I don't like to leave bad reviews but this was really bad. The burger was a frozen patty that was stiff and tasteless, and the side cesar salad ($4 upcharge btw) was literally spinach leaves with cheese, dressing on the side. I saw bad reviews and still went for the sit-down experience, but you are much better off probably anywhere else in MDW. read more

Gene’s Bistro - side cesar salad and burger - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Chicken buffalo could be more spicy. Romaine lettuce should be substituted, and a less thick bun. Overall was fair for airport fare.

It is so tough to be a great restaurant at the airport. There are many challenges, especially getting good people. Our service was very good and the barstools were comfy. The bartender helped us get two seats together at a very busy time. I enjoyed the meatball sandwich without a bun. It comes with a salad which paired well. The drinks are really expensive. Getting a double makes it a little better value. This is not bad for the airport. read more

We had a quick stop over between flights. It "Looked" promising. We just had to drinks and a Bruschetta appetizer. Sat way to long before our order was taken, then watched several tables seated after us get their food be fore our simple order. Menu said it was served on crostini with fresh mozzarella and roasted tomatoes. It should up on a toasted hoagie roll with cherrie tomatoes and a "cheese like" spread. However the balsamic vinegar was tasty. When you see this place just keep walking. read more

Airport food is notoriously hit or miss. The small portions and lack of taste makes this a miss. The wait staff really works hard and are friendly while serving tasteless food. read more

Service couldn't be worse. Extremely slow and when they did come by, wouldn't ask if anyone needed anything. Couldn't spend more money if you wanted to. Meat balls weren't edible: read more

Gene’s Bistro - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I think this place is decent. I was seated quickly and received my meal and check within 15 mins even though they were packed. I usually just order the salad here. Can't complain. read more

Gene’s Bistro - Cobb salad no cheese - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My 12-year-old son and I arrived at Gene's Bistro at 9:10 PM after a long flight and a delayed connection. He was starving, and we were relieved to see what looked like a nice sit-down restaurant still open. The posted hours clearly said they closed at 10:00 PM -- and to make it more confusing, the place was still busy with people dining when we arrived. Despite that, we were immediately turned away by an unprofessional, disheveled employee who told us they were closing at 9:30. I pointed out the posted hours, but she just said, "Well, we're closing at 9:30," and made no effort to be helpful. I asked to speak with the manager, and a man named Marcus -- who looked just as uninterested -- came over, barely standing upright while leaning against the wall. I asked if they were really closing early and if there was a contact I could call to speak with someone higher up. He confirmed they were closing and said there was a number I could call, but he "didn't know it." This is from the manager. For a place that looks like it's trying to be upscale, the staff seemed sloppy and indifferent, and the customer service was nonexistent. The restaurant was clearly still running with active tables, which made the refusal to seat us even more frustrating. Airport dining is already hit or miss, but Gene's Bistro somehow manages to fall below even the lowest expectations. If you're looking for decent service or just basic respect, skip this place entirely read more

Gene’s Bistro - Gene's Bistro - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Burger was very delicious. I recommend the royal shot drink as well. However, service coulda been better. Too awhile to be helped, im a bartender so not the biggest deal when its busy. But then she said the couple next to me was first. They were not. They were actually in line behind me. But whatever. Then I asked for fries with my burger and got salad. Food took awhile so had to get it to go. Server was friendly at least just overwhelmed I think. I'll still come back read more

The hostess seated me at the bar despite me explaining that I was underage and was only ordering food. Then, the bartender proceeded to publicly yell and humiliate me, and blame the issue on me despite the hostess saying it was okay for me to sit there-- she did not ask for my age or ID prior to sitting me down. I was very polite, asked if there was anywhere else to sit, that I was instructed to sit here, and I was faced with utmost disrespect and impoliteness. I quote, "I'm going to lose my license so either you go to the back of the line or you can find another restaurant," as she yelled this, people in the line turned their head, people at the bar noticed, and I was speechless. I was forced to get up from my seat, began to cry because I had only been nice and polite to her (I'm very soft spoken, and I did not know how to react to being treated like that). I had just gotten up and left the restaurant, because she continuously had told me to leave, that "her license is going to be revoked" and that I needed to go back in line and wait again, after I had already waited 15 minutes to be seated from the start. I was confused on the reason behind sitting me at the bar from the start, only to face disrespect from the employees who caused this from the start. Please do not come here. The bartender was an older white woman, and did not take any initiative to reseat me or show any kindness whatsoever, despite me telling her I don't drink and didn't intend on it after being sat there. Service is horrible. read more

Worst service I have ever experienced. After seating us then they asked us to move tables for the other customers coming in later and the restaurant was not busy at all. read more

Pricy but it's at the airport so it's not like there are many options. Service was fast. Ambiance it's ok, not a lounge but it works for a quick bite and charge your phone. Good was good. read more

Gene’s Bistro - Crispy bacon cheeseburger - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

For a meal at Midway, Gene's Bistro is generally more reliable. I was trying to grab an early lunch around 10:40 AM. All the other restaurants had closed their kitchen for a break but Gene's was open. In fact, every time I've been to Gene's their kitchen has been open. However, today a lot of staff had left so it was a bit of a mess - tables were left dirty and sections were closed off which made self seating confusing. I witnessed a couple customers leave because of it. I ended up ordering my food to go - the chicken club. The sandwich was a large portion and came with a side salad. It was packed with chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and Mayo. The toasted bread was incredible, I was honestly amazed. I'd say the meal was a bit overpriced for the airport though, as this cost me like $18.89. read more

Gene’s Bistro - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a horrible experience. Weary travelers are looking for decent food and fast service, and maybe a smile. The hostess was downright surly. Because I wanted to sit at an outer table with room for my suitcase, she said she wouldn't give me a menu. When the server finally arrived, she let me see a menu took my order and walked away without a smile or a thank you. The food was edible, but low quality and not very tasty. There really is no reason to be rude or mean to guests at your restaurant...I don't know what's going on at this place, but clearly, the staff is VERY unhappy. read more

"He's outrageous He screams and he bawls Jean Genie let yourself go" (David Bowie) We landed in Chicago last night for our connection home to Hartford. It was kind of late but we wanted to grab something to eat. Our server, Angelica was FANTASTIC! With her charming personality, big smile, and helpful enthusiasm she was a real joy to interact with. She explained that the Club Sandwich and pasta options weren't available, but we probably wouldn't have ordered either considering how late it was. We didn't want a big meal, but the two of us (independently!) chose the same item. Under the menu's appetizer section, we ordered two meatball appetizers for $13 each. Each order included three very big meatballs and sauce sitting atop a toasted slice of Italian bread. The meatballs were delicious. We sliced them up and ate them with a knife and fork as an open faced sandwich, with plenty of extra slices left over that were too much to fit on the toast. Compared to the silent and sullen server we interacted with for lunch at the Dallas airport, it really struck me how important attitude is. Angelica was a gem, and so was our light dinner. read more

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First, keep in mind this is a restaurant in Midway Airport in Chicago. Typically, Airport food battles gas station food to be the worst. However, this place was pretty darn good! The host was very personable and the waiter was amazingly pleasant! I had a pulled pork sandwich and it was delicious. It was full of well cooked pork, tasty Cole slaw, and pickles. The bun was fresh and toasted and the fries were great! read more

Gene’s Bistro - Menu - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Unfortunately, their food and descriptions didn't match up well. My friend got the meatball sandwich and it came with 4 medium sized meatballs with sauce on a piece of bread. Sadly, she added that they had the texture of rubber. And she wished she could have another piece of bread on top to complete the sandwich. The chicken parm was, as I was told, very delicious and fresh. But the water didn't like carbs so that HUGE amount of pasta went to waste. As for my sandwich, the bread was toasted and the fried chicken was juicy, but I tasted no gochingjang in my slaw. The combination was delicious though... no Korean in it. The fries were hot and fresh, and lacked a bit of salt which made them perfect for ketchup! Very thankful for our kind server. read more

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Service is fine but food is, at best, gas station quality. Crusty buns, microwaved chicken. Just awful. I'd give zero if I could. read more

Gene’s Bistro - Crusty bun - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Airport food and drinks with sit down service. Very loud and staff seem to enjoy each other more than the customers. Had the meatballs after asking if pre packaged or home made. Silly me for believing when told home made 3 meatballs on a piece of toast with some red sauce. First order went back as ice cold in the middle. I have to say the red sauce was good. Young man who waited on me was trying to keep everyone moving. read more

Gene’s Bistro - Meatballs - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Empty table but I was not allowed to sit at it because there were seats at the bar. I explained I needed a low top due to a back issue but they refused to allow me to have that table despite the fact that everyone behind me in line was also a single diner read more

I have a gluten allergy and tried to ask about possible menu modifications. Unfortunately, the staff responded rudely and dismissed my questions in front of others. It was a humiliating experience, and we ended up leaving. I'm sharing this in hopes of raising awareness about the seriousness of gluten intolerance and encouraging staff to create a more inclusive and understanding environment. Simple accommodations--like removing buns or croutons from burgers and salads--can make a big difference. I wasn't even given the chance to ask. read more

Taking quite a while for anyone to wait on us to get in our order. Crystal waited on us. It's busy here this morning. We ordered egg, cheese sausage, bacon on brioche and egg, cheese and sausage, both tator tots. Two coffees as well. No Turkey sausage. Wasn't feeling like a cheese and egg sandwich much. Just had a bite of the edge with the egg and cheese, it isn't bad. The brioche is soft and billowy. The sausage was a tad bland, some seasoning and kick would be good for the sandwiches and not just adding hot sauce to it. read more

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Horrible service! This is definitely a place to avoid unless you have a 3 hour layover and have nothing else to do but wait, wait and wait some more before anyone says anything to you. Then you'll WAIT a lot longer for the food which is just ok. It would have been better to get food out of a vending machine. To avoid WAITING more just to get the bill, I stood and waited a few more min next to the entrance so I can get the heck out of this joint. read more

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It's not even that their Chicago style hot dog is an abomination. I heard one of the staff members there tell a visitor 'you'll love it, it's very authentic.' Look at the picture, instead of using a pickle spear they use pickle chips. Is it because it's at an airport and spears aren't allowed by TSA or something? They also don't bother with celery salt, but you know if they really don't care enough to actually get all the components of a hot dog right then they wouldn't even care about a spice blend. Speaking of not caring-one of the staff members was walking around with no mask on. Politics aside, if you expect not just your staff but your customers to be wearing a mask why wouldn't you? Moreover, mask wear is supposed to help mitigate spread of particles. Not only was this woman NOT wearing a mask but she was yelling out expo orders, talking extremely close to other staff members and was giving food out to customers. It's just better to go hungry than it is to eat here for a variety of reasons. read more

Gene’s Bistro - Staff member, no mask yelling expo orders and running food out to customers - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was there on a Tuesday morning for their breakfast. Sat at the bar. Food was fast and the service was friendly. I got the scrambled eggs, bacon, wheat toast, and loved the tater tots as breakfast potatoes. All the food was good and well prepared. Atmosphere was very clean and relaxing. read more

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Don't believe the menu. The menu is already extremely limited. Says eggs anyway but they only make scrambled eggs. As best I can tell they aren't real eggs but from powder. Didn't have bread options - only wheat. So the limited menu is even more, limited. Service was nice to me but bickering about who gets next person. Also sitting at the bar staff continuously talked bad about customers. I'm certain most service providers engage in this but having it occur directly in front of the customers was not very inviting. read more

This is better than average airport food in a comfortable setting. I'd rather sit here and do some work than at a cramped chair it the gate. The bbq Korean Chicken sandwich didn't have a Korean spice or flavor, but it the chicken was very crispy and tender and the bread was good. It's expensive, but you expect to be price gauged at the airport. It's worth it considering the ambiance and quality. We'd spend the same on snacks at Hudson news. read more

Gene’s Bistro - Bar counter - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Our waiter started by telling us what we couldn't have. No breakfast after breakfast hours, Many drinks on the menu wouldn't be available. The kitchen is busy and we wouldn't get out of there for less than 45 minutes. In spite of all this, I ordered the caesar chicken salad. He asked if I realized the chicken would be cold. Husband ordered the turkey club sandwich. The waiter told him it would be cold except for the toast. Husband asked for the included chips. He got fries. We asked for soft drinks. - (not on the menu so we were taking a chance with the price). They were watered done with full glasses of ice. I asked for water. "Tap or bottled?" I said bottled. I was brought a 33.8oz bottle. To me that's over four servings! Who in their right mind wants that with their meal?! He brought us plastic knives and forks and apoogized because people were stealing his real silverware. I gave a 15% tip because the man showed up to work. So after all was said and done, we paid $76.12 for a light mediocre lunch we ate with plastic silverware. Our one hour Uber driver to the airport was $33.00 less than lunch. Something is wrong here.. read more

should have checked the reviews before I stopped to eat breakfast here. the eggs had a black dark color on back like they did not clean the grill. terrible quality food. SKIP THIS PLACE read more

*** decent, but of course expensive place for a bite at Chicago Midway International Airport with quick, amicable service *** ENVIRONMENT You may see Gene's Bistro labeled as being located in the "Central Market" area. That's just the area where Concourses A, B, and C all converge together. Walk more towards Concourse B and you'll see Gene's Bistro to the left. This fairly modern restaurant (as of 4/3/21) has their menu posted at the registers when you walk in, but you can also use the QR code on your fancy schmancy mobile device. I liked this restaurant because to the left is more of a bar area with plenty of space for luggage near the high top tables and chairs (and also purse hooks!) AND more family friendly seating arrangements to the right (as you're facing the entrance). SERVICE Big shoutout to employee Morgan who was an awesome hostess, order taker, bartender AND server for the duration of my experience at Gene's Bistro. Essentially, she was the first Chicagoan I met when I set foot for the first time ever in Chicago. Does it matter that Gene's Bistro was at Chicago Midway Airport? Nah. Sidenote: I can understand Chicagoans clearly with their masks on. Lol. I like big butts and I cannot lie... ;) No really. MY FAVORITE PART... Service by Morgan, the bartender on duty. NOT SO FAVORITE PART... Expensive AF, but hello... airport. THE GRUB The angus burger (about $15.99) was tasty and juicy. It came with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and red onions. Mayo was put in my box as was ketchup. I substituted fries for house chips for an extra $1. I splurged on a "Ketel One Sriracha Mary" ($17.79). It was *supposed* to come with olive, lime, and celery, but it was missing the latter. They offer a decent array of wines, spirits, and liqueurs as well as draft and bottled beers. TIP During COVID restrictions, the seating arrangements are first-come first-serve. They call out your name for you to get your meal from the counter. Every single meal that I saw came out in to-go fashion inside plastic bags, so if there isn't enough seats inside, there are plenty in the dining area headed back towards the main terminal. OVERALL Good place to relax, watch sports, get a drink, and grab a quick bite to eat while waiting for the rest of your crew to arrive at Chicago Midway. | Food: 4 | Service: 5 | Environment: 4 | Price: 3 | read more

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Don't let the nice looking facade fool you, this place is a DUMP and should be avoided!! Horrible experience! Bartender Jose Q - Asked if we were together, THREW menus at us, then left to the kitchen for 5min before coming back with his stank attitude to take our order. The place was empty so not sure why he would just take off abruptly. He had attitude with us the whole time and acted as though he was doing us a favor. Speaking & cussing across the bar area in Spanish in front of customers. He's foolish to think people don't understand what he's saying because he's speaking Spanish. Talking about people's mothers & using the F word several times in Spanish. Ghetto, trashy & unprofessional. He is not qualified to work with customers. No one working here seems to care about anything but themselves. read more

Unimpressed. The staff hardly said a word to me and they were challenging to track down for a question or order. I ordered the sweet potato fries which came cold and without cilantro (on the outside menu it said they had it included). Fries were also pretty crunchy (not what I like personally). For $14 I expected more. Additionally, the music was playing so loud I felt overstimulated. read more

The food was ok for a airport bistro but waaaaaaaaaaaaay too expensive. Two eggs, bacon, tater tots, toast and coffee. $26! With my wife's meal our final bill for breakfast was $60 plus tip. Now you might be say "well duh, its a airport restaurant" and I would agree. However, can we get quality for our buck? Our dining neighbor steak was seared and came to his table whole, my wife's steak came chopped up and I was thoroughly confused! Even the service was subpar because she seemed to be in a rush. I was not expected to be impressed but I was expecting quality from a self-proclaim "Bistro." read more

I wonder if Gene cares that this place sucks. It looks inviting, but the service is awful and the food meh. I waiting about 10 mins for someone to see me. You seat yourself. And now it's been 20+ that I've been waiting for her to wipe the syrup and trash in front of where I sat. And I've been waiting on fries for a total of 23. This will be the last time I choose this place. And it's not cheap. Especially when they have yummy tacos and Asian bowl around the corner. And frankly a host of other places better. Gene ... clean house and get it together. So frustrated right now. Fries took 30 mins. This is an airport. I gotta plane to catch. I see people looking around like "is anybody coning over" people are getting g up and leaving - that's what I should did. Fries taste like nothing. read more

Service is atrocious. You would probably get better service at McDonalds. Server dropped off two waters without a word and twenty minutes later still never came back. Tried to flag down another server who said he would get my server. Five minutes later, went to the bar to try to order a glass wine and the bartender refused to serve me because I wasn't seated at the bar. At that point, we left and went to Reilly's Daughter Irish Pub and the bartender there was a delight. Should have started here. Here's the glass of wine I finally got at Reilly's. Learn from my mistake and just come here. read more

Gene’s Bistro - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Bad service, no marked gluten free or vegetarian options, and a pushy waiter who confronted me about not leaving a tip (even though I was leaving a cash tip). Very unpleasant. read more

I chose this place because I'm a pescatarian and my options are slim. I decided to order the a bowl with eggs, beans, and rice/quinoa. As I'm waiting for my order the man next to me requested hot sauce. We exchanged a giggle because the waitress brought ketchup instead; ketchup is not a good substitute for hot sauce. The waitress found some sriracha sauce and he was piling it on his food as he explained he had to try to cover up the bad taste. As he was explaining my exact same dish arrived. It smelled like dog food! I too grabbed the sriracha sauce. Thank God for the side of tater tots my husband ordered and I scrapped the scrambled eggs off the top. read more

Terrible food, severely overpriced. 2/4 members of my party are currently experiencing food poisoning symptoms after eating here.

Clean and a lot of room to sit. Service was fast and friendly. I had the buffalo wings (little spicy) very good. If you like spice, this is a must. If you need a place for good food and in and out service... this is your place. read more

Gene’s Bistro - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sat in here tonight at the bar waiting for our flight to San Diego. Jessica was such an amazing bartender and her suggestions were the best. She was so fun, down to earth and super funny!! Go see Jessica she is a ray of sunshine!! read more