Gnarly Knots Pretzel Company — Restaurant in Lombard

There has been a lot of hype around this place with all their unique recipes. And in all honesty, while there are some flaws, such as only the bottom 1/3 of the “stuffed” pretzel ACTUALLY being stuffed, the quality of the food is rather good. The pretzel was soft and had great flavor and the chicken and rice soup, while a little on the thin side, was very tasty. Overall, they could tweak some things, such as more filling, thicker soup, and more complex sauces, and the food would easily be 5 stars. The issue here is the service. The staff was very ambivalent about service, to the point that it was almost arrogant. The blonde woman who came out of the kitchen to help the front of house snapped at us that they didn’t have things (like we would know, as there was no signage letting us know they were out) and was just very rude, finally suggesting that we leave if we couldn’t find something they had. It was a very unpleasant experience. I understand a place being hectic and running out of items. And that’s okay. You are busy and popular. But belittling your customers is just bad service. I’d be happy to try their food again, but I don’t think we’ll be back due unnecessarily bad service. It isn’t hard to be pleasant and the staff, and particularly that blonde woman, need to learn...

As an avid pretzel lover, I have yet to find a place as delicious, creative, and addictive as Gnarly Knots. Their product is one of a kind. So innovative with their stuffed pretzels that most are puzzled by the mere concept of them, but once seen and enjoyed no cookie cutter pretzel will ever live up to it. I have yet to be disappointed from a pretzel. Their sauces are a must try. I recommend every single one, but the employees will gladly assist you in your pretzel dipping endeavours. This brings me to my next point, the staff is superb. Kind, honest, and inviting. You are not rushed nor taken advantage of in any way. As a small business some people have the expectation of "hipster owners" who couldn't care less if you buy from them or not. Gnarly Knots employees are not those people. Genuinely interested in how your day is going and answer honest questions about their day too. For the introverts reading this, they do not over talk or make you feel awkward. If you are still reading this I suggest at least checking this place out. Amazing food/snacks, fair prices, and some of the greatest (if not the best) service I have ever...

Excellent Place To Get Pretzels!! Matt has an awesome concept and I don't believe I have ever had a tastier pretzel than what I've had here. There's the tried and true pretzel dog, but the stuffed pretzels are the thing that really set this place apart from competition. Looks like they have different ones featured periodically, I had the salami and provolone stuffed pretzel and it was fantastic, just the right amount of cheese and salami. The pretzel dog was also huge, don't know what brand hot dog was in it, but it reminded me of Nathans, and the outside pretzel was perfect, just the right amount of softness under a crisp outside. The cinnamon pretzel was great too, not overloaded with powder, and just the right amount of sweetness. It is very clear to me that they put a lot of effort into making the best possible pretzel, they don't skimp on the quality of the ingredients, nor on the quantity they use, and that says a lot. Everything I had was baked to perfection, not overly crisp, and the dough is soft inside. Definitely would recommend to anyone who is in the area, hopefully they can expand to even more locations in...