Bandera Restaurant
Chicago, IL 60611-3814
Phone: (312) 644-3524
- Price:
- $$
- Cross Street:
- Grand Avenue
- Directions:
- El: Red Line to Grand
- Best of Citysearch:
- Comfort Food 2007
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 11:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm, Sun 12pm-10pm
Editorial Review for Bandera Restaurant – by Citysearch Staff
The Scene
Bandera is a chain restaurant that doesn't act like one. Lighting is dark; black vinyl booths with dark wood tables line the walls; barstools are made of cowhide; and a huge rotisserie oven roasts several dozen chickens at a time. The restaurant is usually jam-packed with locals.
The Food
Bandera's menu of comfort food is small, but portions are big--and boy, just about everything's good. Delicious cornbread is steamed with butter, laced with just a hint of jalapeno and served up in a cast-iron skillet (or get a big piece for just $1). Slow-roasted chicken is simple and wonderful: The meat falls off the bone, and the dish comes with about a pound of chive-studded mashed potatoes. Burgers are big and fat and juicy, while "macho" salad is a feast of greens loaded with dates, nuts, goat cheese and shreds of chicken still warm from the spit. You won't have room, but the Oreo ice cream sandwich is a great way to finish.
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Insider Tips
When to GoFor lunch, call ahead and arrive before noon to avoid long waits. The wait at dinner is less of a hassle, as there's plenty of room at the bar.
The ExtrasBandera features a jazz trio nightly 6pm-10pm (weekends 7pm-10pm).
Where to SitWindow tables have a great view of the Mag Mile below; for a more intimate ambience, request a booth.
ParkingThe restaurant validates for parking at the nearby garage at Rush and Wabash.
User Reviews for Bandera Restaurant
06/23/2008 Posted by hbogie
My family and I love this restaurant. We will in fact be going there tomorrow to celebrate my husbands birthday but we also go whenever my mother comes down from michigan as she loves it also. I would rate customer service a 10 out of 10. When we were last there we had lemon drop martinis, grilled artichokes (my favorite) and prime rib. They came with a fresh chilled glass for my martini when they saw that my glass was no longer chilled which quite frankly sets them apart from most other places just from that small service but all through the meal they were super and have been there every time I have ever been there. I cannot believe that anyone would rate this restaurant 1 star and in my opinion 10 percent is reserved for the worst service. If a foreigner is not familiar with customs then perhaps the local should have offered to help him with the local customs or as a polite guest left the tip since his business associate paid for the meal.
Pros: Customer service and food are both excellent
Cons: It is not close enough for me to eat at everyday
05/01/2008 Posted by welss5257
To eater 32323, you should have given 5 stars to this restaurant instead of 1. The fact that the management is not afraid to stand up for its staff is not just honorable, it is good business. If 10% tips were all the the staff in this restaurant received, then the quality of staff would go down as they would leave to go to other restaurants where they are taken care in a customary and appropriate manner. Then the service as a whole would suffer, and eventually business would decline. Anyone who is in business, especially international business, should understand that it is very important to follow the etiquette and customs of whichever nation they are doing business in. The fact that your colleague only tipped 10% means 1 of 2 things. Either he/she is not professional enough to learn the etiquette rules of this country or they are simply cheap. Either way, you may want to consider not associating with this type of individual.
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