Tapas Las Ramblas

Had a group of 16 out for my birthday a couple weekends ago. The Sangria was addictive and flowing. We had a fantastic waiter, Dan I think, who takes so much pride in the place that you'd think he was part-owner. The food is fantastic. The standards like the shrimp diablo and the patatas bravas and then specialty dishes like the seared scallops and the bacon-wrapped dates. I really love this place and am so lucky I finally tried it after being in the neighborhood since 2010. I'm a big fan of some of the other tapas places here in Chicago but this is my favorite. My party was a huge success and our bill ended up being like $55 with tax and tip but we were all stuffed and buzzing quite nicely. I'd take the group there again in a heartbeat. I just noticed yesterday that they are closed for kitchen renovations until further notice.

I've been here twice already, both times last October, so I'm not sure why I haven't reviewed it yet.

It's the usual tapas-style dining and mimics all the same dishes that every other tapas place does in the city; what I like about it though is that it's in a great neighborhood, not bogged down by socialites and lah-dee-dah's of Wrigleyville/Lincoln Park/Loop.

Other than the staple dishes I order at any tapas restaurant (caprese salad, goat cheese and tomato sauce, shrimp w/garlic lemon butter sauce (Emilio's is better), and other miscellaneous dishes), I had a blood orange mimosa which was delicioso and their flourless chocolate cake was absolutely heavenly.

Love to come here for girl's night out once in awhile as it's, again, such a great neighborhood.

The above mediocre rating is not to say that Tapas Las Ramblas is bad (it's really not) but I'm on record around these here parts saying that tapas restaurants in general offer similar quality/menus and Tapas Las Ramblas is no different, just a little bit worse.

As evidence, I've been here three times and each time I thought it was my first before I got there.  I think its lack of imprint on my memory succinctly sums up its mediocrity.