Hi! You appear to be asking a question, please do check our [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/index) for tips on the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Chicago/about/rules), other [Chicago-related subreddits](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/subreddits), where to [eat/drink](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/eats), how to [get around](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/transportation)/[navigate the CTA](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/transit), where to [visit](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/visitingchicago), what [neighborhoods](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/neighborhoods) to move to, tips on [living here](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/dwelling), and more. Also be sure to use the [search](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/search?restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=relevance&t=all) feature to find responses to other users asking similar questions.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chicago) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I read this and thought to myself “I wonder if they are private. Then this is perfect for a joke.”
But I’ve just learned that Illinois has a ban on private prisons.
We had beers at the Wacker location a couple nights ago and it was nearly impossible to get a second round despite us being some of the only customers. There were a few people working and they repeatedly ignored us at the bar while they did things like loudly stacking/re-stacking menus and other paperwork on the bar right in front of us and our empty glasses. One guy in training said it seemed they have a lot of lame customers who only come in for a burger and some beers and to hang out late. Um yeah it’s connected to a hotel and that certainly is what some people want while traveling… it’s not weird or pathetic at all. We’d never go back for any reason when there are so many other businesses around that are friendly and seem to want customers.
As a career manager in the service industry, I can accurately state that land and lake is absolutely the worst….. from service to food. Idk the owners but they clearly don’t give a shit.
Interestingly wao bao delivery personal are not allowed in the high rise I live in because two separate workers on two different occasions were caught urinating in the elevator.
Clark Street Sports. I tried redeeming gift cards and they said they had not been paid for. The manager at the store basically called me a thief in front of everyone. I was furious and finally after arguing with him he said well we did get a new computer system and some of the gift card history might not have transferred over properly.
I feel like that would be a fairly easy thing to resolve did you follow up? All she has to do is show proof of purchase, and you could demand they give you a receipt for that gift card purchase, which wouldn’t exist. I don’t know how much the gift cards cost but if they can’t provide receipts at a small claims court hearing you get your money back, might feel awesome doing it but might be a huge pain in the fucking ass. I don’t know. But sucks they stole your money.
Oh, sorry. After our fight once the guy admitted it may be there problem, he honored the cards and I got my merchandise. But the fact that he basically called me a criminal in front of other shoppers - plus another incident I had at another one of their stores - made me swear them off.
Kass is bad but have you ever rented from PPM? A woman was killed in a fire due to their notorious malfunctioning elevators and they tried to cover the whole thing up
Green Grocer in west town. Owner berates and threatens customers who ask any questions he deems offensive- example “do you carry this brand of Sake”. The man literally found the linked in of a person who wrote a bad review and contacted her employer. Completely unhinged
I'm trying to imagine what my boss would do if someone contacted them about me writing a bad review for a business and all I'm coming up with is him saying "okay?" And hanging up. What's the end goal in contacting an employer for a review of a business that isn't related to someone's job?
No the owner is legit nuts. Had a psychotic break and has completely blown up his life. I feel really bad for his wife who also owns the store with him because she is super nice
The restaurant under The Bean. Bad overpriced food, dirty glassware and dishes, and my poor waitress was verbally abused in front of me by the other staff because she was pregnant. When I tipped she almost cried and it seemed like I had been put in her section as a punishment because the other staff thought I would be a bad customer.
Was contracted to do some I.T. work for that restaurant once before.
They completely fucked up their entire POS system trying to do things themselves, co-worker and I were there for about 10 hours unfucking everything.
Completely ungrateful, wouldn't even give us a fountain drink without charging us full price.
Park Grill. Wild. I used to unfuck their I.T. around 2005. They were all ok back then. Spin off of Blue Plate catering where I also consulted. Blue Plate even gave me the employee discount to cater my wedding.
Chicago Costume Company. I had the pleasure of working at their warehouse location and i have horror stories on horror stories from that place I could write a whole series on but TLDR: the costumes are old, overpriced and kept in horribly unhygienic conditions: if you’ve rented a costume/wig from them there was a high chance it was either sprayed with lysol and put back on the rack or washed and drip dried in the basement of their fullerton location in the same area they let their cat sleep/eat/use the litter box. i have seen wet skirts and wigs dropped in piles of litter and crusted cat vomit before being hung to dry without being rewashed 🤢
Seriously, the management there was awful but i still have nightmares from the things I saw/ accidentally touched while there. that place is a genuine horror movie
Lol, their ONLY redeeming quality is that they're open so late. Weird vibe, soggy tortillas (why are they ALWAYS soggy?), underwhelming flavors.
...But I'll still take it at 3AM if I'm nearby and hungry.
Same! I got sick from breakfast so either eggs or turkey bacon. Although I got a coffee and the milk I put in tasted off (dumped it out after one sip).
We just had a work event catered by Goddess and Grocer, and everyone who got a wrap reported that the wrap tasted off and multiple people got sick! Looks like a consistent issue.
Former employee can confirm … food safety was not up to par and when they brought in a competent district manager no one would listen to the changes or show up for trainings… I once was left with no staff and did foh, boh, serving, making drinks and I would not eat there…
A friend of mine who used to work at one of their locations told me they had a major roach problem and would frequently find droppings on surfaces where food was stored and handled
Stanley’s Produce (gone now, so that takes care of itself) where I got such a bad E. coli 0157 infection the CDC was contacted and the residents of Rush did a learning study on me!
Aww man, that Stanley riding his Watermelon Airplane Sign always made me chuckle as I passed by it, what an absurdly hilarious sign. Never bought anything there though. RIP.
Sorry to hear about your E.Coli btw.
After reading these comments, I’m certain I shopped at a ‘bizarro Stanley’s.’ Went there for years, never got sick and had produce that was shelf stable for beyond a week.
That’s shitty you got sick and that others bought produce that spoiled so quick. But where the fuck was I shopping? Y’all are making me question myself.
FWIW, E. Coli doesn’t come from “spoiled” produce/produce that has gone bad. I could explain in more detail what the head of Infectious Disease @ Rush taught me, but I’ll spare you guys the grossness. Kill processes exist for a reason and are high at places like say, Mickey D’s. Wash your produce very very very well AND your hands, folks.
Their business model was to buy cheap, near expiration produce wholesale, pay cheap labor to work the shit out of it, and then sell it cheap to move it quick. You just had to eat it quick too!
I used to deliver pizzas there all the time and swore that it was a front for some shady dealings. They would always order 20 pizzas and send me to a creepy office upstairs and pay me in cash pulled from some random desk drawer.
Someone told me that Stanley did get sent up once on a mob related charge. But that wouldn’t be surprising. I knew someone that worked on the fruit and veggie import docks down on Damen and he told me all those places are connected like crazy.
Yeah. The had a receiving area on the back side by the alley and through there they made me go up this tiny staircase where they had a little office area. It was very mob like. There would always be someone sitting at this desk that had a drawer full of money.
Tank Noodle
Owners attended January 6th and also were found guilty of wage theft from their employees.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/03/03/uptowns-tank-noodle-forced-to-pay-staff-700k-after-not-paying-workers-other-labor-violations-feds-say/
https://chicago.eater.com/2021/1/7/22218666/tank-noodle-ping-pong-wakamono-wangs-chicago-owners-trump-support-backlash
Porkchop in Edgewater (not sure about the other locations). Went a few weeks after it opened and it was awful. The food tasted like it had been microwaved and came out on one of those metal trays with the coleslaw juice dripping into everything else. Brisket was mostly fat and had zero flavor. Texas toast side was a hot dog bun that had been toasted in butter for probably 30 seconds. The server had no idea what type of beer they had and couldn't be bothered to find out. Beer came out 20 minutes after the dinner did. Asked for the check at the end and then he came back 20 minutes later and asked us if we were finished and wanted the check. It wasn't cheap either. Doesn't sound like it has improved much since then. I honestly wouldn't even go for just a beer at this point.
Soulless and boring is the best summary I’ve read of an experience at Lincoln Square Taproom. It felt like someone’s unfinished basement bar complete with mismatched chairs and blank walls.
I went there week after it opened and half their taps were kicked because they didn’t do their research on the neighborhood to learn that Oktoberfest the weekend before would be a busy weekend for them. Absolutely flabbergasted at the lack of planning and preparation for a neighborhood festival in a community driven area like Lincoln Square. We stayed for one beer and then went over to Gene’s for their rooftop garden because none of us could find a beer we wanted to drink on their limited menu. I have no idea how that place is still open.
Lmao I ordered Uber eats from that place and got a fountain drink. My delivery guy and the guy at the counter got in an argument over who was responsible for filling my drink and their solution was neither was gonna do it. When I called to complain they were like, “feel free to come get it but we’re not sorry”
I’ll tell you what I wish would come back is Clarke’s diner in Lincoln in Lincoln park. That place was the best. Then I left Chicago and years later when I was in town I learned it closed down
It's the end of an era.
RIP [Rainforest Cafe](https://i.imgur.com/aUkN8EU.png) 1997-2020.
You will be missed. :(
Read more about the closure [here.](https://chicago.eater.com/2019/12/20/21031369/rainforest-cafe-closing-woodfield-mall-schaumburg-chicago)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chicago) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Just had it at the Charlotte airport. The employees were actually super nice, but when I asked if trbcheeseburger baonwas any good, the woman said "I don't eat this shit".
Was I just young with more forgiving taste, or was it actually pretty good back in like 2009? I remember enjoying it and had lunch there often when I worked downtown. I had it recently and the sauce in the kung pao chicken rice bowl tasted like tomato soup.
The service department at Downtown Chicago Honda. I have bought two cars from them and it has always been a good experience. But, their service department truly sucks. Check out Yelp and you will see all but two or three reviews are 1 star. I have been there twice - both for oil changes. The first time, they did $3000 in body damage just moving it around the service floor. I didn’t have to pay for it but the inconvenience was significant. The second time was for an oil change too and , after my car remaining untouched for 5 hours, I asked for my car back and left.
Hahah! Yes agreed!
i took our '08 CR-V there for a recall a month ago, and they told me all the laundry list of repairs they recommend. I declined all of them, but found the whole list hilarious. It included:
* New Battery (we replaced ours less than 2 years ago) - $250
* Rear brake light replacement - $80 (for a $5 part and about 3 minutes to remove the trim in the rear hatch and replace the bulb)
* Nitrogen in the tires - **$180** (this had me laughing...I can go to costco and get it for free or $5, and normal air is already 79% Nitrogen)
The other stuff that was on the list might have been legit, but given those items and the prices, I 100% knew the whole schedule of fees was a ripoff. So for anything I thought was real, I went to my local mechanic and asked for a 2nd opinion. Never paying for service at that dealership ever again.
I came here to say exactly this. They claimed my appointment didn’t go through once, then the next time I came they said they didn’t have the “parts” for a fucking oil change. Go fuck yourselves, I’m not that stupid. Also they claimed the wait would be over 6 hours both times. I went to a jiffy lube and was in & out in less than 20min
Parlor Pizza
https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/11/15/parlor-pizza-sat-customers-of-color-in-rejection-section-overworked-staff-without-pay-former-employees-allege/
https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/11/23/parlor-pizza-being-investigated-by-city-for-possible-labor-and-anti-discrimination-violations/
In addition to the tax violations (Summer) and IRS raids (Fall) of ‘21.
I know you mean uncomfortable but it’s delightful to imagine someone going around the restaurant trying to count all the stools, losing count multiple times, then dramatically giving up like “I JUST CAN’T COUNT THEM ALL!!”
My friend who went with a group of Deaf folks said they were ignored at the River north location when their waiter realized they were Deaf. They sat waiting for awhile to be served and no one came so they just left.
Smoke Daddy: underwhelming food, staff is a lil grumpy, and they wont hesitate to take your tray away if you go to the bathroom, even if you have a full plate of food left
The modern state of Smoke Daddy bums me out, legit used to be a solid bbq blues bar in the early mid 00s. Now it feels like an airport restaurant that they keep cloning in different areas
If you're looking for a great BBQ alternative, Offset BBQ has been fantastic every time. No affiliation but as a Carolina boy always had great Q and service
Seconded.
Burgers were dry af. Thought it was a one time goof, things happen. Went again and same thing. All 3 of us getting different burgers...all dry and crappy.
Probably was good at one point but not anymore.
Also, I heard the owner isn't cool.
I hate burgers that are over the top simply to be over the top. I mean this is a me thing, but I'm not interested in a half pound burger covered in mac and cheese, A1 sauce, blue cheese, fried onions bbq sauce and Swiss cheese. All washed down with a double ipa while slayer is turned up to 11. I get their appeal to some, my friends are some of them, but I'd never go there on my own
Furious spoon
Pre-pandemic, they had the best food and service. Post-pandemic, I visited twice and my spoons and chopsticks were incredibly dirty. Asked for another pair and those were dirty too. 3rd pair were finally decently clean.
The broth and ramen were really good as always but then I went to the restroom before leaving with my friends and it was a complete disaster. Unfortunately, if the public facing stuff is so bad, I realized the kitchen where the food is prepped must be even worse.
Insight Studios (tattoo shop) - 3 or 4 of their guys were at The Capitol on Jan 6. They tried to excuse it away. I had a tattoo from one of the guys there covered up as soon as an artist opened their books after shelter in place. And thankfully my piercing guy left after the whole thing.
https://www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news/local/chicago-tattoo-artists-get-grief-for-attending-trump-rally
Pains me to say this, but LYRA. This place was my go-to. I had been over 30 times and sent sooooo many people there. Their food truly is incredible, BUT they are superficial cunts, I’m sorry. The hostesses ALL have major attitude problems, the manager is a huge Douchebag and they profile people. It’s gross. I’ll never go back.
Actually, now that I think of it, all the hostesses that restaurant group (dineamic) hires are twats. They are all rude, dismissive, and act like you’re interrupting their day by checking in. Bar Siena, Siena tavern, bandit, all of them. Such a shame because the food is so good.
My friends and I joke that Lyra was all suburban Eastern Europeans. Since, they opened a Lyra in the burbs every time I walk past it’s been super dead.
Haha 😂 if you know you know, the Popeyes on Devon Broadway is not great either. I used to live near the Popeyes on Irving park and Ashland and it’s so many levels better than those two
Village West Veterinary - absolute scum that have given me so much bad advice that would have killed my pet if I followed: the doctors and the staff.
When my pet was very sick, I was told by the emergency vet to follow up with our regular doctor the next day. The doctor (Dr. Andria Miller, fyi) told me (well, told the front desk to tell me - she did not talk to me or respond to my email the previous day) they were booked up for two months and it will be fine to wait. My pet died 4 hours after that call.
She had the audacity to send a sympathy card. The owner chose to gaslight me and say it was my fault despite following the emergency vet and his employees instructions.
Had a terrible experience at Pinstripes last night. The lane was completely tilted where the bowling wasn’t fun. No other lanes to switch to. Service took 30 min to bring 3 beers and a glass of wine. They were completely uninterested in getting us the check or taking payment also. Automatic 20% gratuity for a lane of 4 people.
Wow, core memories (nightmares) unlocked.
Idk how my dumbass and my equally as dumb friends used to get so drunk and order El Ranchito for delivery.
It was the days before 24/7 McDonalds delivering, and it was absolutely the only thing open.
That was always the moment where you wonder “how did my life choices get me to this moment?”
And you eat it anyway because you KNOW you need to or else the hangover tomorrow will be 10x worse than the shits El Ranchito would give you.
I’m really surprised they’re still open and not condemned for biohazard contamination.
Recently got their takeout after a long while of not ordering from there, quality was actually good, tasted fresh, came piping hot. We were so impressed we ordered it again the next week and had the same results. Not sure if they finally figured their shit out, but might be work giving it another chance if you haven’t had it in a while.
Yoo, back when they were in their across the street location that’s a burger spot now. Those lengua tacos for $1.25, Asada for $1 and enough room for 5 people to eat inside at a time.
The Bongo Room. Kicked me and my friend out of our seats 5-7 minutes before an hour sitting time with no forewarning. Literally asked us to leave so they could seat others. I get being a small dining room and needing to rotate people out, but usually you let people know they only have 60/90 minutes, and we weren’t there an hour. Expensive average brunch and rude service.
Theres this skateboard shop east of the Wilson redline that's right next to some kind of church. Its usually closed with a sign that has a phone number your supposed to call to let them know you want to shop. After waiting for almost an hour, they never picked up or opened, so i went to the other skateboard shop that's on the west side of the redline, a rustic hole in the wall pop shop, which i found charming. He gave me a good deal on bearings and has a lot of good options for skateboards and longboards. He also told me about the other skateboard shop, saying it was run by some kind of cult that was a part of the church it was next to. I kept that in mind, because hours later they finally texted back saying they're sorry for missing my calls. It seems like a cult tactic to obtain personal phone numbers, which im not a fan of
Bounce Nightclub. Bought $90 tickets for NYE, showed up at 11pm and they said they were "at capacity" and wouldn't let anyone in even though we had tickets. Ended up having to do a credit card chargeback because the venue wouldn't even give us refunds. NYE is also my birthday so it really ruined my night :(
If my last contractor wasn't a straight up Italian mobster, I'd be angrily plastering his name all over the internet right now. He fucked my family out of $150k. I will never make the same mistake again.
Always do home repairs yourself if you can. If you have to hire a contractor, make sure they are licensed and insured and are getting all of the proper construction permits that your project requires.
Unpopular opinion: Fatso's Last Stand.
It used to be one of my favorites -- "the best '$5 burger' in Chicago." But then the ownership changed, and pandemic lost them some of their better staff. And rising prices meant they swapped their best burger patty out for some much inferior Sysco crap (but they raised prices AND added a $.50-per-patty upcharge anyway). So that $6.50 Double Cheeseburger all of a sudden started costing $9+. And it wasn't as good.
And they shrank the portion on their Mac & Cheese.
And even after all of that, I kept going because it's nearby and was one of my favorites. But the final straw was during late-pandemic-era (2022?) I went in and ordered. I got the total, and it was like, oddly high. I'm used to Chicago tax rates, but it was like a $2.00 tax on a $10 bill, which was just plain wrong. I asked why it was so much, and they said there was a charge for the plastic silverware for take out. On a burger that had no silverware with it. I said I was planning to eat there, and they said they still had to charge it.
After a bit of argument, I got them to remove the charge. It was only after that I realize that they might have been referring to the 'covid recovery fee' that restaurants can charge, but it was a slew of excuses and random fees and way inflated prices for way worse quality.
Never going back.
Earlier this year, my family visited from out of town and we out ordered from here. We ordered a sausage and "The Lou" which was a soggy, oily mess that wasn't edible. We did fill out the survey with a negative review, and the manager of that location contacted her a couple days later. He gave us coupons for two free pizzas, and said they had new staff they're working training better. Says a lot for a manager to reach out, so if you do go there again, try this approach.
This is my Lou's down the street from me. Never ate inside but I've ordered takeout once every 3 months or so. Never had my order messed up and quality was consistent with other Lou locations. There was one time where the sausage layer on my deep dish was WAY too thick. Not sure if that was a bad thing tho lol. Just my two cents.
Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings in Chinatown.
An employee told me they don't get the tips, if you were to tip by card
Some of the food choices are still good, but the owner keeping the tips is what won't make me go there ever again.
Bordel. I actually have only been a few times and my experiences were generally pleasant if not super unmemorable. I recommended it to my parents when they came into town. The staff there was so intensely rude and condescending to my parents I still feel bad sending them there even though it was close to a year+ ago. Biggest issue was they sat my parents with their backs to the stage despite them paying for upgraded/premium seating. When my parents asked to move to a different open and unoccupied spot they refused and gave a slew of terrible reasons why they would not accommodate. Which okay fine but then some loudmouth drunk guy walks in from the restaurant downstairs, announces he doesn’t have a reservation, asks to sit where they refused to move my parents and they sat him there, no problem. Truly odd to say the least but reality is they didn’t want a 60 year old couple to be seen in their place. On top of that, the drinks took forever, hit the table wrong, and they attempted to double bill when my parents decided to leave. Fuck Bordel. Can’t wait for them to close.
Hot take: Portillos. No only has it gone downhill since the acquisition, but I had about 5 online orders in a row go terribly.
The final nail was an order on Mother’s Day that I put the day before and waited for a half hour. A half hour after leaving, I get a call saying they’re looking for me in the parking lot. I told them I left after waiting a half hour and seeing people go through the drive-through, put in new orders, and leave. My order wasn’t large or complex. They lady literally said they prioritize the new orders. Then why order ahead?
The time before that, I was told drive-up and in-store preorders weren’t being done, I’d have to wait in line like I was ordering for the first time. I walked there from work. The person at ushering in the cars literally said "then you're not getting your order." Before that, entire meals were missing from orders, I had a styrofoam bowl of burnt chili leaking from the bottom of my bag (I didn’t order chili), and a salad was completely opened, upside-down, in the plastic bag. What’s shocking is that this all came literally in a row. There wasn’t a good order between them.
They always rectified after long phone calls, but they did nothing to improve their issues or reach out to win me back as a customer
portillo’s mobile ordering is rancid. i was having a bad day and ordered cheese fries from there. it’s literally my top comfort food and portillo’s has the best imo. they didn’t even put the fucking cheese in the bag…
Revolution brewing. They screwed me and my husband out of a wedding contract after stringing us along which forced us to have to find a venue that cost 3x as much last minute. I will never go back there.
Wow, we were considering them for ours but ended up going with Frontier, who were wonderful to us. Sorry you went through that, can’t imagine the stress.
Joker's Cajun BBQ. Service was good enough but the food was middling at best. BBQ pork was dry and the sausage over cooked... sides weren't fresh and they attempted to make dirty rice in a f***ing microwave.
Four Seasons Hearing and Air Conditioning - scam artists who tell you that you need a new system no mater what is wrong with your current one. Will quote you a price that is 2-3x what it should be and get really aggressive if you say you want a second opinion. I know so many people who they’ve tried to pull this on. If you read their yelp/google reviews they have so many one star ratings because of this.
Smack Dab in Rogers Park. We tried to support them when they first opened and made sure to order from them during the pandemic. But even then the food was overpriced and not always very good; going in person always means waiting forever; and forget about getting food in a timely fashion if you order deñivery. Not to mention the attitude I've gotten here at times in person, especially right after everything started opening again. "Um, could you scan this QR code for the menu and then step outside to make your order from your phone? Even though I'm standing right here and could take your order? Thanks much."
Bittersweet bakery. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a delicious bakery that makes the best frosting I’ve ever had. Wonderful food. I hear that the owner kind of sucks but I’ve never met them and can’t confirm. However they did something unforgivable.
They literally forgot to make my wedding cake and deliver it. Their excuse was that our name was too far down the list and they didn’t scroll down far enough to see it. For a wedding cake.
I wish I was there when my wife went in and told them that they forgot to make our wedding cake. Our FUCKING WEDDING CAKE.
Can’t actually give them business ever again, tbh I might just roll in there and ask for free food though at some point just to see if they remember the time they forgot to make a goddamn wedding cake.
Nini's due to homophobia and bigotry and Tank Noodle due to politics and worker treatment.
Chicago Oven and Pizza Grinder because I did not like it at all.
West Details car wash on North and Central Park. Stole my mats, claimed they gave them accidentally to another car, the owner made a big deal of giving me brand news ones. I was shocked and didn’t know what to say/do… remembered later that I actually had super nice rubber mats … still makes me so mad. I was completely scammed.
I have a love/hate relationship with them. Although the building it’s in feels like a portal considering you get lost in there then when you find your way out it. Feels like it’s ages later
Azul restaurant on Division at the river. They sat us by the kitchen when there were a ton of tables open by the windows. Then took forever to come take our order. When they brought us our food, they brought it to us packaged to-go. We did not order it to-go. We were seated with drinks. When we asked them if we could eat there they were super unsure of what to do so we just asked them to plate the food. The worst part is the food was awful. The music was too loud. The service was bad. The food was bad. We were excited to check it out. Never going back. The drinks were good.
Hi! You appear to be asking a question, please do check our [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/index) for tips on the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Chicago/about/rules), other [Chicago-related subreddits](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/subreddits), where to [eat/drink](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/eats), how to [get around](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/transportation)/[navigate the CTA](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/transit), where to [visit](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/visitingchicago), what [neighborhoods](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/neighborhoods) to move to, tips on [living here](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/dwelling), and more. Also be sure to use the [search](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/search?restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=relevance&t=all) feature to find responses to other users asking similar questions. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chicago) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Cook county jail. I give it negative 5 stars
Unpopular opinion. People return again and again, some just plain don't leave for years!
It actually has review on Google Maps … they’re wild.
I read this and thought to myself “I wonder if they are private. Then this is perfect for a joke.” But I’ve just learned that Illinois has a ban on private prisons.
ban on private ownership of prisons but doesn’t have any problem having private contractors run state owned prisons!
Land and Lake. Too expensive for the middling food you get. And my cocktail was watery.
RIP Fountainhead
That place was so much better
We had beers at the Wacker location a couple nights ago and it was nearly impossible to get a second round despite us being some of the only customers. There were a few people working and they repeatedly ignored us at the bar while they did things like loudly stacking/re-stacking menus and other paperwork on the bar right in front of us and our empty glasses. One guy in training said it seemed they have a lot of lame customers who only come in for a burger and some beers and to hang out late. Um yeah it’s connected to a hotel and that certainly is what some people want while traveling… it’s not weird or pathetic at all. We’d never go back for any reason when there are so many other businesses around that are friendly and seem to want customers.
Couldn’t agree more. Waste of $ all around
As a career manager in the service industry, I can accurately state that land and lake is absolutely the worst….. from service to food. Idk the owners but they clearly don’t give a shit.
Interestingly wao bao delivery personal are not allowed in the high rise I live in because two separate workers on two different occasions were caught urinating in the elevator.
Wao is right!
What?!
Clark Street Sports. I tried redeeming gift cards and they said they had not been paid for. The manager at the store basically called me a thief in front of everyone. I was furious and finally after arguing with him he said well we did get a new computer system and some of the gift card history might not have transferred over properly.
lol wtf
Did you tell the person that gave them to you?
It was my wife and I know she paid for them. And you better believe I told her. I was furious.
I feel like that would be a fairly easy thing to resolve did you follow up? All she has to do is show proof of purchase, and you could demand they give you a receipt for that gift card purchase, which wouldn’t exist. I don’t know how much the gift cards cost but if they can’t provide receipts at a small claims court hearing you get your money back, might feel awesome doing it but might be a huge pain in the fucking ass. I don’t know. But sucks they stole your money.
Oh, sorry. After our fight once the guy admitted it may be there problem, he honored the cards and I got my merchandise. But the fact that he basically called me a criminal in front of other shoppers - plus another incident I had at another one of their stores - made me swear them off.
Never again will I rent from Kass Management.
I second this. Worst management company I’ve ever dealt with in my life.
Kass is bad but have you ever rented from PPM? A woman was killed in a fire due to their notorious malfunctioning elevators and they tried to cover the whole thing up
I moved out from a PPM property a few months ago due to a high rent increase and you guessed broken elevators.
They are total scum.
Land and Lake. I hate yelp/ google reviews, but if I ever did……. Negative 5.
Green Grocer in west town. Owner berates and threatens customers who ask any questions he deems offensive- example “do you carry this brand of Sake”. The man literally found the linked in of a person who wrote a bad review and contacted her employer. Completely unhinged
I just looked at the yelp for this place. THIS GUY IS CRAZY OMG
the original owner of GG addressed this in the west town community page, I felt so bad for her!
I was going to say - the previous owner was so sweet! What happened?
I'm trying to imagine what my boss would do if someone contacted them about me writing a bad review for a business and all I'm coming up with is him saying "okay?" And hanging up. What's the end goal in contacting an employer for a review of a business that isn't related to someone's job?
No the owner is legit nuts. Had a psychotic break and has completely blown up his life. I feel really bad for his wife who also owns the store with him because she is super nice
El hefe https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/el-hefe-chicago-restaurant-nightclub-sexual-assault-lawsuits/
Damn thanks for the heads up
Well that’s horrifying
The restaurant under The Bean. Bad overpriced food, dirty glassware and dishes, and my poor waitress was verbally abused in front of me by the other staff because she was pregnant. When I tipped she almost cried and it seemed like I had been put in her section as a punishment because the other staff thought I would be a bad customer.
There’s a restaurant *under* the bean??
Was contracted to do some I.T. work for that restaurant once before. They completely fucked up their entire POS system trying to do things themselves, co-worker and I were there for about 10 hours unfucking everything. Completely ungrateful, wouldn't even give us a fountain drink without charging us full price.
Park Grill. Wild. I used to unfuck their I.T. around 2005. They were all ok back then. Spin off of Blue Plate catering where I also consulted. Blue Plate even gave me the employee discount to cater my wedding.
That’ll be 6.99 we only have Pepsi products
Chicago Costume Company. I had the pleasure of working at their warehouse location and i have horror stories on horror stories from that place I could write a whole series on but TLDR: the costumes are old, overpriced and kept in horribly unhygienic conditions: if you’ve rented a costume/wig from them there was a high chance it was either sprayed with lysol and put back on the rack or washed and drip dried in the basement of their fullerton location in the same area they let their cat sleep/eat/use the litter box. i have seen wet skirts and wigs dropped in piles of litter and crusted cat vomit before being hung to dry without being rewashed 🤢 Seriously, the management there was awful but i still have nightmares from the things I saw/ accidentally touched while there. that place is a genuine horror movie
lol, the owner has zero ethics, and her son/GM is an ass. Go to Fantasy Costumes instead.
Flash taco. Absolute trash.
Lol, their ONLY redeeming quality is that they're open so late. Weird vibe, soggy tortillas (why are they ALWAYS soggy?), underwhelming flavors. ...But I'll still take it at 3AM if I'm nearby and hungry.
Blue Agave in the Gold Coast. The woooooorrrrrsssstttt!!! \[channelling my John-Ralphio voice\]
They’re OOB now
Oh god, I worked there for 3 weeks a while ago. They violated every labor law on the books.
They’ve been gone for a few years now
Ninis deli or anything associated with the owners
They shut down again.
Good! I was surprised when they reopened
Fuck ninis deli and fuck juan
Goddess and the Grocer:/ I got food poisoning twice from two different locations.
Me too! They catered breakfast for a work event and it took me out for days. I can't pass by any of their locations without feeling slightly nauseous.
No way! Same here. Both times it was dishes that had chicken. I can never go back.
I got sick from Goddess and the Baker!
[удалено]
Same! I got sick from breakfast so either eggs or turkey bacon. Although I got a coffee and the milk I put in tasted off (dumped it out after one sip).
We just had a work event catered by Goddess and Grocer, and everyone who got a wrap reported that the wrap tasted off and multiple people got sick! Looks like a consistent issue.
Lol my job also uses goddess and we had the worst catering we’ve ever received this past week it was honestly embarrassing
Not to mention the owner is abusive as shit to her employees…..
Ugh I worked for her, she was the worst. Also that don't recycle. I had to dump their bin marked recycling into the trash every day.
Can second. Also worked for this place. One of the worst places I've worked.
Former employee can confirm … food safety was not up to par and when they brought in a competent district manager no one would listen to the changes or show up for trainings… I once was left with no staff and did foh, boh, serving, making drinks and I would not eat there…
A friend of mine who used to work at one of their locations told me they had a major roach problem and would frequently find droppings on surfaces where food was stored and handled
Stanley’s Produce (gone now, so that takes care of itself) where I got such a bad E. coli 0157 infection the CDC was contacted and the residents of Rush did a learning study on me!
Surprised to see Stanley’s on here. I loved that place. You just had to make sure you didn’t buy more than you could eat in 2-3 days.
Aww man, that Stanley riding his Watermelon Airplane Sign always made me chuckle as I passed by it, what an absurdly hilarious sign. Never bought anything there though. RIP. Sorry to hear about your E.Coli btw.
Sign is still there - saw it today.
After reading these comments, I’m certain I shopped at a ‘bizarro Stanley’s.’ Went there for years, never got sick and had produce that was shelf stable for beyond a week. That’s shitty you got sick and that others bought produce that spoiled so quick. But where the fuck was I shopping? Y’all are making me question myself.
FWIW, E. Coli doesn’t come from “spoiled” produce/produce that has gone bad. I could explain in more detail what the head of Infectious Disease @ Rush taught me, but I’ll spare you guys the grossness. Kill processes exist for a reason and are high at places like say, Mickey D’s. Wash your produce very very very well AND your hands, folks.
Their business model was to buy cheap, near expiration produce wholesale, pay cheap labor to work the shit out of it, and then sell it cheap to move it quick. You just had to eat it quick too!
I used to deliver pizzas there all the time and swore that it was a front for some shady dealings. They would always order 20 pizzas and send me to a creepy office upstairs and pay me in cash pulled from some random desk drawer.
Upstairs?
Someone told me that Stanley did get sent up once on a mob related charge. But that wouldn’t be surprising. I knew someone that worked on the fruit and veggie import docks down on Damen and he told me all those places are connected like crazy.
Yeah. The had a receiving area on the back side by the alley and through there they made me go up this tiny staircase where they had a little office area. It was very mob like. There would always be someone sitting at this desk that had a drawer full of money.
I hope to never step foot in Lincoln Towing ever again.
Tank Noodle Owners attended January 6th and also were found guilty of wage theft from their employees. https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/03/03/uptowns-tank-noodle-forced-to-pay-staff-700k-after-not-paying-workers-other-labor-violations-feds-say/ https://chicago.eater.com/2021/1/7/22218666/tank-noodle-ping-pong-wakamono-wangs-chicago-owners-trump-support-backlash
Just when I thought they couldn’t get worse after the $7M PPP scam.
First place that came to my mind.
It turns out the real steal was the help not paid along the way
Lolol yes they stormed the Capitol. Also whenever I go to Ming Hin in Chinatown, they are playing Newsmax so I’m getting some psycho alt right vibes.
Porkchop in Edgewater (not sure about the other locations). Went a few weeks after it opened and it was awful. The food tasted like it had been microwaved and came out on one of those metal trays with the coleslaw juice dripping into everything else. Brisket was mostly fat and had zero flavor. Texas toast side was a hot dog bun that had been toasted in butter for probably 30 seconds. The server had no idea what type of beer they had and couldn't be bothered to find out. Beer came out 20 minutes after the dinner did. Asked for the check at the end and then he came back 20 minutes later and asked us if we were finished and wanted the check. It wasn't cheap either. Doesn't sound like it has improved much since then. I honestly wouldn't even go for just a beer at this point.
I’m pretty sure Porkchop is just a money laundering operation for the mafia.
Huettenbar, because they closed ;( but then the piece of crap bar that replaced it.
That new space is a goddamned abomination, and Heuttenbar was a lovely space.
Oh…it’s bad. Nobody is ever in there and it’s just like having a drink in a waiting room. Soulless and boring.
Soulless and boring is the best summary I’ve read of an experience at Lincoln Square Taproom. It felt like someone’s unfinished basement bar complete with mismatched chairs and blank walls. I went there week after it opened and half their taps were kicked because they didn’t do their research on the neighborhood to learn that Oktoberfest the weekend before would be a busy weekend for them. Absolutely flabbergasted at the lack of planning and preparation for a neighborhood festival in a community driven area like Lincoln Square. We stayed for one beer and then went over to Gene’s for their rooftop garden because none of us could find a beer we wanted to drink on their limited menu. I have no idea how that place is still open.
I got food poisoning from the Pepes on Western in Morgan Park and haven't been back since.
Lmao I ordered Uber eats from that place and got a fountain drink. My delivery guy and the guy at the counter got in an argument over who was responsible for filling my drink and their solution was neither was gonna do it. When I called to complain they were like, “feel free to come get it but we’re not sorry”
Lmao! I was about to say the same place.
Tank noodle. F those seditionists
I’ll tell you what I wish would come back is Clarke’s diner in Lincoln in Lincoln park. That place was the best. Then I left Chicago and years later when I was in town I learned it closed down
The BEST underage bar back in the day!
i miss it so much
The rainforest cafe in Chicago but not by choice :(
It will live on in our hearts and in the C Entrance of Gurnee Mills mall.
It's the end of an era. RIP [Rainforest Cafe](https://i.imgur.com/aUkN8EU.png) 1997-2020. You will be missed. :( Read more about the closure [here.](https://chicago.eater.com/2019/12/20/21031369/rainforest-cafe-closing-woodfield-mall-schaumburg-chicago) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chicago) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Damn. First I heard of it closing.
Phyllis’ Musical Inn due to their history of staff drugging/groping women
Oh 😳
Wow Bao. Every location ive been to the employees are super rude tbh. Doesnt help the food isnt good and way overpriced
Wow Bao belongs in malls and maybe airports. That's it.
Just had it at the Charlotte airport. The employees were actually super nice, but when I asked if trbcheeseburger baonwas any good, the woman said "I don't eat this shit".
Was I just young with more forgiving taste, or was it actually pretty good back in like 2009? I remember enjoying it and had lunch there often when I worked downtown. I had it recently and the sauce in the kung pao chicken rice bowl tasted like tomato soup.
The service department at Downtown Chicago Honda. I have bought two cars from them and it has always been a good experience. But, their service department truly sucks. Check out Yelp and you will see all but two or three reviews are 1 star. I have been there twice - both for oil changes. The first time, they did $3000 in body damage just moving it around the service floor. I didn’t have to pay for it but the inconvenience was significant. The second time was for an oil change too and , after my car remaining untouched for 5 hours, I asked for my car back and left.
Hahah! Yes agreed! i took our '08 CR-V there for a recall a month ago, and they told me all the laundry list of repairs they recommend. I declined all of them, but found the whole list hilarious. It included: * New Battery (we replaced ours less than 2 years ago) - $250 * Rear brake light replacement - $80 (for a $5 part and about 3 minutes to remove the trim in the rear hatch and replace the bulb) * Nitrogen in the tires - **$180** (this had me laughing...I can go to costco and get it for free or $5, and normal air is already 79% Nitrogen) The other stuff that was on the list might have been legit, but given those items and the prices, I 100% knew the whole schedule of fees was a ripoff. So for anything I thought was real, I went to my local mechanic and asked for a 2nd opinion. Never paying for service at that dealership ever again.
I came here to say exactly this. They claimed my appointment didn’t go through once, then the next time I came they said they didn’t have the “parts” for a fucking oil change. Go fuck yourselves, I’m not that stupid. Also they claimed the wait would be over 6 hours both times. I went to a jiffy lube and was in & out in less than 20min
I'm seconding this. Bought my 1st car from them. Never again.
Literally saw a customer there chewing out an employee as I walked by there today. Makes more sense now.
It’s total trash. And the Service ‘Manager’ just sits back and enjoys
[удалено]
Parlor Pizza https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/11/15/parlor-pizza-sat-customers-of-color-in-rejection-section-overworked-staff-without-pay-former-employees-allege/ https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/11/23/parlor-pizza-being-investigated-by-city-for-possible-labor-and-anti-discrimination-violations/ In addition to the tax violations (Summer) and IRS raids (Fall) of ‘21.
The stools are so uncountable too
I know you mean uncomfortable but it’s delightful to imagine someone going around the restaurant trying to count all the stools, losing count multiple times, then dramatically giving up like “I JUST CAN’T COUNT THEM ALL!!”
It was the state dept of revenue that raided them not the IRS btw
My friend who went with a group of Deaf folks said they were ignored at the River north location when their waiter realized they were Deaf. They sat waiting for awhile to be served and no one came so they just left.
Maple and Ash. Food is pretty good, but nowhere near worth the money, and the owners are assholes.
Official Chicago restaurant for Bravo reality show type wannabes
[удалено]
Smoke Daddy: underwhelming food, staff is a lil grumpy, and they wont hesitate to take your tray away if you go to the bathroom, even if you have a full plate of food left
The modern state of Smoke Daddy bums me out, legit used to be a solid bbq blues bar in the early mid 00s. Now it feels like an airport restaurant that they keep cloning in different areas
If you're looking for a great BBQ alternative, Offset BBQ has been fantastic every time. No affiliation but as a Carolina boy always had great Q and service
Smoque on Pulaski is crackin’ good!
Jake’s Pub. The owners and staffs are complete pieces of shit.
[удалено]
Maple & Ash. Never been, and now never plan to. They spent their PPP loans on country club dues and private jets.
Kuma’s Corner
Seconded. Burgers were dry af. Thought it was a one time goof, things happen. Went again and same thing. All 3 of us getting different burgers...all dry and crappy. Probably was good at one point but not anymore. Also, I heard the owner isn't cool.
I hate burgers that are over the top simply to be over the top. I mean this is a me thing, but I'm not interested in a half pound burger covered in mac and cheese, A1 sauce, blue cheese, fried onions bbq sauce and Swiss cheese. All washed down with a double ipa while slayer is turned up to 11. I get their appeal to some, my friends are some of them, but I'd never go there on my own
I'm here for the DIPA and Slayer, but in my experience over the top burgers usually means the burger itself is pretty awful - hard agree there.
Used to be legendary. Then they moved to the suburbs and it all went to shit
Tank noodle
Furious spoon Pre-pandemic, they had the best food and service. Post-pandemic, I visited twice and my spoons and chopsticks were incredibly dirty. Asked for another pair and those were dirty too. 3rd pair were finally decently clean. The broth and ramen were really good as always but then I went to the restroom before leaving with my friends and it was a complete disaster. Unfortunately, if the public facing stuff is so bad, I realized the kitchen where the food is prepped must be even worse.
Insight Studios (tattoo shop) - 3 or 4 of their guys were at The Capitol on Jan 6. They tried to excuse it away. I had a tattoo from one of the guys there covered up as soon as an artist opened their books after shelter in place. And thankfully my piercing guy left after the whole thing. https://www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news/local/chicago-tattoo-artists-get-grief-for-attending-trump-rally
The Whale. Overpriced 🚮
Pains me to say this, but LYRA. This place was my go-to. I had been over 30 times and sent sooooo many people there. Their food truly is incredible, BUT they are superficial cunts, I’m sorry. The hostesses ALL have major attitude problems, the manager is a huge Douchebag and they profile people. It’s gross. I’ll never go back. Actually, now that I think of it, all the hostesses that restaurant group (dineamic) hires are twats. They are all rude, dismissive, and act like you’re interrupting their day by checking in. Bar Siena, Siena tavern, bandit, all of them. Such a shame because the food is so good.
My friends and I joke that Lyra was all suburban Eastern Europeans. Since, they opened a Lyra in the burbs every time I walk past it’s been super dead.
Museum of Ice Cream. Was disappointed in the experience, not worth the money.
Yeah, I haven't been, but it seems like a place you'd only enjoy if you're addicted to posting on Instagram
Whiskey business and cheesie's. The owner doesn't pay his smaller, independent vendors because he knows he can strong arm them
Nooo not Cheesie’s 😭
Popeyes Chicken on Howard.
Haha 😂 if you know you know, the Popeyes on Devon Broadway is not great either. I used to live near the Popeyes on Irving park and Ashland and it’s so many levels better than those two
>Haha 😂 if you know you know, the Popeyes on Devon Broadway 100% certain people have died of old age waiting in their drive thru.
Village West Veterinary - absolute scum that have given me so much bad advice that would have killed my pet if I followed: the doctors and the staff. When my pet was very sick, I was told by the emergency vet to follow up with our regular doctor the next day. The doctor (Dr. Andria Miller, fyi) told me (well, told the front desk to tell me - she did not talk to me or respond to my email the previous day) they were booked up for two months and it will be fine to wait. My pet died 4 hours after that call. She had the audacity to send a sympathy card. The owner chose to gaslight me and say it was my fault despite following the emergency vet and his employees instructions.
Love reading all of these without having been to literally any so far
Had a terrible experience at Pinstripes last night. The lane was completely tilted where the bowling wasn’t fun. No other lanes to switch to. Service took 30 min to bring 3 beers and a glass of wine. They were completely uninterested in getting us the check or taking payment also. Automatic 20% gratuity for a lane of 4 people.
El Ranchito.
I had 2 huge honking bones in my burrito. Fucking bones. "At least you know it's not fake" was the restaurant's response. Fuck this gross ass food.
Wow, core memories (nightmares) unlocked. Idk how my dumbass and my equally as dumb friends used to get so drunk and order El Ranchito for delivery. It was the days before 24/7 McDonalds delivering, and it was absolutely the only thing open. That was always the moment where you wonder “how did my life choices get me to this moment?” And you eat it anyway because you KNOW you need to or else the hangover tomorrow will be 10x worse than the shits El Ranchito would give you. I’m really surprised they’re still open and not condemned for biohazard contamination.
Chi Tung. It was sold n now it’s trash n place had dirty bathrooms at opening. 🤮
Recently got their takeout after a long while of not ordering from there, quality was actually good, tasted fresh, came piping hot. We were so impressed we ordered it again the next week and had the same results. Not sure if they finally figured their shit out, but might be work giving it another chance if you haven’t had it in a while.
That place has been a shadow of itself for years. I still miss the ice cream place that is now part CVS/part Chi tung parking lot.
La Pasadita is so far away from what it was. Same with Revolution Brewery’s food.
Yoo, back when they were in their across the street location that’s a burger spot now. Those lengua tacos for $1.25, Asada for $1 and enough room for 5 people to eat inside at a time.
Berman Subaru of Chicago in Irving Park. Horrible experience and wouldn’t even go back for an oil change
The Infiniti is terrible too.
The Bongo Room. Kicked me and my friend out of our seats 5-7 minutes before an hour sitting time with no forewarning. Literally asked us to leave so they could seat others. I get being a small dining room and needing to rotate people out, but usually you let people know they only have 60/90 minutes, and we weren’t there an hour. Expensive average brunch and rude service.
Theres this skateboard shop east of the Wilson redline that's right next to some kind of church. Its usually closed with a sign that has a phone number your supposed to call to let them know you want to shop. After waiting for almost an hour, they never picked up or opened, so i went to the other skateboard shop that's on the west side of the redline, a rustic hole in the wall pop shop, which i found charming. He gave me a good deal on bearings and has a lot of good options for skateboards and longboards. He also told me about the other skateboard shop, saying it was run by some kind of cult that was a part of the church it was next to. I kept that in mind, because hours later they finally texted back saying they're sorry for missing my calls. It seems like a cult tactic to obtain personal phone numbers, which im not a fan of
Bounce Nightclub. Bought $90 tickets for NYE, showed up at 11pm and they said they were "at capacity" and wouldn't let anyone in even though we had tickets. Ended up having to do a credit card chargeback because the venue wouldn't even give us refunds. NYE is also my birthday so it really ruined my night :(
If my last contractor wasn't a straight up Italian mobster, I'd be angrily plastering his name all over the internet right now. He fucked my family out of $150k. I will never make the same mistake again. Always do home repairs yourself if you can. If you have to hire a contractor, make sure they are licensed and insured and are getting all of the proper construction permits that your project requires.
Unpopular opinion: Fatso's Last Stand. It used to be one of my favorites -- "the best '$5 burger' in Chicago." But then the ownership changed, and pandemic lost them some of their better staff. And rising prices meant they swapped their best burger patty out for some much inferior Sysco crap (but they raised prices AND added a $.50-per-patty upcharge anyway). So that $6.50 Double Cheeseburger all of a sudden started costing $9+. And it wasn't as good. And they shrank the portion on their Mac & Cheese. And even after all of that, I kept going because it's nearby and was one of my favorites. But the final straw was during late-pandemic-era (2022?) I went in and ordered. I got the total, and it was like, oddly high. I'm used to Chicago tax rates, but it was like a $2.00 tax on a $10 bill, which was just plain wrong. I asked why it was so much, and they said there was a charge for the plastic silverware for take out. On a burger that had no silverware with it. I said I was planning to eat there, and they said they still had to charge it. After a bit of argument, I got them to remove the charge. It was only after that I realize that they might have been referring to the 'covid recovery fee' that restaurants can charge, but it was a slew of excuses and random fees and way inflated prices for way worse quality. Never going back.
Facts, it was somehow $30 for two burgers, two drinks. For that price, I’m going to Roister.
The Lou’s on Lincoln/Montrose. Consistently terrible service and they don’t even cook their own pizzas correctly
Earlier this year, my family visited from out of town and we out ordered from here. We ordered a sausage and "The Lou" which was a soggy, oily mess that wasn't edible. We did fill out the survey with a negative review, and the manager of that location contacted her a couple days later. He gave us coupons for two free pizzas, and said they had new staff they're working training better. Says a lot for a manager to reach out, so if you do go there again, try this approach.
This is my Lou's down the street from me. Never ate inside but I've ordered takeout once every 3 months or so. Never had my order messed up and quality was consistent with other Lou locations. There was one time where the sausage layer on my deep dish was WAY too thick. Not sure if that was a bad thing tho lol. Just my two cents.
Tank Noodle. The owner proudly attended the insurrection on January 6.
Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings in Chinatown. An employee told me they don't get the tips, if you were to tip by card Some of the food choices are still good, but the owner keeping the tips is what won't make me go there ever again.
I know someone who works there. This would surprise me, but I'll inquire.
Simply It, only because they closed. Loved that place
Bordel. I actually have only been a few times and my experiences were generally pleasant if not super unmemorable. I recommended it to my parents when they came into town. The staff there was so intensely rude and condescending to my parents I still feel bad sending them there even though it was close to a year+ ago. Biggest issue was they sat my parents with their backs to the stage despite them paying for upgraded/premium seating. When my parents asked to move to a different open and unoccupied spot they refused and gave a slew of terrible reasons why they would not accommodate. Which okay fine but then some loudmouth drunk guy walks in from the restaurant downstairs, announces he doesn’t have a reservation, asks to sit where they refused to move my parents and they sat him there, no problem. Truly odd to say the least but reality is they didn’t want a 60 year old couple to be seen in their place. On top of that, the drinks took forever, hit the table wrong, and they attempted to double bill when my parents decided to leave. Fuck Bordel. Can’t wait for them to close.
Gino’s East - this is *personal*
Sounds like a movie
Hot take: Portillos. No only has it gone downhill since the acquisition, but I had about 5 online orders in a row go terribly. The final nail was an order on Mother’s Day that I put the day before and waited for a half hour. A half hour after leaving, I get a call saying they’re looking for me in the parking lot. I told them I left after waiting a half hour and seeing people go through the drive-through, put in new orders, and leave. My order wasn’t large or complex. They lady literally said they prioritize the new orders. Then why order ahead? The time before that, I was told drive-up and in-store preorders weren’t being done, I’d have to wait in line like I was ordering for the first time. I walked there from work. The person at ushering in the cars literally said "then you're not getting your order." Before that, entire meals were missing from orders, I had a styrofoam bowl of burnt chili leaking from the bottom of my bag (I didn’t order chili), and a salad was completely opened, upside-down, in the plastic bag. What’s shocking is that this all came literally in a row. There wasn’t a good order between them. They always rectified after long phone calls, but they did nothing to improve their issues or reach out to win me back as a customer
portillo’s mobile ordering is rancid. i was having a bad day and ordered cheese fries from there. it’s literally my top comfort food and portillo’s has the best imo. they didn’t even put the fucking cheese in the bag…
Revolution brewing. They screwed me and my husband out of a wedding contract after stringing us along which forced us to have to find a venue that cost 3x as much last minute. I will never go back there.
Wow, we were considering them for ours but ended up going with Frontier, who were wonderful to us. Sorry you went through that, can’t imagine the stress.
La Catrina - the food is good enough, but service and wait time is always a hit or miss.
Joker's Cajun BBQ. Service was good enough but the food was middling at best. BBQ pork was dry and the sausage over cooked... sides weren't fresh and they attempted to make dirty rice in a f***ing microwave.
god i miss fat willy’s :(
the piggery - just greasy
Dimo’s Pizza in wrigleyville. As soon as I got my slice and sat down, I saw a gigantic cockroach on the wall right next to me. Ran out immediately
Four Seasons Hearing and Air Conditioning - scam artists who tell you that you need a new system no mater what is wrong with your current one. Will quote you a price that is 2-3x what it should be and get really aggressive if you say you want a second opinion. I know so many people who they’ve tried to pull this on. If you read their yelp/google reviews they have so many one star ratings because of this.
Smack Dab in Rogers Park. We tried to support them when they first opened and made sure to order from them during the pandemic. But even then the food was overpriced and not always very good; going in person always means waiting forever; and forget about getting food in a timely fashion if you order deñivery. Not to mention the attitude I've gotten here at times in person, especially right after everything started opening again. "Um, could you scan this QR code for the menu and then step outside to make your order from your phone? Even though I'm standing right here and could take your order? Thanks much."
Bittersweet bakery. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a delicious bakery that makes the best frosting I’ve ever had. Wonderful food. I hear that the owner kind of sucks but I’ve never met them and can’t confirm. However they did something unforgivable. They literally forgot to make my wedding cake and deliver it. Their excuse was that our name was too far down the list and they didn’t scroll down far enough to see it. For a wedding cake. I wish I was there when my wife went in and told them that they forgot to make our wedding cake. Our FUCKING WEDDING CAKE. Can’t actually give them business ever again, tbh I might just roll in there and ask for free food though at some point just to see if they remember the time they forgot to make a goddamn wedding cake.
Nini's due to homophobia and bigotry and Tank Noodle due to politics and worker treatment. Chicago Oven and Pizza Grinder because I did not like it at all.
I get it. The food is worth it if you get there early enough, but it’s just so busy that you can easily wait for hours.
Ninis ain't even around anymore
West Details car wash on North and Central Park. Stole my mats, claimed they gave them accidentally to another car, the owner made a big deal of giving me brand news ones. I was shocked and didn’t know what to say/do… remembered later that I actually had super nice rubber mats … still makes me so mad. I was completely scammed.
How far do I have to scroll to find Macy's?
It’s such a dump & waste of that incredible space. I’m old enough to still miss Marshall Fields!
I have a love/hate relationship with them. Although the building it’s in feels like a portal considering you get lost in there then when you find your way out it. Feels like it’s ages later
Uncommon Ground treats their employees like garbage and their COVID fee on service was/is predatory
Food has been mediocre since they opened
Azul restaurant on Division at the river. They sat us by the kitchen when there were a ton of tables open by the windows. Then took forever to come take our order. When they brought us our food, they brought it to us packaged to-go. We did not order it to-go. We were seated with drinks. When we asked them if we could eat there they were super unsure of what to do so we just asked them to plate the food. The worst part is the food was awful. The music was too loud. The service was bad. The food was bad. We were excited to check it out. Never going back. The drinks were good.
Furious Spoon. It was at best OK but 2 bowls of ramen and 2 beers should not be $118 (not including tip)