Coobah

We really enjoyed our first visit to Coobah (at the recommendation of a neighbor) — so sad to hear that it’s closing in favor of yet another pizza place. We liked the food, and the staff was uniformly warm and helpful.
Foodwise, our favorite was the jerk chicken/​plantain jibarito — delicious! Sugarcane Caesar salad was also a treat, a sweet take on a classic. Zarzuela (meat/​seafood stew) was also nice, though a bit more subdued in spices and appearance. For dessert, churros with maple cream were a lovely indulgence. Cappuccino was very good.
At least we got there once, and hope to get back once more before they close (after the dinner service August 17^th)…

Here with my fiancé having amazing Mojitos. The best Mojitos in the city! Hands down! My fiancé brought me here on our first date. Awesome memory! I can’t believe they are closing their doors August 15^th!

I’ve been there only once and I really enjoyed it
I ordered the appetizer as a dinner for myself. It was the shredded jerk chicken jibarito along side with the cheesy potatoes (I can’t quite remember the cheese name) but it was AMAZING. Hands-​down best jibarito in Chicago.
Good music and fun atmosphere, nice place to grab drinks with friends as well

Revisted Coobah last night for dinner, knowing they were closing at the end of the summer. We were seated promptly for our reservation. It was already busy, loud, and lively. However, there was only one waitress taking care of the front and outside seating areas. It took a long time to place orders, grab the check, and pay the bill.
I remembered the food being fantastic before, but now it was just okay. Instead of the large plates, Hubby and I ordered a bunch of the small plates (in order of favorite to least): sweet plantains, chips and guacamole, Sugarcane Caesar, Lumpia, and the Jerk Chicken. The chips were thin and crispy, the perfect thickness and texture. I couldn’t get used to chicken lumpia because I grew up with beef and pork lumpia, so the texture and taste threw me off. The waitress said the Jerk Chicken wasn’t too spicy, but it was for me. The sweetness of the sugarcane give the salad a refreshing twist.
So maybe there was a reason I hadn’t been back for years! Looking forward to the new Coalfire opening instead.

I brought a dude here for his birthday and thought it would be a nice treat since he likes the latin asian/​filipino fusion thing. The ambiance was relaxed and waitstaff seemed down-​to-​earth. I requested the staff to put some special Happy Birthday notes inside the napkins prior to our arrival. Service was great. The request was done. And to surprise us both, the staff brought out a delicious brownie cake and icecream with a candle on top. Very sweet. I loved our waiter. He was just very warm, pleasant, and attentive to our needs. I totally forgot his name. I am a terrible person. I know.
The food menu itself was ok. We had some empanadas for the appetizer that tasted ok. It’s hard to step away from the one’s I’ve had at family gatherings and the ones I make that are baked rather than fried. The jibarito was different and good. It was sweet and kind of tangy. That was probably the best thing we ate there. We also had the duroc pork. It tasted a bit too salty and rich. There were different layers of ingredients, but all the textures were soft. I would have liked differences in texture and flavor to break up the richness and saltiness of the entrée. We also had some kind of seafood soup, which was supposedly amazing, but the broth tasted very simple, and there was not as many sea creatures as I would want in the soup.
THE BEST THING — THE DRINKS. La Paloma and Black and Strappy are freaking delicious. If I could do it all over again, I’d have just these drinks, the jibarito, and maybe some more fried plantains on the side. Bottom line, this place is great for a random night with friends having drinks and snacks.

Great menu with a mix of Asian and Spanish influences tapas style. Def try the jibarito with sweet plantains and jerk chck. Wine and beer selection is also good and love the wine and beer specials (½ price wine bottles on WED). Outdoor patio right on southport is really nice and roomy. Service is just ok.

I’m so sad this place is closing!
I went here for dinner and ordered appetizers. We had the guacamole, fundido, jibarito, side of plantains, and the shrimp dish.
The guacamole was great, and the homemade chips were delicious. I loved the fundido and the jibarito. Their plantains? Some of the best I’ve had in Chicago! Delicious! I took a bunch home and had them for breakfast the next morning, ha.
Go here before it closes. It is a great addition to the Southport area that will be missed.

Thumbs all the way up!
Appetizers, dinner, and desserts were
.
I have not one complaint.
I’m not even mad that they didn’t have my reservation in their system for my mother in laws bday (even though I called the day before)…
We all left smiling.
Thank you Coobah!

Outstanding first experience at Coobah. We started with Caipirinhas and decided to go the tapas route. Tommy the waiter was very friendly and suggested we just order as we go. We started with some very fresh, zesty guacamole. The next dish, scallops, were probably the low light of the meal although still good. We then enjoyed the fundido. The fundido came with 3 delicious sauces, the best of which was a spicy cherry mix.
Overall terrific atmosphere and experience. Would definitely recommend.

Went to Coobah for Sunday morning brunch and had the most delicious biscuits and gravy known to mankind. Normally, I am not a biscuits and gravy type of gal; I prefer something sweet or something cheesy. But, Coobah’s biscuits with arugula and chorizo gravy is dynamically savory and balanced — spicy, buttery and warm, without being too heavy. Amazing.
I also tried the tator tots dusted with chili powder and was pleasantly surprised. The tator tots are delicious and have a mild spice without being «hot.»
My friend ordered the crab cake benedict and enjoyed it (but not as much as my biscuits and gravy). The crab cake was sweet and moist, and the dish was overall delicious.
Service was great — our waiter was very nice and seemed to genuinely enjoy working at Coobah. Overall, I loved it and can’t wait to return to try the dinner menu.

Can’t find the Cuban… Cu-​ban.
Can’t find the Cuban… Cu-​ban.
Can’t find the Cuban.
I can’t see it so I’m salivating at the mouth.
Cuban is neither big nor small.
Cuban is the main dish of it all.
I try to rock it in my palate.
I try to chow it down.
I try to cram it back in my mouth, yeah, but…
Can’t find the Cuban… Cu-​ban.
Can’t find the Cuban… Cu-​ban.
Can’t find the Cuban…
I can’t see it ’til I’m ready to get out. Yeah.
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
So, as it turns out, Coobah was (is?) owned by the former drummer of the band whose lyrics I just cribbed and twisted for purposes of this review. I’m referring to Chicago’s own Veruca Salt, yeah. You remember the song. And Nina Gordon is still completely on fire — sort of like Coobah.
Coobah is sort of an Asian-​Latin fusion: Coobah Fushah. It seems to be a bit of Asian, a dab of South American, a dash of Cuban and a sprinkling of Caribbean in general, mon-​san. Don’t ask me, as I’m no expert with my rudimentary palate which has only recently expanded to nibble here and there on the verge of these ethnic cuisines.
Coobah’s ambiance is rustic décor with a relaxed vibe under sounds of light alt-​rock emanating from the speakers. As the night goes on, the edge of the tunes increases as does the volume. That’s not a totally bad thing. As for the crowd, look for mostly couples and groups of youngish ladies. There’s also a bar in the front. Consider this your Coobah Cliff Notes, players.
One look at Coobah’s menu is enough to scare a dude who eats like I do, but I soldiered on like Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders and found victory with the following:
Big ‘ol glass o’ wine
Canna Tecate
Jibarito
Fundido
And the aforementioned Cuban.
Everything was absolutely delicious. I was proud of myself for making these calls and then demolishing them on the battlefield.
And the ambiance was just perfect. I liked the hi-​top in the window.
The only thing lacking was the timing of the service of the Cuban. For whatever reason, it was literally 25 minutes after we finished the Jibarito and Fundido when the Cuban finally arrived. After waiting that long you start to feel silly and uncomfortable for doing so. The patience did pay off because the Cuban was excellent. I loved how the sweet pickle instead of a dill pickle rounded out this sandwich. And the potatoes weren’t too shabby either. Service was otherwise outstanding, as was everything else about Coobah.
Because of the one slight glitch, which I am going to overlook going forward, I’m going to give you four stars, Coobah, even though I feel you’re really five stars.
I’ll be back to cram your delicious grub back in my mouth again, yeah.

Came to this place with some friends. It was overall a good experience. 4 stars for the drinks — we had mojitos and sangria.
We had a brazilian stew, jibarito, braised short ribs, plantains, the cheese/​chorizo dip, chilaquiles, and some other small plates.
The food was good — not amazing — but quite good. The braised short rib was the highlight and the plantains pleased as always.
I highly recommend for drinks and apps. This is a perfect first stop for a progressive dinner.

We tried this because of a LivingSocial deal. Firstly, some of the table placements are awkward. We were seated right next to the hostess which made for some interesting dinner conversation.
We started with the Guacamole and chips which were good. Not the best I’ve had, but still good. Our deal also came with margaritas for two, which were quite powerful. I later ordered a sangria but it had a rather strong wine flavor. This may be for some people — but not for me. Basically I like sugary sweet goodness that tastes nothing like actual alcohol.
The Chicken Negra Modelo was amazing! Whatever the glaze is beneath this — I want it on everything. Seriously, get this dish. The vegetarian seared dumplings were good, but not great. The quinoa had a kick to it — which I appreciated. My friend said she liked it but wouldn’t order it again, however.

Came here for brunch.
Fiancé got the empanada and tater tots. It was really good!
I got the Breakfast Buritto which was also really good! Super filling!
Bus boy service was amazing but server only came to take order and bring check, but never came to check on us.

I was pleasantly surprised by Coobah! I came here after scouring Unilocal for a Saturday night reservation, and this was one of the only places that seemed half-​way decent with availability. I am glad I tried it out!
The atmosphere is pretty casual, but the food was delicious! Ordered the guacamole, seared scallops, jibarito, and shrimp. In a time crunch, I was happy the food came out quickly and piping hot from the kitchen. Everything was awesome. Seafood was fresh, guacamole was a massive portion, and the jibarito had a great blend of flavors.
Drinks were good; however, didn’t seem to be strong. If I’m ever in the neighborhood, I’d come by again.

A few friends and I were looking for a brunch place to enjoy some great breakfast and conversation to catch up. And after walking a few miles (my buddy severely underestimated the distance to the intended restaurant) and learning that there was a 1 hr wait to get food at where we had initially planned, we started wandering the streets like lost vagabonds with growling stomachs.
Enter Unilocal mobile. What’s that? Coobah is nearby? No wait? Great reviews on Unilocal?Time for us to book it…
We walked in to find a dimly lit bar-​like restaurant (likely for those suffering hang overs) with eager and friendly service. Some Cuban coffee to start, and we easily picked out 5 – 6 six things on the menu that sounded interesting and worth trying.
Sides: We ordered up a side of beans, plantains, and tater tots dusted with spice for trying. Plantains were likely my clear favorite, followed by tater tots (who doesn’t enjoy tater tots in any fashion?), with the spicy beans coming in third. They were good, don’t get me wrong, but weren’t as good as the other options.
Had a cubano sandwich, which was toasted nicely, delicious flavors, and filled me just right for brunch without being so full that I needed to pass out. Well, maybe close. =)
Verdict: A mash of Asian and Cuban/​Latin cuisine, it was definitely a unique and delicious experience I could go back for. The price point is slightly cheaper than local brunch spots in the area, but still in line for Wrigleyville area pricing.

Let me paint you a word picture:
Some friends and I were hungry so we walked down Southport looking for dinner. We stumbled upon Coobah, saw the menu outside, and decided to check it out. The first question we were asked was if we had a reservation. Um, no. We said we would completely understand if they couldn’t accommodate us and could go somewhere else. But they said it was a fine and the waiter threw a table together in the backroom and sat us.

Okay… the waiter wasn’t the kindest to us and acted like we were an inconvenience while he literally waited for another party to arrive the back room… which they didn’t until the end our meal. So seriously dude, chill out. Your restaurant is getting more business and we’re paying customers!
But besides the service, I had a stellar mojito! Super clean and crisp taste! However, my braised short rib dish was just okay. Very tender but a bit salty. Truth be told, I’ve had better. And lastly, two words come to mind: Over Priced! If I only I had Unilocaled this place prior to coming, I would have known. But, I’m glad I tried it. The rest of my party seemed to have enjoyed their food. Maybe I’ll come back (with a reservation!!!), try a new dish, and hopefully get a friendlier server. I can only hope!

My friends and I came here on Thursday night as a walk in but were seated right away.
Our server, Braulio, was awesome throughout our meal, recommending dishes that we wouldn’t have normally selected but absolutely loved. He made sure our drinks were alway full and that his recommendations were being enjoyed.
We started with a few beers, sangria (which is delicious, not too sweet) and guac and chips. The guac was enough for 4 people to share and really good. We went with medium heat but thought it was rather mild.
We decided to share a number of dishes since everything sounded amazing.
— feijoada — a special that was truly delicious. The large portion was enough for the four of us to have a small taste. It was a slightly different take on the Brazilian stew, but very tasty. It almost had a sweetness to it with chunks of beef and small bits of bacon and pork. The white rice soaked up the flavorful sauce well. I would have an enjoyed a whole portion for myself.
— scallops — perfectly seared and delicious with a mango salsa, creamy cauliflower purée and an awesome spicy tomato jam. Loved the complimentary flavors. Comes with three scallops.
— shrimp appetizer — I really like this dish, which came with about 10 small and perfectly cooked shrimp in an amazing sauce that sweetened with honey but had heat with a hint of garlic. I’m so glad this dish came with toasted bread so I could soak up the amazing sauce. Absolutely loved this dish.
— jibarito — our server recommended this chicken dish, which was really good. The pulled chicken went perfectly with the savory plantains. It was an interesting combination but super yummy. It was also filling and a nice portion to share.
–fundido — although I couldn’t try this, everyone at my table raved about this dish. It was like a cheese pizza like dish. We had to order another portion since everyone liked it so much.
— piña colada bread pudding — another recommendation by our server that was really good. It wasn’t overly sweet with little chunks of fresh pineapple and sweet coconut ice cream. I don’t even like bread pudding but this was really outstanding for dessert.
— churros — sugary fried deliciousness. These mini churros came with a small cup of caramel sauce, which I went to town on. This is a great dessert to share.
Overall it was a fantastic meal. It was fun sharing so many options and the portions were large enough to fill us up. We weren’t stuffed but definitely satisfied. The ambiance is very nice as well with soft lighting, enjoyable music and fun décor. I would definitely go back again.

No more empanadas?! I think my world just ended when the waitress confirmed this. I love empanadas and I was looking forward to having some at Coobah that other reviewers raved about. Sigh okay now what do I get? Oh chihuahua cheese and chorizo? I’m sold! A glass of sangria (
) for me and a palma louca beer for the boyfriend.
The fundio (
): charred house-​made pork chorizo and Chihuahua cheese served with warm flour tortillas was just okay. It’s definitely skimpy in size and cheese, they could serve a bigger portion. I didn’t even have enough for all of the tortillas served with it.
I went with the pork bicol (
): seared pork tenderloin and crispy pork belly with coconut arancini, pineapple-​bacon chutney, wilted arugula and adobo glaze served with banana hush puppies was pretty decent. The pork tenderloin was moist and well seasoned, but the crispy pork belly was extremely dry, which I’m disappointed about because pork belly has to be one of my favorite food, luckily their was some glazed. Pineapple-​bacon chutney with witted arugula was quite delicious and tasty and the banana hush puppies was pretty good, I would of liked more sweetness to them.
My boyfriend got the hanger steak (
): grilled hanger steak with chipotle mashed potatoes, served with pickled red onions, a cider-​soy gastrique and a chipotle crema, which upon receiving his first comment was where’s the meat? The portions here are indeed small, no wonder the couple next to us both had their own starters and entrée. He thought the hanger steak was cooked perfectly, but lacks seasoning and his food was served cool versus being warm/​hot.
The service: when we had place our order the waitress didn’t bother to write down anything and she had asked me something again and all I heard was «sangria» so I said okay. She than brought out a pitcher of it and I said oh no, did you say pitcher? I meant a glass. She rolled her eyes at me and became very prissy than made an arm gesture that it was fine we can keep it. Okay everything is cool right? Well, in the middle of our dinner service she grabs the pitcher of sangria and takes it away without any explanation! Okay, I thought you said it was fine? Oh she also forgot the palma louca beer until we reminded her.
Upon receiving our bill she charged us for both glasses of sangria, which I was frustrated about because I would of told her to take back the second glass if she didn’t gesture to us that it everything was fine, when we paid and got our change she told us she removed one of the sangria, which okay fine I’ll take that.
Overall, the food was meh, I’ve experience better and the waitress’ attitude needs to be checked. I don’t need you rolling your eyes at me and really taking away something after you already gave the guests an «everything is fine» gesture? Not cool in my books.

The food at Coobah is definitely a warm welcome from the surrounding options. Not your typical burgers and fries but instead interesting and unique dishes that vary from Latin to Asian. I had the vegetable pan seared dumplings which were very tasty. I also sampled the calamari, scallops, and jerk chicken salad (which were all great).
The atmosphere didn’t match the food, but it was still nice (at least the patio seating). Inside sounded a little noisy though. Service was efficient and friendly. Would definitely come back again!
Atmosphere: ⁷⁄₁₀
Service: 7.5÷10
Food: ⁸⁄₁₀

One of the BEST dining experiences!
I had a travelzoo certificate here for a 3 course meal with sangrias.
For the appetizer we ordered the JIBARITO (FIERY JERKED CHICKEN LAYERED BETWEEN CARAMELIZED PLANTAINS AND SERVED WITH RED ONION-​ORANGE ESCABECHE /​8.5)…
It was to die for! Every bite had amazing, luscious flavor! It was sweet and spicy and just so delicious. and not that tobasco disgusting spicy that I hate, but that foreign flavorful spice that doesn’t hurt your stomach! The appetizer was by FAR the best dish we had. If I lived closer to the restaurant I would call in an order right now!
For the entrees I ordered the PORK BICOL (SEARED PORK TENDERLOIN AND CRISPY PORK BELLY WITH COCONUT ARANCINI, PINEAPPLE-​BACON CHUTNEY, WILTED ARUGULA AND ADOBO GLAZE /​21).
I absolutely loved the pineapple chutney. It was the best part of the dish! Oh who am I kidding, the whole dish was the best part of the dish! The meat was perfect and everything that came with it… the flavors came together so perfectly!
My boyfriend ordered the ZARZUELA (RUSTIC CATALONIAN SEAFOOD DISH WITH SHRIMP, SCALLOPS, CHICKEN AND SPANISH CHORIZO COOKED IN WHITE WINE AND ROASTED TOMATOES. SERVED WITH GRILLED BAGUETTE /​21)
This dish was definitely enjoyable. The chick was not necessary though. The scallops were tender and succulent and so damn flavorful (I stole a couple from my bfs dish for my own enjoyment). He said that the roasted tomatoes in wine was the best part! He made sure to have the tomatoes in every bite of seafood he made!
For the dessert we got the… ok I forgot the name, but it had chile sauce on it! Ok I’ll be honest, I was scared of the dish at first, but it worked! I couldnt even feel the spice!
The décor is cute, yet the place is a bit crammed, a LOT of people in a small space, but it works! You get to know the people around you! Oh it is all part of the Coobah experience! The wait staff is amazing, and very helpful!
Just writing this review left me craving some Jibarito!!!
If you want an extremely delicious meal at affordable prices. Go to Coobah!!!