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Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Bars [Edit]
Neighborhoods: West Loop, Near West SideChicago (Blue)
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What more can be said then the 172 others reviews?
Well for starters, the bloody mary's rule. They are good. Not great, but good. Served up in a pint glass, how they should be, with an eff-in smorgasbord of salad toppings and MEAT! Yes Meat. Damn you Chicago, you make it very difficult to be a vegetarian in the city. Seriously, I would come here just for these hangover helpers.
The Elvis french toast, stuffed with peanut butter and bananas is frightfully delish. My friends had the burger and steak and eggs, which was too small to be called a steak, it was more the size of a cow's ear.
There is always a wait, unless you are an early riser. The wait staff ok, kinda grumpy guss-es, which is expected given that its a biker bar. And the music way too loud for a hang over hang out on Sunday mornings.
Went to the Twisted Spoke for the first time this Friday. My husband, being a Chicago native and a huge fan of the Spoke, insisted that we give it a go while in town. Everything from top to bottom was fantastic. The bloody mary was one of the best I've ever had!! They also had an impressive beer list and food menu. While the service was excellent, the food definitely stole the show - not what I expected at all. Everything that we ordered was delectable and next time we return I'll definitely have a tough time ordering knowing how good everything was. Between the 3 of us, I got a chance to taste the following:
-Pulled Pork Sandwich - Delicious, not too sweet.
-Steak Burrito - Recommended by our waiter and it was perfection on a plate. Very tasty.
-Meatloaf Sandwich - AMAZING!! The meatloaf was so light and it was served in between 2 thick slices of garlic bread. Who does that???? Apparently, the Twisted Spoke does and they do it well.
Will definitely be back again next time I'm in town.
So I'm trying to figure out a way to put this joint on wheels, tie it to the back of my car and literally tow it down to Miami! I have eaten here over a dozen times but just returned, after a five year hiatus due to my move to Miami, and was glad to find the Spoke just as good as when I left her.
First off the beer selection is incredibly extensive (as an out of town-er I always start with some type of Goose Island) and there is a type and flavor for every beer drinker. However if beer isn't your bag they have a HUGE list of whiskeys, full bar and one of the best Bloody Marys in the city...
A "family oriented" biker bar, whatever the hell that means, the Twisted Spoke offers some of the most memorable sandwiches you'll ever eat after which you will be literally be asking for more!
The Boss Hog (pulled pork sando), Giant Steak Burrito and the Meatloaf are three that immediately stand out as front runners. The Meatloaf is better than any of your Mom's meatloaf which is served on light, yet not soggy, garlic bread and the Boss Hog's sauce is sweet and savory. Did I mention that the fries that come with each sandwich are cut from fresh potatoes that day?
Obviously I am incredibly biased but the Spoke is one of my personal favorite spots in Chicago for a beer and a bite. I recommend that when in Chicago you make the trip and if you can't find anyone to go with you gimme a call....
Enjoy.
This review starts with a simple story. I used to hate bloody marys. I hated them. I found them detestable, just the smell of the tomato juice would make me want to hurl. Now keep in mind that I am not a picky eater. I'll eat anything, I'll try anything, very little grosses me out, but there was something about the consistency/smell of bloody mary mix that I just couldn't stand.
Over the years I tried to like bloody mary's just because they seemed like something that I should probably acquire a taste for (I like brunch, I like drinking, I like drinking for brunch, etc.) so I kept trying. Choking down a bloody mary here and there, I'd always try to get one down at least a few times a year, occassionally having one that was palatable but still kind of gross.
Then, I had a Twisted Spoke bloody mary. And I didn't just choke it down, I actually sort of liked it. I went back a week later, and I tried another one, went down smoother this time, and I didn't feel like puking at all. Another week, another bloody, this time I actually kind of enjoyed it. The next week I was actually looking forward to it, and now I absolutely love them. To the point that it cured my aversion to other bloody marys, I can even put down an airport bloody mary now. But the best one I've ever had is at the Twisted Spoke, (incidentally the only one I ever had that came close was at the Palazzo in Las Vegas).
So there's the Bloody Mary, that in and of itself would cause me to recommend the Spoke, but add in the awesome beer, and completely unique and most extensive whiskey selection I've ever seen, not to mention the food is great , and it really takes the Spoke over the top.
Also a point about the waitstaff. When I first moved to the neighborhood (about 5 years ago) I went to the Spoke a few times, and kind of hated it. The waitstaff was indifferent at best, and mostly rude and too cool for school. Since the renovation (where they smartly moved the bar to the front of the house) there seemed to also be a personality makeover with the staff. Everyone there is super nice and friendly, and I always feel welcome going in there, and really enjoy my time there.
Pueblo AKA Pablo AKA Paul was our waitperson when the husband and I last went here for lunch. He consistently provides excellent service, good recommendations for brews (he remembers that I prefer darker, more complex flavors and that the husband prefers lighter, more clear flavors), and always makes sure that our seared tuna sandwich arrives with all its sides, including our substitution of salad for the fries.
The seared tuna sandwich is the best offered in the city as far as we are concerned. Delicious perfectly seared tuna presented on ciabbata, with mango-tomatillo salsa. LOVE IT!
On a side note, Nicky of the Purple Hair behind the bar got married in NO on Halloween! Congratulations!
We're regulars, and have stayed with Twisted Spoke through many of their changes.
If there were more…
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Went here for breakfast. I think you really do have to be very hungover/still drunk from the night before to enjoy their food, because otherwise you will leave feeling sick to your stomach. Its really, really greasy and anything that was fried will be overpowered by the taste of bacon fat. Furthermore, you could probably whip up something better at home. Their peanut butter and banana "stuffed" Elvis toast was just 2 soggy pieces of subpar French toast with a tiny bit of generic peanut butter and thin slices of banana slapped inbetween! I make tastier French toast using Wonder Bread. Bleh. I wouldn't come back here, even if they do play some good music. There's dozens of other breakfast places in the area that are cheaper and much better. I could live without the punk rock/biker aesthetic, just give me some food that actually tastes good, plz.
Great place for beer and a bite. Extensive beer list. Great burgers. Excellent brunch in which I reccomend fried egg sandwich and a Bloody or two.
So help me jeebus if you don't head over to this place, I will be very sad. The lemon wings are a must-order. They light them on fire. And then they taste good. Following the fire-lighting.
Also: if you need veggie comfort food, you must order the fried portabella sandwich. Vegetarians can eat an occasional heavy meal, you know! And this one isn't even that heavy. The portabella is breaded just right, it's fried deliciousness, the bun is perfect... just go and eat it right now. Do it.
And the bar staff, while tattooed to the point of intimidation, is very friendly.
Come for the bloody mary. Stay for the fatboy burgers. Leave because the metal chairs are killing your butt.
Great brunch items, the scrambles are awesome and I LOVE the Texas Toast and the jam. Seriously, I was upset because they didn't bring the jam once, it's some darn good jam.
I'm leaving a star off because the waitstaff is lackadaisical (don't they WANT my money?) and the weird porn night on the weekend (Smut n eggs) grosses me out.
I Wish this place was closer!!!!! The food is awesome!!!! Went here for brunch and had the gumbo with poached eggs, which was unbelievable hangover food. The shrimp po boy is also a must try. Be prepared to have a heart attack after you eat the batter-dipped deep- fried bacon!!!!
Service is quick and the bloody Mary's are some of the best in the city. Also worth noting is the beer selection, which definitely rivals hop leaf and Map room. I was uber surprised to see Founders Cerise on tap!!!!
My first experience at this fun biker bar was for breakfast. I had 2 Smokin' Salma Bloody Marys - spicy, packed with parmesan cheese and 2 chunks of chorizo - a recipe for happiness in my book!! Then I had some Mexican-style egg scramble with tortilla chips in it that just hit the hungover spot! :)
Breakfasts here have yet to disappoint me.
Most recently, my friend and I went for a late dinner / snack. She ordered the Bloody with smoked bacon or something in it - and Woa! It was so smokey, I couldn't really tell what the drink was supposed to be! We ordered the flaming lemon garlic chicken wings which were pretty buttery and rather disappointing. The fries were hyped up on here, but I didn't think they were anything out of the ordinary. We also ordered the portabella mushroom sticks (something like that) and again not wowed. I didn't like the breading on the mushrooms, didn't really do anything for bringing out the flavor of the 'shrooms!
Conclusions: good bar if you don't like packed places and prefer a laid-back vibe. Food wise, I think their forte is in the morning!
I love the breakfast burrito but decided to try something new this time.
Eggs w/brie, carmelized pears, (good) home fries, and sliced ham.
And sitting on the roof was perfect on a lovely summer morning.
The service was great. The only thing I'd change is that they need to get english muffins.
I give it 3.5.
yeipeeee! (oops, meant yippee)
This place is a great place for a burger and draft before a hockey game!
I had a fatboy with provolone. Damn! Thick, juicy, fries with just the right amount of seasoning on them...
Also, couldn't forget the floor show. There was a really, really drunk chick at the bar. Making out (falling all over) this guy! Everyone was watching.
Food A+ Floor show A+
There is a reason why they need to use porn to get you in on a Saturday night.
We walked in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon and no one was by the door and they didn't have a sign as to whether you wait or seat yourselves. The bartender seemed to ignore us as did the other workers. It seemed apparent that is it wasn't their job then they weren't going to assist the patrons. A woman came from the back up front and literally looked around us to look outside and look for someone. She completely behaved like we were invisible. So we decided to seat ourselves. The picnic tables on the roof are uncomfortable and hard to eat at. I'm sure they are fine since for boozing. We get our menus and I'm pretty excited about the selection. After deciding between a few selections and waiting a long time the waitress comes and apologizes that she was sorry and she didn't know anyone was at her table. Which I guess is understandable since we sat ourselves. She then tells us that the items we want to order off the menus (which were given to us just 10 minutes wrong) were not available. We could only get the brunch/breakfast items. It was 1:10 in the afternoon! She said we could also get the fat boy hamburger (thought the menu says it is only available M-F and it is Saturday) or the BBQ or grilled cheese. The kicker is that the menu is a series of pages printed off a printer and put in a clip board--not a laminated professional made one. Why not pull the 6 pages of the menu out that we can't order from? Or why not have the person who gives the menus say to wait for the waitress to explain or that we can only get brunch? It seemed again like no one waned to do anything that wasn't their specific job title. Since I had to look at my menu longer she took my husband's order and then came back for mine. Instead of waiting for my order she put in his and so his food came super fast and to be polite he waited for my meal. The waitress again apologized that she had instructed them to wait for order. During this time a group sat down next to us. I could overhear them talking about how slow the service was and after they all decided which appetizers they wanted the waitress informed them they could not order them. The group (rightly so) was confused as to why they couldn't order appetizers in the afternoon.
My food came and I ended up ordering something I wasn't excited about because I didn't want eggs and don't like breakfast food so my choices were slim. I didn't finish my burger or fries. The food was better than average but not worth any special effort to go out of my way for--especially considering everything else. I have no interest to see what else they have to offer.
If you want to waste your money on waitresses with pink or overly blonde hair and tattoos and a skeleton spinning on a motorcycle out front then go ahead. But that's all you're paying for.
P.S. This is the 1st time in a long time I went to a sit down restaurant where I was neither greeted or said bye to.
I would have given two stars, but for the fantasic, creative bloody Mary's and the nice bartenders. Don't know how they get so much food on top of a cocktail. I have had brunch or breakfast here twice and thought the food was just average. And for some reason I thought it would be some authentic Biker Bar, like a Hop Leaf or an Old Town Pub is authentic ;not a gimmicky uber-faux, overly-decorated place that you might find in a suburban mall.
Although our waiter was a bit spastic, the banana pancakes concoction that I ordered were pretty tasty. The french toast that my cousin ordered was.. not as good. I think it was the fact they it was french bread and not regular good ol' texas toast or something.
They mimosas were pretty delish, and I wished the weather was better to take advantage of the rooftop, but otherwise, it was just decent. The music was a tad loud for a Saturday brunch, doesn't work well with a rockin hangover. I'll be back, but on a perfectly sunny day.
Lucero being played on their speaker system.
Decent line up of taps, though no Guiness.
Bartenders were solid, I mean, they were very observant and willing to dole out samples of anything - vodka, beerz and wine.
My gripe comes from the ridiculously large televisions here. For being a 'biker' bar, I wouldn't expect something outta BroDawgCentral here.
I'd come back to try the food and perhaps the Allagash.
Its seen better days - really miss the small BAR there - it has really changed over years - not sure why!?
The only addition I like is the the roof top eats - they is fun with a few people.
The food Is still good and the beers are ok too - both lost a little bit from what was a few years back - but I will still go back for more.
Mussels, mussels, mussels!
135 reviews; the majority mentioning the amazing bloody marys (which come with so many accompaniments you could make a meal out of the drink) or the smut 'n eggs porn nights on the weekends. But the only ones mentioning the amazing mussels are from the girls I went there with.
How did you people miss this winning appetizer made flavorful and spicy with the (famous) Twisted Spoke bloody mary mix and bacon? Next time you are catching sun on their rooftop patio, (and drinking) make sure you add an order of mussels to the mix!
For some strange reason, I keep calling this place "Toasted' Spoke which coincidentally would suit them just fine with their extensive drink menu and plethora of Bloody Mary options!
I came here last Friday (another beautiful day when the patios are screaming your name!) and sat on the rooftop deck. Luckily, we had no issues getting a table because we arrived just before the crowds, with the same idea as us.
I had been hearing about the Bloody Mary's here for a couple months and could not wait to finally experience them. As promised, it was served with practically a buffet of treats that compliment the Mary perfectly-peperoncini, cocktail onions, about 4 slices of delicious salami and OF COURSE the beer back! We also had the mussels which were equally delicious-smoky flavor with pieces of bacon in the broth.
One itty bitty issue was that the server was new. Our drinks took awhile to come out and she had no clue what mussels were. I am cutting her slack and kept the 5 stars because we have all been the 'new person'!!
Can't wait to go back to Toasted(Oops!) Twisted Spoke!
Do NOT get the bacon tempura or fish and chips. Absolutely disgusting. Horrible breading and completely overcooked. I live across the street and was craving fried food, so I went there...big mistake. I wasted $40.
Stick to their brunch...fantastic.
Been a few more times since my initial review. Now I live across the street from it. The… Read more »
For the food, i would give this place three stars, but it gets an extra star for the following three reasons:
1. Their bloody mary is AWESOME. Best in the city, in my opinion.
2. You never have to wait for a seat for Sunday Brunch. If you do, it's never more than 10 minutes.
3. Good portions!
The food is pretty decent here, nothing to complain about too much. The chorizo breakfast burrito is great, as are their non brunch foods like their burgers. It's just good consistent food, nothing too spectacular. I love going here for brunch because i absolutely love the bloody mary's here. That drink is worth it alone. It even comes with a great beer chaser. If you are craving pancakes, this isn't the place to come, but otherwise, I would recommend it for brunch.
cool bar. rooftop which is always good, made the place for me. their menu is fun and unique too. they have a biker theme here, so it has personality. their bar is stocked with a huge selection...
I like my meat. And I prefer it to not come out a of a can. That's why I love the Spoke's version of corned beef hash. Big ole' chunks of fresh corned beef, delectable potatoes, perfectly poached eggs. So yummy. And I wasn't even hung over!
And a big plus - the bloody marys. What could be better than taking in the nectar of the gods, complete with a stick of salami shoved down in the glass? Nada. Nothing. Zip.
It's like heaven. Meat heaven.
I keep trying, and keep being disappointed.
The drinks are usually unnecessarily expensive, unless you randomly get a special, which isn't always brought to your attention.
The food has always been subpar (to me anyway). Too much Iceberg lettuce and less than delicious turkey on the club sandwich; it pretty much fell apart immediately.
The cole slaw is insanely vinegar-y, or something.
I guess if you just get a burger, you would be fine, but plan on blowing $80 for two people to eat and have a couple drinks.
Bartenders are usually nice enough, I've never had a problem with service here. It's just too expensive for what it is...
I was brought here by a new friend for a few drinks and eats mid-afternoon on a Saturday after my massage, so I was wonderfully mellow and in a great mood. Street parking was available, but it was $2 for 2 hours and that was the max you could choose, which sucked. However, the fact that parking existed was a nice surprise. We started at the bar downstairs, which was sparkling with alcohol choices, thinking it would be cooler than sitting outside. The bartender was nice and gave me a beer suggestion (which I honestly can't remember) that ended up being a very yummy stout as well as a few suggestions to my drinking companion. After sitting inside for a few minutes we realized that the air conditioning wasn't on and the wall of windows at our back wasn't really helping with the muggy closed feeling at the bar. We decided to move upstairs to the outside deck and within a few minutes they'd found us a table with an umbrella as I am terribly pasty and unable to stand direct sunlight for very long.
The upstairs deck was cute and we were given a table (picnic like) in the corner to ourselves. The menu selection was pretty decent and although we considered ordering one of their giant burgers we never did get around to it. Instead, we ordered appetizers and ordered the Portabella mushrooms and cheese poppers. The food arrived promptly and although it wasn't bad, it was pretty bland. The breaded mushroom poppers really just tasted like fry grease and the cheese poppers weren't really any better. However, they had an amazing beer selection listed (although I was unable to partake of more than a few as I was going to be driving after lunch) which I'm sure makes up for the lackluster food.
A few other things: Our waitress, the poor dear, appeared rather wilted from having to run up and down the stairs in the heat without even the respite of air conditioning inside. However, even being close to collapse from heat exhaustion, she was friendly and sweet for which I give her huge props. The bathroom was clean and well stocked with toilet paper, which is a huge deal for us ladies. Overall the place appeared well kept and well run.
I only gave it three stars as the food we tried was nothing to write home about and they didn't have the air conditioning on when they clearly needed to. I would like to return with a few more people and without my car to taste some of the other beverages they have to offer.
I like the food here. I used to come for brunch, and sometimes I could convince a co-worker to go for lunch after work and every now and then I'll go for dinner.............................but my favorite thing is surprisingly not the mimosas (which I love) but the bloody marys. OH.MY.GOD. Now, maybe I always had a distaste for bloody marys because my palette wasn't developed at 18. Or maybe it was the fact that my friend used that horrible bloody mary mixer from Jewel and poured way too much vodka. Add to it the fact that I hate tomato juice. Regardless, I HATED them, and then I came here.
My friends would order them and eventually I tried and fell in love. There has only been one other time I've enjoyed a bloody mary and that was at the Map Room by a certain bartender.....other than that....not so much. My friend is a vegetarian and drinks the bloody marys from here, telling the waitress "I know, let's just not talk about it".
I love sitting on the roof! If it's nice, sit up there. You get a nice view (assuming you're not in the center) and usually a nice breeze. I'm always full, have leftovers and satisfied when I leave here.
Best hand-cut, skin-on french fries I have ever had. No shit. Plenty of booth seating, and an extra room for pool. Domestics run around $2.50-$3.50 (average $3), depending on the specials. Whiskey is half price on Wednesdays. The vibe is kind of edgy, but not in a cheesy 'Exit-esque' way. Late at night, there may be porn on the monitors ("Smut and Eggs").
Aside from the porno meals, there are some other quirky things about this place, such as the fact that they run a Twisted Spoke Softball League. Oh, and did I mention the french fries?
This is a GREAT place for brunch - especially if you're lucky enough to have good weather and can sit on the top deck in the sunshine.
Our two favorite dishes are the Elvis Toast (French Toast with peanut butter and banana) and the egg sandwich - both are divine! I highly recommend either or both, but don't think you'll want to share. You won't. They are that good.
The Bloody Mary's are also really good, I agree. Or at least so I've been told by my friends. I don't drink Bloody Mary's, but everyone tells me these ones are good.
The coffee is also really good. Which isn't worthy of earning an extra star on itself, but it's interesting how many restaurants overlook the importance of good coffee.
Also, the service is usually really good too.
I'm glad the weather is getting nice because I can't wait to go back!
Fun biker bar feel for a Saturday brunch locale. The food is pretty decent and the ambiance is minimal, but its a fun laid back place to enjoy some bloody Mary's and fill your stomach.
The bloody's are freaking insanely good. I mean we are talking it hits most of the major food groups and needs a beer chaser kinda good. Hope you like meat with your Mary cuz they do pile on the salami!
The steak and eggs wasn't anything out of the ordinary and my steak was a bit overcooked. The banana pancakes were only ok, but the good company more than made up for any disappointments.
I hear the smut and eggs is quite the combo of breakfast foods and 70's porn that comes on around midnight.... appetizing...hairy porn chicks always make me hanker for a huge plate of eggs.
This is a decent place. I go here almost once a week, always at night. $2.50 Tuesdays are pretty sweet. They have a great selection of beer.
The food isn't great and don't expect anything too healthy, but if you're looking for bar food and yummy beer, this is the place.
It's always freeeezing in there, though. Expect to wear your coat in there in the winter. The rooftop is nice when it's warm out, just don't expect a great view.
Good food better ambiance. I really dig the view, a great place to toss a couple back under the falling sun. I remember one of the first times I went here it was late night and they were doing the famous "Porn and Eggs", old school nudies on the screens, and tasty breakfast dishes on the menu. The bartenders are generally well versed and know how to mix a wicked cocktail. Go!
Biker bar vibe, unique, funky, awesome food, awesome drinks. They have this sweet roofdeck that is great for the summer. We come here for work lunch during hte summer.
Huge sandwiches, great brunch, awesome chili. Their fried egg sandwich is amazing. Add avocado and split it because its enormous. One of my faves. Easy to find street parking.
Eh.
I came here for hangover brunch Sunday. A friend kept raving about it so off we went. I waited 10 minutes for my coffee. My friends who got bloody mary's both got their drinks way before I did. Not a good first impression.
I ordered the eggs with bacon, sausage, and home fries. I can't put my finger on it, but something was missing. I doused my food in salt and pepper but it still didn't taste right. The bloody's were tasty though, and I'm really picky about those. I've been here before and I do know their burgers are delicious, but I'll probably never come back for brunch again.
This was supposed to be a relaxing lunch and it ended up being all I hoped for and then some! The wait was minimal. My friend and I were just deciding if we should get a beer while we wait and then they sat us.
FOOD: I had the Turkey and Swiss. It was so friggin good it was relatable to a Monte Cristo with no ham. Fries were nothing to write home about, but the sandwitch just used them to be more delicious.
DRINK: I do not drink Bloody Mary's but my friend Chris had one which appeared to be the greatest drink on Earth. Not only did it nerly have a sandwitch on top, but it came with a beer. Now thats a drink!...or a meal? I had some deliscious tap brews. I was shocked I had never tasted Half Acre and it is from Chicago. Now a trip to their brewery is in order, because I severely enjoyed it.
ATMOSPHERE: It was a lunch crowd on the Saturday before St. Paddy's so try to imagine that. There were families, rockers, scenesters, hipsters and idiots wearing green beads.... and we al got along. The staff was very nice. I had such a blast we ended up having 5 rounds of booze, which meant 5 Bloody Mary's for Chris. HA!
Can't wait to go back with my fiance and other friends! I hear "Smutt and Eggs" is a good time.
Oh how I miss this place. I used to live right down the street so it was a natural choice for brunch (their breakfast tacos? YUM) and cocktails. The service has been up to par and they have a great rooftop patio that's a hit in the summer!
Oh, and my friend swears by their bloody mary's as being among the best. But veggies be aware as I learned the hard way: They use beef stalk in their recipe.
Dude, seriously now.
You can get MF'ing Elvis French Toast (yes, that's bananas and peanut butter sandwiched between slices of french toast deliciosity) and a beer! AND you can enjoy these two wonderful things on a huge rooftop patio....::sigh:: it doesn't get much better than this.
Service could be less ambivalent, but they're not flat out rude.
order one of their bloody mary drinks for a healthfully balanced, low-carb meal-in-a-glass.
surprisingly not busy the night i went - thursday.
My favorite restaurant in Chicago. But I'm not fancy. If you like heaping helpings of greasy, fried food, the Spoke will speak to you. I love, love, love the shrimp po'boy; I wish more restaurants - outside of Heaven on Seven - had this. Their falafal is a close second fave.
They also have a kick ass brunch with a world-famous bloody mary (you can even buy their mix!). But I prefer their ginormous mimosas. Can you say "hair of the dog"?
Service is hit-or-miss. Sometimes you'll get an easy going biker chick; sometimes you'll get a d-bag who can't even be bothered to look you in the eye. But the eye candy and grub is worth it.
I have been to the Twisted Spoke probably 25-30 times in my life. I went there well before a lot of the gentrification took place in the area, and continued to go every now and then for the good beer selection and daily specials. I have never been a big fan of anything in particular that they had on their menu to eat, the food is just okay.
My reason for the one star, and reason that I will never go there again mostly has to do with my last experience. I took a seat near the bar with my soon to be brother-in-law, and his brother. We were planning on a couple of beers and a bite to eat before the Blackhawks play-off game. We got there at about 4:30, with the game starting at 7pm the Blackhawks crowd was not overwhelming. Shortly after we sat down we were approached by a waiter. We ordered beers and had not yet committed to ordering food. I had a couple of questions about beers on the menu that I wasn't completely familiar with. The fauxhawk, aging hipster waiter, who's knowledge is likely steeped in PBR and cocaine told me that one beer I asked about was somewhere between my brother-in-law's beer (Stiegl Pils) and my beer (Dark Horse- Smoked Stout). Okay, maybe this guy is not an expert, but we had polar opposite beers, could he be a little more specific? I asked if the beer in question was hoppy? "yeah, it has hops". That really didn't bother me that much, I just thought it was funny that a beercentric place like Twisted Spoke doesn't require some sort of beer knowledge from their wait staff.
So... our beers are empty for 20 minutes. We see our waiter walking around, chatting up regulars, talking to other staff, we try to make eye contact, tried to wave him down. It almost seemed like we were being purposely ignored. I finally told my brother-in-law who's back was facing the bar to just order another round from the bar tender. He get's her attention and the bartender asks if we have a server. He says "yeah, but we have had empty beers for 20 minutes and have not been approached." Our waiter overhears the conversation from the back of the bar and sticks out his head, looks at my B.I.L. and says "Dude!" The bartender tells him that our server will be right with us. A few minutes later "Dude" shows up and takes our beer order. I watch him then to see if he puts it in to the bartender. I could not tell for sure, but I didn't see her pour our beers. "Dude" continues to chat up regulars, talk to the bartender about something... 10 more minutes go by, no beers... I look for $5 out of my wallet, don't have it, my B.I.L. slaps it down ($2.50 beer special x2) We get our jackets together and head for the door. All of a sudden we have "Dude's" attention. "Dude, hey guys, dude, where are you going? I tell him the money is on the table, later. What a fuck face! If you want to look at tattoos and ironic facial hair on a disinterested staff, come here!
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Places I used to frequent regularly when I lived…
Follow the rounds of an aspiring competitive…
