Cafe 28: User Reviews
Cafe 28
1800 W. Irving Park Rd. - Chicago773-528-2883
This was our first visit to Cafe 28 and we can't wait to return. We arrived early so we were seated right away. We were provided with excellent food suggestions by the owner and our server. The traditional Mojito was just ok ( I prefer Frontera or Havana for a Mojito) Loved the Mojito Martini though. Highly recommend Coconut Shrimp, Green Tamales and Bacon Wrapped Dates (wished this portion was a little larger) for appetizers. Our favorite entree was the Salmon but we also liked the Carne a la Parilla and Lamb Chops although next time we will have the Pork Chops. Dessert of Pistachio-Rum Cake and Chocolate Pudding with a cup of the Cafe Cubano. Mighty good. Atmosphere was nice, not too noisy even when the restarant was full. Service was top notch. Parking was no problem (again I was there at 5pm.) Highly recommend!
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I went last week for a birthday party, and was very pleasantly surprised. It is a place I would have driven right by and I'm glad someone else knew of it. The food was incredible - I had a delicious pecan encrusted chicken that was just sinfully delicious and so artfully prepared. The service was great and the small dining room made for a nice evening. I'd definitely recommend it - and go back!
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I have been going here for years! The service, food, and drinks are all great. It can be causal spot as well as a fancy spot. You won't be dissapointed. I've been to brunch and dinner and both are worth writing about. My favorite brunch meal is the spinach bennidict. If you try it, it will soon be on one of your favortie spots as well.
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A friend recommended this restaurant to me and told me I just HAD to go. So I went and now I'll be telling my friends the same thing. The food was great and the service was also great. It was quite busy in there so the wait staff is a little tempted to pull your plate off the table right as you finish, but they're just looking to turn tables so it didn't bother me. I split two entrees with a friend and had the pistachio crusted chicken and some flank steak. I don't normally order chicken from restaurants but she wanted it... well I'm glad we ordered this dish. It had a great crusting and the saffron cream sauce was light but flavorful. Presentation was fine, nothing special. Our flank steak (it was called carne a la parilla or something like that) had a great, spicy flavor and it came with some sauteed veggies and a scoop of rice. The veggies were amazing, and I'm mostly a meat-and-potatoes kinda guy, so it takes some damn-good veggies for me to say something like that. I had some hazelnut gelato filled profiteroles for dessert and someone else had the baked chocolate pudding. Both were very good and were a great finish to a great meal. By the time we left, we had to maneuver through a packed house just to get to the exit. Apparently we're not the only people who have friends who told them to go to Cafe 28.
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My boyfriend took me here. The service was phenomenal- almost too much to the point that we were bothered. The mixed drinks (we tried mojitos and margaritas) were MUCH too sweet - actually disgusting. But the food was incredible. We had the Cubano appetizer, which was composed of ham, polenta, and a unique sauce. Fantastic presentation and a unique, amazing taste. The jalapeno mashed potatoes are out of this world. Almond encusted halibut made for a beautiful and unique, delicious entree. My boyfriend had the duck which was well seasoned and lean (I thought it might be gross and fatty but I was SO wrong). Every dish we tried was FABULOUS!!! A definite favorite for tboh of us who dine out regularly.
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I Love Love Love this Place!!!
By CaribbeanQueen from Rogers Park/Evanston, September 30, 2008
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Cafe 28 is without a doubt one of my favorite places to eat in Chicago. The mojitos are perfect, me and my boyfriend at the time ended up seated at the bar (this place can get a little too crowded sometimes) we joked around with the bartender and he showed his appreciation by uping the alcohol content of our drinks!! Aside from the mojitos, the food is magnificent. Appetizers: the coconut shrimp is to die for (I've ordered some just to take home after my meal), the quesadilla is fabulous with shrimp, the taste of Cuba is lovely. Entrees: Ropa Vieja is delicious and juicy! ...the Halibut is remarkable...Bistec a La Cubana is great....but the very best on their menu is the honey jalapeno porkchops. They give you two huge chops, enough to share the plate....Thick, juicy, sweet, and tender perfectly paired with sweet potatoes. Their Congri is delicious as well as the plantains. I'm half Cuban and truely love this place. I've taken many friends here and haven't recieved one complaint yet. The only downside is the restaurant is on the small side so expect to wait if you go for dinner on the weekend or on a holiday.
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A couple of friends and I went to dinner there over the weekend. We were seated right away. We asked for outdoor seating. It was a very comfortable relaxing type atmosphere. Although I was not impressed with the chairs. The service was great...we had a great waitress...she was knowledgeable and very pleasant. The Mojitos we started out with were the best I had ever had. I ordered the Cuban style Ribeye...which in all honesty I would not recommend. Being a steak lover I never met a steak I didnt love....did not like this one at all...left most of it uneaten. Although I am not a huge Halibut fan...my friend ordered it and so I got a tastet....it was delicious! I also tasted my other friend's dish which was the tuna....that was delicious as well. Apparently I ordered the wrong thing. They were raving about how delicious their meals were while I was very disappointed with mine. I will go back and next time trust the recommendations of the server. The place was very relaxing, service was great. Mojitos were the best. The Halibut and the Tuna dishes...excellent....just stay away from the Cuban Ribeye.
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Cafe 28 is a great place, pure and simple. As others have said, appears to be a neighborhood dive, but certainly is a welcome visit for anyone. I took a friend there from out of town and we both had a great time.
The dinner menu is slightly limited - I expected it would be double-sided, though the Green Tamales proved to be wonderful!
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I live in the neighborhood and Cafe 28 is my old stand-by. I have tried almost eveything on the menu and have never been disappointed.
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You must try the Cuban Chicken! It was great and so were the rice and maduros (sweet plantains) that came with it!!! The chicken quesadillas were really good! All of the flavors were so rich I felt like I had a party going on in my mouth. And the butter that comes with the bread before you’re served you meal was amazing! I asked for extra to take home. I love, love, love Cafe 28 and can't wait to go back!
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Review Summary
The following scores represent the average rating submitted by 76 users:
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