I’m sad to say Bambola’s service was horrible. We had a reservation Saturday February the 15th for a birthday celebration from states away, but unfortunately our experience was very upsetting. Upon arrival the hostess was extremely rude, making faces and rolling her eyes, and definitely not welcoming, friendly, or even cordial. As a large group of servers and bartenders, we were very disappointed and shocked by the treatment we received. Not worth it for the attitude and treatment alone, let alone the prices.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Acheley Saint-Vilien
I, a black woman went here for Valentine’s Day with my black husband and had the worst meal of my life. We were seated next to the door, & it was cold and snowing that day. I asked to be moved and they moved me to an area full of empty tables. ..don’t know why we couldn’t be seated there in the first place. The food took forever to come out, the drinks tasted like garbage. I was trying to find my way to the women’s restroom & a staff member, another woman was walking behind me & let me walk into the men’s restroom. I went into the women’s restroom to find her in there….she could have told me I was walking into the wrong restroom. I asked for the check & they CIRCLED the service fee on there…🤔 we were the only black couple in the restaurant so I’m assuming they thought we were too broke or poor to pay or something…crazy that they had to circle it like we can’t read or something. We were fully prepared to tip as well. Horrible staff, horrible food. Black people don’t waste your time here.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Camila Marquez
Sat at the bar for 20 min and not one server or bartender acknowledged us or said anything. Very strange.
Robin Bingham
TLDR: Mediocre food (Do NOT get the gnocchi. It's bad), slow service, lacking identity, and iffy cocktails.
I'm really bummed. I live in the area and saw the concept as really interesting. We came for restaurant week, which immediately meant our server would take no interest in us as (and this is from industry experience) the assumption is the bill won't inflate. Our server took that mantra to heart. The other staff seemed absolutely phenomenal (hostess and busser). I will say...our server did have 8 tables in his section all at once, during the second turn, on a Friday night. This reflects poorly, perhaps, on the management.
A pre-coursed meal, that should have taken about 1.5hrs, took nearly 2.5hrs.
We began with drinks (the highball was good, wine was good, my martini had a gross amount of olive oil in it). Our waiter asked what we wanted for restaurant week, took our menus, and that's arguably the last we saw of him (save for 3 more times?). The majority of our party of 4 had 2 drinks during a 2+ hour meal. Only one of us had 3.
First course comes out, and it's awesome! I mean, it's not five star quality, but it's yummy! We got the babaganoush, hummus, and the two salads. It came out quickly, and we honestly felt quite full.
....thirty to forty(?) minutes later, our entrees arrive? During the wait, we were asked one time if we wanted a drink. Our waiter had no intention of attempting to add extra purchases to our bill. Had he, he may have realized most of us are pretty lavish eaters that would have gone off menu and love drinking. Chicken kabobs seemed good for those in our party who got them. The gnocchi was absolutely terrible. No flavor. Dense. My friend and I couldn't even eat our orders (I'm going to try again at home).
And... Another... Thirty to forty minutes later, dessert. I actually asked for the bill beforehand, and he said "oh wait, your dessert is on the way" not realizing that I knew that, said I knew that, and still wanted the bill just to be done right away. We were falling asleep at the table. No water, no cocktails, and no service other than the world's kindest busser boxing things up. I will say the portion sizes were excellent for the price... Dessert was yummy! I just couldn't finish because I was barely awake. I wanted to try another place nearby, but after this nonsense, we were all just drained.
Then comes the bill, and as somebody who lives in the city, I expect high prices. So just a heads up, there's an 18% service charge added to your bill automatically. Again, as somebody from the industry, I absolutely believe staffers at restaurants should receive fair compensation, though this is a much longer conversation haha. It claims it's for fair wages and benefits... They still provide a line to tip. I would say just ask your server where it all goes. ( Some restaurants give it directly to waiters, some to the entire staff in something "tip pool adjacent"... Who even knows).
This place just isn't worth it. To me, even if the service was bad, the food could have saved it. Or, the drinks could have salvaged something. I sincerely hope something better takes its place. Or, I guess, I hope they turn it around? Please, get rid of the gnocchi and find a different vegetarian entree to add.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Migdalia Perez
These people are thieves, I was there and open a ticket, when I asked the bartender for my ticket he gave me a ticket with a lot of things I never ordered, he told me I will fix it for you, them he came with the correct ticket, but never canceled the previous ticket, so I was charged 3 time what I consumed, I called my bank and they cant reimbursed me because it was a face to face transaction. So be very careful and don't leave an open ticket at this place. Never come back to this place.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Alessandra Rios
This place is a huge miss. Decor is very pretty. Nearly every single other thing misses the mark. Server showed up very late and opened with “hi guys do you want to put something in.” Alright. Drinks came 10 minutes later, watered down and unremarkable. One of our dishes was forgotten - we asked her not to bother. Steak came out tiny and cold - literally. Halloumi fries were delicious but cold. Feta and arugula salad was also good but simple. Pistachio pesto pasta looked delicious but it was the dish forgotten.
Mid-dinner they started moving everything around us in lieu of their New Year’s Eve party, which the time of was not relayed to us over the phone when making the reservation- otherwise we would have picked somewhere else to avoid having tables and furniture moved around us, allowing patrons to mingle and dance about us as if we weren’t at a table having dinner. We had to track down several people to finally pay our bill.
I’ll chalk it up to NYE but I will not be returning. Classless place.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Allison N
Unique and beautiful restaurant. Inspired menu and very excellent service. The drinks were delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
mourad ben ghozlen
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes
Dee Wis
Private Event. I ordered a drink on arrival. I live in the Northwestern Suburbs, so after the trip into the City.. I needed it. That cost me $30 cash + tip...OK, $40. NP, though no receipt was given to show tip was already included with the $30 charge for vodka and cranberry + Sparkling water. Fast forward. I also ordered a BLT on Pizza Bread...$17 after the $40 left. The burnt bread was like a brick. Eventually I had to run to the Parking box because I didn't write down the meter zone for time extention. I alerted the bartender I'd be back. I hadn't paid for the burnt BLT yet, yes I ate it, less some of the burnt bread, and the automatic side of potato chips. No I did not complain. Not one time did they ever remind me or suggest I had an open bill when I kept ordering Perrier water. Perhaps I thought my friends that ate the chips paid or it was complimentary. They left before me. Nevertheless , I had already spent nearly $100 at the private event in under 2hrs less the food/for 1. Just me. Good for the worker they toasted to, when she slammed the bill in my face in a black folder, still I thought it was a mistake... I said water.. she said oh, I thought you said for the BLT. Why didn't she just say "you didn't pay for the $17.00 sandwich?" I know why. For that reason, I give it a 2 for service. Good luck with the business.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 2
Josh Banfield
Unique selection of cocktails and small plates in a beautiful setting not too far from the United Center.
We stopped in for some bites and drinks before a hockey game and were glad we did and it was easy to sit at the bar but they also have a patio. They had a great espresso martini and unique penicillin.
We ordered the octopus and hummus plates and they were both great. We still need to come back and try their full dinner menu.
Not sure they will make it. Food was marginal…at best. Service poor. Wine menu is terrible. Tried 3 bottles, not one better than two buck chucks.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Nick Buegel
Not even remotely worth the money. Had four different plates. Only one wasn't boring. None of them were worth the money.
Straight up not worth the money. Can't stress that enough.
Atmosphere is nice. Servers were cool. Cocktails were on par.. sort of.
Food was a huge disappointment, and the knife in the heart when the check came felt like I might as well have set my money on fire.
Food: 1
Ahmed Rashed
It seems like this place is going downhill. The food was below average.
We were a party of six and ordered several appetizers, but the server didn’t mention that each came with only five pieces. When we asked for an extra piece after the food arrived, they rudely told us we’d have to order another full portion.
Four out of our six main dishes were disappointing, with only the chicken dish standing out as good. Even the fries lacked enough salt.
The place from the inside looks amazing but I would never go again.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Samantha Wallace
This restaurant has changed significantly since it opened and not for the better. I booked a reservation for what I thought would be a great culinary experience and what I got was the complete opposite. For starters my husband and I waited 1hr for our appetizer, and nearly 2hrs later our dry aged steak arrived cold. Our server was absent even though the restaurant was maybe 50% full. The atmosphere was disjointed with loud music coming from the bar and apparently a lounge. Highly disappointed.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Liz Shane
Very cool vibe. My drink was amazing and the service was good but the food was pretty average. Unlike other reviewers, our food and drinks came out quickly, but we also went on a weeknight and it wasn’t very busy.
Parking: There was plenty of available paid street parking (including nearby angled parking spots) on a weeknight. It’s likely busier on weekends.
I’m sad to say Bambola’s service was horrible. We had a reservation Saturday February the 15th for a birthday celebration from states away, but unfortunately our experience was very upsetting. Upon arrival the hostess was extremely rude, making faces and rolling her eyes, and definitely not welcoming, friendly, or even cordial. As a large group of servers and bartenders, we were very disappointed and shocked by the treatment we received. Not worth it for the attitude and treatment alone, let alone the prices.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
I, a black woman went here for Valentine’s Day with my black husband and had the worst meal of my life. We were seated next to the door, & it was cold and snowing that day. I asked to be moved and they moved me to an area full of empty tables.
..don’t know why we couldn’t be seated there in the first place. The food took forever to come out, the drinks tasted like garbage. I was trying to find my way to the women’s restroom & a staff member, another woman was walking behind me & let me walk into the men’s restroom. I went into the women’s restroom to find her in there….she could have told me I was walking into the wrong restroom. I asked for the check & they CIRCLED the service fee on there…🤔 we were the only black couple in the restaurant so I’m assuming they thought we were too broke or poor to pay or something…crazy that they had to circle it like we can’t read or something. We were fully prepared to tip as well. Horrible staff, horrible food. Black people don’t waste your time here.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Sat at the bar for 20 min and not one server or bartender acknowledged us or said anything. Very strange.
TLDR: Mediocre food (Do NOT get the gnocchi. It's bad), slow service, lacking identity, and iffy cocktails.
I'm really bummed. I live in the area and saw the concept as really interesting. We came for restaurant week, which immediately meant our server would take no interest in us as (and this is from industry experience) the assumption is the bill won't inflate. Our server took that mantra to heart. The other staff seemed absolutely phenomenal (hostess and busser). I will say...our server did have 8 tables in his section all at once, during the second turn, on a Friday night. This reflects poorly, perhaps, on the management.
A pre-coursed meal, that should have taken about 1.5hrs, took nearly 2.5hrs.
We began with drinks (the highball was good, wine was good, my martini had a gross amount of olive oil in it). Our waiter asked what we wanted for restaurant week, took our menus, and that's arguably the last we saw of him (save for 3 more times?). The majority of our party of 4 had 2 drinks during a 2+ hour meal. Only one of us had 3.
First course comes out, and it's awesome! I mean, it's not five star quality, but it's yummy! We got the babaganoush, hummus, and the two salads. It came out quickly, and we honestly felt quite full.
....thirty to forty(?) minutes later, our entrees arrive? During the wait, we were asked one time if we wanted a drink. Our waiter had no intention of attempting to add extra purchases to our bill. Had he, he may have realized most of us are pretty lavish eaters that would have gone off menu and love drinking. Chicken kabobs seemed good for those in our party who got them. The gnocchi was absolutely terrible. No flavor. Dense. My friend and I couldn't even eat our orders (I'm going to try again at home).
And... Another... Thirty to forty minutes later, dessert. I actually asked for the bill beforehand, and he said "oh wait, your dessert is on the way" not realizing that I knew that, said I knew that, and still wanted the bill just to be done right away. We were falling asleep at the table. No water, no cocktails, and no service other than the world's kindest busser boxing things up. I will say the portion sizes were excellent for the price... Dessert was yummy! I just couldn't finish because I was barely awake. I wanted to try another place nearby, but after this nonsense, we were all just drained.
Then comes the bill, and as somebody who lives in the city, I expect high prices. So just a heads up, there's an 18% service charge added to your bill automatically. Again, as somebody from the industry, I absolutely believe staffers at restaurants should receive fair compensation, though this is a much longer conversation haha. It claims it's for fair wages and benefits... They still provide a line to tip. I would say just ask your server where it all goes. ( Some restaurants give it directly to waiters, some to the entire staff in something "tip pool adjacent"... Who even knows).
This place just isn't worth it. To me, even if the service was bad, the food could have saved it. Or, the drinks could have salvaged something. I sincerely hope something better takes its place. Or, I guess, I hope they turn it around? Please, get rid of the gnocchi and find a different vegetarian entree to add.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
These people are thieves, I was there and open a ticket, when I asked the bartender for my ticket he gave me a ticket with a lot of things I never ordered, he told me I will fix it for you, them he came with the correct ticket, but never canceled the previous ticket, so I was charged 3 time what I consumed, I called my bank and they cant reimbursed me because it was a face to face transaction. So be very careful and don't leave an open ticket at this place. Never come back to this place.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
This place is a huge miss. Decor is very pretty. Nearly every single other thing misses the mark. Server showed up very late and opened with “hi guys do you want to put something in.” Alright. Drinks came 10 minutes later, watered down and unremarkable. One of our dishes was forgotten - we asked her not to bother. Steak came out tiny and cold - literally. Halloumi fries were delicious but cold. Feta and arugula salad was also good but simple. Pistachio pesto pasta looked delicious but it was the dish forgotten.
Mid-dinner they started moving everything around us in lieu of their New Year’s Eve party, which the time of was not relayed to us over the phone when making the reservation- otherwise we would have picked somewhere else to avoid having tables and furniture moved around us, allowing patrons to mingle and dance about us as if we weren’t at a table having dinner. We had to track down several people to finally pay our bill.
I’ll chalk it up to NYE but I will not be returning. Classless place.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Unique and beautiful restaurant. Inspired menu and very excellent service. The drinks were delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes
Private Event. I ordered a drink on arrival. I live in the Northwestern Suburbs, so after the trip into the City.. I needed it. That cost me $30 cash + tip...OK, $40. NP, though no receipt was given to show tip was already included with the $30 charge for vodka and cranberry + Sparkling water. Fast forward. I also ordered a BLT on Pizza Bread...$17 after the $40 left. The burnt bread was like a brick.
Eventually I had to run to the Parking box because I didn't write down the meter zone for time extention. I alerted the bartender I'd be back.
I hadn't paid for the burnt BLT yet, yes I ate it, less some of the burnt bread, and the automatic side of potato chips. No I did not complain.
Not one time did they ever remind me or suggest I had an open bill when I kept ordering Perrier water. Perhaps I thought my friends that ate the chips paid or it was complimentary. They left before me. Nevertheless , I had already spent nearly $100 at the private event in under 2hrs less the food/for 1. Just me.
Good for the worker they toasted to, when she slammed the bill in my face in a black folder, still I thought it was a mistake... I said water.. she said oh, I thought you said for the BLT. Why didn't she just say "you didn't pay for the $17.00 sandwich?" I know why.
For that reason, I give it a 2 for service.
Good luck with the business.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 2
Unique selection of cocktails and small plates in a beautiful setting not too far from the United Center.
We stopped in for some bites and drinks before a hockey game and were glad we did and it was easy to sit at the bar but they also have a patio. They had a great espresso martini and unique penicillin.
We ordered the octopus and hummus plates and they were both great. We still need to come back and try their full dinner menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spinach and Feta Pie
Restaurantji Recommends
Not sure they will make it. Food was marginal…at best. Service poor. Wine menu is terrible. Tried 3 bottles, not one better than two buck chucks.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Not even remotely worth the money. Had four different plates. Only one wasn't boring. None of them were worth the money.
Straight up not worth the money. Can't stress that enough.
Atmosphere is nice. Servers were cool. Cocktails were on par.. sort of.
Food was a huge disappointment, and the knife in the heart when the check came felt like I might as well have set my money on fire.
Food: 1
It seems like this place is going downhill. The food was below average.
We were a party of six and ordered several appetizers, but the server didn’t mention that each came with only five pieces. When we asked for an extra piece after the food arrived, they rudely told us we’d have to order another full portion.
Four out of our six main dishes were disappointing, with only the chicken dish standing out as good. Even the fries lacked enough salt.
The place from the inside looks amazing but I would never go again.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
This restaurant has changed significantly since it opened and not for the better. I booked a reservation for what I thought would be a great culinary experience and what I got was the complete opposite. For starters my husband and I waited 1hr for our appetizer, and nearly 2hrs later our dry aged steak arrived cold. Our server was absent even though the restaurant was maybe 50% full. The atmosphere was disjointed with loud music coming from the bar and apparently a lounge. Highly disappointed.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Very cool vibe. My drink was amazing and the service was good but the food was pretty average. Unlike other reviewers, our food and drinks came out quickly, but we also went on a weeknight and it wasn’t very busy.
Parking: There was plenty of available paid street parking (including nearby angled parking spots) on a weeknight. It’s likely busier on weekends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
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