I have been meaning to try Raw Bar for quite sometime and our soon to be expiring groupon finally got the boyfriend and I out to Wrigleyville for a very nice and relatively romantic dinner. Â
The groupon was for 1.5lbs of maine lobster and 2 glasses of champagne for 2. I of course drank both the champagne and boyfriend had a couple Green Line Taps.
The staff was exceptionally nice and attentive, our server, who I am assuming was the manager or owner took very good care of us. I don't often feel special at a restaurant but I felt very welcome at Raw Bar. It was probably an unusually slow night for a Friday in Wrigley but it was pretty cold out and we just had about 5 or 6 inches of fresh snow the night before. It meant no waiting for us so that was a plus, I was happy to see the place fill up when we were leaving around 8:30.
We ordered their special, margarita ceviche and their little neck steamers to accompany our lobster, which we ordered cajun & steamed style. I was going to order the lobster just steamed because cajun sounds strange for lobster but the owner/manager man assured us cajun was the best option and just made the lobster garlicy and delicious. He was right and we really enjoyed our lobster.
I thought everything was really good, the ceviche was especially enjoyable with shrimp, scallop, octopus, avocado and red onion, chips to eat it with, yum! The little neck steamers were pretty tasty in a garlic and wine broth. The lobster was a nice treat since I never eat it, it was one tail split in half for you. The boyfriend extracted the tail for me and cracked the claw. I really enjoyed it, doused in butter.
I really cannot say if this is the best seafood around, surely it is not. But for being trapped in the midwest in the middle of winter I really enjoyed what I ate. Everything tasted and seemed fresh but I know if I went to the east coast tomorrow for some lobster I would probably cry for what I could be eating.
That aside, we had a nice cozy and romantic dinner with really friendly service and a good meal. I will say this place is probably ludicrously expensive however. The meal was a $120 something dollars before the groupon was applied. That's kind of absurd. We had 3 beers, 2 glasses of champagne (included in the groupon) 1 glass of wine, ceviche, steamers, lobster (included in the groupon) and 1 dessert. Thankfully our groupon took $60 bucks off the bill, but thats crazy! If I'm going to spend $120 I'm going to Carnivale or Chef's Station in Evanston or some other fabulous steak house in downtown Chicago. Don't get me wrong, the meal was good but this isn't a 5 star restaurant, it's a bar in Wrigley that happens to be charming enough to be romantic. What's my point here? I'm glad I tried it and had a great meal but I'm more glad that I had a groupon to ease the pain of receiving the bill. Probably cannot justify spending that kind of money unless I am in a super fancy restaurant in the future.
After we stumbled into this place to wait for a nearby show to start, my date and I quickly found our favorite dish on the menu...mussels. Â While we waited for our orders to arrive, the owner/manager brought us a couple of surprise dishes gratis. Â Great service, great food. Â Drinks were ok, but that's more a matter of personal taste than objective observation. Â And keep in mind that not all foods are in season year around, so if oysters et al aren currently on the menu, google it to see if they are even in season before getting worried about it. Â I'll be here again when in the neighborhood.
Review Source:There was a terrible smell of urine as we entered the restaurant , but I thought that we would still give it a chance (also, we didn't have another reservation, and it was New Years Eve...) Â Service was very average (borderline poor). Â We had to wait over 10 minutes for our drink order to be taken. Â The food was decent, but they refused to take a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> coupon even though there were absolutely no restrictions on the coupon. Â With so many other restaurant options in the city, this one has permanently been crossed off the list.
Review Source:What a surprise! My dad loves eating here and has come to know the owner, so my mom and I decided to indulge him (I had never been).
It wasn't what I expected at all. They told me it was a seafood restaurant, but it's really closer to middle eastern / mediterranean. I wasn't in the mood for it once we got there and I looked through the menu a little disappointed.
The ambiance could use some work, and the music was strange 90's r&b. But when the food arrived it held up to the expectations my dad had set. I had a special, grilled salmon stuffed with bell peppers & goat cheese--it was delicious!
I am a very picky eater, and I read the mixed reviews. But our dinner was great--quality, flavor, presentation & portion.
I first came in several months ago.  I was tired of the stale wrigleyville scene and wasn't planning on coming here.  A friend insisted on bringing me in for just one drink. Several  delicious martinis later I'm hooked.  Nicole, has made me some of the best drinks I've ever had including a cherry mint martini and a hot gingerbread latte!.  Make sure to ask for Nicole and the daily drink special.  The food menu is what some consider exotic but don't be afraid to ask questions.  Try the ostrich and alligator for a step away from the ordinary.  Get the crispy salmon you won't be disappointed.  I'll be back again for dinner and latenight drinks for sure!
Review Source:My family's been coming here for awhile now as the service is always been efficient and amicable.
Regina helped us out on our last visit and she held to those standards.
I usually hate hummus but theirs is quite exceptional. Fresh chickpeas were used with all the right spices. The three shrimp that accompany this appetizer are grilled with a cajun taste that nicely accompanies the dip. I'd strongly advise getting again.
Their entrees are all equally tasty and you cannot go wrong with the seafood here. On this trip I opted for the special trout/salmon stuffed filets with goat cheese, which made each bite memorable. Their entree prices are quite reasonable also.
We had a $10 off <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a> which made the deal even sweeter!
So, coming here,we were hoping for  some excellent seafood, and instead we got ok. seafood. First off, when walking in the place was basically deserted, which is all well and good, but then the bartender barked at the hostess to take us to the back... we were going to sit at the bar... anyway we take our seats,and whip out our trusty $25 RESTAURANT.COM coupon that we picked up for $2. You have to spend $50 to use it, but that's easy when each plate is $20
Anyway, after seeing our coupon, the waitress then directs us to every expensive dish on the menu, including $40 crab and lobster. We almost fell for that one until we saw the sad little guys swimming in their tank looking like they needed a meal themselves. Â Anyhow, we ended up with the red-snapper and the swordfish. Â Both of the meals took a while to come out, and both of the meals were only mediocre. The red-snapper was actually recommended by the waitress ( probably because it was the most expensive fish dish) Â so we were slightly annoyed that it didn't taste like much.
In conclusion, without that coupon we'd never go back to this place, and I don't recommend it to anyone who wants some great fish at great prices without that coupon either. By the way... I don't know what everyone is talking about with the warm bread. Ours hit the table in a basket, cold, we poured our own cheap olive oil in a plate, and sprinkled our own Parmesan cheese into it, despite being one of two tables in the building.
Kind of surprised by the lower rating of this place, I really enjoyed it. They have a great selection of fish (and other dishes) that are all really well priced. The atmosphere is fantastic; didn't seem great when you walk by and then walk in, but it has a romantic/intimate atmosphere in the back. The service was also fantastic.
But the real steal is the food. Everything that we had was fantastic, and like I said it is all well-priced. I was really surprised to find this kind of place right by Wrigley, and it is indeed a good find. Will be returning for sure. Also for you foursquare users, there's a discount.
Service: 10/10
Atmosphere/9/10
Food: 9/10
Are there no negative stars? I have never ever written a review nor trashed a place before until now. What were they thinking? I ordered the "special" king crab legs. Waitress tells me it's $10 off the usual $37.00 okay. Shows me a plate of two huge legs someone else orders. woo-hoo! yeah, I'll order that! We order oysters on the half shell as our app.
15 minutes later, we get bread in a basket, cold, white. 20 minutes later we get our main dish and oysters all at once. Â I understand, stuff happens, we are hungry.
Problem is my plate does not even come close to resembling the crab legs the waitress showed us earlier. Mine are small, cut at the joints and if assembled may equal one small leg. It is lukewarm, and I have to crack it open but first I need some utensils. My side of broccoli are two huge crowns that were dipped in water. It was so hard my knife couldn't cut it. The bus lady brings me a cracking tool. It's still a spiny struggle.
I complain to the waitress and she brings the manager. hmmm. Manager returns my crab leg platter with a cut down the center of each section, warmed up, gives me a somewhat "al dente" broccoli. ok, I may be on my way. Crab was tasteless. Even the smothering of butter with garlic couldn't save it because the garlic was raw. Â
The Bill comes in and I am charged $37. Tell the overworked waitress that it was $10 less and she says, "oh no, it's $37 with the discount" Â You mean they normally ask $47 for that stuff? No way!!! The manager compromised and gave me $5 off. Still overpriced for what I got. And I went away over garlicked and hungry. I know, you could never get enough garlic, right? Not when it's raw.
And here is where I have to add, I had a coupon. Yup. Did that influence my plate/serving? Perhaps. Even with the coupon it was an expensive night out for what we got, not worth the visit. I even felt bad for the large piano man who leaned over our table and wouldn't leave until we told him our names.
Wish I had taken a picture of the sad ass skinny leg and broccoli forest. Never to return again. Crab was as tasty as the decor. Ugh!
Raw bar? More like frozen seafood bar. The oysters were not fresh, the shrimp tasted like it was thawed from the freezer, and the king crab legs were soggy to the point that we couldn't even crack the shell. A <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> gift certificate brought us to this restaurant, but you couldn't pay us to go back. Service was extremely rushed, which was odd considering we were one of only two parties in the entire restaurant. That should have been our first clue! We walked out feeling like we overpayed to be feeling so quesy. I am SHOCKED that this place is still in business.
Review Source:It wasn't awful, but it certainly wasn't something to write home about.
What I had: minuscule, but decent tasting oysters, the clams and bland shrimp & undercooked scallops with some surprisingly good risotto.
They get 3 for the quirky decor and all the MILFs that were hanging out while I was there. Can anyone confirm the MILFy crowd as a regular occurrence?
Shane-O, out.
Here it is. I wasn't impressed by the restaurant. I was impressed that I never noticed it before. Sorry. We bought a Groupon and I was excited to go out for a date night and look into my lovahs eyes as I threw down some seafood delights and got my buzz on. A babysitter is a lovely, sacred, respected and Holy thang.
The drinks were strong and yumz and they even customized my honey buns Rum Runner that he needs to drink (almost) weekly. My Lovah and I took a Jamaican holiday recently and he still is day dreaming about the beach....but hey, aren't we all???
The refillable warm bread was a nice touch and I used it to dunk it into the mussels appetizer bowl blend that came out. Speaking of my mussels....they were hardly edible, I've had better and made better at home with Aldi seafood selection. I was shocked that they served them as small as they came out. Â They were so very small, bland, but a large serving indeed in a lovely bowl with a delightful broth at the bottom. I made the best of it, my hunger had the best of me and I just threw down. My Jack n Ginger Ale (drank of choice) Â helped get a little more flavor in each bite. My hubz enjoyed his fish dish so much that he licked his plate. Apparently his Run Runners were strong from the young Jedi bartender.
We had another round of cocktails and a great conversation, the area is always bumping and it wasn't a lost cause. Next time tho Ill prob hit up Rockit for a $25 Lobster Burger but wouldn't doubt myself if I gave this place another shot. They do have favoring reviews and the dranks were redonkulous.
So I'm really into oysters big time.....maybe the oysters are the hit of the Raw Bar? I guess you'll find out if I go back ey?
I feel bad for giving this place 2 stars. The owner is really nice and our server was very attentive. My problem was the food itself. It took a long while for us to get the food and the place wasn't even that crowded. We waited for I want to say over 30 minutes at least. Thankfully they gave us bread, olive oil and cheese to tie us over.
And now for our dinner. I got the mahi mahi. My mahi was overcooked and I'm not even sure that was mahi. Mahi is usually thicker and white and flakey. My filet was not thick and flakey and looked kind of pink. The taste was meh, okay. Nothing great. The broccoli I got was not seasoned at all. I ate about oh 1/4 of this 16/17 dish. My fiancee got the "prime rib." Sauce on this was good, BUT this was definitely not Lawry's type prime rib. It was more a steak and it wasn't tender, definitely NOT quality meat. My fiancee gave me a bite. I chewed it for a couple seconds and then spit it out in my napkin. Not good. Sauce like I said was good and I took some of his sauce and dipped my broccoli in it.
Bill wasn't bad, 2 beers, one fish dish and one "prime rib" was about 70 bucks with tip. Won't be coming back. I really do like the salt water aquarium they have in there, that was beautiful. Too bad about the food.
NOM. So much food and absolutely amazing.
I had one of the specials of the day: jumbo shrimp and stuffed japanese eggplants and bell peppers. I wish I'd taken more time to analyze the food and figure out how they made it because I would totally replicate it at home...but I was too busy with the conversation.
The food was flavorful and the service attentive and I had a wonderful time.
I am still trying to figure this place out. Â Service was great, but that might have been because we were the only table in the back room of the restaurant until about 9:00. Â The menu, well it is all over the place. Â They Alligator, Lamb, crab claws, and Osterich.
yes Osterich, which was actually a great tapas dish...
Tapas, yes they have Tapas plates as well.
If you are in the Wrigley area and looking for some place to sit down and get away from the baseball crowd, this is your place.
The bar area is nice and little divey.
I liked the place and would go back.
I would give this place 4 stars because the food was good...not amazing, but good. but I give it a 3 becuase it was unbearably hot. My bf and I were the only ones there on a warm summer night and the AC and windows were open, completely canceling each other out. It takes a lot to get me to sweat but I was very uncomfortable. My bf on the other hand, doesnt have my luck, he was wearing light shorts and a V neck and half of his back was soaked with sweat, almost like he'd been working out. We even asked if they could do something about it and the waiter responded with "I know its stupid but the owners (who werent even there) said the windows have to be open along with the AC turned on". uhhhh? ok?
Anywho, the food was still pretty good. I am Persian and was surprised to see so many Persian dishes on the menu but I guess the owners are Persian and wanted to incorporate that so I ordered kashke bademjajn (a famous Persian appetizer made with eggplant and whey), it wasnt like my moms but it was fine. I decided then to stick with the seafood.
The ceviche was good, not the best ive had but not bad by any means, Id order it again. the tiger shrimp was delicious but there were only 3. The mussels were good, as well as the raw oysters. I didnt really like the oysters rockefeller, I thought it was too rich, but maybe thats how its supposed to be?
Our waiter was a very very nice guy and was constantly checking in on us and refilling our drinks, clearing the tables, etc.
Ill definitely come here again, but probably on a Tuesday because their tapas are 1/2 off or Thursday when their oysters are 60cents. But maybe when its not so hot out.
Such a great place!
Recently got back from a trip to New Orleans and have been having oyster withdrawals. Â Realized Raw Bar was not too far from my house, and the deal got even better when I saw the groupon for it.
Went last Friday for date night and was nothing but pleased with the experience. Â The bartender greeted us and told us to pick a table. Â We sat at a table against one of the windows looking out on clark street. Â Started off with a pomegranate martini which was not very flavorful as it was pretty strong, but I guess that's not a reason to complain is it? Â Ordered a dozen oysters, and although we were a bit apprehensive eating them in Chicago, they were actually really good! Â Bit smaller and pricier than New Orleans, but to be expected.
My boyfriend got steak with jumbo shrimp which he loved. Â I couldn't decide between the crispy salmon filet with cheese ravioli and grilled vegetables or the shrimp and scallop entree. Â I asked the waitress and she recommended the salmon so I went with that and was glad I did. Â Perfect portion sizes and both of us were very pleased with our meals.
At the end of the meal, we paid and before we left, the waitress brought us a free round of shots compliments of the bartender. Â Nice touch to end a great meal.
Little pricey, but definitely worth the splurge every once in a while. Â We will be back!
My fiancée and I visited here last night for the first time on a Groupon date and we both very much enjoyed our visit.  The food was delicious.  I had the Prime Rib and Jumbo Shrimp and she had Sautéed Chicken and Baked Shrimp.  We shared a Crab Cake appetizer.
The crab cake was so good that I will probably go back on 1/2 price Tuesdays and make a meal of just those.  My prime rib was cooked to a perfect rare and served on a portabella mushroom with a bit of mushroom au jus.  Excellent.  The meal didn't come with a side dish, but it was OK because my fiancée's chicken and shrimp was served with a generous portion of fettuccine and she couldn't eat it all.  The next time we go, I will make sure to order a side with my meal.  The white garlic basil sauce on the chicken and shrimp was very light and quite good and flavorful.
The decor was interesting but low key, not distracting, and the atmosphere was casual and relaxing, which was nice after a work Tuesday. Â The music was a trancy mix and loud enough so that people felt comfortable having conversations, but not loud enough to be uncomfortable.
The service was speedy and friendly, but not overly solicitous. Â The prices are about what I would expect for the location and type of food. Â Wine was $9-$10 a glass and draft was $7. Â Our total for one appetizer, two meals and three drafts was $70 before Groupon.
All in all, I'd have to rate this place a hit and will definitely be going back.
Not to drop cliches on readers, but I really wanted to like this place. At 7pm it was cozy and low key. But maybe that was the problem. I feel like a place like this should be a little more crowded. I was there in a party of four, and that was all. I saw everywhere that Raw Bar was advertised as a seafood place, but the seafood entrees were a minority on the menu.
I ordered the Alaskan salmon and selected a side of steamed broccoli. The fish was prepared pretty well. The side was a bit unwieldy. I expected florets, but I actually got two stalks of broccoli that I basically had to slice up with a steak knife.
The whole time the waiter is a bit pushy about the wine selection, and since we were feeling saucy we ordered a bottle of the house bubbly. The four of us racked up a bill of about $100, and that was after a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> coupon. I'm not sure if the food was really worth that bill, but maybe it was just a bad day.
It wasn't an overall bad experience and I'm willing to try again. I hear the tapas is excellent and the Alligator looked pretty good.
Went here on a Tuesday night to use our <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> - ended up saving it for a different night since tapas were 1/2 off! We were very happy with our decision! Here's the breakdown:
Food - ordered the ostrich, oyster rockefeller, and the lobster slipper. The food was spot on - SO delicious!! The flavors were delicious, and the portions were hearty. Finished off with the double chocolate cake - so light and fluffy but full of rich flavor.
Atmosphere - it was pretty quiet when we were there, but we actually enjoyed it that way. We got to know the two servers on staff for the evening, and it definitely felt very cozy.
Service - John and Nick served us and we will request them each time we're back. They were so friendly, attentive without being overbearing, and gave great recommendations.
In the end, we'll definitely be going back to Raw Bar & Grill. We're happy that we found it, and can't wait to try more on their menu!!
All I can say is this place lacks "consistency". You would expect coming here in two different days the food and experience would be somewhat similar.
The first time here was in the afternoon and I we were the only table here for lunch in the weekend. We ordered a cucumber salad to start things off and our first bites of it was like licking a spoonful of salt, the salad was over-seasoned. The waiter came by many times to see how we were doing and happan to menetion that the salad was too salty. We were surprised that he went back to the kitchen and made us a new salad and it was perfect, lightly seasoned with all the veggies freshly cut and crunchy.
A few seconds we received a basket of warm bread with the traditional condiments of olive oil and grated cheese. As our entree we ordered the steamed mussels with goats milk cheese and baked clams. The mussel was decorately placed on a large platter and was steamed to perfection, the bread came in handle to soak up the creamy goats milk cheese sauce, the baked clams had too many fillers and overly seasoned, to our surprise the clams were whole and not chopped. The service was spot on, he was very courteous and checked on us during the entire meal.
Having such as great meal and experience from our first time there, we tried this place again but in the evenings. It was crowded but they also have more servers. We sat down in the back and waited and waited and waited for our order to be taken. We ordered the same mussels dish and a seafood pasta this time. The mussels were not decorated in the same manner as we first had it, they were dumped together in a small bowl ( I think we had less mussels than the first time around). The seafood pasta was decent but for not worth the price, the portions was very small and the pasta was over-cooked. We had to ask the waiter for some bread and the bread itself was not the same. The service was terrible, it was so bad we had to get up and ask for the bill.
Would I come back here for any meal? No. I think I take my chances buying the fresh seafood at the store and steaming them up myself.
We had a great time at this place, food is great, waitstaff were nice and friendly. The sea fiesta special we had tonight was awesome - shellfish and prawns on Angel hair pasta in Cajun style, balanced flavor and spiciness. Nick was our server, he was very friendly and attentive. Overall it's a great place, we will be back here again, soon.
Best to come after the cubs game crowds.
Good food, good service, despite my concerns upon walking in.
When i first walked into the raw bar I was a little hesitant about how good the food might be. The place was dark, the mismatched flooring and eclectic (to be kind) decorations did not fill me with a lot of confidence about the food, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised.
The three of us there had the cold seafood appetizer, and were very pleased with the freshness and quality of the seafood, and the quantity was perfect for three people.
I chose to have two of the tapas for dinner, the octopus and the dolmahs. The octopus was very fresh, well cooked, and the sauce was delicious. The dolmah were seasoned right, well prepared and delicious as well.
The two folks I was with had two different fish prepared blackened and they both very much enjoyed the seasoning and the fish was cooked well.
The only negative about the food was that the "cajun" fries really had no seasoning on them what so ever.
The service was also good, attentive, continuously clearing plates, etc.
Overall a surprisingly good meal and an eclectic place.
After the Metro, to rest your ears, go here. For some reason, I eschew sitting at a table and ordering an entree off a menu, preferring to eat at the bar - you can do that here.
What you can also do is dish with an utterly adorable and friendly bartender who KNOWS how to treat three chicks that just want to drink a few cocktails and dish. And take pictures. And nosh on snacks. This guy was fantastic to us.
Cocktails, delicious. Crab cakes, shrimp hummus - also very good. There's a reason this place has been here for a long time. It's good.
Ok, people. Â It's time to put this place in perspective. Â Specifically, an east coast perspective where seafood is a way of life. Â The short and sweet version of this review would simply read "Fine." Â For those of you still with me, let me break it down for you.
We came with a travelzoom coupon and used it to try a sampling of a tapas. Â Overall, things were fine but nothing was truly spectacular and the meal was ultimately not worth the price. Â I think they generally have a good chef and good menue conception, but the quality of the seafood is average at best. Maybe it's because we're in the midwest. Â Maybe it's because everyone on the east coast is a seafood snob. Â Regardless, here's what we thought:
Baked Spanish Clams - Nice conception, a little over-seasoned, too much breading and the clam itself didn't seem to be top quality
Blue Crab Claws (for $17) - GREAT garlic, white wine broth, but again the quality of the seafood was Meh. Â In hindsight I think they had been frozen and thawed.
Blacked Tiger Shrimp - Totally overcooked. Â Just bad. Â
Smothered Alligator - best thing we tried, really well cooked and a delicious, delicately flavored sauce. Â
While the atmosphere and staff are really really great (they brought us a free shot when we expressed our disappointment with some of the food), it seems to me that they just don't have the huspa to make it as a real seafood restaurant. Â Part of me is curious to go back and try some of the non-seafood options, because I do think the chef knows what he's doing. Â But then again, Chicago's plethora of dinning options makes it easy to move on and never look back.
3 stars overall, Raw Bar?
No fear, Eric is here to redeem your image.
*cracks knuckles*
Complaints read on here: the atmosphere is sucks or is crappy, the music is terrible, the seafood is subpar, the service is lacking, and your date is ugly.
Prepare for itemized retaliation: (I hope you passed your basic outlining course)
A) Atmosphere and Music:
You are eating oysters, which continuously force me to envision vaginas, in a low-lit restaurant with candles on the table, whilst drinking any of the well-crafted cocktails from the (specials) menu, and you have R&B playing at a moderate volume throughout your dining experience. Â Complaints against this kind of situation FORCE me ( I didn't wanna...) to conclude that you're one of two things:
1) You're intimidated by the opportune circumstances presented to you. Â Meaning, your mojo's weakness is made evident by your lack of follow-through to Luther's baby-making music.
2) You're bitter. Â About what? Â Shit, I don't know. Â But you suck.
B) Subpar Seafood:
.40 cent oysters on Thursdays. Â Delicate, yet hearty, crawfish soup. Â These are the only seafood items that I ingested during my trip to Raw Bar. Â However, they were delicious. Â The soup was a cream/tomato base and contained ample chunks of crawfish. Â It was utterly decadent. Â The oysters were served with saltines, Tobasco, lime wedge, and cocktail sauce with pieces of lemon peel (I think). Â They were fresh as can be. Â In fact, I could hear the ear-splitting last screams of the oysters, in between Luther's vocals, as they were shucked to death. Â I don't know what seafood any of the complainers had, but it must've been an off day for Raw Bar- or the complainers are too used to filet-o-fat.
C) The Service Is Lacking:
Let me just say, the manager (or he could've been the owner, I'm uncertain) shook my hand on the way out whilst simultaneously inquiring if I enjoyed myself. Â How often has that happened to you? Â Yea, same here. Â
You know, you can't be an ass to your server and expect them to maintain their cordiality. Â It's like that scene in Waiting where that fat braude (broad? Woman.) berates Ryan Reynold's character for her incorrect order. Â You complainers also probably got some short-n-curlies in your fixed entree.
D) Your Date Is Ugly:
You're ugly. Â You're date is as proportionally unattractive as you are unattractive.
Oh, I had a dirty martini with feta cheese stuffed olives. Â It was titled Feta-ish martini or something. Â If dirty martinis are your favorite cocktail, as mine are, then you will enjoy this martini. Â If dirty martinis are something that you don't like, then I probably wouldn't like you as a person. Â Bahaha.
Raw Bar, you're welcome.
Cheeers.
Raw:
1. not cooked - like oysters, which is the main reason why I came here
Also, according to Merriam-Webster:
2. unprepared or imperfectly prepared for use, like the bad clam I had last night and first left me with a bad taste that kept lingering in my mouth, then with a stomachache that kept me awake most of the night.
3. having the surface abraded or chafed, like my stomach's after the aforementioned experience.
Bad seafood + super pushy service + no pricing on menu = a I-will-not-come-back experience.
Sorry guys........unless you put Kumamoto oysters on the menu, and run a great happy hour where they would be the main star....
It's a bird, it's a plane, no.....it's Raw Bar having an identity crisis! There's a reason, even after a Cubs game, Raw does not attract many friends. It needs therapy...where to begin:
Ambience: Not sure how Raw wants to identify itself or the type of following it wants to attract. Â It's reallly dark and occasionally advertises live piano music, soo maybe a lounge? Yet, I've wandered in more than once and been blown away by LOUD house/techno. The space is decorated with random yard sale riff-raff...a tattered couch in back, mismatched framed art without a theme, etc. Â It sends off a musty basement vibe, but since the name is Raw Bar, one would expect something that screams, "I'm clean!"
Food: Â Quality of food is similar to quality in a friend...will not judge by appearance and will remain loyal if and when quality is proven. I wouldn't trust Raw as a friend. Â The first red flag was the complimentary bread....the equivalence of an introductory handshake or smile. Â It was a basket of pigeon feed and butter didn't help. Next was the grilled octopus...thought of it just made me heave. Freshly grilled octupus usually has a nice firm texture and just off the Weber flavor. Â Not here- decomposed like texture covered in a salty gelatinous film...very tough going down. Â Also, there was cheese in the octopus sauce...a strange twist. Â
The Raw Bar name deceived me.....I really REALLY wanted the oysters, but lost faith after the bread/octopus experience. Â Should I have trusted Raw's oyster quality? Â I think not.
I love love loveeeeeee Raw Bar!
I might be a little bias because the bartender, Charles, is the bomb. com ! He is seriously really awesome and takes good care of you. The drinks he makes are delicious. He's like a magician who knows exactly what you want...gets you just tipsy enough...and magically the next day you are not hungover.
I've never eaten here, so I can't judge the food. The five stars is strictly for the drinks and Charles...stop by if you just want some delicious drinks. I seriously cannot think of a drink I have had here that didn't make me think "Wow, this is so good, are you sure there's alcohol in here?" Don't get me wrong, the drinks aren't too sweet either because I don't like sweet drinks...they're seriously just magical.
I have to admit, I tend to write reviews only when a place really incites my ire, so this isn't going to be a feel-good review.
I was going to Metro for a concert and Yelped places to eat around there. I planned on meeting my friend at Uncommon Ground, which had positive reviews. But on my walk there, I noticed The Raw Bar & Grill with an enticing sign-- 1/2 off wine on Wednesdays. I love wine! Especially by the bottle! I asked myself, "Is today Wednesday? Why, indeed it is! Suh-weet." So I crossed the street and asked my friend to meet me there instead.
Why didn't I get my phone out and Yelp this place before going in? Dumb dumb dumb.
So I ate dinner already, but my friend didn't. It's when we ordered that they informed us that the 1/2 off wine only applies when each person gets an entree. My friend protested-- that's not what the sign says. The waiter mumbles some lame statement about how they forgot to add that. So that just killed my mood. I was looking forward to killing a bottle. But fine, we just ordered by the glass.
Then they brought out my friend's mahi mahi. Now this was the unforgivable part. As soon as the plate hit the table, I breathed in the smell of fish. Not the "this smells incredible" smell, but the kind of scent you'd expect from a tugboat captain's boots. Not very pleasant.
I tried her mahi mahi, wondering if it at least tasted good. Instead of being flaky and melting in your mouth like good fish, it was chewy and tough and the flavor wasn't good. I've had better fish at Long John Silver. Hell, even the frozen food aisle in Dominick's has better fish.
Their waffle fries were also subpar. McDonald's tastes better.
For the price, the food should have been exponentially better.
They brought out the check and gave us a take-home menu that promised 15% our next meal. I left it on the table.
Will never return.
I've never gone here for the food to be honest but once remember someone forcing a really awesome piece of red snapper down my throat.
This is where I was introduced to a mango raspberry daquiri with a Myers Rum float on it. Â My life is now complete! Â
Seriously, perfect place to hang before shows at Metro. Â Used to hang with bands here back in the days and the owner is awesome. Â He actually is amazed at how well behaved I am now but still won't let me in the back room...
Basia the bar tender is kickass and full of sass and even went and shoplifted some sugar free red bull on my behalf.  Okay, I think she bought   it but still, how sweet is that.
Wow 2 stars from some people!! I feel bad for those of you that haven't had a great experience there (sorry Stacy Y) because it has been nothing but fantastic for me and my friends. In fact it's one of the very few places we'll even go in Wrigleyville now.
I'll admit to having some poor service but only in the bar area seating and I've never heard anybody complain about the manager (the starer/horn dog) but now I will keep a look out. Maybe that's why he hires some girls that look really hot but don't speak English very well.
So the food has never been anything less then outstanding (maybe I've been lucky). Alligator, Ostrich, Octopus, Swordfish and even the chicken has been quite flavorful. I highly recommend the Egyptian Chicken with Persian dill rice, I can never get enough. All the portions are quite large, so recommend if you can't eat a whole plate, just share and get the Persian salad or maybe an order of frog legs.
As a person who drinks a lot of wine, I have to say that I've had some wonderful wine at Raw Bar, so maybe they are serving flat wine or it's a bad batch some people are getting. The bartenders are fun and they don't hold back on the spirits.
Half the location is a bar with some tables and seating at the bar and the other half looks like a very nice dining area with dark/rich colors and minimal wall hangings. They also have a live jazz band that plays most nights. My only complaint about the the dining area is that the live band is too loud and it is a little too dark to eat sometimes.
I think you should go back to have a better experience at The Raw Bar.
So, my friend and I are on a quest to eat some alligator. Â Naturally, not living in NOLA, its not exactly the easiest delicacy to come by. Â For some strange reason, we both knew that Raw Bar had it and I happen to live like a few blocks from there. Â Raw Bar it is.
When you walk in, its totally cute and intimate...I don't mind the decor at all. Â I do think that someone should have kept a better eye on the thermostat though, as I felt like I was in a sauna and being punished. Â So we get seated and I sweat.
Bubbly server takes our drink orders and brings us our bevs. Â We opted for the Reisling...big disappointment. Â Crappy wine that tasted like feet. Â So now, I'm sweaty and sipping on feet drink. Â Not cool. Â
We order and recieve:
smothered alligator that was like 3 bites in super creamy sauce, tiny empanadas that were tasty but over priced, tiger shrimp with guac that was rubbery, and grilled squid that was so fishy it made me wonder if someone had stored it in the pantry and not the fridge. Â We ate one bite and could eat no more. Â We actually had them take it off the bill, which I never do unless its seriously bad.
I was expecting so much more from Raw Bar and was really disappointed. Â Maybe I'll just have to take that trip to NOLA next time I get a hankering for alligator.
Ugh, what a disappointment!
I heard good things about this place from a couple friends. My friend lives a couple blocks away and wanted to check it out so we head over. First of all - it was HOT in there. Like so uncomfortably hot my friend was kinda sweaty. But we were still determined to give this place a try.
The service was very good, but our server was on her last night of training - so there was a manager shadowing her. The only thing our server didn't do right was come to our table mid-meal. She stopped by when we were taking our first bites, but not again until the end.
We both ordered a glass of riesling - yo, I've had better wine from Aldi. No, really.
Alright, at this point we're hot, we have crappy wine - our spirits are still up and we're hoping the food will redeem this place...
Nope. Not gonna happen. We ordered tapas and got:
Smothered alligator - There was a tiny 3 inch piece of meat in this rather large plate of goop. We had to push the sauce around to actually find the alligator.
Grilled squid w/ scallions - Where were the scallions? And why the hell does this squid taste so darn fishy? My friend & I each ate one piece, made funny faces at each other, then decided we didn't want to get sick so we gave up on that dish.
Beef empanadas - $4 for an itty bitty empanada. Pricey considering the size, but the tastiest thing we had during our meal.
Blackened tiger shrimp w/ guacamole & tortilla chips - The guac was good - again, the shrimp just didn't taste fresh. And the consistency of the meat was weird.
For a place that specializes in seafood - I cannot believe the poor quality. The ideas sounded delicious but the execution was poor.
The service was good, although I was disappointed to have to ask them to remove the above mentioned funky squid dish off our bill. But they did so very kindly with an apology.
We left so bummed. What a let down. The service was good, the food and wine were gross.
I haven't tried Raw Bar's food, but the wine and sangria we ordered tasted stale. The bar replaced it on request with fresh wine from uncorked bottles.
The fact that the second round tasted better told me the first glasses were old wine. At their prices, Raw Bar has no right selling stale wine.
The bar owner spent a good hour ogling the female part of our party and is rumored to be quite grabby with the staff.
Atop that, I hear they fill their premium liquor bottles with generic booze.
Having tried several dishes at R.B., all I have to say is: Â if you like lamb, try the lamb! Â It falls off the bone and is served with a heaping mound of dill rice. Â Just scrape it off the bone and mix with the rice. Â Easily 2 to 3 meals. Â
I wouldn't say the atmosphere is "weird". Â It's "eclectic", and quite unlike your new trendy snobatoriums that pop up weekly where people talk loudly about their pointy shoes rather than enjoying a nice, fairly mellow time conversing with friends.
For seafood, R.B. is pretty good, but unfortunately, incredible seafood costs $$, so go to Joe's in River North. Â Yeah, I'm a tad surly today...
Random thought: Â Happy Taco Tuesday!
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