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Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: PilsenMon-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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Arcade games meet cage fighting. That's how I described the decor to a friend the other night. He laughed and thought I was joking; I was dead serious! But, I'll admit it works for this place - I love places that are not run of the mill.
Now, for a place I came across on accident (literally - a friend and I were driving in the Pilsen area looking to kill time before making our way to Chinatown for dinner and stumbled across a lit bar), it was such a great find! We came in for drinks only, but after seeing sweet potato fries on the menu with maple syrup and lemon dipping sauces, we just had to have an order. If the hand-mixed cocktails and fries are any indication of the rest of their menus, I'm so coming back!
Oh, and the service was perfect - Sam was just so hospitable. A must for anyone looking for a bar with culinary and beverage depth.
Extremely crowded on a Friday night, but a wonderful crowd (and wait staff)! It's just a shame that I was with a really large group crammed into awkward spaces in a long table with walls on most sides (hard to move about). The majority of the group also communicated in American Sign Language, which means it's really hard to talk to anyone who's not sitting right next to or right in front of you when at a long table. The table set-up made me a bit irritable and I was ready to leave an hour after I arrived. This probably effects my review.
I was looking forward to trying the food (since the reviews are good) but I just didn't want to shell out the money. My mixed drink was delicious, though.
I do have to say my favorite part was the decor! Very unique and inspiring, it's very nice to see a place like this in a neighborhood like Pilsen (or just in Chicago in general!).
So will I come back? Probably not. It's not that I didn't like it or anything, it's just too far from where my friends and I live to really plan a trip back there. Plus, there was nothing (aside from the decor) that stood out and made me think to myself, "OH MY GOSH I HAVE TO TAKE SO-AND-SO HERE!"
Simone's is a nice addition to the Pilsen area. I know there are haters out there that hate the fact that some savvy operators came in and invested a lot of blood, sweat, tears and money in bringing a nice place to the, dare I say, gentrifying, neighborhood. GASP! Well they came and they hit it out of the park!
Clean modern space with unique embellishments like crazy pinball machine fixtures, wooden benches and ornamental metal work. It wasn't until my third visit that I discovered the huge and awesome back room, I generally nestled my self into one of the booths and called it a night. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this back room, it was like a whole new place.
Unique and rather interesting cocktail list (did not go over well on the first visit, was better and better with each visit thereafter!), awesome beer selection, well thought out and approachable wine list and did I mention the Pear and St. Germain concoction the master mixologist so kindly makes for me? DIVINE! Perfect Manhattans? You better believe it.
I've dabbled on the menu with a variety of treats, the Sweet Potato Fries always a sure bet. Sandwiches, salads, etc round out the menu of pretty sophisticated bar food. When your chilling on the patio, the food doesn't really matter, but in Simone's case, it is def a big plus!
Staff is always super cool and music ranges from old school funk to cutting edge ambient dancetronica. (I just made that up but it is oh so appropriate). Love Simone's!
I went for lunch during the week, so I can't comment on the bar scene. I can say that the food here was mmm mmm good.
The menu is standard bar fare. I ordered the burger with jalapenos because I love food with a kick. The burger was great-- huge, perfectly grilled, and just the right amount of spice. It came with fries that were a mix of regular potato and sweet potato. The variety was nice. Service was friendly and the atmosphere is fun. I'll definitely return on a weekend to check out the bar.
I just think it's funny how many people hate on this place cause it isn't Skylark. Ha! Hipstercrite snobs - got to love them. Wouldn't go here on a weekend - but then, I would never go to any bar on a weekend. And to those who complain that this place degrades the spirit of Pilsen - let's see, should I go to the bar that has fistfights out front every night or the one with a crowd of hookers smoking? authenticity be damned!
Farewell, Pilsen - hello Wicker Park. I live down the street and am amazed at how crowded this place… Read more »
This place has some pretty spectacular interior design and while I don't know all of the details, I'm pretty sure a lot of the decoration is made from "up-cycled" or restored material. Very nice.
I don't really go on busy nights, I like it more with that weekday nightcap kind of feel. Great place to just sit and stare off with your favorite drink in hand or to grab a late night snack.
And yes the menu is very tasty, but sometimes feels a bit too greasy. So it isn't exactly a healthy place for all of its "green" decor.
The service is a bit random in quality. While I do like how friendly the barters are, I wish that when it came to food they would be a bit more accurate with my order. Half the time I've ordered food it was off a bit and once it was even completely wrong. No discount offered. Now, this is not to say that they aren't working hard or being kind, its just a little clumsy. I probably wouldn't care if the design of the place wasn't so great strangely.
Overall positive results. Also, in terms of the gentrification thing, yes this is totally gentrificating Pilsen, but this spot in particular is almost always half full with local latino patrons. So it does have a balance, unlike some places where you go in and its like yuppie ville in the middle of ghetto ville.
Overall great job. :)
We were here for my husband's birthday and had a great time. We sat at the bar and enjoyed some great and very interesting drinks as well as some good apps. The music was great, crowd was diverse and friendly and the place itself is fun just to look at. Many nooks and crannies to explore. We will be back.
I'm ashamed to say that I missed out on this place when I lived in Pilsen. Had I known about it, I probably would never have moved. The decor is GORGEOUS and made almost entirely of recycled materials and they even have heads up monitors showing the building's energy usage and other stuff that make nerds like myself bust a nut.
Another nice thing about this place is that it's kind of tucked away from the looks on the outside, however it's like entering the Tardis once you make your way in. I need to stalk whoever designed the interior of this place.
I ordered the Simone's burger which is basically bleu cheese topped meat extravaganza. The meat itself was cooked to perfection, though I wish they would use some more high-quality trimmings. The lettuce on the side was hardly green and not very appetizing. They skimped on the bleu cheese a little too, though it didn't take away from the taste. On the side was an assortment of sweet potato/good 'ol fashioned fries. Normally I don't like sweet potato fries, but these were a near perfect balance of sweet and salty. Good job Simone's!
You know a dessert is good when you love the fact that you taste it again with a burp. Seriously. I came here the other night with the hubs and a friend and we all split the pumpkin ice cream with caramel and I have to honestly say that it was one of the best things I've eaten in a long while. So good it is pretty darned close to bringing a tear to my eye.
To make the experience even more unique, they paired the ice cream with a beer. We found out later that they actually use the local brew beer in the making of the ice cream. Oh man! IT WAS GREAT!
I also had the turkey burger for food and I can't remember what my friends had, but they all seemed to really enjoy their food a lot. It was the kind of meal where we all kept talking about how wonderful the food is, several hours later.
I also really appreciate the beer selection. It's enough to make a snotty European think twice about their judgments of American brewing abilities.
This is our new favorite hang out and is a great place to bring north siders who have no idea that an entire city in and of itself exists south of Roosevelt. I LOVE this place and I only wished I lived w/in walking distance.
OMG, LOVE THIS PLACE! Everyone should stop by this place and eat, drink, and just chillax there. One of the best neighborhood bars. The food is great, the music takes you back, and the people are friendly as hell.
Try the Simone's Burger; it is gooooood... Oh, and the Simone's Pizza... And their brunch is great too. Love their breakfast burrito wrap. Oh and the sweet potato fires... Okay so you get the picture. Everything at this place is good.
So now, why 4 starts and not five stars. Easy and picky on my part. You have to make sure you repeat your order the the waitress three or four times. I don't know what it is but they seem to mess up the order a few times. It's not always a bad thing as I've gotten to try new items but at the same time when you're craving a BBQ Chicken sandwich (which btw is damn good) but get a Honey Mustard sandwich its a little disappointing. Ya know?
Anyways, fun place! Friday and Saturday nights are amazing... Oh and I love the door man... He is a true sweet heart!
Ended up here with my brother and sister after seeing Dinosaur Jr. last night......my ears are still ringing!!!
Ordered an order of fries that came with a chipotle ketchup and ranch sauce (I think).
Either I was super hungry, or those fries were fckn delicious!
They were good: thin, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
I'm kind of a fry snob and I loved these!
The decor is nice, felt inviting.
The music was rockabilly when I got there, not sure if it changed as the night progressed.
I would come back to check out the burgers or just to have a drink.
Being born and raised in Pilsen, this place is nice because it's different then what we're used to.
Maybe the stellar company had something to do with it, but I think this place is fantastic.
Very laid back and relaxed vibe. Since there were no seats to be had outside on a flawless Friday evening, we started out inside in the back room where it was a little quieter so we could talk. We mentioned to our server that we'd like to move outside if a table became available and to her credit, she remembered and gave us a table outside after a couple of hours.
The food looked great, and although I didn't eat, any place that has sweet potato fries gets an automatic thumbs-up from me. The wine and beer list were quite extensive, and it was well-priced from what I can remember.
All in all, a top-notch evening, and a great place to check out, even if you're a north-sider like me.
I can't wait to go back again.
Cool place...made me feel like I was inside a giant, futuristic pinball machine. Also, I was surprised by how pleasantly polite and non-hipstery the entire staff were, from the door guys to the bartenders. Yes...I judged the books by their covers. Shame on me.
It's spacious and not terribly crowded, at least not on a Thursday night. I liked the beer list--about eight or so interesting choices, including Metropolitan Flywheel and Young's Double Chocolate Stout. Not to mention the healthy selection of whiskies, including Templeton Rye.
I even liked the music--I heard a few of my favorite artists and a lot of other good modern "indie" rock or whatever you want to call it. I would definitely go back if by some chance I fall out of a plane and land in Pilsen wanting a drink.
One of the most eclectic bars in Chicago!
Went here with a couple of friends last week, and I have to say this place is a trip. It's heavy in metal and wood decor, mixed with refashioned pinball and Pachinko machines. They also play old bizarre TV shows and cartoons.
We had a few bar snacks that were nothing special, so I would stick with going here for drinks, but overall an interesting and different experience.
After a volunteer event, we went to Simone's to grab a snack and drink.
What a cool place and nice surprise! The tables and chairs are made of old bowling lanes and the light fixtures utilize coke bottle bottoms.
The food was decently priced (had a chef's salad with chicken breast - $9.50) and good. Friends had nachos (huge portions) and tres leche cake from Kristoffer's Bakery down the street. Friend also had a Bloody Mary which was decked out with various food items (stuffed olives, tortilla chip, cheese...).
Service was attentive and fast. All in all, a great find and I'm looking forward to coming back!
What better way to help yourself over the drink of the night before than eggs and a Bloody Mary. Helllooo Simone's, you sexy thang! I went with the Simone's omelette (caramelized red onions, mozzarella, bacon, avocado on top) and some of the tastiest shredded hash browns evah on the side (just the right amount of greasy). He went with chilaquiles suizo with green sauce. Both were awesome and my omelette was so good that later I wished I had been able to eat it all.
We both got what I do believe is one of the sexiest Bloody Marys I have ever seen. Somewhere along the way I declared that drink to be love. In this drink was: a flatbread with cheese baked on it, a skewer with a blue cheese stuffed olive covered in some spicy deliciousness and a piece of (aged?) Swiss rolled up. And yeah, booze and tomato juice. If that ain't love, I do not know what is.
Of course what started out as brunch turned into an impromptu Day Drinkers Club meeting; but don't they always start like that? We then turned to their thorough beer selection. While not super big, it does cover quite a bit of ground. We hit the IPAs, the chocolate stouts, the raspberry ale (mix those last two together for decadence), and so on and so on. Their 1$ tasting glass made it fun as we could sample and determine if we wanted to go forward with more or stop at that little bit.
The decor, while a bit cheesy with the whole pinball theme, is cute; I especially like their use of recycled materials that would have probably ended up in landfills otherwise. The light fixtures above the bar made of old bottles was def kewl. Also, the waitress was friendly and personable and the place in general had a nice quality to it. I enjoy a bar that has a laidback atmosphere during the day and does not make you feel lecherous for deciding to have one too many while the sun is still blazing in the sky. Simone's definitely fit that bill and I will return. Besides, I want another of those Bloody Marys.
I've only had drinks here, but I must say, http://I.love.it.
The atmosphere is great and relaxed, the music hip and the decor is awesome.
great selection of drinks...unfortunatelyl, because this was the last stop on a long night of drinking I can't remember much else. But I remember wanting to come back!
I keep wondering why I haven't reviewed this place yet and then it came to me . . . .I really have nothing to say about Simone's.
It's a bar in Pilsen. No less. No more. It lacks an identity. It lacks soul.
Oh sure- they've dolled the place up with recycled this and recycled that. It reminds me of a big pinball machine on the inside which, according to the bartender is exactly what they were going for. Okay. I get it.
There is often times excitement , when some "undesirable" either gets in the bar and sits down or gets stopped by the manager (bouncer? patron?) and is asked to leave and when he doesn't is pretty much thrown out.
They serve food which, while okay, is not particularly memorable. I'd have a hard time saying, "Hey go to Simone's you've got to try their . . . . "
But what I found the most surprising on my last visit was the bartender's total lack of interest. Oh, not just in me or my friend who were trying to grab a quick drink before pushing on to our next stop and it took forever, but to everything around him.
How do I know this? There was an open cash drawer sitting in front of us on the bar the entire time we were there. Now I get trusting people not to steal . . . .but if you've got problems with people coming into the bar that you don't want- I don't recommend putting a full cash drawer within hands reach of your patrons! And it sat there in full sight as the bartender went around the other side of the bar to serve others. We must have looked like trustworthy souls! Or maybe it was some kind of bizarre test?
Don't get me wrong- I like that Pilsen has another neighborhood place where I can pop in to get a drink now and then. Parking is always easy on 18th and the prices, while a bit high for Pilsen, are comparable to other places in town.
But it's Simone's lack of "soul" that keeps it from popping in my mind as a first choice, when I am looking for a place to grab a beer in this "neck of the woods"..
Everytime I come here, the food is outstanding and so is the beer selection! Plus got to love the decor! Keep up the great work!
I think this place is great! Its just down the street from me, the decor is out of this world! Lot… Read more »
Funky cool decor makes you feel comfortable. Food is above average for bar food. Staff very friendly (and cute if you care). Definitely a great neighborhood hang out bar
OMG i had SUCH good food and drink here...i totally fell in love. i hear there is good music at Simones too...so it COULD be a trifecta. i could totally become a regular here given the proximity to my crib (but probably won't on account of the fact that i know a COUPLE of cuties that actually ARE regulars here and they will totally think i'm a stalker if i start showing up on the regular...but i digress).
as far as details go, i had:
a watermelon mojito thingy...YUM YUM YUM.
empanadas (spinach artichoke-w/spicy salsa and black bean banana w/cranberry aioli)
tomato basil soup.
for dessert i had...wait for it...wait for it...BEER infused ice-cream!?! OMFG. it was the BOOOOOOOMB. it doesn't even sound like something i'd like but it was DELISH. sheeeit.i will go back just for that. you should TOO! =D
p.s. after you're done walk less than a block west and check out 'studio one tattoo'.
I am a little sad that this place didn't exist when I lived in Pilsen, because it is awesome. Cool ass decor with old video game fronts as art. Great drink selection with crafty beers, good wines, and a full bar. My friend ordered the nachos, and they were quite tasty and the portion was large. The vibe is really kicked back and there are lots of knooks and crannies where you can chill out with your friends. Great crowd mix, too.
FH and I stopped by Simone's for a very late lunch on Sunday. Normally, I resort to Bloody Mary's, but I was really happy to see they had Juju Ginger Beer. Love. The beer list was good.
The music was good, the atmosphere was interesting, the menu looked intriguing, but I was disappointed in my vegan burger. It was a compressed patty of black beans and rice, topped with pico de gallo and about zero flavor. So, it really tasted more like dark moosh on a bun, even w/ the pico de gallo. I should've de-veganized and gotten some melty delcious cheez on top.
FH got the cow burger and said his rating scale would be to compare it to Skylark, and unfortunately, he declared it not nearly as good.
What WAS the standout item for us was the side of sweet potato fries that the gentlemen behind us pawned off on us when they realized they'd ordered fries on top of already getting fries with their meals. So, this delicious mound of sweet potato fries came with 2 little dishes of lemon aioli and a maple aioli. Delicious, but as we had that first, it totally overshadowed the entrees.
I'd go back to try the bloody mary and to devour the sweet potato fries, but if I'm starving in Pilsen, I'll probably seek another venue for food.
I've been back to Simone's several more times since my original review, and I've enjoyed myself every time. In particular, the service has been top-notch, and their rotating beer selection keeps getting more interesting.
A point of clarification about the design of the interior of Simones: It was indeed designed and built out by local artists and artisans. The company that did it was called "Alter Ego Form," and it was helmed by Davide Nanni, whose work can be seen elsewhere in Pilsen, in particular, the crucifix sculpture in the church shell at 19th and Peoria, and the outdoor stage built of remaindered building parts in the courtyard east of the church shell. Although Davide is originally from Italy, he's been a Pilsen resident for 10+ years. Doc Sanjurjo, Steven, Andy and other members of Alter Ego Form crew are also all Chicago residents with strong ties to the local arts community. They designed and built Simone's interior elements by hand from their workshop at Salvage One, another Chicago-based business.
You'll also notice that many of Simone's interior elements are repurposed/recycled from other things. This is part of the green building aesthetic which went into the overall design.
Just went back again last night -- bringing along some South Side friends -- and we had a great… Read more »
My cousin's flight was running late and as a result I was late for a scheduled dinner with friends. Luckily, my friends are super understanding and as I sped back to the city from O'Hare we decided on Simone's.
I thought the place was hipster hang out (yes, shame on me for making this assumption). Upon arrival that assumption was proven wrong. Sure, they were there but the crowd was very mixed.
It was a Friday night and the front was crowded so we ended up getting a nice spot in the back. It does have a huge seating area, yes another assumption that fell by the wayside.
The menu had items that were slightly above the typical bar fare. Case in point, I had the grilled portobello sandwich on multigrain with pesto and a side which was a mixture of sweet potato and regular fries. The sandwich was very flavorful, the fries left a little more to be desired but were decent. The price of the meal was less than $9.
There was a DJ and the tracks were solid...classic hip hop (who would have thunk it?) Our server, Bianca, she was frank and funny. (kudos)
Overall, Simone's was cool. Will I return? I shall.
It is very rare that I walk into a bar and find it as amazing at I did with Simone's. It was the decor and everything that went into it... everything in the place was decorated with recycled or restored material. It made the bar all the more intriguing with the light fixtures made with old glass bottles, the tables constructed with old bowling alley lanes and pinball machines... It was overall just so amazing to see how they put it all together. It was also very spacious and had a very comfortable feel to it. We only had drinks, but I believe they have some good food, too. I will have to say that had a nice beer menu. The only drawback is it is in Pilsen. Kind of a hike for me and really, there is not much around there. It does draw in a pretty diverse crowd, which is refreshing to me. The night we were there the DJ who was working was playing all 80s music so the group I was with was in 80s heaven. If you haven't checked it out, it is worth the trek down to that part of town. My recommendation: Dinner at Nightwood and then drinks at Simone's.
My favorite foodie group of 4 highly evolved intellects with savvy palates chose Simone's for our (almost) monthly gathering. We look for affordable eats with flavor and flair to suit our discriminating tastes and our limited budgets. Simone's Bar has a Sunday brunch that worked perfectly. Excellent service that didn't change color when we decided to stick around for an hour after paying. The decor is an urban explorer's dream, with booths fashioned out of old seat belts (which was much enjoyed by my bum), and a bar made from a bowling alley lane and countless other elements derived from architectural excavation. Environmentally friendly!
I ordered the special bloody mary and everyone else got mimosas. Always the oddball. But when our drinks arrived, the oddball was the object of Biblical coveted...ness. Next to their elegant and surely delicious mix of champagne and freshly-squeezed OJ (no one offered me a sip - boooo!) sat my behemoth bloody mary, homemade with no mix, nice and spicy, topped with not only a stuffed olive dusted with celery salty goodness, but also a rolled slice of fruity cheese and a large, triangular parmesan crispy cracker thing. It was an appetizer laced with booze! My favorite. AND it came with a "sidecar" of complementary beer! For $7.50, same price as the mimosa, so I believe mine was the better deal. Unless you hate bloody mary's. But then you suck. I will say that halfway through it (which takes me about 3.2 seconds flat), the mary became less bloody and more sedimentary, so next time I will just drink it faster.
Two of us ordered the breakfast croissant off of the brunch menu and two of us ordered burgers. Mine was the Pilsen burger with jalapenos, guacamole, and some fancy cheese. I loved the fact that the jalapenos, were FRESH, and thick-sliced rather than those rancid, flimsy pickled kinds that one fishes out of a jar. The guacamole was good not stellar, and the burger overall was good not stellar. The fries came with a mix of the regular and sweet potato variety. Very good. Everyone else enjoyed their food and I noticed that the breakfast croissants came with super thinly sliced hashbrowns but again, no one offered me a taste! Rude. I digress. I'll definitely be back to Simone's to try the dinner menu and this time, I'll just grab food off of everyone else's plate so if that bothers you, you might want to decline my invitation. If you get one.
This is a wannabe Skylark - but it's just not happening. Here's why:
1. The bartender took my drink order as I was waiting for my friend and then forgot about it because she was talking with other bartenders. Then she looks at me and laughs at the fact she forgot my order.
2. Same bartender (female) thought it was more important to flirt with the hipster doofus at the end of the bar than to serve drinks to others.
3. Three cops walked in and sat down to have dinner. They walked in like they ruled the place with attitude. Not a fan of CPD.
4. The food took FORever to arrive even though it wasn't that crowded.
5. The seats and barstools are SO uncomfortable. They're all wooden and it reminded me of the desk I sat while in grade school.
Just so that it's not all complaints. I will say some positive things about it. The beer selection is decent. The food is good. A nice variety. It's a step above your basic bar fare. Everything inside is recycled.
So all in all, I am not saying "don't come here." It's an okay place to try out that's new in the neighborhood. It's also better than all the other places along Halsted Street in University Village. Pilsen definitely needs more places like this. Still, I will always heart the Skylark.
I met a friend here once after she got out of a bad date. She told me a bit about the date but mostly she was really into dancing and pointing at how people were dressed.
I told her, "listen, how about you just dance and I'll watch the table," or "maybe that's the most expensive vest he could find?" She didn't like any of my comments, which is all right, because I'm not always very funny.
She did like telling the bus boy to turn the lights down and asking the server why she didn't carry Svedka -- which is a type of vodka made for robots, I think -- and the server smiled and apologized and smiled again but I don't think she thought anything was funny either. I tried evening out our table by ordering canned beer and tipping rapidly, but...
By the end of the night my friend, er, the person I was with, had pissed off most of the staff to the point that all my mimed apologies and shrugging and tipping couldn't save us from a gloomy end of dirty looks and slow service.
I rattle on about this silly nonsense only because I think the person I was with fit in with the overall vibe of the bar.
Despite the customers, servers are pretty nice. All in all, I guess this just a scene I'm not ready for. Hmm.
It seemed like they were trying to earn a rep for having a great beer selection, but the person who was in charge of it fell asleep during the process and never really reached the goal. Ska and Oberon are good and all, but if you're going to bring it, beer-wise, just BRING IT already.
I didn't eat there, but my friends did and none of them were terribly impressed. I got two drinks, both $8, and while one of them was delicious, it was also teeny. The other was just okay and not worth eight bucks.
I won't talk too much shit about our server, but let's just say I'm pretty sure she's never read a book before.
The interior was pretty cool-looking, but it was hotter than Hades inside.
All in all, I'd probably not sojourn to Pilsen to have spotty service and overpriced drinks again, if pressed, but I wouldn't call this place terrible.
It's worth going just to see the inside of Simone's. It's a nice dark bar and almost everything inside the bar has been recycled and/or re purposed. The lights above the bar - a couple dozen recycled Pelligrino bottles, the booths - made from remnants of an old bowling alley. Parts and pieces from pinball machines have become decoration, old suitcases turned into planters on the patio...and so on.
The beer list is varied and includes some seldom seen labels - Golden Monkey, Ska Brewing, etc. The food is great, from the onion rings to the empanadas, to the weekend (somewhat limited) brunch options. The winner here though? The bloody Mary. Whatever mix they use or make is so good and garnishes include chili-dusted, cheese-stuffed olives, pickles, and a big, crunchy piece of Parmesan flat bread.
The people that work here are overall nice, friendly, and depending on how busy it is, quick to strike up conversation. All said, a place I like to go back either for a few drinks, dinner, or a lazy late lunch on a Sunday.
The art in this bar is over the top awesome. It seems that every corner of the place is inspired by pinball machines, industrial scrap, and recycled wood. It's definitely worth a trip for a look.
But the trip is pretty crazy- it's kind of hard to get to without a car. The nearest CTA stations are over a half mile away, so I think it's a great place to go if you live nearby.
I was told by a "foodie" that the menu here was exquisite, but everything that I tried was pretty mediocre. The honey mustard chicken sandwich is kind of bland, but not horrible.
The beer list is fairly short, but it has some great selections, both draught and bottle. Props for having Dark Horse Raspberry on tap.
Great food (even the vegan options are tasty).
Great atmosphere (love the re-purposed bowling alley)
Great staff (they're just a lot of fun)
Great drinks (Toy gun has basil and white pepper in it)
I need to get back there soooooon! Who's with me?
I went to have lunch/dinner for the third time at Simone's today. Casey (deeply apologetic if I butchered the spelling of your name!) was my server for the second time. She is delightful, like receiving an unexpected parcel in the mail. I have yet to go to Simone's after 7pm, so I have no idea what kind of atmosphere it provides beyond that time. This place is fairly new and it is immediately intriguing once you walk in through the front door. The bar is immediately on your left, and a few booths are on your right. The decor is unexpected and the seats of the booths are in fact, vintage seatbelts. The lights above the booths are softly diffused with a creative material that looks suspiciously like fabric. The music played has a huge range. One can hear everything from ethereal Pink Floyd tunes to the often melancholy Postal Service during your visit.
The food is beyond reasonable for what you get. I have tried something different each time and I have not been disappointed. The food is cheap, delicious and fresh. It's rare to find a joint that actually serves crisp lettuce, or creamy, green avocados. The meals are simplistic and full of flavor. The menu is not exceptionally vast like the novellas that exist at so many other joints, but it makes up for that with quality. I haven't tried anything from the bartender, so...I will leave that for someone else to review.
I really like the bathrooms too. They are clean and have an interesting sense of humor as the walls are chalkboard, and sometimes....you can find a piece of chalk in order to scribe whatever is on your mind. I am glad I live in the neighborhood!
I actually give this place 3.5 stars. Wouldn't say I'm a fan----but, I'm a fan. :-/ The fact that I was with a companion that I liked, didn't hurt matters.
First went here a couple of months ago with the BF (well, the ex---it was his suggestion/pick.) We went on a weeknight (a Thursday.) It wasn't very crowded at all. A bit dead. But I still enjoyed. The decor is cool, service was good, my drinks were ok--well they were actually pretty good. Oh--and King Kong (or was it Big Foot?) was playing on the TV Screen. We had potato fries and bounced.
We went back a few months later (June, I think)...this time on a Sunday. It was pretty late when we got there. Still, not all that crowded.
I hear that there is a DJ on certain nights. The bartender was cool (turns out I'd met him before AND he recently won Metromix's Bartender award). I see the potential for this place and def would become a regular.
Great service, great food, great music.
Came in for late lunch/early dinner with a friend and I immediately loved the ambiance. Our waitress was very welcoming and attentive. I ordered 3 of the 4 (?) types of empanadas and my friend, the hummus. The food arrived in a decent amount of time and both were delicious. I also love the decor. It's just a very cool atmosphere to be in. I'm definitely coming back. Probably today, even!
A Hipster Applebee's.
Seriously. Just replace the pinball machines with football jerseys and pictures of Frank Sinatra and there you go!
The waitstaff was super nice, at least our waitress was. The food was so so. My salad was super bland and my friend's "chicken fingers" were too. The Nachos were super American but the best thing we had there.
The beer selection is one of the reasons it gets three stars. It also gets three stars because they are trying? I know a bartender who works here and that also might be why it gets three stars.
But really, why would a restaurant right on the edge of some of the best Mexican food in the city TRY AND SERVE MEXICAN FOOD? I find that insulting for some reason. I appreciate the Skylark (which is only a few blocks away) because they don't try and mess with things they can't compete with. Burgers. Fries. Salads. Stick to that, Simone's.
I think Simone's missed the mark when they moved into the neighborhood. Instead of trying to embrace the neighborhood around it, they cut out a restaurant and pasted it into a corner on 18th street.
Everything is good at Simone's. Laid-back atmosphere. Top-notch bar food. Companions ordered nacho appetizers. I NEVER eat nachos, bec l am a healthy eater. I ate these and they were GREAT--light, delicious, not greasy, perfect spicyness. Portobello sandwich was equally great and went really well with the India Pale Ale, one among the interesting beer selection. One YELPer wrote "too many hipsters," but my 22-year old stepdaughter says that this is not a hipster place, and she's the expert on hipsterism. Also, the entire place is made from recycled materials--an eco-plus. Definitely try SImone's.
I've been here on a weekend and didn't care for the crowd or the music, but the beer selection is nice. Checked the place out again for a Thursday rockabilly night, and had a terrific time. Good service despite being understaffed both times, and good drinks even though they're a bit on the steep side for the neighborhood. I'd certainly check it out again on the right night.
+1 star for Young's Double Chocolate Stout on tap.
I'm about to fall asleep sitting up due to my very large food coma compliments of Simone's. I am very very full. And there is still half a burger with my name on it in the fridge.
The ambiance and decorative originality is my hand's down favorite aspect of the bar. There are so many intricate details to notice about this place. We came here for a very early lunch so we got to gawk quite a bit at all of the recycled goodies plastered about.
The service was friendly and laid back. Our waitress always approached our table at the right times. To start we shared a threesome of empanadas. Our favorite was the spinach artichoke which isn't very traditional, but who can deny hot cheese and artichoke in a very flaky phyllo like enclosure? The liquid portion of our lunch was bloody marys. Tasty but a bit too horseradishy. A free chaser comes along with the bloody Mary which a classy move in my book. We also got burgers and they were good but honestly I can grill up something way more fabulous. So next time I will try a different type of sandwich.
To finish a coconut tres leches cake from Kristoffer's Bakery. My companion is a sucker for this cake. I think it would be his dream come true if I slathered myself in it or something. It was a mighty big slice that we got, and we polished it off. A few fresh berries would have made for a nice garnish I think.
So now I think you can understand why I have this intense food coma. The food at Simone's seems good but a bit pricey. The atmosphere is definitely worth checking out.
And if you'll excuse me now, I am going to go take a nap.
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