Vibes? Yes! The crowd was pretty huge! This event kicks off restaurant week here in Chicago. You get a preview of many of the Chicago restaurants participating in Restaurant Week. The food at the event that I tried I didn't love. But I'm willing to come back to this event and try more things. The drink selections were disappointing. Not enough water bins. The alcohol was limited on the main floor. I would come again though! read more

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First Bites Bash 2026!!!!!! What an outstanding event and a fantastic opportunity to taste food from diverse eclectic Chicago restaurants. read more

First Bites Bash - Festivals Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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If you get a chance to go to this event, you have to go it was amazing so many wonderful restaurants featured and an open bar. You have to experience it at least once. read more

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I had an amazing time. OMG so much food you definitely have to pace yourself. Many many many vendors and no one ran out of food. Location was great ... a good chance to see exhibits. While it was a lot of people there it was not a super long wait to try all of the food. The plates were small but fulfilling but some had full coarse meals almost on that small plate. People looked beautiful. DJ playing good tunes. Complimentary coat check. Parking wasn't bad paid about $25 and I stay less than 8m from soldier field and Uber/Lyft was going for $25 pre ride. It's definitely a must to kick off restaurant week. Try to be in the know for flash sales for this event. It sells out quickly. read more

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Great experience. Lots of different items to try. Will go again next year. Alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks to try. read more

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First bites is always an experience! Wonderful experience and a great price to try small bites of Chicago restaurants. Also good drinks and entertainment! read more

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There's another First Bites Bash page on Yelp but it's now at the Aon Grand Ballroom instead of Union Station. As far as the ballroom goes, it's a really large "U" shaped room, perfect for events. The bathrooms are on the outside of the main room, but there are plenty to choose from and are quite clean. And of course, the actual ballroom is at the very end of Navy Pier. It's actually easier to just walk outside to get to it because walking inside can turn into a maze at times. The event itself was fun, but it wasn't as cool as Chicago Gourmet. Intended to give people a taste of what's to come for Chicago Restaurant Week (CRW), you'll get to sample "bite size" portions of some 70 or 80 restaurants. This year's turnout was about 1500 people according to one of the event planners. Tickets were $125 and it includes all the samples of food and drinks you can handle. The event was supposed to start at 5:30, but only the top floor opened at that time and most of the venues were still setting up. Then without announcing anything, the bottom floor finally opened after 15 minutes or so. I get that there are signs on each table, but after everyone piles into the room, there are people everywhere. It would be helpful to have the servers or restaurant employees tell you what they're serving you. By the way, not joking about the amount of people in this room. They're everywhere and there's literally only 20 or so pub tables with no chairs. For 1500 people. On the top floor, there were a few sit down tables, but space is a sacred commodity. Tips: Get there early and do all of the coat checking business up front. It gets pretty crazy busy if you wait too long and there will probably be a huge line if you wait until closing to get your coat. The event is only 3 hours, so getting there late might mean you might miss out on tasting something. Finally, I'm not going to say don't fill up on desserts and starchy items because you're all adults and should know better anyway, but what I will say is that if you get there somewhat early, you can pick up a map and plan out your top food destinations. Have a strategy and eat some tasty food. read more

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Pricey? Yes. Worth experiencing? Yes. Worth returning? Yes. Was I full? Yes. Did I get to eat enough? Yes. Were drinks included? Yes, just a few sips that complement the food in the same station. (Don't plan on getting drunk!) Was it crowded? Yes. Crowded where you rub on people (think concert)? No. Were there a lot of food? Lots of sample stations from many restaurants. It was a total of 4 of us and our 1st time experiencing it. We had so much fun exploring through different foods and drinks from both upstairs and downstairs of the venue. When we arrived before 5:30, there were people waiting outside the event door. We were able to check in. When the event doors opened at 5:30, there were stations with loads of food. But most stations had 10-20 plates ready and needed to refill their food, hence there was a line of people. But since it's a 3 hour event, there was no need to rush and waiting in line was ok. We skipped some stations (like champagne served on plastic flute) and when we returned later, it was served on cups. She said they only prepared 200 flutes. The event is scheduled to be over at 8:30 but place was cleared out around 8. Some stations ran out of food around 7:30. We are definitely going to return next year! read more

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First time attending this event and we really enjoyed it! I have attended the Bon Appetit event at Millennium Park and it has nothing on First Bites. We missed the presale tickets so I do suggest that you sign up for their emails as the price increases by about $40. I read Yelp reviews prior to the event and I listened loud and clear to several suggestions to arrive at least 30 minutes early and it was worth it as we were one of the first to enter. In an effort to reduce paper waste, they did not print menus and instead posted a QR code on a large platform that listed participating vendors, their offerings and locations within Field Museum. The platforms were also posted inside the venue or you had the option of planning your stops via your phone. I think the vendors were better than the BA event, the samples were generous, you did not need any silly tickets and I loved that there was more food than drinks. Previous reviews stated some vendors ran out of food early and it was true which is the reason for the 4 star review. Although the event is from 6-9, by 7:45 a lot of the more popular vendors such as Avec, had closed up shop which sucked for those that arrived later. Some vendors served a savory dish and when that ran out, they provided a dessert option which I thought was pretty clever. Although the event was sold out, things really flowed and it wasn't too crowded, plus the dj was great and kept the crowd in great spirits. read more

First Bites has gone down hill. This year, 2019, they ran out of red wine at 7:45. When an event lasts til 9pm and it is 15 degrees outside- have red wine available until the event is over. Most people like red, not white, when it's freezing outside. Also lots of food venues ran out of food at 8pm? Seriously? When I pay $125 for an event that lasts til 9pm, have food available til 9pm. They realize how many tickets are sold.... they should have enough for the crowd they sold too many tickets for. This used to be one of the best events in chicago but not anymore. I won't be back next year read more

#16 Getting to "sample" the various menus before CRW begins, well, simply FABULOUS! Beginning with delicious foods, to amazing wines--everything was perfect. We tried some jellyfish, some cake, some wines, some of everything you can imagine. I mean "hello" this IS Chicago, arguably the best food in America. I did not have one single "bite" the whole event that I did not enjoy. A bit pricey (over $100 per person), but hey, you get what you pay for--right? I heard about the event from an old friend in the neighborhood who has ventured in and ate and drank for, I think, the past two years. All she could do was rave about the event and tell me, "Nothing you guys do out in Cali can compare." Oooooookay.... Let's see, I am a HUGE ORW fan so I am game--show me what you got Chi-town. The bites gala was somewhat challenging. If you were not early in, one was expected to stand and eat while pairing of wines was also taking place. The table seating was sparse; yet, what else did I expect from this elite preview of RW in Chicago? I totally understood the concept: small bites and tastes--FAST! Get your bite, grab your wine and keep it moving. I think that was part of the charm of the whole event. We had so much fun eating, drinking and making new friends. Whoever did the wine pairing was spot on--I mean really did their homework. Each table had a wonderful bite of food pre-placed alongside of a delicious and perfectly accompaniment of vino. Nothing was haphazard, rather, thoughtfully and elegantly planned. Union Station never looked prettier or cooler. Though we did not get a chance to try everything we wanted to--because we got so full after a couple hours, we did try so many things, so much great food and wine. I have tons of places to try out while I am here, if I can find the time. From the DJ, to the vino, to the food and back to the people--this was a blast! I love any event that I can wear a cocktail dress and stilettos all the while eating superb foods and sampling delicious wines. I mean, it is not everyday a girl gets to wear her pearls, right? Stephani Smiles for FBB ;) #bloatedbuthappy read more

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The three hours flew by! Quite possibly one of the best events I've been for food, fanciness, and f(ph)ilanthropy. For its second year running, I had a fun time kicking off restaurant week '13 while supporting a great cause. Admission might be a little pricey but for the plethora of "bites" (we didn't get around to all of the tables), pleasantries with restauranteurs and chefs, plus varying cocktail-wine-beers... it was well worth it. I loved that it all took place at Union Station-- the Great Hall was such a beautiful backdrop for the event. Get there as early as possible as some tables already started running out of their bites. There were limited places to sit (skip the stilettos ladies!) and keep the chunky bags/clutches at home-- it was a little awkward balancing beverages and a multitude of eats. read more

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My usual group went to First Bites 2023 and we all agreed that we will most likely not go again in 2024 unless they make some changes. We have been going every year since First Bites began (with the exception of when they did not have this during COVID). We decided that his is now just okay and not worth the $115 (we purchased early bird tix) for the following reasons: 1) There were only about 50 vendors this year and overall, the food was just okay this year. There were many similar items this year and not as high of s quality foods (not sure if this because of high food prices going on this year) 2) Many of the vendors had meatballs. One can only eat so many meatballs.... 3) The vendors were only on the main/ground floor resulting in: long lines to get to the food, packed crowds that it was really difficult to walk around, it was soooo hot with the everyone cramped on the main floor. In the past, First bites vendors/beverages were split on the main and 2nd upper floor. This was a much better set up and did not have the huge crowds that we experienced this year 4) There was only 3 vendors that offered sweet items. After eating so many savory/salty items, we all wanted something sweet to cleanse our palate. Although, First Bites is to kick off "restaurant" week, they should really add more desserts/sweets. This would be a good venue to showcase some Chicago area bakeries and give them exposure. 5) Unless it was me, I could not find any plain bottled water. They had fancy glass bottled water but they really should have plain bottle water tubs in various areas throughout the place 6) The menu of the food vendors are only advertised AFTER you purchase tickets so one can't really know what type of foods will be offered. Not sure if this is because the food vendors don't really solidify what they will be offering until the least minute. So, overall, the 4 of us decided that we will no longer go to First Bites unless we hear of them making changes that will address the above read more

This was an incredible event and I highly recommend going if you get the chance. The hall in Union Station is gorgeous and works well as a stunning event space. This was the launch of Chicago's Restaurant Week. About 60 participating restaurants provided sneak peeks (bites?) of what they'll be serving guests at their establishments throughout the rest of the week. Check in was very easy and painless. There were no congested lines when I came in so I was able to quickly check my coat, turn in my tickets (or have them scanned from my mobile device), have a wrist band secured, and grab a map. This was a classy affair. If folks didn't come directly from work (in their business attire) they were glammed up in cocktail dresses and stylish suits. The lighting took the august structure of Union Station into the 21st century. Sponsors were tastefully projected onto the walls. A DJ spun his/her tunes which went well with the lighting and alcohol and bottled water samples scattered between all of the restaurants. This was a party and there wasn't a moment when you could forget to have a good time! It was a sold out event (which is amazing considering that tickets were about $125 each) and it was crowded. However, since everyone was classy, there were only a few times when I was bumped or had a hard time approaching a table. At one point some coordinators came on stage and made some introductory announcements. They introduced the hostess Apana Singh who then presented Inspiration Corporation with a check for $10,000. The total time for speaking was probably less than 10 minutes which was perfect. Another thing that was perfect was that the alcohol was carefully placed besides restaurants serving particular food. It was delightful to have specific wine pairings rather than something random. I have only two criticisms of the event: 1) There was SO MUCH plastic waste that it made me feel very uncomfortable. Nearly every table (restaurants and alcohol) had their own plastic plates, cups, forks, and spoons. Every restaurant had their bites ready on plates to grab and every wine table had their beverages already poured. It was nearly impossible to reuse plates and cups so we clung to our forks and spoons rather than grabbing new ones each time. Chicago Gourmet had tasteful biodegradable plates that I wish were also used at First Bites Bash. 2) It was very difficult to stand and eat each of the bites with the coordinated wine pairing. Tables were scarce and the crowd (although polite) was still a crowd. If I stood somewhere I was sure to be in someone's way. It made me feel rushed to eat after each table, find a trash receptacle to discard my plate and cup, and then move onto the next restaurant and pairing. It would have been nice to have tall tables lining the perimeter of the room. Besides those two complaints, we had a lovely time trying bites from various restaurants. It was a perfect way to get excited about Restaurant Week if I wasn't already exuberant before! read more

Getting to "sample" the menus before Restaurant Week begins, how cool is that? Great food, great wines to compliment them all. Loved it. Jellyfish was probably my favorite, but honestly I didn't have a bad "bite" anywhere. If you get a chance to do this next year, take advantage and buy some tickets. It was a great time. read more

Our "first" FBB 2014. I was expecting it to be uber crowded as previously noted. Didn't seem to be the case for this time..it was actually quite comfortable walking through and sampling. I did take advice I'd read and ditched the handbag at home to free up some space for holding small plates and drinks. Bistro tables, loungers were available throughout your stroll so if we wanted to sit we could. I basically passed over things that didn't strike me as innovative or that we had already been too. This worked out well for us. Union Station as a backdrop was beautiful. Overall, I came away with ten or so new places to try out. The standouts for us were Beatrix and TWO. I did wonder why some folks seemingly didn't use this "bite" plate to REALLY showcase their best. Personally, I used this as a preview for restaurants I'd not tried yet. So it gave me the opportunity to really see what they thought was good enough to both present to the masses yet also showcase their food. All in all, a nice evening good food and drink for a couple great charities. I don't know that I would do this every year, but recommend doing at least once! read more