Lark Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Lake View Township

The Lark will never get one dollar more of my money! Went here for a Pride Viewing Party which was supposed to start at 10AM and last until 1230PM and included entry, bottomless mimosas/bellinis/sangria and mocktails as well as a brunch buffet and tv monitors to watch the actual parade. Mind you, this all cost $108/per person. Well, from start to finish, this was a disaster. Entry did not begin until well after 10AM and if you had a delay in your start time, then surely your end time should be extended, right? WRONG! The owners were aware that they'd have a solid/large turnout so why not accommodate better? The check-in procedure took entirely too long and it was already humid and in the high 80's as everyone waited in the long line outside for entry between 830AM-10AM. Have multiple staff performing check ins to avoid this; SIMPLE! Also, I do not mind when an establishment prioritizes regulars or friends, but when ticket prices are that high, accommodations for all should be the standard and this was not the case. Friends of the establishment were given VIP window seating to view the parade while most others were banished to their outdoor patio. Whilst the patio is decent, it did not provide any viewing of the parade which is main reason for attending such an event. There was no seating indoors with the cool & air conditioned access to the monitors--not good. The buffet itself was not bad however it was not replenished or plentiful given the volume of people. Oh, and that didn't start until well after 11AM. A few of the dishes I wanted to sample were already gone by the time I actually got to the line. The bottomless portion was okay but the options listed on the promotion for the event were not offered (no mocktails and no bellinis). The staff tried their best to make the rounds but they were all overwhelmed. Two staff interactions that I had were laughable and poor; one was with a woman server who told me that she could not bring more ice (after ONE request of ice) as the kitchen was putting a limit on it (it was 90 degrees at this time). Despite the humid heat, we mustered through outside and ate what we could find that wasn't devoured by the other attendees, but when the clock struck 1230PM, one of the other male servers promptly took my open and half-full champagne bottle and scolded that "bottomless was OVER". I thought he was joking initially until he proceeded to other tables doing the same. Why not have allowed us to drink the remaining and leave? What did you do with the half-used bottles? I cannot imagine! I could not comprehend that after a very late start to everything offered that day, that this would be the most appropriate way to end the event. But wait, to add insult to injury, after having paid $108 for what I consider below average service/food/drinks, we were charged an additional $17/per person gratuity! After gathering my belongings to leave, I observed the business making way for the droves of parade goers/attendees which tracked as to why the male server hurried everyone out and snatched the champagne bottles from the tables. If this wasn't a literal and figurative money grab then I don't know what is. I WILL NEVER RETURN! I will also be making a video about my experience because I cannot imagine that I am the only person to feel this way. 0/10. Do not...

Fabulous time! Totally going back!

Atmosphere & ambiance: We sat out back in the beer garden, the tables were all a good distance from people (social distancing) and there were a lot of nice trees, plants, and ivy dressing up the back patio. We were there from around 430-620pm, they were kind of busy when we arrived but less busy when we left. We were seated immediately (they did have optional indoor streetside seating) and service was very good despite how many people were dinning. You can bring your dog! There were two couples with friendly dogs that just lay under the table.

This was a weird experience... We came for brunch with our friends that got married last night. We had a group of about 14... asked about separate checks when we made the reservation... the person we spoke with said "no problem!" We arrived right at 11am. At 11:20, the server, Noe, finally took our drink order... then at 11:45 took our food order. Again... we've been there 45 minutes and you're just now taking our order? The menu says tables have a two hour max... interesting... and dude had one other three top. The place was not busy.

A couple of us ordered bottomless mimosas... could've fooled us though. I had to get up twice to find our server to ask for refills. I wanted to split an entree with my partner. Noe tells us that we CAN'T share a plate of food... that we HAVE to order separate entrees... Then he tells two of our GF friends that they don't really have a GF menu... just to let him know what they don't want (e.g no toast, sub fries). I wanted a bagel... which btw, you cannot order on its own... you HAVE to order it as an entree add-on. Well... even though bagels are clearly on the menu, they haven't had bagels in awhile... Food came out. Three orders were wrong. They were corrected relatively quickly. Food was VERY mid... lukewarm stuff I could make at home. Bill comes. Were informed- no separate checks... and of course no one knows who we talked to on the phone.

My boyfriend and I Venmo'd our buddy for our meals. We each had an entree, bf had one cocktail, and I had bottomless mimosas. With tax and 20% auto-great, our portion was $142... IKYFL!!! Pleaseeeee tell me why a breakfast sandwich on a hard ciabatta roll with a small scoop of "funeral potatoes" was $34?

Drag performance was wonderful!

Here's the thing... we dine out a lot and this is obviously a very competitive neighborhood... plenty of options. The experience was unsavory... if I am spending close to $150 for brunch, I expect great service and food. Lark really missed the mark. We will not recommend this place to friends and most likely will not be back. I do hope Lark can get it together. We want to see businesses in the...