Cuatro

I recently visited Cuatro for dinner on a Friday night. The decor is modern and trendy and the house DJ was playing a good smooth set. Our waiter was great and helpful with answering our questions about the menu. I ordered a pomegranite mojito which was pretty good. We tried the "De Cangrejo" which was a little empanada filled with crab, goat cheese, pico de gallo and some kind of spicy avocado sauce drizzled on top. The sauce was so overpowering it took away from the flavors of the meat and cheese. I would not recommend it. I ordered the filet (medium) with a side of yuca wedges. It came out well done and the wedges were cooked so hard that it almost hurt to bite into them. My fiance ordered the kobe beef burger ($20)which he said was not bad, but was luke warm. Be aware of the ketchup that they serve with the fries. It is extremely spicy and almost took my breath away. Regular ketcup is available upon request. Despite our dinners being a disappointment, the atmosphere was not. There are good looking people, great music and as mentioned our server was excellent. The food is not worth the prices they are charging. I would recommend visiting here for a drink or an appetizer (not the one we ordered!) and then eating elsewhere for dinner.

Pros: Good looking people, great drinks, good music

Cons: Bad food

Posted 08/07/09

I went to Cuatro on a Friday night for dinner around 11:20, with 4 friends (one of which was an out of town guest). We each paid $5 to get in, only to be told by the hostess that they stopped seating at Midnite, and since there were so many people waiting they couldn't guarantee a seat for dinner. So we asked if we could have our $25 back and they refused. This was even after asking for a manager. We were told there was nothing they could do. This leads me to believe that this establishment doesn't care about their customers and/or have NO knowledge of customer service. We felt like it was a scam, being charged to get into a 'restaurant' where you can't actually eat.

Pros: n/a

Cons: LACK of customer service

Posted 04/10/09

Not only is Cuatro situated in one of the best locations in Chicago, the atmosphere yields lots of light and room to prepare yourself for the best drinks and exquisite cuisine Chicago has to offer. If your pallet yearns for lots of different flavors, then you've come to right place. From sweet to savory to spicy, Cuatro has it. In addition, the service is great. Not to mention, the live music if you come at brunch or a night in which the band plays on. Try their chicken (with the spicy sauce) if you like it spicy along with some spicy ketchup for the fries. Don't skimp on this place. You'd be missing a true part of Chicago if you did.

Pros: Food, ambiance, live music, parking and service

Cons: None

Posted 09/21/08

Went to this restaurant at the suggestion of a friend. Should have known it was more about the party atomsphere coming from her. At any rate the food was horrible. I ordered something that had a cream sauce but should have been plaintain. I agree with the other reviews that the food orders were wrong and the service was less than desirable for the pricing. Both me and my boyfriend were amazed at the prices and lack of service to include the horrible food. It is a place to be seen if you can even get in the door of the restaurant. Would not recommend

Pros: place to have drinks; people watch

Cons: horrible food; bad service

Posted 09/07/08

Besides for having to wait, the host was too busy scoping out females for himself to seat my date and I. Our waitress was nice but her extreemly casual language and mannerisms were unwarented. The bar is loud and overwhelming if you are sitting in that area. It is a good atmosphere for drinks but forget about intelligent conversation and food accuracy. Mistakes were made on both of our entrees and needless to say i was irritated and will not be returning!

Cons: staff, kitchen, atmoshpere for dinner

Posted 05/29/08

A large group of friends helped me celebrate my birthday here on a Friday evening and it was an enjoyable experience for everyone. Our waitress was very nice and helpful when it to explaining the menu, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was perfect for a special night out.

Pros: great food, service and atmosphere

Cons: strict "no show" reservation policy

Posted 07/22/07

Food was ok, but half the orders were wrong when the food finally came. The manager was rude and didn't want to be bothered with our troubles. Way too expensive for bad service. I will not be going back. They need to take lessons from other restaurants on how to handle situations or they will continue to loose business.

Pros: Parking

Cons: The manager

Posted 03/12/07

The food was good and the atmosphere/decorating is warm and intimate. However, the service was only so-so and as for prices. Somewhat high to outrageous. a $24 martini??? And adding a dollar to serve a Jameson's neat??? How can you charge extra for NOT using ice?

Pros: Atmosphere

Cons: Service and prices

Posted 11/30/06

I live in the South Loop and have been to this restauerant ever since it opened. I loved the food/service back when they didn't do any music acts and even didn't have a liquir license. However, last couple of times I have gone there, I have found the service to be mediocre and the food to be problematic, especially Salmon is terrible. Even the trout which used to be my favorite has gone downhill lately. I think the only redeeming factor is the music at this restaurant. It is turning into a club rather than a restaurant. I would recommend go there for music and drinks NOT food. By the way, wine list is just average and nobody in the staff seems to know anything about wine, so don't expect any help from the waiting staff on selecting wine.

Pros: Music and decor

Cons: Everything else

Posted 11/27/06

I wasn't very impressed with the decor or the location. The place could do with an additional light fixture around the area close to the hostess' desk.

Anyhow, the salmon ceviche appetizer, served with avocado was to die for. I highly recommend it. I had spicy bbq carribean chicken served with rice and black beans and fried sweet plaintain. It was good but the seasoning was a little overwhelming. The service was excellent, don't remember our server's name. My friend order "insalata caribe" which was served with honeydew in a light dressing very good. She ordered trout served over a bed of what looked like spinach. I did not try it but she was less then enthralled by it. We were both stuffed so we didn't try desert..we didn't wait for the music either. Overall it was a good experience but I don't know that I'll be rushing back there soon.

Pros: Service

Cons: Pricey...for what you get

Posted 11/26/06

This is a must try restaurant! The food is absolutely terrific and the atmosphere is beyond words! This is the type of place that you will never want to leave and come back to to try the whole menu.

Pros: Best Latin food in Chicago

Cons: none

Posted 11/18/06

Despite trepidations upon seeing the somewhat corporate decor, we were very impressed by the quality of the cuisine. The chef is talented. I had the pork chop in a plaintain mole (which was red) and it rivalled the mole of Ixtacapulco (sp?). Like a previous review, our server was casually friendly and knowledgable about the menu. Kind of a mom and pop place, albeit a fancy one. Highly recommended.

Pros: Skilled kitchen.

Cons: Relatively expensive, not necessarily a con, though.

Posted 07/07/06

I recently had lunch at Cuatro, and while I rarely eat dessert at 2:00 in the afternoon, I decided to try the homemade ice. I was blown away by the Pistachio Praline icecream!!! I wanted my lunch partner to try it but it was so good I didn't want to share! I'm planning on returning to try all of the desserts. (BTW...The empanadas are terrific).

Pros: Street Parking is usually available

Cons: Don't order the iceberg lettuce salad

Posted 06/30/06

I ate at Cuatro on the one reviewer that indicated they had been there 5 times. I now understand. Cuatro will be a restaurant I go to on every visit to Chicago & I will recommend it to anyone. You must try the Ceviche de Salmon for your appetizer. If the presentation alone does not impressive you wait until you try it. The bannana chips used to dip into the ceviche add enough crunch to make you want more. I would almost want this as a full meal. The Pinchos de Pollo were so tasty & spicy, if spice is your thing try it. Ahh & the sweet plantains on this dish were delicious and provided a nice balance to the heat from the chicken. I can't wait to visit again, I only hope Sylvio is there to provide the great service he did last time.

Pros: service, quality of food, ambiance

Posted 03/30/06

What can I say. I have been to this restuarant 5 times since it opened and it still blows me away. The short rib slides off the bone and melts in your mouth. Cool atmosphere and friendly servers. It was great before it became so popular b/c you did not have to make reservations. Still worth the wait, but make reservations.

Pros: food, drink, service

Posted 03/03/06

I spent my birthday at Cuatro on a Friday night. This place is HOT. The look, feel, and the people are great looking. Even though we did make reservations a week in advance we still had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated. This is a drawback. The bartender was great our waitress was great but the one thing that was a drawback was that they charge your bill to cut the a cake. Meaning there is a cutting fee if you bring a cake from another location into their restaurant. Overall the drinks, food and the fact that it was my birthday was wonderful!

Posted 02/22/06

Great addition to the South Loop neighborhood. We've been there twice and can't wait go back again. The short ribs are awesome. But make sure you save room for dessert!

Posted 11/24/05