Sage Kitchen + Bar

Haven’t been to many family style dining restaurants in my day but this experience was good. Came here with a party of 10 (outing with business clients) and everybody seemed to enjoy equally. We had stuffed artichokes, filet, salmon, calamari and I know there’s something I’m forgetting. Everything that we tasted was high end food. Everything was flavorful, cooked well, presented well and all-​around pleasing. The calamari was quite honestly the best calamari I’ve ever had. Not sure if it was the seasoning on the fry, the cook itself or what… But it was quite awesome! This in particular was served with a couple different sauces. I believe a tarter and a marinara of sorts. They also have a short but decent craft menu. I order a local IL brewery’s stout that was very good. Had 2!
I’d visit here again in a heartbeat. Also really like the promenade area as a whole!

I met a group of people for dinner. I’m on a restricted diet and had looked up the menu prior to going and was happy to see that had a gluten free salad. When I arrived I was told that because we were in a group we could not order separate. I explained to the waiter that I was gluten free. It didn’t matter. I could not order separate. The entire party of 10 had to order 2 gluten free entrees in order for me to eat. I had not wanted to announce the fact that I was gluten free. Ridiculous. Not an accommodating place and way too expensive for small portions. Food was not great. The only good thing was the band. Restaurant discriminates against food allergies. Be warned. If you are going in a group of 10 or more you will be required to order «family» style and they refuse to let anyone buy something separate. Cost me $ 60 for a few bites of food I didn’t want.

The food was great and I would definitely recommend. The only downside was the wait. Not for the food but for our check. It took what seemed like forever, until finally we grabbed one of the wait staff who wasn’t our waitress. The waitress was doing everything she could, but they were clearly understaffed. The restaurant just needed more staff.

Updated review. I felt that I should update this after my last few visits. There aren’t any real cozy restaurants in Bolingbrook other than Sage, so I had to give it another try. I have eaten here several times and was less than thrilled about the menu change they did last spring. BUT… The updated wine menu is much improved and they brought back the good desserts. They manage to keep the same servers which in my opinion is a plus. SO. I brought my family of 8 here for the holidays and I was impressed with just about everything this visit The steak is much better than when I had it before. The chicken was a hit with everyone. The favorite dishes were the short rib fries and the mushrooms. Go figure! The serving portions have improved, especially for the price! Previously, they were much smaller. The drink list and the variety of liquors were enough to make the whole group very «happy. «My favorite part of the night– the music and the peach crostata. The serving sizes are better for the price, very tasty, good drink menu, outstanding service, and the desserts are back. so it gets 5 starts. I can quit driving to Oak Brook and other places for a night out as long as Sage can keep the momentum and the crostata going this spring.

Nice ambiance. Decent service. Terrible food.
Short Rib Fries: fine, as expected. Huge pieces of jalapeño were a bit obnoxious, big enough to be avoidable. Short ribs were prepared nicely, but the portion was too conservative.
Fried Yucca: Properly fried and enjoyable. Tartar and cocktail sauce accompaniments were lazy options.
Southwest Chicken: piled high with stewed veggies, this entrée looked better than it tasted. Chicken very average.
Cous Cous + Cod: Fishy and totally over priced. Mushrooms and bok choy were greasy. Israeli cous cous was a sponge to the grease from the veggies.
Pulled Pork Tacos: Very tender and tasty and well delivered, but lacking spice.
Deconstructed Shepard’s Pie: Gamey, under-​seasoned lamb; overcooked roasted winter veggies (mostly just carrots).
Sage is putting in a good effort, but at these prices, they are desperately falling short of other local dining options..

The chairs are amazing. Wine deal was great. Most of the food was delicious. Décor was wonderful and people were friendly.

Stale, greasy, pretentious, fussy
We had lunch at Sage on a very busy weekend. The mall was crazy packed… Sage was empty, and for good reason. First of all, there isn’t much seating and so half of our table was facing the very bright sun. There were no shades to make it more comfortable. It was so bright, half of our table was squinting to see the people on the other side.
Next, the server told us that all of our food will not come out at the same time because the kitchen is small. We ordered 7 sandwiches… this was ridiculous! Once they finally served everyone we realized our dishes were incomplete. THERE WAS NOBODY Else there! It’s not rocket science to bring out a complete order.
The food wasn’t good enough to warrant the awful atmosphere and service. The sandwiches were dry and the meat almost stale. Everything else was smothered in cheap cheese.
Honestly, anywhere else at the promenade is better. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sage went out of business.

My Girlfriend and I walked in the place, late on a Sunday night about a hour before they closed.
We were greeted promptly and were welcomed in.
We both loved the atmosphere and décor in the restaurant, the service was excellent!
We shared the Mediterranean chop salad, it was a visual delight, and tasted amazing!!!
We then ordered the Duck sausage flatbread, it was phenomenal!!!
At one point we felt a little chilly and asked if they could adjust the temperature, we were a bit cold from being caught in the rain earlier. They instantly adjusted the heat, and we had a wonderful relaxing dinner! I also ordered a glass of their Malbec wine, it was one of the best wines I’ve ever had (La Posta) :)
Their prices are very fair, for the quality of food and service!
I’m telling everyone I know about this place, it’s a big winner!!!
Wesley R

Came here on a Sunday (never been before) to celebrate my birthday and I must say the ambiance is really nice. Not too many people there and I was greeted with a smile as I walked in the door. It took my party a while to get there, but the waitress, Elizabeth, continued to check on my as I sipped my $ 5 white Sangria. My friends finally arrived and Elizabeth was «Johnny on the spot!» She took our drink and food orders and within 20min, our food was up. I had the Short Rib Fries and BOY WAS IT GOOD.
I’ll definitely be back… probably for lunch/​dinner instead of brunch.

I normally don’t write reviews but I had to chime in after reading some of the reviews. I must have picked a bad night to go to Sage kitchen (Friday night) and the regular chef was off because the food was awful! If only the food tasted like the descriptions. I ordered the short rib fries (I think that’s what it was called). It came smothered in processed cheese, jalapeños peppers sprinkled on top and very little, if any, short ribs. The other people with me didn’t like their selection either.
The description of the food reads better than it actually tastes.

Cannot say enough about Sage! I had the Short Rib Hash, complete heaven in a bowl. Customer service done right, the wait staff was awesome and came by the table just enough to keep you satisfied so you don’t the «bothered» feeling. To top it off the chef came out to check on folks as well. If you are looking for a good time, then look no further than Sage Kitchen + Bar. Can’t wait to come back.

Went back to Sage this week, this time for lunch. I was surprised this place wasn’t busier as it has really good food. The large outdoor patio is perfect to enjoy lunch; however, we chose to dine inside. My mom had the pulled pork sandwich and parmesan fries, which she thoroughly enjoyed. I had the turkey club with a fruit cup for lunch. My sandwich was very good. The only negative was the size of the fruit cup… it was a condiment cup with a few blueberries and a couple strawberries cut up. I would expect a side to be more than that, especially seeing the portion size of my mom’s side. Huge difference. Our server, Josh, was friendly and attentive as was the other gentleman (manager?) who checked in us. Just adjust the size of the fruit cup to equal the side of fries. Bar Louie was packed on a Wednesday for lunch… maybe Sage should offer a coupon for buy one get one free or $ 10 off for lunch to get the people in. I think once they experience the food, they’d return. I’ll definitely return to dine here.

Tried this place tonight and I was quite impressed by the menu … Until some of the food came out :/
This place would work very well in the city but def not at the promenade in Bolingcrook.
The sangria was really good, the Moscow mule could have been a bit stronger but still legit. We ordered the crab cakes — very, very good but needed to be a little more browned up. Margarita flatbread — again very good but it had a fried tomato smothering it which killed it for me personally (should of kept it fresh). Lastly, fried yucca — ok this was a huge disappointment… I do realize the exoticness of this root beauty but this place seriously ruined it– it came out looking like fried calamari; if you are a serious chef or serious about your job or an owner who knows food; fried yucca comes pan fried, not dipped in some batter. Whyyyyyyyyyyy would you fry anything in a batter like that — it just really made me sad.
Dessert… Because it’s really the first menu I check out! :) Had the brownie which was good and normal like any other place. Also, had the vegan, coconut, gelatin, pudding with berries (sorry forgot the name). It was really good, again, until I found out what it was really made of … When I asked the server, who was super nice btw, she informed me there was gelatin and cream in it — ok, this just made me really angry — DO NOT PUT THINGS ON YOUR MENU THAT ARE ADVERTISED AS VEGAN– it’s plain ignorant and false advertising. This really killed everything for me by this point because being a newly vegetarian, I seek out places to eat clean, fresh and sometimes raw — and guess what there really isn’t much in the burbs so I’m pretty much sol…
After 3 drinks, 3 small plates and 2 deserts — we were $ 87 in the hole which just left a sour feeling in my stomach. I hate to say this but I think this place will probably close doors soon as the prices are way too high, food is on the high end mediocre and there was only 6 people dining, including us, on a Sunday night… Sucks because I really was looking forward to eating here :/​
Suggestions to the owner/​chefs — keep it simple, fresh and cut your costs by hiring people who are good at cooking … Also, please stop advertising gluten free or vegan if it’s not!

Brunch was delicious! Short ribs were amazing, and especially in combination with eggs and potatoes… wow ! Never had this before but what a great creation !
Staff was very accommodating making us feel like we really mattered ! Somebody must be working hard to make sure all bases are covered. We will make Sage a place to come back to, knowing that we will eat well and be treated with love.

I love that more and more bars with upscale menus are popping up around the burbs. It’s so great to be able to grab a drink and not always have to choose between a food pairing of chicken fingers and cheese curds. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good pub, but Sage is a very welcomed addition to the area!
They have a huge outdoor patio which is awesome. The inside is nice too with really cute wine décor. I was here with my husband and my in-​laws on a Friday for dinner. At 6:00 it was busy, but not packed.
Thursday thru Saturday they have live music which is definitely a bonus! The band that played when we were there was incredible. The main guy played some sort of instrument that sounded like a violin, but he played it like the drums. Very entertaining! He even stopped by our table to explain the instruments.
I ordered a Manhattan to drink which was spot on. We started with calamari for an appetizer (pretty standard choice for my family). Such a great selection — I highly suggest! The texture of the calamari was perfect — crispy but not overdone. I hate when calamari is like soggy. No thanks. I’m not sure what kind of sauce came with it, but it was amazing. For me, that’s what really set the dish a part from your typical order. We were intrigued by their duck sausage, so we ordered that for the table as well. I really liked it (again the sauce made the dish), but I can’t say it was my favorite. I’m not sure what it was but I’ve had better duck sausage elsewhere. My husband seemed to like it though.
Sage has a great menu with plenty to choose from. Small plates, charcuterie, salad, dinner entrees, the works. It was hard to make a decision but I ended up going with their portobello flat bread (a small plate). A-​maze-​ing! Balsamic portobello mushrooms, spinach, caramelized onions, goat cheese, truffle oil, and Parmesan. Yeah. I think that combo speaks for itself.
I can’t wait to go back to Sage Kitchen + Bar to dive into the rest of their menu (crab cakes, tuna tar tar… hello!). With their convenient location in the Bolingbrook Promenade, I see a great dinner and a movie date night in my future…
P. S. They have Lavazza coffee — love it!

We went here for brunch after reading a lot of great reviews. Plus the menu looked delicious. We ordered the sage pancakes, a skillet, and the short rib hash. The skillet and hash came with pancakes on the side. Instead of a skillet, the kitchen made an omelette. Luckily, there were side pancakes to eat while the skillet cooked. Unfortunately, the pancakes were not cooked thoroughly. Basically just batter in the center. Our server then brought out the skillet and took away the raw pancakes. The replacement pancakes were burnt.
We heard the server explaining to the manager (I think) about all the food problems we were having. The manager never came over to our table or addressed the situation.
The sage pancakes (luckily cooked through) and the short rib hash were good, the skillet was mediocre. Our server was attentive. However, we will not be returning. I brought my dad here for brunch for his birthday, and having such a bad experience was a huge disappointment.

So FINALLY, I get to write a review about Sage Kitchen + Bar after having experienced everything this place has to offer… wonderful ambiance, excellent food and outstanding music and entertainment.
Up until last evening, we had been to Sage several times (in fact I joined their rewards program) but only for drinks and to listen to some music. Every one of those visits were great… in the winter, the atmosphere is intimate. During the summer, Sage has one of the nicest outdoor patios in the area — so it’s the perfect spot to hang out, have cocktails and watch people. Their service is always great too — attentive and fun… last night we had Wes as our server and he was one of the best so far.
We received notice on Facebook that Stephen Lynerd Group was going to be there and we had seen them before and really enjoyed their music so I made reservations for four. We were really looking forward to our first dining experience at Sage and weren’t disappointed.
Their menu is about to change for Summer but last night we had the Pulled Pork Risotto, Teres Major Steak, Short Rib Mac ‘n Cheese and the Spinach Artichoke Flat Bread and shared everything. It’s hard to pick a favorite because they were all amazing — and perfectly prepared. At first, I thought the risotto was my favorite until I tasted the steak and then the crust on the flat bread was so light and crispy — but the mac ‘n cheese ended up getting my vote. We ended our meal with coffee and dessert.
Hats off to Chef Camila and the staff at Sage — you have created a very special place that has something for everyone to enjoy.

Yikes, I don’t think this place will be open for 6 more months. I like the décor, very trendy and city-​ish. We visited Sage for dinner on Friday night and the place was nearly empty. Maybe 3 – 4 tables occupied. The prices are outrageous and the food was simply not good. $ 19 for fish tacos? Restaurants in the city don’t charge that. And they were mediocre at best. I ordered the sage bistro chicken — grilled chicken, mash potatoes, brussel sprouts, bacon, lemon confit. The chicken was tough, the mash might have been instant, I counted literally 6 brussel sprout halves on my plate. For $ 19, you can’t give me more than 3 whole sprouts? The parmesan fries were literally out of a bag and complete mush with some cheese sprinkled on top. The flavors of the fish tacos and chicken were extremely simplistic. I can personally cook with more complex flavors.
The selection of wine is a positive, but FYI they do not carry any beer on tap. Service was average.

Went there for lunch. The lunch was good, we both had salads with soup and coffee. The salads were great, thought the portion was on the small side. Good thing I ordered the soup. I also ordered a spiked coffee (it was really cold that day)… mmmm that was good and it helped warm me up.
Can’t wait to try them for dinner. They give you a free dessert with your ipic tickets. We are iPic fans so I think we are going to get desserts pretty often.

Sage Kitchen & Bar ain’t bad. It’s probably the best place at the Promenade to chill and drink, with its pretty windows and patio. Though, others have mentioned the price being high. I must agree. Overpriced.
As for food, I ordered the Short Rib Mac and got like 2 pieces of short rib. Boo. I was asked how I liked it, I explained, they gave no shits. Whatever. Underwhelmed.