The Bistro by the Pier

We were sat in a corner and forgotten about. We eventually left after an hour because of no service. We didn’t get to order anything.

Dump by the pier is what it should be called. It takes forever to get cold food and warm water served to you by the meanest, most incompetent wait staff in the restaurant industry. Avoid the place at all times.

NOTE THIS IS A REVIEW ON THE VALET SERVICE ONLY NOT THE RESTAURANT ITSELF
My boyfriend and I went to see a movie at the IMAX at Navy Pier last night and had a 6:30pm showtime. We are big film lovers and as such are sticklers about getting there early to get good seats and settle down and have time to go to concessions and all that. We made our reservation with Spothero at around 4pm so that we would arrive and have our car parked at 6pm. We were under the impression it was a parking garage and not a valet service we were paying for but we didn’t think it would make too much of a difference. If anything we’d spend a few extra dollars on tip. No big deal.
Well we got there about 5 mins early, the waiting zone was full and the car in front of us was waiting in the turn lane so we decided to do the same as there was no other option. I want to stress this THEY HAVE ONE SINGLE GUY RUNNING THE ENTIRE VALET SERVICE. No one to stay there and greet you while the guy is gone. No one else to take your car. Thats it. One guy. He took the car in front of us and disappeared. One car lined up behind us and a standing area spot had opened up behind them so they parked there and we were left in the turning lane. The owner (I guess, he never introduced himself to us) came out and said that the valet would be back in just a few minutes. 10 minutes later the valet shows up just as a police vehicle comes up behind us and honks its horn in an indication to get out of the turning lane. The valet signals for us to get out of the turning lane and drive around. We did, no need to upset the cops. When we had gotten around the valet had taken the car that was in line BEHIND US to park. OK. Fine. The owner comes up to us again and says the valet would be back in 3 – 4 minutes. Another car pulls up behind us. It is now 6:15pm and we have been waiting to get our parked for 20 minutes. The valet finally shows up and the guy behind us immedialtey gets out to talk to the valet. The valet STARTS TO GIVE HIM A TICKET TO TAKE HIS CAR TO GO PARK IT. My boyfriend got out of the car and explained to the valet and the other guy that we had been waiting there 20 minutes and luckily the other driver was nice enough to tell the valet to take our car first. He gives us our ticket and we run into Navy Pier just in time to catch our show (thank god for the reserved seating).
We get back 3 hours later and the valet is not there, other people are presumably waiting for their cars. He shows up in a few minutes and hands us our keys. My car is parked literally the same exact spot I left it. He left it in the standing zone the whole night. I can get over this fact. But to be honest I did not think that he deserved any tip (I’m usually very generous with tip, I’ve worked as a server before and know how important tipping is to anyone in the service industry) and just walked into my car and drove off. I think that the restaurant is very much to blame as they understaffed their valet service. Honestly the worst parking experience I’ve ever had. I’d rather walk 20 minutes in the cold from my car or pay the extra $ 5-​$ 10 at the Navy Pier parking garage than use this valet service again.

Okay, where should I begin… STAY AWAY!!! I was really disappointed in this place. The décor looks decent but everything else about this place fails horribly.
1.) Rude owner, lacks restaurant owning experience and people skills. It’s okay to tell a fib or 2 to show up your establishment but don’t insult my intelligence with flat out lies sir… such as…
2.) The food — Atrocious! How could you possibly serve leftovers on a Friday evening at 6:30pm?!? This is prime restaurant time. You need your best chef/​cook on the line. I’ve worked in a kitchen, Mr Owner. And what you served up that day were re-​heated, and regurgitated lies! Disgusting food that took a ridiculous amount of time to get to the table.
3.) Music/​Ambience — what a waste. My friends and I came for a Friday Night live smooth jazz session with a $ 10 cover charge per person. Scheduled: 7pm. Band Arrives: 6:45-ish. Where’s the band… at the bar drinking, that’s where. It wasn’t until my party complained that the Promoter (not restaurant owner) refused to refund our cover charge and had the band come to the stage. Time: 8:30pm. We left without a refund or an apology from management.
4.) Bathroom — no soap?! How can you possibly have a restroom with a sign that clearly states that employees must wash hands before returning to work and NOT HAVE HAND SOAP… again, on a Friday Evening, replenish the restrooms! What a complete joke!
5.) Wait Staff — the education system has failed our young. I had a male waiter that tried his best, but clearly he isn’t suited for this line of work. I was forced to ration off my one half-​filled glass of water as the waiter only makes one pass for refills a night. Be ready or be forgotten! The waiter did make a decent cocktail, and for that I gave him a standard 15% tip (which is the lowest I’ve ever given to wait staff).
It hurts my heart to see a black-​owned business fail, but The Bistro on the Pier YOU MUST DO BETTER. Or let someone else take over the business. Your food is horrible, the promotions are horrible. You, Sir, have failed in the restaurant business. I hope you never insult another patron with such trash.

Ummm, what can I say about this place. When we arrived around 6pm, the place was totally empty. We chose a booth as we were expecting 3 additional friends. We were immediately asked to give up our table because it, as well as all the other booths, were reserved. I was impressed that he expected a full house and appreciated the fact that reservations were required. Note for next time.
We were asked to sit on a long bench with small tables which looked like smoking tables. Even when the waiter suggested that we put a few tables together, the owner insisted that we sit on the bench. For the record, that arrangement was NOT conducive to a group of 5 people talking to each other.
Looking at the menu, one can readily see a «Cajun» flair to the offerings, in addition to several dessert options. The owner bragged about how good the food was. I asked if the jerk chicken came with a side, and the answer was no. I’ve never had a plate of jerk chicken without so much as even a dinner roll. But OK. I chose the jerk chicken, but asked if I could have only white meat. The waiter went to ask and assured me that I could have white meat only for an additional charge. Fine… I just don’t like dark meat. I also asked for peach cobbler. The waiter said the peach cobbler wasn’t ready as they were making a fresh batch for the evening. Time…6pm. I also asked how the green beans were prepared, and my friend assured me that at upscale places such as this, they don’t use canned green beans. The waiter affirmed that the green beans were not canned, but fresh.
20 minutes later, my friend’s food arrived, and about 5 minutes later, my plate arrived. We were not able to begin our meals together. Imagine my disappointment when I had a saucer full of canned, shriveled up green beans which had very little flavor. The jerk chicken was ok, but half of it was dark meat. I didn’t complain.
I inquired several times about the peach cobbler, thinking maybe that the waiter had forgotten. He assured me that it was being prepared fresh. Two of my friends also ordered peach cobbler at that time.
The band arrived and began to set up and did a sound check, which wasn’t really necessary as they were only using one microphone. It was irritating to hear the promoter repeat, «Check one, Check one,» for 20 minutes while my friends and I tried to engage in conversation, leaning over one another to hear each other on this bench.
Fortunately, our topic of conversation was interesting as we were able to ignore everything else going on in the venue. Unfortunately, as 8:00pm approached, there was still no band, and still no peach cobbler. By now the place was only half full, and only one of the reserved booths was occupied.
Finally at 8:15 or 8:20 my peach cobbler a la mode arrived. It was just above room temperature. I’m sorry, but freshly made peach cobbler is supposed to burn the skin off the roof of my mouth. When I asked where my friends’ peach cobbler was, the waiter said it was being made… fresh. He admitted that mine was left overs.
I was too done by this time. I asked to speak to the owner, because we were all getting weary from the poor service, and from looking at a stage with instruments that weren’t being played. I told the owner that we were tired of waiting and wanted to leave, and since we weren’t staying for the performance, we would like our $ 10 back. The owner said he has nothing to do with that, and said he would get the promoter.
The promoter, came to us and said, «We normally start around 8:30,» even though the invitation said 7pm and the board outside said 8pm. He then walked onto the stage and introduced the band as they all made their way to the stage and began playing. I wonder how long they would have waited had we not intervened. We ended up leaving without hearing the band, and without receiving a refund.
FYI the name of the band is Reggie Foster Jr. I imagine they eventually played, but we have to do better. Start on time! Provide what you are advertising. If we continue to allow people to start late and provide mediocre service, they will never feel obligated to start on time and provide excellent service!
Mr. Owner… you have EVERYTHING to do with someone you have in your establishment to provide entertainment, provide drinks, provide food! You are the one who has to take the hit when things don’t go right. You can’t pass the buck to the promoter when they are late. You can’t pass the buck to the chef when the food is bad. YOU are the owner, and ultimately YOU are responsible.
I would not attend this venue again, nor would I ever go try to hear this band or any event arranged by this promoter.

I went to this place with a group of friends. I ordered the cajun chicken Alfredo with penne pasta which was just ok. Service was slow, and my order of peach cobbler took so long I cancelled the order. I’ve never had to wait 20 minutes for a desert that should have already been prepared since my friend has just ordered it. We heard about a smooth jazz performance that would be taking place which is what got us there in the first place. We had to pay a $ 10 cover for a show that started an hour and a half late. When we wanted to leave and get our money back the manager informed us that that there was a third party promoter involved. The band only started playing after we had just said we wanted refunds and the promoter was quite rude. I would not recommend this place to anyone, in fact, I wish it would just go away.
Frankly drinks were good, but the food is mediocre and overpriced, this place seems to focus more on large portions than training their staff and providing a good customer experience. I will not be returning.

Awkward. That’s my one word summary. But now the details: bought a living social deal for $ 40 worth of food. Came in at 7:30 on a Saturday and there was only 1 other table. After ordering 2 entrees and 2 drinks we were told we cannot use our deal bc we only spent $ 39 and not $ 40. I’ve never experienced this before and I buy a lot of groupons/​ls deals. So we ordered another beer and spoke w the manager who assured us that he was just following the owners directions about the $ 40 minimum. He brought us a complimentary drink which was nice, but come on. Then our waitress hovered over us while we signed the bill under the guise of making sure we left her the right receipt (?), watching us leave the tip. I think they’ll be closed by the end of summer… choose somewhere else!

This place is actually kinda cute and could be a potential for a small party. However the food was terrible! The shrimp of the shrimp po boy were less than fresh and the drinks were super weak. And the icing on the cake as it were was an overly sweet, biscuit dough covered peach cobbler. I put it down after 1 bite. When I expressed my discontentment the server offered 10%. I should’ve fought it a little harder but I guess if I did the entire meal would’ve been on the house!

Generous portions. Delicious food. Reasonable prices. Love this new dining option near Navy Pier!

Jack
Glad to have this bistro in the neighborhood. Under new mgmt so Groupon diners should try it again. We had good wine and dinner. Wife had crab cakes and fried green tomatoes and I had pulled chicken pasta which was very tasty. Prices are moderate which is hard to find in this area. There’s entertainment We’d, Fri, & Sat.

Partner and I were introduced to this boit by Groupon. The space is small and nicely appointed. We greeted by a friendly hostess and shown to our table by our server, who was equally friendly. The menu isn’t exactly extensive but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It did seem a tad shellfish centric which is a problem for me. There was a respectable selection of wines by the glass. We each ordered the spicy chicken alfredo with penne and I added a side of grilled asparagus. The chicken was indeed spicy. The dish was heavily seasoned with garlic and the parm was strong. The asparagus was grilled perfectly albeit a tad salty for my taste. We finished with the peach cobbler a la mode. Partner enjoyed it slightly more than I.
While we probably won’t be gong out of our way to return, we wouldn’t hesitate to visit again if we’re doing touristy stuff at Navy Pier.

I held an event here & all guest enjoyed their meals. Staff very friendly & accommodating. Looking forward to returning

I really liked this place! Had a little trouble finding parking at first… It’s a small, intimate restaurant right next to a sometimes hectic Navy Pier– it was nice to get away from all the hustle and bustle temporarily! The penne alfredo was delicious and our waitress was such a sweetheart. Definitely a great experience at the Bistro!

The owner was pretty much a jerk. I went with my girl for an event at which he carded no one else in the building but her. She should have had an ID and that’s not my gripe. It was the way that he spoke to us, (Our other friends waltzed right in) It would have understood if he hadn’t lied about it being the policy for everyone. Both of us are 25 and neither of us drink. In either case I’m just doing my job to pay people with the respect that they pay us. Judging from the other reviews it looks like we may have been saved from an even worse experience.

Went to a open mic event here. The location is great. The night I went we were able to find street parking, which was a plus. The weather was perfect for a night out near the lakefront. The restaurant looks very modern. That’s all the positive things I have to say about this joint. The food was just ok, nothing great at all. The service was slow, i think they only had one waitress. The drinks tasted watered down. If I didn’t have the great company that I did, me by myself I definitely would have left.

Horrible food and service. DO NOT BUY THE GROUPON!!!
Would not honor our groupon stating it would not be honored during events-​this was not listed in the groupon. We ordered two jerk chicken plates. It was a burnt plate of chicken bones that we waited over and hour for. Terrible customer service. «Service with an attitude.» describes this place. Do yourself a favor and eat ON the pier, not by the pier.

The Bistro is one of my new favorite Summertime spots. They have an awesome selection of craft beers which I love to try after a long day at work, but my favorite is their $ 25 Bottomless Mimosa Brunch which takes place every Saturday. The location by Navy is prime and the $ 12 valet parking makes the deal that much sweeter. Definitely make this a spot to hit up anytime of the day to unwind and have a good time.

Last week my husband and I were in Chicago visiting family (we’re from Massachusetts) and we decided to drive downtown to enjoy the great restaurants the city has to offer. We drove pass this restaurant and decided to try it out. I have to say the restaurant is small but romantic. Our food was delicious and even though the prices weren’t on the menu, which can be scary, our bill was very reasonable. I would advise couples celebrating a special occasion without the children to come here for a romantic dinner. I would definitely be returning to this restaurant on my next visit.

Absolutely horrible restaurant. The female manager was completely rude, and would not bring our table water. I will be contacting the owner about this horrible establishment. I have never experienced such blatant disrespect at a restaurant before. Please beware and do not waste your money or time here. This place won’t be around long.

Unfortunately I should have known that the lunch would be mediocre at best by the fact that the server did not know what I mean by draft beer («you mean bear from a gun?»)
Next – did not know what beer was available, and without a menu, did not have a description or complete list
The Bistro proclaims a bit of New Orleans in Chicago – boy, their Grand momma would not be happy with the gumbo– sparse liquid, too much rice, and to forward with the hot sauce. The only taste was hot sauce, without any complexity, despite a dark roux look…
OMG Burger was cooked OK (medium well was a little pink), but dripped oil and made bun soggy by the time it reached the table. The meat was under seasoned and there was very little taste of pesto until I had a little bit of remaining bun
Got out of dodge before desert
Sorry to see that the location will be a death sentence again, this time, not helped by the lackluster food.