Gigi's Bar & Lounge — Restaurant in Plano

The first thing I noticed was the neon pink cursive on the wall that read, "Go with the flow." Because that's been my motto since I was in fifth grade, and I somehow have survived all this time since then, I immediately knew I was in someplace special. And Gigi's Bar & Lounge is quite a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Gigi's occupies a spot that has been a number of dining destinations over the years. Twisted Root at one point... The Ainsworth most recently... I'm proud to say Gigi's is easily the best of any of them. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

I had dinner here with my folks on a Monday night and we almost had the place to ourselves. I'm guessing that's because it was a Monday night and this place truly gets hopping during the weekends when they have a DJ and a vibe that invites good times and even better memories. But I have to say that even on a Monday, the atmosphere was fun and friendly.

We were greeted right away and offered a seat anywhere we wanted - the lengthy bar, the numerous high tops, the lounge style chairs or a banquette along the far wall. We opted for the banquette and took time to marvel at the decor: The aforementioned pink cursive was cool, but everything from the stylish chandeliers to the various written mottos on the walls looked chic and will make for some very fun Instagram moments.

Gloria was over in no time and she was absolutely delightful. I asked a ton of questions and my Dad followed up with even more... and Gloria was gracious and patient with our inquiries about the menu. (Mom, on the other hand, was pleased as punch with a prickly pear mocktail to the point where she had two of them.) It quickly dawned on us that Gloria was doing double duty as a server and bartender and kudos to her for never missing a beat - she got us our old fashioned-s (which were delicious) and made sure we were never lacking for refills as she guided us on our culinary journey. I cannot say enough positive things about her and can 100 percent say you're in great hands if she's taking care of you.

So we already know the place looks awesome and the service is spectacular, but what of the food? Oh, it was grand.

We started with a chicken quesadilla appetizer and made short work of it. Four pieces was enough for the three of us and we quickly turned our eyes on the main course - Mom opted for the Cuban sandwich, Pop for the chicken and I went for a combo beef and chicken skewer.

The prevailing takeaway was that everything we ate was incredibly flavorful. No one left any food behind and I have to give another shout out to Gloria for letting me try multiple sauces with my skewers. I mixed and matched three of them, and may pay for my hubris in the morning, but they were all delectable. The three of us are already thinking about what we would try on our next visit but wait-! There was dessert to try first! The chocolate cake was similarly tasty and now that I re-read everything I ate, I'm considering going into hibernation.

I say that but the truth of the matter is Gigi's is quite fair with their portion sizes and even more approachable with their pricing. Drinks this refreshing and food this impressive are both hard to find for a reasonable price in the Plano area, but Gigi's makes this combo a reality.

Gigi, herself, was there this evening, and she waved over to our table. We all confirmed the food was amazing and our experience was terrific, and if you're still reading this review, then you know how accurate those statements were.

Places like Gigi's deserve your business. It's a one-of-a-kind destination with an environment that welcomes everyone and makes sure they will not leave hungry. Combine that with a fantastic price point and some of the friendliest staff in town and this is one place you need to visit.

As for me? I'm looking forward to a return visit so I can go with the...

I visited on a Saturday for Ladies Night and was excited to check out this spot since it’s close to home for our group. We typically go to the bishops arts district because of the lively & busy atmosphere. I arrived first for my party of four around 8pm. The sign at the entrance said to seat yourself, but shortly after sitting down I was asked to move because the table was reserved. They admitted it was their fault .When I arrived, there weren’t any reservation signs on the table, and about 30 minutes later another group was seated there. The reserved sign was added after all this.

At the new table, our drinks were excellent and our waitress was very attentive, which we really appreciated. Around 9:30pm, the venue began transitioning the space for dancing, so we moved from our table in the center to seating along the wall. Unfortunately, we were asked to move again, this time for the same group as before. It seemed like they had a preferred area, though it wasn’t marked or designated ahead of time. There were other open spots, so it was a bit unclear why that specific table wasn’t reserved from the start. The place was not full at all. So all this seemed avoidable.

My feedback is simply meant as constructive input for a fairly new establishment. If a VIP group is expected, closing off that section ahead of time might help avoid moving guests multiple times.

That said, the staff was consistently kind, the service was great, and the overall atmosphere was fun. I plan to give it another try, as this may have just been...

I recently hosted a birthday party at GiGi’s with a group of 20 guests and had reserved a table well in advance. When we arrived, the table was ready, but that’s where the good part ended.

The manager and server approached us and informed us that the entire party would have to be on one check — and that we’d be responsible for figuring out how to split the bill among ourselves. When I asked why they couldn’t just do individual tickets (like many restaurants do), the manager firmly responded that “no restaurant will do individual tickets for one table,” and just kept repeating that point. It felt dismissive and unnecessarily rigid, especially for a planned event.

As for the food, my wife and I ordered the street tacos, which unfortunately were overly greasy and lacked seasoning. The only highlight was the sauce that came with them, which was actually quite good — but not enough to redeem the dish.

Overall, it was a frustrating and underwhelming experience, especially for a special occasion. I’ve been to plenty of group dinners where splitting checks wasn’t an issue, and the tone and handling by the staff here really left a bad impression. Sadly, I wouldn’t recommend GiGi’s for group events or...