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Categories: American (New), Wine Bars, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhood: Wicker ParkSunday Night - You Choose 4 wines and 4 Cheeses for $19
Monday - $10 Wine Flights
Tuesday - $5 Top Ten Burgers
Damen (Blue)
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sat-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
"I'm not easily impressed, but this beautiful, little, Italian eatery left me in awe. Let me set the stage. I hate winter, and I'm not a fan…" read more »
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This is a pretty fun place to have a glass of wine, some cheese and divulge way too many of your inner thoughts to a friend.
The atmosphere is rad, too. And I'd like to come back and try their brick oven pizzas, too.
I have been here dozens of time and it never disappoints. I prefer to get a wheel of cheese, but I went here Saturday for brunch and it was very good. Get the brunch pizza! Mmmm.
If you have been to downtown Bin 36, it is nothing like it and much more wonderful!
Bin Wine Cafe is a place you want in your neighborhood. This place has good food, good drinks and wine to go. I like that they have some unique menu items because it shows they put a good effort out there in combining different flavors.
Brunch at Bin Wine Cafe is great. I recommend getting a bloody mary or 3. Or go for the bloody mary flight and get a 3 oz. sampling of each. My favorite bloody mary option there is the classic Bucktown Mary, but I will be back to try the Italian Bloody Mary with the parmesan cheese. They also do mimosa flights!
The food is excellent! I had the breakfast pizza because it sounded really unique. They serve it at Bin with a poached egg.. Its delicious!
The other person I was with had the eggs benedict which they do really well there.
Both dishes were tasty and I highly recommend this place for brunch. I can't wait to try it for dinner.
I like going to wine bars so when I was invited to go out with some friends and found out we were going here I was excited. Great cheese dishes and various wines. They have many specials to try and if your hungry they have plates to choose from that are great too, but lets talk about the wine, there are so many to choose from as your wait staff or just venture out and try different wines.
Some tasty food options, and I enjoyed the wine pairings. Try the pork belly confit (though it's spicy). The garlic fries and white pizza were tasty as well. I will probably come back here sometime to buy a bottle of wine to go. Stupid corkage fees in restaurants!
A small group of us popped into Bin Wine Cafe on a weeknight, and we were seated immediately in the back room, which we had almost all to ourselves. We were somewhat overwhelmed by the number of wine choices, so I decided to select my food first (burger... mmm) and then opted for one of the recommended wine pairings.
Despite my skepticism about ordering a burger at a wine bar and then pairing it with wine, the end result was phenomenal. Juicy, perfectly cooked medium rare and served with a generous portion of hot, crispy fries and expertly matched with a vibrant Petite Sirah. I'm not sure why the burger was dressed with sliced carrots, but they were easy to pick off.
The service was attentive but not hovering, and the pacing of the meal was just right. Overall, Bin Wine Cafe offers an exceptional value for the quality of food and drinks.
In an area that's craving wine and cheese bars, Bin 36 is a welcome addition. I love wine flights and cheese flights. I'll definitely be back. But when a cheese bar doesn't have an Ossau-Iraty on the menu, I start to wonder. Once I start chatting it up with the bartender, and he doesn't even know what Ossau-Iraty is, it really makes me think.
I think "Why is the Bin 36 downtown so fabulous, with its huge list of cheese and wines, while the Bin 36 in WP only has a short selection of cheeses?" Now, you can give me a list of wines that only has 10 different selections on there and I'll be fine with it. But, to have so few cheeses on the menu makes me sad. And when the bartender recommends something to replace my beloved Ossau, and it doesn't taste a thing like it, that makes me wonder.
What are you doing Bin Restaurant Group? Does your staff even know what a Brebis is?
So my very first experience with Bin Wine Cafe was for a bachelorette party. I walked in and asked for the large party for my friend and was brought to a table of snobby blonde women who looked at me like I had ruined their entire dinner when I asked if I was at the right table. Apparently there were two large parties of women under the same last name, which was pretty irritating. I have to say though the hosts were really nice/apologetic and quick to get us a large table before the bride even noticed.
After I forgave the hosts for embarrassing me, I ordered an apple martini that was supposed to be a fall cocktail. It was seriously gross. Way too strong and didn't mesh well with my pizza at all. I only drank half, but I guess that's what I get for ordering a stupid cocktail at a wine place.
The food was decent. I wasn't really in the mood for anything fancy and there weren't a whole ton of vegetarian options so I ate a pizza. It was pretty decent and my husband enjoyed the leftovers so it did the trick.
I took off the two stars mainly because it was so freakin loud in there I could not enjoy a conversation with the person I was sitting directly next to. I couldn't hear the waiter as he explained anything and most of the time I sat there trying to find my quiet place so I didn't have a panic attack.
In sum, I won't go here again because it's not my cup of tea but if you like really noisy wine/cheese places then have at it.
- Red Zinfandel wine - full of flavour - not too dry.
- 10 lbs burger - must get item - burger was well spiced, the egg on top with the caramelized onions just made for a mouth watering meal. YUmmmeee.
- Tuna Tartare
- Light sauce to go with it, the bread was toasted well - crunchy but not hard. Good to get for appetizers.
- Steak
- The meat was well cooked and very flavorful. Goes really well with the fries that was served with it.
Dessert
- We got one of everything, and would have gotten 2 of everything if folks weren't full!
Excellent customer service. We had about 16 people and they were able to accommodate us and served us the food pretty quickly! The waiter was very helpful in setting us up. The atmosphere was fantastic, what more can you ask for in Wicker Park?
What can I say? Probably the worst lunch meal I've had in a really long time. I ordered the split pea soup and the pulled pork burrito. Split pea soup didn't taste like split pea, the burrito was not edible. I can only assume that Bin Cafe is trying to go for the "cutesy" tactic of making food taste like other food, not my style, as I insist on my split pea soup tasting like peas, but the outcome of their approach is a complete failure. The only good thing I can say about the food is that it's priced well.
The drinks are alright, however, they are not cheap and for the price they are not spectacular.
The service is spotty at best. We had our bloody mary glasses sitting empty for a long time until the waitress was kind of enough to consider asking us if we would like a second round.
A friend and I strolled into this place on a Friday night, starving, and curious. Or should I have started that s "It was a dark and stormy night..."?
Anyways, we didn't have a reservation, and were lucky to get seated so quickly. We started with 2 different wine flights and the salmon tartar. The dish was well seasoned, and the crostinini perfect.
Next, she ordered the white pizza, and I the red. Delicious! The crust seemed to embody the crust style that is "all the rage" right now (thin, good charring, little chewy on the inside). Ingredients were good quality, and fresh. I can appreciate when a place takes time to make sure the tomatoes aren't the slimy kind.
We saved room for dessert and split the gelato trio. Once again, so good.
Overall, there is nothing particularly special about this place, but everything was satisfying. What warrants the 4th star was the atmosphere. It was a really fun and lively place to enjoy a summer dinner with a friend, or even a date night.
0
10
I went here with my mom when she was in town, and it was fantastic. We went in the middle a rainy Sunday, so there weren't a ton of people in here - but the atmosphere was nice, our waitress was super friendly and knowledgeable, and the wine was fantastic.
If you go, I definitely recommend checking out one of the flights; I got the Sexy Reds and was quite impressed; my mom got the Pinot flight, and was happy with that, as well. We also got the Bin cheese flight, which was very good, and split the red pizza. Both were very good.
The location is also great - located right on Milwaukee Ave, and they have a sliding garage door that opens up the whole side of the restaurant to the street for some great people watching while you enjoy your wine.
This is a brunch don't.
I was so excited to try it out based on its rave reviews. Was the chef on vacation when we ordered? Bc we clearly did not experience food nirvana like the others. It's hard to mess up a breakfast sandwich, but it was plain awful. Their housemade sausage links were terrible and the eggs in a crock dish tasted like alfredo sauce. I love alfredo sauce, but not as its own dish.
Maybe their dinner/lunch options are much better and perhaps it's a great wine bar, but we won't be returning.
Obsessed with Sunday Wine Bingo - the announcer is the faster number-reader-offer with hilarious sexual connotations to which column it is in that its nearly impossible to actually concentrate on your card. But when you do, you wine a bottle of wine, a coupon for $12 off wine, wine openers, wine games, a dinner at Bin 36 downtown, etc. The fact that hes so fast allows tons of people to win, and its a great way to get customers to come back. I am notorious for being too social to do anything but talk durining the game, but after 2 times there even I won!
Recommendation: Eat before you go. The food I have had has been marginal at best. Their garlic white pizza you can only have if you are going to be making out with your dinner date for the next 48 hours becuase that is how long the smell will last. If you dont mind consuming about 1500 calories as an appetizer, the fried green beans with the mayo tastes decent... you just know youre going to have to kill yourself in the gym for days... probably not worth the 11 friend green beans.
All in all, perfect place for a girls night AFTER you've had dinner to meet up. The wine flights are a good deal and a fun way to try different wines.
I've eaten at bin twice, and both times loved the food and service. On my most recent visit, I tried the Spanish red wine flight and the Spanish cheese flight. Both were out of this world and complemented each other nicely.
I ordered the daily pizza special, which had some pretty sharp cheese, bacon, and fresh sweet corn. I love bacon on pizza; who am I kidding--I love bacon period! This pizza was amazing.
The rest of my party tried a skate wing special, the sauteed escolar, and the steak frites. All were stellar and reflected the quality I'd seen on my previous visit.
The service was good as well. Our server was very attentive and gave many recommendations.
I recommend bin for a date night, special occasion, or just a chill night for wine and cheese. I will not hesitate to go back on future trips to my favorite food city!
Fun place to sit, great location
The wine is fine, reasonable price and variety. Service is good, friendly, helpful.
The tempura green beans and olives made a great snack, the rest of the menu was odd to read, so I wasn't drawn to try (panko+game? 'tartare'=raw?).
I have been here three times... once to buy a bottle of wine. This experience was great - the host helped us chose a bottle of wine and offered us several samples of wine and even recommended a bottle that was cheaper than the one we were originally considering. The bottle he recommended was excellent.
Second time I went there and had the $5 burger special and a glass of wine. The service was great as was the burger.
Third time: I had brunch with two other people. I had the fruit and granola plate and asked for no melon. I got the plate with melon and when I pointed out it had melon on it and asked if they could cut new fruit and replace the melon with something else. The plate came back ten minutes later... they had obviously picked off the melon and brought the plate back with no new fruit.... they even left a slice of melon buried under the other fruit. This irked me and I had to ask the server for more non melon fruit. The server was more than helpful. One of the other people at the table got an omelet which was okay.
I would have to save the service here is excellent and I would give them 5 stars.... the food would get 2 and the kitchen zero. Go here for drinks and maybe dinner but avoid the brunch - I've had much better brunches for far cheaper.
I think I came here on a Tuesday night and they had a special of wine flights for $10 or something ridiculously cheap like that. So, as an after dinner treat, we ordered a red and white flight of wine along with an assortment of cheese. I thoroughly enjoyed my wine, my cheese and best of all, my company.
I came here for Sunday Brunch with out reservations. We were quoted a 45 minute wait, but it ended up being about a half hour.
The bloody mary flight is incredible! Some of best bloody mary's i've had ever.
Also - my breakfast sandwich with sausage, egg and cheese was delicious.
I loved my meal but my breakfast companions seemed less excited then i was. Apparently the omlette was a little bland.
I would certainly go back for bloody mary's and to try some thing else on the menu.
Did i mention the bloody mary's?
Seems like every time I come here I get this dude that looks like Mr. Show as my waiter, and he's terrible. He's nice and friendly, just forgets about his tables and BSes with the staff way too much. I also don't like how he jams the bill down his pants - he jams that thing down there a little too far. If you get Mr. Show, don't sit around waiting for him to bring the check, you might have to get up and grab him.
I always forget that this place is an acceptable option - I guess it just doesn't make that much of an impression. The food menu is as limited as the wine/drink list is unlimited if that makes any sense. I think there's only like 6 entrees and 3 pizzas to choose from. But the entrees are done well, I've never had a problem with the food. So despite Mr. Show, I'll probably be back sometime.
This place had me at the cheese course. Went here one night just for lite bites and wine flights, and it didn't disappoint. We had the wine flight 'Express Yourself' which was a great variety of whites - delicious! We did the globetrotter cheese flight...sooo good, the pank-crusted rabbit and also the fries! All perfect paired with a great flight. The space is cozy and fun, right in the heart of Wicker. Loved it!
This place gets a solid 3 stars. My friend and I went there on a Sat. for light apps and drinks. We sat outside in their very limited outdoor seating. I fully understand that the outdoor seating is very limited but if they were to remove one table, just one, it would make things much more comfortable and accessible for the staff to get to the customers, and for the customers to get up from the table when needed.
The service was very slow, we had two servers come by and introduce themselves but then no one came around for over 5 minutes- and they were not busy. The entire back of the restaurant was empty. I'd say a grand total of 8 tables and there were at least 3 servers that I saw.
Now for the food and drinks. The upside was the bloody mary flight was genius. We also had the mimosa flight which was just average champagne with different flavoring. Nothing special. We ordered the antipasta platter which gives you the choice of 3 of their cheeses which is a really nice touch. We told our waiter, Chris, that we were adventurous and wanted him to choose. We were rather dissapointed when we got buffalo mozzarella, a cheese very much like parmesean, and a soft very plain cheese that I can't remember what it was. Also the platter was so big it took up the entire table with hardly any room left over.
I would go back for drinks and probably order my own cheeses, but if the service was as slow as this visit I would stop going.
This was a nice little date night location that allowed for easy access due to how close it is to an elevated train, plus it is smack dab in the middle of Wicker Park and all the energy associated with that neighborhood.
This is a casual compared to its River North brother, but for Wicker Park that is perfect. For this visit, my first though certainly not my last, it was to be dinner. The bar up front was a buzz with activity as was the dining area. I hear the pizza here is very good, but that is for another night. Our entrees were very good as was the service. We also imbibed wine flights and were excellent as well, but that is to be expected for such an establishment.
Whether its official dating or casual hanging out, this wine bar/restaurant is a great spot to check out.
Lately, I have had some pretty mediocre dining experiences in this great city. For that reason, I was dreading going out to eat for fear of being underwhelmed yet again.
I am happy to report that Bin Wine Cafe has renewed my faith in eating out in Chicago!
6 girlfriends and I went here Sunday morning for post-St. Patrick's Day feasting. We were sat immediately and began drinking coffee while we waited for the rest of our party. As soon as I scanned the menu, I was nervous. My pant's size doesn't let on but, I am pretty picky about the food I eat. I generally dislike foods that I haven't been eating for my entire life. My family says I have 'white trash taste buds'; I just really like canned raviolis.
For this meal, I reached beyond my comfort zone and got a breakfast pizza. When the server brought it to us, my heart skipped a beat. Was that a poached egg... on... my... pizza? Blech. Instead of crying or refusing to eat it, I just went for it. I stirred the egg around on the hot pizza and swirled the salad around a it. The hot pizza ended up cooking my egg to the point where I felt I could mentally get over the "baby chicken" part. Then, I went in for the kill; I took a bite.
What happened in my mouth was magical. The pungent cheese mixed with the crisp crust and the salty ham (bacon?) was the perfect flavor burst. I had no idea that food could be this... um... exciting and interesting. It was simply divine.
I thank Bin Wine Cafe for creating this delicious breakfast and for waking up my taste buds. I recognize I need bigger balls when it comes to trying new foods. I think this was the perfect experience to get me started trying new things.
I absolutely loved Bin Wine Cafe!
For starters let me establish that I do not regularly frequent any wine bars and found the entire experience to be thoroughly enjoyable. The array of cheeses on the menu was much larger than I would have expected and there were enough wines to keep any drinker satisfied.
My girlfriend and I sampled, among others, a Persian Feta (10 out of 10), and mild cheddar - aged six years. Both of which were wonderful and perfectly complemented by the wine. Our dinners, a duck and a cod dish, were also delicious and perfectly cooked.
The only reason I gave Bin Cafe 4 stars instead of 5 was that the noise level was such that I could barely hear the sound of my own voice. Granted this was not the fault of the restaurant staff (no kitchen noise or staff banter) but instead the fault of an extremely packed restaurant.
Considering that we had such an awesome experience at its sister restaurant, Bin36 (where we held our wedding reception), my wife and I really wanted Bin Wine Cafe to be good. On one Sunday morning, we casually made our way to Wicker Park to try out their brunch. Compared to the insanely packed Bongo Room a block down the street, Bin Wine Cafe was surprisingly empty. Perhaps it was an ominous sign.
Glancing over the menu, there were a few things that seemed to have great potential. We ultimately settled for the Pulled Pork & Egg Burrito, and the Two Eggs Cooked in a Crock. Both seemed like choices you could not go wrong with. After all, how could a dish with pulled pork ever be bad? Man was I off.
The pulled pork burrito wasn't horrible, but it was definitely under-seasoned. It was a dish with no 'soul'. As for the eggs in a crock, it was over-the-top cheesy. While I normally do not mind cheese, having this much at 11am in the morning was too much for me.
In the end, I tried to salvage our disappointing brunch experience by purchasing a bottle of Bin 36 Syrah. Perhaps the wine will help me forget we ever went there...
We went on a Friday night as per a foodie friend's recommendation. Upon walking in, we were immediately welcomed by the casual, simplistic atmosphere and the tangy aroma of wine. Good thing we'd made a reservation on this night --- the place was packed and we didn't wait a minute before being seated.
The wine flights ("Express Yourself" is very delightful if you're a white wine lover like me) were a fantastic way to enjoy various, carefully-selected wines. We really enjoyed the crispy tempura green beans with that mysteriously delicious butter dipping sauce. The entrees (pan seared flat iron steak and roast 1/2 chicken) were sort of on the salty side but very flavorful and tender.
We didn't opt for dessert at the end of the meal - simply b/c we were both pleasantly full and, rather unfortunately, the high decibel noise level of the place was starting to deafen us (we were nearly screaming across the table to barely hear each other). We did, however, walk out with a bottle of my love-at-first-sip, 2007 Gewurztraminer Spatlese from Germany and his 2007 Zinfandel from Napa.
I'd revisit for a weekend brunch... Mimosa flight, anyone?
I went here with some friends who are local, and I really enjoyed it. The dinner menu was really delightful, and the tempura green beans were a phenominal way to start the meal. Fun, friendly service, and good food. The many wine flights offer something for just about anyone who likes vino.
Came here because we had $25 gift certificates and wanted an excuse to check it out.
It was Saturday night and the place was packed as expected. The music was good, but loud.I liked how the place was dimly lit with the outside, nightime glare coming in through the window. Pretty live crowd here and everyone seemed to be screaming.
We tried the flights which were reasonably priced and then we went ahead and ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio. For dessert we had the Creme Brelee which was delicious. The servers were pretty knowledgeable and accommodating, but the only problem I had was they did not give us napkins and we had food. Had a great time here and we wound up closing the place up as time went by without us noticing.
I really like this place and cannot believe it has taken me this long to check it out.
A little pricey but the food was great. The french fries and cheeseburger are delicious!
And of course, the wine was worth every penny.
I prefer the big sister Bin 36, but this is a great and much needed spot in Wicker. Great retail selection, but I'd rather sit at the bar than at a table here. Also went here for brunch and it was a surprisingly heavy/greasy.
If it wasn't always so packed, i'd be here more. great Sunday-Wednesday tho.
Did you know they have BINGO on Sunday nights? They do. Oh yes, they do.
You show up, they give you a card and some tokens and you PLAY BINGO while you enjoy your meal. If you win, and the chances are good you will since they play all night till they close, you can walk away w/ some key chains and/or a bottle of wine. Yes. An entire bottle.
Our table didn't win but hey, the tables next to us won multiple times so there is hope yet or there was a serious fix on against our table (I did find it odd "N42" was called every single game and we didn't have that on our cards - hm...).
Food is excellent (yes, try the pizza and the tempura green beans) and the wines are on the mark. Wishing Tree Shiraz, eh? I'll pick this up.
Hands down the coolest place to hang out in Wicker Park. The staff are friendly, the food incredible, and the ambiance of the place combined with the garage door opening to the heart of Wicker Park allows for quite the night out! The rabbit starter is delectable! As are the green beans and cheese flights. For main course we have enjoyed the amish chicken and duck entrees as well as a mean burger! (hint hint tuesday is 5 dollar burger night!) The wine flights are a must, my new fav is the sangria flight! The desserts are creative and tasty! But our fav way to end the night at Bin Wine is to have the coconut sorbet!!! I'm drooling now just thinking of it! Brunch Menu is stellar with a few items being on the bland side, but overall a must! Please do yourself a favor and eat here! Even if its only for wine and cheese you will love love love it!
Mother of God.
Okay, so I watched too much Super Troopers when I should have been working...
Bin rocks. Period. The wine is great, the cheese is great and it's just an awesome place to take a date. The valet is almost a requirement if you're brave enough to venture there by motor carriage...Otherwise it's only a few steps away from the infamous Wicker Park/Bucktown "crotch".
Staff is really helpful and the wine flights are god damn amazing. I'm getting tears in my eyes just thinking about it.
To the people that say the wine there is overpriced...DUH. It's called a bar. They're all overpriced. At least this one has cheese and ambiance, which is always worth something to me.
I'm awarding it the coveted 5.
Ok. I've had it. So much hating on one of my favorite restaurants....and I honestly don't know why.
First of all, the staff has always been very accommodating. Especially when I'm anxious. And hungry. (Anxiously hungry?) And arrive a half an hour before our reservation. Sometimes we have to wait a few minutes, but usually we've been seated immediately.
Seasonal menu (entrees range from $10-20). The menu is fairly limited with maybe 6-8 selections, plus a few specials...if you want more "variety" go to the Cheesecake Factory.
So many wines to choose from! Flights average around $14 for 4 selections. They even have a 'build your own flight' option. Monday's are $10 flights!
Ok and that's just dinner....
I love their brunch. Coffee, mimosa's, hashbrowns, eggs in a crock, brunch pizza, eggs benedict (cooked perfectly)...I am a fan of it all.
Parking isn't fun in this hood, but who drives anymore? Seriously, take the damn train, or bus. Last time I checked, it's still socially acceptable to take public transportation. Or....if you must, they do offer valet.
Which leads me to my final point: have you seen how adorable the chef is???? Someday I will profess my love to him (after a flight or two).
So the Sangria Flights lived up to the hype (or was it just my hype? :))
Anyway, they were SO good!!!…
Read more »
I am a huge fan of Bin. The people here really do know the wines. I may be a bit biased because I have known a few people that work here. The wines are delicious, the food is delectable, and I've always had great service. I must say that Ennis is a great host, always kind and welcoming.
The half chicken is wonderful, the tempura green beans are always a great appetizer option. If I had the money, I would eat here once a week, honestly. You must try it.
Totally uninspired and pedestrian.
I went here for a friend's birthday, so it wasn't by choice, but I was looking forward to trying a sampling of what Bin Cafe had. To start, we ordered the "must have" cheese flight, and the spanish flight. I did really like that they included a slip of paper telling what your cheeses were, and some of them were very delicious (I mean, it's hard to go wrong with cheese). I was disappointed to see buffalo mozzarella, not because I don't like it, but does it really fall under the title (theirs) "Cheeses you can't live with out"? I feel it's a cheese that needs to be highlighted in something like a caprese, not alone on a cheese plate.
I split a few dishes since I like to try a lot and not be tied down to one main entree. We had the raviolo that was stuffed with leeks, cheese, and covered with a cream sauce. It was nice, but just a little boring. Then we ordered the pork belly. It had a really great broth, but unfortunately it seemed to be sitting in the broth for a while before it was brought to our table, so it was not crispy at all, so the generous amount of fat was not as delicious as it could have been (and that was a big part of this pork belly). I really felt that this meat had a lot of potential, and it fell pretty flat.
Our final dish was the pork shoulder with chickpeas, spinach, made in a traditional spanish way (if I'm remembering right). The chick peas felt a little raw in the center, but I'm not used to eating them outside of hummus, so maybe they were supposed to be like that. They didn't have any of the flavor of the meat or broth, like a good cassoulet bean would have, so I don't think they spent much time cooking together. Like the other dishes, I really wanted some more from this one, maybe more layers of flavor and taste combos, but I didn't find that.
I think this place has a nice location and vibe, and the staff were all very friendly, if a bit slow and absent for a Saturday night. I'd say if you are in the area and in a pinch, Bin Cafe would be great for some cheese and wine. The food was ok, but a city like Chicago has so much better to offer, especially at this price level. I know 2 stars seems a bit harsh, but the "Meh. I've experience better" is exactly how I felt about my dinner.
Bin is a solid choice for some tasty eats and good wine. The flights are reasonably priced (about $15 for 4 2.5 ounce pours) and I always end up getting something I really enjoy. The service is good and the atmosphere is nice (though I have always been there relatively early in the night so it's never very loud).
They change the menu farily often; several months ago I have some meatballs that were excellent but now they are gone. The potato and parnisp soup was great, the small portions of cheese (for about $3) are alwyas good, but I'm hard-pressed to name a cheese I don't like. But th best thing is the pizzas. The white pizza (olive oil, garlic, cheese and mushrooms) was amazing, and while it's thin crust, it was large enough for the two of us to share and even have 4 slices to take home as leftovers. Prices are pretty good - for a shared pizza, soup, cheese and wine flight, it was under $40.
Went here on a Saturday with a girlfriend for a late afternoon drink. It wasn't our first choice, but our other options were all closed. I was pleasantly surprised with Bin, with only a few minor gripes.
I have to first start by saying that you can't leave this place without ordering the fries with garlic alioli. Seriously, these were some of the best fries I have ever tasted. I like my fries skinny and not overly salted. These fries were cooked perfectly crisp and the alioli added the perfect amount of garlicky creaminess. Yum.
There wine flights were good but i thought the pours could have been a bit more generous. (my pours definitely did not look like the pictures of flights posted on this site). Also, the cheese plate was just ok--but that's probably just a product of choosing the wrong cheese plate option (we got the one that had the camembert). Some of the cheeses on this plate were a bit too stinky for me. Also, I was not fond of the brittle, bread crisps that come with the cheese plate- not the ideal bread for spreading cheese on (the fragile crisps would fall apart in my hands).
Overall, if Bin would invest in serving more substantial, heartier bread slices with their cheese plates (especially since wine and cheese seem to be their thing), then I would probably frequent this place often. But, I will definitely be coming back here, I don't really have a choice...lured in by the siren call of those garlicky fries.
A friend and I stopped here by chance while roaming down Milwaukee. We were seated outside, and our knowledgeable server gave us the low-down on the wine menu. I was really tempted to do a flight, but I knew we were headed for another bar so I settled for a lovely Pinot Noir that our server recommended.
The ambiance was nice. Great place for a date or group of friends. The menu looks yummy, but we only tried the tempura green beans, which were delicious. I'm definitely going to go back, because I want to try each and every one of their flights.
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Look at it, it's in a nutshell! Where I've been…
too late for breakfast, too early for lunch...…
