Without even stepping into Macarena Tapas, you can't help but think it has two things going wrong for it. First off, Macarena is in the title, as in that awful Los del Rio mega-hit/dance craze from 1995, a song most of us had mercifully forgotten for about years. Secondly, despite being an upscale Spanish joint, Macarena Tapas sits in the middle of a
Naperville strip mall on Route 59, which is basically a wasteland of strip malls in and of itself.
Fortunately, the scenery, the music, and your culinary perceptions change once you step inside.
Dim-lighting, rustic dcor, and flamenco background music help patrons temporarily imagine themselves in some romantic Barcelona cafe rather than a suburban strip mall. Menu wise, there are few, if any, unsavory dishes, so let's look at must-haves, like croquetas de pollo, a fried, creamy chicken dish that tastes like an eloquent party in your mouth. The patatas bravas, an order of fried potatoes in a fresh, tangy hot sauce, is another cant miss, just like its colder potato brother the tortillas de patatas, a traditional Spanish omelet dish.
With prices from $2.95-$9.95 per tapa, the tab can get a little high if you're not watching what you order, but each dish seems well worth the cost (the waiter during this reviewer's visit even threw in an order of garlic shrimp for no apparent reason; a welcome, if inexplicable, touch).
Of course, no tapas experience is complete without Spanish booze. Spanish beer like Alhambra Lager and Estrella de Galicia, as well as anything off the solid, Hispanic-driven wine list are suitable options, but the sangria will be excruciating to pass up. This is especially true on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, when a glass is - get this - 50 cents! You cant even get a can of PBR for that price. Its a bit of twist, really; in parts of Spain, bars will offer a complementary tapa when you order a drink. Here, you order the tapas first, and get a fruity glass of sangria for virtually nothing. Great deal.
Average cost: $10-$20
Centerstage Reviewer: Andy Seifert
