1. This is a Lettuce Entertain You joint. There is nothing wrong with that at all, but this is a corporate joint.
2. Thankfully it is NOT P.F. Changs
But this IS pretty Guai-Lo cuisine though. Very good ingredients, but not particularly firery, earthy, sour...
Recently had the Shrimp Pad-Thai... And just very one-noted. Pad-Thai (while become very ubiquitous and over done) is still a great dish and should be beguiling of  tamarind and palm sugar... Lime and fish sauce... Chilies!
The shrimp were very fresh... Butt he dish just didn't SING. It was just BORING. Even adding their Sambal Chili Sauce didn't do much for it.
It's a nice enough place and the quality isn't suspect... But this isn't the best either.
This place was average. Came here for a casual dinner with a friend and the food was good, not mind-blowing. I had the pad thai which is one of my favorite dishes wherever I go and it was just okay. My friend asked for whatever tea they had that night and he asked for it to be sweetened. Got it and it was the most sour tea we'd ever had.
Then I had run out of water. This was the only beverage I had asked for, so I asked two waitresses for a refill because mine was nowhere to be found. They send a bus boy who is cleaning off other tables to fill my water. He takes my glass and comes back with a glass of not warm but hot water! I quickly asked him to take it back and get me some ice water. I guess I need to specify that I will be drinking the water when they bring it out, rather than waiting for it to cool.
At one point during the night, something had spilled on the table and I had to use my napkin to wipe it up because, you guessed it, no waitresses to be found. Another bus boy is near and I ask him for another napkin because mine had been used to clean up the table mess. He then hands me two little cocktail napkins. I was floored.
The location is great, the place is nice looking, but for the food and service, I would say you're better off somewhere else! I may come back here again hoping it was just a one time bad experience but from my first, I was not happy.
Pai Wai with a new name. Â I actually looked it up to see if they were the same owners because it is pretty much identical.
I had the teriyaki bowl where you can fill up your own veggies. Â Tip: Fill up a ton of veggies to get a nice chicken/veggie proportion. Â Overall- not bad for really unhealthy, moderately tasty and completely nonauthentic asian food.
Not sure why I didn't review this last year.
We decided tonight that we won't be going back.
The food is just OK. It tastes just bland for this kind of place, I would expect the food to just POP and be flavorful and fresh tasting.
The service was just BAD!
We had to ask for lemon for the water three times.
Our server just didn't seem to care. Oh well. Their loss.
This place has delicious food. Â The orange chicken is my favorite; I've never had anything like it. Â Portions are just right for dinner. The pot stickers and the dumplings are pretty good as well. Â I enjoyed the pomegranate mojito a lot. Â We didn't have any particular problems with service-- it was average.
I'll be back here for sure.
People who are not chinese are going to like this place. Â It's like PF Changs. Â As for me, I really think there are other places that more interesting to go eat at like Purple Pig and all the other great food places in the general area. Â Come here if you want american asian food in a nice setting.
Review Source:A lot of pomp, but not much substance.
Stopped by Big Bowl to kill time before a meeting. I ordered the signature orange ginger ale and the chicken pho (large).
The orange ginger ale arrived in a pretty, tall, slender glass. Unfortunately, the drink itself tasted like neither orange nor ginger. It was more like slightly sweet, powdery water. Perhaps the pomegranate, the most popular of the ginger ales, would be have tasted better?
The pho arrived in a glazed white ceramic pot with the standard lime, bean sprouts, basil and chilies served on the side. Feeling daring, I popped one of the chilies straight in my mouth. Chili novices beware - I love spice yet this chili lit my mouth on fire.
Upon spooning out the broth, I saw lots of chicken and cilantro but where were the noodles? Surely, they must have forgotten the noodles... Poking around some more, I discovered a few forlorn strands floating around the bottom. Alas, this was no noodle soup. It was soup with noodle. Â
I wouldn't order the lemonade or pho again. With that said, if I were in the neighborhood, I might check out the happy hour special , which runs from 3-6pm. Their spiel is "3 appetizers, 3 drinks, 3 hours". The cocktail selection looked pretty good and the thai lettuce wrap, one of the appetizers offered, smelled promising.
Came with a group of friends and it was A-OK (as the three stars indicate). There is actually a pretty hefty discount for Northwestern students so it makes it even more reasonably priced. My spicy food was not all that spicy, but what can you do. The flavor was good and the house ginger ale was on point.
Review Source:Went here twice in a 10 day period. Â First time had a green curry with shrimp & tofu. Â It was wonderful!!! Â Friend had a kung pao chicken with excellent greens. Â We each had a single scoop of their salted caramel gelato. Â MUST TRY!!! Â Our server was fantastic!!! Â Asked how long he had been there thinking he was going to say years. Â He shocked us letting us know it was his first server job & he had only been there a few months. Â I would imagine he eats out alot & knows what kind of service he appreciates & strives to provide the same. Â
Second time I had the Shanghai Shrimp & Scallops with the fried rice. ($1 upcharge) Â The fried rice was NOT good. Â :( Â Way soggy. Â Mentioned not liking it to the server & he gave some lame excuse about it being organic rice. Â blah, blah, blah. Â I didn't like it, didn't eat half of it & he should have removed the extra charge from my bill, but whatever... Â Friend had their Pad Thai & it looked amazing!! Â I'm getting it next time. Â We both enjoyed their Shandy drink. Â A mix of honey, lemon, beer & vodka. Â It sounds weird as all get out but it was super refreshing with the spicy savory food.
Great location near Nordstroms Rack & Trader Joes for shopping.
Service was only OK... we had stopped in at the other location off Rush street in the past and thought it was better. Made a reservation here because they could accommodate a group of 8.... we were in town for a reunion.
We ordered a shared meal for 7 adults (one child only had soup) and it seemed the portion size for the group matched our last visit as a group of 5!
Some friends and I stopped at Big Bowl for dinner following a movie this past weekend. We had been walking around, trying to decide where to eat, when someone announced, "Let's just eat here." We all ended up very happy that we were standing outside of Big Bowl when she said this. We were promptly seated with no wait, but we were there pretty early, and the place was packed by the time we left. The food was good, and the service was great. Everyone, both meat eaters and our one vegetarian, left full and happy
I appreciate that Big Bowl supports sustainable and local ingredients whenever possible, and I love that they prepare as much as possible in house. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. The fresh ginger ale, for example, is made in house, and it is awesome. It is sweet and spicy and refreshing.
I have some food allergies that can make going to a new, unfamiliar restaurant somewhat challenging, but the folks at Big Bowl were lovely and more than willing to work with me to find something that I could enjoy. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and didn't even have to be asked to check with the kitchen about certain ingredients or how something was prepared. This was one of the first times that I wasn't made to feel as though I was a hassle or a difficult customer. I ended up with a BBQ chicken dish with steamed rice and vegetables that was hot, fresh, and delicious.
I will be back in the future, Big Bowl. My friends and I thank you for a wonderful meal.
This is a rip-off version of PF Chang. Â Since we had a very good experience at TRU and Joe's we decided to try another restaurant run by LEYE. Â What a miss on this one. Â When you are in the restaurant, Â you would think that the ambience is nice, and that they have nice bar with good menu and a grille station (for mongolian beef kinda thing).
However, the food we ordered were at best ok. Â they weren't just good, and the portion was too small. Â If I have to pick this and PF Chang I will choose pf chang a hundred times.
At times I feel walking into a restaurant without any preconceived notion is the way to experience the true value of it. All I knew about Big Bowl, was based on my Twitter communications with #spicychat and that they support sustainable local produce and enjoy well-seasoned food creations. Big Bowl is one of #SpicyChat's loyal foodie supporters. Needless to say, on my recent trip to Chi-Town I had to stop by and say hello.
Co incidentally, I was in Chicago to attend the #IGC12 Independent Garden Center Show (world's largest trade show and conference for independent garden center owners, managers and buyers).
It seemed befitting to pay a visit to a restaurant which not only supports foodies and serves locally grown produce, but have gotten more involved with their Seed to Table innovative approach by contracting with farmers to grow sustainable/organic crops. Crops that are grown from heirloom seeds, selected by Big Bowl, and cultivated on the farm with the help of the restaurant staff. Now they are serving more than 700 lbs each week to four of their Chicago Locations.
I walked into a vibrant & modern restaurant proudly showcasing an open kitchen with fresh local seasonal produce bar. Over the course of my lunch I couldn't help notice how completely packed the restaurant got. Conveniently located on E Ohio Street, it is walking distance from Magnificent Mile, drawing clientele from both tourists and Chi Town residents.
A quick glance over the menu displayed a familiar menu serving classic regional Chinese and Thai specialties. There was a 'Group Share' menu, Big Bowl menu and the Classic al carte dining. Oh I wish my boys were with me. After all how much can a girl eat? The Summer Harvest Celebration menu grabbed my attention. Each time you order from their specials, Big Bowl and Free bird donate $1 to growing homes. After all charity begins at home, so I ordered the spicy Sichuan eggplant. Locally grown eggplant, freebird chicken, sungold tomatoes dressed in a spicy Sichuan sauce - yes, it was indeed 'spicy' and I couldn't get enough of it. Hands down, one of the better eggplants I have tasted outside of China.
I was told by our pleasant server that their 'ginger-ale' is homemade and it is the signature drink. Not being a ginger ale fan, I politely refused and enjoyed my refreshing and cool cocktail; a nice compliment to my spicy meal.
Of course personally for me Cold Sesames Noodle is reminiscent of good old times in NYC, so I couldn't help ordering a bowl. Cold noodles lightly dressed in an addictive peanut sauce, garnished with cucumber julienne; yes it was light and refreshing. Though, I didn't quite grasp the lying down bowl concept in the presentation.
A meal at Big Bowl is incomplete without their signature 'From our Farm to your Table' stir fry bar. What a fun and interactive way to enjoy your meal. Now, stir fry has been around for donkey years, what makes Big Bowl special? Allow me to elaborate. Fresh local produce, protein from small family farms, curries made from scratch, freshly toasted spices and all, authentically prepared capture the essence of flavors signature to Big Bowl. Need I say anymore?
My signature Big Bowl: chicken, greens from the bar, panang curry, and jasmine rice. The flavor was lighter than any Thai curry I have been exposed too. While I was just pondering that, with great pride the sweet server informed me the curries are all made in-house from scratch starting from roasting the chilies. There is not a more comforting dish for me than the aroma of kaffir leaf infusing the chicken and perfectly cooked jasmine rice.
Even though I was dining alone (indeed a rarity for me), I had a wonderful time. Between the vibrant energy of the restaurant and the friendly staff, I felt at home. Big Bowl manages to re-create authentic flavors producing bold and bright flavors with fresh produce, herbs, and clean flavors. So all you people hooked on heat and complex yet comforting flavors of Thai & Chinese cuisine has to offer, Big Bowl is one restaurant I am pleased to endorse is worth the trek, regardless of which suburb of Chicago you reside in.
One of my friend's and I came here not too long ago for dinner. First, let me say, she has several food allergies, and Big Bowl was more than willing to work with us on that. I ordered the Sangria which was absolutely delicious; and got the Chicken Pad Thai for my main entree. My friend ordered something with chicken and veggies and no sauces or anything like that due to her allergies and both were large and very filling portions.
I had never been here before, and have actually never even heard of the place until now. I like the fact that you can order pretty much whatever you want and they can make it for you however you would like. Definitely impressed with this place.
And you thought Stir Fry and Shandy's didn't go together! Well, they do. Big Bowl serves up the usual suspects...Curries, noodles, veggies and all the usual protein options ( chicken, shrimp, beef, tofu).
Not overly BOWLED by the predictable menu but all is served hot and fast and there were some fun drink options ( did I mention the Shandy?)
Attentive service. Did not balk over our Foursquare coupon or splitting the bill a few times.
Most Thai seekers will leave happy. Just don't go looking for the unusual.
We went here for lunch today, and I had never been at this restaurant before. Â So I really didn't know what to expect. Â But I was meeting some old college buddies, so I pretty much didn't really care where we were going to eat.
I knew it was Chinese and Thai, which I love, but was extra delightfully surprised that you can pretty much make your own bowl of whatever ingredients you choose if that's the option you're looking for. Â Our waiter was super extra helpful and nice, and extremely patient since my dining buddies didn't immediately know how the whole system works (pick a sauce, pick a meat--which the kitchen puts in for you)--and walk up to the counter to load your bowl with whatever veggies you want.
My hibiscus iced tea was very delicious, and the melange of items I ended up picking for my bowl turned out pretty good in the end taste-wise. Â
The only things that make this not a five-star experience is that the bill ended up being a little on the pricey side. Â But I should have known better since the Near North neighborhood is usually all tourists on the weekends. Â Also, in my opinion, they seemed to skimp a little on the meat (I ordered chicken) that I got. Â It's a little different from Flat Top Grill (where you pick EVERYTHING), so I guess this is how Big Bowl does it. Â I would be back again if I'm back down here.
Mmmmmmno.
I'm glad I didn't have to pay for this myself. I would have been pretty displeased.
Our office was getting Big Bowl delivery, and I was excited. I was hoping I was going to discover a Thai place within delivery range that didn't make my stomach sad (Thalia, Panang and Siam all set sail to the land of fail). Big Bowl, unfortunately, got lumped into this group of Fail Whales.
The delivery was prompt enough, but my Panang curry was a sorry situation. It was super watery and didn't even remotely taste like panang curry. If you had blindfolded me and asked me what this was, I probably would have responded that it was some kind of awful soup. That's how watery it was.
I actually threw it out without taking more than a bite. It was that bad - and I'm a cheap bastard, guys. It takes a LOT for me to throw out food.
My search for good River North thai continues...
I went here a year ago at a different location and since then have wanted to go back! Unfortunately, in St. Louis we don't have Big Bowls aplenty like in Chicago. We have wonderful Thai and Vietnamese restaurants which I love but I am so STUCK on how lovely the Pho tastes at Big Bowl.
I of course had Pho like last time and it was as great as I remember it. My little sister was envious since she had the dumpling soup which paled in comparison (I even took a taste. Not as good. :/ )
My mum had the summer rolls I think? They were really good and the sauce was amazing!
It was really busy the night we came in and our food still arrived promptly, the server wasn't freaked out by the pace of the restaurant, rather he was calm.
So here is to a second pleasant experience at Big Bowl! I am eager for the more to come!
The general manager reached out to me to apologize--I love it when restaurants really do care about your business and maintaining a high level of service.
He also informed me that they now offer organic milk. I love that I can feel good about what we eat here.
We will definitely go back very soon.
We came here a while ago to have a drink and get parking validation before heading to the actual restaurant we were going to for dinner. The plan worked great.
I ordered my standard orange ginger ale, which was awesome as always.
But the reason I'm writing a review here is to applaud the bartender, Nemanja, who was friendly and pleasant to such a degree, I made sure to jot down his name. I don't know if he even works there anymore, but I wanted to give a shout out into the void just in case.
I've had the Ginger Garlic Chicken Stir Fry and the Thai Yellow Curry Chicken here. Â The food is good, but nothing sock-knocking out of this world amazing. Â However, my Gin & Ginger cocktail was mighty fine...sock-knocking fine, but that's just the alcohol talking.
The menu offers a good variety of Thai/Chinese, something for the little guys and even something those with dietary restrictions (Gluten Free). Â The atmosphere is a little noisy and the servers must be busting some serious booty because we hardly saw ours except when our order was taken and delivered.
I want to give this place a 3 1/2. Four is my closest option and I'll for sure round up.
The service was great, I forget our waitress' name but she was attentive, but left us to talk some. She told us the drink specials right away and paced her service. Great.
I had the panang curry, which I would've given a 3 out of 5 as far as curries go, but the veggies were yummy, the chicken and rice in the dish were good, and the curry was flavorful, if not quite the consistency I would like.
My fiance had the sesame chicken, and after tasting it, his was delicious!
I recommend the big bowl blonde ale, a great beer at a great price, only $3 on Sundays!
The restaurant was pretty busy, definitely not an intimate date vibe (we were listening to the woman next to us complain about her WHOLE LIFE and all the people she knows, if you know her, I'm so sorry, we heard her complain about you), but it was great for a fun, affordable tasty evening meal on the gold coast!
Ohh, I LOVE this place. My first time there I didn't expect to find such awesome options. I had no idea Big Bowl was all about being all-natural, organic, healthy, and sustainable. I LOVE this. That's exactly what I'm all about too so I definitely enjoyed my dinner here.
The stir fry (made to order) was the best I've ever had. I've had made to order stir frys before but this one definitely won by a lot. Usually when I get stir fry, it comes out all dry and just mediocre. But this one was perfect - the sauce was still there (the sweet and sour lemon, yummmm) and the whole dish was moist and delicious. Their veggies were fresh and a good variety to choose from. Also, I'm all for their seasonal (strawberry) $6 sangria! Yummy in my tummy.
The only thing I was no happy about was our server. He sucked. He didn't explain anything to me about how to do the self made stir fry and he wasn't very accomodating. But the food and place overall made the 5 stars worth it. I'll forget about the waiter occurance for this review :)
The bowls were fairly large... I would say they have "big bowls" :)
I thought the food was good. I liked the steamed dumplings, the do it yourself stir fry, and they actually had some tasty beers on tap. The lady had some lettuce wraps. Â Any lettuce entertain you place.. you know the food and flavors will be there.
Here is my (spicy) beef. I'm not exactly an old country buffet type of guy but... Chicago has Flat Top grill. At flat top you get the same style of create your own stir fry but... Flat top you can make the unlimited trips for seconds... Plus they have the flat bread there... oh yea..
So with that said.. This place is good. Great flavors, etc... but ... if I'm in chicago and I'm feeling DIY stir fry... Then it's Flat Top grill..
I love this Americanized version of Asian food - dont judge me!!
I have been here several times and never had a bad experience. Love their green curry and Kung Pao dishes. Also I absolutely love their stir-fry bar. This location is usually crowded because of the location. The service is pretty good here and the ambiance is pretty good too.
Big Bowl is part of a series of chain restaurants which I had somehow managed to avoid unintentionally. When taking a date out recently, we were walking around downtown and she suggested it. I figured, why not?
Here's the quick and dirty...
Pros:
+ Our waiter knew his stuff and could easily explain the nuances of all the menu items, sauces and so forth, forgot to get his name though
+ They serve the food pipping hot, so it does taste fresh
+ Kung Pow for the win, 'nuff said
Cons:
- $40 for dinner for two at a place that seems like a slightly more upscale Panda Express, I'm missing the point here
- My chicken dish had very little chicken on it, seriously, don't skimp
In short, Big Bowl was tasty, even if they shorted on the meat given the price. Yes, it isn't high end eating, but for $20 per plate, you expect better. Perhaps I'll give one of their other locations a try, as I hear they have one in Schaumburg by the Woodfield Mall.
My wife and I tried this place on a whim. We were walking around downtown and decided to go to this restaurant after looking at the menu. The restaurant has a nice ambiance and looks clean. It's located downtown Chicago near all the shopping areas so that's a plus.
We were seated at the table and after a few minutes the waiter came by to take our order. Off the menu I saw that their gingerale was made in-house and fresh with fresh ginger. I decided to order that and my wife ordered the raspberry lemonade. We were surprised when our drinks came after taking the first sip. They were delicious drinks. The gingerale here is quite the popular drink and now I know why. Exquisite!
The food we ordered was: veggie dumplings and teriyaki fried tofu; for main-course it was the shrimp pad thai and hot pot shrimp panang. Both of our dishes along with the appetizers were very good and fresh. We really enjoyed our dinner and drinks. For dessert we ordered the chocolate brownie with the homemade ice cream and the apple crisp with homemade whipped cream. Both of the desserts, like the main course, were delicious and freshly made.
The staff is professional and very courteous. We really enjoyed our experience here and would definitely recommend this place and visit it again and again. Â A must try!
I tried this place out for the first time last night, and I must say this place was pretty good. I ordered one of their freshly made ginger ales, barbecue pork fried rice, fiery dumplings, and mango cheesecake. Mmmmm to all of it. My favorite out of what I ordered was probably the dumplings, but they were all really good. I got the green tea ginger ale, and you can totally taste the ginger so you know it's fresh.
Service here was also really good. Our waiter was really attentive and checked on us often, even though it was pretty busy last night. And if we saw that he was busy with another table, either the manager or a food runner came by to drop off our food.
Good location, too. You're not terribly far from the Magnificent Mile, Red Line Grand stop, a bunch of other restaurants, bars, and hotels, and Navy Pier.
I guess my only con about this place is the price of the food, but I will say you get a lot of good food for the price. You're sort of paying for the ambiance of the place because it's a big space in a nice and busy area.
Check this place out though.
Uhg. I should have known better.
Here's the quick and dirty:
Egg Roll: tasty but greasy and fell apart - also, it's just one HUGE eggroll though the menu says egg rolls-plural (lucky thing I wasn't sharing!)
Veggie potstickers: no flavor, none.
Veggie and Tofu Pad Thai: again, no flavor. Slimy and tofu seemed like it was straight out of the carton and fell apart when you tried to pick it up. Very few veggies.
Cost: Expensive.
Chances I'll order from here again: Zero
Had high hopes based on reviews here and on Open Table, but was disappointed. Had the Thai special which was alright although nothing special. Was initially excited to find rice pudding with coconut milk on the dessert menu, so I ordered one. Something similar was my favorite at a Chinese dessert place I used to visit in chinatown in Canada. I doubt it will become anyone's favorite at Big Bowl - it was horrible! Nothing like the chinese version!
Our waiter was very nice, yet her efforts didn't seem sincere at all so that part didn't do it for me either. On top of this, the natural and healthy ingredients they advertise that they use left me feeling bloated and uncomfortable the rest of the evening. To sum up, I won't return next time I go to Chicago. There must be better alternatives out there than this for those who love Asian inspired food.
In a world of P.F Chang's, Panda Express, and Wanchai Ferry, Big Bowl has come in to compete in the ring of  'American Chinese'  food. However, they do put up one hell of a culinary fight!
Came here on a hectic Saturday night with a party of 9! Luckily we had made reservations. The place is small but it was hopping! Wall to wall of people, noise, and the cooks behind the 'make your own' grill/salad bar. The waiter was nice and very attentive for the number of tables he had. The food was very delicious I ate every bite off my plate and my boytoys left overs the next night! We ordered the :
1) Tom yum soup
2) Pad Thai with shrimp
3) Mongolian Beef
4) Steak and Noodles
5) Yellow Curry Chicken
6) Teriyaki Glazed Salmon
... etc. and a bunch of other dishes I cannot recall
The reason for the low score was for the following:
1) Tom yum soup with shrimp: This was da-bomb! but as i was slurping it down some shrimp still had the shells on it. Talk about a major buzz kill!
2) Gin and Ginger: This was a drink they had as a specialty of the house and it was nasty! burned my throat in the worst way and I love tangy and sour flavors but this was extreme.
3) Steak and Noodles: It sounded scrumptious on paper but in person this dish was less then appetizing.
4) Pad Thai with Shrimp: Very good, as mentioned above I ate every single bite, (almost as good as my fave place The Thai Pavilion in DeKalb when I was in college, but I said almost as good not as good) but the sauce was very watery. Anymore watery it would've been a soup.
I will come back here and try out the various 'common American-Chinese/Thai' dishes. They have good food and its a fun atmosphere but true authentic Chinese food is a taxi ride or red-line ride away.
In downtown Chicago there's not many choices for Chinese food but nursing a hangover I knew I needed to get some noodles somewhere.
We went in there for lunch and this place was absolutely slam packed. Its a pricey spot but its par for the course in downtown Chicago.
Read this closely, unless you are a vegetarian you absolutely HAVE to try the spicy Szechuan pork belly noodles dish. I thought it was a bit weird when I ordered it but holy crap this was one of the tastiest Chinese dishes I have ever had in my life!
They have a build your own bowl option as well so you can pretty much choose your destiny at this place.
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