Wilde Bar & Restaurant
Chicago, IL 60657
Phone: (773) 244-0404
- Cross Street:
- Briar Place
- Directions:
- Bus: 8, 36 to Briar
- Specialties:
- Fireside Dining
- Hours:
- Sun-Fri 11am-2am, Sat 11am-3am
Editorial Review for Wilde Bar & Restaurant – by Fred Schlatter
In Short
A polished wood-framed front hints at the richness inside this Boys Town pub. Expensively inlaid floors feature buffed wood and mosaic tiles--a perfect backdrop for acres of turned banisters, crown molding, crackling fireplaces and cushy seating. Raised, upholstered booths line the front, while highboys and four tops dot the remaining space. Weathered volumes and burgundy club areas comprise the library. Young couples and groups gather around frothy pints and fancy bar food.
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Insider Tips
ParkingThere is no valet and parking is nightmarish. If you must drive, find metered spaces on Halsted and cut through to Broadway on Briar.
On The MenuClassic pub fare shares the bill with bar food and fanciser stuff like whole wheat spaghetti. But when you're fireside, nothing warms like shepherd's pie or bangers and mash.
When to GoWhen it is cold, preferably rainy too. The effect will be better, and those deep leather booths and crackling fireplaces will be very welcome.
User Reviews for Wilde Bar & Restaurant
01/14/2008 Posted by epicurious123
This place was recommended to me by a friend, and as a lover of Irish food and beer, I was excited to try it. I could not have been more disappointed. I will admit the place is lovely- they obviously spent a lot of money on the decor. The selection of beer is amazing, and the wine list isn't bad either. The biggest problem I see with this place is an inability to handle large crowds. It's getting a lot of buzz, so that is a BIG problem. I spent my entire meal with someone's rear end in my face. We were crammed into a tiny corner two feet from the host station, so the ever-growing crowd pushed in on our table so much I kept having to ask people to move. It was freezing that night, and every time the door opened (which was every two minutes), we were blasted with frigid wind. My date ordered the Shepard's pie- it was bland and quite pricey considering how small the portion is. I had the blue on blue burger. It was ok, but the fries were disgusting. We rushed to get through our meal. Overall, I felt uncomfortable and unimportant. I hope they come to their senses and remove this table entirely. Is adding one additional two-top really worth it? This area would be much better as a small waiting area. With 45 minute waits, wouldn't that make more sense?
Pros: really cool decor, great bar
Cons: too crowded for dinner, blaring music, bland food, unpleasant atmosphere
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
12/10/2007 Posted by jeffatuofl
A friend who lives in Chicago suggested we stop at Wilde tonight for dinner. Opened in November 2007, Wilde had some inconsistent reviews on other sites, so I was not sure what to expects. I think they found their equilibrium in recent weeks. Our waiter, Sam, was outstanding. The menu has a good variety of English/Irish themed dishes, but just about anyone could find something to enjoy. I had meatloaf ($12.95) served on a bed of champ (Irish mashed potatoes) with some peas and corn scattered around as garnish. The meatloaf was moist, but solid with hints of roasted garlic. My friend had molasses glazed corned beef and cabbage ($12.95), which was served with horseradish sauce. The corned beef was only slightly sweet, alleviating a concern we had about the molasses glaze. We each had an alcoholic beverage and split a dessert of Guinness chocolate cake ($5.95). The total bill was $49.40 including tax. We left a tip of $12 for the totally outstanding service. The interior look and feel is very warm and comfortable. Two working fireplaces are present and were welcome on our chilly-night visit. In better weather, the front of the restaurant opens to a small open and fenced patio, which will be something to look forward to in late spring and summer. I recommend giving Wilde a try. I think it will be a Lakeview favorite very soon.
Pros: Great atmosphere, FANTASTIC service, good food, decent prices.
Cons: A little hard to find unless you know where it is. Was a little too warm late in our meal.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
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