Barrio — Restaurant in Chicago

UPDATE: it's not often a resturant makes its mistakes right, but Barrio did. After my partners review the General Manager reached out and offered to make the experience right by inviting us back for dinner on him. So we did and it was amazing. Staff were amazing, took great care of us, and like before ever single dish was perfectly executed and delicious.

Yes, of course they were on their best behavior but hey, how many restaurants do you know reach out let alone make an effort to correct a bad dining experience? Exactly.

So kudos to Pepe and the entire team at Barrio. You're now a must eat at whenever we're in Chicago for work or holiday. 😁 Amazing space, great menu, and delicious food but service needs serious work.

My partner and I met two friends who live in Chicago here for dinner (I'm here for work) and it was everyone's first time trying Barrio. We picked it because the patio area is dog friendly and we're traveling with our pup and training her (six months) to get used to crowded settings. Called ahead and specifically asked for a reserved table in the patio area because we were dining with our dog, and wasn't a problem.

We arrive, table is ready, first waiter comes up and starts to introduce herself but says she's training and our actual waiter is coming then cuts off midstream and just walks away. Then our actual waiter shows up and simply says 'I'll be back but if you want drinks I can take them now'.

No hi, my name is. Have you been here before? I see you reserved with a dog I'll bring her a water bowl in a few minutes. Let me tell you about the menu and our specials. Any food allergies?

None of that. We shrugged it off thinking maybe he's a bit behind, they were a lil busy, but the rest of the meals service never got any better. No one checked in with us, asked how everything was, and that was with a manager dropping candles at tables which would have been a perfect time to say 'hi, I'm the floor manager, how is everything?' but nothing. we ordered drinks but had to ask for water for everyone to be brought to the table...twice. And while we planned to order dessert wasn't asked if we were interested so we asked for the check.

Don't get me wrong, the food by far made up for the piss poor service (the prawns are to die for) but for a dinner for four with drinks, apps, and entrées coming in just under $500 bucks you'd think service would match their price point and food quality. Sadly it doesn't. Hopefully they get service down because if this keeps up it won't matter how great the food is people...

(Last visited 7/25/2021.) Still in Chicago for the weekend, but sadly, it's almost over! What better way to end it than with a boozy brunch! Here's how it went!

Atmosphere/Appearance: Set right on West Kinzie Street downtown is this gem. It has such a beautiful sidewalk presence with it's big outdoor patio section and elegant entrance way. Once inside you're just immersed in higher class of décor. Things look soft, they flow well, the music is pumpin' and I just feel at home in here! We had a party of 6 (reservations are highly encouraged) and were sat in a beautiful, comfortable rounded booth that fit all of us without a problem.

Service: Sydney took care of us and she was excellent. She was sweet, safe, funny and just made our experience a grand one. The mimosas never stopped flowing and we all know that's what's most important! Lol.

Food: Obviously, we're here for the bottomless mimosas and they did not disappoint! They weren't super juicy and was PLENTY strong! You can also switch flavors at will! I can't remember all of the flavors, but there were at least 4 so that you don't get tired of drinking the same thing over and over! For food I went with the Mushroom & Kale Omelet, then added lobster because I'm extra. Lol. It was deliciously lobster-y, but you really can never get enough lobster. On top was a creamy sauce that complemented it well then there was a potato hash served right alongside of it. The omelet was deliciously seasoned, light and didn't have me feeling weighed down.

Value: The base omelet was $15.00 which comes with the potatoes, but it's an additional $6.00 to add lobster. Y'all know how expensive lobster is, so you can imagine how much of it they gave me in the omelet. The bottomless mimosas were $30.00 a piece. That's a bit steep, but we were able to drink and drink and drink. Bring you big wallet for this place.

In conclusion, if I lived in Chicago, you could find me here OFTEN. I loved everything about this place and look forward to my next visit so that I can check out another part of the menu!

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SOLID! Food's good to decent. The Skirt Steak Tacos were overdone, fried to a crisp and not good. The Chicken el Pastor was good. Swapped for Salsa Verde, which had a nice kick, instead of the Rojo. Couldn't finish after the serving of freshly salted and fried chips and Guacamole. SO GOOD! Loved the Pico de Gallo on top of the Guac versus mixed in. Good twist. We give 5-stars for our Bartender Matthew!!!!! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 Respectful, attentive, professional (unlike his colleague, who saw us standing, waiting to have our area cleaned and be seated but stared at us, IGNORED us, STAYED STARING & refused to clean the place setting so we could be seated...altho, he had JUST accommodated the couple seated next to us, who were there simultaneously at the exact same time! Matthew saw the poor exchange, greeted us, immediately came around, cleared and cleaned our area swiftly and served us with eagerness,) and was friendly, attentive, thorough, kind and extremely humble. He was a REFRESHING contrast to the other bartender we had just experienced. The drinks were POPPIN! The Mango Hibiscus Margarita (neat) with a Tajin rim and the SuBourbon Night. The Hostess stated, we could have a table if we had a reservation or be seated at the bar. We didn't have a reservation and thankfully, seats became available at the bar immediately. Interesting, there were NO parties seated at any of the inside tables for the 2.5 hours we were there. Another patron came up to order from the bar and the exchange went: Bartender Your Server will gladly place your order and asked the patron did he have a reservation? Patron No. Bartender ~ That's why you don't have a Server. The Patron had just took one of the empty tables. Again, no one was seated at any of the tables within our time frame. The Bartender (the amazing Matthew) took care of the wayward patron though. This place gets VERY crowded, as it's in the heart of River North (just saying it makes you feel VERY GoT, like you're from House Stark.) There's a resident DJ, who kept the place pumping with House, Techno & EDM. They do have a nightclub on the opposite side of the restaurant. Overall, a perfect spot for some late night fare and libations to wash the week's...