River North Bistro — Restaurant in Chicago

At first, everything started normally as I came in and was seated quickly and given a menu by an older gentleman, but then I sat just… waiting on someone to come over. And I mean the entire time, no one even came over to give me water or anything either. I knew what I wanted in the first 2 minutes or so but spent 10 minutes afterwards trying to make eye contact with servers.

Mind you, this is Saturday at brunch and it wasn’t even that busy. I think there were maybe 10 other people/groups in there at most and a whole bunch of empty seats. So it’s not like they were all super busy or understaffed. And I’m not an easy person to mess - I’m a 6 foot 5 black guy. Pretty hard to miss as I was in the center of the restaurant at this tiny table that looked too small for my body.

So at minute 12, I’m just getting hungry and bored and honestly feeling insulted, so I waved my arms to flag someone down. A young woman came over and said she’s not a server and doesn’t serve food but she’ll get someone. I’m like ok cool thanks.

She went and talked to someone behind the bar and then… nothing happened. 5 more minutes goes by. We’re at 18 total minutes now. Then I start looking around and realize there’s two other groups of 2 people that don’t have food either - they just have water and a menu.

So now I’ve been sitting here for 18 minutes, watching me and at least two other groups also sit with menus in hand, while the gentleman that sat me down and two other servers walk around asking if anyone needs anything but NOT taking orders.

Then the girl that said she doesn’t serve food, SERVED FOOD to a woman in the seat next to me, so she clearly serves food. It’s like I was in some hidden camera, television prank and they’re just trying to see how long I’ll sit before I get angry or something. I’m a pretty chill dude but at this point, it was a matter of dignity - like if you’re clearly being treated like shit, why would you stay? They clearly don’t care about you.

I just slowly got up and left. Just walked out. All the way from the back. No one stopped me, no one asked me if I need anything or if I’m all right, no one asked me where I’m going, no one said a thing - I just walked out. It’s like I just came in there to take a seat and rest my legs basically.

Do yourself a favor and don’t even go here because apparently he literally won’t even be able to get food or order anything. It’s like we don’t even want your business. Such a...

Food was good but service was really not great as you would expect at a restaurant like this. I never even knew who my server was and had to always be trying to get the employees attention. Bartender Rusbel sat me outside, answered one question, took only one part of my order and never ever came back, and by his attitude I absolutely didn’t feel comfortable or welcome at all. Then came server Daniel who was nice and took the other part of my order which I appreciated but the fact that my first interaction was not good with the bartender made not wanna give this place a good review, specially coming all the way from Boston to this area. Also I didn’t appreciate them cleaning my table in front of me even though I was still seated, trying to relax five minutes after my meal and knowing that the whole restaurant was almost empty.

For the record: This was on Saturday brunch and by looking at other reviews it looks like this is a constant issue this restaurant has with their staff on...

I recently visited this place for breakfast during my stay with my son. Opted for the eggs benedict with potatoes, being a big fan of poached eggs. The hollandaise sauce was delightful. My son went for the non-alcoholic spice drink, surprisingly delicious! They offer a great deal on bottomless drinks, though I didn't try. Instead, I went for the "Smoke Show" with tequila, mezcal, blood orange, lime, and tajin – the tajin rim added the perfect spice to this exceptional drink. The overall experience was delightful; the staff, including the servers and general manager, were incredibly friendly and attentive. If you find yourself in River North, I wholeheartedly recommend it. The ambiance is vibrant, and the venue exudes impeccable cleanliness and charm. With both outdoor and indoor seating options, it must be particularly delightful during the summer months. However, during the winter, it transforms into a cozy spot, perfect for enjoying a comforting brunch...