Rick's Cafe Chicago

10/19/07

Incredibly bad service; food isn't bad but not worth the shabby treatment

by cmalcom at Citysearch

I called Rick's twice during the week leading up to some friends coming in from out of town. Once I left a message requesting a reservation and never got a call back. The second time no one answered during business hours. When we arrived, we were told they were short staffed on the floor, but the kitchen was running fine. They have a strange definition of fine. After one round of water and a basket of refrigerator-cold rolls, we saw no one from the staff for another 40 minutes at which point the manager came to take our order. Unfortunately, no one had ever given us menus. Once we had those, it was another 15 minutes before a waitress had finally showed up to take our order. The one person who had ordered an appetizer got that in relatively timely fashion, and our (canned) cokes (plus cups with no ice) arrived quickly. After that the staff disappeared for another hour before returning to tell one of our party that they'd oversold that dish. We'd arrived 3 hours before a show we were seeing at a theater about a 10-minute walk from Rick's, and by this time, we were facing the very real possibility of having to leave without having any food at all. We politely told the waitress that unless the food was going to arrive in the next 5 mintues, we would need to leave. This earned us a scolding from the manager who informed us that the problem was all their dishes were prepared fresh and that their "cuisine wasn't behind." We did, at last, get food. My dish, at least, had clearly gone cold and been reheated, resulting in dry, tough chicken. We had to ask several times for the bill, and we'd been charged full price for everything, including the replacement for the meal that they'd oversold. The manager also could not risk a parting shot that next time we should make a reservation. Never fear, passive-aggressive manager: There won't be a next time.

07/14/06

Great ambience & delicious food!

by kristen0218 at Citysearch

This is truly like a little European cafe north of the Loop, which is rare! The service is fantastic, with great recommendations. The sauces perfectly compliment the dishes they're served with (be it steak or pasta). The sweet seafood crepes are truly one-of-a-kind. Outdoor and indoor dining are both intimate and lovely. The restroom is through the tiny kitchen, but you get a chance to say hello to the friendly and gifted chef, who doesn't seem to ever mind the intrusion!

• Pros: Ambience, Service, Menu

07/22/05

WOW!

by emmily007 at Citysearch

What a jewel! I was visiting from Minneapolis and my sister brought my boyfriend and I here. The food is absolutely delicious, the service was great, and the staff was so friendly! Very cute, romantic, and good outdoor seating :) Also, I think we must have stayed here well over 3 hours and were not rushed at all! I would highly recommend this place to anyone.