JoJo's Shake Bar - Chicago — Restaurant in Chicago

While my family and I were in town for spring break, we decided to try JoJo's for a fun and kid-friendly dining experience. I'll break down my review into three categories: food, value for money, and service.Food - We ordered smash burgers with waffle fries, the triple dog threat, and mini hot dogs for the kids, all served with waffle fries. The smash burger was decent, scoring a 7.5 out of 10, but the waffle fries were disappointingly hard and hurt the roof of my mouth. Additionally, they cost an extra $4, which was unexpected and disappointing. The triple dog threat, although tasty, felt more like an appetizer as no side was included. My wife cleverly shared some of the kids' fries. The kids' mini hot dogs were a basic meal, scoring a 7 out of 10, but it was disappointing that no drink was included. For dessert, we shared the chocolate nirvana, which was delicious, earning an 8 out of 10.Value for Money - I'd rate the value for money at 6.5 out of 10. While the food quality is decent, the pricing feels like you're paying a premium, especially since most items are a la carte. For instance, charging $4 for waffle fries feels excessive, especially when they're not even included with the main dishes. The triple dog threat, essentially three small Chicago-style hot dogs, felt overpriced at $14 without a side. Overall, while desserts are priced higher, the presentation and size make them worth it.Service - The service was a mixed bag. There's an 18% service charge for parties, which seems standard. We were seated relatively quickly despite not having a reservation, allowing us time to tend to the kids. However, the wait staff lacked the personable touch I expected from a fun establishment like JoJo's. Our waiter seemed more like an order taker than someone invested in making our experience memorable. Simple gestures like checking if we were celebrating anything or acknowledging that we were out-of-towners would have enhanced our experience. Additionally, the lack of crayons or any form of entertainment for the kids was disappointing, especially considering they've been treated better at other family-friendly restaurants like IHOP.Overall, I rate JoJo's 3 stars instead of 2 because I believe with some adjustments, it has the potential to be amazing. It's clear from previous reviews that other families have had better experiences, and I hope JoJo's can make the necessary changes to reach its full potential for all customers...

Was really excited about trying this place out while I was in Chicago today. Will really, really never go back. Only order milkshakes, so this review is based solely on that.

Not even sure where to start, so I'll start with the service. The service is good, and that's what got them 1 star. That being said, they charge you an 18% service fee on top of your bill, and don't bother telling you when you order, they wait till it's time to pay, oh, and there's still a tip expected after that. I will say that the 18% service fee is disclosed on the menu, if you happen to see it.

The location/setting is fine, it's like your grandparents tried to decorate there back yard to look on off-street Vegas without the flamingos.

Where this place lost me was the milkshakes that I explicitly went there for. First off, it's $14 for a 16oz PLASTIC cup filled 1/3 of the way with whipped cream that tastes like it came out of a can. Next they put all these cookies, marshmallow, donuts on top (see image). The cookie tasted like it was bought at the local Pick N Save deli. The donut taste EXACTLY like a Little Debbie store bought donut, dry out and dipped in frosting. Marshmallow, tasted like a raw marshmello, they didn't even toast it. The 2/3 of the cup that was milkshake was decent, but not any better that something I could have picked up from any chain restaurant, like Culver's.

Now let's talk cost. At $14 a shake, 4 shakes plus the 18% "service" charge cost $72, and that's not including a tip. To put that into perspective, I can go downtown Milwaukee, to Sobelman's and for a dollar less ($13 per drink), get a 16oz Bloody Mary filled to the top, then topped with cheese, sausage, shrimp, bacon, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and an entire cheeseburger slider. These shakes are $6-$8 tops. But $5 is more realistic.

If you have a family of 4, and you want to go somewhere to get a burger (which will set you back $14) and a shake for each person, and don't mind dropping $150+ dollars on 4 burgers and 4 shakes, then this is the place for you, just set your expectations low, then you won't be...

Visited Jojo’s Shake Bar Rivernorth on 1/1/25 with high hopes for a fun experience but left extremely disappointed. From the moment we walked in, the customer service was terrible. We were seated at a visibly dirty table, and when we politely pointed this out to the host, she seemed annoyed instead of apologizing or offering us another table (the restaurant was nearly empty).

Our server initially repeated our order back to us, but later forgot to place part of my friend’s order. By the time her food arrived, everyone else was nearly finished eating. My son’s grilled cheese was another disappointment—it came out as plain white bread with barely melted cheese, clearly appeared like one just microwaved it. When we pointed this out, the server looked bothered again but brought it back properly toasted after commenting, “I was wondering why it looked that way.”

To top it off, when the server brought our shakes, he accidentally spilled one on my daughter. He apologized but handed us the wet cookie order that was a separate order from shake instead of replacing it with the shake he dropped.

On our way out, we spoke to the manager, expecting to at least have the issues acknowledged. Instead, his response was dismissive: “But did you bring it up to me or your server?” He lacked empathy and didn’t take accountability, offering only, “I’ll talk to my staff tonight.”

For a restaurant with such a reputation, this was by far the worst customer service experience I’ve ever had. Jojo’s Shake Bar clearly needs to prioritize training its staff on customer service. That was the worst up to date customer service. Seems the priority is creating instagram worthy photos and not focused on actually delivering the best experience and customer service. I would tell people to skip this one. There are so many other similar restaurants in Chicago with way better customer service.

Sadly, this was our last visit and wasn’t fun especially being on...