07/27/06

Good serves, greasy tapas bar

by kklive

I went with my boyfriend for the $10- 4 flights of wine and free tapas bar on a Thursday night and we were NOT impressed. The tapas bar was VERY greasy and I dont think was ever refilled (it just sat on the bar with no warming plates for hot food or ice for cold food). We wish we would have ordered the other special they have on Thursday nights- If you order a $15 meal per person (minimum 2 people) you get a free bottle of wine. The meals sounded really good and so do the tapas you order from the regular menu, I watched the waitress walk by with some good looking (and smelling) food. I might give it try again (for the free bottle of wine deal) - but it will take some convincing to get my man to go back. Also, its one of the only places in uptown that they have happy hour valid on their patio.

• Pros: Service, Location, Value
• Cons: Thursday Night Tapas Bar

Modern Italian and Spanish cuisine served in a stylish, vibrant room.

by Contributor

In Short
With its sunshine-yellow walls, ornately tiled bar, live flamenco music and dancing on weekend nights, the atmosphere is fun and festive. Crowded on weekends, couples often opt to enjoy Spanish-style tapas and wine at the curvy tiled bar while groups wait for a tall, metallic table. The frequently changing Italian menu has included inked black spaghetti with squid and seared duck with figs. Tapas feature garlic shrimp, fried calamari and tomato-tuna-egg salad.

05/12/06

La Chef Boyardee

by plaidclad

I made the mistake of visiting La Bodega for a friend's final dinner in town. Myself and a fellow lactose intolerant friend figured we could find something on the menu that would fit our needs. So we ordered a 12 dollar entree with the cheese sauce on the side, expecting there would be some sort of seasoning or.... flavor to our chicken and pasta dish. Without a smothering of sauce the truth was revealed: plain chicken and plain noodles swimming in oil.

This is just the beginning of a night of unpleasent experiences and 'i can't believe this costed this much's'. This was definitly not a good time. Loud music and pretty bland food. I could have saved myself the money and the unpleasentness by opening a can of chef boyardee at home.

• Cons: loud music, bland food, shady service

01/29/06

So much fun!

by mrsrenee

We went early-ish (6 pm, before a play) on a Saturday night and could not have had a better time. When we arrived the bar was 1/3 full, service was prompt and friendly. Our drinks came very quickly and the sangria was tasty! We ordered 2 plates of tapas to start, the green beans (so good!) and the stuffed squid (delicious). We added the chorizo with the polenta (fantastic!) and the Spanish cheese (very good) and were completely satisfied by the amount of food. The bar filled up during our meal, but the service never declined, it remained perfectly attentive. We felt the bill was totally appropriate, not overly high, for the food and drinks. The only thing that could have improved our visit would have been Spanish music - they were playing retro American dance music (BeeGees, B-52's, Bangles) just a bit too loud. Will recommend and return.

• Pros: Food, Location, Ambiance
• Cons: Loud music

11/06/05

GREAT changes!!!

by robertserr

I've been going to La Bodega for years and last week went in and the place was completely different. The tapas room has completely changed. New manager, new staff, new tables, bar, cocktail list and a gorgeous murial on the wall. The food was great and the staff were attentive and polite. The flamenco dancers were fun!! If your looking for more than just some boring meal then check out La Bodega. Call for reservations though as the place was PACKED on Saturday night and we had to wait for a table

• Pros: GREAT atmosphere, great cocktail list, great service

10/19/05

excellent upgrades

by aeongirrl

while stopping in for a quick bite to eat on that corner of Lydale and Lake street La Bodega can hold its own. The dish i ordered was chorizo, light delicate and flavorfull, with a baskett of fresh bread was scrumptious, and the service was excellent.

very moderate on the price and that always appeals to me. Loved the outside seating too but loved the indoor atmosephere and the upgrades added a warm touch. The waitstaff is wonderfull, attentive and fun!

08/28/05

A different experience...

by sal74

Okay. I read the reviews and still went anyway. I made a reservation ahead of time for about six people. I have to say that they were really great about that. More than what I expected. I happened to leave a message and they called me right back to confirm. We were seated right away and got a really good table. Our waitress was wonderful and very attentive too. The food and the atmosphere were both good. The entertainment was loud (hey, it flamenco dancing) but it was wonderful too. I think it works out better as a place to take a large group of people rather than going on a date though. It seems like that's what most people did the night that we went.

09/13/04

tapas pijos?

by calamar

I recently returned from living in Spain for several years so I went here to get my Spanish fix. Maybe Im spoiled but I just dont understand why 3 croquettes should cost $5. Yes, tapas are supposed to be small portions that are eaten with a drink before mealtime. But they should have an acceptable price. And the sangria at around $5 a glass! (A drink thats part cheap wine, part soda, and sugar.) It feels like a money making scheme disguised as Spanish nostalgia. And for those of you who were not happy with the service, do as the Spanish dotip small.

But, I have to admit the ambiance is nice the food is somewhat authentic, and its nice to hear some live Spanish music and if you dont mind the non-Spanish prices, by all means, indulge yourself.

• Pros: Spanishy feeling

04/22/04

So-so

by smileymo

Service was good, but the food I had was pretty mediocre. I ordered off the entree menu - the fusili with chicken, spinach, and gorgonzola. The chicken tasted like the pre-packaged frozen kind you get on salads at a fast-food joint and the spinach was almost invisible. The person I was with called my meal "gourmet macaroni & cheese" - the "gourmet" coming from the use of gorgonzola. For $11, it was definitely not worth it - you get better pasta dishes at Noodles & Company.

• Pros: Quick seating on Thur

01/04/04

Great Tapas Bar!

by crystalemily

My fiancee and I visited La Bodega on our 10th anniversary(a Monday) and had a wonderful time. We were excited to see that there is half price bottles of wine as we love trying new wines! Since it wasn't very busy, our server was attentive. She assisted in the choice of wine and gave us time to decide on each dish. We ordered Caprese, Jamon de Serrano, Mussels, and Patatas Bravas. The Caprese was excellent and fresh, the Jamon was quite salty-perfect cured proscuitto, the Mussels were very tender, and the Patatas were perfect in the spicy sauce along with La Bodega's fresh baked bread. This place is highly recommended on a Monday night! Great experience all around.

• Pros: Variety, Attentive Service, Tasty food
• Cons: Music too loud