I don’t love leaving a bad review here, as these are local folks trying to make it in a tough market, but I genuinely feel a moral duty to warn others away from the food.
While our cocktails were tasty, the food was some of the lowest quality I have encountered in the area. We first ordered the bread basket with the “house baked baguette.” There is no universe in which that bread is made in-house; it was the same quality as a $.99 baguette from Walmart, and within moments of arriving at the table, the already stale slices had hardened into an inedible mass. The spreads that came with it were pretty sad as well, with a thin butter and watery “pan jus” that was clearly just some beef bouillon.
Next came the stone fruit “panzenela” (the incorrect spelling should have been a red flag). Again, the ingredients seemed to have come from a grocery store, particularly the peaches, a great tragedy considering that stone fruits are still locally available this time of year, and quite delicious. The dressing made the whole dish inedible. After a single bite each, neither my wife nor I were able to eat any more of it.
Finally, there was a mushroom gratinée, riffing on a French onion soup. Again, the same problems presented themselves: the grey mushrooms floated in a weak broth that was clearly the same stuff as the “pan jus.” A slice of the same bad baguette covered in a heap of rubbery cheese topped everything. And again, after a single bite, we were done.
At this point, we called for the check, even though we still had orders in for the tuna cake and chicken gnocchi. We paid for these as well, just to make sure they hadn’t already begun to cook them, and thus waste the restaurant’s money, but we both knew at that point that there was no saving any of it.
They’re kind people running this place, but at the end of the day, they are charging the same prices as any similar restaurant you can find in Chicago, and so the criticism is merited. I am not joking when I say that you can go to a Texas Roadhouse and get a far better meal, which makes me quite sad.
Vanessa Ochoa
We visited Craft One Half for my birthday dinner after a good friend highly recommended it, and while we wanted to love it, our experience fell short.
We always try to support local businesses and were hoping this would exceed expectations, but the reality was mixed. The atmosphere was very loud, and we had to raise our voices just to carry on a conversation, which made it feel far from an elevated dining experience. Drinks were average, and the menu felt both limited and overpriced.
The standout of the night was the chicken fried chicken, which I would recommend if you go, though I’m not sure it justifies the cost. Surprisingly, one of the small plates ended up being the second-best dish at our table, with a portion size nearly the same as the entrées at about a third of the price. Unfortunately, the other entrées were underwhelming and didn’t feel worth what we paid.
The main reason I’m even leaving this review is because I see a lot of five-star reviews, and I wonder if people hesitate to leave honest feedback since this is a local business. We really do want Craft One Half to succeed, especially since we’ve seen several restaurants open around the area that struggle to last. My hope is that by sharing some constructive feedback, the restaurant might reflect on how it defines a fine dining experience and make adjustments that help it live up to the hype.
First impressions matter, and for us, this one was just average. That said, we may give it another try for cocktails and a couple of small plates to see if it grows on us.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 4
Audrey Murray
Great food and cocktails, will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kelly Neubauer
Great spot
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jazmin Spence
I had the best time with my friends here! Our server was Aaron and he was a delight! His recommended food choices for us were amazing! I will be back soon with my family! **One thing to note is this restaurant is ages 21+.*+
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sidney Parizek
Had my birthday dinner here and everything was wonderful! Service was fast and our server was super knowledgeable on the menu! I had the chicken fried chicken and it was amazing. I cried. I wish I could eat here everyday.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rae
Their COH burger was phenomenal. My fiancé even loved it as a leftover since it was so big I couldn't finish it. Incredible Brussel sprouts.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Margo
The food was excellent. The service the day I went was very slow, as they only had two people and one of them at the bar. It can also get pretty loud with the acoustics, but delicious food is worth coming back for.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Gail Getz
The food was delicious!! I had the mussels which were severed in a very savory broth, excellent, I asked for a side salad and was overwhelmed at the perfection a side salad was put together for me. Delicious!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Paul Schuchman
The restaurant was packed. Service was slow and the food was warm, not hot. The room was extremely loud, so talk at your table was difficult. One bartender repeatedly removed his hair band, groomed his long hair with both hands, then reapplied the hair band. He did not wash his hands after the grooming.
Friendly and cool staff, cool atmosphere, delicious food & drinks. Got a reservation but got there a little earlier & got lucky there was a couple spots open at the bar.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zack Ketterer
One of my favorite places to eat at!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kim Phelps
Going to share OUR experience. Table of 7 - were able to seat us with no reservation - 5 star. Explained food takes time up front, but cocktails (including beer from a tap), shouldn’t take 20 or so minutes. The two gentlemen were given the incorrect beers, and one cocktail was never given to bartender to make.
We were a party of seven and expected a wait for our meals but a couple four tops that came after us were served way before us. When meals arrived, one persons order was never given to chef and another order was a completely different meal. When her correct order came out it was atop a bed of sour cream (which she doesn’t like), and the menu never mentioned. Also asked for chicken with wedge salad, no bueno - came without it.
Waiter subpar - not attentive to empty cocktail glasses but managed to fill water just fine. Asked for ketchup to accompany fries and it showed up at the table when food was almost gone.
What was good? Our cocktails were good, once delivered. Would rate the food as mediocre - cool to warm. We will never go back. This restaurant has received mostly 5 stars, so our experience must have been the exception. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Maybe a better experience for small tables. And, it was a very loud atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
James Horvath
This place is incredible, and the food is really good! Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jerome D'Hoore
Great appetizer, cocktails, and main course. Great recommendations and thoughtful suggestions. My says Craft One Half is her new favorite!
I don’t love leaving a bad review here, as these are local folks trying to make it in a tough market, but I genuinely feel a moral duty to warn others away from the food.
While our cocktails were tasty, the food was some of the lowest quality I have encountered in the area. We first ordered the bread basket with the “house baked baguette.” There is no universe in which that bread is made in-house; it was the same quality as a $.99 baguette from Walmart, and within moments of arriving at the table, the already stale slices had hardened into an inedible mass. The spreads that came with it were pretty sad as well, with a thin butter and watery “pan jus” that was clearly just some beef bouillon.
Next came the stone fruit “panzenela” (the incorrect spelling should have been a red flag). Again, the ingredients seemed to have come from a grocery store, particularly the peaches, a great tragedy considering that stone fruits are still locally available this time of year, and quite delicious. The dressing made the whole dish inedible. After a single bite each, neither my wife nor I were able to eat any more of it.
Finally, there was a mushroom gratinée, riffing on a French onion soup. Again, the same problems presented themselves: the grey mushrooms floated in a weak broth that was clearly the same stuff as the “pan jus.” A slice of the same bad baguette covered in a heap of rubbery cheese topped everything. And again, after a single bite, we were done.
At this point, we called for the check, even though we still had orders in for the tuna cake and chicken gnocchi. We paid for these as well, just to make sure they hadn’t already begun to cook them, and thus waste the restaurant’s money, but we both knew at that point that there was no saving any of it.
They’re kind people running this place, but at the end of the day, they are charging the same prices as any similar restaurant you can find in Chicago, and so the criticism is merited. I am not joking when I say that you can go to a Texas Roadhouse and get a far better meal, which makes me quite sad.
We visited Craft One Half for my birthday dinner after a good friend highly recommended it, and while we wanted to love it, our experience fell short.
We always try to support local businesses and were hoping this would exceed expectations, but the reality was mixed. The atmosphere was very loud, and we had to raise our voices just to carry on a conversation, which made it feel far from an elevated dining experience. Drinks were average, and the menu felt both limited and overpriced.
The standout of the night was the chicken fried chicken, which I would recommend if you go, though I’m not sure it justifies the cost. Surprisingly, one of the small plates ended up being the second-best dish at our table, with a portion size nearly the same as the entrées at about a third of the price. Unfortunately, the other entrées were underwhelming and didn’t feel worth what we paid.
The main reason I’m even leaving this review is because I see a lot of five-star reviews, and I wonder if people hesitate to leave honest feedback since this is a local business. We really do want Craft One Half to succeed, especially since we’ve seen several restaurants open around the area that struggle to last. My hope is that by sharing some constructive feedback, the restaurant might reflect on how it defines a fine dining experience and make adjustments that help it live up to the hype.
First impressions matter, and for us, this one was just average. That said, we may give it another try for cocktails and a couple of small plates to see if it grows on us.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 4
Great food and cocktails, will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great spot
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I had the best time with my friends here! Our server was Aaron and he was a delight! His recommended food choices for us were amazing! I will be back soon with my family! **One thing to note is this restaurant is ages 21+.*+
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had my birthday dinner here and everything was wonderful! Service was fast and our server was super knowledgeable on the menu! I had the chicken fried chicken and it was amazing. I cried. I wish I could eat here everyday.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Their COH burger was phenomenal. My fiancé even loved it as a leftover since it was so big I couldn't finish it. Incredible Brussel sprouts.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was excellent. The service the day I went was very slow, as they only had two people and one of them at the bar. It can also get pretty loud with the acoustics, but delicious food is worth coming back for.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
The food was delicious!! I had the mussels which were severed in a very savory broth, excellent, I asked for a side salad and was overwhelmed at the perfection a side salad was put together for me. Delicious!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The restaurant was packed. Service was slow and the food was warm, not hot.
The room was extremely loud, so talk at your table was difficult.
One bartender repeatedly removed his hair band, groomed his long hair with both hands, then reapplied the hair band. He did not wash his hands after the grooming.
Restaurantji Recommends
Friendly and cool staff, cool atmosphere, delicious food & drinks. Got a reservation but got there a little earlier & got lucky there was a couple spots open at the bar.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of my favorite places to eat at!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Going to share OUR experience. Table of 7 - were able to seat us with no reservation - 5 star. Explained food takes time up front, but cocktails (including beer from a tap), shouldn’t take 20 or so minutes. The two gentlemen were given the incorrect beers, and one cocktail was never given to bartender to make.
We were a party of seven and expected a wait for our meals but a couple four tops that came after us were served way before us. When meals arrived, one persons order was never given to chef and another order was a completely different meal. When her correct order came out it was atop a bed of sour cream (which she doesn’t like), and the menu never mentioned. Also asked for chicken with wedge salad, no bueno - came without it.
Waiter subpar - not attentive to empty cocktail glasses but managed to fill water just fine. Asked for ketchup to accompany fries and it showed up at the table when food was almost gone.
What was good? Our cocktails were good, once delivered. Would rate the food as mediocre - cool to warm. We will never go back. This restaurant has received mostly 5 stars, so our experience must have been the exception. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Maybe a better experience for small tables. And, it was a very loud atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
This place is incredible, and the food is really good! Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great appetizer, cocktails, and main course.
Great recommendations and thoughtful suggestions. My says Craft One Half is her new favorite!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
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