Andrew W.
Yelp
I love Small Cheval and I been buying food from several of their locations ever since they opened their first location in Bucktown. I was so excited when I learned that a location was opening near where I live, but I couldn't have been more disappointed when I visited.
First, the food is fine. I ordered a cheese burger, chicken tenders and fries. Everything was as it should be, delicious. However, everything else was off in the worst way.
Second, they charge a 3.25% service fee. There was no warning or disclosure of this fee on their menu or any signage in the restaurant or otherwise. It was a total surprise, and it was only disclosed on the cash register's screen. I almost missed it. I also can't figure out what service I was provided that warranted an additional change. All the "service" I got was a staff member ringing me and another staff member handling me a bag of food. This boils down to nothing more than a cash grab by the restaurant. This restaurant is owned by Hogsalt, a large corporate restaurant group, that has revenues of around $130 million per year. It's like they're trying to line the CEO's pockets by stealing from its customers by charging hidden fees without providing anything additional for the fee.
Third, the service was disappointing. Staff members at other locations are often friendly and personable, but not at this location. The staff member who took my order was indifferent at best. Also the staff member who gave me food was rude. She asked what sauce I wanted for my chicken tenders. I didn't know what sauces they provided, so I asked what sauces they had, but barked back at me "we have everything." I felt this was rude retort and unhelpful as it's literally impossible to have every sauce known to man. What it was really was lazy staff member who couldn't be bothered to take the 10 seconds to just tell me the sauces they have.
Fourth, the ambience and atmosphere are completely terrible. This a huge building, but only has a tiny space with eight seats (they ar just stools really) for customers. This restaurant isn't a restaurant, but a glorified ghost kitchen. It's probably a product factory for the rest of their restaurants that only lower quality and make the millionaire CEO rich at our own expense. I was lucky enough to snag a seat, but the CEO's lust for money crams you in so tightly that I was pretty much shoulder to shoulder with the people sitting on either side of me. The place filled up so much with customers waiting for their orders that I could hardly walk to get a cup of water or go to the bathroom without bumping into other customers. Lastly, when this location was being built I saw the large building, and looked forward to warm summer nights on their patio (which I assume would in a hollowed out or torn down part of the building), but boy was I wrong. I'm very disappointed that there is no outdoor seating area at this location. It's sad because one of aspects that got me to fall in love with Small Cheval was their great patio at the Bucktown location with fond memories of good times with friends and my now wife.
This Small Cheval represents everything that is wrong with restaurants today. It's an attempt by the a corporate restaurant group with a playboy millionaire CEO trading on the good name of this restaurant and the nostalgia that it created to funnel as many customers through their profit making system, gouge them with undisclosed and unwarranted fees while destroying much is actually good about the restaurant. Considering fried food doesn't travel well, I wouldn't recommend this location for picking up food. I also can't recommend this location to eat in. All I can say is avoid this location and possibly avoid Small Cheval all together for creating this abomination.