Bendita Cocina Argentinean Restaurant — Restaurant in Palatine Township

Dinner on a Saturday night without a reservation (6 PM). Place was empty except for 2 tables. The greeting was a little stiff – not very welcoming. I have wanted to have dinner here for some time, so we stayed. Cute place, lots of white walls the lighting in the restaurant was very bright, almost uncomfortable. The Empanadas (Chicken and Cheese & ?) were simply delicious (small and expensive $4.95 each) and were served with an odd watery tomato sauce that served no purpose on the plate. Sangria: no fruit or brandy – pre-made straight out of a bottle – ice was added! My guest and I both had steak specials: the steak was very tender, I believe that it was put through a tenderizer. The mashed potatoes on my dish tasted like instant, we asked and were told they were not but that they went through some elaborate mashing process, which confirmed to us that they were instant! Throughout I felt the service was rushed and almost condescending, as if they had done us a favor to allow us to spend a hundred dollars on a sub-par meal. My daughter and I are foodies and have dined in many wonderful restaurants (East & West coast and throughout Europe) and had wonderful food experiences and this was not one of them. Summary: my 2 star review is for the Empanadas which...

We have come to this restaurant on and off for years, and always loved it. The service here is always delightful, and the food was always tasty.

Last night was a a very different experience. Let me start with the interior…it has become old, dirty and neglected. The walls need to be repainted and freshened up, and they need to do something with the air conditioning blowing straight down onto the tables. And the men’s bathroom is completely in need of an overhaul! Also, on an evening with delightful temperatures, you shouldn’t keep the front door open without a screen door…we were constantly waving off gnats, flies and a moth throughout our meal.

In regard to our food, last night was a disappointment. To start, their signature breadsticks were overcooked, burnt actually. We didn’t eat any of them because of it. For our main course, I’ve always been a fan of the pot roast…last night I was disappointed. In the past the flavor was amazing, however last night’s was completely lacking. Of the 4 of us, none of us were served hot food…our plates of food were served luke-warm, at best. Food should always be delivered hot!

I’m saddened to say this, but last night will be our last time...

This was my second visit to this restaurant. I loved it so much the first time that I invited a friend for her birthday. We order empanadas, mix salad and some wine. The night and the food so far, excellent. We were only the second table there, not busy at all at the time. I order the steak with chimichurri, vegetable and fries, my friend order the steak as well, with veggies and mash potatoes. We waited a long time for our food, so that tell me that it was just sitting there before it was brought to our table. Everything was cold, I am telling super cold! We let the waiter know and his response was: ..."Oh I'm sorry..." and just looked at us and proceeded to take the plates away . I then asked him: "Do you -re-fire, heat it up ,what are we doing here?" and he just said yes! Second time around, he brings the same plates/food cold again, we let him know and he does is say sorry again and walks away. I ended up taking it home and feed our dog. I also have to mention the flies!! We got charged the in full for everything. No apology or even an effort to make it right. I felt so bad for my friend, we were still hungry and her birthday was...