Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley - Chicago

Review summary

1. K

   Kianna

   Chicago

   3 reviews

   2.0

   3 reviews

   Dined today

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Food was very salty, they brought my greens out and they were cold. Food is over priced.
   

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2. A

   Anthony

   Chicago

   3 reviews

   1.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 1

   We were seated in an area where the air from the vents above was blowing cold, making it uncomfortable. Shortly after being seated, a waitress asked if we had been attended to, and we said no. She informed us that it wasn’t her table and that she would need to ask the manager for permission to take over. After checking, she let us know that she would be helping us since the original server had called off. When we placed our order, we received water but no eating utensils. The water had an unusual taste, so we requested lemons, but even with the lemons, the water remained unpleasant. The area of the restaurant we were in was quite cold—several other patrons were wearing coats or jackets to stay warm. Our food arrived in a reasonable amount of time, but the chicken was not hot, and we had to remind the waitress about the missing utensils. The food overall was just okay, which was disappointing compared to the excellent food, service, and ambiance we’ve experienced at your Dallas location.
   

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3. K

   Ken

   VIP

   Chicago

   39 reviews

   3.0

   39 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 4

   If it weren’t for the hit or miss (mostly miss), service there, they’d be even more poplar as well as have more repeat guests. Had to get our own silver ware (so did the next table), had to get straws, (next table as well). No sense of urgency. Spilled drink next table that got on me as well, but no kind of sincere apology. If it weren’t for the food being top tier, no one would ever come back to this place. 4th time here and got decent service once. Don’t hate tipping as we are in the industry, but the auto gratuity for folks that don’t earn it is beyond me. Basically your tip tier and low tier servers are getting the same pay. Maybe drop that auto to 10%. Maybe service will improve and the good ones will shine and make more money. Also, cold as draft from the floor where we sat. Wanted to change tables but wasn’t acknowledged. Then got our food and ate with our coats on. Asked someone else for boxes. Wanted to order drinks, couldn’t do that. Finally told the bartender we’d like this and put it on our table.
   

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4. J

   James

   Chicago

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   My family loved it there they want to come back the food and vibe was great
   

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5. M

   Monica

   Chicago

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Good Evening. It was my Sister's birthday! We had a ball! she really enjoyed her self. Thank you and we will be back and bringing more people! Monica.
   

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6. E

   Erica

   VIP

   Chicago

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Always a pleasures to come and enjoy one of my favorite spots to visit in downtown Chicago. A bit pricy, but delicious is the name of the game and that’s what keeps brining me back. See you again soon!
   

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7. J

   Juanita

   Detroit

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 2

   Kitchen and Kocktails - A Disappointing Dining Experience I recently visited Kitchen and Kocktails and was extremely dissatisfied with both the food and the overall dining experience. As restaurant owners ourselves for many years, my husband and I found that this establishment falls far below what should be expected for the price. Overpriced Menu The food is vastly overpriced. At $25 for a half chicken breast, it's hard to justify the cost. Chicken is not a high-end ingredient, and serving it halved just feels like a poor attempt at value. To add to that, sides are $15 or more and don’t come with entrées. For the price, the portion sizes and overall quality should be far better. Underwhelming Entrees I ordered an entrée that featured a single short rib, which felt absurd for the price. We could have enjoyed a far more satisfying meal at a top-tier steakhouse for the same amount of money—around $250 for both of us. Lackluster Drinks The drinks were a huge letdown. They tasted like a sugary, watered-down Kool-Aid with just a hint of alcohol—definitely not worth the premium price tag. Atmosphere and Ambiance The atmosphere seems geared towards a younger crowd—mostly 18 to 20-year-olds—thanks to the club-like music. While the vibe might appeal to some, it doesn’t lend itself to a comfortable or relaxing dining experience for those seeking a more refined meal. Additionally, the restaurant seems obsessed with photo ops, with aggressive marketing encouraging you to take pictures for $25, which comes across as tacky rather than charming. Customer Service On a positive note, our waitress was friendly and attentive, which was one redeeming quality in an otherwise underwhelming experience. Recommendation Based on what we experienced, we cannot recommend Kitchen and Kocktails. The owner, Kevin, might benefit from bringing in a hospitality consultant to help revamp the restaurant, improve both food quality and service, and reassess their overall approach to pricing
   

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8. L

   LaToya

   Atlanta Metro

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The wait staff, food, ambiance and drinks were perfect. It was a great dinner and experience.
   

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9. L

   Lasheena

   VIP

   Chicago

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   Waited 1hr & 15 minutes for food then it came out burnt we paid 11 dollars for a lemonade that came out the fountain
   

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10. J

    Javontae

    Chicago

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2

    Don’t get me wrong the food is good and flavorful but it’s overpriced soul food. You would be better off going to a steakhouse because after you finish getting your entree and 2 sides it’s the same price for a steak at most steakhouses ($60+). They charge $9-$15 for sides and they aren’t shareable at all they are for 1 person. For example: (Mac & cheese is $15 here & and at Mastro’s it’s $17 and it can be split between 2-3 people). Drinks are expensive, I spent $50 on 2 s’mores espresso martinis and they didn’t even make me feel a buzz, but they tasted strong which makes me think they use watered down alcohol. I seen my server for an added time of 5 minutes and I’m being GENEROUS with that and on the check her “auto gratuity” was $50… which is insane because I barely saw her. I have no problem leaving a big tip if it’s well deserved and the server is attentive, but that was definitely NOT a $50 tip worthy service. Not to mention I was asked if I wanted water and then they charged me $13 for it and it was still water… a steakhouse doesn’t even charge you for water, it’s this is so ridiculous it’s funny. Moral of this is to say that if you come here be expected to pay steakhouse prices for soul fool and don’t think when you see the prices it won’t add up to much because it will with gratuity and taxes that added an extra $80 on my bill which brought the total $350 for 2 people, I’ve spent less for 2 at a steakhouse. Paying almost $400 for a place that sells gumbo and fried catfish is ridiculous, I should’ve stuck with my first mind and went to Tavern On Rush lol.
    

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