We live in the area of Hopleaf and the place is notorious for bad service, likely because the owner doesn't seem to care about service. It's kind of a joke around the neighborhood how bad it it. I still go there from time to time but the last time I went with a friend the server brought our mussels and dumped a bunch of the broth on my friend. The response by the server? "F#@K!." No joke. Then he walked off. I'm not kidding. I had to go find someone to bring us a towel. It really is something just how bad it is. I highly recommend going somewhere else. The food certainly isn't worth the utterly terrible attitude of most of the staff.

It's a friggin bar, that happens to serve some better than average food! Go to enjoy the drinks and your friends, not to expect Trotter-level service.

Or, for that matter, don't. The place gets crowded enough as it is.

They threw a lot money into builiding a nice looking dining room for it to be a friggin bar. You sit down to a $20 plus meal, it's more than a bar. The place isn't as busy as it was a few months ago. It's wearing off.

jonjonjon wrote:It's a friggin bar....Go to enjoy the drinks and your friends, not to expect Trotter-level service.

I disagree. In a city this size service is always important. There are simply way too many options to waste your time on people who are rude to you. If they're unappreciative of my cash/presence, I can think of countless other places who wouldn't be.

Additionally, the Trotter reference is just silly. There are a few shades of service levels between expecting an eloquent description of a wine pairing and not wanting to get sh@t on by wait staff.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

jonjonjon wrote:It's a friggin bar....Go to enjoy the drinks and your friends, not to expect Trotter-level service.

I disagree. In a city this size service is always important. There are simply way too many options to waste your time on people who are rude to you.

Ralph W.,

This is a matter of perspective. Perhaps from where you sit, service is always important and it is a waste of time to eat somewhere with rude staff.

From where I sit, if I love the food, the waitstaff could call me names all night if they like. For me service is important, sometimes.

I like the food at Hopleaf, a lot.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:From where I sit, if I love the food, the waitstaff could call me names all night if they like. For me service is important, sometimes.

I think it's a matter of expectations. When I goto the Hopleaf, I go to the bar. Maybe I'll get some food, which I'll order at the bar. I've only ever eaten in the back a couple of times, but didn't have any real problems on those occasions (and that was on weekends). But really, even in the backroom, it's still the backroom to a BAR.

If your expectations aren't set by having to elbow your way through the packed front room to get to a hostess, who is often not there.. then you need to get your head checked. A crowded bar, even with table service, still maintains the character of a crowded bar. And frankly, that's part of the atmosphere.

Having not been to Hopleaf myself, I appreciate the posts about the bad service, because they tell me that under no circumstances will I ever want to go there. And I might have--I've known about the place, and been intrigued, and have come close to going a couple of times, and it's very easy for me to imagine friends suggesting we go there and me going along with the plan. Which now I know not to do. So thank you, those who have posted about the abuse you've received--you've created a very useful "consumer's guide" on the place, which is one of the main functions of this site, I would think.

Obviously there are those who can tolerate any level of abuse if the food is good, and there are those who can't, and everyone knows in which of those two groups he or she belongs. And what to do now if the subject of going to Hopleaf ever comes up. What doesn't make sense to me is defending the place by arguing about whether abusive treatment matters, and making the case that it shouldn't. If it matters to you, it matters.

I guess I'm missing something. I've been to Hopleaf many times, and never had what I would consider bad service. Yes, the waits for a table in back can be long, and it can get pretty crowded, and if you want food in the bar you have to order from a busy bartender, but I've never had surly service or anything even vaguely approaching abuse.

Riddlemay, if you're intrigued, go - just expect a crowded bar experience, at least whle waiting for a table in back. Sit (if you can find a seat) or stand and enjoy one of their great Belgians on tap while you wait for a table in the less-frenetic back room.

I have to chime in as well. I've had brusque service, delays in getting my check, and I've had my elbows jostled any number of times (by servers and patrons). I wouldn't call that bad service, just the reality of patronizing a very crowded busy place.

I've also sat at the bar and had Michael set in front of me half a dozen small glasses, telling me about each one and why they differ from each other. I'm no one special, he didn't even know my name, I just asked a few questions when the bar wasn't slammed and he responded as a beer aficionado would. He's got my business.

Ever since the Hopleaf first opened, it has been known for service that is not so much rude as it is indifferent. I have often wondered if that attitude is purposely cultivated by the management in an attempt to seem more European. Unfortunately, if that is the case, they do not exactly pull it off. While European bartenders may be more stand-offish than their more gregarious American counterparts (probably an understatement), it is more out of a sense of respect and propriety than unfriendliness. Moreover, European bartenders are invariably efficient and precise, while Hopleaf employees are not always so. Besides, this is America, not Belgium. In Europe, customers find overly familiar and friendly staff to be obtrusive and irritating, or even rude. People here (especially in the midwest) expect to be patronized, even if it is not sincere. By contrast, I used to work with a lot of Swiss who found Americans' casual familiarity with each other to be shocking, even in the case of co-workers, let alone strangers.

I disagree that because Hopleaf is primarily a bar, means service has to be unfriendly. In fact, most bars that serve food may not have the most efficient service (or the best food), but they are almost always friendly and welcoming. For example, compare and contrast Hopleaf to Kuma's. Both are crowded bars that serve similar food, but I have never found the staff at Kuma's to be anything less than charming, no matter how crowded the place got.

I am not a stickler for good service, and I tend to forgive a lot of missteps, but there is a difference between being inefficient and being inhospitable. Despite my forgiving nature, my love of Belgian beer and mussels and the fact that I live nearby, I have not set foot in Hopleaf in quite a while. It is not because the staff there has ever actually made me angry, but, at times, their attitude has made me feel unwelcome. Admitedly, that may be more perception than reality. If that business model works for the owners, then good for them. They seem to be doing just fine without my patronage. Nevertheless, if I am with a group of people who are intent on going to the Hopleaf, I would certainly not try to dissuade them, but given a choice, I would probably go elsewhere for a beer and some friendly conversation (especially at those inflated prices).

I think the service at Hopleaf in the restaurant section is excellent overall. I agree that it's occasionally on the slow side but only when it's extremely crowded. My husband and I took my 77 year old mother there on Wednesday night and despite it being a full house our server gave her some extra attention which was greatly appreciated.

I've never had an unpleasant experience at Hopleaf. On my last visit, the bartender was downright friendly. I live in the neighborhood and would stop in often if it weren't so crowded.

merkay wrote:I've never had an unpleasant experience at Hopleaf. On my last visit, the bartender was downright friendly.

Must be a different bartender than when I was last there. Hopleaf did not get its reputation for no reason (as evidenced by the number of complaints in this thread). Maybe they are trying to change the perception. In which case, good for them. Like I said, I haven't been there for a while, but I will make a point of going there later this week. I never hated the place, I just always felt much more comfortable drinking beer at the Map Room, Fireside, Quenchers, Kuma's or Jake's.

nr706 wrote:Riddlemay, if you're intrigued, go - just expect a crowded bar experience, at least whle waiting for a table in back. Sit (if you can find a seat) or stand and enjoy one of their great Belgians on tap while you wait for a table in the less-frenetic back room.

OK--you talked me into it! (By the way, that's the first time I've ever used an emoticon in a post. I hope I don't make it a habit. OK, that's twice now.) Reading back through the thread, I see that while there are a number of negative posts faulting the place for the misdemeanor of unfriendliness, the truly horrifying posts amount only to two. But those two report disasters so egregious, they're hard to ignore or discount--customers having their persons assaulted by a tsunami of draught beer or a lava flow of mussel sauce, with no acknowledgement or apology or corrective action taken. If this happened to only one customer, and from only one service person, it might be possible to discount it, but it happened to two different customers served by two different service people in two different parts of the establishment (bar and back room), so it suggests a pattern. Then there are those who report only ever having had good times there. Which leaves me thinking that a decision to go to Hopleaf is something akin to a game of Belgian roulette.

riddlemay wrote:But those two report disasters so egregious, they're hard to ignore or discount--

LTH,

I'd like to point out Hopleaf is a bar, a crowded busy Clark Street bar. I've been going to bars legally since I was 18* and beer foam from a reluctant tap and/or an irascible bartenderess would count amongst the least of the delights I have experienced over the years.

Hopleaf isn't the Everest Room, enjoy it for what it is, a damn good bar with an excellent selection of beer and terrific mussels/frites.

Enjoy,
Gary

*When I was a teen in Milwaukee Ozaukee county, the next county North, was 18 for beer.

d4v3 wrote:I just always felt much more comfortable drinking beer at the Map Room, Fireside, Quenchers, Kuma's or Jake's.

Dave,

Maproom is a terrific bar, though I seem to be becoming a Kuma's semi-regular. Speaking of Kuma's I was a little surprised to see Kuma's left out of the Readers Brewpubs, gastropubs, and other places with a great selection of beer line up on the 17th.

Where's Jake's?

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:I'd like to point out Hopleaf is a bar, a crowded busy Clark Street bar...Hopleaf isn't the Everest Room...

I think that's making a bit of a straw man argument. No one I've read here in the negative column is saying that Hopleaf represents itself as The Everest Room--or that it represents itself as anything but a neighborhood bar. An unfriendly, discourteous neighborhood bar. In a world that contains friendly, courteous neighborhood bars serving good food.

Granted, not everybody shares this negative perception of Hopleaf, not by a long shot. But those who do I don't believe are suffering from a case of inappropriate expectations.

riddlemay wrote:I think that's making a bit of a straw man argument.......But those who do I don't believe are suffering from a case of inappropriate expectations.

Exactly. I go to enough bars/lounges/clubs to know that I have lots of choices in this city. I don't expect poor service just because I'm going to a bar rather than a fine restaurant and if I receive downright rude service, I'm unlikely to return given the breadth of alternatives.

I'm confused. 1)Since when is a bar not part of the service industry?
2)Since when is a full-fledged restaurant "only" a bar?
Hopleaf has increased its business by leaps & bounds since adding food-part of the package should be acceptable service. In the past the service was hostile. Now, sometimes it's fine, and according to many, sometimes it is not acceptable. They're providing good food,(some may argue)and certainly good beer(I trust no arguments here), but it sure sounds like they're lucky on top of that. Many places with equivalent quality of products and good service have fallen throughout the years.
I like the place, but haven't experienced major problems with service since they added food-guess I'm lucky also.

G Wiv wrote:Where's Jake's?

Jakes' is a classic dark and smoky Chicago corner dive on Clark near Wellington with a surprisingly good selection of bottled Belgians. It dates back to the repeal of prohibition in 1933. Prior to that, it was a "candy store" (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). Whenever I find myself in that neighborhood, it is a welcome respite from the creeping blandness of 21st century Lakeview.

Jake's Pub
2932 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657-5233
(773) 248-3318

Back on Hopleaf, I spoke with a friend yesterday who had been a Hopleaf regular years ago. Like me, he had been avoiding the place. He said he found himself there a couple of weeks ago in the late afternoon, and had a great time. He said everybody was very friendly and welcoming. The bartender even let him borrow a cell phone. However, my buddy said he actually misses the "old" Hopleaf, because the bartenders were so rude you didn't feel bad about undertipping them, which made up for the overpriced beer. Anyhow, if anybody else misses the "old" Hopleaf, apparently Bruno owns a place up in Milwaukee called The Palm Tavern (I guess his attitude has changed considerably, now that he is the boss).

I live a few blocks from the Hopleaf and consider it my neighborhood bar, though I don't go so frequently as to be a regular (it's often too crowded and loud). However, I've never had a problem with service there--it's always been friendly, when slow, to efficient, when busy. Once, I was at the bar and about to get another round when a couple barged in front of me and tried to order. The bartender pointedly waited on me first (giving me a beer on the house), and after he'd served that couple and they left, he smiled at me and said, "I always serve the polite people first." I can't argue with other people's bad experiences there, but I haven't had one yet.

I'd go there for the delicious fries, but every time I try to the wait's just not worth it. 'Tis shame.

A crowded bar, even with table service, still maintains the character of a crowded bar. And frankly, that's part of the atmosphere.

"Hi, my name's Dwayne, and I'll be your server for the evening, but of course if you want something special, like service, for instance, fuhgeddabowtit, 'cause we're a friggin' bar!"

After all this discussion, I had to go to Hopleaf for dinner tonight. I have to say, I found absolutely nothing to complain about. We ate in the backroom (a first for me). The mussels and fritten were fantastic, and the Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze was even better (expensive, but nearly impossible to find in Chicago). Both the hostess and our server were completely charming. The service was attentive, efficient and pleasant. Even the busboy was friendly and polite, as he kept whisking away our piles of spent shells. Not only that, but it seems the prices on the draft beers have actually come down (I remember once being charged 7.00 for a foamy 3/4 full pint of 2-hearted ale with a side of sneer). Seriously, I take back all the negative things I have said about the place. Of course, being a Tuesday, it was relatively slow, but if our experience was any indication, they have really turned the place around from a customer service standpoint.

Thanks for that report, d4v3. You can move me from the "cautiously, warily being willing to check Hopleaf out (while wearing clothes I can afford to throw away)" column into the "eagerly looking forward to checking Hopleaf out" column.

riddlemay wrote:Thanks for that report, d4v3. You can move me from the "cautiously, warily being willing to check Hopleaf out (while wearing clothes I can afford to throw away)" column into the "eagerly looking forward to checking Hopleaf out" column.

My bad experience was limited to the surly middle aged female bartender. All the other bartenders seemed fine to me. Enjoy the great mussels and the great beer selection. Just avoid her like you would a bad rash and I think you'll be fine.

one thing that I found last Wednesday (a big night out in the city) was that they seemed overwhelmed at the bar dealing with restaurant orders and the bar crowd at the same time. I was there at 7:30 and found myself and at least 2 other people standing at the bar waiting to be even asked for an order while the bartender and sometimes a helper of some sort completely ignored us (*not even making eye contact*) while filling at least 3 or 4 orders for servers. Don't they have a bar in the back specifically for the restaurant ?

So, Hopleaf, please get another bartender on busy nights so that we don't have to stand around like dopes waiting for acknowledgement.

G Wiv wrote:

riddlemay wrote:But those two report disasters so egregious, they're hard to ignore or discount--

LTH,

I'd like to point out Hopleaf is a bar, a crowded busy Clark Street bar. I've been going to bars legally since I was 18* and beer foam from a reluctant tap and/or an irascible bartenderess would count amongst the least of the delights I have experienced over the years.

Hopleaf isn't the Everest Room, enjoy it for what it is, a damn good bar with an excellent selection of beer and terrific mussels/frites.

Enjoy,
Gary

*When I was a teen in Milwaukee Ozaukee county, the next county North, was 18 for beer.

The front is a bar, to be sure. But there is also a hall to a back room that greets you with a "please wait for a server" type sign. The hopleaf has transformed itself into a restaurant, IMO.

That said, I've never found their service rude. The couple times I went, I'd describe their service as overwhelmed. The place was crazy-packed, the servers looked absolutely frazzled and service was agonizingly slow. The food was great, though.

The last time I went, I said I wouldn't go back until the service was better. If the crowds have thinned a bit (as some other posters have hinted at), I bet it's a lot better.

Taft

Consistency has been a recent issue at the Hops for me, especially the mussels, frites, balance of ingredients in the sometimes-transcendent ham sandwich, availability of appropriate glassware, and price, selection, and value of the appetizers, with which they're always tinkering. However, the brisket sandwich last night was simply magnificent, and enough to melt my hardened heart (if not arteries). Where before this had been slices of tasty but occasionally stringy brisket with little smoke flavor and raw, sharp horseradish, this version was chopped, with lots of spicy bark, excellent smoke flavor, moist, and served on two pieces of extremely fresh buttered sourdough, with grainy brown mustard. What a sandwich.

What was surprising is that the server steered us away from the brisket, which they're currently offering in sandwich and platter form, saying that "it's hit or miss, depending on the night, the quality of meat, you know." I've always liked that Hopleaf servers weigh in on beer and food choices, but this was a little blunt and turned out to be misguided, at least last night. With a Grimbergen dubbel and buried in frites, the meal was about as decadent as $16 will buy you in the city on a winter's night. Significantly less successful were two desserts ordered by my dining companions - I'd recommend against the pumpkin-creme wafers (prefab pastry rounds with whipped cream and flavorless pumpkin-colored mousse), and the molten chocolate cake was a slightly warm hockey puck, but desserts have been better on other occasions so this is not a complete write-off.

[quote="Santander"]Consistency has been a recent issue at the Hops for me, especially the mussels, frites, balance of ingredients in the sometimes-transcendent ham sandwich, availability of appropriate glassware, and price, selection, and value of the appetizers, with which they're always tinkering. However, the brisket sandwich last night was simply magnificent, and enough to melt my hardened heart (if not arteries). Where before this had been slices of tasty but occasionally stringy brisket with little smoke flavor and raw, sharp horseradish, this version was chopped, with lots of spicy bark, excellent smoke flavor, moist, and served on two pieces of extremely fresh buttered sourdough, with grainy brown mustard. What a sandwich.


I also had mussels at the Hopleaf about 2-3 months ago and found the mussels to be off. They weren't bad nor did I get sick. I expect to see a few unopened ones go to the waste but the broth (the reason to order the mussels in the first place) was a bit bland.

Usually the girlfriend and I will go through two servings of bread to soak up the flavor but we opted not to finish it. For the 3+ years I have been going, it has been mostly a solid experience with the food but if the next few visits aren't up to par, then perhaps they are going through some changes or just becoming indifferent due to the popularity of the place.