Wait staff were helpful in menu choices and made time to discuss to converse during peak hours. Draw back, final tab includes 3.50% up charge creating confusion over the actual allocation. Rising cost of menu items should be added to each menu items instead of a flat 3.5% feel. This is misleading and no benefit for the wait staff. Challenge the fee and provide as an additional tip or simple retain the savings.
Chandler
We waited an hour to get our food at lunch time, and most of our meal was pre-made type of things (dips, salads, etc.). Our waitress was away from the table most of the time and did not check up on us to refresh drinks nearly often enough. I was so excited for this place, but it did not live up to expectations.
Jennifer
Friendly and knowledgeable staff, delicious food, beautiful atmosphere. Accommodating to food allergies.
Steve
Impeccable service outdone by sensational food. Crispy potatoes, brussel sprouts and the oishii shrimp were my favorites but the whole meal was fantastic.
Sarah
Incredibly kind staff and out server gave great recommendations. The food also came out really fast!
Jonathan
Had a great experience here. The staff was incredibly receptive to food allergies - everything was handled with care and ease. The manager personally made sure the meal went smoothly, and our server was attentive and perfectly timed throughout. Really appreciated how seamless and stress-free it all felt. The food was excellent, too. We tried the chicken thigh for the first time and loved the change-up. Looking forward to coming back.
Heather
Why the hype for this restaurant? Much of the food was very, very salty (especially the farro and halloumi), and the ingredients were just way out of balance. Even the bread was salty! 
Liliya
The glenview location is a lot prettier with tall ceilings and a glass dome. The food here was as expected - overall good. We chose to be seated outside and the plates were a little dusty from sitting out all day - something staff should have noticed . We usually get the octopus - yet this time it was TINY, with 1/3 of it burned... our waiter was nice. Overall it was a good experience, (nothing phenomenal) but we would probably not make a trip from the North Shore to dine here again.
Mary Rose
I regret giving any other restaurant five stars cause Ema is better than them all. The vibe is peaceful, calm and fun. The food blew me say it was so good. I could live on the seasoned warm pita alone. The service was amazing. There were so many friendly people taking care of us. This has moved to the top of my list to recommend!
Lynne
The ambiance of this restaurant on Open Table is what drew us to the reservation. Once we got there it was above and beyond what we expected. Our server was phenomenal, I wish I remembered her name, and took time to suggest plates and wines. Sitting outside on their lovely patio finished off a perfect date night
Excellent food and service. I especially appreciated the gluten free crackers for the dips.
Evan
Food was excellent, but a rough service experience (maybe an off one). We flagged down a waiter to ask for gluten free crackers. The waiter (not the one assigned to our table) responded, “so you want me to get you those crackers?” Again, maybe a one off experience but we opted to leave after appetizers as a result.
Cari
Food was excellent. We had several items and everything was great. We sat at the high tops in the bar area. Service wasn't great for that seating area. I would go back again, just not sit in that area.
Laura
The food was excellent and refreshing, especially the tuna and watermelon and the labneh. Everything was tasty and well presented. Only thing is I was surprised to get the bill before being asked if we wanted dessert. Our table was also in the hot sun with no umbrella even though we had a reservation.
David
This was our first visit to Ema - River North, and we booked an outdoor table. My husband enjoyed his glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and I very much liked my (non-alcohol) Say Less cocktail. We ordered the spicy toothpick lamb (REALLY good!), the green falafel (delicious!) and the charred eggplant (nice smokey flavor, but lacked a little something). They were out of the cauliflower, which we hopefully will try next time. We found all that to be rather filling, but decided to order a lamb and beef kefta kebab as well; we were glad we did, since it was also very tasty. For dessert we had the double chocolate crisp. Highly recommended! The service was friendly and efficient. We will definitely be back.
Wait staff were helpful in menu choices and made time to discuss to converse during peak hours. Draw back, final tab includes 3.50% up charge creating confusion over the actual allocation. Rising cost of menu items should be added to each menu items instead of a flat 3.5% feel. This is misleading and no benefit for the wait staff. Challenge the fee and provide as an additional tip or simple retain the savings.
We waited an hour to get our food at lunch time, and most of our meal was pre-made type of things (dips, salads, etc.). Our waitress was away from the table most of the time and did not check up on us to refresh drinks nearly often enough. I was so excited for this place, but it did not live up to expectations.
Friendly and knowledgeable staff, delicious food, beautiful atmosphere. Accommodating to food allergies.
Impeccable service outdone by sensational food. Crispy potatoes, brussel sprouts and the oishii shrimp were my favorites but the whole meal was fantastic.
Incredibly kind staff and out server gave great recommendations. The food also came out really fast!
Had a great experience here. The staff was incredibly receptive to food allergies - everything was handled with care and ease. The manager personally made sure the meal went smoothly, and our server was attentive and perfectly timed throughout. Really appreciated how seamless and stress-free it all felt. The food was excellent, too. We tried the chicken thigh for the first time and loved the change-up. Looking forward to coming back.
Why the hype for this restaurant? Much of the food was very, very salty (especially the farro and halloumi), and the ingredients were just way out of balance. Even the bread was salty! 
The glenview location is a lot prettier with tall ceilings and a glass dome. The food here was as expected - overall good. We chose to be seated outside and the plates were a little dusty from sitting out all day - something staff should have noticed . We usually get the octopus - yet this time it was TINY, with 1/3 of it burned... our waiter was nice. Overall it was a good experience, (nothing phenomenal) but we would probably not make a trip from the North Shore to dine here again.
I regret giving any other restaurant five stars cause Ema is better than them all. The vibe is peaceful, calm and fun. The food blew me say it was so good. I could live on the seasoned warm pita alone. The service was amazing. There were so many friendly people taking care of us. This has moved to the top of my list to recommend!
The ambiance of this restaurant on Open Table is what drew us to the reservation. Once we got there it was above and beyond what we expected. Our server was phenomenal, I wish I remembered her name, and took time to suggest plates and wines. Sitting outside on their lovely patio finished off a perfect date night
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent food and service. I especially appreciated the gluten free crackers for the dips.
Food was excellent, but a rough service experience (maybe an off one). We flagged down a waiter to ask for gluten free crackers. The waiter (not the one assigned to our table) responded, “so you want me to get you those crackers?” Again, maybe a one off experience but we opted to leave after appetizers as a result.
Food was excellent. We had several items and everything was great. We sat at the high tops in the bar area. Service wasn't great for that seating area. I would go back again, just not sit in that area.
The food was excellent and refreshing, especially the tuna and watermelon and the labneh. Everything was tasty and well presented. Only thing is I was surprised to get the bill before being asked if we wanted dessert. Our table was also in the hot sun with no umbrella even though we had a reservation.
This was our first visit to Ema - River North, and we booked an outdoor table. My husband enjoyed his glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and I very much liked my (non-alcohol) Say Less cocktail. We ordered the spicy toothpick lamb (REALLY good!), the green falafel (delicious!) and the charred eggplant (nice smokey flavor, but lacked a little something). They were out of the cauliflower, which we hopefully will try next time. We found all that to be rather filling, but decided to order a lamb and beef kefta kebab as well; we were glad we did, since it was also very tasty. For dessert we had the double chocolate crisp. Highly recommended! The service was friendly and efficient. We will definitely be back.
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