Brownstone Tavern & Grill: User Reviews

ehh
By munozk19727 from Irving Park / Avondale, May 21, 2009

Overall rating:

Ate at the patio last night, the service inside was great, waitress was attentive and friendly
Different story when we got a patio table- the waitress was rushed even though there were only a few other tables outsides she was serving- we ordered our food, she did not write the order down and thirty minutes later, for a salad and an appetizer,we got our food and it was made wrong. We didn't say anything and ate it since it took so long in the first place, then the beer i had ordered never came so i canceled it after we finished our meal. I let her know the beer never came and that our food had not been made the way we ordered it, she blamed it on the kitchen being backed up. She took the appetizer off of our bill but charged me for the beer that never came, i brought that to her attention and she took it off. We asked for the bill to be split in half, and it wasn't. All in all a pretty disappointing experience at Brownstone.

Good bar food. Fun sports atmosphere
By RoseyP from Lakeview/ Wrigleyville, May 18, 2009

Overall rating:

Although I wasn't sure if we were supposed to seat ourselves since it is bar/ restaurant overall a good sunday lunch. The bloody mary's are amazing. The wait staff was nice but service was a little slow. If your not in a rush a great place to eat good food and watch the games. Decor is nice, ambiance is fun but when the games start it does get a little loud.

Great Food, Too Loud
By Schmitty from North Center, April 3, 2008

Overall rating:

I live a stone's throw from the Brownstone, have visited 5 or 6 times. Every food item I've had has been a good choice. Their food is more interesting and appealing than your average bar food - good variety. Try the southwest wrap! The daily food specials help w/ the above average prices.
Last night the bouncer put our name on a list to be seated, which my husband and I found to be an added bonus not offered at most bars. First come first serve is the way to go. There's nothing worse than hovering like vultures over other diners competing for a table. The bouncer was helpful and efficient, we got drinks at the bar and were seated no more than 10 minutes later.
I agree with a previous review - why is the music so loud?! This bar is good enough to attract customers without having to lure them in from the street. You're burning out the ear drums of the customers!! I'll keep coming, but please turn it down.

Something is off
By hilighter from Roscoe Village, February 18, 2008

Overall rating:

I've been there several times, from brunch to dinner, small groups or large, and until Saturday, I was a fan of the decent bar food and beer selection. However, something has changed. I don't know if there is new management, or if it's just a new attitude, but from the time we walked in the door, we were treated rudely, or ignored altogether. When asked how long it would take to seat a party of six, I was told "when three tables leave", no estimate, nothing. We waited for 15 minutes to get waited on at the bar, and ended up leaving, resigned to never return.

The place...
By Gocubsgo from lakeview, January 30, 2008

Overall rating:

is painfully lame. Lame staff. Lame music. I think they are trying to make an obvious restaurant into a bar/club at night. The service is below average at best. I'm not quite sure I would feed the food from Brownstone to my dog. Other then that i'll be back.

horrible service and attitude to boot
By realtyc from lincoln square, January 26, 2008

Overall rating:

I have considered myself a regular for some time, but my last visit has completely soured me on the stone. After being ignored for 30 min by our server, we had to go up to the bar and ask for a menu. The place was half empty at the time. no excuse. Later the manager asked if we were watching the TV at our table, to which we replied yes. 10 min later he shut the TV off anyway. When we asked our server what the deal was she was arguing with us as to why it was a big deal. What the hell ? After waitng some 25 min for our check, while the server was talking with friends at the bar, we received more attitude when we were asked if there was a problem with the service. We repliedd yes and gave our reasons. Our server then was arguing with us yet again. At this point I bluntly told her we felt her tip was commensurate with the level of servcice we were provided. Again she argued, to which we told her then she needed to thank herself and her manager for her tip and walked out.

Great local place!
By deebles9999 from Roscoe Village, January 18, 2008

Overall rating:

We tried Brownstone on a Friday evening after work and we were pleasantly surprised with the food and the service. The meals were delicious and the watermelon martinis (on special) went down very smoothly! I had a grilled cheese that was very good and my husband had fish tacos that were delicious. Try the hot cookie dessert with ice cream -- I dream about it! Our waitress was very friendly and even though it started to get busy, she did not try to rush us out. Definitely worth a visit!

Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere
By jacob garringer from andersonville, November 9, 2007

Overall rating:

Let me start off by saying that I am new to the city. There, I said it. I know very little about the club or bar scene because I'm not from around here. Sure I've heard of places like the Cubby Bear from cub games or Excaliber from Dennis Rodman days, but I want in on Chicago native's little cool hang outs. Well, I finally found one. It's called the Brownstone. This place is what I wanted from a Chicago bar, something I couldn't explain to a country bumpkin like myself. It's cool, laidback, and most of all, accepting. I went in there and was greeted with a smile by a doorman! Can you believe that? A doorman that actually wants a patron. That was a good sign right off the bat, but then he asks me if I need a table. I said sure and he leads me to a table, gives me a menu and the waitress is basically right there asking what I want drink. The bars where I'm from and the other bars I've been to in Chicago have never treated me that way. I was sold on this place after all this. Then I look at the menu, order some food, and watch some games on the tv's. My food comes out, and I'm not kidding, it tasted fantastic. It was a Seared Tuna Club with Tots. Seared Tuna at a bar? And then tots? I haven't had tater tots since I was a kid so it was nostalgic but I couldn't believe it. Anyways, I just had to spread the word on a cool little bar for all you newbies to Chicago. It has become the place I go when friends from home come to the "big city" and want to see what it's like. And they go home jealous!

Wrap it Up!
By bjp from Lakeview/NorthCenter, November 8, 2007

Overall rating:

I could inhale Brownstone's steak wrap and tater tots in 30 seconds, but people might look at me like a weirdo. I love the food here, but why is it so loud? Hurts a old man's ears for sure.

Brownstone!
By Jellyfish from Lincoln Park, October 24, 2007

Overall rating:

I moved to the area about three weeks ago. I pounded the pavement in search of a bar close to home that I would like and I stumbled into the Brownstone. Good food, nice TV setup and cool music. Every time I've been there the staff is friendly and the service is good (some of the servers are HOT!).
I wouldn't recommend the Texas Queso though, not a big fan. But everything else has been awesome.