We came here with high hopes after reading several very positive reviews on the food and ambiance. Â
The staff was very friendly and attentive, the ambiance is also very enjoyable. Â The food is where the issue is; it is mediocre at best.
The best way to describe this restaurant might be to ask the question of "What IS the Vine?" Is it Italian? Is it Southwestern? Is it American? It's not very solid in it's identity.
When you walk in the door, you smell a strong aroma of Italian, yet are then presented with options such as Southwestern Chicken Salad.
There were 3 in our party, and 1 of us ordered the Salmon. The description of the salmon is "Blah" Guest #2 ordered the Southwestern Salad. This salad was "a far cry from a fiesta". Â Guest #3 ordered the Rib Eye, described as"less than flavorable"
The food is not horrible, but come on! We know you can do better THE VINE!!!
I wanted to love the Vine, but at the risk of sounding tacky the vine makes me whine!!!
Recently dined with a large group that had reservations. Â It was my first time and selected what I could afford and was very happy with my choice-the steak salad. Â The house wine got good reviews from everyone and I sampled some before the last bottle was finished and could say I agree wholeheartedly! Â I was amazed at the cheerfulness of the waitress considering the size of our party. Â I saw an earlier review about dress of wait staff and I think it might be best if the staff had a dress code.
Review Source:It was my friend's birthday and we couldn't decide on where to eat. Seeing this one restaurant which was reasonably full of people, we walked in. It was only weeks later that we figured out that it was The Vine! Food-wise, not too big a selection and so even fewer vegetarian choices. But that said, what I ordered tasted good. The best part is their wine list. Great reds!
Ambience is nice...not too fancy. Somehow the place looks like it has seen better times. Prices higher than what I would like to pay for the food and ambience.
We used to visit The Vine more frequently, but since the menu never changes, it got old. Â Went back again today, and ate the same thing I always do - Pasta a la Bowtie. Â The pasta is always overcooked and mushy, but it still tastes good. Â For $9, it's a decent value. Â Chicken parmesan was the feature that night, and it was excellent. Â Not the thickly breaded garbage you get at any other restaurant.
Looking at the menu prices, you'd think two people could eat there for under $30, but for some reason our bill is always $50+. Â Guess one glass of wine and some crab dip will do that!
Agree with other reviewers about the service. Â No uniforms, and our waiter had his long sleeves loosely rolled up, and the hem of his sleeve dragged in one of our water glasses as he removed plates from our table. Â I've worked in a restaurant - I know where those sleeves have been - gross! Â
We arrived without a reservation, late on a weekend night, to a half-full restaurant. Â The hostess said she didn't have any tables available (???), so we had to sit in the bar. Â Even with only one other table in the bar, it was very noisy. Â Or maybe I'm just getting old.... Â When we left, the restaurant was still half empty. Â Guess the hostess didn't feel like having to reset the table if we ate in the dining room?
Will we be back? Â Maybe. Â But not for awhile.
Place has really stepped it up recently. Â Maybe it's just for the South Bend food thing going on, but they've finally changed the menu up. Â YOu can still get the Fra Diavolo, which is fire as usual, but you can also get duck or seared tuna, which sounds pretty good. Â I'll stick with the Diavolo. Â One more thing, the wine is still really overpriced.
Review Source:I went to The Vine Downtown South Bend over the weekend and have to say I was less than impressed. I went to college in South Bend and haven't been back in a couple years, but they have def gone down hill.
The staff no longer wears a nice uniform, and our waitress was wearing a shrit showing too much cleavege. The staff was a little less the impressive.
The food. That was subpar and over priced for what it was. Something at this location has changed quite a bit. We asked for some gluten free options and the waitress said they have pasta options. However when she checked with the chef, they didn't have any options.
I will be back in South Bend quite a bit over the next few months, and will not be going back any time soon. There are newer and nicer places open with better staff and food.
Preface: I live in San Francisco, where high quality food is a given. My husband is from South Bend, so when we go back for visits we are always on the search for a place that serves fresh, ethically sourced food, and we never seem to find it. I have embraced the "When in Rome" attitude and now judge food here in context.
So, for South Bend, The Vine is a nice place. A much more authentic experience than all the chain restaurants dotting Grape Road (no wonder this country has an obesity problem), so that warrants one star in and of itself. The atmosphere is cozy and the location in South Bend is nice. I also appreciate that the bar area is non-smoking (still can't believe it's still legal in this state. Honestly?).
The food is hit or miss. I had a pizza here once that tasted like the ones you buy at a gas station at 3 in the morning when nothing else is open. I usually get the bowtie pasta, which, for the most part, is reliably edible. The crab dip which everyone raves about just seemed like a can of crab was tossed into a melted hunk of Velveeta with a few squirts of hot sauce mixed in, and I honestly was not a fan. My husband likes the Fra Diablo (I think that's what it's called) and we both like the bruschetta.
I can't say much for the cocktails but the wine selection is good, for South Bend. Living an hour away from wine country makes me a tough critic but it seems their wine buyer knows his/her stuff.
In the summer I enjoy sitting on the patio. Imagine this is a nice place for college kids to come to when they want a special night out. In spite of some misses with the food, I will keep coming back here.
This was my second trip to The Vine; my first was to their Elkhart location. The place was serene, and the prices weren't that bad! I love their Tuscan Vineyard pizza. I'd definitely consider it for a date night or a pre-show dinner. One note though - our server was a bit slow on refilling our drinks.
Review Source:The Vine is a standard for us, as we frequent the shows at the Morris. It's a habit of convenience, though, and not of being truly impressed with their service or menu selection.
While the menu has some good offerings (the Mediterranean salad is a surprising star of the show), much of it lacks something special. As others have mentioned, the Mike's Hot Crab Dip is must-order, even if you're just stopping in for a glass of wine.
Select bottles of wine are half-price on Wednesday evenings, making it a better value than their traditionally over-priced offerings.
We've had much better luck when attending tastings, wine pairing dinners and other special events at this location. We've experienced amazing food and better service on those nights. I hope they can learn to do some of the same in their regular restaurant business.
The Vine in its hay day when it was on Michigan behind the Chocolate cafe  was pretty much my favorite restaurant in South Bend. I haven't been to this location in a few years and it is nice. This particular visit the place was completely empty  at 330 in the afternoon. The Waitress/hostess was very friendly and nice, she even recommended other places in South Bend to me. I am pretty sure she thought I had never been there. Anywhoo. Had the asiago cheese appetizer which I was hesitant about but it was good. Tried the Mediterranean Salad with Mahi Mahi as my entree, it was tasty. If you want a nice place to have dinner with some ambiance in South Bend then this place is perfect. And it won't cost you a million bucks. I usually stop here whenever I am in town, obviously I will go back.
Review Source:We decided to try The Vine on our first visit to downtown South Bend... and we weren't disappointed. The restaurant itself looks nice and we love the wine bottles that adorn a ledge near the ceiling. We chose to sit at a tall table @ the window in the bar area.
Initially, we sat at the bar and ordered a glass of wine each (Petite Sirah and a Cabernet). We spotted that window table and moved on over to people watch and enjoy the softly falling snow... the location was perfect!
We decided to stay awhile and ended up ordering a bottle of our favorite wine... Sequoia Grove Cabernet (it's really excellent) @ $58 a bottle. Because we had an entire bottle to finish, we thought it best to order an appetizer as well and decided on Mike's Hot Crab Dip ($8.25). It's their signature appetizer. They serve this fresh crab meat and mildly spiced sharp cheddar dip with oven toasted garlic bread. It's really REALLY good.
The bar area of Vine got pretty busy... with it's proximity to the theatre, it seems a popular place to grab a drink & a pre show bite.
While the service could have been a bit more on the attentive side, it was an overall great experience.
I've been to The Vine about 3-4 times. Â The food was always good, nothing to complain about by any means, but not exactly worth the price. Â Everything is fresh and prepared well, but it doesn't have that wow factor you would expect for the price.
The dining atmosphere, however, is very nice. Â Especially for South Bend. Â Its definitely a place you pay for a nice dining experience and some drinks more than food that will knock your socks off.
This place has been a staple of nicer occasions so celebrating an internship signing, birthdays, etc. We really really enjoy the dip sampler, especially the crab dip like someone stated in a previous review.
The food is reasonably price considering the ambiance of the place. If you are on a tighter budget some of their sandwiches with a drink can be had for under $10. I have really liked their pasta dishes and usually end up ordering one of those. Agreeing with another previous reviewer, the Fra Diablo and Pasta a la Bowtie are both really good choices to go if you enjoy pasta.
In all, it has been a great experience and would recommend to anyone that they should give it a try if they have a special occasion or just wanting to go out to a nice dinner.
The Vine hosted my rehearsal dinner and it was a big success. Â They have a downstairs room for large groups where the wine cellar is located. Â It is a unique location and has a cool aura to it. Â
The food is OK. Â Nothing to write home about, but let's face it, it gets the job done. Â I think its a little overpriced as well, but for a good location and nice ambiance South Bend I am OK with their prices.
The service is great once you are in the restaurant. Â I had a tough time dealing with the large group event planner as she was extremely unreliable. Â In the end, everything worked out, but it was sort of a leap of faith as I was not in town when planning the wedding. Â
The Vine is a good place to go and experience the interesting wine menu and enjoy some solid food in a nice atmosphere. Â There are better places in South Bend, but its definitely worth a try.
As one of my friends said, "I want to love The Vine." I desperately do, but the food is really just so-so. The wine and drinks are good and the service is notoriously friendly, but it's just not as good as some of the other places in South Bend despite being similarly priced.
We've also tried The Vine in Plymouth, which is smaller but has great ambiance. Unfortunately, the food is the same and the place is always empty when we go (which is during the week). They do usually have good drink specials. I wish it was better so that it could get more business as it really adds to the Plymouth downtown. It's just so-so, though.
Agreed. Â Hot Crab Dip and Fra Diablo are delish-both thick and creamy. Â Went with a party of nine. Â Service was fast and efficient. Â I had a glass of the house Riesling with dinner and it was a great compliment to the slightly spicy pasta sauce. Â I would definitely go again. Â Oh, and the $6.50 martinis are a great deal!
Review Source:I just got done reading some of the reviews of this place - WOW, harsh much?
This is one of our fav spots and I will tell you why - great wine list, great martini list, solid fav dishes on the menu and the best part . . . decent prices for what you get!
Yes, they have cut their portion size in the past year, which is disappointing but hey, everyone is struggling these days, right? Â Â But everytime we go out with friends and they want to go somewhere nice, this is always at the top of our list because it is a nicer place while still being affordable for almost everyone. Â Every dish on the menu isn't $20 or over (hint, hint - Trio's).
I Â 100% agree the best appetizer by far is Mike's Hot Crab dip but get the sampler and try all of their wonderful offerings. Â The BEST pasta dish is the Fra Diablo - spicy vodka sauce that will have you craving it again, if you try it. Â Tried and true Pasta a la Bowtie is good as well - the wine sauce is very tasty but sometimes it is a little heavy. Â The pizzas are great and a fav of many of our friends, great price and just the right size for a smaller appetite. Â
No - you won't get a monster truck sized portion but you get a nice night out and still have a few bucks in your pocket. Â I miss their old location - right behind the Chocolate Cafe because we love to dine outside but it just isn't the same sitting on a busy corner with traffic whizzing by.
This is always a stop on any of my trips though the area. The atmosphere is wonderful, especially in the evening. An absolute must is the Mike's Crab Dip for an appetizer! The dishes are always delightful, and always ask them for wines that may not be on the menu!
Bravo to The Vine for always having consistent quality in the service as well as the food! Both are always above par!
I'd go back, but it wouldn't be my first choice. My The Vine experience was just alright. Â I went on a Wed night and didn't feel like we got waited on very well and then my portion definitely wasn't close to filling me up.
Two of us split the bruschetta as an appetizer and then I got the lobster ravioli. Â I enjoyed both very much, but I just wasn't close to full at the end of my eating. Â I think our waiter dude thought he was doing us a favor by coming to us a couple times and telling us that he'd give us some time to look at our menu, but he didn't even give us a chance to see if we knew what we wanted. Â And the place wasn't super busy.
Like I said, I'd try The Vine again if I ever got back to South Bend, but I'd prob give another place a shot first.
I know 4/5 is high, but I'm skewing it for South Bend given how few choices there are for good dinner places.
I had the salmon fillet and the brie appetizer, both were very good, especially the brie. The service was exceptional, but it was also a Monday night so there were only 4 other tables occupied.
One thing that bugged me was that they were showing uconn vs. rutgers womens ncaa basketball when there was clearly a ND mens basketball game on. WTF. Know your own hometown please.
I went to this place with some friends of mine and I was very impressed with the service and the food. Â The only thing is that the place is small and if it is a busy night you will be waiting for a while. Â It is right next door to the Morris so it is a great place to go before the show. Â
They have a wide variety of food and I especially enjoyed the pasta dish with vodka sauce - it was a bit spicy but who doesn't need that?
By far the best restaurant/bar in South Bend. Â You actually feel like you are living in a real city. Â The staff is awesome. Â A really great place to go on a date or with a group of friends. Â Food is really reasonably priced but the drinks are pricey. Â
My recommendations: Â Fra Diablo Pasta with a Lemon Drop Martini
or BowTie Pasta with a Quinn Eide Martini (named after a friend of mine)
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,607 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,970 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,306 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,904 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,983 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
