Between Boutique Cafe and Lounge: User Reviews

Excellent balance of food and ambiance
By CaffeinatedPoodle from Uptown, May 8, 2009

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We had a wonderful New Years dinner here and had a few meals there since. Chef Rad offers a very balanced menu yet each dish has inspiration. Her soups (particularly the corn soup) is flat out fantastic. I'm not a fan big fan of soup, but Between is the exception.

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Love the atmosphere, service, AND food!!!
By Anjali from Wicker Park, October 30, 2008

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This place is an awesome place to catch up with friends and enjoy some drinks and great food in the Wicker Park area. The french toast dessert is definitely the best FT I've ever had! The servers are like the nicest people ever....I wish I could just bring them with me to every restaurant I go to from now on. I love the little alcoves where you feel so cozy it's almost like you are just chilling in your own living room....but much nicer with people bringing you food and drink! Aaaah!!

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Great food, hope it lasts
By kristenin from West town, July 1, 2008

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My boyfriend and I went to In Between on a Friday night. We had passed by it several times before, but have always been confused by its concept- is it a boutique? a bar? a lounge? When we did go, I was impressed by the decor- the booths proved to be quite comfortable and romantic. With that said, as interesting as any place may be, it can go sour with no one in it. Which basically happened to us- it was dead, and the music was super quiet. But we did have the food- a tuna tartare dish with a spicy kick was excellent, and the drinks were creative as well. I would go back... when more clientele decide to come in

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MMmmm.. sweet and savory
By Missytown from Wicker Park, March 19, 2008

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Just did brunch here.. First let me say i think this place looks pretty wild during the day and must look pretty sweet and night. Breakfast/brunch was good. I give it 5 stars because of the killer music they play. We found ourselves sitting an additional 45 minutes just listening to the reggae/alt. The pot pie seems really delicious but is pretty heavy on the gravy/filing side. Pancakes were out of this world. Although we've heard the potaotes are to die for.. alas at 1:50pm they were out. Guess i should get there sooner.

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Brunch Schmunch
By jjula from palmer square, March 17, 2008

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We went for Brunch and were TOTALLY Dissapointed. The bloody mary was good (although it was missing the key ingredient - an olive) the service was great but the food was horrid. I had the breakfast pot pie - it was a bowl of cream of mushroom soup. It was terrible. My guy had the duck confit club - if it weren't for so much mayo on the sandwich, it would have been tasteless. Even the coffee was terrible. And red for early morning brunch is not an inviting color. I'll go to this place in the dark for a drink but I'll skip brunch from now on.

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Amazing Food!
By Julius from Julius, March 15, 2008

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We have been to Between a couple of times, and the only complaint that I have is not being able to comfortably fit in my pants when we leave! We loved the innovative and delicious food. Growing up with a diverse palate, I really enjoyed the unique combination and variety of textures and spices. The burgers and baturas are fantastic. We have to make the brunch sometime soon.

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Just WOW.
By CMA from Bucktown, March 13, 2008

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I really don't write reviews as people will generally make up their own minds anyway.. but this little place is INCREDIBLE. The outside is pretty misleading as it is tucked away on Milwaukee Avenue.. and I admit I was skeptical about going in, but when I did, it truly took my breath away. First, i wanted to explore every inch of this gorgeous, lush New York-style lounge. It teeters on the edge of restaurant/lounge.. a bit of both and blends nicely. Second- the food was not your typical bar food.. it as if they focused more on the cuisine. Tuna Flatbread, mmm. fresh, delicious and pretty. Micro lamb chops and potatoes, a bit spicy but I found myself protecting the last one from my friends. Goat Cheese tarts are something I will keep coming back for alone.. sweet and savory.
Third, service was very adequate. They only had one server on, but took good care of us. The owner came by to say hi, which was cool. Ask him about the decor and the name and he will tell you a VERY, very romantic story on how the place was designed (think Taj Mahal but smaller).
GoIng back for brunch in a week or two.

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Buy Stock in Panko
By JMC from River Forest, March 12, 2008

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Service is excellent. Ambiance warm and unique. House wines good. Pricey. Servings are ample. Unfortunately, the food is disappointing. EVERY DISH we ordered (mostly at recommendation of the waiter) was deep fried. The “lobster” signature dish has 3 components, none of which have even a hint of lobster flavor – a bisque (not deep-fried but overwhelmed with curry), a maki roll (deep fried with no hint of lobster) and a deep-fried risotto cake. The mayo-based truffle sauce offers not the slightest hint of truffle. The chorizo crusted mahi has been saturated in salt (and deep fried) – awful – surrounded by cold, gummy risotto. The beef baturas likewise are tasteless, save for the generous deep fried crust. The onion rings are good – deep fried of course. As a side, they would be good, assuming the other entrees were not all fried! Buy stock in panko if this place lasts.

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Good Mix of Food and Ambience
By JB Griggs from Lincoln Square, February 19, 2008

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The meal here was very good. Enjoyed the Lobster Bisque and the Beef dishes, in addition to the other variations of the flat bread. The incredible part of the place was the ambience and the laid back atmosphere. Staff was friendly and knowledgable, although they did miss an order of drinks on an occasion. Other than that, my wife and I felt very welcome and feel this is a place to visit.

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Very Interesting
By Charlie from North Center, February 15, 2008

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Four of us went for dinner, I was a bit surprised at the more club-like atmosphere, but I guess the name of the restaurant says it all. After that initial surprise of uh-oh where did I drag my friends to, it was great. The service was great - a server even ran to the store to get some herbal tea for my pregnant friend! The food was delicious, flavorful and unique; we ordered 8 dishes and they were all easily shared by the four of us.

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