Avec: User Reviews
Avec
615 W. Randolph St. - Chicago312-377-2002
Avec is my favorite restuarant in Chicago and I have been to many. The food is amazing. The dates are a must have. The wait is well worth it. We were able to put our name on the list and go next door and have drinks. They called us about an hour and a half later and we were able to take our drinks in to the restaurant. Avec is definitely a restaurant I will continue to go to!
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
An extrovert’s dream, an introvert’s nightmare...
By Comensal from Oak Park, March 22, 2009
- Overall rating:
Avec reminds me of Blackbird redecorated using packing crates. Very hip. Very good food. Very crowded (communal tables are not my thing). Very NOISY! An extrovert’s dream, an introvert’s nightmare. We enjoyed all the food: the stuffed dates, the Avec salad, the flatbread, the yummy cherry polenta cake. The wine was fine, the cappuccino just right. Our server was cordial and helpful. Alas, the food did not outweigh the crowding and the noise for me -- I’m glad I tried Avec, but probably won’t be back...
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
I didn't understand this place. Waitress couldn't bother to explain the menu then came back and said we ordered too much. At least she told us, but how would anyone know when the waitress doesn't offer suggestions and the menu leaves much to be desired?
Food was unimpressive with no outstanding flavor combinations or any dish that made me say "I have to come back." I had the pork, but it had no real flavor. It's selling point was slow-roasted and very tender, but if it has no flavor who cares? I can get a pulled pork sandwich that will be tender and much more flavorful for half the price. The hanger steak also left much to be desired. The dates were just OK. I plan to never eat one again so it definitely wasn't memorable.
For the portions, it's reasonably priced, but if you don't take leftovers home does it matter? For such an unimpressive meal, we were at least thankful we didn't waste a ton of money. That's the one positive.
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
... not for the table, but for the right night to go. I don't have the patience to wait 1-2hrs for a table, so decided to try (at long last) on a post-holiday slow weekend. Got there at 7 and the two of us only waited about 15 mins before being seated at the bar. With the exception of the jacka*& that decided to make the bathroom his personal cell phone conference room (not Avec's fault), the experience was without flaw. The waitstaff was prompt, polite and engaging, each dish was delicious, and we didn't feel rushed at all, despite the line behind us. I wouldn't go there for a romantic date - too busy. And for those like me who want to be seated in a reasonable amount of time: I wouldn't go there on a typical Thur-Sat. And I wouldn't go there with a more than three others...
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
As stated in previous reviews, if you are looking for a group outing on a weekend night, Avec should NOT be your choice. I scheduled a dinner for a group of six on a Friday night, with a meeting time at 8:30. Yes, I knew we were going to wait a long time, so I got there at 7:30, because I am nice (or a sucker), and looked to get us some decent placement on the list. I asked the hostess how long it should take, and did not get a straight answer. I then asked if it would be around an hour, and she said that it should be close to that, maybe a little longer. I felt like that was acceptable, and went over to Blackbird for some cocktails. At 8:30, I called the hostess to check on the table, and was told that it would not be too much longer, as a larger group was on their last course and about to have dessert. Still, OK- Avec on a Friday night, we were all having a great time at the bar, my friends understood. However, once it hit 10pm, we began to get a bit antsy. At this point, we decided to wait at the Avec bar to help push the issue. Finally, a table opened up next to the bathroom, and we are seated. The list of priority seating is basically worthless, as they do not make room or plan for larger groups; if room for four opens up next to a group of two that is about to be finished, they don’t wait it out, they sit another party of four that may have come an hour and a half later. After all that, the actual food was hit or miss. The dates were just average, another example that anything wrapped in bacon becomes a fan favorite. The flatbread was a bit overrated. There was no depth to the pheasant sausage- just because you put a series of greens in the skillet, it doesn’t make it interesting. The pork was really good- savory and rich. The duck was simple; I would definitely order it again. All in all, go to Avec if you know someone that will get you seated, or if you are on a date. The food is interesting enough to be appealing and the atmosphere is high energy. For weekend large groups, there are just way too many other solid and dependable options.
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
No Room to Leave Attitude at the Door
By EasyGoingEpicure from Lincoln Square, November 23, 2008
- Overall rating:
Bringing a group of nine on a Friday night, I was 100% prepared to wait a Long Time for a table, and wait we did, with a good attitude and the fortification of superb cocktails at nearby Sepia. A recovered restaurant employee myself, I understand how nerve-racking it can be to deal with customers facing an interminable wait. To her credit, the hostess at Avec was very pleasant. Things came unraveled however when, two hours after putting our party on the waiting list, we headed over to stand in Avec's outer entryway. A bartender came to ask if we'd like something to drink. Having had plenty to drink at this point, we told him all we needed was our table, which was apparently the wrong thing to say to him...he proceeded to berate us, angrily informing us that it wasn't his job to know how soon we'd be seated, he was doing us a favor by offering to get us something to drink. When I checked back with the hostess after this altercation, he approached me to tell me I had no idea what kind of evening he was having. While that may be true, I am pretty sure part of his job as a service industry employee is to represent his employer in a positive light, and refrain from starting arguments with customers. Looking back, we should have left then and there, but after 2 hours, we just wanted to eat. Once seated, our server did an admirable job hearing us out, and placated us with free olives. The strangest thing was the way the chef talked to our server about us and stared at all of us from three feet away without once approaching the table to apologize for the unfortunate turn of events, even after the bartender made a point of staring each of us down as we were shown to our table (it's a very narrow restaurant). The whole experience was very unsettling. After the adrenalin rush of feeling totally abused by him, our group needed a little more than a free round of strawberry bellinis (one of our party was pregnant and another allergic to strawberries, yet no attempt was made to substitute). Worst of all, the snotty clientèle slumming at this hipper than thou "upscale" restaurant masquerading as a "down to earth" rustic eatery couldn't stop staring at the train wreck that was our dining experience. Like us, they found the spectacle of an out-of-line, explosive restaurant employee attacking an unsuspecting group of customers who'd been waiting patiently and without complaint for two hours infinitely more interesting than the overpriced food and wine on the faux-salvaged wood tables in front of them. After all that, the food was hit or miss. There are just too many outstanding restaurants in Chicago to waste your time, money and autonomic nervous system on this disappointment.
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
Go Early, and with a large group
By ChicagoFoodie from Lincoln Park, November 16, 2008
- Overall rating:
I found that if you have a larger group Avec is more fun. If you go with a date, you could be forgotten about in between other groups.
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
Went there last night - very impressed. Mind you, this is not somewhere to go for a romantic dinner. Seating is shared or at the bar. We sat at the chef's table (at the bar in front of the kitchen) - for foodies...it was very cool. The food was interesting and very tasty. The service was prompt, friendly, but most importantly unpretentious. I will be back there for sure and would recommend it to anyone who is out for a dining "experience", not just dinner!
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
I've been loving Avec since it opened and never thought to write a review. I mean, my favorite restaurant in the city - how is it not everyone's? Well, judging by the lines out the door several years later, I guess they're doing something right. By the "star" rating on Metromix, looks like more people complain than praise. The food is the most inventive, approachable, fresh, DELICIOUS!! and constantly changing. Current favorites are: grilled octopus, duck rilletes, pappradelle with chicken liver sausage. Next week (or even tomorrow!) could be 3 or 4 or 5 new dishes! Don't judge a restaurant according to how long you had to wait - at Avec, it could be a VERY long time - but by the food you ate. If you were told the wait was "hours" don't be mad at the host/ess -
they're telling you as accurately as possible - hey, some people linger! Don't give a poor review based on the communal seating - if it was all 2 or 4 tops, the wait would be substantially longer! Group of 6 -10 on a Saturday night? Really?! Don't eat lunch and come around 5:00. You will salivate for days later (if not weeks), reliving Koren's sublime creations. I would give Avec a million stars, if they'd let me! :)
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
I have been going to Avec for along time and I have never had anything but a great time. I want all those uptight people to stay away from this place as I wouldn't want to sit next to them. If you go at peak hours expect to Wait. I go either early or late. The menu is fresh, seasonal and the service has always been friendly. I think it is a great value for the quality and portion sizes. This place is about sharing food and having a good time. I'll be back next week.
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
Review Summary
The following scores represent the average rating submitted by 71 users:
- Overall user rating:
- Ambiance
- Food
- Service
- Value
