Wait Time review insights for Illinois, United States, Restaurants

4 to 6 employees will stand, visit, talk, and do their best to not make eye contact, while you wait in a line of one.

40 minutes on we didn't even get our bread and butter appetizer. Paid for drinks and left, otherwise I expect we would have been there all night waiting for our meal.

$4500 for 4 people. I was not wrong for expecting perfection. First, we (and everyone else) arrived 15 minutes early - as requested by their staff. 20 people stuffed into their vestibule for 15 minutes not able to move or talk above a whisper. It was hot, awkward and uncomfortable. We were seated on time and led to the Gallery. There were 4 of us, so for the first part of the experience we were 10 feet away from our dinner companions. More awkwardness. The gentlemen next to me and my husband was the 3rd in a party of three, so here he is 10 feet away from his companions waving at them from across the restaurant. We had a laugh about it, but it's strange and we felt bad for him. Then the hostess arrives and gives a speech about the experience. It was overacted, like an irritating theatre kid trying too hard. The food was meh. Not one time the whole night did anyone say "Oh my god, this is amazing". Yes, they use cool ingredients and interesting combinations, but nothing was truly memorable - except for dessert. I opted for the Alinea wine pairing that was $400 extra per person. Again, I was expecting perfection and was disappointed. It was mostly white wines. Of the 3 reds, we really enjoyed one - the Hirsch Vineyards Block 8 Pinot Noir. It's $90 a bottle online. So yes, it was good but for the $400 up charge per person, serving a $90 bottle is unacceptable. You gave me a used Lexus and I paid for a new Rolls Royce. "The most exquisite and rare wine selections" - it wasn't. After the first service, they take you to the kitchen and give you seasoned popcorn. Again, for $4500 I was disappointed with popcorn. They took us back to the Gallery and the tables were set up normally, which was a nice relief. We could finally converse with our friends. The service is good, the servers are friendly, but they rotate all night - the only consistent server we had was the sommelier. The whole evening was more about the theater and less about the food and wine. Again, they use creative ingredients and diverse presentations. But nothing tasted amazing or was memorable aside from the cool dessert. I waited and thought for 2 months before writing this. Overall, I was disappointed with the whole experience based on the cost. It's maybe a $500 dinner per person, not $1150. Too many details are overlooked for this price. The Gallery @ Alinea x 4 $1,740 Alinea Pairing x4 $1,580 Subtotal $3,320 Service Charge (20%) $664 Taxes $468.12 Order Fee $5 TOTAL $4,457.12

20yrs ago, used to be plenty choice 'round the Chi of Cajun joints throwing a decent Fat Tuesday with an actual Zydeco band. No longer, in a world when everyone's Irish on 3/17 - a few beads & shrimp pass for Mardi Gras in every bar. Welcome to the new South Loop, where a FORMIDABLE effort was put forth by the Chicago Firehouse, making largely the right choices. Opting for a well curated & representative buffet, pans were kept full & the vittles HOT thru the evening. Purists may decry absence of a gumbo, spinach etouffee, or fish entree, but fresh warm beignets (smartly) served by roving waiters made up. Open seating, cash bar, plus automatic gratuity allowed for a plausible advertised entry of $55. Cloth tablecloths, napkins, & real cutlery proclaimed that the ample wait staff meant business. And then, there was the band.... traditional Preservation Hall style jazz (with a damn Sousaphone!) kept-em drankin'& dancing up front, with an occasional sashay around the dining hall! OUTRAGEOUS!! C'est une fait accompli!

I sat at the bar and had the absolute best time with Julio! He’s attentive, friendly, and the best bartender. Can’t wait to come back and see him weekly. Also the pizza is great!

Review rating: 5.0

My husband and I really wanted to try this place but everything was booked. The hostess told us we could wait thrity minutes or so and sit at the bar so we decided to do that. Could not have been happier! We were actually at the bar watching the chef's cook in the kitchen! It was such a cool experience! The lady who seated us, Erika, was a sweetheart and she was so excited about our experience and passionate about the food. Ouy waiter, Haiyem (I probably butchered the spelling, sorry!), was awesome. He was funny and so attentive. We decided on three apps to share, the beet salad, the whipped ricotta, and the bone marrow. Holy smokes, it was all spectacular but the bone marrow was the show stealer. It was like the best part of a pot roast with a kind of compote on top as well as a parsley salad and this incredible grilled bread. Amazing. Atmosphere and service and food all fantastic. Thank you!

Review rating: 5.0

4 to 6 employees will stand, visit, talk, and do their best to not make eye contact, while you wait in a line of one.

Signal: 0.0%

40 minutes on we didn't even get our bread and butter appetizer. Paid for drinks and left, otherwise I expect we would have been there all night waiting for our meal.

Signal: 0.0%

$4500 for 4 people. I was not wrong for expecting perfection. First, we (and everyone else) arrived 15 minutes early - as requested by their staff. 20 people stuffed into their vestibule for 15 minutes not able to move or talk above a whisper. It was hot, awkward and uncomfortable. We were seated on time and led to the Gallery. There were 4 of us, so for the first part of the experience we were 10 feet away from our dinner companions. More awkwardness. The gentlemen next to me and my husband was the 3rd in a party of three, so here he is 10 feet away from his companions waving at them from across the restaurant. We had a laugh about it, but it's strange and we felt bad for him. Then the hostess arrives and gives a speech about the experience. It was overacted, like an irritating theatre kid trying too hard. The food was meh. Not one time the whole night did anyone say "Oh my god, this is amazing". Yes, they use cool ingredients and interesting combinations, but nothing was truly memorable - except for dessert. I opted for the Alinea wine pairing that was $400 extra per person. Again, I was expecting perfection and was disappointed. It was mostly white wines. Of the 3 reds, we really enjoyed one - the Hirsch Vineyards Block 8 Pinot Noir. It's $90 a bottle online. So yes, it was good but for the $400 up charge per person, serving a $90 bottle is unacceptable. You gave me a used Lexus and I paid for a new Rolls Royce. "The most exquisite and rare wine selections" - it wasn't. After the first service, they take you to the kitchen and give you seasoned popcorn. Again, for $4500 I was disappointed with popcorn. They took us back to the Gallery and the tables were set up normally, which was a nice relief. We could finally converse with our friends. The service is good, the servers are friendly, but they rotate all night - the only consistent server we had was the sommelier. The whole evening was more about the theater and less about the food and wine. Again, they use creative ingredients and diverse presentations. But nothing tasted amazing or was memorable aside from the cool dessert. I waited and thought for 2 months before writing this. Overall, I was disappointed with the whole experience based on the cost. It's maybe a $500 dinner per person, not $1150. Too many details are overlooked for this price. The Gallery @ Alinea x 4 $1,740 Alinea Pairing x4 $1,580 Subtotal $3,320 Service Charge (20%) $664 Taxes $468.12 Order Fee $5 TOTAL $4,457.12

Signal: 0.0%

20yrs ago, used to be plenty choice 'round the Chi of Cajun joints throwing a decent Fat Tuesday with an actual Zydeco band. No longer, in a world when everyone's Irish on 3/17 - a few beads & shrimp pass for Mardi Gras in every bar. Welcome to the new South Loop, where a FORMIDABLE effort was put forth by the Chicago Firehouse, making largely the right choices. Opting for a well curated & representative buffet, pans were kept full & the vittles HOT thru the evening. Purists may decry absence of a gumbo, spinach etouffee, or fish entree, but fresh warm beignets (smartly) served by roving waiters made up. Open seating, cash bar, plus automatic gratuity allowed for a plausible advertised entry of $55. Cloth tablecloths, napkins, & real cutlery proclaimed that the ample wait staff meant business. And then, there was the band.... traditional Preservation Hall style jazz (with a damn Sousaphone!) kept-em drankin'& dancing up front, with an occasional sashay around the dining hall! OUTRAGEOUS!! C'est une fait accompli!

Signal: 0.0%