07/20/08

Green Beans, Wine and a Great Server

by outofowner

I've never done this before, so bear with me please. We were visiting from out of town and came across bin wine cafe from City Search and thought we'd give it a try. We wanted to get out of the Downtown area and try other neighborhoods in Chicago, bin wine cafe is in Bucktown, which is super easy to get to by train from Downtown. We made a reservation by phone for a Friday night at 7pm, they had a table, which I thought was strange for a prime time on a Friday, but maybe we were just lucky. We're glad we did, the place was packed. The server was terrific, she explained the specials, the menu and the food and wine pairings (they make this easy with a numbered system) She made it sound so good, we wanted to try everything, so we did. We started with cheese, they have a lot, we chose the Globetrotter Cheese Flight, 4 cheese from around the globe, then the Tempura Green Beans, our server suggested, oh my god, they were so good. We figured a salad would be a nice healthy touch so we tried the Spinach Salad, it had cherries and almonds and crispy ham. Then we ordered dinner (yes we were eating a lot) I had the Trout, my husband always orders chicken so naturally he went with the 1/2 Chicken, they were both excellent, my trout was crispy and light and fresh, the chicken was the perfect summer dish served with a green bean salad. Now the wine, they have over 30 by the glass and we had 2 flights each, (four 3oz tastings) thety did not disappoint and the descriptions were fun and informative. It was getting late when we finally left, but we didn't feel rushed at all, in fact the server chatted with us for a long time and was very friendly, offering tips on places to visit while in Chicago, she had a great sense of humor. This is getting long, so I'll finish up with this - Go to Bin Wine Cafe Now!

• Pros: service, location, food, wine
• Cons: a little loud

05/21/08

good food, great wine

by ddot1977

This is my favorite restaurant in Wicker/Bucktown! The food is always really good and the wine flights are top notch. My wife and I went there for brunch for the first time and had a lot of fun trying their mimosa and bloody mary flights. I particularly liked the mexican bloody mary with tequila, but my wife thought it was a little weird. At dinner, I would suggest getting the Hanger steak or the ravioli cooked in brown butter. Yum!! It does get a little busy on weekends, so we make it our early in the week treat. It's definitely a different feel than their ultra-modern downtown establishment, Bin 36. Although I like bin 36 a lot, the Bin Wine Cafe is a bit more casual and hip. Kudos!!

• Pros: food, wine, bloody marys, service
• Cons: none

04/28/08

Rude Staff; Poor Management

by kshiff

I'm a huge fan of local, smaller establishments and was really excited to try this place out. The food was fairly good, nothing incredible to note but was completely overshadowed by the the disrespectful staff. The self-proclaimed manager was incredibly insensitive and it was one of the rudest displays I've ever experienced at a supposedly lovable spot. I would never go here again and would recommend any restaurant-goer to avoid it.

• Pros: Good array of inexpensive wine.
• Cons: Worst service in town.

01/04/08

At least let us know

by mohrpwr

My girlfriend and I were visiting Chicago from out of town and wanted to eat here it looked like a great place to go before we went to the blue man show. We called twice with a recording saying they were closed on Christmas, Christmas eve, and new years we went on the 2nd thinking no problem. They were closed and it was frustrating that they wouldn't at least put it on a recording so people wouldn't go out of their way to go there and be uninformed just wish we would have known. It is just really frustrating because my girlfriend has food allergies and it is hard enough to go out to restaurants as is without researching them first so when things like this happen it kind of is difficult and bad business. We found an amazing place after that right by the Briar Street theater called Jacks wine and martini bar that I would recommend to anyone.

11/08/07

Impressive

by chitowngrl

I have always passed by Bin but never tried it until the other night. I was impressed with the friendliness of the staff, the delicious food and the great atmosphere. Me and my friend both had the burger (yes, i know, boring) but it was really good. The fries were homemade and absolutely delicious. Next time I go back I am going to try the gnocci, I was told that its the most popular thing on the menu. All and I was very impressed with my experience at Bin and cant wait to take the hubs there.

• Pros: fair prices, good food, even better service
• Cons: the burger was too big to fit in my mouth so i had to eat it with a fork =)

11/07/07

Best Bartender ever

by hocher

The room is really nice the way it is split in half. I liked the energy of sitting at the bar. The front half has a garage door that opens up to the life of Milwuakee Ave when the weather is nice.

Our bartender Todd that night was one of the best bartenders I have ever met. He made us feel right at home. He was able to pair all our dishes with different glasses of wine that all were delicious. The gnocchi was our favorite dish on the menu. Todd made our night one to remember. Thanks again Todd, we will be back to see you..........Peter and Tracy

• Pros: Great service, great food, tasty wines
• Cons: get there early, the bar fills up fast

07/16/07

Great brunch, can't wait to go back!

by sminerva21

This is a review of brunch only.

Delicious! Probably one of the best brunches I've ever had for the price. It was so reasonably priced and was so flavorful with good portions. My boyfriend got the omelet of the day, which comes with hashbrowns and toast. The toast was served with fresh pureed strawberries. I ordered the pancakes, which were served with two eggs any style. Both were very good. The pancakes are different in a good way. They're more grainy. It's hard to explain, but they're very tasty. They also had a memosa flight for $12 that I was to get next time.

We were so impressed with everything here that we're going back for my birthday on Saturday for wine and cheese. I really can't wait.

• Pros: Price, the food, the wait staff is very knowledgable
• Cons: Wait staff can be slow, but they make up for it in friendliness

11/04/06

great all around

by kc312

I loved this place. I only had drinks but the menu had about 2 dozen things I would definitely ravage in 3 seconds. I actually had a bubbly flight for about $13. It was the perfect dessert and their pours were rather generous. My friend had the Spanish flight and she loved hers just as much. Great place for a casual night of drinks and food or even a date. You can even buy bottles of wine along with their carry out. I can't wait to go back and try their dishes.

• Pros: impressive & extensive wine list, amazing dessert
• Cons: prices can add up when ordering multiple flights or glasses -- order by the bottle if you're on a budget

05/29/06

great brunch

by rockrhee

outstanding brunch and bloody mary flights.

best brunch in the city.

04/20/06

Great Spot for Wine Lovers!

by megsreid

I went here for valentine's day and the food was awesome. The service was extra-friendly, and the wine flights were an excellent bonus. To taste 4 wines for 14 bucks is a great deal. I also loved their cheese selection, and overall I felt everything was really moderately priced. For a great meal, with great wine, we each had 3 courses and lots of wine for less than $100, without any pretension. I highly recommend this place over any other local wine/small plate places in the neighborhood. Top quality.

• Pros: Great food, Great Wine List, Smart Service
• Cons: Slightly Cramped