a stronger flavor to match the dressing.
The skate wing was frankly a bit disappointing. While the skate itself was done perfectly, I thought that the rice and vegetables were too sweet. The acorn squash risotto seemed a bit on the underseasoned side.
The best part of the meal was definitely the yuzu butter cake. Simple and unpretentious, and yet unique and very much refreshing.
This is one of my fave places in the burbs ever.
Order anything on the menu, but my faves are:
- Hummus (i could eat a plate of those chappati tortillas alone).
- Scallops (i wanted to lick the plate)
- Beet Salad (simple yet with punches of flavor)
- Pork Belly (there's pork belly. there's egg. it's a win-win)
The cocktails are delicious, I especially liked the Ginger Sangria and the Hummingbird Mojito. The outdoor seating is to-die-for cute, but the surrounding herb/pepper garden attracts bugs.
We enjoyed our meal very much, I strongly recommend Libertad. Â
Our meal consisted of acorn squash stuffed with risotto (my wife's favorite plate of the evening), seared scallops with black rice in a habanero butter sauce (my favorite plate of the evening), seared porkbelly with a fried egg (liked, but didn't love) and chocolate cake with nutella ice cream (again my wife enjoyed).
The service was good, informed and attentive. Â The atmosphere was lively without being too much. Â
We are definitely going back to try several plates that looked quite interesting (e.g., pear salad, skate, venison, skirt steak).
I live in Skokie, so I was very excited to try Libertad. Â My husband and I tried to go once before but it was a weekend and we didn't have a reservation. Â Even on a weekday (we went tonight, Wednesday) we still needed a reservation, FYI.
I read a bunch of yelp reviews so I would have a better idea of what to order. Â That whole "small plates" thing... yeah, not really. Â The dishes were definitely larger than a typical tapas restaurant.
For appetizers we ordered
1. Â the Poblano (a stuffed and fried poblano with a spicy delicious sauce). Â It was HUGE. Â Three people could easily split this dish as an ap. Â It was seriously freaking good.
2. Â The Peara (salad with candied nuts, pears, blue cheese). Â Delicious!
For dinner:
1. Â The venison, which I think was new. Â It was cooked with bacon, brussel sprouts, cauliflower puree, and maybe figs? Â They didn't ask how my husband wanted it cooked so it was very rare, which he doesn't really like. Â The dish was delicious overall (from the bite I had), but he said it was too sweet.
2. Â The Steak (Asada). Â I asked for it medium and it was PERFECT. Â It was truly delicious.
For Dessert:
We split the chocolate cake. Â It was awesome... molten in the center, topped with a caramelized banana and had a side of nutella ice cream. Â Seriously, couldn't ask for better!
Drinks:
1. Â My husband got some kind of beer that was dark and he liked it. Â It didn't make me make the beer face (kind of a scrunched up ... ew... I will never like beer face).
2. Â I got the Sangria (much talked about in yelp reviews). Â It was delicious, but not more so than any other white sangria. Â
So other than what I've already written my other complaint is that the tables are so close together that if you have a butt (which I do) you feel like you're putting it in someone's table to get into your own table. Â I felt this way at blackbird too. Â I hate that. Â Before we left they moved two tables together for a party of four which made the space between tables much more reasonable, but seriously... Â you sell food. Â Why would you actively discourage fat people from wanting to come to your restaurant?
OH libertad, how much do i love you? and love you for being in skokie!
in the last 3 weeks, i been to libertad 3 times. i can become little obsessive. first time, i sat at the bar. second time, i sat outside. third time, i sat at a table. the outdoor patio is  nice (if you don't peek over) they grow herbs and some vegetables outside in planters box, just like how my ma' does it, - home grown. bar is do-able when you can't get a table. bartender is helpful and attentive. little loud in the inside (i don't mind), most pleasant on their patio. all the waiters/waitresses have been great. big props to the guys running the food and collecting your plates. on my 3rd visit, one of the owners came by to say hello. i tried half of what's on the menu and here's the verdict.
here are my picks:
-Squash Risotto - I eaten this to the bare plate! It's all edible.
-Scallops - perfectly seared. By far the best scallops I had EVER!
-Beet Salad - that cheese on top, winner.
-Skirt Steak - you wonder what you been eating all along...
-YUZU cake - perfectly tops off.
i had:
-Shrimp - definitely good, a little hard to eat.
-Crab Cakes - delicious, and nice ailoli, would want it to be a little less flimsy.
-Tuna - it's tasty, but the other seafood dishes surpass it.
-Chicken Breast - love the crispy skin and the corn garnish, but portion is quite small
-Chocolate Cake - rich and Nutella ice cream - hello? But, after all the flavors, I felt the yuzu goes down much nicer.
-Cucumber Drink - sweet, but fresh.
-Poblano - I could do without when everything else is so good!
-Chicken Flautas - the only thing I feel they can get rid of.
this is by far the best restaurant around. i love that it's in skokie because there's parking, it's less flashy and all about the food. the bartender told me the owners grew up in skokie and wanted to open up something in their hometown, love that. i can't wait til the menu changes again and try what else they come up with.
So my wife and I find this place on an open table search around 9pm after hitting up home depot, Loews and Menard's... we were hungry and it was late. Â We get there around 9:30pm, plenty of parking in the street (a quarter = 2hours worth of parking, thank you Skokie :D) Â We decide to stay inside since it got a little chillier out, but they do have outdoor seating, which is nice because the street is very nice and quiet at this time. Â The restaurant seems like it doesn't even belong there.
The decor is nice, very Latino contemporary. Â It's not a big place by any means, but that's OK with me. Â We were greeted oh so kindly and had a table ready for us. We sat down immediately and checked out the menu. Â It changes weekly, so its nice that they switch it up. Â I ordered a Spice & Ice Martini which is made with ginger-habanero syrup. Â It gives the drink a nice kick. Â My wife had the ginger sangria, which is killer. Â After finishing my martini i switched over and ordered a glass of the sangria, delicious.
We then proceeded to order. Â We both had the pear salad... deliciously prepared and dressed. Â The cabrales cheese is perfect with the arugula. Â My wife had the veneras(scallops) perfectly seared and came with a delicious black rice that was sauteed in butter... deliciously glutenous. Â I had the crab cake, seared crispy on the outside with one of the tastiest aiolis I've ever had, made with jalapeno. Â I was going to give it 4 stars because they were out of the Skirt Steak and Sashimi, two of which would have been my top orders, but then i thought, the place f'ing rocked out! Â Had to give it 5 stars. Â I need to get back there and try the skirt steak and sashimi. Â I hope they serve mussels soon.
Overall this place is a gem and I really hope it doesn't move too far from its roots. It's creative, the staff was great, our waiter Hugo was courteous and very helpful in ordering. Â We cannot wait to go back. Â It has a small bar in the corner, great for a late snack and having a drink alone or with a friend. Â It feels like it can get crowded but it has a friendly casual atmosphere that I don't think anyone minds.
I've gone for dinner twice after my last review, and Libertad continues to impress. Â You can't go wrong with anything on their menu. Â I'm close to trying everything on their menu =P Â
I've had a few a of their special mixed drinks and some unique beers, but they're nothing particularly special and a bit pricey (over $6 for beers and $10 for mixed). Â Sitting at the bar is pretty interesting while watching the cooks do their stuff.
How do I even begin describing the best meal I've had in years???
My beau and I went to the movies in Evanston and decided to go to Libertad in Skokie as they are relatively close. Never in a million years would I have thought a restaurant in Skokie would deliver something so amazing.
Hugo, our server, was great. He was attentive but not overbearing. He seemed to be in charge of the entire room but always kept his eye on each table stopping by to pour wine or pick up dishes.
We began with the salmon sashimi. A-freaking-mazing. It was thinly sliced with a small piece of citrus and avocado on top of it. Drizzled over each piece was a soy sauce/habernero sauce that completely changed what could have been an Asian dish to something I have never tasted before. This was my favorite course, but by no means were the others lacking.
We then shared the scallops with black rice and the flank steak with frites. The scallops were cooked perfectly and were so buttery rich. The black rice had some sort of berry infused in it that just brought down the heaviness of the buttery sauce. The steak was juicy, medium rare to perfection, and atop the most beautiful tomatoes. The tomatoes made for a great foundation and really enhanced the flavors of the steak.
We then had a dessert, can't remember which one, that was okay. But by then, I was so happy with dinner, I didn't care! Normally, my beau and I frequent BYOB restaurants. I wish it was BYOB, but it's a nice place to go if you know ahead of time you'll spend about 50 bucks a piece with drinks. And worth every penny.
If I could give the food ten stars I would. I wanted to lick the plates. I wish it was all you can eat cause I'd still be there dining on that sashimi.
We will go back to Libertad. In fact, we wanted to go Sunday morning for brunch! It's worth the drive from the city. Be sure to make a reservation as they get busy! Because of that, the noise level is a bit high but we didn't mind. I'm trying to think of a drawback and can't think of one realistic one. Love, love, love Libertad!!!
Ok, this place deserves the 5 star reviews they get. I am impressed.
Things to note: you absolutely should have a reservation if you're going to come during a busy time, as I did. Our only choice was to be served outside - which, as it was late on a Friday, turned out to be a good decision. It was starting to cool down outside and so we were practically the only people sitting outside. When we walked in it was incredibly noisy and crammed looking inside, so the patio is definitely a good choice.
So let's explain Libertad - it's a very fusion-y restaurant with a lot of Spanish and Middle Eastern influence. Which to me, is excellent.
We ordered the entire vegetarian list of options, plus ordered the Hard Cider and the wife ordered the White Sangria. Service was good and extremely prompt and well done for the entire meal. I tend to drink an enormous amount of water with my meal, so to have them paying attention and refilling often is never expected or required, but a nice touch. Definitely professional service all around.
I don't think I liked the Hard Cider, at least that's my personal opinion.I know that the wife did enjoy the fruity sangria.
So let's cut to the real deal: the vegetarian choices.
We got:
Remolacha
Peras
Poblano
Hummus
Calabaza
and for Dessert: the Butter Yuzu Cake.
Since this essentially meant: 2 salads, 1 equivalent to appetizer and two main courses, that's how we handled the food. So first they brought out the Remolacha and the Peras. The Peras was a salad with candied pecans, pears, arugula and cheese over a balsamic vinaigrette. I absolutely loved this salad - presentation was good and taste was good. I've had this of many varieties at Spanish themed restaurants but this was the first time with Candied pecans. Then the Remolacha, a beet salad with watercress, mandarin oranges and manchego. For those who don't know, I could eat manchego until I explode - so also great (thanks Spain for hooking me on that stuff - Whole foods too).
Then came that awesome spicy hummus intermezzo - the chipotle spices were noted  (I think they put some Ancho chillies in it, but definitely good).
Then came the tempura fried Poblano pepper and the Calabaza, an acorn squash with some amazing Risotto inside of it. Absolutely amazing, and excellent dishes. This chef really goes over the top. A tempura fried Poblano pepper with goat cheese and tofu among other things inside? Creative! And appropriately/artistically laid out.
then we finished off with the butter yuzu cake, which had a tarragon sauce with it. Very unique, and I've never had it before.
Then again, this place is pricey - but you do get what you paid for. I've uploaded photos of the entire meal. It may have come to about $100 ($88 including tax, 2 white sangrias, the cider and everything above), but I'll definitely be back again. Absolutely a meal to explore for anyone - and for my case most importantly, a great choice for vegetarians as well.
2 1/2 stars
Went for birthday dinner with group of 9. Â Since it was very hot, sat inside. Â Very noisy and darker than it needed to be, lights were fading in and out at times. Â Hard to read the menu. Food was good, some things better than others, but overall, just above average. The biggest issue I had was with the service. It was awkward and inattentive. Waiter gave minimal guidance on how best to order, and after taking our "appetizer" and "main course" orders, did not check back in with us to see if we wanted to order more (which, I understood was the way their small plate concept was supposed to work.) Â Desserts were nice. Â I just think you could do better at a Spanish tapas restaurant.
Amazing food! I've read yelp reviews before heading over to the restaurant and was a little bit nervous about having it be over-hyped. Â The food here is no joke. I was very surprised at how delicious each and every dish we ordered was and how quickly the orders came out. Â We only ordered 3 dishes (for 3 people). Â Previous reviews said the portion sizes are small but they were sufficient enough for us. Â Here's what we ordered:
Calabaza: acorn squash, wild mushroom risotto, chile de árbol, truffle oil
- DEEEELICIOUS and highly recommend you don't leave without trying this
Asada:skirt steak, tomatoes, chipotle-goat cheese, yuca frites, chimichurri
-also very tasty. Â we ordered medium-rare and it was little bit on the tougher side but still enjoyed every last bite of it. Â It comes with crispy yuca frites on top of the asada which were also fun to eat.
Pastel de Cangrejo:jumbo lump crab cake, jalapeño-cucumber-avocado relish,jalapeño aioli
-yummy...although it was my least favorite of the 3. still very delicious!
The downside to the restaurant is their prices. Â I don't know how often I can treat myself to Libertad with the prices. Â However, the food is amazing and a great spot for a date or celebration. Â I was very pleased with the quality of the food, the speed of the service and would definitely go back there again!
Very disappointing! After reading all the wonderfully yelp reviews, I thought hubby and I were going to have a fantastic repast... We went home very dissatisfied. The 2 stars are for the patio, drinks, and our waitress.
Tip - make an opentable reservation and request the patio. I don't know how anyone can enjoy their meal inside. It's noisy and you will smell from the open kitchen. That said, the patio is quite pleasant.
We enjoyed our drinks. Hubby had a good beer and I had the ice drink. The mixologist is great. I also tried the Roja with hum. It was delicious too.
Our waitress was fine. I saw a lot of complaints about the service on yelp. Our service was fine, but we saw a couple walk out because they were refused the seat they wanted on the patio. The patio was practically empty at the time.
On to the food... Which the majority of yelpers love. So here is another point of view to consider.
We had the hummus app. The hummus was good. It was served with a large handmade corn tortilla. This was the best dish was had. However, the tortilla was greasy. I actually liked it that way...but others may not. We had a lot of hummus left and asked for another tortilla... $3 extra ended up on the bill. Not a big deal... But still.
Second course: I had the sashimi salmon and hubby had the scallops. The salmon had 4 pieces with a nice sauce, however, the salmon itself had tough stringy fat running through it and was difficult to cut. The rice in hubby's scallops was good, however the scallops were tasteless.
We were both still hungry :-( Â so we ordered the steak asada to share. Again, the sauce was good, but the steak was chewy. Hubby was underwhelmed!
I read about the butter cake for dessert, so we ordered one to share. It was a stale yellow muffin cut into 4 pieces with a tablespoon of ice cream with it. It had a nice minty sauce and some candied citrus peel that was good. The cake was just too dry to enjoy. To add to the disappointment, my coffee cup was dirty with old coffee stains. I noticed it only after I drank enough to see them. Blah! :-P
We tried Libertad... We won't be back. Too bad... They have a nice patio.
Its not a 5 star review because of some service issues. Â The drink was awesome!! Â I had a margarita which was delicious. Â My boyfriend had the drink that was like an apple mojito. Â It was refreshing and not too sweet but maybe too much ice. Â My friend had the Humm-Cello which was probably the best of the table. Â It was spicy and sweet and tart at the same time. Â A layered interesting drink!
I can't speak for the wild boar b/c I didn't have it but that was part of the service issue. Â It was like they forgot it and then forgot it again. Â
So here's the deal. Â We got there before 6. Â The place is small but there seemed to be plenty of seats. Â We got the old, we could seat you but you have to be out by 7. I remember them saying an hour and 40 but I didn't think we were there that early. Â Regardless I say yes but us leaving by 7 is up to YOU. Â Ha ha.
Our waitress was super friendly and there seemed to be a ton of people busing, working the open kitchen etc. Â But at first it was a little clunky. Â You know how you just want to order but they keep coming back without asking what you want to order. Â We had that. Â So we order and its fired out quickly. Â First the beet salad. Â Delicious but no whiff of truffle (is this a trend? Â you say truffle in the description but then its not there?) Â chicken flautas which were crispy and super delicious. Â There was some heat in the sauce. Â Then the crab cake which was a highlight. Â Crispy w/o being burned, lots of lump and it looked like a Skinny Cow sandwich! Â The scallops with black rice was creamy and seared nicely. Â Maybe a little underdone but I'm ok w/ raw scallop. Â
They give you fresh plates and silverware which is a plus!! Â But after the seafood course the guy forgot to give my boyfriend a fork. Â LOL! Â I gave him mine since I was out on the boar. Â
Then we wait. Â And wait. Â And wait. Â I see stuff coming out of the kitchen. Â The tables around us get courses and checks. Â We're wondering if they forgot but then we see our waitress saying something to the kitchen. Â Then more waiting. Â Then the manager guy who told us that we needed to be out by 7 comes over to say sorry. Â That was nice but he quickly scrammed when he got a hint of our frustration. Â I was only able to get out the, "ok because we've been waiting a REALLY LONG TIME for it." Â But then we waited and waited. Â I was confused b/c its braised so its not like they needed to fire it up.
Then in came. Â My boyfriend really liked it. Â My friend said that it wasn't hot/a little cold in spots. Â We waited 25 mins for this dish!
So sorry but I couldn't leave w/o trying the chocolate cake w/ nutella ice cream. Â I could see the waitress was hoping that we were just wanting the check but I rarely come out to Skokie. Â It came right away and we ate it in 20 seconds. Â OMG it was like brownie dough with a crispy outside. Â So good!!! Â They comped dessert which was nice of them.
So we were like 20 mins past but satisfied with our meal. Â If I were seeing a show at the Northlight Theater I would definitely come back but I'd definitely call ahead even if you're getting there at 5:30!
It's a very nice setting, quite modern and an upbeat step in dining for the downtown Skokie area. Â The downtown area here is not a happening place, so for the Skokie crowd it's THE place to be dining. Â I would bet for a lot of locals that don't often dine in Chicago, this would be their 4 or 5 star dining experience. Â
Some family and friends keep exalting praises for the brunch here. Â They said it's affordable, with dishes under ten dollars, nice food presentation and excellent tastes. Â Libertad at night is a tapas place with dishes ranging from vegetarian priced at about $10 +, meats ranging in price from $14+, etc. Â Portions are miniscule and the menu states that for a couple (two people), at least two to three dishes should be ordered. Â Each! Â I found the menu to be limiting & too short. Â For the pricing, tapas plates could be bigger. Â Or, I've been spoiled with some of the places I'm used to going to in the city. Â If I'm ordering three plates at $14 a pop, they better rock my socks off. Â Which wasn't the case.
For drinks, they offer a few import beers, IPA's etc. Â I wish they offered a proper drinks menu with margarita pitchers, caipirinha or mojitos. Â I wasn't too impressed with the food. Â I liked the space. Â Also, the Men's room is so huge, if it was located in a night club, marvelous things could happen in there. Â Its two tone walls, stone flooring and completely decked in automatic services. Â Cool.
If viewing photos try to take a second look on a PC, rather than from your smart phone. Â Dishes are smaller than they appear to be. Â I can't say I'd repeat dinner, though I am still looking forward to brunch. Eventually.
I'm being too hard on the place, like I said above, most would find this as a suitable 4 or 5 star dining experience. Â For now, it's a 3.5 for me.
My first 2 thoughts upon arriving at Libertad:
- "OMG, 2 hours of parking for a quarter? Â ONLY one quarter? Â Unbelievable!" Â (I almost wanted to stay parked there for 8 hours just because I could with just a dollar!)
- "Dark, mysterious restaurant-front you have here, Libertad" (very unassuming)
A warm, fuzzy experience was had by me, myself, and my stomach. Â The menu is everything I want to be and more: compact, robust, and flavorful. Â WIth roughly 15 tapas offerings, I'm thinking Libertad can deliver on all of the selections really well. Â It only took me 3.9 nanoseconds to choose the duck dish, served atop celery root puree and with caramelized rum pineapples. Â Man, that duck was so tender and juicy.
LIbertad offers a feisty cocktail and dessert (3 offerings) menu too. Â J and I split the apple crisp with butter hazelnut ice cream. Â I mean, really, can you go wrong with anything with butter in the name? Â I thoroughly enjoyed my tequila apple mint drink.
Service throughout the whole dining experience was so friendly and warm. Â And how can I not leave absolutely loving this place when I got compliments on my outfit and earrings? Â (It doesn't take much, does it?)
I really wanted to give Libertad 5 stars, but when it came down to it, shelling out $37 for a drink, one tapas dish, and a shared dessert seems steep.
Skokie's been having a bit of revival in their downtown area. Once inhabited only by the excellent library, now there's several excellent restaurants and a bakery that are all worth visiting and revisiting.
I've been to Libertad more than a handful of times. Most of my initial visits were for lunch when they still had it (they might bring it back in the spring/summer) but I've now been to dinner three times. Each time has been excellent. The presentations are thoughtful, the ingredients fresh, and the concepts are far from the standard Latin presentations.
The asada and the hummus are two standouts for me though. If you they're still on the menu when you go, you should definitely try them out.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
