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Categories: American (New), Lounges
Neighborhood: LakeviewAddison (Red)
Mon., Wed. 5:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Thu-Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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A group of 6 of us met up here for our bookclub review... Chris and his brother Nick couldn't have been any more attentive to us... it was fun!
I had the creamy tomato bisque with my LSD grilled cheese. (I started at the top of the menu and plan to work my way down!) The LSD is Pepperjack cheese with cucumber and bacon... it was AWESOME!
They offered bacon vinaigrette dressing for the salad - I was in love.
The fries and the apple slaw we passed around the table and gone within a few minutes. I wish they gave larger portions of the apple slaw!
After that (and tons of drinks) we had dessert - 2 "Grilled Cheesecakes" - which tasted like french toast and the "Fried Ice Cream Trio" which consists of fried ice cream topped in cereal. The ice cream trio was definitely a bigger hit. Almost 3 hours later we were stuffed and making plans to go back for more.
I highly recommend it, just not late at night when it gets packed! =)
I got a Groupon for 44th Ward Dinner Party and was excited to use it. They don't take reservations for less than 6 people, so we winged it and went on a Friday night at 9 pm. It was more like a club at that point in time, with neighborhood folks and college kids fighting for bar space and starting to dance to the VERY LOUD hip hop mix.
This place wasn't what I thought it would be, but the sandwiches were pretty darn good. I had the grilled cheese with bacon and apples. My friend had a grilled cheese with mustard on a pretzel roll. That sandwich was better. The fries are interesting with the salt and sugar sprinkled on them. They are served with a mustard blue cheese dressing.
It was too loud and too clubby for me, but it was good. I thought it was really cool that the managers were bringing bite sized sandwiches and chips through the bar crowd for a late-night bite.
I went to 44th Ward Dinner Party for a large event. It was crowded as hell as I think about 100 people were crammed in, and the floor space is meager to begin with. Not sure why they allowed such a large event with so few tables. I was kneeling on the floor half of the time. But let's forget about that.
I ate two types of sandwiches. The Belmont harbor, which was a grilled cheese sandwich with apples and bacon. No, you read that correctly. Apples. You would never have thought it would be any good, but I loved it. The apple provided an uncharacteristic tangyness that complemented the savory cheese and bacon. The second sandwich I tried was a vegetarian sandwich that contained goat cheese and mushrooms and a few other things i can't really remember. All I can say is that my mouth is watering thinking about it.
The sandwiches were served with potato chips. They're home made, thin, crispy and delicious. I think I would actually go some day just to have a cold beer and potato chips.
I would've given it 2 stars, but then I had the misfortune of seeing the bathroom. Absolute filth. The seats don't stay up, the dryers don't work...and there was powdery resin all over the counter. hmmmm...
For a restaurant that is ok with the bathroom standard I witnessed the other night, I'm frightened to see what the kitchen looks like. I'm so grossed out and will never go back.
Oh, and the bartenders are the worst. Not sure who they're trying to fool.
One of the friends of the barstaff was soo cool, that he kicked off the dj's so that he could barrage everyone with his "skillz." So douchey.
(I love that douchey can be used as an adjective now so I can use it in this review)
I went last night and used my groupon. I had a reservation for 9, we sat probably around 9:40. ok. thats ok. we had drinks. The staff for one is super nice. they new they were running behind and did all they could. I dont understand one bartender though on a busy night .
We had the four cheese french fries, the pumpkin soup, and the tomatoe bisque. yummy to all. they ran out of mac and cheese. bummer.
I love my sandwhish the belmont harbour. the only bummer it was warm and the cheese not melted. grilled cheese should be gooey. this not so much. still good though.
it is trendy for sure, i think they have something here if they can deal with the odd layout. to much waisted space in there that can be used for tables.
it was $5 drink night, not sure what drinks because it wasnt ours. The other thing, music is loud. dont expect to go and have a conversation at all. its rough, I think it could be turned down a bit, more enjoyable they play a good soundtrack, but if I cant talk to my friends whats the point to the whole experience?
According to their website, they have Rock-N-Roll Bingo on Thursdays so I went with a bunch of my friends to check it out. Waste of time.
I would deduct a star for the bingo. Here's how it works---even though the menu and website say it starts at 8, it doesn't, it goes all night, but they don't tell you. We had to ask for the "cards" which are just B&W photocopied pages with squares with musicians pictures. No names. The way it works is you listen to the music being played in the place, if you hear a song by someone on your "card" mark it off. Here's the flaw--there are no announcements of songs, no announcement of artists, nothing. The lighting is dark so you can barely tell who some of the artists are and some we didn't know. It's purely a guessing game. Oh, if you manage to win, you get your meal comped----but once one person at your table wins, the whole table is out of the competition. All in all, this sucked and is not a reason at all to go to 44th Ward.
Despite the fact that bingo would lose a star, it was gained back by the owner comping my table of 12 with a round of shots. It was unexpected and appreciated. He was very nice and friendly.
The basic point of my update is to tell you not to bother with Rock-N-Roll Bingo. Come here for the food.
There's only so many shirtless gays a woman can take before needing a snack---since clearly gay men… Read more »
Yeah, I don't understand the hype. The food wasn't spectacular, and it was overpriced. Don't get me wrong, it was edible, but I can find edible food anywhere.
We got a couple of appetizers to start, and the potato boats were decent, but the mac & cheese was a joke. A sad, depressing joke made of bow tie noodles with a artificial cheeeeese-y sauce on top. The appetizers also took forever to get to our table.
I had the red line as my sandwich, and it was eerily familiar to the roast turkey sandwich at Lula Cafe - just not as good, smaller, and more expensive. The apple slaw was pretty decent, but nothing else comes with these sandwiches.
Oh well, at least I gave it a try!
U dont need to be an uber hipster, or gay to have yourself a grilled cheese at the fo-fo D-partay. Just saying.
I went here bc a buddy owns it, and I want to say that even tho a buddy owns it, this is an honest review. He also owned LBC and I only went there once or twice bc it was, well, there werent enough girls there for my heterosexual tastes, and to be honest, there wasnt much else to go there for.
TO the point. 44th Ward gives me lots of reason to go. The interior is all new, super cool , in a style and setting I like to quaff in (Victorian). The service is pretty good, and as i was there on a sunday night, I got drinks super fast. There was also an acoustic open mic night thing going on, and as a very uppity and discerning musical fan, I have to admit, that the talent , was, well, talented.
But we still arent to the best part yet....Grilled EFFIN CHEESE MAN Wow what a stoners dream....build your own grilled cheese. I am more loopy and rino than hipster, but when it comes to grilled cheese, I ride it out w the best of the Phish lot kids. Plus, I grew up in Milwaukee so I know more about cheese than you.......I had a build your own pretzel roll, w chihuaha and pepper jack, sprouts, tomatoes and garlic salt. SOunds disgusting? Well p!ss off ......maybe my tastes are a bit wacky but this was JUST what I wanted and man, it was (in my best phish lot kid voice) "dank".
Show up for the cheese, stay for the booze and the music.
Yum! This was so fun and tasty. The place is really really weird inside. I can't even describe it really, you just have to go for yourself. I recommend going on a weekday, since I'm under the impression it turns into some sort of hipster club later at night on weekends. Also, there's like 5 tables, so I could see a potential wait ensuing.
I had the LSD, which I loved. The pepper jack was spicy, and the hint of lemon juice was perfect. They also use really good breads, which is clutch for grilled cheese. The mac n' cheese app was nothing to write home about, but the fries you can get on the side were tasty and plentiful. Ooooh, and also you get homemade potato chips on the table in place of bread! Score.
I went last night with my two friends and used my groupon. I LOVE grilled cheese, so I was very excited to try this place out. I was not disappointed! I had a build your own with pretzel bread, American cheese, ham, tomato and apples. It was so good that I'm still thinking about it today. It also came with a choice of salad or fries and I luckily went with the fries. They had this great kick to them and a yummy blue cheese dip that was very good. Also, the staff was very pleasant and accommodating. So, all in all, I would recommend that you try it out.
The reason for my 4 instead of 5 stars is the lack of tables. I agree with another reviewer that they have not seemed to use the small space well and only have room for 24 people (according to the waitress) - and that was with us cramming at the two top bar table so we didn't have to wait 25 minutes. I can't imagine what this place is like on a Friday or Saturday night with so few seats!
Overall, I really liked 44th Ward and will be back!
I went to eat at The 44th Ward Dinner Party on a Thursday evening with a few friends. First, the place was absolutely dead. Not that there is anything wrong with that, however, it seemed a bit odd that we were the only ones eating during prime dinner time. Also, the atmosphere is lacking. The wood and the dim lighting don't work with a "grilled cheese" menu. This place seems as if it would work as a bar/club only, in my opinion. Its very random to eat comfort food in such a mismatched setting. The food was good but very overpriced. I got a grilled cheese with apples and bacon and it was good (not spectacular, not very big and I could have made the same thing at home). The garlic mashed potatoes were good, but cold which turned me off a little bit.
In my opinion both ideas they are going for - the bar/club and the strictly grilled cheese restaurant are of course good ideas but go horrible together. Being a grilled cheese lover myself, if you are going to do a strictly grilled cheese menu you need to go big or it's just not that impressive
Remember a few months ago when I reported change was in the air at 44th Ward?
Well then it was good. Now? Sigh... I'm a bit downhearted, actually. My friend and I came in for a chat and a sandwich (she: hungry, me: not) She ordered her usual, ate it with the same impassioned gusto, and then came the check. $20 for a grilled cheese sandwich and a Guinness.
Huh? Well, here's the math:
Grilled cheese sandwich with bacon, cheddar and goat cheese: $10 ($6 for base including one cheese, $2 per add-on)
Fries: $2
Guinness CAN: $8
Fries no longer come with the sandwiches (supposedly wasteful as 'not everyone eats their fries'... huh?) and come on... $8 for a can of Guinness? Not even draft, but a can? Look at it this way: the can goes for the same price as a glass of champagne. May as well live the high life, baby!
The food is definitely still unbelievably delish, but sandwich and a beer (as in one single beer) night for $25 including tip makes it difficult to justify returning despite our hot and heavy affair. Guess it was just a summer romance. Sorry-- I'm bummed too.
Hey naysayers, times are a-changin' at the 44th Ward.
Substitutions are now allowed and they've added…
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So, there has been a lot of hype about this place. I knew it was various grilled cheeses and whatnot, but I really thought it would have been a bit more imaginative. The food was decent, but didn't send me running out of there screaming and yearning for more. My friend and I decided to get 2 sandwiches and go halvsies on each... we got the kiss of death, aka the beef patty surrounded by 2 non-crusted grilled cheeses, and the healthy apple-n-cheese, which included very thin slides of apple between bacon and cheese. I'm convinced the apple is there to make you slightly feel like what you just ate isn't swimming straight to your heart with supplies to build a dam. Oh, almost forgot we started out with their potato boat... fancy name for potato skins, which we decided were lacking the appropriate amount of chives. Oddity of the evening: their fries seemed to be sprinkled with sugar, salt and pepper. Yes, Sugar! I'm pretty much dying from an 8,000 calorie dinner. Someone call 911.
I mean, sure. It's a small, dark hole-in-the-wall in Boys Town that serves gourmet grilled cheese and ice cream covered in Frosted Flakes and Fruity Pebbles. And I'm a twenty-something who likes gimmicks and loud Lady Gaga.
I wouldn't recommend it to a family after the Cubs game, but for locals who want to try something new? Sure.
Food: Small-ish but tasty and different. Love the "design your own sandwich" option! Bleu-cheese with green apple and vegan bacon was delicious (though my boyfriend felt the focaccia tasted like potpourri).
Drinks: The mixed drinks are a bit expensive and mostly ice. Pass.
Service: The staff seemed more interested in each other than the guests. It's nice that they're friends and all, but c'mon. It took forever to get the check.
Atmosphere: Sure.
I have a total mix review for this place. First, let me say that our food great. I really loved my sandwich as did all at our table. Of course they messed up the no mushrooms order but they weren't very many and could easily be picked out. However, for a bunch of grilled cheese sandwiches, its pretty expensive.
It was the small things that drove me crazy. The service was super slow even though there wasn't that many people there. I really want my drink right away and not wait until the the server is done listening to the band. Also, my plate was inexcusably chipped. HUGE pieces were missing from the plate - and no it wasn't some sort of "hip" plate. Everyone was super nice and are willing to answer your questions.
In all, I liked the space, food pretty good, but the details are all wrong.
When I was first informed that I would be attending the 44th Ward Dinner Party, I began rummaging through my closet to find an appropriate cocktail dress. I'm not going to lie - I definitely thought I'd be attending some sort of soiree in some glamorous ward of Chicago I'd never before heard of.
When I found out that this place was actually a bar on Halsted, I was a little surprised and maybe a bit overdressed, but this was 10 times better than any black tie dinner party in the 44th Ward!
Very quaint, charming, unexpected find in Lakeview. Build your own creative gourmet grilled cheese or go for the Basique on wonderbread with American cheese. You have to get the sweet n' saucy fries because they are ridiculously tasty. The tomato bisque was also delicious and their drink/martini list enticing. And the fried ice cream dessert is out of this world - 3 different flavors of ice cream coated with cereal (sounds weird I know) and then flash fried. YUM. Our server was great and I'm definitely coming back!
I decided I wanted my favorite food for my birthday celebration and since I had yet to try 44th Ward... the rest is history.
3 of us went at 7 pm on a Friday night and sat right down.
I had to get the traditional with the tomato bisque and it was delicious! I tried some of the fries and they were great. They tasted like they were seasoned with the BBQ powder from BBQ chips; really good! Then we got a chocolate fried ice cream ball for dessert. That was also good.
The service was very friendly and attentive.
Of course, we had to try the photo booth!
Weeeeeeeeee
I had a vegetarian friend visiting and thought this would be a fun choice; she LOVES grilled cheese. We went on a Sunday night and the place was not busy at all, actually it was pretty much dead. We had an order of the sweet and savory fries to start and they were awesome, seriously. I had the Belmont Harbor; bacon, apples, cheese-mmmm. My friends also really enjoyed their choices and one just had the traditional. We went on a Sunday and all received free "fried" ice cream!!! Yum, ice cream covered in cocoa krispies, fruity pebbles and frosted flakes. I thought the prices were super reasonable and found the concept fun.
Granted, it's possible I'm losing my mind, but I could have sworn that the sandwiches used to include a side of fries or salad. Now the side costs $2 extra. But you have the option of choosing fries, salad, mashed taters, chips or tomato bisque soup. My salad was still pretty substantial, but my dining companions both had fries and I didn't think the serving size was terribly generous.
They have also expanded their menu a little more. One thing they still haven't added is iced tea. Come on guys, it can't be that hard! That's twice now I've gone and drank free tap water when you could have sold me some iced tea. I can't imagine I'm the only one.... am I?
The food is still very good. But charging for sides without reducing the prices of the sandwiches (as far as I could tell...again, with the memory) = declining value. And still no iced tea. So, I'm forced to drop a star.
I went back here with a big group during Pride Fest. It was fairly early, and we were seated pretty… Read more »
Honestly, 44WDP might be the best dinner value in Chicago. (Thanks, Tiffany S. for the acronym)
First, the place is VINTAGE. Not RETRO, mind you, but VINTAGE. It looks old and smells old in the best way possible. Like someone took your grandma's house and turned it into a hip bar. It's classy but casual, attractive but comfortable.
The service was fantastic. I think there were only two people working, the bartender/hostess who I think might've been the owner, and a very helpful and cheerful server. Come to think of it, both were so excited about the place and the food that I think either could've been the owner!
The concept of build-your-own this or that isn't a new one, but a build-your-own grilled cheese hit the sweet spot of my recession-weary psyche. And, as soon as we sat down, we were greeted by a gratis bowl of perfectly fried and seasoned house-made chips. Although the collection of chef-selected signature sandwiches looked delicious, I had to go my own way. Bacon, avocado, tomato and sharp cheddar on Texas toast with garlic butter. WOW. Amazing. Like a bacony, avocadoey party in my mouth. And it was served with a side of "sweet and savory" fries, which I expected to be sweet potato fries, but no! They were regular fries but sprinkled with some kind of wickedly delicious sugar and salt mixture.
Tamara went a safer route, as she often does when we dine out, and had a Texas toast, cheddar and garlic butter sandwich. But for a side she decided to "go healthy" with a salad... with BACON VINAIGRETTE. Yes, we later found out it's a vinaigrette made with bacon drippings instead of olive oil. It's definitely the best salad dressing I've ever tasted.
I washed my sandwich down with the drink special of the night - a Long Island Iced Tea of all things. It was too sweet, but (a) what did I expect for three bucks and (b) why was I drinking something that should only be enjoyed at the Linebacker on an ND football Friday while out for dinner with my wife on a Wednesday???
Continuing our dinner's theme of good healthy choices, we had a trio of fried ice creams for dessert - one was chocolate rolled in cocoa pebbles topped with chocolate sauce, one vanilla rolled in corn flakes topped with caramel, and one strawberry rolled in fruity pebbles topped with raspberry sauce. A little extreme? Yes. A little over the top? Maybe. Delicious? Definitely!
I'd recommend 44WDP (thanks again Tiffany S!) for anybody looking for a truly unique, casual, fun, friendly and CHEAP dining experience.
Oh, and our total bill for everything, including Tamara's vodka and soda? $30 even. WOW. Viva la recession!
omg this place is wonderful. i am a self-professed grilled cheese addict, so, obviously i'm sold on any place that bills itself as a "grilled cheese funhouse", but 44th ward goes above and beyond that. it's just amazingly delicious. even the coleslaw that comes with the grilled cheese is, and i don't even like coleslaw. totally wish i lived closer to here.
so I had to revisit this place and see if maybe the free drink (because they sat some other people at my table) skewed my review. And it did.
The fries are damn good. But the grilled cheese is just a decent grilled cheese with some good stuf inside.
Its a solid place, but its just not that special for me to make a trip from Damen to eat here.
Its a grilled cheese joint. They have some booze as well.
My wife and I sat at the bar waiting for…
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This is more of a review of the vibe and not the food...
I stopped in one night with a friend who knew the bartender. I am not a bar person but occasionally a friend convinces me to stop in quickly. I loved the vibe! The doorman was eating a famous grilled cheese! The decor was really really pretty. Like drinking in a library! The night I was there it was an older gay crowd (30+...hey hey im only 23 so 30 is old i guess..haha sorry!) and they were all really friendly or indifferent to me..which let's face it: why would they care about me? I liked it! There were some younger guys but they kind of stood out amongst the older crowd. The DJ was good! Fun music!
All around--I had a great time at my little stop-in that night and definitely will be back to eat!
After purchasing a Groupon for this restaurant, my husband and I went on a Saturday night. The decor is great - dark wood, great wallpaper and lighting and we were excited to try their specialty, grilled cheese sandwiches (which we both love). To start we had the mac 'n' cheese which was good - not great. The cheese for the mac 'n' cheese was almost a soup with just a bit of cheddar melted on top.
For our grilled cheeses, my husband ordered the 90/94 which was basically a hamburger (very, very thin hamburger) between two grilled cheeses. It might sound good, but it was nothing special. The bread was very bland and the cheese was melted but cold. He ordered the mashed potatoes and they came out luke warm, like someone microwaved them then left them sitting out for a bit. Not appetizing at all.
I made my own grilled cheese with cheddar, roma tomatoes, olive oil and turkey. Well...when I got the sandwich, the bread was hardly grilled, there was very little cheese on the sandwich with only one piece of thin turkey deli meat (seriously, one thin slice for the entire sandwich). The fries, which they say are sweet and savory, were overly sweet - it seemed that they were doused with sugar.
And the worse thing? The Groupon was for $40 - but they only honored $30 and said that we owed $15 in tax (on two sandwiches and two beers - impossible). We tried to find out why they weren't honoring the Groupon the way that they should, but received no answers (they kept saying that the Groupon doesn't include tax, which is true, but they would not explain how we could owe $15 in tax for our meal).
For a restaurant that specializes in one thing, they do it really poorly. Until they figure out a way to make their grilled cheese sandwiches something special and worth the price, it's not even worth going there.
the food & drinks are overpriced. this place is a mecca for douche bags. don't do it.
yes, the grilled cheese sandwiches are good, but really? you can get better food for less money and just avoid the pretentious attitude altogether.
Let me preface my 5-stars by saying that I am giving the NIGHTLIFE at 44th Ward 5-stars. We did not eat there, so I can't comment on the food.
With that housekeeping item out of the way, let me just say... I did not realize how badly I needed to cut loose until I got to 44th Ward last night. I read today that the ambiance is "old lady who smokes" which is a) hilarious and b) true. We got there and greeted our pals and got some effen black cherry and sodas ($8/ea). We stood around for a bit, but my eye kept navigating toward the back room where disco lights danced and the DJ was rockin some good tunes. I convinced my friends to come check it out with me and in two shakes of a disco stick we were really lettin' our hair down. I'm talking arms in the air, screaming singing, not a care in the world. The ubiquitous phrase "Throw your hands in the ai-iirree, and wave them like you just don't cayyy-yerrre" has never applied more to me than it did on this night. It was so fun! I will definitely be back.
OH... also, for all those sillies out there, on Monday's I read that Bowties at the Dinner Party are mandatory (You can rent for $1) and you get endless bowtie pasta for $5. How fun and silly is that!
I'm still scratching my head as to how the 44th Ward Dinner Party wasn't a disappointment. The idea seemed too good to be true, let a lone pulled off effectively, and I hadn't heard the best things from friends who went.
Luckily, I needed dinner, and I needed grilled cheese (well, maybe just wanted it), so 44th Ward it was!
Upon looking at the menu I knew right away what the plan would be: create my own. If there's an option to make my edible creation I'm doing it, results be damned, and fortunately for me, I got it right.
Colby & Pepper jack on focaccia, with garlic butter and red peppers, mmmm, delicious, and only ~$7, plus that included their mysteriously delicious sweet and savory fries. It's a sign of a good restaurant that I can go, eat a meal that fills me up, and said meal doesn't include even a hint of meat. Well done, 44th ward, well done...
There were only two downsides to my trip:
1. The obnoxious drunken girl wearing sunglasses inside at 8:30pm yelling her head (and our ears off), but there's not too much the staff could've done about that.
2. The drinks were weak...then again they were free, as their credit card machine was down so they gave us freebies...
I loved everything about 44th ward before I even went there. Drink specials, check. Grilled cheese, check, swell neighborhood, check. So why 3 stars? Let me tell you.
I went there for my friend's birthday party; we were at party of 10 that got downsized to a party of 8. They were very accommodating. While we were waiting for our table (we were early) we hung out at the bar and had a $3 long island (I've had better but you can't really complain about a $3 long island), the bartender offered to transfer our tab to our table, which doesn't happen very often. I was thinking, that's awesome, tonight's going to be neat.
We sit down, and our server comes by gets drinks for the people that just showed up and we're on our way to a lovely evening.
I chose to build my own grilled cheese. I had the tomato faccia with sharp cheddar and Chihuahua cheese, garlic butter, and avocado. It was yum. I will say that I was pretty disappointed that they did not have provolone. I LOVE provolone. Its ok, I got over it quickly with my long island to help.
So, as I said, we were a party of 8, our waitress and the bartender was very attentive and helpful, our glasses never were empty for more than a minute. I don't know what happened to the waitress but as the check got dropped off she seemed to have a bit of an attitude. Maybe it was because we were loud and having a good time, maybe it was something else. Who knows, but when she dropped off the check she specifically said "gratuity is included, ps" (the menu clearly stated it was for parties 6 or more) OK, great. Got it. As we're reviewing the check we don't see ANYWHERE that gratuity was included. We ask the waitress, is gratuity included on the check. She says "yes, that's what I said when I dropped it off" OK, WTF is up with the attitude? I was simply just asking a question, we don't want to dick you over.
So whatever, our thoughts, (and several of the girls there are and were in the industry, including myself) if she's going to cop and attitude and not take a look at the check, fine, her loss. So 6 of the now 9 people leave. 3 stay to have a few more drinks and talk. And that's when the waitress comes up to the 3 remaining and demands $15 extra dollars because the check was short.
It turns out that she gave us the check with out gratuity. It was $128 (not bad for 8 people and drinks) and we had left her $143. Not the best tip, I know, but she said gratuity was included, so in our minds, she's making out with more than a 20% tip. Apparently not. So she tried to make it up to the remanding 3 by comping a few drinks. Really? In my mind, that's not making up for it. But whatever. I'm over it.
Bottom line, check your checks before you drop them off and then don't go to the rest of the table demanding extra cash because you effed up. Bad business if you ask me.
I don't think I'll be going back.
Wow... I don't even like grilled cheese that much, but I really liked 44WDP (my new abbreviation for a ridiculously long name).
I came here for my birthday, and made reservations for our party of 5. Upon arriving, the host was ready for us and knew our party by name. He was super cute and chic, and seated us at a great table in the back. The decor is definitely swanky/modern, and could get the pants off even the most holy of virgins. A great date could be had here, expecially if you are in the mood for seduction.
For dinner, I had the "build your own". It was texas toast, fresh mozarella, tomatoes, red onion, and spinach. And it was slamming! I would have never thought to make that at home, but it was absolutely phenomenal! The fries we got as an appetizer were alright, but I would I haven't liked to see a larger variety of items for appetizers.
Our service was great, and all of the staff was super polite. It was also great because it was cheap enough (about $30 pp, including an appetizer, 2 drinks a person, dinner, tax, and tip). I couldn't have asked for a better spot for my birthday dinner. I'll be back 44WDP (but maybe you could change your name to roll off the tongue a little better).
I came here with a large group of friends for a bachelorette party. We had the entire back room reserved, and it was really nice to have the space to ourselves. We were still included in the musical bingo game that was going on. Our server was friendly friendly and attentive, and we loved (and used the heck out of) the photo booth!
Ya know, I wish Yelp allowed .5 stars, because this place is definitely 3.5. I did have a really great time here, but the food and drinks were just OK. We bought a few bottles of champagne which were really good, but I got the 773 (one of their signature drinks) and I really didn't like it that much. A few of the girls were less than thrilled with their grilled cheese and the only fried ice cream dessert that was good was the vanilla (the other ones were way too rich). For my sandwich, I got the Belmont Harbor, minus the bacon and on a pretzel bun. The server told me that if I ordered it as a "build my own" it would be cheaper, and I appreciated that. I enjoyed my grilled cheese, but I know it was because of the pretzel bun (I loooove pretzel buns!). I also got the mixed green salad which was good but HUGE! Two people could easily share it.
I'd definitely go back here to try more of the menu, play bingo and take more photo booth pictures, but it's not the type of place you hang around much after eating.
Everybody was kungfu cheesin....
I've been here three times now and I have always left with a happy tummy.
I've had the Belmont Harbor twice (cheddar, bacon, apple slices = win) and the Sheffield and Waveland (normally hate quesidillas, but the cheese is creamy, barely taste the normally soupy taste of cilantro, and the tortilla melts in my mouth) .
For drinks I get the Well special ($5, a decent enough deal in Lakeview) Capcodders.
The decor and atmosphere are supercute. I've been on a weeknight and the weekend 2x and its perfect for a low key date with the dim lighting and reasonable drink and food prices.
Plus, anyone can enjoy delicious, comfort food and drinks in a dim, victorian space with good music then if you DONT maybe you are doing something wrong. Or I can reform you. Just try to not enjoy a yummy, grilled cheese in a dark, romantic space with someone cute and tell me that's not an aphrodesiac!
Bonus points, the location is awesome.
I feel another star comin' on............
Yep!! There it be.
My second visit to The Ward has me much more smitten. To start with, a cocktail list has finally crash landed... please pick up your mixologist approved poison at baggage carousel #4. Is it full, robust and phenomenal? Not so much, but it exists. Hey, 10x improved!!
The transformation of the initially fumbled (and rude) service was another thing that took the star-o-meter up a notch... my unimaginably hungover group (BrettBQ, anyone?) was treated super kindly and doted upon lovingly. Extra bleu cheese dip here, no snickers on our umpteen Diet Coke refills there... even an appreciative thumbs up on my DIY eggplant/cheddar/goat combo. Atta Girl!!
Music was still danceable as ever and with a happy belly, I also managed to figure out where the hidden photobooth lies... Next time though, the only posing I'll be doing is with my glorious grilled goods. Mmmm in intimate, dark confines? Oh yes, the better to eat you with my Dear!
A handful of girlfriends and I descended upon 'The Ward' this week to get our hands dirty in some… Read more »
Want a full-on view of a dirty bathroom as soon as you walk in?
Want to experience an approximate 15-degree temperature increase from the downstairs entry to the upstairs bar, as if they forgot it's no longer Winter, but Memorial Day?
Want to leave and try somewhere else?
Seriously? This place doesn't live up to it's admittedly well designed signage out front. From the look of the signage, I was expecting a sexy little bistro. Low lighting, soft music, perfect for a latenight tryst with a delicious paramour.
You walk in to the former Bangkok Noodle space, and still there's the same little vestigial, useless, mostly bare 'lounge' area in front. A bathroom smell greets upon entering. Nice. Very "where do we go from here" feeling.
Upstairs, just another bar with faux-ironic turned wood barstools. And climate problems. And the music pretty much blares. The bartender was nice enough, I have to give the staff props. It just wasn't sexy.
*sigh* Not sexy at all. And I LOVE sexy.
And seriously, I know all the "kids" today think that a grilled cheese sandwich on Wonder Bread is such a cool and ironic thing to eat (it's not). But, for someone who has never ingested Wonder Bread (fine, call me a snob), the appeal is puzzling at best.
I've been stewin' on this one for a bit...
I've come to a conclusion, which works well for semi-hipster bars that serve a variety of grilled cheeses...but also for many other instances, experiences and life living in general.
Managing expectations is a tricky pickle.
Ya see...had I just stumbled upon this little diamond at the north end of Boystown, with no expectation of "World's Greatest Grilled Cheese" or "Best Bar Ever!" or "The Music will make your ears fall off its so good" kinda stuff...well then, you know...I'd have been pretty thrilled.
A whole menu dedicated to grilled cheese with sorta fancy fixin's and a whole side of the menu to build-your-own? Yes, please. Applewood smoked bacon and granny smith apples atop sourdough bread, drenched in ooey gooey cheese? Ahem, yes. For under $10? Yeah, you heard it. However if grilled cheeze ain't your thang, chicken wang...you are straight outta luck. You might be able to get by on the pretty delicious creamy tomato soup, but not for long...after all though, if you don't like bread and cheese...you probably aren't human, and I probably don't even want to know what deep inner demons live within your soul. Really. If cleanliness is next to godliness, grilled cheese is next to PBJ in my holy book.
Whoa, digression.
Anyway, the grilled cheese =good. Obv.
The drinks? Eh. Need some work, but I do believe it can be easily remedied. $7 Stoli + sodas make me bored and tired. For $3 they make me bored, tired...but I have more money. Smart little drinks with some punch and kick, now that will get me talkin'. I'm giving this fourth star on the condition that a cocktail list be composed. IN addition, please print a beer list. I cannot remember 12 beers when the waitress rattles them off. It's a nice effort, but I still can't remember it. A list works well, trust me.
The tunes: right up my alley, keep 'em coming. Whoever thunk up this here playlist has auto-rights to hijack my Ipod (wait, I don't have one), but if I did...they could hijack it and I'd listen to my "44th Ward Dinner Party" soundtrack all the live long day...jonesin' for some throwback tunes. Indeed.
The vibe is good. Laid back. Cool. Needs a bit of tweakin', but then again...the expectations may have been just a little sky high for this little place manufacturin' grilled cheese for the faux-hipster set. It is what it is, and if they make grilled cheese with bacon and stuff, I'll go back.
Just fix the drinks. Pretty please.
Riiiii-co-laaaaaaaaa!
Riiiii-co-laaaaaaaaa!
It's nice to see that this place has taken some notes! I had read some reviews and heard from others about their less than stellar experience here and I have to say my dinner tonight was pretty darn good.
My roommate and I rolled in around 8:15 on Thursday for dinner. Sadly, all of the tables were occupied by lingering groups so we grabbed a seat at the bar. I was a little apprehensive when the bartender ignored us for over 5 minutes, despite being smack dab in front of him, and then acted like we just sat down. Fortunately, it was not a sign of things to come.
We probably waited about 30 minutes for a table our server and another guy (manager maybe) checked on us regularly and apologized profusely for the lingerers. The one table had finished when we arrived, but was still at their table by the time we left!
I ordered the Belmont Harbor, 86 the bacon; my roommate got the Rooftop. We both really enjoyed our food, we got the fries as our side which have some amazing seasoning on them and come with a bleu cheese dipping sauce.
Here are some improvements I noticed:
* Drink list - the menu must have been updated to include a full drink list including some specialty drinks. They still fall short on wine selection - 1 red, 1 white and 1 white zin.
* Service was amazingly attentive and friendly. Our server and the other guy came by our table regularly to check on us, refill our waters, etc.
Here is one majorly needed improvement - sound levels. Turn the f-ing music down about 4 clicks; there is no reason the music needs to be deafeningly loud! We even asked for them to lower it a touch twice, which was barely noticeable; we resigned ourselves to leaning in and screaming through the rest of our meal, the alternative - eating in complete silence - just would've been too weird. They should bring the check with complimentary Ricolas or something to soothe your throat.
The decor was ok, nothing to write home about. The entryway makes you feel like you're in an old lady's living room. Upstairs the bar/restaurant is dimly lit and pretty lackluster, I wasn't digging the paisley wallpaper. They should spring for some sort of host station or at the very least a sign. When we got there we stood confused trying to figure out where to put our name in or if it was every man/woman for themselves, that would've been fine I can throw a mean bony elbow. I wasn't sure what their style was, our server and the bartender were in shirts and ties and the other guy looked like the lost member of Fall Out Boy; no biggie, just interesting.
Bottom line: I'd go back, the food is good and the prices are decent. Just be warned seating is sparse so don't expect to waltz in and grab a table during peak hours!
P.S. The menu online is smaller than the actual one.
Finally!!! After hearing all the rumpus about 44th Ward Dinner Party I was finally able to visit. And I liked it!
First of all, the venue is too cute! It really is like walking into someones house. The staff was so nice and friendly. My first impression was a great one.
The menu is 90% grilled cheese sammiches, so if you're looking for something else be forewarned. I spent literally a half an hour looking over the menu trying to decide what to order because there are so many options. If you can't decide on a signature sammie, you can build your own from a list of ingredients, breads, and (drool) flavored butters.
After I discussed all of the options with the bartender I decided on the Belmont Harbor. Bacon, sharp cheddar, and apple slices on sourdough bread. Uhm...yum! I would have liked for my sandwich to be a little more cheesy and a little more melty, but it was still good. The apple slaw on the side was phenom! I also loved the blue cheese dipping sauce for the fries. I washed it all down with a few Broadway & Belmont cocktails and I was a happy happy (full) girl.
Cheese makes me smile.
I like what The 44th Ward is trying to do: Specialize in one menu item (grilled cheese) and make it fantastic while delivering great music and a moody/chic atmosphere all wrapped up in a late night location in Boystown.
Sounds fabulous, right?
Well... there are still some things 44th Ward needs to work on before they reach late night grilled cheese Nirvana.
Before I get bitchy, I really must commend 44th Ward on the absolutely delectable grilled cheese sandwiches. I ordered an aged cheddar, bacon and Roma tomato grilled cheese on whole wheat bread. Probably the best grilled cheese I've ever had in my entire life. And priced exceptionally well. I was charged for a $2 "Classique" and then $1 for each ingredient, being bacon and tomatoes. That's one cheap sandwich! Since my diet was thrown out the window with all the bacon, cheese and butter, I decided to hell with it and ordered the fries. The menu says they're shoestring, but be forewarned they're actually a thicker cut fry.
Now, my issues.
1. No drink menu. Let me say that again... No.Drink.Menu. Not even a listing of beers and wines, let alone any kind of specialty cocktail list. I suppose I could deal without a specialty drink menu, but really, a restaurant needs to list out their beers and wines. How could a person possibly order wine without a wine list? And while we're at it... beers on tap would be nice.
2. The staff needs a bit of improvement. Our service was touch and go at best. Our waitress flat out ignored one of my friends when she asked her questions... multiple times. I know it wasn't that loud in there last night, Honey.
3. The crowd. Um, there was none. I was anticipating a bumping crowd, but it was just a smattering of a few tables. Nothing to see there, folks.
So while the grilled cheese is absolutely amazing and the music (which I can't believe I haven't mentioned yet!) was top-notch, I think I was expecting more. Perhaps 44th Ward is better on the weekends?
When I'm feeling cold-ish or just plain depressed, nothing makes me feel better than a grilled cheese sandwich with some tomato soup on the side (to add that extra bit of my child-like character I float some cheddar Goldfish in my soup!).
When I learned what LBC was becoming I got all schoolgirl giddy! Grilled cheese restaurant? Why has no one thought of this before? More to the point, why didn't I think of it? In any case after three failed after work dinner plans to get here we all finally managed to arrive in the same place at once.
Very small and intimate. I love the whole ambiance of the place. Having never been in LBC, I would have thought it bigger. But I loved it. Downstairs with the awesome set up next to an open window, bookshelf so tall. Upstairs reminded me of an old mansion. Eerily beautiful.
Now the food. The potato chips they put out before you order. Delicious!! Should have gotten the 1/2 priced app of them after they quickly disappeared. No, there was no drink list, which yes, is annoying. But they were pretty full up on the bar. I asked what beers they had and the list kept going and going until he said my favorite Texas beer, Shiner, and this grilled cheese fantasyland became perfection.
I had the Sheffield and Waveland, which was like a quesadilla with avocado, roasted red pepper, Chihuahua and pepper jack cheese. Wonderful!! My dining partners both had the Belmont Harbor which they couldn't get over either. Fries were oddly sweet and the little mayo/sour cream thing on the side? Yummy!
After hearing horrid things about the service here, I was expecting it. But then was pleasantly surprised. We were the first in here and it filled up after about an hour and half later. They checked on us constantly. Very friendly and polite. Eager to please. Perhaps they pay attention and share their Yelp reviews? In any case the service was if anything sometimes too much. But I think that was our group. We're easy to please and just there to chat!
So after this whole long diatribe, all-in-all this place has one thing and does it spot on! The only bad thing about it...it's a half a block away from me....this is going to be BAD for my weight! But oh so good for my wallet at these prices! GO before there's a line out the door or Guy Fieri or someone else puts it on their show!
When you only have one item on your menu (give or take the apps and soup) you should, without out a doubt, be able to excel at its execution. There were just so many negatives that took away from the decency of the sandwiches. Which were fantastically cheap. I would have paid triple to have better service. There are just some things that I am a stickler for.
Like the service. If you are in the weeds with four tables, and you seat a party of 5 at a 4 top because you don't want to lose a table to imaginary (and non-existent) guests, shame on you. (My restaurant training ingrained in me the fact that you cater to guests that are actually IN FRONT OF YOU, and deal with the ones who aren't when and if they arrive). If you are missing for fifteen minutes from a 10 x 20 room and all other tables have their food, shame on you. If you don't bother checking on your table because you are too engrossed in conversation with the barkeep and the light dimming manager, shame on you. If you can't be bothered to check back after serving something, shame on you. Call guests at your table by "Mamma", super classy.
Yeah, the waitress pretty much is the bane of their existence. Decor direct from Ft. Pitt and charging me twice for the same can of Sugar Free Red Bull were just bonus points. Forget the fact that they have the words "dinner party" in the name and don't have a wine list. But serve white zinfandel and no Absolut? Card every single person that walks in for dinner? (Although the bartender was super nice). Sounds like a nightclub to me.
Don't believe the hype. I think the grilled cheese is just a rouse so they can have an incidental liquor license while operating a bar. My two cents. Really 2.5 but no benefit of the doubt here.
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