O’Briens Riverwalk Café
American restaurant · Loop ·

O’Briens Riverwalk Café

American restaurant · Loop ·

Steaks, burgers, Bloody Marys, outdoor waterfront seating

riverwalk view
overpriced
bad food
friendly service
good drinks
fish and chips
turkey sandwich
frozen food
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null
O’Briens Riverwalk Café by null

Information

45 E Riverwalk S, Chicago, IL 60601 Get directions

$20–30

See Menu
Restroom
Accepts reservations
Popular for lunch
Popular for dinner
Cozy

Information

Static Map

45 E Riverwalk S, Chicago, IL 60601 Get directions

+1 312 346 3131
obriensrestaurant.com
@obriensriverwalkchicago

$20–30 · Menu

Features

•Restroom
•Accepts reservations
•Popular for lunch
•Popular for dinner
•Cozy
•Trendy
•Family friendly
•Good for groups

Last updated

Jan 17, 2026

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O'Brien's Riverwalk Cafe - Review - Loop - Chicago - The Infatuation

"Apart from its Riverwalk location and weekday Happy Hour, O’Brien’s Riverwalk Cafe doesn’t have many attractive qualities. A visit here means fighting off hordes of tourists for the chance to sit at a table and drink bad cocktails, eat oily fish with mealy chips, and wonder whether your $23 steak sandwich is secretly a leather wallet between two pieces of mushy bread. Most places along the Riverwalk operate in limited kitchens, but for a spot that bills itself as a full-service, sit-down restaurant, O’Brien’s does little to hide the fact that a meal here is basically stuff from the grocery store frozen aisle and a toaster oven. It’s a fine choice for a can of beer, glass of wine, or a $3 bottle of water (there’s no tap option available), but only when you can’t get a table at Chicago Brewhouse or Tiny Tapp." - Veda Kilaru

https://www.theinfatuation.com/chicago/reviews/obriens-riverwalk-cafe
O’Briens Riverwalk Café

Megan M.

Google
We stopped for lunch. My friend had chicken wings and I had a turkey sandwich. The view was nice. It was busy but if you want one leisurely, it is a nice place to dine. Staff were friendly and attentive.

Minh P.

Google
One of the most dissatisfying and disappointing bar food that I ever had in my life. The taste and quality of the food here is not even close to average, it's mediocre. I would not recommend stopping here for a bite as you will be disappointed for what you are paying for. I will never ever come back here again or take any of my friends or family here if we're on the riverwalk. I ordered a regular cheeseburger, cooked to medium well. Well, the burger was cooked more to medium than medium well. The cheeseburger tasted underwhelming, no flavor at all. I would say a McDonald's cheeseburger has more flavor and taste than the cheeseburger here at O'Briens. The sweet potato fries is laughable. No taste or flavor either. The fries were soggy, not crispy, and the presentation of the fries looks like it was done by an 8 year old. Very underwhelming and disappointing.

Aimee G.

Google
Food was delicious. Served fast and fresh. Our main server was very friendly and attentive, all other staff we made contact with were amazing.

Asif R.

Google
This place is all about the view—you're really paying for the amazing riverfront scenery, watching kayakers and boaters go by, with lively tourists and passersby adding to the atmosphere. Sometimes there's live music, which makes it even better. It's a great spot for an evening or a nice warm day. Service was good, with friendly staff, but the food itself is pretty basic—think burgers and standard fare. Nothing special in terms of the menu, but again, you're here for the vibe, not the food. I’d still recommend checking it out for the experience, but there are other spots along the Riverwalk that might offer a bit more on both food and ambiance.

K B.

Google
Terrific atmosphere with outdoor dining under an umbrella and beside the river. Tasty food and good drinks.

Brandie N

Google
I went here for the first time the other day after my river walk because I wanted a little me-time with a drink. I kept it simple and ordered chicken tenders and fries with BBQ and buffalo — nothing crazy. It was around 5 p.m. on a weekday, so people were just getting off work. The vibe was business suits, rich laughs, and after-work energy all around. The view alone makes this spot worth it — absolutely breathtaking, probably one of my favorites on the river. Everyone there just seemed to be enjoying themselves, having a good drink and a good bite, which is exactly what I did. Only heads up: shots are the same price as cocktails ($14–$17), so if you’re planning on drinking heavy, this probably isn’t the spot for that. But for a good vibe, solid food, and a view that hits? I’d definitely come back.

Kyle R

Google
Really cool location along the Riverwalk, but this place is little more than a tourist trap. Drink prices are nuts which turned us off from trying any food. Awesome service may have saved the day, but we didn’t get that either. 2 stars for the view but as others have pointed out, it’s pretty easy to walk along the waterfront for free. Take a walk along the water and then walk anywhere else for your refreshments.

Louis L.

Google
Their food options are great. The staff make you feel really welcome. Good value for money and the wine selection is tops.
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Liz M.

Yelp
I wanted something small because I wanted to taste other items in Chicago. They told me I Could order a smaller portion. Once I sat down the waiter said, nope can't do that and was kind of rude about it. Food is not worth the price. Only a bit of fries and hardly any coleslaw. And they don't offer tap Water or refills.
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Justin W.

Yelp
This place is horrible The staff seemed annoyed to have to serve us. They won't give you water with your meal unless you want to pay for sparking The food was disgusting and overpriced. The fries were under cooked and the bread was far from fresh At least it had a good view.
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Kit C.

Yelp
You're just paying for the Beautiful view of the river. Food was below avg but charge you fancy restaurant price. The basic fish and chips was below avg that we basically didn't finish. The sandwich was tasteless and they put an individual packet salad sauce on the plate like the ones you get from Mariano's salad bar. No tap water provided. Only bottled water for $3.5 :) weather was beautiful though.
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Simon K.

Yelp
Best margarita I've had in a while. Maybe because it was hot outside and I was thirsty. I love sitting there on the river, people-watching, and seeing the boats go by as I sip my beverage. And our server was very attentive with good service.
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Andrew P.

Yelp
As others have said here... you're just paying for prime real estate being next to the River Walk and River itself. The drinks were ordered here were not great. My Paloma was one of the worst I've had in a long time. Very watered down and not much alcohol in there. Our server was ok - a little awkward but overall fine. Not sure I'd return knowing how my experience was.
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Catherine S.

Yelp
Loved this place! No wonder it's so popular and earns its reputation. Our service was so fast and friendly, even on a very busy day. I got the chicken sandwich and it was tender and juicy, perfectly grilled, which is hard to get in a restaurant (in my experience)! My husband had an amazing salad - huge and fresh. Also, the atmosphere is perfect along the river. They have so much outdoor seating and it was crowded, I was stunned how fast and delicious our food was. Waiters were super kind and efficient too!
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Doug M.

Yelp
We decided on O'Briens during our recent visit to Chicago and the riverwalk. It's a popular choice for many, being right in the heart of things. The service was fair, food was alright, except the steak sandwich was overcooked. Asked for medium rare and it was well done. The sliders were good. Only real gripe was I had looked up their menu online and it showed a corned beef sandwich, but they no longer serve those apparently. Our server explained it must have been an old menu from their old location. It's a nice place to sit back for a while and watch boat traffic on the river and of course people watch. Add in some sunny weather, a cold drink and you can't beat it.
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Anna N.

Yelp
Service was excellent - thank you to our server and sorry I missed your name. Drinks were fresh and although having just returned from the UK where the dish a a staple to say the least, the fish and chips hit the spot! Only negative were the pigeons but what can you do- except folks do t feed them! Cheers!
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Julie R.

Yelp
Food is okay, service??? Our waiter just checked on us if we are done, didn't check prior to that if we refills or ask about our food. Ambiance is gorgeous by the river walk
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Misha T.

Yelp
The trick with these places where the value proposition is the view/river/etc is to just get the beer. They don't necessarily need to make great drinks or food because the real estate is so prime (though sometimes they do! I wouldn't know here). But the beer is cold and the view is good and I very much accomplished my goals of drinking beer along a river.
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Brian V.

Yelp
Great place to sit and watch the river and people go by. Chicken wings are really good.
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Dustine D.

Yelp
Robin and the coleslaw! What a beautiful relaxing way to have lunch on the river! The food is fabulous and the scenery is!!! OMG!!!

Edwin R.

Yelp
Never been there. Why do you persist in nagging me to write a review about a place I have never been in. Why can I not give you names of places I know nothing about?
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John M.

Yelp
This place only exists because of its location on the river and about to capture unsuspecting tourist. If it was anywhere else it would go under. They don't serve water. I ordered a Bloody Mary. It was basically water with a light orange tint. I think they put a splash of Bloody Mary mix in it. Food quality is poor also.
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Chrissy E.

Yelp
Staff seemed like they hated their jobs. Food quality resembled a hole in the wall pub and the only water they wanted to sell me was bottled water. View was nice but other than that, very disappointed. What a waste of a dining experience on my families visit to Chicago.
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Julie C.

Yelp
Really good food and service. I was visiting the Riverwalk area and wanted to find a place to eat. I went by a few different restaurants and this one had a good menu. We ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and a burger with onions and mushrooms. The grilled chicken was cooked well and tasted similar to rotisserie chicken. I was surprised how quickly our food came out. I would recommend this place if you are in the area.
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Elle Z.

Yelp
One of my fav Riverwalk places to sit, drink, eat, enjoy the view. Took my cousin from Germany here and he did not want to leave. The cheese curds were delish and his iced tea he said was just right.
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Lisa G.

Yelp
The outdoor seating is really nice. The place is busy so be prepared to wait and wait. Good thing there's view. Now, the portions are small - tiny really. I think I got like 8 fries. The plastic cup cocktail was good. But like the food overpriced. This ain't the Chicago Riverwalk experience. Not in my opinion anyway.
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Donn O.

Yelp
Very expensive and the food was not good. Too casual of a restaurant for the prices charged.
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Shon L.

Yelp
Stopped here to eat with my wife and daughter. Ordered the smoked turkey sandwich. Which turns out is just cold deli meat on a bun. Only ate half of it (thank God) because I ended ip getting really bad food poisoning from it. Definitely do not recommend eating here.
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Jorge R.

Yelp
I was looking for a place to watch after a boat cruise. Walked up and was seated right away. Right by the water. The food came out really fast, which I appreciated because I was really hungry. I got wings, a steak sandwich, and my wife got the chicken sandwich with a salad. Our server Connor was always attentive and making sure we were well taken care of. I see a lot of negative reviews for the paper and plastic cups. Makes total sense in a place like this. Did not bother me one bit. There was a live band playing and it was nice to sit and eat. The food was fairly priced for what it was.
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Anthony S.

Yelp
The view is fantastic the food at best is avg easy you expect from a tourist spot. The food is 2 1/2 below the 3 star. However, the service was nice with a bald headed waiter that pushed this to a 3.
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Patrick G.

Yelp
All about the location here. Golden riverwalk setting of which one can have a drink and bite to eat while people watching and taking in the priceless river and skyline views. However, this means they get to charge high prices for decent, but ultimately, average food. Staff was kind, friendly and fast. Our orders came quick, but was served in tacky plastic containers, way inappropriate for the stellar setting. Is this a pop-up, where they are unable to have real dishware? (No dishwasher?) Also, if you want water, you have to buy their bottle water. Tacky. Like stated previously, food was decent, good portions, but the "to go" vibe and high prices were a buzz kill. Better off to keep walking to another place.
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Jen D.

Yelp
Tiny, TINY portions. My server was excellent. Not her fault. I had to order a second sandwich because the 1st one was small but came with a tiny portion of shoestring French fries... I ordered 2 glasses of wine for 28.00. Typical pecing fir Chicago. Not alarmed with that. No free water.. only bottled and its the tiny bottles..for $3. You come here for only 1 reason..and that is the ambiance. Beautiful location but do NOT come here if you're at all hungry. Many other restaurants along the riverwalk that can fill you up for kess than $50 for 1 person.

Ali A.

Yelp
Wagu beef Burgers ??? Looks like they bought it from Costco, salmon salad, definetly not fresh. Not worth the price for sure, beautiful location with crappy food and premium prices.
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Adrianna S.

Yelp
The only thing this place has going for it is it's location on the Riverwalk. It was like a school lunch. Served on paper plates. The vegetables were fresh. But the pita chips were rock hard. Not worth the stop.

Ambur T.

Yelp
Absolutely WONDERFUL customer service! The food, especially the wings, were AMAZING! Reasonable prices for downtown Chicago, the views of the city are incredible as well! It is a must go, must see, must try in Chicago!
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Doug B.

Yelp
Fun experience at the bar. Great Riverwalk views. Brandon at the bar was fantastic. Very helpful, attentive, and efficient despite being slammed for Sunday brunch. Tried the Cobb salad and the famous Wisconsin Cheese Curds. The cheese curds were surprisingly (I'm not in Wisconsin!) good. Flavorful, hot, and not too chewy. The Cobb Salad was tasty. The ingredients were fresh, loved the tomatoes, great bacon, and simply good. Lots of choices on the Riverwalk. Consider this one.
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Libby B.

Yelp
My friend and I came to Chicago for the first time and fell in love with the Riverwalk, so we wanted to find a place along the river to eat to be able to enjoy the view. We got seated right away, and the drinks were good but the food wasn't anything spectacular. I got the burger and it was very plain. The shoestring fries were good though. They only are serving plastic ware for COVID precautions. The views were nice though, but would choose another place to eat.

Alexandra Y.

Yelp
DO NOT RECOMMEND THE FOOD ! The only thing giving this place two starts is the location on the river walk and how fast the food comes out. I got the roasted turkey sandwich and it was disgusting cold cut turkey which was soggy and very chewy. The "focaccia" it came on seemed like grocery store bread and was also soggy. The burger was definitely a frozen patty and was flavorless. Do not recommend this place if you're hungry. Was not worth the $18 for a sandwich

Hailey H.

Yelp
Location and service were great. Ordered a burger and fish and chips they were awful. Worst food we have had in Chicago.

Sarah R.

Yelp
Food was not good. Smoked turkey sandwich looked and tasted like I got it from a gas station. Aperol spritz tasted watery. My brothers burger was decent. Beignets were pretty good
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Shruti J.

Yelp
The only good thing - the view! Drinks served in plastic cups and fries were cold. To top it off when we told our server about the fries, he actually put his hands in the fries in front of us to confirm that they were actually cold. Maybe trust your customers about such things! Wings were alright. I also forgot my credit card here and they held it for me for a couple of days until I picked it up after - that was nice of them!
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Rachel H.

Yelp
Came here for an after work happy hour function. Great location right off the river on the walk. Perfect place to come for a drink and to people watch. I tried the quesadillas for food and they were pretty good. The drinks were also pretty strong. I ordered the margarita and my buddy ordered the old fashion and she said her drinks were strong as well. They have Jazz on Thursdays. Great location off the River to go unwind and relax with a nice adult beverage and good company. Definitely a Summertime Chi location.
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Stephanie W.

Yelp
The worst host ever. Terrible food terrible host stand. This suck. I hate that they can't try simply because the location is good

Jolie S.

Yelp
Less than 1 star...this place should not service food. Processed, pre-packaged, crap food. I ordered the side salad and sweet potato fries...my husband got the turkey sandwich. The salad came in a cup with Paul Newman packaged salad dressing. The turkey sandwich was a little off. My husband didn't finish the sandwich. Food came out almost as soon as we ordered...cause they only had to unwrap it. Highly recommend No One Ever eat here.
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Dr. Albert B.

Yelp
Terrible service. Bland food. Expensive prices. Location is the only positive. If I had to guess, some connected hack got the liquor license and created this "Irish" bar on the coveted riverwalk.
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Tiana A.

Yelp
Food was alright. Had the waitress forget multiple times to bring in certain items that we ordered. When I had ordered a sangria with fresh fruit I was just served wine with ice. Waited 25 minutes just to get the check until we had enough and personally called the waitress over again to remind her that all we wanted to do is pay for our check and leave. Over price. Horrible service. At least they outsourced live music which was pretty nice. Save your money and continue to walk on by.
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Angela P.

Yelp
Just left a meeting in the Loop and wanted to sit and collect my thoughts. Decided to grab a barbecue chicken sandwich and fries here. It's a beautiful day and many tour boats are floating up and down the river. The sites and sounds of Chicago echo everywhere. The service was good but the food was lackluster to say the least. The sandwich meat tasted as if it were microwaved and the fries were very hard. I enjoyed the scenery much more than the food. I recommend having a glass of wine at another establishment down the way
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Ż Ö Ö.

Yelp
Food was really good, I ordered a burger not a slider like the rest of the reviews that don't know how to order food. The servers were really friendly and chill with it. There's also a really good view of the city excellent stop to get a bite.
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Velia S.

Yelp
The waiters, drinks and view are what this place has going for it. The waiters were so nice and personable and drinks were tasty while overpriced. The hostesses were incredibly unprofessional; there were two of them at the stand and we had to ask for a table. They led us to a table and threw the menus on the table and said nothing. They clearly would rather be doing anything else but working and getting paid. I rarely leave reviews unless something sticks with me and the hostesses were bad enough for me to warn others; and I have been a hostess before so I speak from experience.
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Anna S.

Yelp
GROSS!!! ****DO*NOT*EAT*HERE**** This was by far the worst "food" I've ever been served. I ordered the smoked turkey sandwich and the turkey resembled play dough. I have had better turkey out of a kids lunchable 15 years ago then what they tried to pass off as turkey here. The fries and sandwich bread were soggy. Best part of this gross "restaurant" was the ice water. Definitely PASS on this one. You will thank me.
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Danielle B.

Yelp
Beautiful location but the worst food I've ever had. I got the steak sandwich. The steak tasted like what I would expect children's rubber play food to be like. Fries were under cooked and soggy. Sorry but O'Briens but you disappointed
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Mory F.

Yelp
Stopped for quick dinner before evening cruise. Yes, they served with paper plates and plastic cups. This was stated in their menu as a requirement by the city for sustainability and recycling purposes. I don't know that to be the case or not, but I'll take their word on it. Appears to be no running water here. Ice for drinks came from a cooler, no restroom available, and drinkable water came in bottles. My Cobb salad was unremarkable. Basic greens, two cherry tomatoes, diced "chicken" from a bag, warm packet of salad dressing. Girlfriend's quesadilla was average. She's has better ones from the freezer. Her side of cottage cheese (cost 5.00) was barely two spoonfuls in size, and it tasted sour and bitter, even for cottage cheese. Prices were prolly average for a captive audience in a tourist trap area, but food quality did not match up at all. Staff were generally friendly.

Curt M.

Yelp
The bald waiter is totally u personable and a bit of an AHOLE. Water costs money, the food is microwaveable and shit. Would never recommend this. Walk elsewhere.

Rick T.

Yelp
I stopped here with my pregnant wife and 2 year old before an architecture cruise. It started raining, but our table had an umbrella so it wasn't bad. The waiter then came over and moved the umbrella to cover the neighboring table, uncovering my wife and daughter. I asked him to stop and he told me no and insisted that we are "sharing." We were able to get my wife and daughter squeezed under the umbrella, but 3/4 of our table (and myself) was soaked while the neighboring table didn't have a drop on it. We missed our cruise because we had to go back to the hotel for me to change because I was soaked. Beyond that, the food is a disgrace to the city of Chicago. Do yourself a favor and stop by cvs and grab a couple lunchables instead.
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Jennifer G.

Yelp
Don't do it!! Ordered the $18 Cobb Salad that says it has grilled chicken. They served a side salad sized paper bowl with boiled shredded chicken that looked like it came out of a can, two teardrop tomatoes cut in half, wilted greens and Ken's Blue Cheese dressing in a packet. The bacon was in a little plastic container. The amount of blue cheese on it was ridiculous. Walgreens sells a better salad that they tried to serve us. I'm disappointed i didn't get a photo of it. We sent it back and left. I do commend the server though. He was very polite. Even stating that the salad should have had grilled chicken. He went back to the kitchen to talk to the cook to try to fix it. Unfortunately, he couldn't. He was nice and seemed embarrassed by what he served. He kept apologizing.
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Riley C.

Yelp
Sad I have to give one. We ordered $4+ teas and left after seeing the food that came out. It was small, looked dry and overpriced.
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Blake C.

Yelp
This place is a racket. They buy frozen stuff from Ralph's, cook it up and 10x the price. You're paying $18 for a pre made gas station salad....