I'm updating my review because now that I'm old(er), I have come to appreciate Fondue Stube a little more. If you're comparing it to other fondue places, there is what this place has going for it:
You're not afraid to bring the kids. No, bringing your 3 year old isn't brilliant with all of the hot pots but bringing your, say, 10 year old is totally reasonable. They even have a kids' menu. We brought my stepdaughter in for her 10th birthday and she loved it. Â Don't worry, kid haters. Â We always make early reservations (5:30 or 6pm) to avoid all you "kids in restaurants at dinner time ruins the ambiance!" folks. Â
The casual atmosphere definitely has its place. It's friendly and more approachable than other fondue places.
It's family owned. The owner and her sons are in there working every night. It reminds me of growing up in my grandmother's restaurant and it makes it feel homey.
They have options. You can have three or four different kind of cheese fondues and they have three or four different sweet ones. We always do the muenster to start and the milk chocolate to finish.
But... I really, really wish they'd have more dipping sauces. Really. It would make me love this place. Â I always end up just dipping in the Bearnaise and curry sauces and that's it. Â Maybe some dill sauce? Â Maybe some horseradish cream? Â Maybe something spicy? Â All would be a fantastic addition to the experience.
There was a mouse running around between empty tables. I notified the buss boy and he laughed and said he would have to take care of it. About 30 min later when our waitress came by and asked if we had seen a mouse. My girlfriend and I said yes, to which the waitress replied: "I called the owner and let her know. She said that there have been a lot of mice and squirrels recently due to the weather. They (I assumed an exterminator) have already been out here today, I guess they will have to come back." She then laughed and handed me my bill. I was there because I had purchased a groupon worth $50. I had assumed she would provide me some type of discount due to their mouse ( and apparently squirrel) infestation. To my utter astonishment my bill was the exact total, and a note which said "please tip based on service of full bill including your groupon," was circled and highlighted. Appalled, I decided to pay my remaining in cash just to get out ASAP (and also, because at that point didn't trust anyone at that place with my card).
Upon entering the establishment, I was met with a strong and overwhelming stench of fish. If I had not been seated in the nearly empty restaurant right away, I would have left immediately.
Now regarding the food. My girlfriend and I chose the classic fondue for 34.95 each. The salad was good and the crunchy garlic bread was great. The cheddar cheese fondue was good, but not as "runny" as I would have liked. You also had to keep stirring it so that it wouldn't burn on the bottom of the pot. Having been to the melting pot several times, I was not used to a soy bean oil fondue. It turned out pretty good, especially the potato slices; it was like making your own chips. I had the shrimp and my girlfriend had the sirloin steak. I had about 6 shrimp and my girlfriend had about 9 pieces of beef. The shrimp was poorly deveined and  required extra attention from my knife. Around the meats were a very small sample of chopped veggies. The only thing that appeared fresh were the mushrooms and potatoes. The chocolate fudge dessert started out looking good. The waitress lit the chocolate on fire and told us to wait until it went out before digging in. As most of my concentration had been following the mouse running around to make sure it didn't run up my girlfriends leg, by the time I was able to " dig into" the chocolate it was burnt and boiling hot since the waitress didn't give us a spoon to stir it.
I went here on Valentine's day with my boyfriend. First off, the staff was great. It was obviously a busy night but they were super attentive and very helpful. We never waited very long to get the next course or have our drinks refilled. Now on to the food, unlike some reviewers I thought the amount of food given was pretty generous and I was really full after leaving this place. My boyfriend and I had one of their specials with the cheese fondue (cheddar) and the beef, chicken, and shrimp combo, and the chocolate to finish it off. There was a lot of food and it was decent quality. They gave us 5 sauces for the entree which included a curry, cocktail, Bearnaise, steak, and raspberry sauce. Decent variety. Now I will say, I do think it is overpriced. $3 for some peanut butter? Umm no. They have to make a good profit at this place. Overall, its something different to do. It was a fun experience and I would come again. BUT please note, you will want to go home and shower and scrub the smell of oil and fondue-ness off of your body. I'm pretty sure I still smell.
Review Source:If we could give zero stars on here we would have chosen that option. Â The tatty decor and the smell of a deep fryer should have been enough to send us flying out the door and when my boyfriend gave me a desperate face that said "let's get out of here" , I should have run for the door with him... Â But no. Â Just as we were about to make a break for it, the waiter came and whooshed us to our table. Â Darn!
To say that I have never been served such crap and paid that much money for it is a gross understatement. Â Pig slop at champagne and caviar prices. Â If it were my last meal, I'd die hungry. Â Gross. Bluch. Disgusting.
I've been here twice. Love this place!
Friendly waitstaff. Helpful in explaining the fondue process and meat options. I am not a fan of Swiss cheese fondue but loved the cheddar. My favorite parts are the veggies. I love the broccoli and potatoes. I also like keeping my garlic bread that is given in the beginning to eat with the cheese. Mmmm! I could eat here once a month or more but my bank account will not allow.
Be prepared to smell a lot like food when leaving this place. I'm also always stuffed to the brim. Fat and happy. Boom.
Rather dingy interiors... When I first walked in, my nose was assaulted with the smell of boiling meat water, which I suppose is what you're essentially doing at Fondue Stube, but that combined with the low ceilings and dark-colored walls just made me feel claustrophobic. In addition, the meat smell lingered on my clothing for the rest of the night and I had to take a shower as soon as I got home.
Portions were small for the price. I shared a "full portion" cheese fondue appetizer with a friend (and the waitress was rather snippy about our choice to not have a full entree), and for an extra $2-something it came with a platter of vegetables that was about the size of a teacup saucer, which came out to around $20. And that was just for an appetizer! And the cheese just basically tasted like melted deli cheese.
They do offer a buy-one-get-one-free coupon on their website. Even so, I don't think I would come back.
We have had the good fortune to dine at Fondue Stube for over 30 years. We almost always celebrate the New Year with Carol and her wonderful family. The food is of the highest quality and the service is always top notch. The portions are also ample.
Looking forward to many more happy celebrations in this Chicago gem!
Have been going here for as long as I can remember for special occasions, have been at least 15 times, always using a coupon which helps a lot. Â The nice thing about this place is that they always have coupons available (Entertainment Book, on their website, <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a>, etc.). Â Their service is ALWAYS wonderful, never a less than fantastic experience. The classical music is always a hoot (yes, a hoot). Â I would have to imagine that the servers have picked up how to play all pertinent instruments in any Beethoven piece, by ear alone, because they are that skilled. Â Fondue Stube rocks our no shame turkey world.
Review Source:Stube was pretty good for fondue. I did have high hopes but as my stars reflect I am a fan. The smell hits you when you walk in of like old grease but our noses quickly adjusted. We took a seat and the fun began. We ordered and shared the Surf and Turf. Garlic Bread was delish. I thought the portion size for the price was just OK. I guess being used to the portion size at Geja's I was expecting more. Overall it was good. Service was ok. What I liked especially about this place was the dessert fondue you can choose Carmel instead of Fudge or Milk Chocolate. So delish!!!
I think I would go back just because I live near by.
Still my favorite. I don't understand people who write things in their review like 'the meat was raw!' well yes, it's fondue you have to cook it.
I've gone back twice in the past couple months and it's always a great experience. They give you pretty much unlimited veggies and sauce (at least with the Romeo & Juliet) so you can have quite the feast. We usually start with a half order of one of the cheese fondues as well, so delicious. Â R&J also comes with dessert fondue and I highly recommend the dark chocolate, especially on the pineapple and pound cake.
This place continues to be wonderful and much more reasonably priced than Melting Pot. Â If you leave hungry, you're doing it wrong.
I wanted to have high hopes for this little neighborhood spot I've been wanting to try for a while, but I was sadly disappointed. I went with a group of friends when I purchased a gift certificate and thought I would get a good deal.
The service was ok, the owner lady/manager was not pleasant and she was checking little kids for their behavior at the restaurant. Looking over the menu it was hard to understand what I should order and the waiter wasn't really a help. The menu items were not what i expected and extremely over priced.
We each got a plate of meats to cook and a cheese to share. They promptly brought garlic bread and salad. The garlic bread was the best part of my meal. The meat came out on a cold metal plate from medieval times and separate dipping sauces which the waiter explained. My problem was that all the meat was touching, seafood, chicken and beef. I was worried because it was raw.
The fondue experience was weird there. I said it. It wasn't the best. And by the time 4 of us left the restaurant the final bill was like $220 and we didn't drink alcohol. We didn't even order appetizers. To me for the experience it wasn't worth the price.
My whole party was unhappy and I think we were still hungry afterward. This has turned me off from the whole fondue thing but I might have to see what its all about at another location. I would not recommend Fondue Stube to my worst enemy.
Decor is charming and there is plenty of room between tables to have an intimate and romantic date. Service was good, as was the food but it would have been wonderful if the server had told us about the broth instead of assuming we wanted regular old oil for the meat. Deep fried tilapia and beef? Definitely a first for us. Drinks are overpriced but the ambiance and dessert almost make up for the hefty price tag.
Review Source:Hubby and I are in love with fondue restaurants. We've been to so many of these in the six years of dates we've been on together, from national chains to one-of-a-kind cozy cafes. This one fares well enough - not my fav but not a standout either.
The atmosphere isn't as romantic as Geja's in the city or even as luxe as The Melting Pot chain. The decor seemed to be a mix of home style Italian and dark, cavernous wine cellar with the kitschy wall paintings on top of dark repainted brick and black painted wood detailing. With fake shrubbery and 80s style finishes as the outdated bathroom aesthetics, it was an odd mix in the overall decor.
As far as the drinks go, offering only bottled beer was unfortunate for my other half, but I was able to snag a decently priced house red that actually tasted just right - not too dry.
Now for the food:
We started our meals came with crunchy garlic bread and a traditional salad mix. I loved the unique house made salad dressings such as the creamy Italian.
Then on to the big show- it's really hard to do fondue wrong because all the cooking is done at the table.
We went with the Classic Combo with Swiss cheese as the app, a type of surf and turn combo we created by going with beef tenderloin and scallops for entree, and the dark chocolate for the dessert. I appreciated the fact that a lighter, healthier version was available under the Summer combo title, but we went for the more decadent option to celebrate my birthday.
All ingredients from the crispy, side veggies of mushroom, carrot, broccoli, onion and cauliflower to the sweet, ripe fruits such as the banana, berries and melons, made me happy because of the variety. We had a good amount of beef and scallops to savor as well. Both proteins came with  sweet and savory dipping sauces such as raspberry, Bearnaise, steak sauce for the meat and cocktail sauce for the seafood.
I again forgot to get our waiters name, he was absolutely great. We had reservations for 8pm on Thursday, and i didn't realize they close at 9. They continuously reassured us to not rush and take our time with our 3 course fondue meal. The busboy was never missing anytime you needed your glass refilled and was very nice.
Now the food, we had the swiss cheese fondue and it was delicious. i've never been a huge fan of swiss but it was great. The food was fresh and you get a nice portion of beef with what we ordered. As for dessert? freaking great! fudge fondue was amazing. to dip, angel food cake, strawberries, blackberries, oranges, watermelon, pineapple, banana, marshmallow, and graham cracker.
The menu seems reasonably priced, with exception of the beers ($4.95 domestic. im used to $3 for bottle) and there is plenty of space, unlike Geja's, where you are squished next to the next table.
My favorite is still melting pot on dearborn, but if you're in the area, definitely give Fondue Stube a try.
I came here last week with a friend. Â I have never been to Melting Pot or Geja's, but we loved this place.
Everything was very good, and our server was attentive and helpful. Â
The setting is definitely geared toward more a romantic-type dinner; dim lighting and classical music.
They suggest you make reservations; we did, and had no problem.
They have a summer deal $30/person. Â It comes with a cheese fondue, chicken and broth/oil, and a chocolate dessert fondue (in other words- appetizer, main course, and dessert).
I noticed some people mentioned that they didn't think they received enough food. Â I personally thought there was plenty of food. Â They bring out salad and bread beforehand, and the fondue portions are pretty decently sized.
I liked this place a lot; it was definitely a great first fondue experience. Â I only give it 4 stars because I have nothing else to compare it to.
There is no better fondue restaurant anywhere. This puts The Melting Pot to shame. Fondue Stube has been open since the early 70's. I have been going there all my life. It's like a little taste/feel of the 70's when you walk in. The owner is so sweet, and you ask for extras of anything and you got it!!
I love eating there because you really take the time to enjoy and savor the food. It takes time to cook each piece, so you really have the time to eat slowly and enjoy it.
If you have never tried fondue, here is the place for you. if you haven't had it in years, then go there!
They have veggie plates as well as meat and chicken dishes. The chocolate dessert fondue is to die for!! (Save room for it).
The food was good - all served with an oil to cook the main course in which was okay, just I prefer broth. Â Everything as far the food was good, the waiter and his assistant were on it. Â The only downside for us was that the "smell" in the air was more of the cooking oil. Â We did go early - literally I think the first couple to be seated for the Friday evening, and as it filled up the atmosphere improved :-)
Review Source:Came to Fondue Stube as a going away dinner for a friend. We ended up staying there about three hours and were very much pleased with our experience. They were super smart in sitting us in a back corner because we were so loud, I hope we didn't ruin people's romantic dinners. I don't think we were louder than one of our lovely waiters, though...man, his voice carried!
We had two full orders of shrimp and one order each of beef and chicken. The waiters were very attentive and helpful. Our oil had cooled off, so they got us two fresh pots quickly. Â As some have mentioned, the food is all about the sauce. I especially liked the curry mayo, yum! Â I would have liked a set of salt and pepper shakers at the table to add some flavor to the meat, but no big deal. I loved that the veggies were unlimited, and we totally took advantage of this.
For dessert, we got one order of dark chocolate and one of caramel. Our waiter warned us that he was going to light the chocolate  for us to roast our marshmallows and we continued to dip the rest of our fruit, pound cake and graham crackers until there was no more chocolate to be had.
Definitely want to check out their cheese options sometime, or their weekday specials.
One thing to note: Check out their website for a BOGO coupon! Not limited to one per table, which is awesome.
Last night I lost my fondue virginity. It took me 20 years, but I finally got to see what the fuss was all about! I had a Groupon with my friend L but also went with my friend K, to Fondue Stube <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fonduestube.com%2F&s=d5e5d77ca4e68303e8bb5046b314357d5e6453ebbf8a6458d211524b01685d19" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.fonduestube.c…</a> in Chicago. All my knowledge of fondue included dipping things into a vat of hot cheese and sharing it with a lot of people. It sounded very hippie, I was almost expecting that we would sit on the floor on pillows or something. Boy was I wrong! The menu all had a music theme, which I loved. My friends and I decided to just get 3 of the same thing: the Sinfonia Eroica, which was a 3 course meal, starting with apples and bread with swiss cheese, then sirloin with vegetables and sauces to be dipped in soybean oil, and the final course fresh, seasonal fruit to be dipped in a fudge sauce. We also got a salad and garlic bread. Although it didn't sound like it would be enough food, we were definitely stuffed afterwards!
The bread and apple course with the swiss cheese fondue was a great way to start the meal, especially because of how well the flavors blended together. The apples were a little tart which was perfect with the swiss cheese. Of course the bread tasted amazing with it as well. I would have never thought to put apples and swiss cheese together, but something about it just works.
Next we moved onto the main course, which was unlimited vegetables and sirloin beef to dip in soybean oil. It was fun to dip and wait for our food to be done, because it felt like we were really involved in the food process. What I loved was the selection of sauces that came with our platter of vegetables. There was a raspberry, a Bearnaise, a Curry, and a Steak sauce. So here we are with our veggies: potato, carrot, cauliflower, and broccoli, and then we have all these sauces that we can mix and match, so to speak, with our various veggies and steak. We found that the raspberry and steak went very well together, in an unexpected and refreshing sort of way. I really enjoyed the curry one myself, but all of the choices were delicious.
After the main course, we get to dessert, which is what I was looking forward to the most. Our seasonal fresh fruit was an interesting assortment: strawberries, blackberries, watermelon, banana, pineapple, oranges, and a melon. Then there was some pound cake and marshmallows with graham crackers as well, with this giant pot of hot, fondue chocolate. Our waiter set it on fire first, so that we could make s'mores. I was too busy taking a picture to try that though. But it was quite good, though some of the fruit wasn't meant to be with chocolate, like the oranges and the melons. But the rest tasted amazing, like I always imagined chocolate fondue with fruit would!
Overall, it was really interesting to be able to try something so new and different. I can't say I'm a fondue lover for life now or anything, but I would like to be able to try some of the other choices that they had available, like seafood and different cheeses. I'm glad my friends and I were able to try something none of us was really familiar with. If you want something new, I recommend it. Though fondue is something that's more fun with lots of people, so bring a group!
Let me first start by saying that I've never had fondue before. My girlfriend bought the groupon on here, so we decided to check the place out.
Upon entering, I noticed a very cozy atmosphere. Not bad, I've seen worse. Next was the hostess/owner with no customer service skills whatsoever. No hello. No thank you for coming in. Just "Do you have a reservation?"
The groupon we got was expiring the next day, so as you know a lot of people were there for dinner. Tell me why there was only one waiter, two bus boys, and the owner herself. I don't get it. Don't you think you should prepare for these things. We spent 2 hours at this place, when we could've been out in an hour. I can tell a lot of the patrons were getting impatient as well as we exchanged collective looks with one another. Moreover, this one bus boy was just in charge of refilling water and cleaning up tables. Why don't you let him at least serve food to alleviate the long wait between courses?
As I said I've never been to a fondue before, so the food was a new experience for me. It was pretty good. Especially the steak and dessert. They have deals during the weekdays if you want to take advantage of that (all-you-can-eat).
Final straw for me was when we received our check and while my girlfriend was still looking if everything was okay, the owner/hostess just rudely went up to her and said "Can I take that?" when she knew she was still looking at it. Listen lady, we were polite and didn't rush you when you were swamped, but when you're getting the check, you can rush us?
Child please.
Bill came out to about $80 for two people and soft drinks. Not sure if that's pricey, but from reading other reviews about this place, I guess it is.
In short, terrible service, rude ass owner, and okay food. I'm sure there's better places than this.
I am so happy I purchased a groupon here, I had the most wonderful experience. Â The place was not hard to find, and parking was ample. Â Careful walking in, there is a step. My clumsy butt did not see and fell first right into the door... haha.
The ambiance is beautiful and romantic the walls are a deep red, which I absolutely loved! I loved the fact that they have unlimited beef on Monday's for $28 a person. Which is what me and my dad ordered. My mom ordered the Classic, which came with vegetables, her choice of meat, and dessert. Â I believe that cost was around $30ish.
For 3 people that did not order drinks, our bill came to $99 dollars, I was a little shocked that it was so expensive but we only ended up paying half (groupon). Â I am not upset about the bill, because the experience made it all worth while.
The Plus Side: Loved the red walls. It was quiet enough to talk comfortably and dinner stretched out over a couple of hours. The waiters were pleasant, we were seated promptly, and the food was good, though not remarkable. The Swiss and Munster cheeses were great. The chocolate fudge was a little bit ordinary.
The Down Side: With three people even with a coupon it was a pricey evening. I feel like the value we received was in the experience more than in the food.
Regrets? No. It was fun, relaxing, and memorable and I'm glad we went. Would I go again? Yes, to celebrate a special occasion, but I'd just order a simple entree and head somewhere else for dessert.
For being a lover of Geja's, the place is pale in comparison.
The place itself is lackluster and the service is alright (a bit abrupt). Â Sure, we got served salad before our meal like Geja's, but it was nowhere as fresh, nor tasty. Â Sure, we ordered some cheese fondue, eh. Â The garlic bread? Â Alright. Â The tilpia? Â Fresh, but kept breaking off while cooking. Â I rarely have this problem when I order fish or lobster at Geja's. Â The veggies were fine. Â There were very few pieces and we had to ask for more during the dining experience. Â The dipping sauces? Â We were each offered four, which were average, nothing like the 12+ at Geja's. Â
As we were in the car, we realized that our clothes soaked up the oil aroma much more than when we have dined at Geja's at various junctures. Â Sure, this place is cheaper, but I would rather fork out the extra cash and make my way down to Armitage!
We had a BLAST. Â This place, with its 1960's decor and serving pieces, is totally trippy, right down to the deep red and timber walls, and the service was amazing, complete with advice on how to manage fish in the hot oil so the fish didn't end up a bunch of floating irretrievable pieces. Â I've never enjoyed a fondue restaurant so much! Â None of the pretension of the Geja's of the world and really really good. Â We went on Tuesday and had the all u can eat chicken tilapia and scallops which is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays (monday and wednesdays are all-u-can eat beef) and this was definitely the way to go! Â I loved trying out all four sauces that we were provided and experimenting with all the vegetables that were provided. Â We ordered a cheap bottle of $19 wine to accompany the meal (what's fondue without WINE?!), and the whole experience was wonderful. Â
When we first arrived at 7pm there were two loud, large families whose noise kind of turned us off, but they got their checks and left within minutes and we then were able to fully enjoy the continuous classical music and all of the delicious food in peace. Â
I'm not going to say it was the finest chicken, scallops or tilapia I've ever eaten (I don't know if I have a way to tell), but it was definitely one of the most fun and delicious meals of chicken, scallops I've had in recent memory once one starts factoring in the fun of fondue and all the delicious sauces that were provided. Â
So, this is probably like the second Yelp! review I've ever written, but I had to come home and let people know what this place really is and make sure it attracts the right kind of person to enjoy it. Â No, it's not modern, no it's not haute, no it's not "classy", no it's not a bargain -- it's just really delicious fondue served in a funky retro atmosphere by a caring staff who make sure you have a wonderful time. Â
Long live gems like this which make this city the Chicago that I've known and love since childhood.
Eh, this place is okay. I guess I'm not that big of a fondue fan since I don't think the price is worth it. We could've bought the ingredients at my house, pour some oil into a pot, then fondue ourselves for a much cheaper cost. My friends and I came for both dinner and dessert. We felt the dessert portion was more worth than the dinner.
All 8 of us ordered the Romeo and Juliet. We were given steak, fish, shrimp, scallop, and veggies with different sauces. The veggies could be refilled but the others don't. Our waiter told us that we could ask for more veggies when we're done but that didnt seem to happen. He never came to our table to check up on us aside when we're all done with dinner and getting ready for the dessert portion.
All of us came home smelling like oil! This restaurant is so filled with that smell, so be sure you wear something that you don't mind washing right away because the smell will stay on your clothes for a day!
There a quite a few things you have to put up with here, and for the price at the end, I kind of felt robbed. To start off with, Â if you aren't from the area it's hard to find. There is no bright flashing sign telling you you've reached your destination. Then when you finally manage to find it you have to walk through a very narrow pass way to get to the hostess, who is slightly rude. We didn't wait long which was a plus but while we did people kept coming in and leaving through the same narrow pass way we were in. I think I accidently grouped a few people. I should probably also mention the smell, it smells like oil. Even after we left the smell lingered on my clothes.
Moving on to the food. It was good. It was your average fondue meal, except they were kind of stingy on the meat and veggies. In their defense, they will bring out more veggies if you ask. I found this out at the end. The only great thing here were the waiters. They were so accommodating and friendly, if it wasn't for them I'd have probably gone lower on this star scale. To be honest, I won't be coming back, but thats mostly because I live far away and can't justify the experience with the price.
I ended up buying my own fondue set and replicating the dinner for less than $50 (for two).
Service was great. Food was decent. Prices feel a bit high for what you get.
The soy oil is delicious especially with the potatoes and onions. You definitely will get some more vegetables if you ask so definitely don't be shy asking.
The cheese appetizer with bread wasn't good at all. To me, it tasted like low quality processed cheese, but the others I was with seemed to enjoy it so it might have just been me. Â The pork was fine. Definitely finished my portion, but I've definitely had better. The vegetables, again, in the soy oil were absolutely delicious. Dessert. Amazing. Best part of the meal.
Definitely a place I'd recommend going to at least once, especially with a group of people. The others seemed to enjoy the food more than I did. I would definitely give it a second try though.
They recommend reservations, but the restaurant was fairly quiet on a Friday night.
I know this is a pretty harsh rating but it was earned by this place.
I was really looking forward to trying something different for dinner. Â I wanted to have a different experience than the regular sit, order, eat and leave. Â I bought a Groupon for this place because its reviews here on Yelp looked pretty good. Â I was so confident in this place that I bought 2, one for me and my boyfriend and one for an additional couple who are friends. Â I invited them out but thankfully they were too busy the night we tried to go. Â We called ahead to make a reservation as our Groupon requested we do. Â We were told 8:45pm. Â No problem. Â We drive to the place and almost couldn't find it. Â The awning with the restaurant name on it was missing. Â There was no signage AT ALL saying Fondue Stube. Â OK... how do they expect us to find it? Â Weird.
We arrive at 8:40pm (5 mins early for our reservation) and walk in the door. Â What struck us first was the overpowering smell of cooking oil as soon as we hit the door. Â It was strong and lent the place a kind of smoky hue. Â Next thing to assail our senses was the strikingly red walls throughout the place. Â Not horrible but not pleasant either. Â Now I'm beginning to wonder if I made a mistake by picking this restaurant.
We check in with the hostess who was anything but polite or competent. Â She lamely looked at us and asks "What name?". Â No 'Hi' or 'Welcome' or anything. Â We tell her the reservation name and then she walks off. Â She doesn't say a word. Â WTF? Â There is a party of 2 ahead of us so we wait right by the front door as there is no bar or other proper waiting area.
And we wait. Â
And we wait. Â
No sign of the hostess. Â No sign we're ever getting a table. Â It's OK to be so busy that you're running a bit behind but at least let us know that while we wait. Â Let us know that you are working on getting us a table. Â Three different parties have by this time squeezed by us to leave after finishing their meals. Â It's been 25 minutes since we arrived.... still no table, still no sign of the hostess and still no one telling me we'll have a table in a few minutes.
Finally, the hostess magically arrives to escort the 2 person party ahead of us to their table. Â We wait another 10 minutes (again with no sign of the hostess) before just walking out completely frustrated and annoyed beyond belief!!!
Honestly, the only reason I waited an additional 10 mins for a table was to be able to tell the hostess how horrible her customer service skills were and how much her inability to do her job had ruined my night. Â I really wanted to let her have it but finally gave up because I just didn't want to wait any longer and was really hungry. Â I'm so glad that the other couple we invited wasn't able to make it or else I would have been sooo embarrassed. Â This place is HORRIBLE and not worth your money. Â I cancelled my Groupon and told them just how bad this place was.
Followup..... I noticed today that this place just put out another Groupon offer trying to bring customers in here. Â Save your $$ and go someplace else. Â This certainly isn't the only fondue place in town but to me it ranks as the worst. Â Their one-star was well deserved in my humble opinion.
If this is fine dining, then anyone and their step brother could be in the restaurant biz -
1) Scrape up $48.00
2) Buy 1 head cauliflower
3) Buy 1 head broccoli
4) Buy 2 big Idaho potatos
5) Buy 6 lbs. $1.99 sirloin steak
6) Buy 2 bottles of $6.99 white wine
7) Buy a few big hunks of cheddar and swiss cheese
8) Buy 3 gallons of vegetable oil
9) Buy several loaves of French bread
Cut everything up and/or slice into small pieces. Plate up a big handful of raw meat. Plate up 3 pieces of vegetable each. Heal oil in small cast iron pot and then light up sterno to keep oil boiled at table. Mix in hunk of cheese and wine in another pot with sterno. Let diners cook/dip the raw food into the boiling oil and hot cheese.
Divvy up all food to make 18 entrees, then charge $28 per entree.
Gross $504.00 for your culinary genius!
This was my second time at this establishment and most likely my last.
  The cheese was of very low quality and the apples that came with were already turning brown by the time they reached us. Ordered the beef for my main house, not a good cut of meat by any means.
The best part was the dessert, good selection of items to dip in the chocolate. The best was the angel food cake and bananas.
I will not be returning. The end
Give a girl chocolate and cheese, and you've got yourself a deal. Pay attention to their weekday specials - totally worth it. And for the specials they have put together, it comes out to about the same as a-la-carte. so go for it. Don't go here for the Meat Fondue meal and expect yum - it taste like nothing. Just go for the:
Chocolate Fudge Fondue
Muenster Cheese Fondue
TIP: Go to the site and get their BOGO coupon.
My bf took me for my birthday because I LOVE fondue! Â We both got the Classic meal which includes a Cheese fondue to share (we got the swiss), you each pick your meat (he got beef, I got La Mer seafood medley) but then we shared them, and for dessert, he wanted White Chocolate and I wanted Dark Chocolate -- they gave us both! Â Not sure if that was because it was my bday... But awesome!
The decor and dishware seem very 60s, but I think that's about how old this establishment is. They know what they're doing without it being too flashy. Â And the portions are JUST right even though they look small. Â We were soooo stuffed. Â And that bottle of wine didn't stand a chance.
Perfect spot for a fun, romantic couples night out!
One downer for me: Â It was classical music all night which felt more sleepy than celebratory.
If you're a fan of time forgotten establishments then Fondue Stube may just be the place for you.
First, let's start with the sign. Â Honestly, the sign out front is probably the biggest reason why I decided to give this place a try. Â I pass by it every day on the way to work, and it amuses me to no end how authentically vintage it is. Â This restaurant has been around since the 70s and it totally shows! Not to mention that the name reminds me of one of my favorite characters from the Simpsons, Disco Stu!
We arrived for dinner on a slightly rainy Sunday night with a party of 4, maybe an hour or so before they were closing. Â A few tables were enjoying some desserts, but for the most part it was pretty quiet (aside from the triumphant classical music being played), and we were seated immediately by the window.
Since this was our first time ever at a Fondue restaurant, we asked the waitress (who presumably is also the owner?) to explain things to us. Â She seemed a bit annoyed at having to explain the entire process to us, but overall she was pleasant enough and never made us feel unwelcome.
Taking her portioning advice in stride, we decided to order considerably less than she suggested since we weren't ravenously hungry.
To start we ordered a very reasonably priced bottle of Ravenswood Chardonnay. Â The wine list is nothing exceptional, but there is a decent variety and the prices are really quite good. Â Although we didn't get a chance to partake in them, the list of dessert beverages looks exquisite and will definitely require a separate return trip.
To start we ordered the full order of Swiss Cheese Fondue - "A blend of Swiss cheeses melted together with Kirschwasser (a dry white wine) and a touch of seasonings." Â This was brought to the table with chunks of bread and green apple slices. We were also brought 4 pieces of warm garlic bread which was absolutely delicious.
The Cheese fondue was exactly what we had hoped for in all its melty, delicious goodness.
Next up we split two full seafood entrees between the four of us.
The Scallop Fondue had a good sized helping of nicely sized scallops and a variety of fresh vegetables. Â The La Mer was a combination of scallops, shrimp, and tilapia with an assortment of fresh vegetables.
Both came with the four signature Fondue Stube sauces, all of which were great.
We were given instructions on how to cook everything in the piping hot soybean oil. Â Over time we realized that the Scallops and Tilapia were pretty difficult to cook in the oil, but the Shrimp, Broccoli and Cauliflower were outstandingly good. Â The Tilapia was pretty much impossible to cook and all but disappeared into the oil. Our table attendant (I'd hate to call him just a busboy because he also delivered our food) was amazingly nice, and even brought us out extra veggies.
By the end of the meal we were all pretty stuffed and had no room left for dessert. Â That's OK, because like I said, this seems like the kind of place that you could definitely show up to for a dessert date!
Overall, Fondue Stube is one of those great little hidden neighborhood gems of a restaurant that have survived for years and it makes me exceptionally happy to see them still around!
I'm going to preface this review with an apology...'cause I'm about to go there.
So, I stongly feel that someone needs to give Fondue Stube a lesson in value and profit margin because they just jumped off the deep end into some seriously deep and merky waters. Â I am always one to pay for the experiential dining, but this was outrageously priced for what you got. Â
I am an ingredient buyer so I did some cost analysis for both industrial and foodservice purchasing of my seafood fondue dinner and man, was I pissed.  I payed like 26 bucks for 1 medium scallop cut in half, 2 shrimp that were like U-35, 2 one half ounce pieces of tilapia, 2 mushrooms, 2 thin slices of potato and 2 slices of onion...oh yah...and a carrot or two...one of which I dropped on the floor.  We'll throw  2 pieces of garlic bread in there, about 8oz of oil for frying and 4 teaspoons of dipping sauces that were sooooo not homemade.  This total package costed out at about 3-5 bucks.  Now you see what I'm saying...the fucking deep end! Â
What was worse, was the dessert fondue. Â The chocolate in the pot was delicious, but they gave so little to dip it up with that we ended up not being able to eat almost half of the pot of chocolate. Â If I'm going to have a pot of chocolate in front of me, you better believe that I'm gonna kill it.
The place itself was probably  right-on in 1968.  You know, when fondue was the hype and sets were given out at weddings like single cup coffee makers were 4 years ago.  I love me some vintage and mid centery decor, but the deep red walls in there just killed if for me.  It looked like they just painted red laquered paint over and over and over, covering all the splattered oil every other year since their grand opening.  I will give them props for the fire baked tile in the bathroom, though....those were pretty rad.  Aside from the fact that the bathroom wall was thin and there was a table set up against it in the dining area, it was pretty slick.  ...just don't fart.
In light of the poor value and downer decor, the service was great. Â Our server explained everything to us, recommended some wine and kept a smile and cheer about him the whole time. Â If I were to go back, it would only be to see that guy again, but I doubt that'll happen anytime soon.
I have been eyeballing Fondue Stube for several months so tonight my other half and I decided to give it a try. Upon walking into this restaurant there was a smell of mold or staleness or perhaps it's just an old oil smell stuck to the walls/carpet. Regardless, on to the food:
For starters we received our ICEBERG lettuce salads. I haven't had an iceberg salad in more than a decade. At least. I laughed over how we weren't afforded our own vegetables, rather we were given one half of a cherry tomato each.
We had an appetizer, which was cheddar cheese with bread and apples. The cheese was mediocre, the apple was fine, but the bread was stale. But wait there's more!
We opted for the vegetable plate, as my partner is vegetarian. This entree was literally 12 pieces of vegetables. At this point that's the most generous this place has been especially when you consider the dipping sauces were just a quarter size of the following:
-a bland raspberry sauce
-mayonnaise masked as a "curry" sauce
-bernaise sauce
and here's the kicker...
-cocktail sauce
Look I get that you serve fish and other seafood for which cocktail sauce would be handy, but these are the ONLY 4 sauces you offer for all of your entrees. Really? At a fondue restaurant? Ouch.
In short this place was a major disappointment and not somewhere I will visit again. Fondue Stube is to fondue what Taco Bell is to authentic Mexican food. In the end, the only positive aspect of this restaurant was that we had wine to get us through the meal.
I've been to the Fondue Stube every year for more than 15 years around Christmas with family friends. Every time i enjoy myself immensely.
The cheese fondue is fantastic, served with bread and apples. Then we move on to peanut oil, which we use to cook beef, chicken, lobster, scallops, whitefish, shrimp, and several types of vegetables. The dark, milk, and white chocolate dessert fondues are all delicious.
Cooking your own food at the table adds to the experience. That's what fondue is all about - slowly savoring each morsel. Those who don't understand this concept should have their reviews taken with more than a grain of salt. I leave stuffed and happy.
The entire experience is much more authentic than what you get at chains like the Melting Pot. All pots are kept warm with sterno. No new restaurant would be able to set up like this - Chicago laws won't allow it - the Fondue Stube was grandfathered in under old laws. But it's perfectly safe, as long as you remember that yes, oil is hot, and you leave it up to the servers and busboys (friends and family of the owners) to make sure you don't get burned.
True, the decor might not be enough to draw in the hipster crowd. But they don't want you anyway. If you can't get over the Christmas lights, that's your problem. True, you leave smelling like peanut oil. But unless you're going out to a fancy bar afterwards, what's the big deal? After eating all that food, you won't want to go painting the town red, anyway.
What's amazing is that the bad reviews on this site mostly focus on the decor (irrelevant) or the size of the waitress (WTF?)... wow, Chicago yelpers, you really have made yourselves proud.
It's a cute, unpretentious, family-owned place with nice service and great food. Treat yourself to a fun and unique night out.
Remember those Anne Geddes prints from the early 1990s that featured babies dressed up as sunflowers and animals? They are alive and well at the Fondue Stube.
What do babies and fondue have to do with one another you ask? Â My question exactly!
I had high hopes the "Fondue Stube" along the lines of a dark, homey interior featuring a long, rustic farmhouse table, worn wooden benches, a gargantuan stone hearth fireplace and an imposing yet gently-worn bar, tended by a bearded man with a heavy German accent.
Wrong.
The Fondue Stube is nothing like the above, and not in a good way. Â The Fondue Stube has gone very, very wrong.
Imagine a very sparse, corporate interior, reminiscent of "The Office" spruced up with Christmas tube lighting, strands of plastic ivy and Anne Geddes prints. Â It's the restaurant of a fifth grader's nightmare. Â What's even more odd is that the menu features a classical music theme. Â Each fondue package is named for a famous composer or musical score. Â I found it all quite odd and disjointed.
What about the food, you ask? Â Overpriced fondue, simply stated. Â The profit margin on the food has to be astronomical. Â Imagine throwing together a pot of melted cheese and some sliced apples and bread, and then charging upwards of $50 for the lot. Â One would think it might be feasible to upgrade the artwork. Â Another strange item was the laminated blue tri-fold card that was placed around the sterno part of the fondue. Â Is this some type of heat shield? Â Paper and plastic? Â Strange...
Of note: the service. Â It was excellent. Â If you need specific instructions on how to dip stuff into melted cheese or melted chocolate, this is the staff for you. Â All joking aside, the service was attentive, patient and timed perfectly. Â
Frankly, I would never recommend or return to the Fondue Stube.
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