May St. Cafe: User Reviews
What's happening to this eatery? It used to be pretty good and seemed to be heading in a direction that might be going somewhere, but the last 3 times i've been in with a group of 4, even with the place being empty, the service was so bad they should have paid us to stay. The food was way off base and should be called what it is, poorly prepared and even more poorly presented food -wasn't worth the money or time at all. i won't be going back. Too bad, the neighborhood could use some "good" places to eat.
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Great Food and Experience at May St
By cheddarwurst from Noble Square, June 20, 2009
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Had the opportunity to go to the May St Cafe with a group of friends the other night and had a wonderful time. The restaurant is classily done up and has a new outdoor seating area. I thought the food was excellent, particularly the pear/brie quesadillas, it's BYOB which is always a plus, the service was top notch and the chef even came by to check and talk. The menu is also very reasonably priced (especially for the quality of the food you get!). Highly recommended!
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A Pilsen neighborhood gem! We love this place. The interior of May St. Cafe is intimate and well-appointed with beautiful artwork; they have a great outdoor space as well. Not only are Chef Mario Santiago and Chef Lupe Aguilar the nicest people around, but their food is wonderful -- from the starters like the guacamole, the quesadillas (a variety of them which are all very good), the empanadas to the entrees like the lamb chops, steaks to the desserts like flan and more! This is a must dining experience! A great place to have a private party too. It is BYO (for nowI) so hurry and take your favorite libations!
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The food was average, the service bad!! I won't go back. When we first arrived the place only had two couple, but we were still told we needed to wait at the bar with a one drink limit. Once we noticed no one was coming in and the tables were empty we asked to be seated. we waited about half an hour to place our order a by then I wish I would have just left. I was disapointed with the food I ordered a steak dish well done (since I'm pregnant) it was too bloody and could not even eat it. Once the bill came I felt it was way over priced for the bad night i had there.
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Thixs little restaurant leaves much to be desired, on all fronts. After dining here several times, the downhill slide is no fun at all. The food preparation is far from anything special. The pricing is absurd. The service is the worst I've experienced in Chicago. You'd be better off going to any other restaurant before dining here. Don't waste your time or money at May Street Cafe.
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Good food & ambiance. Great service. OVERPRICED.
By prettytutina from Logan Square, October 22, 2008
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My husband and I have been to May St. Cafe several times since it opened. We noticed the prices have gone up and the portion sizes down. I have always had a great experience at May St., but the prices will probably not bring us back. The owner, and executive chef, Mario usually stops by the tables of diners and he did not do that this time. The service was GREAT and we love Liz, but if the prices remain that high, we will probably not return. I'm disappointed that this restaurant that made you feel like family before is now like all of the other trendy Chicago hot spots.
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We went to this place when it first opened and thought it was okay. A lot of people started compalining about it, so we stopped going. But last week we gave it another shot and it was simply jaw dropping. The guacamole was perfect -- as good or better than Adobe -- and much more. THe seviche was also great. My entree was a half a pinnaple stuffed with fried spanish rice, shrimp and scallops. It was so good I wanted another.
Service can be slow, so bring more drinks than you might normally. May St. if BYOB which really keeps it affordable, plus they have a free lot next door for parking. And before I forget, they have a wonderful new patio.
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This little south of the loop restaurant has worked its way into becoming a great little spot for some tasty dishes and a space that now has a new outdoor covered deck which is perfect for this summer. You can have a great time and not spend an arm and a leg for the booze 'cause it's BYOB, for now. The guac is great, and definitely try the snails, they're an nice variation on the llittle crawlers. It's good to see the line along Cermak/22nd street offering this sweet little latin eatery.
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Although the restaurant is small, it's got a great feeling of intimacy and certainly a flair for the urban edge.
The kitchen has some really great items and keeps things fresh without being boring. With the addition of the new outdoor deck, the place is a "MUST GO to".
At this point as a BYOB, you can have a great time at a very reasonable price.
Try it, you''ll like it, i promise.
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We returned to the May St Cafe for dinner. The place was not busy but preparing for a busy Saturday night. The place was empty and over an hour before reservations were to be filled. We were offered a table but needed to move to the bar later. Dinner is nice here but if this place is wanting to be a top tier restarant they need to be able to make accomidations and not treat neighborhood guest like your eating at a "fast food" joint.
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Review Summary
The following scores represent the average rating submitted by 66 users:
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