Bronzeville Winery — Restaurant in Hyde Park Township

So let me say this.....I never ever ever leave bad reviews about black owned business HOWEVER Bronzeville Winery has truly left me and my bestie disappointed to the higest degree!

Let me start by saying this-the place is so freaking adorable (very small) BUT it smells strongly like FISH! Heavy on the fish smell like it's a hood spot! Secondly, the host greets us, (little short chic with short locs or twist with glasses) advised us that we could sit at the bar as soon as two ladies left and told us to stand aside. She begins making drinks for other people that was standing around waiting (that came in after us) but never offered us a drink. Not even a glass of water dang sis! Then she kept walking by us, looking at us but then passing us up to talk to the other guest-never telling us what is going on. About 20 minutes later our seats were given away and we were still literally just standing there. We informed her about what happened and she was like "ooohhh my goodness" and then continued doing her business. She kept walking by us not saying anything and continued giving out drinks to everybody that came in after us that was waiting. Finally we decided to leave because we were basically overlooked and it was apparent that we were going to continued to be ignored. We felt very unwelcomed and like our business was not wanted because we were told to stand off to the side and ignored. There were NUMEROUS staff members there walking by us and NOBODY asked us if we were okay or anything. I'm so disappointed because I was looking forward to patronizing this business. However I do not take kindly to being treated like my business isn't wanted. And to add insult to injury-when we finally decided to leave-we left smelling like FISH! UGGGGGH!

I gotta go home now and change because the smell is on my coat and clothes and it's strong! Thank goodness I live around the damn corner!

Please work on your customer service and get better ventilation.

~Signed...

The Tale of $17 Experiment Cheesecake

My husband and I decided to do dessert and wine here as part of our Chicago Anniversary trip. As an avid wine connoisseur, the wine here is just okay but that’s not this post.

After hearing about 4 or 5 cheesecake options (none are printed on a menu), we went for the praline cheesecake. This was after we waited 20-minutes because our first choice (goat cheese lavender) was no longer available.

The slice of praline cheesecake arrives. It’s limp. Soft. Mousse-like at best. It seemed the cake wasn’t given long enough to set. The crust was definitely the Keebler graham crust we use at Thanksgiving. The taste: Decent. Overall, not impressed.

A manager (or someone in leadership) came by to ask how we enjoyed the cheesecake? “Our manager tries out different flavors every week and appreciates feedback.” I shared how underwhelmed I was and she said she’d share.

Fast forward…, the bill. My husband notes, “Wow, the dessert is more expensive than the drinks.” I look and my blood begins to boil. $17 for the kitchen experimental cheesecake I described above?!? SEVENTEEN DOLLARS?! How?! Did they crack and peel the pralines? Are they churning the cream cheese by hand first? For a Six slice cake, that’s $102!!! What?! It’s not computing for me.

I’ve dined at the best places- 5-star, James Beard Awardees, etc. NEVER have I ever encountered such an absurd price for a SLICE of cake. Not even Junior’s cheesecake is that much a slice. It just doesn’t make sense!

Of course I expressed my feedback with the server and the manger person and her response? “Well we can refund you.” I didn’t want to do that to them- they are a new Black owned restaurant after all. She told me she’d tell her to use less expensive ingredients. Smh.

I can’t speak for the food but if their price rationale for food is anything like their dessert, they are making money hand over foot in this place without a justifiable...

I made a reservation through Tock on Thursday afternoon for Friday at 5:00PM. I paid for the Dining Room Experience x 2. We arrived at 4:55. The hostess said, "I can't find your reservation, but I will seat you." I showed the hostess my confirmation and asked about the $20 seating fee. She said not to worry because I provided proof of the reservation.

A server approached the table after 10 minutes. We asked for sparkling water and ordered cocktails. There was confusion about the menu, but we ordered Cod Fritters and White Truffle Fries. The server then informed us the Fritters were not available. One of the managers walked over to our table. Kim asked, "Is everything okay?" We said no.

The Truffle fries were cooked hard, not crispy. Kim requested another order of fries and informed us the Fritters were available. She also checked on our cocktails. She explained the computer system was down when they opened and apologized for the miscommunication about the menu and reservation.

I enjoyed my cocktail, Brand New. It was like a summer drink; it was light and refreshing. The Cod Fritters were crispy but soft and squishy on the inside, but the fries were as hard as the first order. I asked for sparking water, but when another server refilled our water glasses, he added distilled water to my glass. We decided not to stay for dinner. I asked for the check. Of course, the $20 credit was not on the bill. Kim checked on us again. She adjusted the bill.

The physical space is clean and airy, and I appreciated the holders for the utensils so that your silverware never rests on the table directly. The noise level is conversational friendly, and you can still hear the music playing. I will give Bronzeville Winery another chance because of the computer glitch and miscommunication with the staff. However, the timing of the appetizers and cocktails...