Bureau Bar and Restaurant

I’m ok with paying for an expensive cocktail when I’m out. But, I was very underwhelmed with my drink experience here. I ordered a Dusse Sidecar & my friend ordered a Margarita. Where do I begin: you eat/drink with your eyes first, and the drinks came out looking very “lack luster”. Nothing exciting! Neither drink had a garnishment! The Sidecar should have had an orange twist etc, the the Margarita should have had a lime. The waitress never asked if we wanted “salt or sugar” on rim of Margarita glass. ALL other places I’ve been to put some type of garnishment on a Sidecar, as well as something on the rim! I’m addition, the glass could have been a little more full for the price. (1st pic was taken before taking a sip) Second, the taste was just aweful! Lacking the traditional taste of a Sidecar (I’ve had many, all over the world). My friend said her Margarita tasted like it came from Pepe’s. 🤣 And why was the Margarita “clear” in color? Never seen a clear Margarita in my life, and I’m well into my 40’s. Very disappointed for the price point. We ended up just ordering shots b/c we felt safer with that! We wanted to eat as well, but the drinks completely turned us off! We only stayed b/c DJ Sean Mac is a beast!! Unfortunately, the music was the only thing on point that night! Retrain the bartenders, and get some salt/sugar on the rim. Cut up some fruit, it’s that simple!!

Ummm. This is a place to go Turn Up and Get Lit. Too bad I'm not a drinker like that. Got a glass of white wine. It was 'meh'. Salmon was overly salty along with the tacos. Customer Service was great. They were very accommodating. The staff took a group photo of me and my guests. Also brung out birthday shots for the Birthday Girls with sparklers and flare. The music was loud. Had to yell to speak to each other or sit directly next to each other. Nice night.

Where do i start..the atmosphere was okay. Very old decor. Especially for the money that I’m sure they make. Definitely need to upgrade the inside. Okay now let’s start on the food, the mashed potatoes came from a box. The string beans were from a can and the salmon from Aldi. The tacos literally tasted like burnt beef jerky. The shells were terrible and extremely old tasting, it wasn’t fresh at all. Our waitress was Milan, she wasn’t attentive at all. No help when it comes to what she suggested. We went 30 minutes before she even came to ask about anything. And she didn’t seem like she wanted to be there at all. The only good thing about it was BRI. She was great and a shining light. Very friendly and apologetic about the lack of service we were getting. Definitely keep her around. This place needs some serious work. My first and last time coming. I’ll eat my arm before coming here again.

Party of 6. We waited an hour & 15 mins for the appetizers, wings & the fried shrimp cocktail. The appetizers were good. Salads came after the meal. Our waitress was the only person working, yet there were 10 other people chatting at the bar. We ordered tropical lemon drops, they were watered down, great tropical lemonade though. We ordered the salmon dinner, lamb chops, steak pasta, shrimp & steak pasta and rib dinner. Everyone was satisfied with their meals. The wait and sewer smell in the restaurant were the only cons.

The restaurant is tastefully decorated and amazingly clean including the restroom. With such a beautiful place I thought the music was very loud and old school hard core rap kinda killed my vibe. The crowd was just a touch junior and not as sophisticated as the atmosphere presented. The service wasn't very great, because the staff was short. We waited over an hour for our food. The drinks were delicious, the food was okay after all that waiting. I highly recommend the stringbeans. The Server did apologize for the wait on food. Overall, great place for drinking.

This place is very nice the waitress was extremely friendly and the food was really good. They give pretty healthy portions and it's at a good price ... nice music, chill vibe. the drinks were on point me and my girlfriends had a really good time.

I remember when I first experienced The Bureau years ago, that was awesome! My guy had a birthday gathering of about 15 people this past Saturday evening.The place was empty until about 11pm with only a few entering here and there. The drinks were over priced. A few drinks I ordered wasn't received so I told the waitress to just forget it. The service was crap, the waitress was forgetting to put in food orders and took a very long time with drinks. The food was not good. I ordered the Buffalo shrimp tacos which had one shell each that crumbled when trying to eat because of too much sauce. I see why the bar was empty on a Saturday night. The bar next door, Reggies, was popping. The Philly cheese eggrolls have fallen off. Some guests ordered the salmon pasta and salmon dinner....no complaints regarding those. My niece ordered a cheeseburger which came with cold fries and a glass of wine with a bug in it. They replaced the items after awhile. I guess since the establishment charge 20 percent gratuity, the staff could stand around and still get their tip. My guy went to bar for his drinks and STILL had to wait about 15 minutes with no one waiting! I will not return......

Where do i even begin with this place. I wish the food taste as good a last it looked. No flavor. If you order ask for them to seasoning your food. Chicken with the waffles taste like they just dip them in flour and then the grease. The best thing was the lamp chops. We not going to even talk about the puddle of butter that was just laying on top of my grits. Once we got our food, server never came back to check on us. We were a group of 6 outside in the 88 degree hot with no water. My friends shrimp and grits was so flavorless. Another puddle of butter just sitting on top of her grits. So disappointed.

Location is ok, service was good, furniture old and worn. Drinks were strong. Food was ok. Not sure if I'd recommend but if you're looking for an early vibe you may want to slide through. The DJ was ok. His transition from song to song was suspect. I had no clue that Chicago loved NY artist hip hop this much.

What the fuck is this!!!!!! I see why they have a 2.5 rating. This is supposed to be Margarita and French Martini both horrible, taste like trash. Please seek entertainment elsewhere omg

Very cool place to check out. Good food and cocktails. Good for parties or birthdays. Great DJ. Service was friendly

I showed to the establishment at approximately 8:30pm. My reservation was made a month in advance. Keep in mind, this was supposed to be a birthday celebration. Upon arrival, the rude hostess said the kitchen was closed. There weren't a lot of people inside. It was a leg hot ghost town. My party and I ended of going around the corner to Williams Inn. If you're thinking about going to Bureau Bar....dont even waste your time.

The Bureau Bar was definitely more bar than restaurant; however, we enjoyed the pub food. We tried the fried shrimp cocktail, mac 'n cheese, and hamburger which were all tasty and were served hot and fresh. We were disappointed with the ambiance of the establishment and even more so with lack of service. We're glad we gave it a try though, in support of Chicago Black Restaurant Week. If you're looking for a bar located near China Town, with great R&B and hip hop tunes played at full volume and a party crowd, this is your spot.

The rib special was decent: excellent sauce, but the meat was fatty and not great flavor. The salmon dinner was bad: too much celery salt on both the fish and green beans; the beans were way overcooked (or from canned?) and lacked flavor other than celery salt; the fish was overcooked; the mashed potatoes were watery and tasted like instant potatoes. It might be a fun space to hang out on a Sunday afternoon in the summer, as the whole front wall opens up and it's a big place. Plus the French fries were pretty good. Service was attentive.

Well...I was trying to find a nice place to take hubby to eat before going to the Sweetest Day Comedy Show that was close. Let's just say we will not be going back there again. For starters when u walk in there was no one to greet u or seat u. Then when she finally comes, she doesn't take us to our seat. She says, "Sit right there.". WHAT?! If I had to make a reservation shouldn't the service be better than that? We sat down by the door where it was cold. We asked her could we move to seat and she asked us how long were we going to be. WOW! Does that matter if I'm paying. Not to go into further details but the food was cold and was sent back to us looking the same way we sent it back so it was microwaved to heat it. There was only one waitress and she was not attentive at all. People who came in after us got there food before us so why was it cold? The money paid for this was not worth it. This place HAS to do better. Last but not least, the gratuity is added and then they have a place for an additional tip. NAW NAW!! First and last time going there!!

So I've heard of this place hut never got to experience it !! Until now!! I still have to go back for the food as I hear it is outstanding! I went for the after hours event and while the space was smaller than what I would have imagined. The atmosphere was bumping! The bar was lit and the drinks were just right wit a touch of ohhhhh weeeee. The music was in point not too much of that current jumble but and good mix of hip hop, dance, Chicago, reggae etc. I loved it all!!! Crowded as expected but not shoulder to shoulder so you could actually dance. It was a Friday night so we all know how that could look. I will definitely frequent a few more times, especially for the bar. It's a lil cutie I had my eye on, have to see what's to him (lol)

Ordered a Jameson and ginger ale. The bartender served me a full cup of Jameson and told me they're out of ginger ale, I told her I'm good and walked off. If you don't have ginger ale, why try to serve me the drink? She walked up to me in my section and tried to shame me for not paying and told me that I need to learn "bar etiquette." First off, this not no real bar, secondly lol ghetto.

I would give a -100 rating if I could. Complete TRASH. With all the horrible reviews about security, why is this place still open?? The 6' 5" ish security guard with locks needs to be fired. Tonight Jan. 28th My friend and I decide to check out Bureau after a fashion show and getting ramen. I don't "club" anymore, so I really don't know what their vibe is late at night. The line was long and it is cold and raining, so I went around the crowd to understand if they were still letting people in, it was about 1:50 AM. Two or Three younger women were in front of me right by the door, pulling on the door and aggravating the security guard. I step back to get out of their nonsense. The 6'5" security guard decided, with all his force, to shove the women down to the ground, one woman fell down, another woman fell back and pushed me back. I loose my step and fall into the street, on my back and side. Two other women were thrown down to the street in all the chaos. I couldn't get my balance because the ground was wet, it was raining out with mud everywhere. Meanwhile, when I was attempting to get up, I see the 6'5" security buffoon continue to beat on this girl, shove her to the ground, pushing her and her friends. Nobody who works at Bureau Bar is trying to deescalate the situation and ask the women if they are ok. NOBODY who works at Bureau Bar asked me if I was ok! NO one. I literally did nothing but stand in the wrong spot. And since no one bothered to check on me, an innocent bystander who got pushed and shoved to the ground for no reason, I called the police, 3 times. I have dirt and gravel all over the back of my coat, my right dress sleeve is full of mud, my right hand scratched and muddy, broken gel nail overlay I JUST had done earlier on Saturday, and ripped stockings on my right calf, scratched leg. That's how much force this security guard used. Trust and believe this review is going on everywhere and the better business bureau. If my back continues to hurt later on Sunday morning, I will also be calling a personal injury lawyer.

3-5 stars Depending on what you're going for! I gave it three because lunch was my main agenda. Drinks, dessert, service, and vibe get 5 stars all the way. We visited on a Sunday afternoon. We didn't have a reservation but we're able to snag a table on the patio right away. FYI parking is always a mess in this area so be prepared to look a little. Anywho we ordered drinks, lamb chops and cheese grits, lobster rolls, and peach cobbler. The waiter was very pleasant, but after he left I realized he didn't ask us how we wanted our lamb chops cooked. When our food arrived, there was more cheese on the chops than the grits. The waiter asked if it was that ok. We said yes but it was bit odd to have cheesy chops... kind of like the cheese for the grits was an after thought but they were rushing and put it on the lamb chops instead. The meat for the lamp chops was seasoned good but the meat itself was WELL done. I would have much more preferred medium or at least medium well. The grits were good. And the lobster rolls were cold. They came out at the same time as the main course... idk if they were supposed to or not but from the cheese you could tell they'd been sitting. The peach cobbler was amazing. The hurricane drinks were tasty with a punch. When they turned on the music it was great too. Again the vibe was excellent. I'll be visiting again to try more things on the menu and more drinks!

Customer service can go a long way in either direction. As someone who enjoys supporting minority owned businesses, this is one I cannot support. After mentioning the bar in an Instagram post I was baffled by the bars reply. Even if the bar didn't agree with the complaint about being charged for ice ($3) they lacked professionalism on any level in their response. The customer is not their priority and I just want to warn future/potential patrons. If you decide to venture here at least you've been warned.

Bureau Bar was an interesting experience. If I could give them a more realistic ranking. I would give them 3.67 stars. I would also say that it depends. When we got in and got seated. We sat down for about 30-40 mins before anyone approached us or got us any water or anything. This was a major deterrent and made my friends want to just leave. After deciding to just stick it out a new server by the name of Camille came by and completely changed the experience around! Camille was awesome. She was patient, knowledgeable, and committed to serving us. She is the GOAT! An important note for folks considering trying the spot you have the option of paying $60 for a meat option and up to three sides. Check out the menu for more information. Luckily, you are able to order other things outside of the brunch. This includes chicken wings, salad, philly steak and cheese eggs rolls, and alfredo. For the most part people loved the food ordered! The jerk wings were highly recommended. They didn't have m/any vegan options so I opted out on eating. We also ordered a craft of mimosas. We ordered one mango and one pineapple. The were not the most flavorful. The DJ wasn't set to come in until 2pm. This was a bit late but once he got in the rest was history. The vibes were most definitely there! It was a lit experience.

I must admit I haven't had many reasons to write a review on yelp in a while. I came to Bureau Bar and was not only blown away by the kind and attentive service . My food was beautifully presented and flavorful. Highly recommend! The atmosphere is warm , well coming and a clean restaurant which is a huge plus for me personally. Thank You Bureau Bar Highly Recommend Street Parking Available

Bureau bar was a favorite of mine until recently. According to the manager they have switched vendors which will be the downfall of the restaurant portion of the place in my opinion. My delivery order had what looked and tasted like craft Mac n cheese, grammar school cafeteria fries and wings. One of the wings was even the size of my pinky. Thankfully I was able to get a full refund via Grubhub hence ordering through them. I'm so sad about Bureau bar not being what it used to be! Also, sidecars are strong as long as anyone but the manager is making them.

I have nothing but great things to say about Bureau Bar! My husband and I went here for brunch with another couple and we all had a fantastic time. I had the shrimp and grits and they didn't disappoint. The shrimp were so well seasoned and the grits were the perfect consistency. My husband got the chicken and waffles with strawberries and bananas and he loved them. The chicken was fried just right. The restaurant also offered bottomless mimosas with a variety of different flavors. Our favorite flavor was pineapple. I love supporting local Black owned businesses. I can't wait to go back for dinner!

They charge $3.00 for ice (rocks) in your drink. Yes, $3.00. For ice. I also shared this on Instagram and tagged the restaurant in the post. The second picture is their response. Do with this information what you will. Expect slow service, unprofessionalism from management, and $3 ice with your drinks. And it's too bad because otherwise it's a nice vibe.

My friend and I visited this bar today. He ordered a drink on the rocks and they charged $3 for ice, to our surprise. Never have I been charged for ice. But the response from the restaurant is what caused this review. They responded "then go home" when my friend posted about being charged for ice. Very unprofessional attitude from whoever runs this business.

So I've been here twice and wasn't impressed either time. The food is very basic , the security officer is very rude & unprofessional. On my last visit here I seen him pick up and young woman and made her leave the restaurant. No she wasn't intoxicated or creating a scene so I'm not sure what that was about but he could've just asked her to leave instead of violating her . The waitress are okay they check on you once , don't come back to refill your water and let me not forget they bring the bill with your food ! The ambiance is very ghetto not an upscale place at all .

I had the absolute worst service I ever had at a restaurant. Our server was rude to our table of 6. She seemed incredibly annoyed the entire time. I ordered a Tito's soda and she gave me a double Tito's neat. She also just kept going over to the cashier and texting. She then took our orders and then went back and texted by the cash register. When our food was ready she brought out only two plates, then went back to texting. When asked where the rest of our food was 5 mins later she finally brought out two more plates, then waited and then 3 mins later brought out the rest. I got the Caesar salad and it was all mushy and my steak on top tasted like rubber. Would not recommend.

Solid 3 stars My friend and tried booking this place previously finally got in this past Sunday Unbeknownst tobude it was a Bears home game, and greed Chicago only allow you to park at certain spots. I guess this is game beings do much Revenue if you were to park and Soldier Fields for the game. So Driving around email aimlessly made us late for our reservation we called the restaurant several times telling them that we were having a hard time parking . We finally made it in and it was a party for the 60/ 40 or 40/60 club loud and stopping the music for acknowledgments or what have you. Listen if they would rented the whole place out for they gathering cool , but other paying patrons we in the midst. It was kinda rude , they were loud fir no good reason ! Anyway the food was OK chicken and waffle which was my choice ,waffle was kinda sweet inside didn't need syrup the chicken was 6 wingetts My friend has shrimp and grits Lots of shrimp 18 bucks for a bowl she doctored hers up with hitsayse and salt pepper and them enjoyed. We has has passionfruit Mimosa's good and potent No need to return one time was enough for me

NOT WORTH THE HYPE AT ALL!! lamb chops were seasoned well but thin cut. All the sides are out of a can or box, nothing is homemade and you can tell. Don't waste your time.

@guccis.grub overall experience: 7/10 Imagine everyone drinking mimosas & singing old school r&b...It was beautiful! My expectations were high and somehow the food did not match my expectations. The only thing that really blew me away was the chicken and waffles. They were so crispy and flavorful. The lobster rolls were extremely small and the grits were basic unfortunately. We had great service but i was disappointed to get seated in the back by the pool table. We couldn't get too much of the ambiance behind the bar with the off-colored tv and closed pool table but we understand since they wanted to use all their space to cater to their customers. Items Ordered Food: - Lobster Egg Rolls - Chicken and Waffles - Shrimp & Grits Drinks - Passion fruit mimosa carafe Overall Pro: The waffles Overall Con: Being seated in the back but, we get it & the lobster rolls.

First and foremost, the staff is amazing! Shout out to Dida & GiGi. Touch downed in the Chi on Thursday, and my peoples put us on to this spot for drinks. Music was cool, drinks were dope, vibe was great. Next time I'm in Chicago I'll be back here.

Great food, drink and service at Bureau Bar! I went for dinner on a Tuesday with a couple of friends and we got the Patron Margarita Tower (a real crowd pleaser), a few apps, and some entrees. All of the food was delicious, but the chicken and waffles stole the show for me! When I tell you it's one of the best waffles I've ever had...it was so good! There was a perfect crunch to the waffle, even after you poured the syrup. The music was fantastic...I dare you to try and not dance whine eating! Service was great, and everyone was super friendly. Here's everything else we tried: ~ Margarita Tower: Mango, Passionfruit, Strawberry, and Pineapple (passionfruit was my favorite, but they were all super tasty) ~ Loaded Nachos (a must order - they were so delicious and come with chicken, steak AND shrimp) ~ Philly Cheese Egg Rolls ~ Lobster Egg Rolls ~ Buffalo Shrimp Tacos (the shrimp was incredible ) ~ Mushroom Burger

Came in for Sunday brunch and left satisfied knowing I didn't have too high of expectations. I have seen this place countless times on tik tok and Instagram. I will say the ambiance is what makes this place. Staff was friendly, music was flowing and I like the art on the wall. We started with a mimosa carafe ($25) which was fairly strong so I'm not mad. The French toast was subpar. the lobster egg rolls were decent, the butter sauce served with it is a perfect match. The chicken and waffles were my favorite. The chicken was crispy and well paired with a fluffy waffle. Spent about $80 and was there first thing on Sunday when they opened. Street parking is available or super close to the CTA. Will come back for the vibes and drinks and maybe try the dinner menu.

Well, let me say, I am all about supporting black businesses. And maybe it was an off day but, I was not impressed. The food at noon when they say they open (not what the website says) an hour earlier, was neither fresh or hot. The venue is very nice and our waitress was wonderful. But the food was...., not aa I expected. The menu is deceptive for brunch. Order off the menu dont do the brunch package. Always ask about options. The food did not have much taste but I cook so, I was not impressed , don't go by my taste buds. But no salt and pepper on the tables? Interesting. It is a good venue for meeting and connecting but the music is too loud to hear. All in all the experience was mediocre.

Loved the ambiance of this place! They had a DJ and it was such a vibe. Our favorite was the lobster egg rolls. The drinks were very strong and the service was great! Highly suggest if you're looking for a place to grab drinks and a quick appetizer. Especially if you love a good strong drink!

Overall: I give this place a 6/10. It's a nice black owned business to support at least once. Some of the food tastes great, and some tastes terrible. The music is too loud, but the employees are all nice. We went here for Saturday brunch. Pros: 1) Our waitress was really nice and helpful. 2) The bust boy was great too. They brought my plate with shrimp on it (an error), and when I told him I'm allergic to seafood, he said they would remake everything. 3) The chicken was really good (5/5). The French toast was okay when it wasn't burnt. The mimosas carafes are plentiful (each person participating in the brunch gets their own carafe). Cons: 1) They have a sign with all these dress code rules, but the staff doesn't even follow them. One of the waitresses was wearing black tights/leggings. I didn't mind, but the employees need to follow the same dress code as the patrons. 2) The music is too loud at times. I couldn't here the person sitting next to me. 3) The Mac & cheese was terrible. Seriously, they should work on that. It looks like orange noodles and tastes like unseasoned Kraft noodles (and it didn't taste like they used enough of the powder cheese sauce lol). I hope they fix this because it was disappointing. 4) For the brunch, you get to order three separate times. Each time, you get one "meat" (see the following comment), and three sides. The website didn't explain this clearly, and we were initially told something different by the hostess. Our waitress had to clarify when she came to take our order. 5) The website is unclear as to how the brunch works. It turns out, you get to pick a choice of a "meat," but what they refer to as "meats" are salmon or shrimp. They have chicken, but they consider that a side item. I'm allergic to seafood, so I was annoyed, but my waitress let me get a 4th side to make up for the lack of a real meat option for the "'meat." 6) There's a $32 up charge for lamb chops (so you pay $60 plus $32). That's ridiculous and doesn't make sense because of the amount of lamb chop they give. Other points to note: 1) I loved the mimosas because even though we all got different flavors (two strawberry, one mango, one pineapple, and one tropical punch), they all tasted the same. Lol consider this to be a pro or a con depending on how you like your mimosas. I don't mind mine tasting only like champagne, but I definitely couldn't taste any fruit flavor 2) Both photographers were fine! And they were personable. Shout out to them (I don't know their names).

Ok so the reviews/pictures don't give this place justice! It's really nice inside and the food looked 10x better in person. I was literally hesitant to come here because of it but thankfully my friends wanted come. We came for Sunday brunch, they have a two hour limit on tables. They have a DJ that come at 2pm. So they are pretty busy with sessions and group parties. They mix the mimosas for you. But they do pour the entire bottle in the pitcher and top it off with your choice of juice (pineapple, orange, cranberry, peach, etc) I ate before so I only had the cheesecake, I'm not cheesecake stan but it was really good! I'd come back for the cheesecake. My friends had chicken and waffles, chicken was good. Waffles were a crisp from burnt but ok I guess. Mac and cheese was a bit dry. However, I'd come back and give them another try for something else. Another friend had brown lettuce in her salad. The waitress was ok, she literally didn't even tell us our time was over and asked if we wanted anything else. She just handed us the check lmao. The staff isn't the friendliest, they were stopping people from twerking outside their session. I'd come back. Just for the atmosphere and mimosas. I'll give there food a try too.

I am sorry to say my experience at this restaurant was absolutely terrible. Went for a birthday and was ready to have a good time, order lots of drinks and food. The service was awful, the food was gross. It took 1 hr to get the first 2 drinks for a party of 8 in a place that is not very big where you can see the bar. The servers were standing around a lot and it was hard to tell who was working and not because so many were chilling at the tables like customers too. We were told we had 90 mins when we arrived for our reservation and had 4 different servers in our time. Like I said it took 1 hour for 2 drinks, another 45 mins for the rest of the party drinks and our bottle service (not worth it. Also small thing but still...you have to open your own bottle and I have never heard of that lol) then the food came after that even though we ordered it at all at the same time when we walked in. Other than 1 person liking the eggrolls, no one liked the food. It was cold and lacked flavor. The guy saying he was a manager, walking around drinking alcohol, full mess. We talked to him about everything but he was not very helpful. Two of the three toilets in the women bathroom were either overflowing or not flushing. We should have left at the first sign of it being trash. It was absolutely terrible. The doorman, the music and the decor were the only things contributing to the 1 star. I really wanted to like this place so bad, even with so many mixed reviews. I'll never know if it could be a different experience because I personally am never going to return...too many red flags.

This Establishment is nice , the customer service is Terrible they are extremely unprofessional... we had a reservation for 11:30 and was told to be there on time with our full party , but they did not open doors until after 12 . We spent over 1500 dollars and the Manager made our experience extremely terrible . I do not Recommend

One word, Dahlia! She was great. We felt like she gave us tip top service and still worked the room. The establishment itself is medium / small in size. The tables on Sunday were first come first serve after 5:30pm. We are visitors so we didn't know what time to come. Luckily we were there early and we're seated immediately. On this day the crowd is a little bit older.. I'd say late 30s+. The DJ mostly played old school but still created a vibe. The food......... The food was completely unsatisfactory. At this time of day (after 5, Sunday's) at the restaurant they only offer a limited menu. We tried the lobster rolls ($20- 2 small rolls cut in half), jerk chicken wings (6 pieces), string fries. we didn't like anything including the fries and fries are pretty hard to mess up. The food is priced fairly high and that's an even more of a disappointment when you get it and it's not good. Not only was it not up to par nothing came out hot. The three stars is for the staff (security, servers, hostess, bartenders), customer service, the vibe of the establishment, and speed of service. We were allowed to stay there for hours despite the 90min table limit and the place packing out. Mostly enjoying the bar and DJ. It is a fun experience especially if you're visiting as we were. You may want to eat Somewhere else first. We came there with empty stomachs and left with empty stomachs.

If you are looking for a nice happy hour spot, with a great vibe, then this is a great spot. I loved the music and atmosphere. The food however, was average at best. The lamb chops were ok, cooked a little too long. The mash potatoes taste like they came from a box maybe. They had a gritty texture. The caesar salad had more croutons than lettuce which made me laugh since I have never had that happen before. The lobster roll appetizer was cool. Like I said, if you want a good HH spot, this is definitely the spot for you, I just can't recommend the main entree's. I may try again in the future.

This was one of the worst food experiences I have ever had. They were out of mostly everything. I ordered the restaurant week meal, which was a complete disaster!! I had items missing from my meal. When I asked for them, for something different, seemed like I got on peoples nerves. When our food was being brought out, the plates are so small with all this food hanging over it, juice was spilling over the plate and onto my coat and into my drink. Asked for a been drink of which it took 20 more minutes. The square bowl is supposed to be a Ceaser salad which looks like Mac and cheese but it's so dark you can't tell. I'll BEVER be back and most definitely let my friends and family not to go to this place u less there ready for disappointment!!!

Do NOT do bottle service here. We were scammed into paying for bottle service and then kicked out of our table because they told us another party had already reserved the table for a birthday party. I paid $330 for a $40 bottle of liquor, my friend paid $200 for a bucket of beer and my cousin paid another $200 for another bucket of beer all for 20 minutes before they made half our party move and disperse. Total lack of integrity and after speaking with management they did absolutely nothing and ignored us. This place was the only small blemish on my wedding night.

We purposely looked for a Black-owned restaurant to patronize. First we ask for a Manhattan and a vodka martini only to quickly learn, they don't know how to prepare mixed drinks. My husband ordered shrimp while I asked for a house salad. He enjoyed the shrimp and my $14 salad consisted of lettuce and peppers; that's it, that's all. He asked for 2 more cocktails and they brought out 2 more orders of shrimp instead. Even though the shrimp was cheaper than the cocktails, that's not what we ordered. At the end of this 4 drink, 1 salad, 1 shrimp deal came a $138 bill that included a 20% service charge and they requested a 18-20% tip on top of that. This place is for a much younger crowd who I suspect is more for the seen and be seen than it is for quality, food drink and service. So I'd say skip it unless you're looking for the fake hair, nails, lashes, short skirts, sneakers, sweatsuits wearing crowd with overpriced drinks and marginal quality food.

Services was horrible will never go to place ever again. I wanted over an hour to waste my time for some food that taste like sh#####t I was so unhappy with the service. Please let not get on the security at the door over do his job . The ambiance was ok nothing major.

Vibe was nice. Went a little later so there was no dj but the music was still good. Had a good time with my family. But the food wasn't as great this time. Had the chicken and waffles and the waffles were good but the chicken was soooooo bland. Like....no seasoning whatsoever! The time I came before I couldn't stop talking about the chicken and waffles. But they were very accommodating with where they sat us which I was very happy about and my waitress was everything!! She was very attentive!! 'Made sure we had what we needed and was a total sweetheart. I was with my family celebrating my moms bday and we had a good time so that's all I couldn't ask for.

I've been to Bureau various times and this was one of the better times. I had friends in town and wanted them to experience a semi-lit brunch. They no longer do reservations which is a bummer when trying to plan, but we went early enough that they had a table. The atmosphere is good, club lighting, and Dj. The food was good, the wait staff is just a little slow, but overall love this place though

We came here for Chicago's Restaurant Week. We made reservations for 8:45 p.m., and we're glad we did because the bouncer at the door asked if we have a reservation. We also didn't know there was a dress code, but thankfully we dressed up a bit. It's definitely gives off the upscale club/lounge vibes especially since there was a DJ in the house, and it does make you want to get up and dance. Their cocktail menu selection lacked variety, so we didn't end up getting alcohol. We decided to dive right into the food -- I did the $55/person dinner where I had the lobster egg roll, steak with green beans and mashed potatoes and a cookie sundae. My partner did a bacon cheeseburger that came with fries and some loaded nachos with no sour cream and guacamole. We both finished our food and left with a happy belly. As for dessert, they were out of peach cobbler, and our waitress said she wasn't comfortable serving me the ice cream since it wasn't enough to plate it. She ended up serving us 3 cookies which tasted liked a Reese's peanut butter cup which I'm not complaining, and she even gave us a small discount which we can appreciate because she didn't have to do that. We had a good time, and I'd recommend Bureau Bar to anyone in the South Loop area looking for a bite to eat and a good time.

Yo did anyone else drink felt watered down??? They didn't put ice in the drinks either I saw that they charge $3 for ice whoa! Margins are that tight huh. Sheesh... the ambiance and customer service was cool but maaaannn seems like a money grab....

I would give the atmosphere 5 stars, there's a dj and the music / vibe is great. You definitely need a reservation, this place was packed. There's temperature checks and even a sanitizing Metal detector that you have to walk through. There's no service at the bar so all drinks are ordered from your seat, however the pool tables were open. The food was not terrible, I'd say 3 star, the drink service is a tad slow though. Appetizers were ok, the chicken tenders were a little tough and the Philly cheesesteak eggrolls, which is what I initially came for were a little rubbery. Dinner was better, The New York strip steak was delicious. I'd definitely will be back for the atmosphere.

I enjoyed it. This was my first time coming in to the south loop location. Staff was friendly, greeted us immediately and toooo us to our table. They take reservations but we got in without one on a weekday. If you want to sit outside they have heaters for the colder days. The menu is mostly what you would expect from a bar, but they did have beyond meat for those who are vegetarian. I ordered the chicken tenders with barbecue flakes and they were exactly what i was looking for, cooked perfectly with a good amount of sauce. The waiter and hostess made sure we were good several times, love to see it!

This would have been my 1st visit, we made reservations 8:30 on a Thursday night. Arrived the enclosed patio smelled like feet. When we got to the hostess she told us they were closing due to no customers. Wtf! I would never patronize those place. It's a NO FOR ME!

The bar is dangerously low. Customer service is simply nonexistent. My very first experience with Bureau Bar was different, good even, when they were located near UIC's campus. The "restaurant" must be under new management having moved to the south loop. I cannot stress enough how disrespectful and dismissive staff members have been. Every time I've visited this location, there has been an hour wait, despite their being plenty of tables available. They're always short staffed and existing staff members seem to be more concerned with socializing / dancing than actually doing their job. They operate like a nightclub. Naturally, I try to support Black owned businesses but establishments like so make it difficult. Sad to say, but, never, ever again.

My cousin called ahead for a table for 7. The person did not take her name as they rushed off the phone. We arrived and were seated separately at 2 four tops. We asked to push the tables together and we're told no due to COVID restrictions. When we entered, no one checked our vaccination cards or if we wore masks so it was odd to hear enforced COVID restriction as the reason. Later we found out our table was 'mistakenly' given away. No one tried to rectify the situation. Meanwhile, groups of 8 or more were being seated all around us. We left and went elsewhere.

We sat at an outdoor table at the restaurant during our visit on Saturday around 6:30pm. Our server NEVER wore her mask the entire time we we there. She kept it below her chin while talking to us and while serving our food. She also talked over our glasses of water and our food. She was nice but fairly new and obviously needed more training. The food was good.

IF I COULD GIVE THIS PLACE ZERO STARS, I WOULD. Can't even tell you what the food tasted like because after fifty minutes nursing only water, we got up and left. Our business was so unimportant to them, they didn't even try to stop us. Huge bummer since we were trying to support a Black owned business by choosing against Reggie's, our usual vibe. When we got up, we walked straight into Reggie's and had drinks and food orders taken care of in less than five minutes. For the prices The Bureau us trying to charge, they need better service. Shouldn't have to wait 20 mins for a waitress to even notice us. While sitting, someone who seemed in charge spent time making a sign that said DRESSCODE STRICTLY ENFORCED but took no interest in the fact that we weren't being served. On top of that, they were out of shrimp before 4pm. What the heck?