It was a beautiful day so we decided to do some shopping in the area with the intention of eating at another restaurant. However when we walked past 8 Bar, the patio area just looked too nice to pass up. We weren't all that hungry so we decided to order a few appetizers instead of full entrees. We got the French onion soup, burrata, shrimp cocktail and oysters. I was a big fan of the burrata! The baguette was so nicely toasted and the tomatoes went perfectly with the cheese. The shrimp cocktail surprised me- I initially thought it would be regular sized shrimp in higher quantity, but instead they came out with 4 ginormous shrimp. It came with standard cocktail sauce, butter and garlic aioli, of which the butter was definitely my favorite. The oysters were a little small for 3 dollars a piece but I get it, it's not exactly oyster season. They tasted pretty fresh though and sweet which I like (not a huge fan of salty oysters). Not a huge fan of French onion soup so I can't say much about that but my fiancé seemed to enjoy it. The top is covered with cheese though so be careful taking the first bite! read more

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We came to celebrate a birthday. The fancy menu was provided and after we spent good amount of time choosing from it, we were told it's just a souvenir and we can't order from it. Patio menu was very limited. That said, seafood was very fresh. We had shrimp and mango salad was very good, salmon miso roll was very good so as parmesan fries. Ribeye we ordered medium rare and it arrived raw. We sent it back after finally flagging some service and it arrived back just right. Drinks were very good. People were just chilling at their tables for hours drinking and having conversations so the slow service is ok for that. read more

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My wife and I love to take a weekend to visit steakhouses in the US. We've been to Omaha, San Antonio, Dallas, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Vegas, New Orleans, Wyoming ( every place in Wyoming has good steak), Philly, and others nationally. In Chicago, the usual suspects; Gibsons, Mortons, Smith & Wollensky, RPM, P&P, and others. Maple and Ash has a healthy combination of amazing food, amazing view (inside and out), and every angle is an Instapost (Kodak moment). I'd recommend this place to anyone. The price definitely reflects the experience. Eat Responsibly read more

I love this bar because it's a great place to pop by after working a long shift.. Monday's are industry night which includes a free burger with a drink purchase as well as some drink specials that rotate. Friendly service and conversation, tasty food, all topped off with a low key atmosphere. Eight bar isn't a place to pass by in the Gold Coast. read more

Eight Bar - Fire roasted oysters - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love the outdoor patio setup! I have always been a huge fan of Maple and Ash and the patio is just as impressive and sexy as the indoor restaurant. I was a little skeptical initially about dining outside as it was freezing, but the hostess assured me that it was well heated and she was correct. I took my jacket off as soon as we entered. It was well insulated and I loved the high end porter potties. We dined on the king crab omelette, hash browns and farm omelette and all were delicious! I am forewarning you now, the Pornstar Martini's are sneaky little devils...after 3, my day had literally ended and it was only 4pm! Our server was so gracious and accommodating. I cannot remember her name, but my ticket says 8034/Cooper. read more

I did not like our seating situation but that is solely my fault. When I booked the reservations I did not pay attention to the "patio" part. I was very disappointed to find out that we would be basically eating in the bar area. My review is for the food and service only. The food is amazing!!! I had a steak (don't remember which one) but it was probably the best steak I've tasted from a restaurant and I've been to a few of the big steak places downtown. The highlight was the macaroni and cheese. Oh. My. Goodness. So good! So cheesy! I would go back just for that! read more

I visited 8 Bar during a family trip to Chicago and it was easily the best meal of the trip. Some of the dishes that we had were the Burrata, Calamari, Tomato Bisque, Roasted Beets and Shaved Greens, Pork Chop Parmesan, Downstairs Burger, and Steak Sandwich. All the choices were delicious and the service was wonderful. During our time on the patio it started to downpour and the servers were quick moving to get us to somewhere dry. They offered us a spot inside even though we had our family dog with us. We opted to stay outside under the umbrella but it was a very nice gesture. As we were leaving they handed us umbrellas and told us not to worry about returning them (even though we did the next day). All around a wonderful experience and we will be returning on our next family trip to Chicago. *Visited Sept/18 read more

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We came here for my friends birthday last weekend, and the outdoor patio experience is like nothing else because they have money. You're basically under a large, stabilized tent, and very close to other tables. No need for your jackets as its heated perfectly. Luckily I'm a liberal COVID person. Ambience is awesome and it was so nice to be out and have a reason to dress up. This is one of few times where I love being around rich white folx. I wish I had more experiences like this, but can't believe they knocked down an apartment building for this #blm I'm vegan and called ahead to assure there were options for me, and the person on the phone said there's a separate vegan menu not featured on the site. Upon placing my order the waitress said there was no such thing and told me "hard no" when I asked to speak to the chef. The manager John came to the rescue and visited the chef. They created a custom meal for me which was pretty much a combo of their salad x appetizers, but it was flavored well and enjoyable. I found the joy of butter lettuce because of here. They comped my meal too except the wine. John continuously checked in and made this review 4 instead of 2 stars. read more

Love the patio. It's the best just hanging out having a nice meal talking with my friends. It's the best. The service I highly recommend. All my friends and I always hang out there always when I meet new friends. I tell them where to go Maple and Ash patio. read more

The food was amazing and so was the service and ambiance as well. Everything was perfect we absolutely loved every moment of it and will be making this a favorite of ours! read more

Great service and food. Good with allergies. A bit loud but nice to be in the area when it's nice outside.

Apparently the patio has a different menu with only 1 vegetable side option and 2 dessert options. You can't order any sides off the regular menu, I asked. I had the mango and shrimp salad which was good. I then had the filet which was soo tiny and burnt on the edges. By the time I cut off the burnt parts, there was basically nothing left. Hard to believe the price I paid for that- read more

Eight Bar interior decor is absolutely gorgeous! While lunch time is more slow, I enjoyed having the dining space all to myself. The Roasted Slagel Chicken and spicy lamb meatballs were both fantastic. The chicken was tender, juicy, gravy and skin lightly roasted. Though I was a little disappointed the beets salad was a little bland. read more

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Very good food just like the upstairs. The cocktails are great as usually. Service was on point. Great interior. I would recommend.

I came here with a friend late on Tuesday evening and luckily we were able to get a seat out on the patio right away. We weren't starving and decided to just get a drink and a few bites to eat. All the appetizers we tried were delicious: meatballs, artichokes, and fries. Service was excellent! I can't wait to go back and try their main restaurant Maple and Ash. :) read more

Eight Bar - Meatballs - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It doesn't matter if you decide to dine in or outside, the service is 2nd to none and the drinks were beautifully presented and left you wanting another! Great place to eat and or just have a drink. Make sure to checkout the desserts too! Their servers are knowledgeable and attentive. Overall a perfect experience. read more

Eight Bar - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Two gals from Boston in town for a conference. Last night in Chicago, and looking for a nice craft cocktail bar. And man we found a wicked pissah one in 8 Bar. Matt the bar tender was attentive, friendly and knew his craft. It was great to watch him mix up concoctions for us and the other patrons. I'd come back here in a heartbeat. Thanks for a great last night Matt! K & K read more

Top-five thin-patty burger, nationwide. Less salty than Au Cheval. Took advantage of being hungry at 1:30pm on a weekday to grab a bar seat downstairs at Maple and Ash to try out the much lauded burger. Good choice. The Downstairs Burger was a thin-patty double cheeseburger topped with cheddar, and a small amount of onions and dijon mustard. A pickle wedge was served on the side, but no lettuce or tomato to detract from the mouthful of juicy meat and cheese. Overall, a very simple burger which exploded with subtle flavor and beefy goodness in a flavor that evokes, but overall surpasses that of In-N-Out Burger (of course, at more than three times the price). Order came with transcendant french fries, which topped with parmesan and rosemary, might be worth the trip alone. read more

Eight Bar - The Downstairs Burger, with just-as-good rosemary fries. - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Super cute patio that is truly a hidden gem - most would think it's a part of Maple and Ash, but surpirse! It has it's own menu and patio. We came here for brunch on a sunny day to utilize the patio. The brunch selections were standard, but I went with the golden beets and shaved greens salad off the lunch menu. This was a nice refreshing salad after a heavy food weekend. I also had the bacon off my friend's soft scrambled platter, and this was huge! It was pork belly style rather than crispy bacon style, but tasty nonetheless. Our service was great and friendly as well. I would definitely recommend this spot in the lovely outdoor Goldcoast area. read more

The downstairs of Maple and Ash is easily my second favorite spot in the city to grab a bite (upstairs being my first). You can get it all here: amazing food, charming service, and a fun lounge atmosphere that you'll never want to leave. I've worked my way through most of the menu and I can tell you from experience you cannot go wrong. A couple personal favorites are the burger and fries, buratta, and the number Juan sandwich (please bring it back). The bartenders make a great dirty martini, and pretty much any other drink you can think of. The restaurant is mainly the bar along with a row of cozy high top booths. In the summer months they have a giant patio that is dog friendly for your furry friends! Service is always 5 stars and they treat everyone who walks in like royalty. I need to end this review before I get in my car and start driving to eight bar! Highly recommended. read more

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Edit. I actually removed stars, as I got a dm for contact info from M&A, I responded and nothing. Actually not surprised, given that my only complaint was service related. Oh well, guess I'm not their kind of customer anyway. Food - EXCELLENT - despite that it was cold by the time I got to chewing on it, I would order the burger again. You cannot go wrong on this menu, though. I actually went with a cheeseburger, wife and kids had sushi. SIL had a steak. The burger and steak were cooked perfectly to order. The sushi was amazing. We were celebrating my daughters graduation from Loyola Law and made reservations two months in advance for after the ceremony. We got stuck in Chicago traffic and arrived late for our reservation. We texted ahead to let them know that we would be late, but were on our way. We had to wait about 20 minutes for them to set up a table for us, and they were very accommodating. Unfortunately, however, the service was horribly lacking. The front server showed up and got our drink/appetizer order and that was the last we saw of her for a while. She did eventually return for our entree order, then left again. I tried to find anyone to refill my drink, but alas, no servers around. I asked the busser to refill my tea and he more or less grunted at me and disappeared. He did return eventually, but with no tea and instead, cleared our table of appetizer plates and cutlery. A few minutes later, our entrees were delivered. Asked for utensils to eat with and again asked for a tea refill, and the back waiter disappeared. Front server nowhere to be found. Grunty busser also nowhere to be found. No silverware to help ourselves to. After waiting five minutes, went to discuss with hostess, who just ignored me after I waited patiently for a few minutes. By the time I made it back about ten minutes later, they were placing silverware. Unfortunately, hot food items were now cold. Sushi was okay though as it should be cold, but still no iced tea refill. Eventually the front server returned and comped a couple of desserts for us "for our celebration". Didn't see here again until she delivered the hefty check. She was very prompt from this point on. While the food was tasty, I don't think I'll be back. It's just too astronomically expensive and I believe that should be reflected in the quality of service, but is not. read more

The stay was amazing!! Resort is well maintained. Staff are very polite and responsive. Ms. Chelsey was very helpful in suggesting nearby tourists spots (like laid view point) and also was very hardworking. Had an amazing time here . Will definitely visit again. read more

Grabbed a pre-show cocktail with my friend on our way to the sold out Ali Wong show a couple of Saturdays ago. The outdoor patio space in front of Maple and Ash was perfect for people watching and enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. They were a little short staffed so the host was helping the waiters (go teamwork!) but was apologetic and very welcoming and accommodating. I liked the design of the cocktail menu with the names of cocktails following the Magic Eight Ball fortunes along the top with descriptions underneath. I tried the "Reply Hazy" which was a deliciously refreshing vodka based drink capped with a pretty orchid flower. My friend had a big dinner so I ordered the Avocado Toast which had salmon. It was a perfect snack to go with the cocktail. Our server was great and took the time to talk to us. It's a great place to grab a quick bite and drink either before or after a meal. read more

Eight Bar - Salmon Avocado Toast - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great atmosphere! The vibe is super low key but still brings an upscale element. They have a good list of wines and signature cocktails to wet your whistle so we ended up ordering a bottle of their Pinot noir. We started with the burrata appetizer, which is out of this world delicious, and then we both ended up ordering the classic steak frites...which had crazy good flavor as well. We had the best service throughout our experience here. Ivan took great care of us and really made us feel welcomed. This is quickly becoming our spot to hit up every time we come to town! read more

Eight Bar - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

You might be able to get a reservation quicker than the main restaurant, but don't do it!! Extremely disappointed. My husband and I chose to "celebrate" our anniversary at Maple & Ash. To start we were not given the personalized menu commemorating our anniversary, which was disappointing. When we were seated at our table it took over 10 minutes for anyone to acknowledge we were there. We were about to get up and leave, but then our server finally stopped by. I really did want to take a picture of the personalized menu, so I decided to say something to the hostess while we waited for our food. She said "oh yes! I see that you're celebrating your 5th anniversary! I will get the menu printed for you." Never came. The food came out quickly. I ordered my steak medium and it came out rare at best. Took about 5 minutes to flag down a server to show them how undercooked it was. (When you're playing prices like that if expect the server to check in on you the second the food is dropped.) They took it back to be cooked to the proper temperature. My husband felt bad eating without me so then his food got cold while we waited for mine to be cooked. Not exactly the ideal eating situation for our anniversary dinner. Perhaps this wouldn't be as bad if our server was attentive and actually noticed that when I cut into my steak that it was not the correct temperature. Once my steak was cooked a busser brought it back out, the server didn't check to see if it was better, a manager never came by, nothing. Honestly, the food was fine. Nothing spectacular. We were never given a dessert menu and as it was a special occasion we probably would've ordered some. After we had paid, the server came by with two tiny glasses of champagne and said I hear we are celebrating an anniversary. Too late. I would've shared our experience with a manager, had one gone actually gone around to do table visits. I would not be writing a review if this were just your average restaurant, but when you are paying for a nice meal you expect everything to be fantastic. So sad this is where we chose to eat. I had such high hopes for this place. read more

This is the newly branded downstairs area of Maple & Ash http://www.yelp.com/biz/maple-and-ash-chicago?hrid=ymRUQVYcrH_y04jaSAGGrw&utm_source=ishare and during the summer... there's sidewalk patio dining. And imbibing. With everything from a black truffle foie gras hotdog (yes, you read that right) to warm butter lobster roll...you can't go wrong. Oysters, avocado toast, and cheese curds to start ... salads, bisque, salmon tartare or maybe a meatball slider is your cup of scotch. (I had to come back to the "imbibing!") "Scotch, scotch scotchy" is on the menu or perhaps you worship at the "Religion of the Insecure" (old forester 100 proof bourbon, giffard creme de violette, tarragon & fresh lemon) or perhaps like my friend...an extra dry martini is all you require. It's all YES! read more

Eight Bar - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Tried this place on a Monday night, sitting at the bar. Very impressive drink list, and the food was fantastic. Started with a bottle of an Oregon Pinot Noir, smooth and paired well with everything else we ordered. We had oysters, which were smaller to the eye but packed unbelievable flavor for their size. For entrees we ordered the shrimp & mango salad & the downstairs burger. Both I would definitely order again. The shrimp on the salad had the perfect smokiness from the grill, something you don't often taste. As for the burger I would put this top 5 in the city of chicago easily a 8/10. Their pickle and red onion toppings are the perfect pairing to their bun. Also the fries are incredibly crispy. We ended the night with the Old Fashioned, very well made. Great place for steakhouse flavor and ambiance without the steak prices. read more

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We stopped in here for a drink as we waited for a table upstairs at Maple & Ash. We had drinks and a couple appetizers. The food was INCREDIBLE. We got the burrata and a mixed green salad. So so good. The cheese was so fresh, and the vine ripened tomatoes were insane. HIGHLY recommend. The drinks were also wonderful. Tart, but not overly so. Well made, strong but not too strong. Our bartender also had a ton of great recommendations. Super friendly guy, and great service overall. read more

"In this restaurant there is a rule, you have to use the table for 1.5 hours," the waiter told us kindly dropping us out during our dinner, taking a plate of food and not even offering us dessert. We ordered a lot of food and did not have time to eat it for 1.5 hours. This place is worried about the number of customers per evening, but not about the quality of their rest and time spent. If you want to spend your evening looking at the clock, quickly sampling food and listening to the waiter's breath behind you. Welcome to this restaurant. .We left a good tip no matter what, since these guys are not to blame, they are hostages of a system that does not work for clients.... read more

Food was delicious. Celebrated a birthday and they came out with their trademark printed menu wishing my girlfriend a happy f***ing birthday. Service was great. Was cozy inside the enclosed, heated patio. Had a wonderful time. read more

Cute little patio and bar outside of Maple and Ash. I came in for a tequila watermelon basil snow cone, which was a yummy end of summer treat. The rest of the drink menu looked good and reasonably priced. If you can't decide what to drink you can shake a Magic 8 ball and whatever answer it gives you corresponds to a different drink on the menu (beware of the Malört shot!). We would have stayed and taken our chances with the Magic 8 ball, but we didn't want to stay there all night. There were people on the patio, but it wasn't particularly busy and the service was so slow. It took about 15 minutes just to get snow cones after we ordered. The server didn't come back for another 20 minutes. After finishing our drink and asking for the bill, it took close to 30 minutes to get it and run our card. I'd look forward to coming back if I could expect to have better service. read more

Eight Bar - Labor Day weekend special. Tequila watermelon basil snow cone. - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Well I knew it was going to be a terrible drink when the bartender decided to whip up my old fashioned and grabbed the simple syrup instead of taking the 8 seconds it takes to muddle a sugar cube. But anyway most people can't make one properly so ok. It was probably 50 degrees in the bar on the far end of the room so I feel really bad for the people next to the door. Ha then the bill comes! Highway robbery! $17 for an old fashioned when you can buy an entire bottle of Templeton rye for $35 2 drinks and a dessert ended up being $50. Awful! Not as classy as it should be I'll stick with going to Boarding House. read more

Very disappointing service. I've gone twice now (first time was terrible but figured I'd give them a second chance) and was disappointed. The staff isn't attentive at all and we had to ask the host/other staff walking by to grab out waiter several times. Extremely disappointing - will definitely be taking my business to other great restaurants in the area. read more

Amazing food and service. Select the restaurant upstairs for brunch!! Well with the money.

We came here & sat on the patio on an early beautiful afternoon. We had Meghan as a server and since I'm comparing her from the "tavern" across the street" WOW! Nice to have a server be nice to me if I'm not one of the "cool" people. No we are not hip & trendy, but we appreciate good service & can afford it. She could not have been nicer or more attentive. It was smoking out and she never lost her cool. We went light as it was crazy hot out and each had the king crab salad with the dressing on the side. Decent amount of toppings and I did not think they skimped on the seafood which is my major issue with most places food-wise. read more

This was my second time at maple and ash patio. The first time was a great experience but this second time, the experience was sub-par for the name and cost. I had made a reservation a month in advance and yet when I showed up for my 615pm reservation, the hostess told me it was going to be an additional 20-25 minute wait. The patio was empty. The table we got 25 minutes later had been empty the whole time. Then we sat down and the menus were not the special menus that we had gotten last time. The reservation had asked us if we were celebrating something and I had indicated it was my brothers birthday. Last time we had gotten personalized menus and a dessert but this time we got neither. I had talked up this restaurant to my out of town guests and the experience was lacking. Lastly, we had a baby with us and the wait staff got mad when I got up and got some extra napkins for his spit up. I was appalled at how rude the staff member was. The food was great but the time between getting the first and second appetizer was ridiculous. We got the sushi first but then it took almost an additional 20 minutes just to get our second appetizer of meatballs which were ridiculously salty. Then it took at least another 30 minutes just to get our entrees which was just too long. We were all hungry and did not expect dinner to take so long to come out. Our experience that night on a whole was completely ruined by not having our reservation ready at 615, the long wait times between courses, the neglected special occasion personalized menu, and the rudeness about napkins. read more

After reading all of the rave reviews about the burger myself and two of my friends decided we definitely had to give it a try. We started out with the crispy artichokes. Nothing too exciting. As in my friend's words they tasted like canned artichokes that were fried and a sauce to help cover it up. Now onto the burgers... I'm not sure if they were having an off night but they were not great. Not even close to an au cheval/ small cheval burger. Just a greasy salty mess that made myself and my friends not feel well after eating them. The fries were slathered in so much salt that I had to wipe the majority of it off. The service was not good either. We had to track our waiter down numerous times because he kept not stopping by our table. I had high hopes for this place but definitely left feeling very disappointed. read more

I'm giving this place a solid 4 not necessarily because my evening went flawlessly...because it didn't but because the staff for the most part did try to help. I ordered the steak dinner with fries and thought it was pretty good but lacked seasoning. The steak had a heavy sauce around it which I didn't exactly care for because it was a bit on the salty side. My fries were well portioned and generously sized but definitely lacked salt. I honestly didn't feel my meal was worth the price simply because I wasn't offered bread even though I asked for it. My waitress was very helpful and left me a pitcher of water with lemons but I noticed that when my steak arrived I wasn't offered a napkin or cutlery so i grabbed some for myself from another table nearby. When another guest was seated a different server grabbed the pitcher of water off my table that I had requested earlier and was going to give it to the new guest so I had to ask this guy to please return it to my table. My waitress disappeared for a while so I tried getting the attention of this male waiter so I could have some salt and pepper but he ignored me, worked on his own tables and acted like I was invisible. I'm not letting this slide because I'm used to going out to eat where the servers share the responsibility of helping all guests even guests that they aren't waiting on. I'm grateful I got an opportunity to enjoy being outside this beautiful evening but I was disappointed with my meal. Next time I'd like to try dining inside at Maple and Ash just for the dessert menu because there are items available at the other restaurant that aren't offered at Eight bar. My server was sweet but not having basic items like a napkin, knife and fork is bizarre. I thought this would be a fine dining experience but it wasn't. I don't want to be rude by leaving this place 3 stars but I can't give this restaurant a 5 either. I'm assuming people come here for the cocktails and burgers. I wouldn't order a steak here again based on my meal and the fact read more

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We arrived at the bar and were seated in a nice, candle-lit high top with high hopes for the evening. The service was very prompt and the staff was on top of it with both drink and food order and delivery. However, the adjacent high top table was extremely disruptive and is the primary reason for this two star review. This couple was on speaker phone yelling and facetiming others during the entire dinner - repetitively using profanity and derogatory language. This continued for over an hour - to the point where I had to yell across the table for my wife to even hear what I was saying. When spending over $100 per person at a restaurant you don't expect to have issues with the crowd. Food, fine (not fantastic). Service, good. Crowd, sketchy to say the least. read more

As you would expect this high end steakhouse did mot disappoint! Fantastic steak and sushi. Do not skip the coconut cream pie!