Sansaveria Seafood & Steakhouse

It is a shame this place closed. The food was good, but the service was even more amazing. My friend had a steak and I had a vegetable plate. The owner, you could just tell, was the guy who came and checked up on you, asking if everything was good and said bye to you at the door. He was a gentleman. I had dinner here over a year ago, but I still remember it. All the best to him and his staff :)

Food tasted like it came straight out of the microwave. High prices not relative to the quality of the food. There are just too many options for great Italian food in the western suburbs, ergo we will not return. Service was very good and atmosphere was very nice. The problem was purely with the quality of food served.

This was our second visit to Sansaveria – we’d tried it about a month and a half ago, and beyond a small snafu of «what is in this item» being different than what we were told, it was a really strong showing. The food itself was great, the ambiance was great and we felt we were being attended to the right way.
But last night, August 30^th, was a completely different scenario all together.
For starters, at 5:15 on a Tuesday, it’s no surprise that the place was empty, but we were greeted with a hostess who had a little sass, which was well-​met by us.
And then we ordered. My wife got the Tilapia and it was great. I ordered a filet with au poivre and ordered it medium rare.
Our food arrived pretty quick and I cut open my steak to find it pretty brown and dry on the inside. I cut toward the middle and found it to still be pretty brown, perhaps a bit less so with the tiniest bit of pink, but still brown and far more well than rare by anyone’s standards. We were sitting next to one of the windows, but I doubt that the tint was one that would cause pink to look brown or that would make meat miraculously dry.
I was not satisfied with this steak, and after about 10 – 15 minutes when the waitress came back, I made her aware. She was caught off guard and I don’t think she knew what to do. We needed to pick up our daughter so I expressed that I did not want a replacement, but I did not want that.
15 minutes later, the manager came out to talk to me about the steak.
Well, maybe talk is a bit light. In essence, he expressed that he had yelled at the cook/​chef for over-​cooking my steak, but then to look at it «in the light in back» the entire thing was pink, if not undercooked. He continued to explain how the steak was seared and other things that bore no relevance on the situation – my wife and I were left feeling accused that I had tried to misrepresent the cooking of the steak (and I’ve had plenty of experience screwing up the cooking of a good steak on my grill) and that we should still be paying for it.
Frankly, it was insulting, and since the manager made it clear to us that he needed more information because he «would be held accountable» for this $ 15 cut of meat (his words, not mine), it felt as if business is not doing so well, or cooking is not happening as accurately as it should be and someone has to worry about their career longevity at this location.
Hey, if I wanted a guilt trip with my meal, I’d go back and eat at my parents house.
And if you’ve ever been to The Turf Room in Aurora and had a steak-​cooking botch, the chef comes out *immediately* and apologizes and corrects it – over-​corrects it and takes care of you (and we didn’t ask for special treatment – it’s the type of quality that this place believes in).
And if you want to argue a cooking point with a customer, don’t wait for 15 minutes to pass by, and don’t show up to argue without a pink steak in your hands to show the point.
After paying for my wife’s meal, we left.
And we’ll never return again. And frankly, if this is the way customers are treated, you should not even waste your time. I had nothing to gain by fabricating a story about how my steak was mis-​prepared and ended up going an entire evening without a meal due to other planned events (a concert date with my wife).
Good luck, Sansaveria. You’ve got potential. Just not with your current staff.
Update: I’ve received responses from the owners who tell me they would make this right if I’d give them another chance – I did try to contact them directly a few times, but only got a voicemail. I believe their intent is true; previous experience at the restaurant was pretty positive, and I’m sure they’re not enjoying this review, and the quick response earned them a star back, in my opinion.
I also received a «compliment» message telling me to keep my reviews to myself in the 48 hours since I’ve posted this review, posted by a new user created today (⁹⁄₁).
I’m sure it’s just coincidence.

It is nice to see a fancier restaurant in Btown. However, it didn’t WOW me…
We bought a Groupon awhile back and finally got the opportunity to use it. We (me, hubby, 6 year old, and 2 year old) walked in around 6:50 on a Saturday night and were one of the two occupied tables. Thought it’d be more crowded for a Saturday evening. (It did get busier — there were about six occupied tables by then.)
After being seated at a much too small table for four, we perused the menu for a bit. The kids picked from the Kids Menu that had your standard kids fare on there — chicken tenders, grilled cheese… all the kids favorites. They both settled on the Buttered Noodles. Hubby ordered the NY strip with mashed potatoes and I settled on the Tournedos of Beef with roasted potatoes.
We were served warm bread with maple nut butter. YUM! Our server was kind enough to tell us that the butter did have nuts in case anyone had an allergy and indeed we did — my 2 year old. That was nice she thought of that. Had the Shrimp Cocktail for an app. Very yummy.
The kids loved their noodles. Enough said about that.
Hubby and I enjoyed our entrees but not to the point that we’d probably order them again. I’d certainly love to go back and try something else. Perhaps seafood next time…
Apple Calvados crêpe for dessert. I’m not a crêpe connoisseur by any means but I’ve had better at Magic Pan.
All in all — decent. Will definitely try again and post an update.

Interesting new brunch location for the suburbs, but not a restaurant I would consider for finer dining or dinner.
Granted my only food experience was brunch, the food was decent, no dishes really stood out to me, but it was nice to see a roast being served fresh and a gentleman making crepes right out front. Both are nice, but not cooked in any special way to garner four or five stars for a sit-​down restaurant, not for me.
The environment and restaurant itself was well designed; however, certain tables are in a somewhat less convenient location. I did still enjoy the attempt to bring a somewhat old world feel to the restaurant.
Overall, I struggled between three and four stars, but ultimately landed on three just due to the lack of food to match their venue.

When I’m in the mood to treat myself to a nice dinner in Bartlett, Sansaveria is one of my top choices. Each time I’ve dined here, I’ve walked away smiling and satisfied.
The setting is like a sidewalk café in Paris with bistro tables set in an «outdoor» scene near the Eiffel Tower on a dark stone walkway and a bar area off to the side. Another seating area forms an enclosed dining space with wine colored walls and a mock fireplace. Outdoor seating is available on the patio during warmer weather. Rope lighting on the back wall of the patio forms the outline of a martini glass.
A large crêpe maker stand is set up near the entryway and allows patrons to watch fresh crepes being made. Both dinner crepes and dessert crepes are usually available on the menu.
Fresh baked bread and a tasty maple pecan butter are brought out while your meal is being prepared. Last time I was there I started with a mixed greens salad with Balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Though the salad was pretty standard, the greens were fresh and the dressing was tasty.
For my entrée, I had Char Grilled Herb Chicken Breast with Sun Dried Tomato & Basil Butter over Angel Hair Pasta. The flavor from the juices of the chicken went quite well with the pasta. Mixed vegetables with the entrée included broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash and yellow bell pepper.
Of course, I usually try to save room for dessert each time I’m there. On one occasion I had a dessert crêpe, which was very good. And on other occasions I went with the tried and true crème brûlée, which is always a good option.
On more than one occasion, the owner has stopped by my table to introduce himself and to see how my dining experience is going. On a weekend occasion, the chef came out to the patio where I was seated and told me about the specials of the day. I believe it’s always a pleasure to meet the people who make good food happen.
Wifi is available, just ask your server for the password.

Food is pretty good here. Wife ordered the beef stroganoff. The meat was tender and cooked well. Noodles were perfect. I had the beef bourgnoise (can’t remember how to spell it) crêpe. It was very good too. My dish came with options of mashed potatoes or fries (pomme frites). The fries were really good. They’re not your usual fries. These were super thinly sliced potatoes with some tangy dipping sauce. I would order the fries alone if I could.
The only downside to this place might be the slowness of getting your food. It’s not the fault of the wait staff or anything like that. The staff are very attentive and acommodating. Not sure what was going on but it just seemed like it too a long time to get our food. There was only 5 tables with customers. I’ve made crepes before and stroganoff before and I know it doesn’t take 50 minutes to get finish them.
The décor fits the french theme. The bathroom here are very clean though the positioning of the toilet paper requires you to have extra long arms. You’ll know what I mean when you go there. lol!
They have specials throughout the week that are very affordable and worth the money in my opinion.
Give it a try! It’s a nice place. That be scared by greeting at the door either. :-)

Rumor has it that Sansaveria will be updating their menu! I hope some of my favorites stay on the menu. This night we tried the specials. He had three petite fillets with savory toppings like pesto and blue cheese. Yummy! I had the Unconstructed Lobster Ravioli. The dish made a beautiful presentation and a delicious, rich dinner; please see the photo I uploaded today. It was a very elegant dinner. Sal was our server, and as usual, did a great job! We are delighted they are close to home and will be back often. Try the Patch Block with dinner — quite delicious.

I am giving this two stars because of two experiences that balance each other out — I’m now very confused as to whether or not we’ll be back. Also, please note these reviews are only for the Sunday brunch.
First off, yes, I realize it’s only $ 12 for buffet and beverage. Can’t expect too much for that. The first time we were here (about a month ago?) we sat outside, had OUTSTANDING service — my coffee never ran dry and plates were wisked away as soon as we finished.
Yesterday was a completely different story. Staff was indifferent — we were told to start on the buffet right away so we got up and visited the buffet, and ate an entire plate of food before our drink order was even taken. I had to flag down a server (who had walked past us several times), who replied that he would have to «smack his brother» for not getting our drinks. Once we got the drinks, that was the end of our service. We had to ask a busser for refills. We were literally ignored. Our dirty plates sat on our table until we asked a busser to take them.
Mind you, it’s a buffet so all the servers have to do is bring drinks and refills. Two servers and 3 or 4 bussers, a host, and a manager should have been able to make this happen.
Adding insult to injury, a manager/​owner looking man visited every table in that restaurant except for ours. He literally was chatting up and doting on other tables and went right past us.
So now it’s time to go and I don’t even know who to get a check from. My VISA is sitting at the end of the table, and again, people walking right past. Hostess spraying Windex on adjacent tables (gag) and looking away from me every time I «almost» make eye contact! SOOOO frustrated now, I ask my husband to please go pay at the bar before I explode. I am a chef, I am a hospitality instructor, and this is driving me NUTS!!! So unprofessional!!!
FINALLY someone sees my husband get up. The same server that got our drinks comes over and I ask for a bill — state that we’ve been waiting a LONG time. He apologizes timidly and brings me the bill.
And guess what? I left the worse tip I’ve left in my life. My husband and I usually tip 30% in ode to all the tables I’ve waited on in my life, sometimes we’ve tipped up to 50%. I left this guy 10% and have no ill feelings about it. I should have left no tip. Why leave $ 3 for someone who go you 2 iced teas and a water and ignored you the rest of the time.
In retrospect I should have asked for the manager but he had his chance to rectify the situation and walked right past us.
Doubt we’ll be back for dinner with all the other restaurants out there that make us feel welcome.

Absolutely Delicious!
Been here twice and will continue. Service and food are great. Prices are very fair for the quality of food.
Make sure to ask for your «passport» if they do not offer it to you. You’ll quickly rack up points for dining and get discounts.

Wow this place is QUALITY! The food is different yet delicious (not the same old tired dishes on nearly every restaurant menu in America), and the inside was simply beautiful. I was so impressed and highly enjoyed EVERY SINGLE MORSEL of my yummy dinner experience. I LOVED the warm bread with yummy sweet almond butter, the perfect fried calamari, my asparagus crepes (tried on the recommendation of fellow Unilocalers), and the decadent chocolate mousse! I was puzzled yet intrigued by the whole crepes concept for dinner, where to me crepes= breakfast. I wondered how they would taste for a dinner. I was pleasantly surprised! You will NOT be disappointed with Sansaveria! I want to go back soon and get the exact same thing all over again. Can’t wait to try their Sunday brunch!

I highly recommend this restaurant. The food is excellent, the menu imaginative, and the décor… well, you went there to eat, not to gawk, right? Grown up food for parents on a date night, and if you bring the kids you’ll get a kids menu for those 10 and under (I recommend they up that to age 12). It is pricey for Bartlett, but you are getting some of the best food in town. I hit their Sunday crêpe buffet — not a lot of choice, but what they had was good and kept my wife and kids smiling.

This place is a true gem for Bartlett. Really, really good food — great service — even better prices. I’ve been over a dozen times! Breakfast here is sooo good… not sure if they’re still doing the $ 9 pp breakfast buffet on Sundays but it’s the best deal in town! Made-​to-​order crepes, eggs benedict, lox, bagels, croissants, fruits, and OJ and coffee. I’m sure there were plenty of other things to eat but I only remembered the stuff I ate. :)
If you go for dinner, try the asparagus crepes. They were so good I tried to recreate them on my own (didn’t do as good of a job, so I will be back. :-)

Attended brunch today and enjoyed the variety of fresh, delicious items. The crepes were as good as they get, made-​to-​order with yummy ingredients. Would definitely recommend the bananas foster crepes.
Also went to Sansaveria for dinner a couple weeks ago and everything we ordered was delicious and unique. We will go back and hope to dine outdoors next time.

We took my parents out for breakfast for Mother’s Day. It was very crowded and a reservation was needed. I made the mistake of emailing mine… so we sat at the bar. Not a big deal, service was still great. The crepes are awesome, and the fruit and chocolate were fantastic. We plan on coming back for dinner sometime.

We went back.
I had asparagus crepes and hubby had a chicken pasta dish
I HAVE died and gone to heaven now.
Hubby wouldn’t share even one bite of his pasta, it was that good.
Crepes were amazing!

Wow! They now offer free amazing ‘bar’ food from 8 – 10 pm. Prime rib, mini-​burgers, French pastries. The staff is SO friendly and attentive. This place is a no-​brainer. Why aren’t you here?

I came here the first month they were opened and I was really impressed! The restuarant specializes in crepes. It says right on the door before you walk in that it is a creperie (I think I spelled that right?) and grill. Which I’ve never seen before!
The interior is beautifully decorated. The bar is rather small, but nobody goes to a nice restaurant to sit at the bar anyways. They do have a patio that I am anxious to sit at when the weather gets warmer.
The menu is rather small, but I like that because then you don’t have millions of options to decide over.
I wound up ordering the grilled veggie crêpe. It was fabulous! They are good size also. Not too little yet not too big. I also ordered a chocolate martini with dinner which also was great! If you decided to order desert you had your choice of regular deserts any restaurant offers or you could make your own crêpe. They have a little cart setup in the main foyer where someone stands incase you wanted that. You can choose between fresh fruits and chocolates. I was so full from dinner that I didn’t get a chance to try them, but maybe next time! :)

I went to Sansaveria for the first time Saturday night. We went because we had a
certificate which they do not take anymore (big mistake) since we would have never known about this restaurant if it was not for the certificate. I can not stop raving about this place. From the minute we were greeted at the door the final spoonful of my delicious desert. What a find in the NW burbs. Just E of Rt 59 on Bartlett Rd. If the duck is not on the menu, see if they will make it for you. I will being going back soon and telling all who will listen about the fabulous time I had there. As we left the place a man from a car yelled «is this a good place» We both said get in there quick and order the duck. I hope he enjoyed it as much as I did.

What a find in Bartlett. The place reminds me of the little cafes in belgium. the bread to start was super fresh. Whe had the the chevre crudités as an app. the brioche toast was awesome and the goat cheese on top was very light. My father had the pork chop and i had the marsala chicken crêpe. Both dishes had an excellent simplicity that is hard to find these days. The crème brûlée was great finish to a great meal. Also had a tasty 20yr port. The one thing I would change is for them to have a better beer list. The place is new and thats a minor detail. I have been to many NEW restaurants and this one went off flawless in taste, quality and service. Good Job. Simple menu with refined taste.