SIP Appetizer Bar

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  I was disappointed.  First, this place has been described in articles as being a tapas bar.  It is not.  The food is not Spanish, there is no sangria, it is not a tapas place.  It is instead a cocktail lounge that also sells appetizers.  This may not be a problem of SIP's own making--I have not seen SIP advertise themselves as a tapas place--but it is a fact.  Second, we were served warm white wine because they ran out of cold rather than asking us whether we wanted something else, even after we sort of made it clear that nobody really likes warm white wine and, no, we did not want to put ice in a $10 glass of wine.  The food was pretty good though.

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  Posted on 05.06.13 Adam W.

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  Good food. Pricey. Skimpy menu.

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  Posted on 04.10.13 Pat M.

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  I was intimidated by the menu at first glance but so happy I gave it a shot! I've tried just about everything (multiple visits of course). I will say, PUT THE MEATBALLS ON THE MENU PERMANENTLY!

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  Posted on 03.23.13 Cheryl B.

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  SIP is a classy, upscale alternative to the usual southside options.  Great experience, food and staff.  Highly recommend!

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  Posted on 03.22.13 Stacey R.

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  I have been to sip once, wrote a review and stated how much my bf and I enjoyed this place. Let's keep it real to those that are reading these and to the ignorant people that are writing nonsense about this establishment. If you take the time to read these you will see that the negative nonsense from a particular date in march comes from people who like to waste their time bashing on businesses for no other reason than it brings them great happiness to see others fail. I will repeat my business to this place and I would hope that all others would not read the ignorance from the other reviews and still try this place. The wait staff was friendly and I am fairly certain do not discriminate. I am looking forward to trying it for lunch.

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  Posted on 03.21.13 Kristine M.

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  I have been here on two separate occasions. The owners brought a touch of North side, to Oak Lawn. They are gracious and attentive.
    This is a nice jeans and shirt kind of place, or a dress nice, if you like type of place. Either seem to fit in well.
   The wine was very good as well as the food! Can't get enough of the tuna.I have been to Tuscany, Italy for the wine festival,  many times and always get the smoked tuna; while I am there. I have to say I have never tasted tuna steak that good; until SIP came to town.
   The group I was with actually ordered one of everything on the menu and there was not a single thing that we didn't devour. We actually ordered second helpings of some.
    The owner is open to comments and suggestions. They have now lengthened their hours and offer lunch. Martini menu too!
    I personally, tend to disregard the juvenile, maligning in some of the negative reviews, around the 20th. Children will be children when they are scolded for bad behavior. If you can't play nice then you shouldn't be allowed to play in the sand box.
   Love this place and will keep coming for years and years!

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  Posted on 03.21.13 Dan G.

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  Condescending owner treated me like I was a waste of space. No Drink Menu? This place makes Applebees seem nice.

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  Posted on 03.20.13 Carlos L.

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  I had been waiting patiently for this place to open up and was so excited to try it. It definitely lived up to the expectations that I had. It's a much needed change of pace in the neighborhood. The lighting is nice and low and the music they were playing was fun. The best part of all...No tv's! There is a short bar you can sit at and plenty of tables.
  
  The service was awesome. Everyone was so friendly. The owner helped me find some bourbon cocktails that I loved and I don't even like bourbon! I did feel like the wine list could use some improvement.
  
  The menu is small but unique and everything was fresh and fabulous! It's the perfect spot to enjoy some lite bites and cocktails while being able to have a conversation with someone. I can't wait to get back!

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  Posted on 03.03.13 Melissa B.

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  Came here tonight with a group of 9.   I got there early and sat at the bar and chatted up one of the owners, the bartender, and a patron.  Great personalities!  
  
  The atmosphere is cool and hip, nice addition to the area.   Had a loft feel about it - very spacious.
  
  They do need a drink menu - which I think they are working on.   They do need a better wine selection, which I think they are working on.  I'll cut them some slack.  They've only been open 3ish weeks.   The wine they had was good, but ran out of the wine I was drinking after 2 glasses.  
  
  When my group arrived, we sat in the back in what they consider their VIP area - a section across from the kitchen.   Doesn't sound like much, but it was really neat.  There was this cool statue - and Tymm is going to get a male version of it soon!   Watching the kitchen action was fun - and the smells of the food was tantalizing!
  
  I had the BBQ chicken pizza - wonderful!  Great crust and I would get again.  Eveyone in my group enjoyed their food - think tapa size portions.  
  
  Had a great time - spent 2.5 hours hanging out.   I can't wait to go back and try more of the food.   Great service - great atmosphere - great people!!

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  Posted on 03.01.13 Jeannie A.

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  Yelp to the rescue again.  After being horrified at the hour and a half wait at a chain restaurant (I had a gift card) at 6:30 on a Saturday night, I popped on my yelp app and found SIP under hot new businesses.  
  
  I concur on the taste of the bacon wrapped dates and BBQ chicken pizza.  I also ordered the dessert - a custard that was presented as a bird's nest with fresh coconut.  
  
  I loved the decor, low lighting, textured walls.  The owners are very friendly and obviously excited to have brought their vision to life on the south side.  I want to go back now.

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  Posted on 02.24.13 Valerie B.

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  Sip... an interesting little name.  That alone got me there....that, and the fact that a cute lounge is impossible to find in Oak Lawn.
  
  Sip has a bit of an industrial feel, and at the back, near the kitchen, there is a table for a group.  Apparently, if you order bottles of wine, they send tastings to the table.  Something like that - I do not recall entirely, so don't quote me.
  
  I love the fact that there is no TV.  Oft times I just want to have a drink without a television flashing at me or blaring sports.  I like sports, but sometimes I just want to hear some music, have a nice drink and a chat. Thank you!
  
  Andy and [I forget the other gentleman's name who was wearing a bandana, and was eager to share all about this new venture of his and his partner's] were really friendly.  We sat at the bar [which is very short, which made it pretty cool, because then you're level with the tables.  That was different, and I think I liked it.
  
  Ambiance.  It has a nice vibe to it, nice décor and music.  It was a Friday night  before 8:00pm, so I imagine they kick it up a notch as it gets later.
  
  Wine.  The wine selection is small, but I did have a nice Sauvignon Blanc, and at $7/glass, it is comparable to local places that serve wine that is not as good.  Unless you go to the chains, like TGIF, the local bars do not have much in terms of wine, so this was a plus.  [not that the wine in the OL chain restaurants is good, but it is more tolerable than what the bars serve.]
  
  Beer.  They had a pretty good selection of craft beer, and my nephew Nick enjoyed a couple of IPAs.  I love IPAs, so it is good to know I can stop in there for one or two when I don't feel like going home.
  
  Food.  Basically comes in tapas portions.  We ordered the steak and the bbq chicken pizza.  My nephew hardly eats meat, and he really liked this steak dish.  I thought it was pretty good too.  They marinate the steak for quite a long time, so it was tender and flavorful.  I think the plate is too big for that portion, so perhaps a smaller plate or an additional item on the plate is in order [I think this makes sense based on the price too - a little frisee or tri color salad to round it out?].  The BBQ chicken pizza was delicious.  I've had BBQ chicken pizza at many places and have never enjoyed it, but I keep trying.  I am glad I did again... The sauce was very flavorful.  The crust is homemade, and they flavor the dough with parmesan cheese, and I forget what else. It had great texture and a perfect balance of ingredients.  I want more.  Jeremy, who later joined us, ordered the crab cake sandwiches.  I was full by then, but I had to just taste the crab cake; otherwise, I could not review it.  It was light & fluffy and had good flavor.  Really nice.  He enjoyed it very much.  He also had the steak and liked it a lot.  [Pictures posted].
  
  I agree with the previous review, that a drink menu is necessary; however, it is forgivable.  It can't be easy to start up a business like this and be perfect without a big budget.  Let's giive them a chance to rectify the lack of a cocktail menu.
  
  All in all, I think Sip has a lot of potential.  The ideas are there.  I hope they stay focused on customer service.  Stay friendly and enthusiastic!  They need to get small bites that are sweet and an espresso machine.  The owners are pretty cool dudes, so I wish them all the best.  Oh, hey, guys... not everybody is going to be happy.  You're doing something different over here on the South Side, and I thank you.
  
  I will definitely go back to see how they are doing and to have the BBQ chicken pizza.
  
  Jaye

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  Posted on 02.18.13 Juanita M.

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  My friends and I were waiting on this place to open as I'm very local to the area and ever since the Wine bar by the Metra went under we've had a void in our nightlife (the flower/wine bar on 106th and Cicero doesn't cut it).  I'm happy to say this place delivered on a great experience and then some!
  
  We had a party of 4 on a Friday night walked in at 7:00 and before we knew it we had racked up a $150 bill and it was 12:00.  Even my wife who had work in the morning was putting down a shot that was ordered for us by the owner who pulled up a chair and joined us in sharing his vision for the place...very cool guy.
  
  I was a lil timid at first of the liquor selection as you may not recognize some of them but fear not, they are top quality and the Bend,Oregon beers are good stuff...oh and the Dickel/coke my wife had was as much fun ordering as it was drinking.  The food was incredible and I love their bites/tapas approach.  We shouldn't have come so hungry which is what added to the pricey night but we couldn't stop ourselves from trying I think 5 dishes:
  1) Bacon wrapped Dates - awesome
  2) Marinated beef strips - freakin great
  3) Chicken - also great, bit skimpy on the portion for this one though
  4) Portobello Mushrooms - we thought the rice a bit under cooked but the flavors were there
  5) Vegetable Pizza - one of the table favorites by far, just a perfect homemade pizza and a great crust
  
  I can't describe the flavors of these well enough however as they put in a lot of preparation and flavors into each of these dishes that delivers an amazing combo that hits you as a perfect "bite".  Overall I'm happy to see such a place move into Oak Lawn as it brings a lil bit of the city to the neighborhood and I truly hope they do well as they have a great concept and we'll most definitely be back.

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  Posted on 02.02.13 Ryan C.

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