CU is an excellent place, despite some of the negative reviews complaining about the food quality, portion sizes, prices, or service. Since discovering it five months ago, my bride and I have already returned twice. The food has been remarkable each time, with generous portions and prompt, attentive service. As for the prices, they are clearly printed on the menu, so there should be no surprises. We look forward to coming back again. read more

Craft Urban - New American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

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Brought some friends to this hip restaurant on Stolp Island. Craft Urban is one of those places that plays loud music you can hear on the patio. It actually is one of the area's several pretty okay restaurants. For sure better than yet another chain. The prices are kind of high and the menu is kind of limited to be honest. A restaurant that has a big bar in front. It's big enough that there's plenty more room for tables. This is also a restaurant that has an open kitchen so you can see them cooking from even the patio or wherever. Just expensive. That's about the worst thing about it. It's about $8 for a basic cocktail. The nicer ones are a lot more. It's about $19 for an entree. Limited choices here for vegetarians. I got the Pasta Pomodoro. This is pasta with basil, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan which I left off, and tomato sauce. It wasn't a large amount. The rest of the menu has meaty items like burgers and Italian beef sandwiches. For sure it's a nice place for the area. It's open for lunch and dinner daily so go any time. The doors even list it as being open until "whenever." read more

Craft Urban - Whiskey And The Pasta Pomodoro - New American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

My husband and I have been here twice and I cannot recommend it enough. The food is so good - you can taste the kitchen's attention to detail in every bite. We have gotten the biscuits both times we've been, and I can't stop thinking about them. I can also enthusiastically recommend the short rib, the pastas, the lo mein, and the chocolate mousse dessert. Great cocktails, great service, and awesome vibes. Love it here. read more

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This spot is just okay. We came before a show at The Paramount as we have done other times. Their happy hour is pretty great but I feel like there used to be more food options paired with the drinks. We sat at the bar and ordered a cocktail, mocktail, an asian noodle dish and the burger. The drinks were great, but the food was just bad this time. The noodle dish was awful and the burger was so undercooked I couldn't eat it. For the price, you have got to be able to cook a burger correctly... it's really not a hard thing to mess up. Because we sat in the bar area the service wasn't great and we left disappointed. This is twice in a row we've left feeling this way, so we will not be back. read more

The food is okay. Would I come back-probably not. They did have a decent number of gluten free options. Both my husband and I were wishing we had veggies with our meals. My husband got the chicken and I got the brisket with cheddar jalapeño polenta. Sauce was too rich. Carrots?? Something! Maybe a dinner salad? We ordered the cheese curds for an appetizer and there were a bunch of veggies in that-of course deep fried. Cute enough space. Our waitress was a little odd. Probably a nice stop before going to the Paramount. Still...just ok read more

Despite what other reviews say, the food portions are pretty good. But for the price point (ain't cheap), I felt a bit short changed. The food was also off when it comes to seasoning, either too much or too little. The breakfast was so salty it was almost inedible. The service was extremely hit or miss. Our (female) server was good, but the other male server was useless. Not only did multiple groups stand there waiting to be seated while looking at multiple empty tables, but the busboy did most of the serving for his tables while he ran around doing...nothing. It has both inside and outside seating, with an open kitchen, so it's got a nice atmosphere. It's unlikely I'll be returning. read more

A lovely stop for a drink and a bite before the theatre. Our bartender was attentive and not too chatty. The space has an industrial but cozy feel, like you are at a family bar. I had the Mushroom Risotto and it was delicious. read more

Craft Urban - Seasonal Menu - New American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

Great service. Cool risotto to share. Generous amount of shrooms and asparagus. Manhattan was yummy. Got an Italian beef w homemade giardinara. Good! Could have used a lot more gardinaria , but that's me. Hubby's burger was good. But "uninspired". Can't compare to Alchemist in Geneva. But all things are a matter of taste aren't they! read more

We saw a matinee performance of Frozen at The Paramount yesterday and after the show we went this new-to-us restaurant for a post-theater dinner. It was great to walk just a couple streets over to dine at Craft Urban after the musical. Someone at my Pilates club recommended this restaurant to me. So glad we went. When you walk in, there's a bar area across from the kitchen with a few tables close to the kitchen. Past the bar there's the dining room and also stairs for a second level dining room. My husband started with an old-fashioned, which was on point. For dinner, I had the butternut squash gnocchi and my husband had the pork chop. I only had about a dozen gnocchi on my plate so my dish wasn't filling. The gnocchi, though, were light and pillowy - just a small portion. My husband's pork was slightly pink but still a little dry. The taste of the pork was very good. I know, because I snagged a few bites. We decided not to get an appetizer like we usually do when we saw the dessert on the Sunday specials. We split a yummy ice cream sundae made with Graham's cinnamon ice cream with apple pie filling and chunks of pie crust. Yes, please! We had great service from Masha, who was attentive and friendly. I liked that the manager Stephanie came by our table for a chat. You could tell she cares about her customers as I saw her going about the restaurant visiting tables. It really matters to me when management takes the time to stop by. In reading other reviews, portion size is an issue with others and also the restaurant charge. I can agree with the portion size, but read your bill as it clearly states you can ask them to remove the small restaurant fee. I'm happy to have another decent restaurant in downtown Aurora to go to after we enjoy a performance at the Paramount. I'll definitely be back, and I do recommend it for your pre-or post-theater dining. read more

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First time there. Squeezed us in on a Saturday night without a reservation. Will return. Great service. Friendly. Everyone passing by was attentive to our table. Delicious cocktails and nachos. I can't handle a ton of spice. Nachos a little messy to eat without melted cheese to hold stuff on. Beans wouldn't stay on nachos. Chunks of meat flavorful. Pickled peppers and onions weren't overpowering. I normally hate a cheese sauce on nachos but this was delicious. Salty in a great way. Very fresh chips. Seasonal cocktail specials delicious $13 each. Reasonable for strength and care to prepare. An apple a day and chicks before pricks were my favorites. My husband enjoyed the Clare witch project and the espresso martini. They were good I just don't like whiskey or Tito's. Looking forward to returning for entrees. Great outdoor patio for when weather warmer. read more

Craft Urban - New drink specials. Delicious! - New American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

So tasty!! Def try the buffalo cauliflower! Soooo delicious! And the Korean chicken tacos were also great! Our server Katie was amazing! Def make a reservation, and give yourself plenty of time if you are catching a show, as the kitchen has trouble keeping up with orders. But my friend and I had a great well-paces dinner, 1 hr 40 mins, made our show, and didn't feel rushed! read more

Craft Urban - This is the "chicks before d!cks" drink special! - New American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

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More like "Understaft Urban." Two stars because the food is undeniably good, but overpriced considering the struggle to locate a server at any given time. read more

Service was good. Food was over priced for the quality and quantity. My wife's chicken dish, the escabeche was extremely over seasoned and very salty, and she likes salt. I had the burger, nothing special. Great looking place and service but the food is lacking unfortunately. read more

Made a reservation and were seated about 10 mins later. We asked to be seated outside so maybe that's why we had to wait a little bit but no big deal. Restaurant was about 50% full; maybe less. I liked the vibe of the outside, the patio was very nice and the music got progressively better as the night went on. Overall the food was pretty good. The tacos were a bit watery though so the tortillas were a bit doggy. The drinks were good - I especially enjoyed the High Five. read more

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Great burgers, friendly staff, awesome decor and art. This is a wonderful date night. I went for the Monday 1/2 price burgers and finished with the seasonal sundae. This one was a chocolate strawberry. Delicious! read more

Craft Urban - Seasonal sundae. - New American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

We went during happy hour and left sad, sober and hungry, ugh! They had no good bar food selections. No wine is served there and no sweet, fruity drinks. Very cheap liquor. Not worth going there!! read more

The food service and atmosphere were great! Server was attentive, food came out quick but not fast! Been back several times with same experience each time! Drinks are tasty as well if you like paper planes! read more

Our party of six arrived at the restaurant at 5:30 for a 7 PM show. This gave us more than enough time for dinner before the theater last night and we told the server that we had theater tickets. Beverages took a long time to arrive, 20 minutes and dinner FINALLY came at 6:20 PM. This was not enough time to enjoy the VERY OVERPRICED meal. My hamburger was no more than a quarter pounder, I looked in the bun for the meat. The fish was very oversalted, and the steak was sliced into three small pieces. The short ribs were very short, one small piece of meat on the plate. To add insult to injury, the 20% was not earned and unacceptable. read more

Absolutely spot on! Italian beef sammie was D-licious! Katie's service was excellent! And what a great vibe. Can't wait to visit the patio in the warm weather! read more

Over the past summer I discovered this location and the one in Geneva by biking past it. Last night we had a chance to stop and give it a try. Seemed like fate as I had gone on two rides during the day and I was damn hungry. The menu here isn't very big, but the dozen or so entree choices have a good range - most will find several dishes that they enjoy. Brisket is my thing and a brisket burger isn't something that you see on many menu's, so I went with it. This was mouth-wateringly good..so much so that in my hungry state, I could have had another. Well, probably not, but it was that good! The dish came with a side of fries but I believe they had other sides to choose from. I also learned that burgers are half off on Monday's..so I can tell you when I'll be back. My wife had the "The World's Best Nacho's" as they were called on the menu. She wasn't ready to give them that much credit, but did really enjoy them. They have a solid beer beverage menu here with a full bar where they can make just about anything. I'm a beer guy and found an Oktoberfest Marzen by On Tour Brewing in Chicago that really hit the spot. Really loved the atmosphere here. I enjoy art and really enjoyed the large wall mural with several pieces of art hanging throughout the restaurant. Service was great and quick. I'm really looking forward to our next stop in. Cheers! read more

Craft Urban - New American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

The Painkiller cocktail in this place was well worth the $14.50!! Tasty and strong! Nice ambiance and bar area! My food was decent the service was good and I plan on stopping back in again to try the fish and have another Painkiller lol. read more

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Very meh on everything....food was bland and super small portions, drinks were lackluster and service was mid. I regret trying this location. I'm surprised that they're still open. With all the fantastic options available don't spend your $ here. read more

We love to come here for happy hour and the late night ramen at the end of the week. The wait staff is always attentive and friendly. Micheal always gave great suggestions for drinks. The vibes are cozy and fun with a beautiful mural painted on the wall. read more

Cute place. Attentive server. Came for brunch. One of our group had the cheeseburger and fries and really enjoyed it . Another breakfast sandwich and liked it. I had the breakfast fried rice with pork and chicken which both were tender. The dish was a little too salty for my taste. It came with scrambled eggs but if they gave an option of over easy etc that dish could have been elevated to another level. read more

Craft Urban - Breakfast fried rice - New American Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

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We went after the theatre today and had a wonderful experience. Amanda was our server and was exceptional. I will ask for her station on my next reservation. It was whiskey Wednesday so that made it even better. The pork chop was so tasty and prepared to perfection. Thank you. We will be back after tonight's experience. read more

Giving this place a three only because my first time experience was good. Now my second time around, was horrible. No hate on our waitress, Claire though-- she was amazing! The indoor seating area looks really nice and has paintings on the walls. There is outdoor seating and they have a fire-pit as well! My siblings and I (5 of us total) went in at 9pm and there were barely any customers seated. Tell me why it took them about 10-15 mins to seat us. The water tasted like dirt -- completely not exaggerating but it was bad. We then ordered and were VERY excited to try the ramen. We specifically were there for the ramen. Ramen had absolutely no flavor. The flavor of the broth tasted like water. We also had the burger and our bread was pretty dry. I would go back here for another chance. If I do, it would be for the dessert. We had the sundae and it was delicious! Loved the hints of lemon in it. read more

DONOT EAT HERE! Service is extremely slow, prices are too high for what is served, and we were not only charged a 20% gratituity unbeknownst we were also charged 3x our amount! We were given the run around when asked to speak with a manager was told they were not there, then told they'd be in at 11 the next day then told management wouldn't be in til 3pm the following day. The girl then told us we couldn't get a refund only credit on our next visit! NO! We want our money back and will be contacting the BBB! ​ read more

This place is perfectly tucked away and the ambiance/atmosphere is incredible. I love the multiple seating options. Fun art on the wall and a real modern but comfortable feel. The service was great and the food was delicious. I had a Pilsner (ok, a few..) and my wife had the My Boy Blue drink which was kind of unique and tasty. She was a fan and got two. The cheese curds were interesting. I did not care much for the sauce it came with but it wasn't awful, just not my flavor. The fried pickle slices and onions that came with it were a nice touch. Overall, a great experience and I highly recommend. Great for the Paramount crowd like us! read more

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Had an amazing date night!!! The pork chop was exquisite . The bacon jam was oooooweeee. The ribeye was tender and scrumptious . Jason was our server and he was professional and timely. We'l see you again soon Oh and the ambiance was really nice. I took a screen shot of the Cab I drank because it was tasty and paired well with my cheese curds. Job well done tonight!! Happy Customer read more

Bottomless brunch in the suburbs? Count me all the way in! This is a great space in downtown Aurora. They have several different menus depending on the time / day you're going to eat here. We went on a Saturday because I can't resist a menu that says bottomless mimosas. And yes, they were truly bottomless, unlike some other places in the burbs. The menu covered all of the standard brunch bases. I got the bacon/eggs/toast & my friends ended up getting other meals that looked as equally good. When we went, it was moderately busy so I would recommend making a reservation online. The space is pretty big, and I can't wait to come back and sit in their outdoor area. Our server was the best & was incredibly attentive. Overall, it was a great experience & can't wait to go back! read more

Omg found this place by chance and it does not disappoint! The food is wonderful and so thoughtfully curated. Our waiter CJ was the bomb! He was so attentive, funny and kind! It's nice to go somewhere and have a great rapport with someone! read more

We've dined here a few times before a show at Paramount and had great experiences! The food was tasty, the cocktails are fun, and our service is friendly and knowledgeable. I love the vintage china they use, very charming. read more

Food tastes great and drinks are good, however not enough bang for your buck. Left still feeling hungry after spending $35+ for one person.

This place is excellent! We've been here twice. They are awesome for those of us with gluten sensitivities. My husband is gluten-free and their menu is SO accommodating! Their gluten-free cheese curds are to die for! He doesn't have Celiac disease so I can't speak on that topic. The food was excellent! Outstanding!! We shared a burger, cheese curds and a salad!! I'm sure we'll be back several more times. read more

Disappointed! Hostess was pleasant enough for us 2 not having a reservation and was able to seat us outside. Downhill from then on..placed our order at 6:15 on a Saturday night..15 minutes to get our simple drinks (Chardonnay and can of beer) server came back 10 minutes after that to tell us that they were out of the starter ..the first and top left item on the menu. Took another 10/15 to bring alternative starter. Finally got our burger and Cesar salad and both were disappointing. The Caesar salad a couple scraps of lettuce and some picked onion rings, that's it. I paid over $12 dollars for that ..ugh. Burger was average. Also heard our neighbors express disappointment to staff as well. Ambiance was the only thing we enjoyed. read more

I had the traditional burger. It was good. I substituted the tomato jam for fresh tomatoes. I'm glad I did, tomato jam tasted weird. I was going to get the burger that had pork but could only substitute the nacho cheese with American cheese. What restaurant doesn't have provolone, Swiss, or mozzarella? My friend got the" favorite pot roast" when it came we all laughed. 30 bucks for a small piece of meat on a little mashed potatoes. What happened to veggies and roasted potatoes? Atmosphere was no big deal. I don't know why anyone goes on about this place. Will not visit again. read more

A gluten free dream! I appreciated how the menu was labeled for allergens. We enjoyed the fried cheese curds and pickles as an appetizer. They also had a delicious blueberry cider on tap. For my entree, I had the craft burger on the GF bun with steak fries. The tomato jam was sweet and paired well with the burger and cheese. The fries were large and tasted fresh. They weren't over fried or greasy. My partner had the brisket burger and enjoyed his. For dessert we had the chocolate mousse which was divine. I'll be dreaming of this menu until my next visit. Our waiter and hostess were very friendly and placed us at a nice table. The building itself is unique with great art and a nice view of the river. We went on a Saturday night and they had a DJ as well. read more

Menu very limited. Not enough choices. Prices rather high for the area. Server never asked to refill drinks. Also realize they add 3% for credit card charges. We won't be back read more

We sat outside. Nice DT Aurora location and great service. Had the Buffalo Cauliflower, Caesar salad and pork chops. All were great. A little on the pricey side but not terrible. Will definitely go back. read more

Nice patio and location downtown. Food and drinks were decent. Server was nice. The food didn't blow me away but it was good enough to recommend trying it out. read more