Proof no. 5 — Restaurant in Wheaton

If you're searching for restaurants in Wheaton, IL or considering a visit to Proof No. 5, I'd recommend reading this before booking.

We had high hopes for this spot, given other restaurants by the group, but unfortunately, the experience fell short in several key areas.

Service Experience

Our server, was extremely impersonal. She always felt rushed and annoyed--like serving us was a chore. In the middle of conversations, she would turn away mid-sentence to do something else, then disappear for long stretches before suddenly reappearing. Service mistakes piled up--one of our plates came out completely wrong, which required a remake. The replacement dish (salmon) was overcooked and so hot it was practically burnt and took 22 minutes to come out. Despite asking twice, our water bottle was never replaced. She then forced us to pick a dessert, event though we said we had enough, and the proceeded to “comp us a dessert”. Even paying was frustrating: it took 10 minutes to get the check after asking and another 18 minutes to get our card back. Overall, the service at Proof No. 5 was some of the worst we've experienced in the Wheaton area.

Food & Drinks Cheese Fondue - Overpowered by bourbon, barely tasted like cheese. Truffle Aioli Fries - Probably the best thing we ordered; these were actually good. Drinks - Just okay, nothing memorable compared to other cocktail bars in Wheaton. Hunters Chicken - Average at best. For a dish that should be a standout, it was underwhelming. Burnt Salmon - A remake that still came out poorly executed--and shockingly, we were charged full price for it. From a hospitality perspective, this was a major miss. A professional restaurant should have comped the dish, not pushed a "free dessert" as a consolation for serving the wrong dish and for it taking 22 minutes. Crème Brûlée - Just okay, though the server hyped it as second only to her favorite New York dessert.

Overall Impression:

My friend, who works in hospitality at another big group in the area, summed it up perfectly: "They're aiming for a high bar but cannot execute."

Between wrong dishes, long delays, fire not being on, forced dessert, being charged for mistakes, and inconsistent food quality, Proof No. 5 in Wheaton left us disappointed. The price of the food does not meet the quality or flavor.

For dining in Wheaton, IL, there are better options nearby that deliver on both service and flavor. Proof No. 5 looks the part, but based on our experience, it doesn't live up...

In a word, FANTASTIC! I honestly can't think of another restaurant that matches the quality of P/5. We got a reservation at 5:00 on a Saturday night, and while we were one of the few diners to start, the tables did fill up. The bar was off to the side but it also looked well used and beautifully designed. We are first timers here and the decor and atmosphere is incredibly welcoming and beautiful. Starting with nice, comfortable chairs and seats, and tasteful tableware and decor, we were warmly greeted by our server, Deana, who set the perfect tone from the first hello. She was very knowledgeable as we asked some specific questions, and knew specific details about all the drinks and dishes. She was impressive. As the dishes and drinks arrived, we sampled each other's choices and nothing was found to be lacking. After enjoying the abundant appetizers, we appreciated the entrées and two of us shared the Filet Medallions. After this delicious meal, we all left fully satisfied. The photos will show our dishes with names. The drinks are unique and Deana gave us wonderful suggestions all night I appreciate that while the dishes were on the larger sizes, they were not ridiculously huge, so not wasteful, just right. But sadly, we had no room for dessert. And the pricing is appropriate for the quality and quantity served. The accessibility is well planned, all the way from the front door to the restrooms. There are no barriers to stop anyone from enjoying this space. There is also outdoor seating which seems to be a good choice on a nice evening. (Tonight was too hot for us, so we chose to eat inside.) Some diners were dressed very casually, which did not fit with the vibe here. Leave your shorts and t-shirt at home, and dress for a nice but not stuffy evening. P/5 deserves to be around for a long time. I came down from WI and wish I was closer so I could come regularly. But it was absolutely worth the drive, and when I am again in the area, this will be...

Overall a beautiful small boutique restaurant, wonderful to have walking distance from my house! I went for my birthday, I’m usually and STK girlie for special occasions but was very excited to try this new spot. The good: atmosphere, cocktails, and the music was amazing imo, played lots of top notch deep house/chill EDM music (but you sticks in the mud don’t worry it was not loud it was at a restaurant level) idk if they always play this kind of background music but music and vibes were A+ I had a filet and it was a B grade when compared to other places at the same price point, better than Outback (or similar cheap/mid priced chains) but not really worth the cost, it was slightly more than medium rare, but was over seasoned, not enough for me to send it back but a little disappointing nonetheless. They don’t claim to be a steak house so it’s a perfectly fine steak for a general restaurant, but I don’t think I’ll spend money on a steak here again. The service was very slow and my water was never filled without me having to flag the server (who was hard to flag down despite it being a tiny space). The waiter was very nice but not attentive, and restaurants in the price and above I expect at least above average service. The kitchen was clearly disorganized as I had someone else’s food sent to my table 2x. When I ordered dessert they brought it out w no spoon (after clearing my other silverware) then after asking for one I had to wait around 10min…then 10 more min after getting my spoon a kitchen staff showed up with another one. This place is pretty new so the staff is still probably working the kinks out and everyone was very nice. I’ll definitely give it another try or two but...