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Categories: Bars, American (New)
Neighborhood: LakeviewSheridan (Red)
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A great live music venue complete with a comprehensive food, drinks, and coffee menu. The barista bar in the back was especially memorable with the fireplace and twinkle lights adorning the cozy space.
Be sure to make a reservation for the live performances --- they reach the maximum capacity rather quickly (esp. weekends).
Apparently, after the sun sets, Uncommon Ground puts on a different hat and turns from funky, kid-friendly, yummy brunch spot to pretentious (why, yes, you are), fine dining (why, no, you are not).
Uncommon Ground, you need to find your persona and stick to it because your indecisiveness turned into a very awkward experience.
Not to get into the gory details but I wrongly assumed that since brunch/lunch is kid-friendly, we would be welcomed for dinner as well.
Not so much.
Which is unfortunate because I really really like the food and the beer list.
I should also point out that my 3 month old has been welcomed in various establishments throughout the city and we have not been stuck going to places like Ed Debevic's or the frickin Cheesecake Factory. Frankly, being relegated to those places just because I have a baby is my own personal culinary hell.
Uncommon Ground seems to think that its dinner service is fine dining. It is not. I can't think of ANY reason an infant would not be welcome considering the dining room is very loud and a crying baby would likely not even be heard by other patrons (no joke - we were practically shouting).
Had I known about this dramatic personality change from day to night, I would have chosen another restaurant. It never crossed my mind that a restaurant such as this could possibly turn so "exclusive" by nightfall.
Anyway. 4 stars for food and beer. 4 stars for brunch. 3 for being sucky and snobby for dinner.
(ETA: I am not a delusional parent who thinks my kid should be welcome everywhere. Based on previous experiences and my knowledge of UG, it seemed like dinner there would have/should have been ok for a kid and not annoying to other diners, the staff or detrimental to some image they are creating for their dinner service.)
I read the Yelp reviews. I checked out the website. Sounded like Uncommon Ground was a legit gastropub featuring American comfort foods with French and Italian influences. Marvelous.
The host asked if we wanted to be seated by the live music. We opted no, and were led to a lovely 2 top nestled in a narrow walkway that served as thoroughfare between dining rooms. This table offered unobstructed views of the server station and excellent sound range for what must have been a top of the line POS system. My opinion of our table tanked after my boyfriend's shoulder was bumped for the 2rd time by the buttcheeks of a passerby.
At our second table, we still were not by the live music, however, what was playing overhead was blasting. My man and I could barely converse. It was ridiculously loud.
The server came and asked what we wanted to drink. The man said he needed a minute to decide, not 10. Seriously, this lagged big time, and then it took forever to get the drinks. The place was not that busy. This type of slow service without a cause boils my goddamn blood.
We started off with the sweet potato fries, because of the rave Yelp reviews. These fries sucked, plain and simple. If they weren't bright orange, I wouldn't know WTF fried vegetable I was eating. The goat cheese fondue it was served with was quite small of a portion next to the fries. It was ok cheese dip.
Our server came back to take our dinner order and I was fairly set on the duck, however, I always like to ask for an opinion. 'I wouldn't do the duck. I love duck and do not care for this preparation at all.' I inquired about the chicken, and his indifferent reaction prompted my request for a couple more minutes to decide.
After flavorless fries and duck dismay, I was reduced to consider the most simple items on the menu: mac and cheese, or the burger.
'What do you think of the mac and cheese?' I asked.
'I don't like the mac and cheese. It's way too creamy. Not very cheesy.'
I am fairly confident that whatever I order at this point is going to blow. I ordered the burger, and the server asked what toppings I wanted. I asked for mushrooms and thought nothing of it. When my burger arrived it was a meat patty with a pile of mushrooms on it. I must have ordered wrong; I hate when that happens! On the menu it said cheese, bacon and then grilled onions and mushrooms seemed to be listed as additions. Oh fucking well.
This burger was pitiful. Although it was cooked to order (medium rare), it was bland and blah. It had a pile of, what tasted to be, grilled mushrooms on top, that were dry. I've never met a shroom I didn't like, so thank you for this new experience, Uncommon Ground. I do not want to think this hard when I am eating a burger. I could not figure out how everything tasted so dry, and yet the bottom bun was soggy. What really pissed me off, is after a few minutes the 'toasty' feel of the bread wore off with cooling, to a stale mouth-feel. Honestly, this was one of the worst burgers I've ever eaten.
The side salad was good; nice greens and a zesty vinaigrette. Best food of the night.
My man wasn't that urked, but he's a simple dude. So I had to get pissed off for him. He ordered the pumpkin ravioli with brown sage butter and gorgonzola cheese. What he got instead were ravioli swimming in a gorgonzola cheese sauce. The filling was way too sweet. I took one bite and I don't know how he could have eaten more... it was confusing and a disaster; the brown sage butter was non-existent. GROSS, period.
This meal may have been organic, but for 70 bucks (included a glass of wine and 2 draft beers), was shameful through and through. Off nights can happen, but even the chef calling in dead to work wouldn't have excused this meal. Ugh.
Bear with me as I give you another local history lesson. In the 80's I lived across the street above the Piano Man bar, when the neighborhood was somewhat of a No-Man's land. On this corner stood Pete's Meats, a deli and grocery. The side storefronts on Grace were empty until Uncommon Ground opened in just one of them in the 90's, and then expanded. So I used to buy fresh meat here.
I returned the other night for a drink and maybe dinner, but one look at the menu scared off this Recessionista. The prices are pretty high for a neighborhood spot, and I hadn't remembered that from my two prior visits, one for breakfast and one for lunch. (Maybe somebody else paid.) Anyway, $12.00 a la carte Mac" n' Cheese is awfully close to the Capital Grille's $14, and $7 for two eggs breakfast with a rasher of bacon at $6? Whew! They have some downtown prices here.
Now I did watch some dinner plates go by as I chatted with the bartender Matt, and they looked great. Suffice to say I would have BIG expectations with those prices. And I would like to try their dinners sometime.
I am a huge fan of the atmosphere and feng shui here. In summer, you can of course do street dining, but it's a great winter environment. The combination of the warm wood, the little Hobbit-carved details on the bar, the large floor to ceiling windows, the flow and feel of the three separate rooms, and the two fireplaces, the naturalist lighting all give the place incredible warmth. Along with the staff. I want to sit in the comfy chairs in front of the fire here when a soft snow is falling outside. Good spot for public snuggling. too. But the huge windows, the exposed brick and the rustic touches all work together quite well.
OK, back to reality (I can't read all my notes here-should have had just one beer.) Speaking of beer, there's a moderate selection of craft beers on tap and a decent beer and wine list. The food menus, all of which I read do leave one's mouth watering. So once my skewed perspective from underemployment changes, I am hitting up this place bit time!
I told the bartender a story about once when I lived across the street in my one bedroom and the former tenant walked in my open back door in summer, asked me what my rent was post-renovation (he had been apparently kicked out for that reason) I told him it was $350. He was floored. He had paid $175, and the ceilings were coming down. He felt better knowing that he couldn't afford twice the old rent. So you can see how the area has evolved in 20 years.
Matt suggested I go across the street and do the same to the current tenant. And that maybe I should get the old place back and come over to Uncommon Ground all the time. Not a bad idea, Matt.
I really don't know why this place gets such rave reviews. Now, I will say that the Edgewater location was much better, but even then, have these people never eaten at Blackbird or Avec or Karyn's? There is much better food out there.
While I love the whole organic and sustainable and local produce thing, the flavor just is not consistent in this place. They definitely have some star dishes, but they have some that fall flat.
Stars: Goat Cheese and pesto appetizer, pizza, sweet potato fries, arctic char.
The duck and cabbage soup had no flavor at all. My burger was dry and flavorless.
The first time I went here the other night I ordered the Crispy Pork Belly on top of Crispy Chicken. Notice, the word crispy. It was not crispy in either way. The pork belly was just a bunch of soft fat and the chicken skin was soft and gooey and fatty and gross. I don't personally like to chew on soft fat. Most of it ended up in my napkin.
Lastly, I asked our server if the tortilla soup had tomatoes in it. She said it had tomatillos. I then asked her if it had any tomato in it at all (since I'm allergic) and she said, well the tomatillos are just green tomatoes (with a roll of her eyes...and she never ever smiled or asked us how our food was EVER). So, since I knew she was ignorant and didn't know a tomatillo is actually a relative of the goosberry and not a tomato in any way, I just gave up and ordered goat cheese.
This place is also ridiculously arranged. I'm all for Euro dining and being close to strangers, but it's not easy to even manuever your way in and out of here. If you are in a wheelchair, or use a walker, you can forget about going here.
There are way better restaurants around.
I love brunch at Uncommon Ground. Everything I've had has been delicious. Today, I had the huevos rancheros with roasted potatoes, a slice of banana bread, and a "beermosa."
Everything was great. The waiter was friendly and prompt and steered me toward the huevos rancheros, which I loved. The huevos rancheros is one egg over easy, served over a black bean corn cake, with chili sauce and cheese on top and roasted potatoes or tortilla chips on the side. The flavors were nicely balanced and it had a little kick. The banana bread was not too sweet, not too buttery, not too dry, not too hard, not too soft- perfect, and a great start to the meal. The beermosa could have used a bit more beer (they used daisycutter pale ale as the beer) to balance the orange juice, but it was delicious nonetheless. My friend had the special, Eggs Benedict, and she loved it.
Best of all, I've never had a long wait to get a table. I am looking forward to going back and trying something else!
Warning: Long over due review to follow.
We hit Uncommon Ground up as part of Yelp Eats 09, and I can't believe I've been so freaking lazy about posting the review. We had a stellar time.
The portions were huge, they offered the fixed price menu to anyone who came in that night. My salad was delicious and I had some of the best chocolate cake in the entire world. I'm not even joking. It was so good. I fully endorse eating here.
A place that serves alcohol and coffee. A place that serves alcohol in my coffee!! This is a whole new world! There were no places like this in SC when I was there....that I knew of.
Ok, so I may be a little biased towards this place...this is where I had my first date with the lady. Que romantico! (ha.) It was a rainy evening, and the place was pretty empty. I had sweet potato fries which were good; I was too nervous to eat a full meal. I had a Manhattan. She had 2 scotches on the rocks. Service was attentive and pleasant. Live music was interesting. We liked this place so much that we haven't been back since. Nothing against the place...it's just not in my area or the lady's....I prefer sticking to Bucktown and making my own spiked coffee. :)
I've been here a few times and on the weekends there's always a long wait, but the food is worth it. I recommend the house-made granola which comes with fresh and dried fruit for breakfast, the baked artichoke, goat cheese and pesto dip for an appetizer and the mac & cheese! It's not super cheesy or fried which is nice and it comes with some bread crumbs on top. I love the interior and the staff is always friendly.
First thing that comes to mind is that I will be back. I'd been wanting to try this place out for a long time, and was very happy when I finally did.
I visited here for brunch the other weekend and had a great meal. We didn't have to wait for a table, but I think we got there in the nick of time because it started to fill up shortly after we sat down.
Secondly, their bloody mary's are very good. Always tastes a little better when you know the ingredients are home grown. I believe they were on special as well, which rocks for a Saturday. Our server was also very attentive and helpful when deciding between all the amazing brunch options.
I had the veggie benedict, which was great. Wasn't a huge fan of the cheesy (gouda? Bechemal? Don't remember) hollaindaise sauce (as opposed to just the egg and butter), it was very strong and I think over-powered the dish. The veggies were great and so were the potatoes.
I was between a bunch of different options before ordering so I will definitely be back to try out other dishes. My bf had the huevos uncommon I think. Either way, he loved it. Literally almost licked the plate clean.
Definitely support what they do here (they grow the ingredients on the roof! At the other location..I think) and will be back because of it and because of the great food.
Hopefully other restaurants can follow in Uncommon Grounds footsteps!
Went back again last night...same giant wine pours, woo hoo! I highly recommend the gnocchi, meatloaf, and sweet potato fries. I went for the salmon special - pan seared salmon, heirloom tomatoes, arugula puree, and a sausage stuffed pepper. Sounds like a weird mix. It really was....not to mention the most fishy salmon I have ever tasted. It was pretty awful. And undercooked. Boo. Still four stars because everything else still rocks!
Word to the wise: avoid the fish!
I had been wanting to check out Uncommon Ground for a while now- it's focus on sustainable and local… Read more »
The menu have changed and they don't have the madame croque anymore. I wanted to get the same thing that I got the last time I was here but wanted to try something different so I settled for the Breakfast Melt and a plain orange juice.. yes I said no to their $5 mimosa =(
My food was ok- I guess you can't really expect it to explode in your mouth since its just bread with melted cheese, spinach and an egg on top. I do love their seasoned potatoes!
My friend and I went here today for lunch before going to the beach. I came here before with my bf… Read more »
After years of wanting to go to this place, I finally did! It's been on my list of places to go, but I often forget about it. I ordered a hamburger with sweet potato fries (!). Both were delicious. My friends all ordered dessert and drinks. The cobbler was a bit of a disappointment, but the chocolate cake stole the show. Yum.
Our server was great. She was attentive and familiar with the menu selections. It's a very low key atmosphere. Several people there were on what appeared to be date night. The candles and wine list must be a big draw!
Tip: check out the bathroom. Weird, I know. The artwork is beautiful and probably the best out of the entire restaurant. Just do it.
This place serves excellent breakfast (and bloody Mary's!). I have practically tried everything from the croissant sandwich to their omelets...
And if you like mimosas...they serve pomosas...made with pomegranate!
Went here for lunch the other day to meet a friend - loved the ambiance, service was terrific, and the food was TERRIFIC. Very fresh, and I loved the combo of flavors (tomato bisque with miso? loved it!) and while my selection of the menu was really limited, I'm already looking forward to going back to try brunch, more lunch, and dinner! I was also told they have live music pretty much every night? I'll be sure to report more later!
Warm and welcoming decor. I came in on a Friday night wanting a table for two. There was a bit of a wait, naturally, but we found two seats at the bar. The service was friendly and the food was delicious! Order the duck... it's amazing.
I'll be back for sure.
I have been here about three times now. Once in Rogers Park, twice in Wrigleyville - like Wrigleyville spot more for some reason, but that's probably b/c the other location feels so remote.
Thank you Uncommon Grounds for serving my hot drinks in a giant bowl! You are awesome, I will come back next time for the meatloaf.
I went just to grab a couple drinks and a burger. I first thought the staff was a little slow and… Read more »
the mac and cheese... holy hell. so good. so comforting.
good service. good atmosphere. bring a date here. bring your mom here.
Looking for a new brunch place to try, we ended up at uncommon ground. After reading the menu and cocktail list I found myself intrigued.
Beverages included the typically coffee, tea, juice, water and soda selection along side more interesting mixed like jalapeno limeade, bloody mary's and beermosa.
The brunch menu is enticing with mains like homemade granola pancakes with rolled oats and fresh berries. Egg dish make an appearance and large salads are plentiful.
The concept and menu are great, but the food was slightly underwhelming. The pancakes looked delicious, but lacked the serious flavors that would have made them amazing. The salads were a bit off as well.
Great patio seating, friendly staff.
We were driving by tonight and decided to stop in for dinner. We have been here before for brunch and it was wonderful. We sat down and had a pretty good server. I ordered a coffee, it was cold. We then ordered dinner. I got the steak. My dinner partner got the duck duo (something like that). The menu needs to be redone. It is so confusing. It didn't mention any details about the cut of meat, ounces, seasonings or grade. ? SO the side items had me convinced. The plate came. There was 4 little gnocchi, a splash of red sauce reduction, a blob of squash puree, wilted kale, and seemed to be about a 6 maybe 8 ounce SIRLOIN!? I cant believe I purchased a sirloin for 24 dollars. Insane; not to mention the fact that it too was cold, and lacked seasoning. Definitely will not go back for dinner, but possibly will for brunch
I've only been to Uncommon Ground several times either for brunch or just for coffee. Every time the star has been service. This places hires people who know their stuff, are friendly, attentative, and seem to actually enjoy their jobs!
The coffee and food are both very good. However, their cocktail list tries a little too hard to be creative and often fails to be good. Stick with a beer if you're looking for alcohol.
My only real complaint is that the atmosphere is just odd. Is it a coffee shop, bar, restaurant, music venue? There's a TV showing college football, but also a fireplace in a loungey area with people sipping Chai and writing in journals. There's a lot of earthy wood and stone, but sorority girls and Cubs fans. Am I in Wrigleyville or some sort of hippie hunting lodge?
I was with a crew of people getting ready for a show at the Metro a couple of weekends back. We packed up our car with lighting gear, hit I-94 and overall had a really smooth trip. I hadn't been to the Metro in ages, and I was totally looking forward to the show.
And then, with slight horror... we realized there was a game going on. Now, I have nothing against baseball, but I have in the past almost always made an effort to steer clear of the masses in Wrigleyville during the most hectic times.
We unloaded and 2 folks went on a (very long) hunt for parking in the midst of the mob of people leaving the game. That left the other 2 of us there -- hungry, and needing to kill time, but pretty sure most of the packed bars wouldn't be our scene. We asked the folks at the Metro for their advice, and they mentioned Uncommon Ground.
Good call! Because they're set up as more of a restaurant, and less of a bar, there weren't overwhelming crowds. There was, however, some solid friendly service, and some absolutely amazing specials.
In a summery mood, I tried a lemon ginger cocktail, and even found myself nibbling on one of the candied ginger pieces. I got the special red pepper gnocci. Each little gnocci was like a pleasant little burst of flavor in my mouth. Seriously. It was very tasty!
By the time we left, reassured and nourished by good food, I was ready to deal with the rowdy crowd and get myself back into the Metro for another sort of crowd!
I definitely love this place.
The only reason i'm giving it 4 stars and not 5 is bc our waiter was a bit of a jerk, and the drinks were really not very good. ( outside of the nectarine mojito ). The dessert and coffee was excellent, and it was just a great place to chill out and catch up with friends on a weekend - no loud obnoxious music and a pretty respectful low key clientele.
Definitely worth a visit.
Ok, I rescind my previous remarks...which were likely the result of an ill-fated brekkie date, way back in the day, with a boy named Morty. No amount of pancakes can solve a breakfast date with forced conversation without the aid of copious champagne. Truth.
Finally, back for din din...
1. They employ very cute boys. Alex (server). CUTE as a button. Since we sat there for nearly 4 hours, I got many opportunities to notice. Well done!
2. Steve the guitar player. Is Uncommon Ground growing cute men in the garden or something? Holy holy, (organic) guacamole.
3. Sunshine salad (say that fast 5 times) was fresh, if not a wee bit...boring. Probably because I like bacon on my salads, with thick fatty dressing. I should've opted for the chop (yum), but my jeans will thank the SUNSHINE when I can actually zip them up, so hooray.
4. The buzzy bee: espresso, organic honey, and soy milk. Shaken and poured over ice = Frothy, non-dairy, pick-me-up. This will be my new go-to drinky drink when I feel like wittlin' away the day on the patio with some friends. $6, and worth every non-Starbucks penny.
5. It still blows me away that this used to be a little itty bitty coffeeshop. All grown up with mass appeal. $4 Bell's drafts on Mondays, too! Holla!
I stand corrected, and have learned never to go on brunch dates until AT LEAST the 5th or 6th date. A coupl'a years will do that to ya, I apologize UC for letting you get caught in my catastrophic dating crossfire ;)
How odd I overlooked writing this for so long...Uncommon Ground and I have been aquainted for quite… Read more »
yummmmmmmmm, uncommon ground. yum. this is definitely one of my favorite places to go in the lakeview area... i've yet to have anything that i didn't like. if it wouldn't seem absolutely crazy, i'd order 3 of the mediterranean platter appetizers just for myself. i'm a huge fan of the chopped salad, the mac & cheese, the sunshine salad, scallops... ok i guess you get the point. i love this place. servers are always friendly, drinks are always poured well, and you gotta love the coziness of the room the musicians play in. even better in the summer, as you can enjoy the nice outdoor patio. two ecstatic thumbs-up.
I had a "working lunch" at Uncommon Ground a couple days ago, and it was great.
First of all, I knew our server from growing up in Chicago, so that was cool. We sat down and ordered a couple Daisy Cutter IPAs. They were bitter and good. For my lunch, I chose the Uncommon BLT. What's so special about this sandwich is that they substitute pork belly for bacon (!!!). It adds a whole different feel to the sandwich.. more pork-y, not as salty, fattier, but still so damn good. Add to that decent fries and a tomato/rosemary dipping sauce for the fries, and we're in business.
Next time I'm up in that area, I'll think about going back again. I don't make it up there often, but here's a good reason to change that.
This is going to be a very hard review for me to write. Not because of anything negative, but because I don't go here as much as I did in the past. Before we got married, my husband lived around the corner and we went here almost every weekend for brunch and for dinner on occasion. So, bear with me!
I really like this place a ton.
Teas & coffees: great selection, interesting drinks
Breakfast burrito - how can you go wrong here? so good.
Omelets - usually good, I always get what's on the special
Bloody marys - pretty darn good
Wine list - awesome, and half price bottles on tues or wed, I think
Helen's chicken sandwich - the stuff dreams are made of
The atmosphere is cute and service is always friendly!
Uncommon Ground is absolutely my favorite neighborhood restaurant. I love coming here for brunch. The egg dishes are delicious, as are the pancakes and oatmeal. The vegetarian chili is the best I've ever had.
This place is also great for dinner and cocktails. The pastas are fabulous, and I would live off of the lemon ginger martinis if I could. The atmosphere is really comfortable and laid back, yet also pretty hip. I just love this place.
A group of us decided to try Uncommon Ground for a few drinks and some apps. This was a good decision.
We were seated outside and it was very nice, laid back, and generally chill. Our server, Tom, who had a very cool 'stache, was great and pretty attentive.
I had two cocktails from the interesting list: The Frida Kahlo martini (vodka, chocolate and cinnamon/cayenne pepper syrup) and the Lemon Ginger martini (ginger infused vodka and citrus simple syrup). The FK had a kind of fake cinnamon taste which I did not like so much but it was a decent drink. I had wished that it had a cayenne/cocoa dusted lip on the glass, something I have had before and enjoyed. The ginger one was fairly tasty and had a skewer of candied ginger in it..yum.
For eats, two of us shared the goat chees/artichoke/pesto dip. I am here to tell you that this dip was effing delicious! It must be ordered. My friend is wheat intolerant so Tom "the 'stache" graciously gave her tortilla chips to dip with. We then decided that the amazing dip was not enough and proceeded to order the mac and cheese. Pretty damn good. Not the best, but good.
We had a good time and this place is on my list to try again.
This location is much better than the one on Devon....we've never had issues with servers, cold food coming out to us, or anything else of note. The food is always good-- Uncommon BLT is a must!-- and, in general, the crowds are decent. I will say that location is keeping them from the 5th star-- it's often incredibly loud on the patio because of Cubs traffic in the summer.
The food is creative but not gimmicky and it is all tasty. If you get the chilaquiles, they have bits of jalapenos and it is actually a little spicy, which most places wouldn't dare to do. They supposedly use a lot of produce from their rooftop garden and are all about "sustainable" and organic food wherever possible, which is a good thing if true. Everything tastes good which is really the important bottom line for me, not to mention that it is not greasy or too heavy to start a day even if you eat a lot.
The coffee drink called 'busy bee' or something is very delicious - espresso, honey and soymilk over ice. Try it even if you don't usually drink soy milk. Their bloody marys are good too, with real ingredients, i.e., spiced up with roasted poblanos and jalapenos not just Tabasco sauce ($5 on sundays).
It is probably the best 7 day a week brunch place I know of in Chicago (will the people at Yolk please visit this place to see what food can be?).
I just give 4 rather than 5 stars for the following reasons: last time I went the THREE hosts/hostesses all failed to notice the table right in front of them which was open for 20 minutes til we pointed it out to them. A big annoyance when you have to wait 40 minutes for a table on a Sunday morning. As soon as we pointed it out we got it, I just thought it was so obvious they couldn't be missing it, but I guess they were.
Servers are hit or miss.
Finally, last but not least, $5 for 3 slices of Neuskie's Black Pepper Bacon. The stuff is awesome but for $5 that is not a good deal. Normal plates are big-to-too-big and are mostly about $11 which is not cheap but is not a bad deal.
I can't not give this place 5 stars. It was so good. The prices are tooo too much, but when they delivered on everything, I guess it's worth it.
I agaonized over what I wanted, cause I wanted the goat chz pesto art. dip more than anything, but I know that I cannot be happy with just an app, and it's pretty expensive for a couple of actors..but eventually I said to hell with it and ordered.
We shared the dip. O my Mazing. Of course it was, I love all the stuff in it, but it was tasty and beautifully presented, as was eveything else.
My southern bf ordered the bacon wrapped meatloaf, and I got the duck duo. I've never had duck before, but as I told my guy "Lots of people like duck, why shouldn't I?"
And I do. It was great. I just ate some leftovers. delish. Both were great. It's not "meatloaf served w a bottle of ketchup" which will forever be my bf's favorite, but for the fancy stuff, it was right on.
Now if only they could lower their prices...
OMG!
The breakfast here was delicious. We had the breakfast melt with bacon, egg and spinach over black bread with potatoes. and a salad.
Everything was super fresh and SUPER tasty!
I was very dissapointed by the bloody mary, but you should go here for the fresh local produce and deliciously cooked meals, not the cocktails.
The server was also super friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. He helped guide us through the menu, recommending certain dishes and explaining others.
It's a bonus that most of the produce comes from the Green City Market and the meat is from local regional farms.
MMmmmmmm this place is good. I live in the area and have been here twice, once in the summer and once in the fall/winter. The reason I note that is because the menu changes (based on season, I believe, but I could be making that up). Both times, this place was great. It is a bit snobby, which I usually don't mind, but this place is snobby and hipstery. Oh well. The food and wine makes up for it. The menu is eccletic and original. In the summer, I got a fried green tomato BLT and it was outstanding. Had some kind of peppercorn aioli on it and the fried green tomato made the sandwich. I also tried the meatloaf, which I'm not usually a huge fan of, but this was nothing short of AMAZING. Very comfort-y and delicious. It was a huge portion, which I ate all of, and I could have eaten more. Very well done. Also got a great bottle of Cab, forget what it was called. A bit expensive, but well worth it. Definitely recommend this place.
This place knows how to do brunch correctly. There are a bevy of options to suit both sweet and savory tastebuds. I had the uncommon breakfast melt and I think my favorite part was the onion black bread. It was absolutely delicious. My friend had the chilaquiles and we split the granola pancakes, which had just the right amount of granola in it. The server was great and even apologized when he thought he was ignoring us (he wasn't). I would definitely be back.
Just had lunch there with a friend today. We split a couple of dishes and they were both delicious! We had the halibut fish tacos with sweet potato fries and the uncommon breakfast melt with home fries. I preferred the fish tacos - they were really good (and I'd like to say that I'm a fish taco connoisseur!). The fish is lightly battered and served on corn tortillas (you get 3 tacos) with a jicama slaw and a tasty ranchlike sauce with a kick. I like the fact that they added a slice avocado on top - nice touch. OMG - the sweet potato fries were amazing! The best I've tasted! The breakfast melt was good too, although common, pretty much an open-faced breakfast sandwich - over-easy egg, bacon, spinach, and cheese (although I really couldn't taste it) over toasted black bread. The potatoes it came with were alright, again kinda just tasted ordinary.
Good atmosphere. Service was nice and attentive. Can't wait to go back and try out other dishes that I was also eyeing, like the Uncommon BLT (instead of bacon, they use pork belly - yummm), a couple other sandwiches, and salads. Definitely getting the sweet potato fries again for sure!
Oh, I was able to use my "a la card" $10 discount so it made the meal a better value!
My friend's band plays here every once in a while, they have really good sweet potato fries, great art on the walls, half price wine bottles on Thursdays and half price Matildas on Mondays (at least I think it was a Monday?).
All reason enough for me to give this little gem 5 stars.
I've just finished the UG version of Spinach Florentine, and I must say it was expertly done. The black bread on the bottom was perfectly toasted, and tasty. Eggs done with the yolks perfectly dippable. Bacon crispy, but not too. My server was awesome, he was pretty busy on the porch and inside, but didn't miss a beat. Gave great instruction on the press pot. Definitely will be back.
Very different from the typical Wrigleyville Clark Street, sports bar scene. The ambiance is a… Read more »
Took my mother here for lunch today to see how it compared to the other location. The look of the two places is about the same: wood, wood and more wood, with local artists on all the walls.
The host led us through three rooms (each with a huge "Watch your step!" sign and uneven flooring in between) to get to the third (and not final; there was one beyond it) dining area. He was going to seat us at a table where one seat was a huge, deep window seat, but the collective family lumbar issues necessitated a table with more spinal support, so we were seated closer to the bar (and the speakers; music was blaring pretty loudly for so early in the day). We also had a pair of Lincoln Park moms (or nannies) ignoring their young charges next to us as they threw silverware and screamed; finally a man from another table leaned over and went, "SHHH!" to them (right on!)
Our waitress was younger than me and was one of those people who kept calling both Mom and me "honey" and "my love," which weirds me out a little bit (I'm okay with old-lady waitresses doing it, like ones old enough to be my grandma, but not if they're younger than I am; we're not even in the South...); however, she was on top of the orders, kept drinks full and did not fade away at the end when we needed to deal with the check, so kudos to her.
As a starter we ordered the sweet potato fries with goat cheese "fondue" (basically a cup of melted goat cheese, which tasted a lot better than it sounds). The fries were crunchy and insanely addictive, and the melty cheese was a nice alternative to the sweet accompaniments that often come with sweet potato fries (cinnamon creme fraiche, e.g.)
For the meal, Mom had the chicken sandwich with avocado, swiss cheese, tomato and red onion on toasted bread, which she said was very good. She ate half and took half to go.
I got the macaroni and cheese, which uses several types of cheese; it was topped with bread crumbs, which tasted not just dry but stale, though the macaroni was wonderfully creamy (I offset it with some pepper and Cholula hot sauce tableside for zest).
Prices seem high for lunch; Mom's sandwich was $13 and my macaroni was $12. With the fries and a coffee lunch was almost $40. For two people that's a bit much in my book for a casual place..
An uncommonly good meal, perhaps, but the cost is grounds to quibble.
Is it wrong that I was expecting more?
I dropped into Uncommon Ground to grab a quick bite before a show at the Metro on a Sunday night at about 5:30. The restaurant was pretty empty, but I'm guessing that was due to WAY inclimate weather and the fact that, well, it was 5:30 on a Sunday night.
No matter. My friend and I ordered up the Treetini (some kind of delicious combo of vodka, Veev and orange juices) because, well, it looks like Uncommon Ground is kinda famous for them. There's a huge poster advertising it on the wall and I know its been mentioned in a lot of reviews. Let me say that the Treetini is absolutely fabulous and worth a trip to Uncommon Ground.
For dinner, I went with the grilled chicken sandwich, served on hearth bread with marinated chicken breast, avocado, sprouts, tomato and honey mustard sauce. I decided against the cheese. My friend ordered the mac and cheese. The food was good, but nothing special. And quite honestly, a bit overpriced. $13 for a small bowl of mac and cheese served with a few grapes and apple slices? And $12 for a chicken sandwich? I don't know... it didn't seem like the best deal in town to me.
The other thing that kind of threw me off was the service. Now granted, our server was perfectly cordial, but she was so timid, a church mouse would have been more outgoing. She looked terrified of my friend and me, as we basically spent the entire meal dishing about how men are scum. I wanted to tell her, "Don't worry, Honey. We're not a bunch of angry man haters. We're just going through a rough patch." And maybe we were a little too boisterous, because I kid you not, the server and busboy tried to clear our plates no less than 5 times when we were clearly still nibbling on our dinners. What's up with that? We were some of the only people in the restaurant, so I know there wasn't a wait for the table.
I guess I'm not totally sold on Uncommon Ground. The Treetini saved this place. Perhaps I'll come back for some live music and maybe coffee. Other than that? Eh.
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