Wilde on Broadway

Passed by .... is it just a new version of a reason to serve booze ..or is it really a restaurant?

Wilde Bar & Restaurant
3130 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
773-244-0404

I take it you're referring to Wilde Bar (3100 North block of Broadway). I haven't been there, but it recently was featured on CLTV's Metromix program (I posted a link below -- you can view it online). I thought that it looked like a really nice Irish pub, and the food definitely looked above average. I don't get into the city that often any more, but I may make it a point to check it out.

http://chicago.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs

My father and I had a Christmas Eve dinner there tonight and had few complaints. The food was good, the staff efficent but not robots, and the entire space is classy but very comfortable with two fireplaces going.

The bar service could be upgraded. We ordered pints of Harp and were disappointed in the "rinse" of the pint glasses themselves. Although they had no smudges or spots, you could feel the stickiness of whatever sanitizer this house used. The dishwasher needs to slow down and focus. A minor beef maybe, but I AM speaking as a former dishwasher myself ! They could also cut the employee-to-employee chit-chat and deliver drinks and appetizers a little faster. Just sayin.........

The food was well-executed premium bar food - nothing astonishing but nothing disappointing. American/Irish comfort food served in a setting much like Maher's on Devon. Plenty of booths and banquets and a great stretch of high-backed bar stools in a room warm with walnut and oak. There are a couple of plasma screen TV's unfortunately.

Best meatloaf and mashed potatoes in recent memory, though. Blend of beef and pork, with mashed potatoes, gravy and banjo-strings of fried onion slices crumbled on top. Vegetables - peas, corn, carrots - baked into the actual meatloaf itself. My Dad enjoyed the Chicken Curry and was grateful for a spice-blend that heated rather than scorched. Very- fresh chicken breast grilled and served with a curry sauce featuring golden raisins,almonds,cranberries, with potatoes - ringing a mound of herbed, steamed white rice.

All in all a satisfying winter's night meal of comfort food. So - for my first review, may I just say that if I ever get a Maher's craving while in Lakeview, I can satisfy it at Wilde.

Wilde Bar and Restaurant
3130 N Broadway
Chicago IL

Several weeks ago, in the midst of lent, I arrived at the Duke of Perth to meet a friend for the bar's excellent all you can eat fish fry. I'm a one serving guy these days, But, many friends still seem to enjoy the all you can eat aspect of the place.

Unfortunately, there was more than an hour wait at the Duke that night, so we decided to roll the dice and try the somewhat newly opened Wilde Restaurant and bar in the former Ace Hardware spot in the 3100 Block of North Broadway. Since then, I have made several follow up visits.

Wilde is a traditional Irish pub with a menu that covers lots of traditional Irish pub fare and offers some more sophisticated fare for the neighborhood residents like me who are well past their 20s now. In other words, they've done a nice job designing a menu to meet their eclectic neighbors in continually transitioning East Lakeview neighborhood.

The room itself is a really comfortable dark paneled room with a couple of working fireplaces, deep comfortable chairs that you can really kick back and relax in, and two working fireplaces to take the chill off on a cool night.

On my first visit, I had the beer battered cod. The crispy light and hot beer battered cod was really flavorful and came in a monstrous serving of four big pieces served over kind of kind of forgettable, but hot and crispy fries.

Since that time, I've sampled a really terrific meat loaf sandwich there, an unusual but interested grilled Ceasar salad, an outstanding roasted salmon. The Shepherd's Pie is a beef based one with good flavor though not earth shattering in its presentation or flavor.

Like with the fish and chips, all portions are large. And they should be because the prices here aren't inexpensive by any means. Entrees start at $10.95 for Bangers and Mash and go all the way to $27.95 for the New York Strip Steak The fish and chips are $13.95, about four dollars more than the all you can eat special at the nearby Duke.

There are 17 beers on tap. 18 more in bottles. I'm not much of a wine guy. But, there is a pretty substantive wine list there. Beers range from $4 for the mundane to around $7 for some of the bar's more exotic brands. Wine is available both by the glass and the bottle.

Wilde is a welcome addition to a neighborhood that seems to be growing up a bit in its taste over the past few years. Everything I have tried has been tasty and well presented.

Wilde Restaurant and Bar
3130 N Broadway
(between Barry Ave & Briar Pl)
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 244-0404
www.wildechicago.com

I grabbed dinner here Saturday with a couple of friends. I had the fish and chips which were pretty good. A delicate and crispy batter, nice crisp chips and a good tartar sauce. I also had a side order of curry sauce which was very tasty, albeit a little thin for my taste. I wouldn't say that the fish and chips stood out from other good versions I've had in town, but I certainly enjoyed my meal.

I will say that it was awfully loud (dined at 8:30 on Saturday), mostly because of blaring music. They could turn it down a notch or two without losing the effect I think they're looking for, but the food is good enough that I'd be willing to return.

I was there last wk for lunch by accident ie, picked from the street while walking by hungry, because of the name and how inviting the interior looked. I must say, my beer battered cod was excellent, with very good tartar sauce, which I normally dislike.

We sat in the library next to the fireplace and very much enjoyed our meal. The booths in back are huge with wood paneled arches that are beautifully done. Having recently worked in Dublin, this was similar to the style I saw there frequently.

All and all, a good solid meal in very nice surroundings.

i can't say i've had any food that's worth writing home about (but it's good from what i have had).. it is a good place to go for drinks with friends... there's usually no issues getting a table, and the servers are fast and efficient... the atmosphere is unique too... it's not strictly a gay bar but has a large following, but you're just as likely to sit and drink next to grandma with her walker... (though i'm seeing a disturbing trend of chad and trixie bringing the 2 year old baby... who takes a baby out to a food establishment slash bar that's packed in on a friday night?)

Since Wilde is in the 'hood, I've been there a couple times. It's a comfortable, casual neighborhood restaurant (with far too many TVs showing sports, at least for my tastes). The food is solid, though probably not worth a special trip.

One minor quibble: I'm trying to diet, there's almost nothing even remotely healthy on the menu. (And only the fish & chips excite me enough to want to splurge on calories.) But the fish & chips are pretty good, and give Duke of Perth (the closest competitor) a run for their money.

Went to Wilde last night after a movie at Century Cinema, and I have to say it was way better than I expected given the faux Irish decor, flair-wearing uniformed staff, and general is-this-Chicago-or-some-generic-mall-in-suburbia feel about the place. Either this isn't as corporate-run a place as I initially thought, or the centralized staff development department has an excellent module on how to create a perfect Hot Toddy with lemons that are generously studded with whole cloves, and a well-balanced, delicious Irish coffee. Either there's an actual chef in the kitchen who knows what she/he is doing, or Wilde Corporate needs to patent its method of producing freezer-bag food that tastes fresh and delicious. Beer battered cod was crisp and simply seasoned to let the fish shine, and served with a very pungent tartar sauce that paired nicely. Mac and cheese used corkscrew pasta that remained al dente even after being baked in creamy bechamel with comforting ingredients that included bacon and perfectly julienned roasted pepper strips. Thick cut fries were well-cooked, but did lack much potatoey flavor, indicating that these might indeed have come from a commercial sized food service bag. The curry sauce, on the other hand, was excellent.

Wilde feels every bit as contrived as I expected from something in the heart of East Lakeview, but the food is much better than one might anticipate.

We've been for Irish breakfast a couple of times. I think it might be one of the best versions in town. A head and shoulders above the Abbey pub in ambience, freshness, service and quality.

Kennyz, There is an"actual chef in the kitchen". I had the pleasure of working with him 20 odd years ago during the halcyon days of the original Carlucci on Halstead St. Alan Katz is a CIA grad who has also been involved as chef and/or manager of Blue Mesa, Cullens and Blue Bayou to name a few others. I haven't been to Wilde's, but I'd bet that if Alan is in the house they are sending a lot of the locals home at night well fed and happy.

Went with a friend last night, for the first time. We both started with one of the soups o' the day, the seafood chowder, and both found it flavorful and good. Then we both had burgers with different toppings. Here's a "data point" to provide a counterbalance to the many complaints about other places that won't cook a burger less than well-done. We had just seen a movie ("Milk") at the Century which we were both knocked out by and engaged in voluble conversation about. So when the waiter appeared to take our order, I completely forgot to tell him what doneness I wanted my burger! And I didn't even realize I forgot this until mine arrived--and it was exactly the way I would have asked for it if I had remembered to--just slightly on the rare side of medium rare. So, extrapolating from this, the default setting for burgers at Wilde is a touch on the rare side of medium rare. Which I think is to the place's credit.

I agree with Kenny that the fries were nearly flavorless, but that was my only complaint. (And I'm better off not eating a whole plate of fries anyway, so I didn't care that much.) The place was nicely buzzing with a happy-seeming, age-diverse, type-diverse crowd, which created the feeling that Wilde welcomes everyone, and everyone feels welcome at Wilde. You'd think it would be the easiest thing in the world to have a menu and ambience that provide something for everyone without being nothing for anyone, but in fact such places seem rare as hen's teeth (whatever that means). So Wilde impressed me for pulling this off. People will obviously beat a path to the door of the rare place that makes this work. In fact, I got the very impressionistic impression that the neighborhood has been waiting for the doors of Wilde to open for the last thirty years, or approximately since the demise of The Brewery. Despite the level of business it was doing, the place was not overly noisy--no problem with conversation--so perhaps they've turned the music down since BR's report, or perhaps they don't have it up loud between 7 and 9 on a Monday night.

As far as noise levels go, what helps is that it's not all reflective surfaces. Restaurant owners/designers, take note (unless that's what you're looking for, not overly conducive to eating but often cheaper to build). The room there has quite a bit to dampen the sound which goes a long way and is appreciated by many.

A couple of notes on some fairly recent meals at Wilde:

The price of the fish and chips has risen a dollar since my original visit referenced herein. Disappointing. But, not nearly as disappointing as the fact that the former serving size of four pieces was two pieces on my last visit. The batter seemed a bit more gummy on this visit as opposed to crispy and delicate on my original visit(s). The fries are still unremarkable and frozen.

The blue on blue burger was fabulous. Lots of fresh blue cheese was mounded on top of a blue cheese dressing over a perfectly cooked medium rare burger...juicy and very flavorful.

They have a few nice salads, and their mac and cheese is really good (it is a "wet" style of mac and cheese). My mom likes their burgers a lot.

I think it is pretty noisy in there, at least when we have gone, mostly on Sundays before 7 pm. Not sure if this is because of larger groups watching TV or what, but it's just really too noisy to talk or hear the other people at our table.

Wilde has great food, great drinks, and a wonderful atmosphere. It can be a little too pricey- but they offer drink specials. Just when you go there, realize that it costs $50 a person for dinner and a couple of drinks. A lot of money for a casual neighborhood watering hole.

Bbqsauced wrote:Wilde has great food, great drinks, and a wonderful atmosphere. It can be a little too pricey- but they offer drink specials. Just when you go there, realize that it costs $50 a person for dinner and a couple of drinks. A lot of money for a casual neighborhood watering hole.

Agreed. However, on its website Wilde calls itself an "upscale Irish bar and restaurant" and touts its "luxurious ambiance" and "exquisite cuisine"...I think these phrases should tip people off to the fact that there are no $5 burgers, free baskets of popcorn, or $10 domestic buckets available here. The food prices at Wilde are pretty standard for a "moderately upscale", J. Alexander-caliber place...most items are in the $12-20 range. The beer prices are all over the place but mostly overpriced by a buck or two - $5 for a pint of 312 and $5.50 for anything from Great Lakes Brewing, but $10 for a pint of Delirium Tremens, $6.50 for a pint of Guinness, and $5 for a Coors Light bottle.

I think most Lakeview East residents' "casual neighborhood watering hole" list would include places like Friar Tuck, Monsignor Murphy's, maybe Avenue Tavern, but probably not Wilde.

In recent months, I have found the food at Wilde to be pretty inconsistent. An overcooked burger here and there. Fish and chips that appear to be made with frozen fish (a crime if you ask me given the nearly $15 a plate price tag that goes with them). It's hard to have a reasonable meal at Wilde for less than $25 a person these day. Perhaps, with thier expansion into West lakeview and Andersonville, the attention to detail in the kitchen is not what it once was.