Bar Forza

Came here with my Sis, Bro, & SO and will definitely be returning! The food was fantatic, the drinks were stellar and the price was right! The owner Paul was the best– I asked him to surprise me and bring me a fruity drink and he came back with the best drink I’ve ever had– the «Martini Forza»; goes down easy and tastes fantastic! I also tried the «Martini Nero» and the «Martini AL Mirtillo» –all recommend to me by Paul! Way to go on the stellar recommendations!
The food was fantastic and was just enough to share. The truffle fries, the truffle tots, and truffle mac N Cheese were worth coming back for. The muscles and the mozzarella cheese were also excellent and the «Forza Burger» were all worth mentioning! Parking is street parking with the typical Chicago pay box meters, but had no trouble finding a spot!

I wish I could give less than one star for my experience here. Came in to watch the final Blackhawks game, and there was one bar tender and no servers but a packed restaurant. I put my order in for food and waited over an hour and a half to discover the kitchen never got the order… Not sure why a Chicago bar wouldn’t have a full staff for such a huge event.
Really big disappointment and terribly handled by the manager. I think they even brought a bartender in who didn’t work here, so he didn’t know where anything was or how to work the system. Never ever going to come back. Highly advise you don’t risk it, who knows when they will be «understaffed» again.

We stopped in last night for dinner, that’s on us. They had a bar tender and one waitress (who by the end of our visit was also covering the bar) and that was definitely not enough staff. The service itself was completely fine though. No complaints there. Our waitress did her best in kind of a shitty situation.
But the food… not so much. We ordered penne and vodka sauce with broccoli to share and a pizza as well. Somehow both came out undercooked. The pizza was super doughy and missing a topping and the pasta was beyond al dente not to mention totally without flavour. The extra kicker on this is that I’m a vegetarian and our penne also had chicken which wasn’t part of the order.
Maybe we came in on an off night but we won’t be going back again.

I was with a party of 6. Each of the three couples was allowed to use their own Groupon, which was nice since usually an establishment only allows one per table.
We had 4:00 reservations for dinner on a Sunday before a 6:30 show at the Apollo Theater down the street. When we arrived, the place was empty except for us. The bar area had high tables only, but around the corner on the other side there were low tables — no booths. We were able to throw two tables together for our group.
What started out as a questionable experience due to several of the items we were ordering from the menu being unavailable, turned out to be a really fun night. The waitress, Nicole, was really nice. Appetizers ordered were Bruschetta, Mussels and Arancini. All were delicious! At one point one of the co-​owners, Paul, came out to speak with us. Super nice! Those who had mussels raved and raved about the sauce. At one point later he came back to the table and told us to come back to the restaurant after the show for a special surprise. I won’t say what it was, but he delivered. Very nice. For dinner we had Chicken Parmigiana, which came with a side of tater tots rather than traditional pasta. Both were delicious. Others had a Fusilli Pasta with Arrabbiata Sauce and Meatballs, and Sliders from the appetizer menu — again all delicious.
Overall we had a wonderful time and expect to be back. :) The only reason for 5 rather than 4 stars is because they were out of several items, but if they’d had everything we wanted to order it would have been a perfect 5.
Enjoy!

Can I give this zero stars? I ordered takeout 2 hours ago and am still waiting. The delivery man has come twice (first time he gave us someone else’s order and the second time he came back to get back that order but still didn’t have our food). This place is a 90 second walk from my friends’ place where we are and we still haven’t gotten our food. It’s now 9:30 on Sunday night. This can’t be that hard. Want a refund. Or my food. Either would be nice.
Update: food arrived and it was cold. Slider buns out of a store bought bag (like the cheap 4^th of July BBQ kind) and the Mac & cheese was straight of the box. But cold.

I organized a birthday party for fifteen people here on St. Pattys day. Paul, the manager and his staff exceeded my expectations. We will definitely be back! It’s a birthday we will never forget!

So we’ve come here about five times now we seem to be making it a semi weekly eventbecause we’re obsessed with the Gorgonzola strip steak pizza, truffle fires and friendly staff! This time were were convinced to try the barbecue chicken pizza, and I must say it rivals the incredible Gorgonzola pizza! This place has the best pizza, it’s a must try!

We went to Bar Forza with a Groupon and we were pleasantly surprised.
The food was great. My SO had chicken parmesan and I had the supreme pizza and they were both delicious. The chicken was well cooked and the sauce was to die for. The pizza was equally good.
The atmosphere was a bit strange. There was a DJ in the coat check closet (aka DJ Coat Check) and the music kept going in and out throughout our meal. Why would a DJ be in a coat closet with busted speakers?! So strange but the food definitely made up for it.
Overall, great option if you’re in the area.

Visited Bar Forza this evening to use a groupon and we will DEFINITELY be returning soon! From the moment we arrived, our experience was made more delightful by the Aussie bartender/​server/​owner (I assume). He was helpful and attentive. The important part is the food, and Bar Forza exceeded our expectations with light and tender calamari accompanied by a spicy tomato sauce and our tasty, perfectly portioned burgers with truffle fries. We will be back to try the pizza and pastas, which sounded amazing as well. The great beer and wine list looked delicious as well. Be sure to check out this great option in Lincoln Park!

We only had cocktails and appetizers, but they were pretty good! The owner was working as the bartender that night and had great recommendations. He also brought out a few appetizers on the house because they were trying to get feedback on new recipes. The only thing I didn’t like was their bruschetta — it had way to much balsamic on it and it was served in a martini glass which was really hard to dig the tomatoes out of.

You need to consider this Bar Forza 2.0. Skip over the poor reviews written before mid-​2014.
This is now an great neighborhood bar option, with a small — but excellent — food menu. Menu is heavy Italian-​leaning, but there are a smattering of other, more traditional bar-​food options. Service is super friendly and engaged. Craft beer selection on tap is small, but well selected. Prices are very reasonable all-​around as well.

We showed up at 6:30 pm Saturday to catch the start of the Hawks game … No wait, dedicated, enthusiastic service from Randi …
From the Calamari to Nancy’s Rigatoni Balanti to my pizza Salsciccia Cipolle to 12 yr old son’s 3 sliders there no misses …
Son scarfed the calamari (no rubber here) & the sauce is the real deal … Nice pace of service; friendly, outgoing & engaging.
After way too much client Gibsons/​Alinea we wanted the real deal, authentic, genuine absent the pretense of nonsense.
We can’t wait to return.
Ask for Randi

If you’re expecting normal bar food you’re in for a real treat. You can tell everything is made from scratch and the chef knows what he’s doing. We had a few appetizers, the calamari is the best and the marinara sauce served on the side is first rate.
The pizzas are real Italian style too — outstanding.
The prices are fair. I’m gonna be a regular!

The first time I went to this place I was disappointed. I posted a review and received a response from one of the owners, Paul (an Italian Aussie). He invited me back to sample his new menu and all I can say is WOW! The chef Mario (also an owner) knows his way around a kitchen. We sampled calamari, chicken tenders, bruschetta and pizza. All the sauces were homemade, everything made from scratch with fresh, high quality ingredients. Being italian, I’m really critical of italian food but Mario’s cooking can stand up to any place in Italy. He’s truly a master in the kitchen. You have to try this place… I’m adding Bar Forza to one of my BEST places to eat and drink in Chicago!
Paul, Mario — thanks for a great experience! we’ll be back — often…

Being a regular at this bar I have grown to love this little treasure. Since st Patricks day I have been coming here and the service only gets better and better every week. They recently changed their menu and added on some amazing dishes. The owners are always helpful and the bartenders are friendly and attentive. Nothing anyone could say about this bar would change my mind because me and my friends are always taken care of when we come in. The food is amazing and there are always good drink deals. Pizza is a must for any visit, kitchen
open late and always delicious! Well worth 5 stars and more!

May I have your attention please? May I have your attention please?!
Will the real Bar Forza please stand up… I repeat… Will the real Bar Forza please stand up?
Seriously though, seems like you either have a great experience at this bar or a horrible one. My group’s experience was similar to others, a serious lack of service and general mediocrity. The bar was packed, however with only 2 servers working and one deciding she didn’t really want to work that night, we were left to fend to ourselves. Oh what, you need something? Well too bad…
The only reason this place is getting 2 stars is because I did feel bad for our waitress. She was serving way too many tables and trying to do her best.
Like I said before, will the real Bar Forza please stand up… because I really don’t want to guess what I’m going to be getting.

I hate to admit but I was really shocked to come to this review page and see that Bar Forza had 4 full stars. My experience was less than satisfactory.
My friend and I were visiting from out of town and our sort of local friend thought it would be a good idea to go out in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. We walked down the street and found Bar Forza. There didn’t seem to be many other enticing dining options and the menu looked decent so we went in. It was a little after 9pm, so a sort of late dinner for a Friday, and there were only guests at 2 tables in the restaurant. That should have been our first clue.
We got situated and ordered our drinks and dinners. We started off with a bottle of wine. By the time we got through our first glasses, the other diners had left but a couple came in and sat at the bar. After one drink, they also left, leaving us the sole patrons in the entire restaurant/​bar.
When we received our food, my friend who clearly stated she is allergic to cheese, had a dish come out that was sprinkled with Parmesan. Rule #1: Don’t serve your customers food to which they are allergic, especially after you confirmed it with them. For being the only people left in the establishment, it sure took a long time for the dish to be re-​cooked. It was white pasta and tomato sauce.
Meanwhile, while we were waiting for her dish to be prepared in a way that wouldn’t send her into anaphylactic shock, all the servers and managers were just hanging out at the back tables chatting amongst themselves and playing on their cell phones. One would think that in such a time of dire need (ie: 1 customer on a FRIDAY) maybe «desperate» measures should be taken. How about some grassroots marketing? Go outside and try to entice people to come in with a special. Unfortunately, to keep them coming back, the service will have to be up to par.
Our waitress did not seem to want to be there. She was the least attentive ever and hardly smiled. I had to stop eating my food at one point because it was spicy and I ran out of water for awhile. She was too busy chatting with her coworkers to check on our table until I finally made eye contact with her and she remembered we were there. Fortunately, for them, we didn’t cause a stink about the messed up order; we were nice as usual. However, I will surely not recommend this place to anyone until they get their act together. Highly disappointed.
One positive: The DJ. He just needs a crowd to play for!

I went to Bar Forza for some drinks and an appetizer. We ordered the truffle fries which were really good and a HUGE portion. There was one guy working since it was about 5 pm on a Sunday. I asked if he was the owner because his service was top notch and he was super friendly making sure everything was okay. He told me he wasn’t (I think he said he was the bar manager? Maybe his name was Alex?).
I had two of the martinis that I chose with the help of the bar manager. Everything looked awesome so I couldn’t decide on my own. He kept telling me if I didn’t like it I could get a different drink. I told him I knew I would like anything on the menu and that was the problem. My favorite drink had muddled blueberries in it, but I cannot remember the name of it. We also tried a special shot that he made for us that was delicious. This guy really knew his bar!
I loved the service, drinks food and ambience. I will definitely return next time I am in the Lincoln Park area! Especially to try the homemade ‘cellos. Hopefully they are like my family makes it!

Cute place. I like that I can go somewhere a little less formal for decent Italian food. It reminds me of a classy lounge. As for the food… We had the garlic bread, mussels, and white sauce pasta… The white sauce pasta wasn’t so good. Mussels were really good and I like how it had that kick of spice.
Also, they should change their menu from clip boards to leather bounded menus or maybe leather clipboard? The cheap paper and cheap clipboard doesn’t match the atmosphere at all! Would I come back? Possibly, but I can’t rage about it.

Bar Forza was definitely an interesting spot for dinner on a Thursday evening-​interesting in a good way! This would be the absolute perfect place for a girls night out-​the TVs were all playing vintage fashion shows! My fiancée was a little confused but I thought it was awesome. Also, I’m pretty sure they have a requirement that their staff all be models-​because our waitress and another that we saw could definitely be walking the runways we were watching!
I tried the White Sangria and it was very good-​and only $ 5…for Lincoln Park, I’ll take it! For dinner we started with the creamy, crispy on the outside Arancini that were served with a tomato sauce that was to die for! We split the sausage and carmelized onion pizza (Salsiccia e Cipolle) and we both wished we had a full one to ourselves! From the crust to the sauce to the toppings-​it was amazing, it all went together so well!
The service was a bit slow and they could use an update to their menu (which consists of many sheets of paper clipped to a clipboar) but overall we were totally happy with our experience there and would definitely make a return visit!