Smoke’s Bistro — Restaurant in Hyde Park Township

WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ANNUAL JUNETEENTH VISIT takeout orders a wait but I still go here…yet on this day! Pulling up to park, why these fools in the back messing with the electric box? Okay cool no worries. I over know what that’s about and if you know you know. Why when we go in no one greets us? No worries. Why this young lady got on headphones? Okay cool. Why all the tables got dishes everywhere? Big party just left, okay cool. Sit at the bar area and wait till the table is ready. Okay cool. Sit down, why the cloth of the seat so dirty? Never mind, okay cool. Only one appetizer on the menu…okay don’t want it. Order the lamb pizza black foodies say it’s a hit! Waitress says that will take longer than the salmon order do you want that out together? Nope I’m cool bring it whenever it’s ready. Pizza still comes first anyway from someone other than the waitress who took the order just the pizza, no plates no napkins no drinks that were ordered my mans had to go cook the ice for my ginger ale that magically turned sprite when it made it to the table. I’m not cool anymore…Taste the pizza, it was okay. What the hell black foodies talking about? But I’m starving still eating the pizza now she’s eating the pizza too because her food still hasn’t come. Temperature’s risiiiiiing! Chef come out, sorry it’s taking so long we were backed up, WHOLE RESTAURANT IS EMPTY ITS BEEN AN ENTIRE HOUR FOR SALMON FAM. Would you like a dessert for free? Of course she says yes…hasn’t had her meal chef says would you like it now? Now? Dessert right now my g? She hasn’t had her entree. Okay now I’m the bubbles in a bout to boil pot, why this lil girl got on these headphones, where is my waitress? Why don’t I have water? Oh there’s the waitress over half the pizza is gone she comes oh there’s pizza still made it bringing Parmesan and crushed pepper (but I just took some from another empty table) before the other order and laughs…what’s funny here? I’m cooking now! The waitress asks how’s the pizza, it’s alright…no words just chewing on annoyance and dissatisfaction. The chef comes BACK OUT there’s no spinach for the salmon 20 minutes later says broccoli is an option my lady says okay cool. I got train smoke coming out my whole body, he comes back I got you for the dessert asks me would you like dessert nah I’m good brother oh you don’t like free stuff? Nah just not into the sweets like that I’m diabetic chief. (Man this whole meal should be comped we been in the weeds since walking in the door and all you can say is free dessert some shit you bout get rid of anyway? I’m good) Her food finally comes it’s been an hour and 15 minutes…it’s actually great should have ordered that for mysel dessert comes I dare not though the presentation looked great but most times places whose service is trash has some great quality things there from time to time. Time to go let’s pay and slide, but I’m getting stood over by the waitress security I’m scorched…babes this meal is all on me cause I suggested it and won’t ever go off of Instagram again. Black Foodies I know what we trying to do for our businesses but WE have to do better SMOKE I wanted to reach out with this message personally there wasn’t a way to but I do wish that once this reaches you, the world can come to 87th for your restaurant because there is great potential but we gotta do better and take them damn pictures out your window we looking low budget Chinese and you got $30 ticket items that taste great. Service need to be much better and wait time is in dyer need of improvement. Be well and babygirl can’t have on them damn headphones I’m sorry, but not sorry at all. I can imagine how difficult it is to run a food service establishment but as an owner myself service is everything because I’m nothing without...

SHOCKING LACK OF HOSPITALITY-DO BETTER!

I’m incredibly disappointed in the treatment my family and I received at Smoke’s Bistro. Just two days ago, I dined here with my sister and dad, and we had an amazing experience—great food, attentive service, and a personal conversation with the owner. I was so impressed that I confidently brought my family of 8 tonight to celebrate my last evening in Chicago. Sadly, what we experienced was anything but welcoming.

We arrived at 7 PM, and the hostess attempted to seat us at two round tables for 4. When we politely asked for the tables to be pushed together so we could dine as a group, the answer was an immediate and dismissive “No.” The hostess explained the owner has a strict “no exceptions” policy about joining tables. She confirmed this again after checking with the owner, who refused to accommodate us.

I’ve been in the service industry for 16 years AND own a successful business. I’ve never encountered such rigid, dismissive “hospitality”. Smoke’s Bistro turned away what would have easily been a $300+ bill, very generous tip, future referrals and repeat business. Our family isn’t shy about spending on quality dining—we could’ve gone downtown to a more upscale restaurant, but precisely chose to support a local business in our community. Unfortunately, that decision smacked us in the face.

It’s baffling that a restaurant would alienate guests with such inflexibility, eSpEciALLy when it wasn’t busy. Experiences like this are why local businesses struggle to survive. IF YOU CAN’T EVEN ACCOMMODATE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS JOINING TABLES, WHY SHOULD CUSTOMERS INVEST IN YOU?

TO OTHERS CONSIDERING THIS PLACE: prepare for policies that prioritize rigidity over guest experience. As for us, we WON’T...

Stopped in after I saw a review from non-stop g I ordered lamb chop dinner a friend of mine ordered salmon fettuccine and the other person that was with us ordered chicken tips... Music was kind of loud so it was hard for us to talk and there was a birthday party going on so the ambiance was a little Hood and loud but it was cool I'm trying to figure out why we couldn't have silverware why we had to use plastic wear for lamb chops and things of that nature you can get good silverware set at the flea market nobody cares if it's used but it is essential to have a good meal proper silverware the chairs were dirty I would have went with something vinyl that could be wiped down lamb chops were seasoned well just a little undercooked potatoes were flavorful asparagus was decent my friend loved her Salmon although she said it could have used a little lime or lemon, chicken tips were good we all enjoyed tasting those. But the star of the party was the beef pepperoni pizza with onion if times got hard there and they needed to cut back on staff they could just sell pizza because it's the best thing they got in there very flavorful and the fact that they know how to do beef right because I don't eat pork I definitely will return more than likely for takeout we all agreed on that waitress was a little lackluster she had a couple of little cute jokes but we couldn't find her we wanted juice couldn't find her right after you get the table their plates you supposed to circle back around and ask how everything is going it took a while for that to happen anyway like I said we'll return for takeout and most likely...