Fuel Kitchen & Cocktail Lounge

Only ate at Fuel once. It was okay. Another trendy place in WP. It’s closed now though. Oh well. With so many places in Wicker Park, no big deal.

I came here for a birthday party, so this should be for the date of August 8, 2009. I know they are closed right now since they are restructuring their kitchen. We were outdoors for a bit sitting and hanging out before we had to move inside. There wasn’t much dancing going on, but it’s a pretty modern trendy dining slash night spot. The music was okay, but it seemed slightly understaffed. It felt like it took me ten to 15 minutes just to close my tab, and I when you are ready to end the night you just want to go home and not have to prolong that. The drinks were okay, and I think that the glasses just seemed smaller to me.

For shame, Fuel. The concept was cool but the execution was poor. The staff was indifferent and the drinks were average yet pricey for what you got. The food was mediocre.
I’m surprised to a point when restaurants go out of business. There are so many ways to get feedback (website, comment cards, Unilocal) and make improvements. BUT…
As a former restaurant manager, I understand that management and staff can be are overworked and just can’t find or use the information available to make improvements. I blame shitty owners.
Also, the food and service at FUEL was obviously sub-​par so managers and owners should have know without any research.

I’ve been twice. We went on a sunny sunday afternoon and had a few Coronas on the patio, it was quite relaxing and a good people watching spot. I went again this weekend for a late night drop-​by. The late night wasn’t as great to me, but still an ok place. (Choose Fuel over Edge, which is across the street) Edge sucks, but I’ll save that mess for another review…
Goods: décor, patio, not over-​crowded
Bads: drink prices ($ 8 for a small smirnoff & tonic), a bit loud
The place is fine, I wouldn’t go out of my way to steer or deter you from going there.
I’ll probably go back for a lunch or early dinner and try some of the coffee offerings.

I think this place has an identity crisis, as I am not sure if it is a lounge, club, or sportsbar. Nonetheless, I like the design; lots of shiny metal and some colored lights make for a modern, warehouse-​esque feel.
I come here during the day for coffee and free wifi. They have a nice patio, and the servers are friendly. There’s an espresso bar, but unfortunately the bartendar did not know how to make an iced latte. I ended up with a watery beverage as the ice cubes melted in my steamed milk. My hazelnut soy latte came out to 5 bucks! I didn’t really try the food as everything seemed a bit pricey.

Veggie wrap was great, as far as veggie wraps go, it had a cucumbery sauce in it, and the pizza from the next table over looked and smelled amazing too. We also had guac, very fresh and had a bit of spice but not too much (I’m very picky about too much spice).
My only complaint was that there was a spider on my french fry! Or maybe he made his way onto a few, hard to say. Good thing I was almost done eating and that my friend noticed before I ate it. We were outside, so I guess this is «nature» coming back at me – and maybe trying to tell me to lay off the fries? Cruel!

Meh. I’m a dive bar kind of guy, so this really doesn’t fit my personality.
Also, the DJ spinning the generic techno in the corner was pretty annoying.

Soon as I walked inside this place I said that I want to throw a party at Fuel. The look of the bar is just so damn sweet.
But the place is empty on a Saturday night. Saturday freakin night!!! The $ 12 mojitos are not worth the price. I had a Cosmojito and it tasted like some ‘Tussin with a few pieces of mint leaves and maybe some grass from my lawn thrown in. The chicken quesadillas were mediocre at best. The waitress seemed nervous, or maybe a little coked out. Better than average, THIS PLACE? Um, no way.

Division street has become a beacon for «all things trendy» so when Fuel popped up I wasn’t sure if it was going to be some run-​of-​the-​mill, Euro trash lounge (I mean the name Fuel screams Affliction and Ed Hardy. not my exact style.) So I decided to check it out and enjoy some outdoor drinking, and i’m glad I did!
To my surprise it is a really cool spot to eat and drink with friends and co-​workers. I’ve been to Fuel for Coffee, Brunch, Dinner and late-​night and I can say that I’ve never had a problem with service or taste. Their coffee and fruit smooties are amazing, lunch is standard yet good (great chicken wrap) and their late-​night Pizza is the jam.
I would give them 5 stars but the view of the sweaty gym is a little distracting while I’m guiltlessly stuffing my face with pizza :)

Oh fuel poor fuel… I do not think you are long for this world. I went with a group of friends last week and while I at first thought to chalk up our experience to an off night, I looked at the other reviews on here and realized that it was just one of their typical nights. Service? While our server was very sweet she was MIA most of the time. Is it a bar? Why such a small beer selection? The food? Mediocre at best. I thought I would be safe with a burger. I debated ordering it medium rare thinking that if I wanted it medium it would be a safe bet to order it that way. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and ordered it medium. Guess how it came out? You got it… WELL DONE.
The food came out in batches and by the time the last person got their food, I was done. There were eight of us… so don’t think I just wolfed down my dinner. Other people in my group also had problems with their food. The manager did come over and offer us a discount on our bill which was very nice of him but truthfully, I would rather pay full price and have it done right then to get a discount and have it wrong.
It’s really a shame that this place doesn’t have it together. The outdoor seating looked great and I would have loved to perch myself there this summer.

Yes, it’s a trendy space.
Yes, they serve lattes in ceramic mugs and feature real fruit smoothies.
What’s so terrible about that? Some say Fuel Kitchen has an identity crisis. I say it’s simply a very European concept to serve food, espresso drinks, and smoothies in a minimalist space with downtempo electronic (read: NOT hard techno) music.
I’ve been here on two different occasions now, and I can say that I’ve had terrific service from both servers and bussers… warm greetings from management, and maybe best of all– they allow me to linger during lunchtime while I use their free Wi-​Fi. Today, I met business associates here and we were able to comfortably work from a huge booth. There’s also a patio for with ample seating should you crave some Wicker Park people watching.
I’ve had the hummus platter (generous serving of chunky, semi-​spicy hummus and tons of pita) as well as the grilled chicken wrap with delicious yogurt-​cucumber dressing. Pizzas look fantastic too!
I’ll be sure to update once I check out the nighttime scene.

I can most definitely see fun times ensuing here.
I went on a Tuesday with a friend and enjoyed some veggie pizza. It was excellent and very garlicky (which is a good thing in my book). for being the beginning of the week it was fairly busy. But the service was still very good.
There was a live DJ and near the end of the night it turned into a dance party.
I’ll have to go back with the girls for drinks and dancing!

Seeing how I was half-​crocked by the time I arrived, I don’t know that my review will be overly objective, but I’ll do my best from what I can remember.
Met my girlfriends here for dinner on Friday night around 7:30. It didn’t seem too busy (again, I was already tipsy) and we got a great seat by the window. Service definitely seemed a bit indifferent and slow. As for the food, I’d say typical bar food. We shared the mushroom bruschetta, but it was SO garlicy, it took me 2 days to get rid of the stank in my mouth (and I tried Altoids, multiple brushings, and mouthwash). I stole a piece of their pizza, which was pretty good, but a little dry. I had a chicken wrap, which was nothing special, but satisfied my drunken need for something in my stomach. I didn’t have any drinks, er, didn’t need any, but they seemed a bit on the $$ side.
I like the décor, but it kind of reminds me of a more modern version of Moonshine, after it turns into a club. Something about all the red lighting. Or maybe that was from my blurry vision.

Firstly, the Techno music was way too loud for a Tuesday night. If people were dancing then I’d understand, but most people were eating. We tried to have conversation but had to settle for people watching as we couldn’t hear each other. Club, restaurant? Pick one.
The service left much to be desired. The hostess right off the bat was snooty and offered the worst table in the house when there were plenty of other empty tables. Then we were constantly being approached by staff (4 total). After 2 peices of pizza down (which wasn’t that great) one of the staff asked if we wanted it boxed! ?? Felt rushed and overwhelmed by the roaming staff.
This place has nice décor, cool look, but a bad vibe from the staff and food. Fuel is a good name, cause the staff seemed gased up on themselves; maybe this is intentional? Not going back.

Well, we went back again a few weeks later, and it wasn’t quite as good. I may further revise this review if/​when we hit this place again.
The Kobe burger wasn’t nearly as good the second time around. The first time we went, it was probably in the top 5 burgers I had ever had. I basically couldn’t sleep for two weeks thinking about it. This time, it was just your average burger.
My wife’s meal was overcooked. We hadn’t complained about it (yet), and the waitress came over and apologized for it being screwed up, and told us she wouldn’t charge us for it. That was certainly appreciated, but why not just have the kitchen re-​do it before bringing it out to begin with? Very odd.
Service was otherwise very good.

Fuel to me was like a bad e-​harmony date. What you thought it was going to be was not what it was. And that would have been okay if you hadn’t been led to believe it was something else. Or if any of the contextual clues you got from e-​harmony man’s profile were actually cohesive with what came of the Mr. Date’s mouth.
So confusing, Fuel! What are you trying to be? We asked for a drink list and were given something with bottle service prices. Okay so this is going to be one of THOSE places. Got it. Wait, but you have a huge espresso machine and smoothie/​juicer machine that take up most of the space on one counter. So you’re THAT type of place? And what’s with the wood paneling? My friend asked for a shot of tequila served neat (one of those weird OCD requests to prevent sticky hands), and it came in a shot glass. So we had to clarify –yanno, neat? In a rocks glass?
I don’t know, it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t get to try the food, so I can’t comment on that, but I feel like this place is still figuring out what it wants. Come on Fuel, don’t be a commitment-​phobe. Figure out your issues so I can be around you more.

This place has appeared crowded every time I’ve walked by in the last few weeks. But why…
My friend ordered the Peachy Margarita, supposed to come with fresh peach slices. Absent. We asked for 3 apps, they brought 2 and forgot the ‘made-​to-​order guacamole.’ As it was, I wish it had stayed forgotten. After my friend reminded them, we were corrected by two servers that though the menu states ‘made-​to-​order,’ it is actually pre-​made. Made-​to-​order by Jewel, apparently. After assuring us the guac was actually excellent, they then brought it out on a large plate filled with Tostitos. Yes, I know a Tostito when I taste one. I know they’re ‘restaurant-​style’ but c’mon.
Tried the bruschetta, not much better. Expected more since the food took a while to come out at all. Should have saved my money and hit up the snack aisle at Jewel, would have been more fulfilling.
Only positives were that they have an extensive smoothie menu which looked interesting, and they played some Hot Chip tunes during our meal. Too bad no hot plates.

Fuel confused me from the start.
I went last weekend under that impression it was a sports bar. (I know, I know with that name I should have known better.)
Unilocal told me that it’s supposed to be a lounge, but I didn’t notice an area to participate in any lounging activities. Instead we awkwardly crowed around the bar.
So I guess it’s a restaurant, but for some reason I felt strange about actually ordering food. I could have been b/​c modern white plastic décor tends to make me uneasy. Oh and I totally couldn’t figure out the crowd — trendy? Maybe.
Fuel probably turns into a club late night, but I only stayed for a cocktail and an appetizer. The «slightly dirty» gin martini was a salty mess, and on the expensive side.
.
The mushroom Bruschetta was ok, but I lost my appetite after glancing out the window and seeing that Fuel is next store that strange gym with the foggy windows. That really is gross… my gym has windows too, but somehow doesn’t have that problem.

Ok, this place has a lot going for it — great service, décor, value on good food, a real fun place!
My only concern was the ventilation. There was a heavy grease odor all evening that was very uncomfortable. Seems, as the ventilation system can’t keep up to the amount of deep-​frying they do at Fuel.
Fix that and it will be a hit!

Fuel has just opened on Division Street, and though they’ve got some kinks to work out, I was pleasantly surprised with the service and quality of food.
This place took over a previous coffee shop but they totally revamped it. My roommate kindly pointed out that it’s redone to look like an old time gas station (ahem, where the name Fuel comes from!).
The walls are dark wood, the tables a fun red paired with silver chairs. There are booths surrounding the perameter of the windows and plenty of seats at the bars. They have plenty of TV’s as well.
The menu is fairly limited and doesn’t have the most extensive descriptions for items (i.e. just says caesar salad with no enticing write-​up, but I suppose, a caesar salad is pretty self-​descript!). They have salads, wraps, burgers and a large pizza list. Naturally, I went with the za. I have to say, the pizza was dang good (the crust is awesome) and was easily split between two of us.
They serve wine, liquor and beer — but no drafts. Just bottles, and again, a pretty limited beer list (I believe Miller Light is there only light beer?).
Atmosphere was enjoyable and music was not too loud. Our server was super attentive and nice. If I was a betting woman, I’d say they will also have outdoor seating come summer right on Division Street — and probably be the hottest ticket in town!