3.5 Stars to be precise and I would definitely go back. What they're very good at are drinks. Wine selection is on a different level. Even their mocktails and ice tea were simply fantastic, the latter which I enjoyed thoroughly. Ambiance was great. It's more of a date night venue. But I could see a small group of friends here.As for the food, I wouldn't say 'hit or miss'. But there was something better than the others. We ordered the truffle fries simply to munch on before we got our main entrees. Those were amazing. Really festive with a great amount of garlic to lift those fries taste. Outstanding. As for the meals, we got the Great Lakes Walleye and The Lobster Roll. The Walleye was unfortunately fried to deep with oil and butter yet had no taste as it didn't really have much seasoning. The lobster roll was certainly better but again, could have used some seasoning. Garlic, salt, mayo. Something to add to the flavor. That being said it was still an enjoyable experience. Waitstaff was amazing. They really made a concerted effort to make sure that patrons sitting outside on the patio still got plenty of attention. And for that I will definitely go back.
Andrew Futerman
It's cute and dreamy inside, but every time we go the service is horrible. Food is mediocre at best also.Tonight, we sat there for more than a half hour before someone came to take our order, only to be told the kitchen had just closed minutes ago. We literally sat there for 30 minutes trying to get service, to be utterly shut down. And when I tried to politely say to the bartender, "you know, we've been here for a half hour and we only want some cheese," his reaction was just "yeah, so?"Unfortunately, this was not a one time experience. Every time we're in there, it feels like there are plenty of staff just standing around and no one to take care of us. Customer service matters, and damn do they get it wrong everytime.We won't be back.
Kenny Lane
I go to the happy hour special. They have their own mixologist who makes a new concoction every day. Go check it out!Parking: Street parking is paid.
Linda Eisenberg
We recently had a private party here! They could not have been nicer to work with! Maggie was always available via email, text or phone to answer questions and concerns!They were short staffed but everyone stepped up ti help with serving and more! Really everyone was fabulous! Food was delicious and the cocktails actually had alcohol in them! Delicious wine and beers also!I will definitely be going back to enjoy dinner and drinks often!
Angela Cummings
This is a fabulous bar and restaurant in Evanston, with an amazing happy hour that allows you to sample some wines and cocktails for a very reasonable price. The food is outstanding and the ambiance is so relaxing. Do not miss.
Vivian Ramirez
I had great expectations for this place since I in Italy came in for wine. They have a great selection of wines and spirits and a solid looking menu. Unfortunately I tried the food and it was good at best. French onion soup was a pile of cooked onions, not French onion soup. Burger was ok, not worth the $19 and neither were the soggy fries for $8. I didn’t leave very satisfied. Go there for the wine and drinks and save your appetite for somewhere else.
Kathleen Henry
I hate leaving a bad review, but our experience was so disappointing. The restaurant is very cold, when I asked them if they could turn up the heat, they said they aren’t allowed to. They brought shawls which was something I guess but not what I had in mind for a celebratory night out. You will need a smart phone to view the wine list, they don’t have a wine/drink menu at the table. Our server was painfully slow, forgetting to bring all our drinks and other items after multiple requests. She seemed as if she was there more to socialize rather than work. It took asking three other staff members to help us out. I only saw one server who seemed to take her job seriously, hustling like crazy and working the entire room. The manager (I think? no idea who it was) checked on our food well after we were finished, his timing was so awkward and an interruption. With the exception of the French onion soup, the food is unimpressive. The short ribs were just OK with soupy mashed potatoes. Steak frites wasn’t that great. The charcuterie board is very basic, and nothing special. Overall service was terrible and food is extremely expensive for what you get.
Carola del Rio
Terrible experience. The house cabernet was actually $22 a glass, the Lush burger was terrible -- I took one bite and sent it back (no one asked why) and we were charged a $5 credit card charging fee. Almost $200 for a basic and limited charcuterie plate, red wine and mediocre cheese burger for 2 people. The only decent thing was the truffled chickpeas. Will not return or recommend. Very disappointing.
Carolina del Rio
Terrible experience. The house cabernet was actually $22 a glass, the Lush burger was terrible -- I took one bite and sent it back (no one asked why) and we were charged a $5 credit card charging fee. Almost $200 for a basic and limited charcuterie plate, red wine and mediocre cheese burger for 2 people. The only decent thing was the truffled chickpeas. Will not return or recommend. Very disappointing.
Russell Kelso
Nice atmosphere and good service and food. Let down by high prices and chilly temperature inside (January). Burger cost $19 but fries were extra at another $8. Throw in a beer for $9 and you're getting on for nearly $40 for a very basic meal.
Lovely food, good wine, and great service. Highly recommend.
Andre I.
Lush. A very nice wine bar I'm going to since approx 10 years. I started with Roscoe, then later Evanston. Sometimes also Chicago, but it's not my preferred space. It used to be an amazing place originally, when they didn't have yet an alcohol license. Indeed, it was a "byob" with a kitchen. Wine at shelf price and honestly priced food. Later on, food got an acceptable price hike (cheese board was $21 for four cheeses, in reasonable portions) and a $10 corkage fee was applied on the first bottle. I'm ok with that. I went at the Roscoe location recently with friends and as usual got several bottles of wine, and some food. The food was... indecent. The platter of cheese surged to $33 (!!!) for 4 cheeses... but it was literally 4 bites. And on top of that, 2 of the cheeses were dry. What we received was basically a bowl of nuts with 4 pieces of old cheese as decoration. Shameful. Then we got the sardines... tasteless, and served with indecent dry crackers. Really terrible. [Note: there is another review here saying the exact same thing, and the manager answered "we'll work on that", but nothing has changed. That was 9 months ago...] The wine was great, and the staff also. There was supposedly a (now) $15 corkage fee on the first bottle, only to realize on the bill that they charged us $15 on each bottle (I realized that when I arrived home). No Lush, that's not the way to go. If you guys disappoint your loyal customer base, that's not going to work! In a nutshell: there is no management. But that is something I noticed in other locations too in the last 2-3 years. Oh well... in a nutshell: enjoy the wine but skip the food. And double check the bill before paying!!!
Josue J.
This place has a very urban(hipster) feel for a place in Evanston. As soon as you walk in, you notice a wall full of wine and spirits for sale. It's pretty cool because every bottle has the price written directly on the bottle. As I was checking out the selection, an employee greeted me and help me select a great bottle of rye whiskey. He sold me on the fact that this was his favorite bottle because it has never given him a hangover, lol. Now, I don't drink that much anymore, but he sold me on the bottle. I'll get more to that bottle later. So my wife and I ordered some very refreshing old fashions(with a big cube) you always know the old fashion is going to be better when they give you a big cube. We ordered some duck fat popcorn, the charcuterie board some type of ham sandwich, which its name escapes me at the moment. Everything was delicious. The servers were great, and the service was prompt. We will definitely be coming back. I can't wait to select another bottle of rye. Oh ya, the bottle of rye I bought, I opened it there and had a sample because my wife was still finishing her drink. I figured it would have been faster to crack the bottle than to order another drink. I asked one of the servers if I can open it there, and he said, I think so, just don't tell anyone, I gave you the ok, lol.
Frank T.
We had a great burger. And the crispy roast chicken. My wife thought this was the best burger she's ever
Jay K.
Very cool wine place on the very popular Central street near GreenBay rd. in Evanston. Huge selection of wines along one wall of the restaurant and our server was pretty good with a couple of hiccups. First was the wine pour that was recommenced was not available and the second was they didn't have any Onion soup! WTH! We settled for the ridiculously over priced Duck Fat Popcorn. I'll take my microwave popcorn over this choice any day. After not having the wine and the soup available, and the crummy pricy popcorn I was done with this place.
3.5 Stars to be precise and I would definitely go back. What they're very good at are drinks. Wine selection is on a different level. Even their mocktails and ice tea were simply fantastic, the latter which I enjoyed thoroughly. Ambiance was great. It's more of a date night venue. But I could see a small group of friends here.As for the food, I wouldn't say 'hit or miss'. But there was something better than the others. We ordered the truffle fries simply to munch on before we got our main entrees. Those were amazing. Really festive with a great amount of garlic to lift those fries taste. Outstanding. As for the meals, we got the Great Lakes Walleye and The Lobster Roll. The Walleye was unfortunately fried to deep with oil and butter yet had no taste as it didn't really have much seasoning. The lobster roll was certainly better but again, could have used some seasoning. Garlic, salt, mayo. Something to add to the flavor. That being said it was still an enjoyable experience. Waitstaff was amazing. They really made a concerted effort to make sure that patrons sitting outside on the patio still got plenty of attention. And for that I will definitely go back.
It's cute and dreamy inside, but every time we go the service is horrible. Food is mediocre at best also.Tonight, we sat there for more than a half hour before someone came to take our order, only to be told the kitchen had just closed minutes ago. We literally sat there for 30 minutes trying to get service, to be utterly shut down. And when I tried to politely say to the bartender, "you know, we've been here for a half hour and we only want some cheese," his reaction was just "yeah, so?"Unfortunately, this was not a one time experience. Every time we're in there, it feels like there are plenty of staff just standing around and no one to take care of us. Customer service matters, and damn do they get it wrong everytime.We won't be back.
I go to the happy hour special. They have their own mixologist who makes a new concoction every day. Go check it out!Parking: Street parking is paid.
We recently had a private party here! They could not have been nicer to work with! Maggie was always available via email, text or phone to answer questions and concerns!They were short staffed but everyone stepped up ti help with serving and more! Really everyone was fabulous! Food was delicious and the cocktails actually had alcohol in them! Delicious wine and beers also!I will definitely be going back to enjoy dinner and drinks often!
This is a fabulous bar and restaurant in Evanston, with an amazing happy hour that allows you to sample some wines and cocktails for a very reasonable price. The food is outstanding and the ambiance is so relaxing. Do not miss.
I had great expectations for this place since I in Italy came in for wine. They have a great selection of wines and spirits and a solid looking menu. Unfortunately I tried the food and it was good at best. French onion soup was a pile of cooked onions, not French onion soup. Burger was ok, not worth the $19 and neither were the soggy fries for $8. I didn’t leave very satisfied. Go there for the wine and drinks and save your appetite for somewhere else.
I hate leaving a bad review, but our experience was so disappointing. The restaurant is very cold, when I asked them if they could turn up the heat, they said they aren’t allowed to. They brought shawls which was something I guess but not what I had in mind for a celebratory night out. You will need a smart phone to view the wine list, they don’t have a wine/drink menu at the table. Our server was painfully slow, forgetting to bring all our drinks and other items after multiple requests. She seemed as if she was there more to socialize rather than work. It took asking three other staff members to help us out. I only saw one server who seemed to take her job seriously, hustling like crazy and working the entire room. The manager (I think? no idea who it was) checked on our food well after we were finished, his timing was so awkward and an interruption. With the exception of the French onion soup, the food is unimpressive. The short ribs were just OK with soupy mashed potatoes. Steak frites wasn’t that great. The charcuterie board is very basic, and nothing special. Overall service was terrible and food is extremely expensive for what you get.
Terrible experience. The house cabernet was actually $22 a glass, the Lush burger was terrible -- I took one bite and sent it back (no one asked why) and we were charged a $5 credit card charging fee. Almost $200 for a basic and limited charcuterie plate, red wine and mediocre cheese burger for 2 people. The only decent thing was the truffled chickpeas. Will not return or recommend. Very disappointing.
Terrible experience. The house cabernet was actually $22 a glass, the Lush burger was terrible -- I took one bite and sent it back (no one asked why) and we were charged a $5 credit card charging fee. Almost $200 for a basic and limited charcuterie plate, red wine and mediocre cheese burger for 2 people. The only decent thing was the truffled chickpeas. Will not return or recommend. Very disappointing.
Nice atmosphere and good service and food. Let down by high prices and chilly temperature inside (January). Burger cost $19 but fries were extra at another $8. Throw in a beer for $9 and you're getting on for nearly $40 for a very basic meal.
Restaurantji Recommends
Lovely food, good wine, and great service. Highly recommend.
Lush. A very nice wine bar I'm going to since approx 10 years. I started with Roscoe, then later Evanston. Sometimes also Chicago, but it's not my preferred space. It used to be an amazing place originally, when they didn't have yet an alcohol license. Indeed, it was a "byob" with a kitchen. Wine at shelf price and honestly priced food. Later on, food got an acceptable price hike (cheese board was $21 for four cheeses, in reasonable portions) and a $10 corkage fee was applied on the first bottle. I'm ok with that. I went at the Roscoe location recently with friends and as usual got several bottles of wine, and some food. The food was... indecent. The platter of cheese surged to $33 (!!!) for 4 cheeses... but it was literally 4 bites. And on top of that, 2 of the cheeses were dry. What we received was basically a bowl of nuts with 4 pieces of old cheese as decoration. Shameful. Then we got the sardines... tasteless, and served with indecent dry crackers. Really terrible. [Note: there is another review here saying the exact same thing, and the manager answered "we'll work on that", but nothing has changed. That was 9 months ago...] The wine was great, and the staff also. There was supposedly a (now) $15 corkage fee on the first bottle, only to realize on the bill that they charged us $15 on each bottle (I realized that when I arrived home). No Lush, that's not the way to go. If you guys disappoint your loyal customer base, that's not going to work! In a nutshell: there is no management. But that is something I noticed in other locations too in the last 2-3 years. Oh well... in a nutshell: enjoy the wine but skip the food. And double check the bill before paying!!!
This place has a very urban(hipster) feel for a place in Evanston. As soon as you walk in, you notice a wall full of wine and spirits for sale. It's pretty cool because every bottle has the price written directly on the bottle. As I was checking out the selection, an employee greeted me and help me select a great bottle of rye whiskey. He sold me on the fact that this was his favorite bottle because it has never given him a hangover, lol. Now, I don't drink that much anymore, but he sold me on the bottle. I'll get more to that bottle later. So my wife and I ordered some very refreshing old fashions(with a big cube) you always know the old fashion is going to be better when they give you a big cube. We ordered some duck fat popcorn, the charcuterie board some type of ham sandwich, which its name escapes me at the moment. Everything was delicious. The servers were great, and the service was prompt. We will definitely be coming back. I can't wait to select another bottle of rye. Oh ya, the bottle of rye I bought, I opened it there and had a sample because my wife was still finishing her drink. I figured it would have been faster to crack the bottle than to order another drink. I asked one of the servers if I can open it there, and he said, I think so, just don't tell anyone, I gave you the ok, lol.
We had a great burger. And the crispy roast chicken. My wife thought this was the best burger she's ever
Very cool wine place on the very popular Central street near GreenBay rd. in Evanston. Huge selection of wines along one wall of the restaurant and our server was pretty good with a couple of hiccups. First was the wine pour that was recommenced was not available and the second was they didn't have any Onion soup! WTH! We settled for the ridiculously over priced Duck Fat Popcorn. I'll take my microwave popcorn over this choice any day. After not having the wine and the soup available, and the crummy pricy popcorn I was done with this place.