The food offering is very limited. Â And the price is a bit pricey. Â Overall quality of the food is pretty good. Â The owner is super nice. Â I'm not sure if they use really good ingredients but the price point does not justify the aesthetics of the establishment. Â If it was cheaper (or gave you more food) this place would be a hit. Â It's not in the part of the city where you can do expensive fast food.
Review Source:A day after my uninspired meal, the very gracious owner gave me a call. They left a voicemail apologizing for the meal and asked me if I would be willing to give them a chance to earn my patronage. I came to pick up a re-do with the Asian Cajun burger that they didn't have the day before and the wings. I had an entirely different opinion afterwards.
1. I did request to have the fries put in a separate container to avoid the soginess. The fries that before we're soggy and tasteless were hot and crispy, and well-seasoned. I had a mix of regular fries and sweet potato fries, they put some chipotle aioli on the side that was amazing with just a hint of heat.
2. After some discussion with one of the owners, who was very pleasant and accommodating, I think I pinpointed my problem with the wings. Their mission is to create healthy, tasty fast food. Therefore, they bake and then sauté their wings in a pan. I'm more accustomed to bake and then frying wings or in some cases grilled wings. These just aren't my cup of tea, the skin of the wings just has an unappealing (to me) texture. That being said, they are healthier. Their mango-jerk sauce is still delicious, sweet with some more bold heat.
3. Their Asian Cajun turkey burger on the other hand is, nothing short of, perfection. It is moist, flavorful and interesting. My fiancé ( whose has a very discerning palate) said it was the best turkey burger he has every had and I agree completely. I can completely understand how they sell out of them daily. Hard to believe it was healthy, ground turkey.
Overall, I was thoroughly impressed, not solely with the food but also with the way this small business dealt with criticism. They wanted to fix the problem, and keep gaining a strong customer base by earning it. They've won me over and I'm truly happy. Since they are down the street they can expect me to pop in again and grab a turkey burger with some of those fries. And word in the street is they are opening another location in the Lincoln park area. Good luck ( not that you need it)!
SERVICE REVIEW
My girlfriend and I went there today for lunch because she had purchased a groupon, and we were very hungry. Â We adjusted our order after reading the fine print "no seafood with Groupon or Lving Social" and ordered the Peach BBQ wings, a salad, and jerk chicken tacos. Â The cashier/owner told us that there would be a 25 min wait for the wings (25 min, damn?). Â So against our better judgement we decided to wait. Â We dined in and sat down and watched ESPN on the flat screen. Â After a 15-20 min wait the salad and the tacos came out but no Peach wings. Â My girlfriend and I shared the salad and I began to eat the tacos believing that the wings would be out shortly. Â Boy was I ever wrong. Â My girlfriend began to get impatent and after waiting a total of 45 min, she spoke to the cashier who said that it would be an additonal 15 min. Â For chicken??? U gotta be kidding me. Â I took a conf call for my job that lasted 45min and still no food. Â I checked the receipt and looked at the time we ordered and the current time and it was 1hr and 15 min. Â To say that we were livid is an understatement. Â I went to speak with the cashier and asked him what was the problem, and I was immediately turned off by his condecending attitude, as if it was normal to wait over an hour for chicken wings. Â There used to be a saying that the customer is always right, but it seems as if its news to the cashier. Â Its sad that instead of apologies, the cashier could only offer a million pathetic excuses . . . "we had a lot of customers, its the lunch rush, last day of Groupon, they got slammed yesterday, Obama won the election." Im sure u get my point. Â When I pointed out to the cashier that we had been waiting for an hour and a half, he argued me down that it was only an hour and 12 minutes. Â Is he retarded? Â Its as if he's been programmed with a cache of poor excuses to explain away their poor service.
MESSAGE TO OWNERS
Stop making excuses for poor service! Â Man up and correct the deficiencies. Â
Whever youre wrong, apologize to the customer and make it right. Â Do not insult your customers by making them feel as if they did something wrong by being upset for the long wait. Â The behavior displayed by the cashier was totally unacceptable and I will never darken their doorsteps again. Â As a black man, I support black business, however in this case, I cannot. Â
FOOD REVIEW
Salad - very small  lettuce not fresh and cut into tiny pieces, fair to poor.
Tacos - actually not bad at all but not much meat at all.
Wings - they were actually tasty, but definitely not worth the hr and half wait
I came here when visiting family in Chicago. Â I was on a mission to find a place that was local and outside of my normal Italian/pizza hunt. This place exceeded my expectations. From the street level, it looks like it could be any other deli or small shop establishment, but what you get inside are very professional chefs with a 5 star restaurant mentality. They have a great line of home cooked soul and seafood options.
My mom had a hard time choosing what she wanted. Â When she asked for a Salmon burger they were out of salmon. Â The lead chef offered her something else, gave her free dessert, and said if she came back that night, he'd give her a salmon burger half off...We came back for dinner.
I love all the people complaining on here about their food not coming out fast enough. Â My response to you all is...can't you read?? Â There is a big sign by the register that says, "Our food is cooked to order by our chefs. Â Please allow a MINIMUM of 10 minutes for your order to come out." Â What is confusing about that folks? Â
That being said, I stopped by here last week for the first time, had a terrific turkey burger with goat cheese on top and sweet potato fries on the side. Â My friend had the chicken caesar salad. Â We also split a red velvet cupcake for dessert. Â Great place for lunch (IF YOU HAVE THE TIME).
The Good- The food is great
The OK- The Service is great from the owner, The cooks come off really rude and you can hear and see everything they say. Its a small kitchen, nevertheless they are great chefs just not personable.
The Bad- You have to call before you go here to see what food they have left, they run out of the favorites rather quickly
The Ugly- NOTHING was ugly about this place the interior is tasteful and there's FREE parking!
had a living social voucher that i wanted to use so i used it with a friend the other day. we tried the peach bbq wings, cherry pomegranate wings and mango jerk wings. ALL OF THEM WERE DELICIOUS!!! i wasnt sure what to expect for any of them but i was so thrilled after tasting all of them that i couldnt decide which one i liked the best! plus they came with some awesum fries! to top it all off our service by the cahier (john) was FANTASTIC! he was super nice and helpful! will definitely come back to this place!
Review Source:food is anything but fast. I don't know what's more uncomfortable; working for a business about to fail, or eating at this one. The place is ran by two people: the cashier/delivery guy (?) and the chef. I ordered turkey tacos and waited less time than the guy who ordered two orders of fries... That alone isn't enough for me to write a negative review, what was, was that when he ran up my order, priced according to the menu in front of me at 6.95, he asked me for 8.95. i looked at my receipt and saw that i'd been charged an extra dollar. I brought this to the cashier's (obviously the owner) attention and he very readily explained "yes sir, all prices subject to change due to.." and he began to list all of the variables that go into for-the-love-of-god OWNING a business. Some of the things he mentioned were sales, product cost and utilities. So, what this means is: should he have to keep the ac up, the customer will pay extra for it, if he has low sales, the customer will pay extra for it, all of which will be news upon receiving the bill. WHERE THE FUCK IS THIS GUY FROM?! in short the food comes slowly and the eccentric owner will just charge you whatever he wants based on what kind of a day he is having. if you're ok with that, then go have some kind of weird mediocre food and expect to pay a minimum of 10$ with a 20 minute wait while you stand. i'm going to five guys from here on out. they just opened a block or two north at wabash and 11th.
Review Source:Flavor 180 is modest in size, however the flavor and friendliness at this place is huge. Â Its the type restaurant where you place your order at the counter and they bring it out to you. Â The menu is unique and contains items such as chipotle-mango chicken wings (actual chicken wings, not those nubs that you're used to at your local bar), spicy salmon burgers, Chilean sea bass, and mako shark tacos. Â They receive all of their seafood from the same supplier as Catch 35 and GT Fish & Oyster. Everything is made fresh to order, and they only have two fried items on the entire menu - one being sweet potato fries which may just be the best in the entire city. Â Best of all, their small staff is as friendly as can be, and the food is all affordable. Flavor 180 is a welcome addition to the ever-growing South Loop.
Review Source:I went here on a whim and didn't know what to expect. Based on the flames on the sign I thought it was going to be spicy Mexican food, lol, but it wasn't. I can speak for the turkey hot dog and french fries and say they were fantastic and I would go back. I had never had a turkey dog in my life and now that I've had one I feel complete.
This is a nice place for a hot dog-type place. It takes a little long to make the food but that's because it's made-to-order which makes it better than ready-made. Get the turkey dog and make your life complete.
It's been close to a year since I wrote my first review of Flavor 180. Since then, they've added a lot of new menu items, especially fish. However, I tend to stick to my old standby, the Asian Cajun Turkey burger and sometimes the jerk turkey tacos from the food truck. They recently changed their recipe for the turkey burger which I thought couldn't get any better, but I was wrong. The texture is more firm now like a regular burger. It still has fantastic flavor so it's still satisfying! Â I also tried the jerk turkey wrap which was phenomenal. Finally, they have the absolute best sweet potato fries in the city! I haven't yet had any of their grilled fish dishes because I love my standards so much, but some day I'll expand my horizons.
When you visit, take note that the food is prepared to order, so don't expect to be in and out in 2 minutes.
Sad to see low reviews for this place. I ordered an Asian turkey burger for pick up.It was ready by the time I got there, (10 min)and the staff was really friendly. Burger was delicious, although I wish there was some cheese on there. The fries were crispy and awesome too. Will be back!
Review Source:Decided to meet my gal pal here after work, so we could celebrate a "Thrilling Thursday"!
Besides the fact that it took me almost an hour to get there from work (should have taken me 20 minutes), I got confused about the free parking and got locked in a parking structure. Â At first I thought it was hilarious, but started to freak out a tad, since the door would not open. Â After a few minutes of envisioning the worst scenarios, I decided to get out of my car and located a "magic" button that opened the door. Â After the mini-fiasco, I decided to park on the street.
Since I was visually shaken up, the man at the register was more than welcoming and kind. Â He poured me an extra large glass of vino and told me and my friend to take our time, while mulling over the menu. Â We decided on a spinach salad, turkey burger with sweet potato fries, a side of pasta with turkey bolognese sauce and a red velvet cupcake. Â The salad was quite good. Â How can one go wrong with fresh goat cheese? Â The turkey burger was huge and full of flavor and the sweet potato fries were some of the best I had in the city. Â They were still crispy after 30 minutes of gal pal chit-chat! Â The bolognese sauce had a bit of a zing. Â Did I mention the cupcake? Â They are made fresh daily at a local bakery. Â YUMMY!
This is such a great place to swing by if you want some made to order, healthy (most menu items) meals in the South Loop!
I didn't get that Southern hospitality I was hoping for when I was going into a restaurant I perceived as a Soul food restaurant.  The owner was kind, knowledgeable, and professional; but the chef who occasionally walked past offered no smile or hello.  Very impersonal??  The colder the chef the better the food, right? Well that's not the case I ordered the jerk wings with sweet potato fries.  The jerk wings were just ok the sauce had a very strong curry flavor to them, almost reminded me of Indian Food.  I didn't like them I was expecting something else when I ordered jerk wings you know the dry rub jerk spice with the jerk sauce on the side.  Unfortunately they weren't prepared like I expected.  Every since they got rid of Calypso Café I have been dying for a near by replacement.  Unfortunately this isn't it just have to keep trekking to Lansing to get my Soul/Creole food fix:(
Review Source:Trip 1: Once again my stylist recommended this place to me. I was told to try the salmon burger and jerk tacos. However, I was warned how hot the jerk tacos would be. Â Excitedly, I walked down to Flavor 180 to place my first order to find out they were closed. There was a note on the door that stated they would be late 30 min. Who does that?
Because I was hungry and really anticipated this salmon burger, we called in the order 30 min later. Â I ordered the salmon burger and regular fries. My order took 20 min. The burger I must say was tasty, but then again I've never had a salmon burger before.
Someone else placed my order for me so I didn't experience the customer service for myself.
Trip 2: A few weeks later, I decided I wanted to brave the too hot jerk tacos. I walked down there myself this time. There were four other customers in front of me waiting. I placed my order with a guy I presumed was the owner. He was pleasant and helpful. I ordered three jerk tacos, sauteed shrimp (in case the tacos were too hot), and a juice. The owner convinced me to get some type of corn instead of the veggie melody. However, when I opened my shrimp it was veggie melody instead of the corn, I was kinda of disappointed.
The tacos were flavorful and weren't that hot. I only ate two because I wanted to save some room for the shrimp. Unfortunately, the shrimp did not have the same outcome. The were very bland. I could have sauteed a better shrimp meal than that. In fact I have.
Anyhoo, the jerk tacos saved the day and Flavor 180 will see me again. Besides there are other
For the most part the food is enjoyable, decent flavor, cooked properly. Â The prices are higher than fast food, so don't ever think you're getting our of here with lunch for ten bucks.
There is a wait, and since I was warned that doesn't bother me too much so I've giving this place 3 stars. Â I'm hoping the prices will come down on a few of the menu items and honestly, I'd rather not see the kitchen behind the cashier.
I recently visited Flavor 180 for the first time with my girlfriend and we quickly realized that this place is a winner. We used a Groupon daily deal which included one salad, 2 entrees, 1 side, 2 glasses of wine AND a dessert to share. There were a bunch of promising items on the menu but we eventually settled on the caesar salad, Mango Jerk Chicken Wings (w/ seasoned fries), Pineapple Chipotle Chicken Wings (w/ seasoned fries), corn risotto and peach cobbler and ALL OF IT was delicious! Everything was hot,the wings were huge, the corn risotto was good and the peach cobbler was immaculate, albeit not as good as my mama's! The free parking lot next door to the restaurant is definitely appreciated. Those pay for parking boxes are the devil, especially in the winter!
I know some people complained about the price but for the quality and amount of food you get, I think it's a good value. We also found the staff to be very friendly. Regarding the wait time, I definitely don't mind the wait if the food is worth it. Just make sure you call ahead next time. All my South Shore people who can't get enough of the turkey burgers at "That's-A-Burger" know exactly what I mean.
Flavor 180 is definitely a good look for the South Loop.
It seems like many people enjoy 180...which is great! Â However, the fact still remains I did not have a good experience.
What bothers me is that I've received two responses from 180 staff as if I am not speaking the truth. Â I do appreciate they are defending their establishment. Â However, MY review is MY opinion based on MY experience.
1) There was a bone in my son's catfish nugget;
2) The food was not warm;
3) Shrimp and flavor was not that great;
4) Staff were not the friendliest. Â I do understand they were busy trying to learn how to operate the new cash register and it was your 2nd/3rd day open;
5) The cat fish nuggets were over cooked and the corn meal batter way too thick; and
6) I won't be coming back again.
I am happy you pleased over 6000 customers...just not this one. Â Please do not send me anymore responses to my review.
Best of luck
Used a groupon now coupon and tried them out. Â After seeing the menu I finally undestood the name. Â Basically the have a heathful side of the menu called "nice" and a side with called "naughty" that had a combination of grilled and fried foods. 180 degree difference.
My wife and I ordered from both side, I got the grilled fish with sauted spinch that was excellent. Â my wife had the sweet hear salmon burger with sweet potato fries that she loved.
This is not a fast food resturant, while the setting makes it look that way each meal is prepared the way you would expect in a higher end resturant. Â The cashier warns you that it can take10 to 20 min to get your food. Â While I didn't expect this, it was worth the wait.
I really liked this place and will go back, Â I think they need to do a better job in communicating what kind of resturant they are. Â It was hard to say ieif the prices were good or not. It may sound stupid but eating a well prepared meal with platic forks and knives is confusing.
So in conclusion it is a very intresting menu and concept, well prepared food in a very casual setting.
Flavor 180 is just what the South Loop ordered!
I dig the "fast food with a twist" concept and Flavor 180 expertly combines the goodness of the hole-in-the-wall South Side joint, with the freshness and flair you'd expect from a downtown establishment.
The jerk chicken tacos are the hot fire truth! The sauce on the mango jerk wings is delicious and that sweet heat salmon burger is filling and fresh. But my hands down fave is the Asian Cajun turkey burger. Don't know whose idea it was, but it's a consistent winner. The sides that I've tried, including sweet potato fries and peach cobbler -- are also winners.
The sit-down location is conveniently located, delivery is quick and accurate, and there's also a mobile truck in the Loop. Is it McDonald's "fast"? No -- but then I don't mind waiting a few extra minutes for fresh, good food.
Flavor 180 is a welcome addition to the South Loop restaurant scene and I hope it's here to stay!
I caught Flavor 180 at a Waggin' Wednesday event in Fulton Market and...they were late. Arriving over thirty minutes late and parking nowhere near the other trucks, the driver sat in the truck for a while before stepping out to hand out menus...while on his phone. I will say that the menu is stacked with chicken, [correction] turkey, salads, and desserts...but the truck only had chicken at the event. I'm not complaining.
I was happy with wings on wheels. I ordered two types: Mango Jamaican Jerk and Peach BBQ. Each were four jumbo wings [think Crisp big] served with a bag of chips and a beverage of choice...for $8. Not bad, but when compared to other trucks, it's pricey.
I was pretty happy with both sauces. The Jerk was right on, but wasn't as mango-y as I hoped. The BBQ was sweet with a little kick towards the end of the taste...again missing the peachy flavor. They come with Miss Vickie's chips which are legit. I'd actually choose like Wonderbread over the chips if they had it. But that's just me...
Four stars for food, maybe a little above the four, but dropping down to the three because of service. But hey, it's worth a shot if you find the truck in the city.
I freakin love this place! I'm all about freedom of speech, but seriously other posters: You're totally missing the point!
Wait time: I agree with another poster that pointed out that it was the growing pains of a new business. And now, I wait no longer than 20 minutes every time I get food. It's not McDonalds people! This food is freshly cooked and you won't get it in 3 min or less, but the wait is totally understandable.
High calories: If you're comparing it to Subway or the local Vegan/Health Food joint, then sure, it's pretty unhealthy. But compare this place to the local Hearty Food/Soulful food place (ie. Harolds or any place with "Fish & Chicken" in the title) and it's pretty darn healthy. And they boast about the fact that they use natural wholesome ingredients - that doesn't necessarily equal low calorie. Ie. Sugar and olive oil have more calories than Splenda and Olestra...the substitutes may be low calorie, but they're not necessarily healthy.
High price: Again, this isn't McDonalds...or White Castle...or anything you traditionally label fast food that comes with a low price. But if I compare this place to other seemingly fast food places in downtown Chicago like Corner Bakery, Bao Wow, or Cosi, the prices are just the same. Where do you get good quality, non-restaurant-wait-time food in downtown Chicago for less than $5? I pay about $7 for my turkey tacos and it's right on point with what I pay for tacos at Qdoba.
I'm all about Flavor and I wish this place the best. Can't wait to see the Groupon/YouSwoop/LivingSocial deal...this is gonna be the hot spot of the city!
I was thrilled to see a new place open up in the South Loop, other than your typical Jimmy John's or blue-haired fancy restaurants.
We were the only people in there for lunch. The guy behind the counter was really nice and explained everything to us. They definitely do have quite a selection.
The food was really good. I had the peach BBQ wings, my boyfriend had the asian cajun chicken sandwich and our friend had the jerk chicken tacos. We all really enjoyed our food. The wings were excellent - huge real chicken wings with joints and everything - but they were nearly impossible to eat. They only give you really cheap plastic cutlery so the only way to eat them was with your hands, which is difficult because they're dripping with the sauce. Luckily there were lots of napkins on hand. The sweet potato fries were great.
Everything looks and tastes really fresh. I don't know if they can be qualified as fast food - they only start making your food after you order - but I'm willing to accept that because it guarantees fresh food that's cooked with quality. Just don't go in expecting to get your food in 5 minutes - we waited around 20.
All in all, I'll definitely be back. There's nowhere with food like this in this neighborhood.
I live next door to Flavor 180 and was anxiously waiting for it to open. My roommates and I were excited for a "fast-food" restaurant so close to home. When I think "fast-food," I think "quick and cheap." Well, come to find out, Flavor 180 is neither of those, so I think their advertising is a bit misleading.
I walk by all the time and always see people standing and waiting. So when I finally decided to try it out, I called ahead to place my order. They said it would be ready in 20 minutes. 20 minutes!?? Fast food should not take 20 minutes. Also, their prices are just a little too high.
I gave the three stars because the food tasted pretty good! I got the Turkey Polish and Sweet Potato Fries. I'm sure I'll go back, but I'd go back happier if they got real and stopped advertising themselves as fast food.
I just wanted to pick up sweet potato fries, but waited for my food for 30 MINUTES !!
I thought this was a fast food place from the menu & the look. If they don't consider it a fast food place, then what are they trying to do???
The floor was messy...... actually other "real" fast food places are much cleaner and better.
And, NO A/C was working when 90 degrees outside. Also the kitchen smell makes me smokey (I had to wash my hair after i got home). I started feeling sick with hot air and smell inside while waiting.
I will never go back.
Don't waste your money and TIME!!
I'm really really rooting for this place. There is no fast food place in South Loop and I'm really hoping this place fills the gap.
A couple of suggestions:
1. The pricing is kind of nuts. If you want to brand yourself as a high end fast food restaurant, then you gotta make it look like its worth every penny. Painting the walls and putting in a hardwood floor would really make this place look better. If you want to brand yourself as a fast food restaurant, the pricing needs to be a little bit more like quiznos and less like Gioco.
2. The kitchen is tiny with a large seating area. This place would benefit from a large kitchen and less seating. Seeing so many people crammed behind the counter makes me wonder how they can fulfill a lot of orders in a timely manner. Â Its cool that you can see them make the food but I don't think thats realyl necessary
3. The food was pretty good but missing vegetables, which is weird for a "healthy" place. My taco was good but for a healthy place, I expected some cilantro, onions and maybe a side of avocado.
If you want to brand yourself as a healthy restaurant, it would also be really helpful to put up the calorie intake.
4. Being fast would help. You should also tell people to call ahead if you think it might be really busy. You would also make more money from being able to handle a larger volume.
5. Hot. Sauce. For a flavor restaurant, hot sauce would be brilliant. I know you want things a certain way but there are those of us who love super spicy food.
I am a big fan of Flavor 180 and I was really disappointed to see so many negative reviews here. I think the staff there is friendly and competent. I know there are some kinks to work out, and food can take a bit longer than I'd like sometimes, but the food is delicious, so it's worth it. There are few places in the South Loop that are this tasty and in this price range- I want to see this place succeed!
Food I love:
-Salmon burgers. Moist, flavorful, delicious. They also picked a great bun and toppings
-Sweet potato fries. Perfect size. Perfect fried-ness
-Brown Betty
Food that I wish were better:
-Caesar salad. I really don't know what happened with this one.
I want to try some more things on the menu. I hear the turkey bolognese is really good.
Boyfriend and I went here for lunch to see what it was all about. The service was friendly, the decor was alright (it looked like they cared more about the food than how the place was set-up).
Had the turkey burger and the spicy chicken sandwich. The turkey burger was not worth all the hype. The texture was mushy and the chipotle aioli sauce, although good, wasn't spread out so I didn't get it in every bite. The pretzel roll was a nice surprise, but it was too much bread for the burger.
The chicken sandwich was mediocre. The chicken patty looked kind of square and the bread was nothing but a usual bun, Nothing special.
The fries tasted good, but there was nothing great about them either.
The price was around $20 which was a bit high for the quality of the food. Maybe after a few months it'll get better. It's a nice addition to the neighborhood, if only the food was worth a return visit.
I have already reviewed this place once but my review like 24 other mostly positive reviews have been "filtered" by yelp. Â What is up with the filter? Â There doesn't seem to be rhyme or reason, how can 10 reviews make it through and 25 dont!!
If you get to ready this, eat here it s good, it is not McDonalds do your freshly prepared food will take about 15min. Â Chill out
A great addition to the neighborhood. Â Went for dinner on a Wednesday night. Â The service was very friendly.
Had to wait a bit for the food because it's is made to order. Â I thought the wait time was a little longer than fast food but shorter than a sit down restaurant.
I thought the food was good.
Went to Flavor 180 for lunch a few days after it opened. I was in town for business for a day, so a colleague and I took a ride down. I'd heard how crowded it was during lunchtime, so we waited until 2 to head over. There was still a nice crowd and a lot of phone activity, but we did manage to miss the rush.
Interior is spotless (and the first thing I do when I go to a new restaurant is check out the bathroom: gleaming!!) and inviting with red walls and flat screen TVs. Not a huge space, but certainly big enough to comfortably accommodate 20 or so people. Kitchen is open so you can exactly what's going on. Nice to see a chef and his staff who work quietly without all the banging, yelling, and commotion I've come to expect.
Menu is nicely thought out, with both a nice and naughty side. Seems like this was made just for me, as I do eat healthy but like the occasional splurge. (Who doesn't?) Items are reasonably priced -- more than you'd pay at a fast food joint, but that's the point: this isn't a fast food joint. How many fast food joints make their own mustard or serve only wild-caught salmon? I suspect that they could do a better job marketing the quality of their ingredients and sourcing, because had I not asked I don't think I would have known.
I ordered a salmon burger and my colleague ordered the turkey burger. Chef Julius told us that the most popular items were the turkey burger and mango wings, but I don't eat wings (maybe next visit) and my friend got the turkey burger, so I thought I'd branch out. I'm very happy I did. Salmon burger was perfectly cooked, very moist, and -- here's the shocker -- actually tasted like salmon!! Bun was delicious and accompanying sweet potato fries were great. My co-worker enjoyed her turkey burger as well, especially the pretzel bun.
Both burgers were a reasonable $9 each. Certainly worth it for quality ingredients and a made-to-order meal that was ready about 10 min after I ordered. I gotta say I'm a little perplexed by some of the more negative reviews I've read. My wait was about what I expected, the food was great, and the price was very reasonable given the quality of the food.
This strikes me as the kind of place I'd love to have right in my own neighborhood. I usually get home late from work and don't like to cook, so I eat more cereal than I'd like to admit. Not sure what the south loop condo/yuppie traffic has been at flavor thus far, but they'd do well to check this spot out.
A couple of my friends have eaten here so I thought I'd give it a try. Â However I'd read the review prior so I was like "Ehhhh.... Ok." and kind of braced myself for a lukewarm experience.
I ordered the mango jerk wings based on the reviews. Â Added sweet potatoes fries for a $1 up charge.
At the recommendation of the cashier (who I assume is also the restaurateur) I got the banana pudding flavored cake.
No beverage.
Time: Whatever time complaints were issued before this review, they must've fixed 'em because my stuff was ready in 10 minutes. Â Which is no longer or shorter than the wait for some wings at Harold's.
Taste: Wings were pretty good.  Cool seasoning. I wouldn't have thought to put jerk with mango....... But I also don't cook!  Hahahaaa   Sweet potato fries where just like the other sweet potato fries out there. Banana pudding cake was mediocre.  Wasn't especially moist and didn't make me feel like the $4 charge was worth it. Â
Cost: Â My meal was about $16 for some wings, sweet potato fries and a dessert. Â I don't mind paying premiums for unusual food or reeeeally good tasting food, but I cannot justify the 4 bux for that cake. Â I didn't finish it. Â Once I got to the part that was most affected from refrigeration, I tossed it. Â
Sure, I'd return but there are other places with lower price points for comparable food. Â I want to give this place 3.5 stars because I'd rate em a little better than OK, but I'm not ready to be the Mayor of this place on Foursquare just yet.
All those complaint about portion size? I didn't experience that but I think that for a store only open 2 weeks, they will continue to tweek their service, offering, price (I hope), etc until they get a buzz going. Â
I do suggest they get an awning, sidewalk sandwich board or something though. Â The only reason I didn't miss the place is because I was going specifically there.
So I was finally happy to see a new restaurant in the neighborhood that focused on healthy food that tastes good. Â Not sure what other reviewers are talking about when it comes to the portions, I guess it matters what you're ordering. Â For example the Turkey Bolognese is EXCELLENT and the portion was just enough for me-a 6 foot 3 inch man with a hefty appetite. Â I guess as fat Chicagoans, we expect hearty portions like a Maggiano's or Cheesecake Factory.
I've been to this restaurant multiple times and at first the service was just a little slow but not bad-I'm sure due to just opening up and working out their kinks. But the last time I went the service was much faster and friendly as usual.
Bottom line is if you live in the area or if you're just passing by...it is worth your money to eat healthy DELICIOUS food. Â I mean who else serves Turkey Polishes??? Â Â There is no restaurant in the city by far that has a menu comparable to this restaurant. Â A must try.
Also, I'm disappointed to see that most of the 4 and 5-start ratings for this restaurant (like 15 of them) are filtered and not considered in the average star rating.
I think I just found the best turkey burger in Chicago. Pretzel bun, full of flavor, and a ridiculous sauce. Flavor 180 lives up to the name. When I visited, I talked to the owner who suggested the Asian Cajun turkey burger. He said that he doesn't serve it with cheese. I was skeptical b/c I like my cheese. I decided to go ahead and try it. Nothing but flavor - best seasoned turkey burger I've had. Hands down. The fries are also seasoned well. The peach cobbler was delicious, but I thought that the portion size was a little bit too small. I was left wanting more.
The service was very laid back - I felt like I was in the south - not like they are trying to be slow, but it's more laid back. This is not a quick serve fast food pace - it's more the pace of a "fast casual" restaurant, like a Panera, where you order your food, and you have to wait a bit to get it. I just saw on their website that you can call ahead to place your order. Good to know. I'll probably try that next time.
The menu was cute - one side was labeled "naughty" for all of your guilty pleasures, while the other side was labeled "nice" for the healthier food options.
The decor could use a little work. I was redesigning the space in my head while I was there. I think that they would benefit from showcasing the desserts in a case - they are definitely a strong point. They have cupcakes, for goodness sakes! I would probably go to this place for carry out - not really a place I would sit down and eat unless I'm on the go and need to get in and out.
I'm glad that this place is in the "sloop". It's another option when you want to get something tasty and relatively quick. Next  time I want to try the mango jerk wings.
Never again. Ate there today. Â Burn your money, eat the ashes.
The Rundown
1:05pm order food. Â Place is busy but nobody's eating.
1:20pm I am considering asking for my money back, but not enough confidence in their ability to credit my money back to my card. Â Still lots of people angrily waiting. 15 minute street parking, I begin to panic.
1:25pm staring at all the other people that have been waiting LONGER than me I wonder if I should change my address so my mail comes here. I check my car for tickets
1:35pm finally get my food. Ordered the 3 turkey tacos. Supposed to be healthy but it's greasy as hell and covered in a semi melted cheese. Not worth the price, the wait, or the aggravation. Â Tacos were crispy except where all the grease had pooled up and soaked thru, like a pizza puff wrapper. Gross. I check my car again for tickets
The Decor is standard if this was a Pakistani Cab Stand / Prison
Kitchen is in full view so you can see everybody move in slow motion while huddled over the smallest griddle i have ever seen in a restaurant.
I know this place just opened up, but seriously this is no excuse. You are not baking anything here, your food is not fresh so what the hell takes you so long to make your mediocre food??
Tip  if you just open and you are screwing up and taking forever, try saying something to break the tension. Offer something to drink on the house. Be a host instead of telling people about more harebrained ideas for your sharty restaurant to people who have been waiting for 35 minutes to be disappointed by your cooking. Â
Seriously we have limited options in the South Loop, but any bar has way better food and is probably healthier than this grease soaked "food"
I am really pissed because I was excited to possibly have an ace in hole in the neighborhood. Â Oh well.
LONG STORY SHORT Â Burn your money, eat the ashes
A great little addition to the South Loop so far. Â Focusing on fast, yet quality turkey, shrimp, fish, and chicken dishes.
Stopped in today for their grand opening and tried some of the Mango Jerk Wings and sweet potato fries with chipotle sauce. Â I'm picky about so called 'jerk' chicken but the spices were right-on and the mango glaze was really tasty. Â Chicken fell right off the bone and was cooked perfectly. Â The chipotle mayo was just the right amount of smokey-spicey and would go great on the tilipia tacos I bet.
The owners were very involved and often asked how our food, service, and experience was and candidly accepted any recommendations. They had a few opening-day glitches with the point-of-sales terminal while we were there but the food was worth the trip. Â Will definitely go back to try the fish and shrimp dishes.
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