Bravo Tapas

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Manly ass slap – ½ star
Fone and fone – 0 stars


Restaurant: Bravo Tapas
Location: 2047 W. Division


If you know me, or if you’re either of the two people who happen to read these reviews, then you know my feelings on tapas. Small plates of food that you’re supposed to share with other people and at the end of the night you end up paying a ton of money for an empty stomach and then have to go out of your way to Taco and Burrito No. 4 just so you don’t go to bed hungry. No thanks. And I think I get the concept. It’s supposed to be a group activity where you share some food and laughs and get to sample everything. The problem is that each plate has so little on it that either not everyone gets a taste or you just get a small sample when what you really want is to eat the whole plate. So you get the waiter’s attention, order another plate, and when it comes everyone sticks their fork in it and all you get is one more bite so you sit back in your chair and sulk for the rest of the night. But maybe that’s just me.

Well, Wicker Park has had a flurry of tapas restaurants open up lately. First it was Del Toro. And then People Lounge opened up just a couple of blocks away, and both places seem to be doing really well. So, I was a little surprised when Bravo, another tapas place, opened up in the area. What could this place have that the other two don’t? I had to find out.

Bravo is located on Division, right next to Inn Joy and Small Bar. Perfect location as far as I’m concerned. See, if you head to the heart of the Wicker Park/Bucktown area (North, Damen and Milwaukee) it’s getting too congested. Everything feels cramped and there are just a too many people around. I’ve said it before, but the area really is becoming Lincoln Park West. And if you love Lincoln Park or Lakeview, then you probably love the heart of Wicker Park. But down on Division there is a lot going on, but less people checking it out. There are just enough people around that you feel like you’re in a happenin’ spot (yeah, I just said “happenin’”. I’m 29 going on 53. Awesome.) but just few enough people to make you feel like you know something that the rest of the city doesn’t know. Enjoy it while it lasts. As the Lincoln Parkers and yuppies (and this is coming from a yuppie) move out of their comfort zone and head half a mile south to Division to check it out then it’s going to be the next hot spot where everyone wants to see or be seen. I can’t wait. And it really is funny how many people (mostly Lincoln Park/Lakeview people) I talk to and explain where I live (a little south of Division in Ukrainian Village) and they have this reaction of, “Oh. Is it OK over there? Isn’t it a little rough? I mean, do you feel safe living there?” I’d tell them to find out for themselves, but then again…

Bravo. They have a big outdoor patio right on Division. The best part of living in Chicago is the 12 days a year that it’s nice out and just about every restaurant has a patio and every patio is packed as residents get out to enjoy the weather knowing that it never seems to last long enough. And the patio at Bravo is great. Plenty of tables right on the sidewalk for great people watching. And the night we were there a band was playing live music that filled the streets. Just a great atmosphere for a Thursday night dinner. Of course my friend Dave emailed me the other day and simply said, “Have you been to Bravo? That place looks like douche bag central.” So, either I’m wrong (which is impossible), I’m a douche bag (which is more than likely), or Dave’s an idiot (I plead the 5th). Maybe you should just go and make your own judgments.

Adding to the great atmosphere was great service. Our server stopped by the right amount of times – not too often, but also not invisible. And he couldn’t have been friendlier. Giving menu advice, asking how we were doing, staying to chat for a minute, but never interrupting the conversation, staring at my wife’s boobs, but in a way that I barely noticed. Just perfect service.

But who cares about all that. The only thing that ever really matters is the food. And we ordered a bunch of it. Here’s a quick rundown (and I apologize in advance for the lack of detail here. I was going to write everything down, as I usually do, but on the menu they had a website, so I just figured I’d head to the website for the details about what we ordered. Needless to say, their website isn’t exactly up to speed):


Chicken Empanadas: Three good-sized empanadas to a plate. Pretty tasty. Not nearly as good as Tango Sur’s, but would get them again in the future. Mostly because I’ll always order fried food when available.

Braised Ribs: Another good portion size. Just a pile of ribs served on a plate. More than enough for two people, and probably better suited for four people. Meat came off the bone easily, and the taste was not too bad. Nothing special, but since there was so much, I’m not going to complain.

Goat Cheese Dip with Toasted Garlic Bread: Probably the second best thing we ordered. Such a simple thing – goat cheese surrounded by some tomato sauce. Pile some cheese and sauce on your little piece of garlic bread, stuff into your mouth and enjoy. And I did just that.

Ceviche: My wife hated this. Too much onion. I loved it. Lot’s of flavor, lots of onion, lots of seafood.

Potatoes: The best dish of the night. Just a huge plateful of potatoes with some great hot sauce type seasoning and a little dish of dip to, well, dip the potatoes in. Really, really good stuff. Again, a huge plate.

Calamari: Not great. I’m going to go ahead and say it – if you’re not going to fry your calamari, then please let me know that ahead of time. I wish I could get all the restaurants in all the world to agree to indicate on their menu weather or not the calamari is fried. It makes a huge difference. This stuff wasn’t fried, and it tasted a little burnt. I didn’t love it. And yes, I ate the whole plate.


Here’s a summary of Bravo – decent food, huge portion sizes, great atmosphere, great service, good prices.


I would go back here. It’s kind of man tapas – big portion sizes of OK food (not great by any means), and reasonably priced. We ordered WAY too much food. This is one of those tapas places where you don’t mind sharing your food, which is rare for me.

I’d for sure go back, but I’m only going to give it a high-five with a manly ass slap. Nothing spectacular, but a solid option if you’re nearby.


Got a question? Send it to born2fork@yahoo.com.