Beatnik On The River review: Food and service

I rarely write reviews, but our experience at Beatnik on the River yesterday was concerning enough to share. This restaurant, located in downtown Chicago and next to the Riverwalk, has an undeniably great location, but unfortunately, that’s about the only positive thing I can say.

Food and Pricing:
The food was incredibly underwhelming and of lower quality than what you’d expect from other American dining establishments. What truly shocked us were the prices. For instance, a simple cup of tea costs 9 dollar, a can of soda is 7 dollar with a 3 dollar refill charge for pitas where most restaurants provide free of charge! and the portions were minimal for what they charge. These prices are beyond unreasonable, even for a downtown Chicago location.

To make matters worse, they have a bizarre and unjustifiable policy of charging a 3 percent fee if you pay with a credit card, claiming it’s to cover processing costs. This is something I’ve never experienced in any restaurant, and it felt like an unnecessary and sneaky way to extract more money from customers.

Service:
The service was equally disappointing. Our server only showed up three times during our meal: to greet us and take our order, to push dessert, and finally to bring us the bill. He didn’t even bother to check how our meal was or offer any form of attentive service. It felt rushed and impersonal, and frankly, not worth the mandatory tip added to the bill.

Overall:
The only reason I’m giving this place one star is for its location. Beyond that, there’s nothing that would make me return or recommend it to others. If you’re looking for a memorable dining experience in Chicago, skip this place and spend your money elsewhere. You’ll likely find better food, fairer pricing, and far superior service.