After what felt like 5 years to try this place, I FINALLY got to try the famous burger here! Spark…read morenotes: this place is definitely worth the wait! My friend and I dedicated a day where we would just put our name down and however long it took we would wait haha. We drove into the city which took and hour and we put our name down and waited an hour before we were called. The weather was great so we just walked around the west loop area. We started with a half size of the green salad and a half size of the roasted bone marrow. The house salad is super refreshing. A lot of vinegar in the dressing which I personally really like. Also tasted some fennel which was an interesting flavor. The roasted bone marrow is the winner of the night. I would come back to Au Cheval for this alone. It was paired with a thick slice of Texas toast and a beef cheek marmalade and it is seriously the PERFECT balance of flavors. Fatty. Sweet. Buttery. Literally insane and this is a must order! Then came the famous burger. My friend and I each ordered a single cheeseburger with the egg and bacon added. Something to note is that the single cheeseburger actually has 2 patties and the double cheeseburger has 3 patties (3/4lbs of beef). The presentation itself is beautiful and makes you just not want to eat it haha. The burger itself is so decadent and hefty with the burger patties, cheese, egg and bacon. I'll be honest, I needed some more pickles or just something to cut all the fattiness of the burger. There were pickles in the burger and it is served with a huge pickle spear. But I still was itching for some more bitterness/acid to balance the flavors. It was so decadent, I couldn't finish it all. All in all, I would definitely come back and order the burger again and would recommend it to anyone! We ordered a side of fries which came with their garlic aioli. The fries were cooked to perfection. Super crunchy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside and piping hot! The garlic aioli is perfect and have no notes for it. We also were treated to a vanilla scoop with chocolate sauce which was the perfect cap to our meal! Our waitress was so friendly and my friend and I loved her! She was so sweet and genuine. Hog Salt restaurants never fail with their service!

Au Cheval is likely the most coveted restaurant destination for out-of-towners…read more "Best Burger" "it's so delicious with the egg" "I'm glad you're ending your trip with Au Cheval". I'd like to throw in my own quote into the gauntlet: "it's ok". It sounds harsh but Our burger patty was noticeably dry. The bread... was also dry. The egg and bacon add-ons were good but as a whole, the burger was missing the core aspect. The bread being dry I can justify by knowing that Au Cheval makes it a point to make everything gluten-free (or so someone told me). I think that's cool but not necessarily what I came looking for. I actually noticed prior to our trip from photos that the buns looked noticeably arid but I gave them no heed because of all of the praise. And I can give them the benefit of the doubt that we were there on a Sunday night, so potentially not the most quality inventory (although I personally don't think that's a great excuse). The service and the ambiance were on point! If you're wondering if there's a required attire (no shorts or flip flops) I wouldn't fret, the atmosphere is a lot more casual despite self-describing as an "intimate" setting. It's definitely more intimate than a normal burger restaurant, with dim lighting and isolated booths but what you're wearing isn't going to dictate how other guests and staff feel. I would cover up anyways just cause there was ac running. I told my friend who moved from Nyc to Chicago and he said he felt the same. And one of our couple friends were surprised to hear the patty being dry, so... off day?

Last night, after a genuinely frustrating experience elsewhere, I walked into Bar Siena not…read moreexpecting much (if anything), just hoping for a reset. When I asked about the wait time, the host joked that it was two hours. Under normal circumstances, I would have laughed and played along. Given what had just happened minutes earlier, it did not quite land... but to their credit, the moment I explained the situation, everything shifted. They sat me promptly and turned what could have been a lingering bad night into a completely different experience. Julio, my server, set the tone immediately. Julio was professional, attentive, and generous. He brought out meatballs on the house, which were excellent. I ordered calamari, rigatoni alla vodka with shrimp, and what I believe was a chocolate torte for dessert (also on the house, which I was not expecting). Everything was spot on. The rigatoni in particular stood out. It was made in house and had the kind of texture and quality you notice right away. The Manager (Lance) also stopped by, having been present when I explained what had happened earlier. That kind of awareness and follow-through matters more than people realize. It what separates a place that serves food from a place that understands hospitality. By the time I was finishing dessert, I found myself watching pizzas go out to nearby tables and immediately reconsidering my menu choices for the evening. That's usually a good sign. The host who initially joked about the wait time also came by at the end of my meal. She was polite, thoughtful, and clearly intentional about making sure the experience landed well. I appreciated this gesture. When the bill came, I asked what the total would have been without the discounts and complimentary items. Once I had that number, I tipped Julio the difference. It felt like the only appropriate way to reflect the level of service and generosity I received. I'll be back (for the pizza). Overall: Food (yes) Service (yes) Ambiance (yes)

(Kari's Rating 8/10)…read more TLDR: -Attentive Staff -Smaller portion sizes -Dark atmosphere Came here on a weekday with a friend and had a reservation for Monday at 7:30pm. We had to wait a little bit for a table so we sat at the bar because my friend and I aren't drinkers. We just had glasses of water while we waited for our table. Once we got seated, our server took our order relatively quickly and we ordered the House made for Kasha with a goat cheese and honey topping, the grilled octopus appetizer, and because we were enjoying our conversation so much we ended up just skipping Wright to dessert and ordering the gooey butter cake. For a light meal, this was relatively satisfactory. Our server said they come to the octopus because we waited so long, so it was nice that the staff was acknowledging that we waited a little bit for our table and we're willing to compensate us. As someone who lives in the river north area, I have actually been here, probably a dozen times, and it's always a good little spot but a little bit pricey for what you're getting. I would still probably come back with some friends, but I wouldn't go on my way to come here if I was bringing people off from out of town.

Great atmosphere on the covered outside patio. Inside is nice, too. Themed bathrooms…read more The barrio queso dip is fantastic, although a little light on the chips. Quesadilla was also nice. Really good espresso martinis and old fashioneds. Service was friendly and quick. We will be back.

Bandit is a solid option if you're looking for bar food with the vibes. They had a pretty good…read moreplaylist going, and even though we visited during Taste of Randolph, they were not too busy. Our table started with the mozzarella sticks which I enjoyed, but the others didn't due to the very thin tempura batter. The entrees we felt 50/50 on. I did the chicken gyro which had a nice flavor, however felt like it was mostly pita bread and fries. For the price I would have expected a bit more filling. They also have a full bar but were unable to make a Hugo spritz which seems like a miss, especially during the summer. Overall we will return, but it isn't high on the priority list.

Absolutely delicious! I went with friends to celebrate my birthday and had a wonderful time. We had…read morean assortment of appetizers, drinks, meals and desserts and everything exceed our expectations. Everyone was beyond friendly and the food...sooo good. I shall dream about their chocolate cake. Definitely recommend you give this restaurant a try- you won't regret it!

The burger is the softest, juiciest, tastiest burger I have ever had. I also had the pork ribs…read morewhich were delicious. Great service too! I like that they validate parking in the garage nearby. Awesome! The only negative is the additional surcharge a lot of restaurants keep adding to the bill these days. I find it quite annoying. Just increase the prices instead. I'd respect that better. Otherwise a pleasant experience.

Everything we ordered was delicious!…read more I hosted my visiting colleagues for dinner here. The ambience was great and intimate, and we didn't have to yell to be held. Always a plus! Service was attentive enough - not overbearing while not feeling ignored. We started with the salmon crudo, octopus, and baby beets to share. The first two were amazing. I'm not big on beets in general, so I could have done without the third appetizer, but they enjoyed it. My entree was the spaghetti à la chitarra. It was good. My colleagues had chicken sandwiches and a burger. We shared all 3 dinner sides: carrots, potatoes and broccoli. I'd have all 3 again. I had a warm, spiked drink. I can't remember the name of it...maybe a cider (in May), that I very much enjoyed.

Food was just fine here. I ordered the salmon crudo for a light dinner before going out with…read morefriends. The salmon itself tasted great, but I thought the puffed rice was too oily and took away from the fish. Given the price point, I expected better quality. Service was quick though and I did enjoy my espresso martinis.

Great night! John sat us at a great table on the main level. We were 7 people, but sat in curved…read morebooth which was perfect because the conversation was great. Gigi was an our server and she was attentive and informative. For food we ordered a variety, cucumber salad, the burrata, fried artichoke, French onion bread, octopus, hamachi, rib eye, filet and ravioli. Everything was amazing!!!! It is a small menu, but so many amazing options, you can't go wrong. We then went to the night club. Gina was our server and she was amazing also. Everyone had a blast Venue is beautiful, food is great, staff and vibe made the whole night!

I would come back here, but it isn't high on my list. The food was overall good, and the menu is…read morevery creative and diverse! Even so, it wasn't enough to necessitate the price tag, which all of my friends and I were surprised by when we paid at the end. The cocktails were outstanding - we all enjoyed our choices. For some of us, they were enjoyable enough where we got the same one more than once 0:) Our server was not very friendly - she does not need to act like our BFF or anything like that, but she was cold and seemed annoyed by our questions and such. She also had no idea about the wine, so my friend just rolled the dice on what she wanted without knowing much about it. She wound up liking it - but more clarity would've been helpful (or even seeking out someone else working there for more info!). Minor environment note: The largest artwork there is a triptych of photographs - three famous women: Princess Diana, Sharon Tate (I think?), and Marilyn Monroe. There is a horizontal band going across where their eyes all line up, and the band replaces their eyes with cartoon eyes, likely of Disney princesses. It is supposed to be quirky but I found it creepy, especially since it featured three famous women who met untimely ends.

I had a splendid dinner at Girl & The Goat. Was seated promptly when I arrived for my dinner…read morereservation and my seat had a view of the kitchen. It was so fun to chat with the chefs and watch them prepare dishes. I ordered the roasted "pig face" potatoes and the famous sautéed green beans. While waiting for my food, the chef surprised me with complimentary chickpea fritters to try. All of the dishes tasted incredibly delicious and this was the best restaurant I ate at during my trip. The atmosphere was cozy and romantic. I would definitely dine here again the next time I am in Chicago.

After so many incredible lunches and dinners while visiting Chicago, dinner at Girl & The Goat…read morestole the entire show. Every single dish was so good, cocktails were incredible, our waiter was a delight... this review is about to be a rave if you couldn't already tell. We were searching frantically for a patio we could have dinner on because the weather was too perfect to be inside and somehow, Girl & The Goat had space available last minute. After a quick wait, we were seated with menus in no time. We started off with the tropic like it's hot cocktail which was the most refreshing and delicious cocktail I've ever had. Dangerously delicious but also weirdly felt like I was drinking a healthy green juice. For dinner, two of us split a bunch of different plates like the roasted asparagus, salmon poke, shrimp salad, and kohlrabi salad. Each dish they brought out was more incredible than the last, and those four dishes were plenty of food. We left perfectly full but the food was so fresh and light, we didn't feel too weighed down. From the list, I honestly can't even say what my favorites were, but our server recommended all of them so we have him to thank. The salmon poke was delicious and so fresh and honestly such a solid choice. If you only get one thing (don't. get like 2 plates per person prob) that is the one. Only thing to note is that the patio is on a kind of busy street and if you go on a weekend night it can get crazy loud when those weird quad bikes drive past blasting music at an absurd volume. Go here, you will love it. Get all of the amazing food and at least one cocktail bc they are delicious.

This restaurant is awesome! The service is amazing and Manny is great. Very great happy hour and…read moreawesome vibe!

Went here for their daily happy hour which includes weekends, 4-6pm. Was happy with our drinks, the…read moreespresso martini was a highlight loved the little toasted marshmallow. Fries were also delicious and the 1$ oysters were a good deal, not the best oysters but for a dollar I was happy. Burger was also good. Staff were very nice and attentive. The host was sweet and sat us right was and our server was amazing. Constantly checking on us and was so friendly. Very cute vibe on the inside, nicely decorated a lot of seating. Honestly a little pricey but the happy hour made it worth it.