El Che Steakhouse & Bar

I came here because of TikTok! While in town accompanying my husband I came across someone reviewing the Marde Plata and knew I had to come try for date night.Our reservations were for 9:30. Once we arrived parking was easy there is a lot right across the steer. We were seated quickly in an intimate area. I was so excited to try this dish you have no idea. My husband ordered a filet. The Marde Plata is so good! The saw they lather it in this tasty buttery garlic sauce that taste great on anything. I love how the plate the fries at the table. My favorite from the dish was the oysters. Second the fries and scallops. The shrimp do come with the head still on which is gross to me but I was able to cut them off. I'm not a lobster person but my husband enjoyed that part too. It is a tad salty which I think the potato's help soak up. I brought leftovers home and enjoyed it so much the day after. It's definitely a "treat yourself" type of dish at the price point but worth it.We ordered a few rounds of drinks, I a cosmo and my husband a bottled beer. Our server was very quick. I did not order dessert which I regret. The table next to us did and whatever they ordered looked delicious! Maybe next time I'll try. 10/10 experience

So the place is small and very dark love the darkness but the table size are pretty small you could smell your next door neighbor, but I was ok let's make the best of it you know. Our server was pretty cool at the beginning I order a pink peppercorn Paloma a must to order if you visit also 2 empanadas one and one, let me tell you yummy yummy yummy I order a third one the corn and cheese one. Two tables down to us a couple had order mar de plata that I would highly recommend and they had a N. Y strip steak aged I believe that the waiter mention, so I told him bring us the same and I mention to him at the same time,Well that's were everything started to go down hill he brought us the mar de plata first and then the steak later and he never came back to ask us was everything was good or ok. The gentleman that helps him I forgot his name but he was on top of his game correcting all the waiters mistakes. Then the general manager brought his four friends and they sit them next to us and the waiter that was taking care of us really forgot about us, we enjoyed our mar de plata and our really juicy steak that was cooked to perfection.One of the managers a young lady came by and I explained what was happening she apologized for what was happening and she offer us dessert on them and then at the end when we received our bill she took care of our drinks as well, thank you very much and it wasn't necessary but thank you again. I didn't leave a tip for the waiter but I did take care of the gentelman that was helping him he went beyond on making my visit wonderful. I forgot his name as well but he was bold and latino thank you so much brother.Will definitely visit El Che again......the food and the drinks were really good. Four stars have to take one for the waiter that forgot about us.

Is this my favorite steakhouse in the city? Yes it is.Simple but effective everything is cooked with a passion and the flavor is out of this world. The best empanadas I've ever had and the Italian beef filling is actually better than any beef I've had in the city.The whole fish was perfect, so succulent and topped with a chimichurri I nearly ate the entire fish myself. Only caveat is the fish is not de-boned so buyer beware. The steak frites are absolutely immaculate. A 10oz center cut ribeye with beef fat fries what's more to want? We nearly licked the plate clean. Even after dinner we still saved room for dessert glad we did because it was truly special. The service was great and the vibes are just right. A great place just to come have a cocktail sit at the bar, order a steak get dessert; that's sounds like a pretty perfect night to me. They also make a killer caipirnha.

Overall, it was a good experience. This is a nicely decorated spot, and it fits in well in the West Loop neighborhood. We had a reservation, and we were seated right away. The server was hard to understand with his mask on and the noise level, but we managed. We started with the Provelera, which I highly recommend. I had the 16 oz Ribeye, which was cooked perfectly. My wife had the steak frites. Her steak was also perfect. The fries are made with beef fat, which elevates them. I also ordered a side of Papas Bravas. I only had one bite, as they are rich and too over the top paired with everything else we had ordered. It was my wife's birthday, so they came out with a complimentary sundae, which was much appreciated.

Excellent food and ambience. If you any steak you can't go wrong here. Plus lots of great sides and dessert as well. Celebrated a birthday with the party steak platter. Totally worth it!

I really enjoyed my first visit to El Che on a recent Sunday evening. My wife and i were celebrating our anniversary and were greeted accordingly and received a just-perfect treat for dessert.This is what a destination restaurant is all about - making sure the entire experience is just right for everyone-each dish was expertly plated and the sauces and quality of ingredients were top-notch!The Romaine Wedge was a great version of same and was a nice portion for two to start. The Whole Fish was a branzino that was crispy, yet firm and the spice and sauce was terrific. The 14 oz Prime Ribeye was outstanding-imagine your steak being cooked exactly as you enjoy with just the right amount of flavor throughout! Two sides quality as must try in my book-the Mushroom & Polenta was just creamy-enough, while the Japanese Sweet Potatoes were perfect.Well-crafted cocktails, with four different house Old-Fashioned varieties and the vast South American wine selection. We will be back for sure!

Just make a reservation and go. This place is so worth it. I came for dinner and luckily got a spot by the bar. The place is so inviting and has a such cool ambience. A great place for date night. I ordered an old-fashioned but with rum, Buenos Aires style. The bartender did warn me that the drink spirit forward, but I thought the drink was great. They caramelize the sugar and coat the glass before they pour in the drink. As you're sipping, you can use the little spoon to stir up the sugar depending on how sweet you want to mix the drink. I thought this was fantastic! For my entrée, I ordered the Wagyu flap steak. It came out perfectly cooked, medium rare. They also gave me different sauces. One was a salsa. One was a green chimichurri and the last one was a red chimichurri. The red and the green chimichurri really balanced well together. I highly recommend dipping your steak in those two sauces. This restaurant is definitely one of my favorites in Chicago. My experience was fantastic and the food was so good! I highly recommend this place.

Tik tok got me. I saw that dang seafood platter and hurried my bun on over. TWICE. lol The platter has oysters, prawns, scallops, and half of lobster. It's enough seafood for four people to have one piece of each. They top it with fries and a lobster butter. It's very tasty but a bit "pricey" $210 for the tower. The char from the fire does wonders for the meal. I recently went the second time for my birthday and had the ribeye and potatoes. The ribeye was great and potatoes were good but a bit too much sauce for me. The service has been great both times I've visited. The restaurant is a bit dark and can get warm from the open fire. Def will be back when I'm in the mood for a treat

Great Vibe, nice drinks, beautifully plated food. Nice service in a smaller dark location perfect for a date night.

I was so excited to try out El Che after seeing a viral video of the platter. We had reservations for 9:30 and were seated immediately. It was pretty lively, and with the open window concept, I felt pretty satisfied in my seat catching a nice breeze. The MarDe Plata was truly the star of the show. I wish I could have gotten the shrimp without the head but other than that everything was devoured. It was my first time trying oysters, and it might be my last because of the texture but the house shellfish butter was so good it gave everything flavor and spice. The plata is basically a fancy seafood boil. 10/10 I even brought leftovers home, and let them marinate overnight to enjoy it even more in the morning.The steak was juicy. The margarita was strong. For dessert, the wonderful waiter let me get Chocolate gelato on the molten chocolate cake as a substitute for the coconut. Next time, I will try it with Carmel. I wish the cake was sweeter, but it was still good.