Wilde Bar & Restaurant: User Reviews

Great Lakeview Restaurant
By ChiDavid from Lakeview, September 7, 2009

Overall rating:

Everything I've had at Wilde has been delicious. My favorites are the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (truly the best I've ever had!) and the macaroni and cheese with all those extra ingredients. The restaurant decor and the outdoor seating in the summer are extra perks!

Service? What is that?
By jaredmhatch from Gold Coast, May 19, 2009

Overall rating:

Been here a bunch (20 or so) and the service needs to improve. 15% is barely justified. But they are open later and they have a lot of choices.

Calm Down
By Andyville from Andersonville, January 1, 2009

Overall rating:

Have been there twice. Food is great, interior is great, and service was pretty good. Some of the people that have posted need to calm down.

A Cozy Gathering Place
By Chuck Gullett from South Loop, December 10, 2008

Overall rating:

Delicious food, delightful atmosphere, and cozy gathering places around each of the crackling fireplaces. I had the meatloaf and it was superb. I believe it would be the perfect place to take any couples named Brandon and Sarah. We will definitely be back.

This was my 5th visit, and something changed...
By m.eric from Edgewater, November 29, 2008

Overall rating:

I've been to Wilde 5 times now and have always been very pleased. My experience last night was FAR from pleasurable.

Let me start by saying I have worked in the restaurant industry, both in the hosting and serving capacities. The night started off okay, I went with my boyfriend and one of our friends. We waited upwards of 10 minutes for our beers to be delivered. After ordering, I had finished my beer and the waitress left an empty glass for 15 minutes.

As we were eating, I kept hearing this awkward noise echoing throughout the restaurant every minute or so. After noticing the two hosts chomping away on pieces of gum, I realized they were having some sort of competition to see who could smack their gum the loudest. In my humble opinion, a host is the face of your restaurant... the first thing you see when you walk in, and the last thing you see when you leave. Not to mention the fact that we waited a long time between each stage of our meal from drinks to dinner to getting the check and even having the bill delivered to be signed, we were left with quite a bad taste in our mouths. The food was amazing, as usual, but the service as a whole did not impress at all. To top it all off, as we were leaving, not even so much as a friendly nod from the hosts.

I likely will not be back for a while-- I want to give them a chance to clean up their act a bit before I try it again.

Don't Bother!
By Rissa from East Lakeview, August 31, 2008

Overall rating:

If I could give this no stars I would! I live less than a block from here; I saw the reviews but this place is always busy so we gave it a shot - what a waste! The food and drinks were good, one we got them. The service could not have been worse (and the place was by no means packed), and when my friends were finished eating and my food hadn't even arrived yet, the manager got defensive and snippy with me! My meal was comped in the end, but without an apology from the staff. The staff was rude and unapologetic, was it was is no way worth any money - even if there is no where else around open, don't bother here!

Great for Brunch
By kerry from lakeview, August 23, 2008

Overall rating:

Some of the previous reviews seem a bit dramatic... I just ate brunch here and enjoyed it. There are not that many alternatives in the area, but I would still pick this one. It is light and airy and fun in the summer. They have a great drink and food menu. Sat at the bar, so the bartendar was busy with prepping, but he was still attentive to me. I did see some lingering wait staff, but I am not sure what that means... Overall, I will definitely be back here for brunch, and I would recommend it to others. Even families, it was very family friendly.

Utterly Forgettable Food
By uptownchicago from Uptown, August 22, 2008

Overall rating:

I was very excited to try Wilde, given all of the neighborhood buzz and the long, LONG lines at the door even a month after it first opened. Not to mention I'm a big fan of Oscar Wilde's quotable quotes. The good news? The decor is amazing, and I love the library area around the fireplace. They obviously spent their entire budget on the interior with little left over for menu design and staff training. The bad news? I won't be going back unless they have a total revamp of the menu. I ordered Fish & Chips, which one would think should be pretty good at a so-called Irish pub/restaurant. Bland and boring are the only ways to describe them. Everyone in our party felt the same way about their food, unfortunately. The bottom line is, it's like a super-model. Very pretty to look at on the surface, but no depth or substance when you look closer. I recommend you go elsewhere if you're actually hungry.

Service terrible, food delicious
By Cunn Guzzler from Semenville, July 28, 2008

Overall rating:

Went there on a Sunday night. Not crowded. Loud. Waiter didn't show up for 10 minutes after I was seated. Took drink order and was about to turn away when I said I was ready to order my food too. Got the Wilde Burger. Delicious! But took a long time. Waiter never stopped by after delivering burger to ask how it was, or to offer a refill. Rather, I had to flag him down and ask for a refill. Not sure why he was so slow, it wasn't busy. Burger was good but wouldn't go back if I'm going to be disrespected. Sounds like others on here feel the same way.

Amazing space - not so amazing service!
By IllinisGuy from Lakeview, July 10, 2008

Overall rating:

Although they had a lot of staff, and tables were not full our service was horrible. Food was okay, but kind of high for what you get. A nice addition to the hood but will not be running back anytime soon.