Stolen Saddle — Restaurant in Lake View Township

COME HERE IF YOU'RE A REGULAR OR ARE RUDE ENOUGH TO NOT CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE IN LINE

Security told us one thing about what food was available and where(patio vs bar), and how to order, and bartender told us another; bartender then proceeded to ask the woman(who was sitting on her computer at the bar, who I assumed was the manager based on my experience in the industry for 12 years)to follow up with security. The lady, who I assume was in charge, goes to talk to security and sits back down on her computer after talking to security to discuss the discrepancy, and either never follows up with the bartender OR the bartender never follows up with me. Instead; when a server comes up to the service well (which I would have never been in front of after my question got answered) and the bartender asks me not to stand there. .. okay so my question wasn't answered and I was told to wait here for the answer but the lady you asked to solve my question was already back at her computer and I've heard nothing...

Regardless of the question not being answered, they're busy and it happens... I move to an open seat on the other side of the bar, and am told "I'll be with you in a moment".. which I would understand; if I'm in the queue and it's going to be a moment; I'm completely okay with it... It's games and I expect to wait. However, MULTIPLE people come up to ask for more shots, and/or to pay their tab. They've now jumped the line in front of me because their requests weren't input before I made mine. If yall were in the weeds and it'd have been 10+ minutes before you could accept a new request; I'd have hung out; but unfortunately I kept getting jumped in line, and my business was lost in the process. I can tell when someone jumps in line vs has already been waiting. I've been doing this for 12 years in the industry(5 as management) and I can tell when a drunken guest jumps in line vs being told to wait their turn. Went down the street to happy camper, had mediocre food and service and tipped 30%. At least they had enough of a cohesive system to get guests in and serve them on a "slower" night {compared to their busy moments} (lots of spots open at both places). Walked out without ever being served a drink after 20+ minutes. Will never be back and if you have any respect for the industry; you...

I recently went to this new opened southwest/cowboy themed restaurant and bar in Wrigleyville. There are a lot of cheesy bars and restaurants in this area that are generic sports bars and are good, but don’t really distinguish themselves. This is not one of them. This place stands out due to its unique, fun atmosphere and good food.

First, the food was very good. Their menu is mostly Tex-Mex, but they have a selection typical bar food like burgers and pizza. I ordered grilled shrimp tacos, brisket nachos, a double cheeseburger, Texas tea cocktail and a cookie skillet for dessert. The shrimp in the tacos was excellent. They were cooked perfectly and they were plump. The sauce that came with the tacos was delicious. The nachos were very good, with lots of toppings a healthy amount of brisket. The double cheeseburger was a solid and can stand up to any burger you’d get in this area. The cookie skillet was yummy and the perfect ending to my meal. The Texas tea was tasty and super strong.

Second, the decor and atmosphere were on point. They have gone all out with the cowboy theme. Everywhere I looked I saw a cool vintage sign, guitar or something the make me feel like I was in an old style roadhouse. They even have a vintage gas pump and a mechanical bull on site. The details are amazing, down to saddles as bar seats that swivel. Of course, there is the over the top vintage truck on their patio. In addition, this is a great sports bar too. The night I went, I had great time watching a Cubs game and the NCAA Men’s basketball final on their many TVs.

Third, service is great. The servers and bar tenders really lean into the cowboy at theme, down to a the bouncer who looked like he walked out of a western ranch. Everyone was super nice and made my dinner that much more pleasant.

This is a...

The thing about Stolen Saddle, is that it feels like a new venue. Service could use some mild fine tuning. First off, we were told there was no table service originally (at around 6 or 7pm) but then later received it. One of our group ordered food from the bar and requested it be delivered to the table. It never showed up, about 40+ minutes later, after asking several times, we were informed that they don't usually deliver to tables when ordering from the bar. That would not have been an issue if we had been informed earlier. I was initially surprised that the food was priced fairly low. Once it got to the table, I realised that you are getting what you pay for. The food was good, not great. Ingredients seemed to be fairly fresh for the most part (except the salsa that comes with the burritos). Portions are a bit on the smaller side and flavors are a little uninspired/bland. Good food for when you're drunk already. Now for the highlights: Anikka. We had some questions about the menu so we happened to flag down this gem (on our second try-first girl disappeared). Honestly I had NO CLUE that it was her first day out of training until after we had already checked out. She was knowledgeable, bright, confident, paid attention to our table, checked on us frequently, literally checked all the boxes of good service. She was so sweet and genuine. Secondly, the drinks are ON POINT. Even the pitchers of margaritas tasted fresh and balanced. The Mexican Candy was delicious and the buckets are very reasonably priced. Overall, a typical bar experience. Not the worst I've had but not the best. Someone should give Anikka a raise. (Or at least...