Bodega Grill & Wine Lounge

I was expecting more Gurnee/Grayslake/Round Lake Area mediocrity here.  Based on some of the reviews , I was thinking that this would not turn out well.

Long story short, we gave it a shot.     As noted by others, the decor is a bit unique in mixing TV's with an upscale vibe.    We sat in a booth.  I wore a t-shirt.

The waitress was eager to please, if not too knowledgeable of the beer list.  She went and pulled a solid list of craft brews together for me and I was pleased with my choice.    No draft beer here fyi.. but a couple of decent IPA choices that suited my tastes.

The bar looks like a very nice space.  A good amount of seating and lots of wine and liquor to entertain a decent sized group.  

Sooo... we sifted through the menu and there wasn't much calling my name.

I decided on a strip steak.   I ordered it rare.   IT CAME TO THE TABLE RARE!!!!   (pardon the pun, but this is a rare occurrence in this culinary wasteland.)

The sauce on the steak was good.

My daughter ordered the penne pasta with alfredo and chicken.
The price was a bit high to add chicken to the dish for about $5.00... considering there was about 5oz of chopped chicken in the dish.   The alfredo was not too rich, and she enjoyed it.  Decent pasta.

My son ordered a meatball sandwich on a pretzel bun.
It came with very crispy edges and a soft warm bun center.  He ate the entire thing.
I tasted his meatballs and they were good.

My wife ordered scallops.  She was happy.    I thought they were bitter.

I have to say that many of the dishes come with waffle fries.   I was all like.. great.. more pre-made frozen fried potatoes from a big time vendor like Sysco...
BEHOLD!  The fries were amazing.    Whoever the guy in the kitchen is.. he knows how to work a fryer!    They were uber crispy and well seasoned.  Fluffy potato centers.   Possibly one of the best examples of how to make a waffle fry I have ever witnessed.    

The wife ordered a side of sweet potato fries.    They looked dark to me, and many places fry them too long and they dry out.   Not the case here. They were crunchy but still sweet and soft in the middle.   Some of the best I have had.

We ordered desert.   My daughter got  a churro..  (yes.. a churro).. it was again.. perfectly fried.  There is some zen frying going on in this joint!
Very tasty and simple.

My son ordered a chocolate mouse cake.   Very good as well.

Overall.. the food was not as meh as I anticipated.  
GET FRIED FOOD HERE!

Price.. a bit high for what it was.  Our total for 4 people with 2 deserts.. and 4 drinks for the 2 adults was about $160 before tip.

Mind you, I have eaten at much worse establishments that cost more in this area.

Sooo... the joint is a bit quirky.  I think there is some old school management who might beat on the staff here.. but.. everyone we dealt with wes nice, food was B+, and the overall experience was decent.

I will go back.  I just hope they are still open when I do.

We often seem to be bringing down the average age in restaurants in this area, and this wasn't an exception.

My husband drove by Bodega several times since they opened and when we needed a dinner option on a Friday night, we decided to give it a shot.

Again with the unnecessary valet parking in the suburbs - Bodega is seated in a private lot with no other businesses that are open during the dinner hours. We skipped the valet and pared ourselves.

The host staff was warm and friendly. We were seated immediately and given our option of a table or booth. We later heard some panic amongst the host staff, as their seemed to be discontent with the wait staff about who was getting seated. This type of conversation isn't entirely unusual, but it was loud enough and near enough to us that we noted the ongoing conflict.

Our service was nice and made helpful recommendations on the food. He seemed a little less equipped to recommend wine pairings for the selected entrees, fumbling through his responses.

As others have said, the ambience is a bit incongruent. The televisions distract from the experience. Why was I watching Alton Brown cook while waiting for my food? And why was my husband watching a White Sox game?

The food, though, was excellent. My husband had the seafood paella and I had the Bodega chicken. His garlic spinach on the side was great; my saffron rice was okay but not hot when it was served.

WOW- Food was great- Fantastic Martinis - Outstanding Service !!!!