Bandera

Reviews 6

JA

Jason Dowden

Updated!!! Like I mentioned below, I rarely write reviews. I would also never have the expectation that Id get a call by the manager of the restaurant. My phone rang today at I got the pleasure of speaking with Alana about my experience. She explained the waitress we had was new. I told her we definitely did not take it personal that we didnt have a great experience because it wasnt 100% her fault and I truly believe you dont take it all out on one person. Ive updated my review to 5 stars because I know they are doing what they can to make it right! Thanks Alana and I look forward to giving Bandera another shot next time we come into Chicago. ------------ I rarely write reviews... Maybe a couple a year and its only when I feel one definitely needs to made. Im writing this one immediately after leaving. I give this place two stars because of the overall experience. Went for our anniversary. Got seated at a small booth even though tons of tables were open by the windows. It was fine. Cozy. Immediately it was freezing so I switched places with my wife so she didnt have to wear her coat inside. The lady said, without us asking, that she asked the manager to turn it down. Great! Ordered the highly recommended corn bread. Waited. Air never went off. After 20 minutes finally asked to move tables... There were still several tables open, and had been open that entire time. Waitress Nicole B was very nice and asked, but evidently there werent any seats and there was a wait so she evidently asked the manager to again turn the air down. I dont doubt she asked, but during the entire hour it only went off for maybe 7 minutes. She did offer hot tea to my wife... Nice, but doesnt fix the situation. Oh, heres our food. Never got our cornbread. I asked and the guy said he is sorry and hed get one on the house. Wonderful but bread coming after you get your main course and have already started isnt all that appealing. The tuna salad my wife got was wonderful. My prime rib was good. Crust had great flavor but the meat looked pretty butchered. I was confused getting asked how Id like my prime rib cooked and my wife getting asked how she wanted her ahi tuna cooked, but maybe thats a northern thing. At the end of the night, only an hour after starting because it was cold and I wasnt enjoying the experience, we got our check and left. Most people wont have this experience, but it was a drag. It was our last not in Chicago, it was our anniversary dinner and I was looking forward to a nice evening out... In fro, the cold.

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ST

Steve Alcorn

I love the atmosphere of this place, which is intimate and fairly dark, with spotlights aimed at the tables rather than the diners. The live jazz is just the right volume, giving the place a supper club feel. The menu is similar to Hillstone’s and Houston’s, which isn’t surprising since it’s affiliated. A couple of our favorite starters from there appear here. The spinach artichoke dip is creamy, and served with sturdy tortilla chips perfect for dipping. Also included are sour cream and a salsa with just a hint of heat. House smoked salmon is very smokey, delicate and flaky, served with crisp toast and a mayo and dill based spread. Bandera’s Caesar salad isn’t for purists, as it uses kale, and the croutons are made from a fairly sweet corn bread. Ours were heavily over-dressed, but when the waitress noticed we weren’t enjoying them she immediately had them remade with about one fifth the dressing, and they were much better. A house specialty is the enchilada, which is available with steak or a la carte. It’s a bit unusual in that it’s stuffed with squash, but is quite creamy, cheesy and satisfying. Much of the menu is given over to burgers and other sandwiches, so the price for dinner and a show can be quite reasonable. Service was super attentive without being intrusive. Waits can be long, so reserve ahead, despite the fact that their reservation system doesn’t work as well as opentable. This is definitely a great place for live jazz in a supper club atmosphere.

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JI

Jim Horton

First the positive: The location is fantastic, the view--if youre near a window--is a great view of the Mag Mile. Its clearly a very popular tourist spot, and that is what fills the seats to overcapacity and makes the waits much much longer than the "reservation" you thought you had. This also what makes the ambiance a little crowded and noisy, but during the holidays, that seems to be the norm everywhere so its more of an observation than a criticism. The food is ok--not top shelf, but above that of a typical higher-end chain restaurant. That said, neither myself, my wife, nor I would guess most of the guests, were there solely for the food. If youre shopping on the Mag Mile, this is the place to go. Weve been several times, so that says something positive--regardless of what may seem like negative comments above. And each time as we wait in the cramped waiting area, we always meet wonderful people and have great conversations with total strangers, and that helps make it a good experience.

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BR

Bruno

Three stars for the restaurant, one star for the music. As often in the US there is quite a fuss about little. We had a Cesars salad and chips with spinach dip as starters, which were both really good. The cheeseburger and vegetarian-burger were quite good as well, but nothing more. We ended the evening with a bill of around 110 USD (including two beer and a bottle of sparkling water). The ambience was exceptional, the live music as well. If ambience and music are taken into the math of the 110 USD than its quite a fair price. If we had to pay only for the food, it might would be way too expensive. Choose Bandera for the live Jazz music and the beautiful ambience, food is good average but not exceptional. Our waitress was very kind and attentive, although we Europeans emphasise the removal of finished plates before all on the table have finished their meals as unpolite and not adequate.

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SO

Sonal Patel

We came in with a small group of people for a nice dinner with live jazz on a Saturday night in the city. I had reservations and we were seated immediately upon arrival. The service was friendly and welcoming. We ordered a round of drinks and got straight to business on the food. We ordered the famous cornbread and the duo dip - which was "queso" and guac with tortilla chips. The queso was just a big scoop of cheese. The guac was okay, but certainly could live without. I loved the cornbread, but I really wish it came with a side of butter or something gooey to smother it with. Just personal preference. For food we ordered the filet, veggie burgers, and the BBQ combo. I think the general consensus was the food was okay, but nothing amazing or great. I had the BBQ combo and I have to say, I wasnt blown away by my food at all. Overall, great atmosphere and ambiance but average food.

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HO

Hollina U

Came here with my coworker for lunch, and thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience. Even though it’s located in such a busy, touristy area, I think Bandera is easy to overlook since it’s on the second floor, and you have to head there with the intention of eating there, rather than stumbling in. We both got the Famous French dip sandwich, because it sounded so good. And we were both right--- it was amazing! The beef was perfectly cooked to my taste, with a little bit of pink in the middle, so juicy and flavorful. You can choose cole slaw, tabbouleh or fries. I opted for the cole slaw to try to be healthy, but I tried some fries, and those were pretty darn good too! Good ambiance here with low lighting, but not too dark. The service was fast and efficient, and we were in and out of there in under 45 minutes.

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