[Photo: Facebook]
It's been a little over a month since the multifaceted high-end sports bar/restaurant/dance hall American Junkie opened its doors and lowered its DJ booth into the club-hungry River North crowd. According to patrons, it's a great place to catch a game or drop a couple hundred on bottle service, but its high priced fare and lacking service contribute little to the overall experience. Here's the early word on American Junkie:
The Good News: On Twitter, user @KimNicEve5 raves about the food: "@MetromixCHI @chicagojunkie what's NOT to like! The hanger steak sandwich, lobster Mac, Brussels sprouts, the list goes on. #nomnom now I'm hungry" [Twitter]
The Drink News: An Eater commenter is disappointed by the drink menu: "?just another sports bar wrapped up in pretty packaging. I thought that just maybe their decision to bring in a great chef with interesting cuisine would inspire a better drink menu. I mean really, if I wanted to drink cloudy bay or santa margherita I'd just go to any grocery store in Chicago and hide my head in shame when the clerk rings it up." [Eater Comments]
The Noise News: UrbanDaddy weighs in on the sound: "Upstairs may get loud. That's just what happens when you have a 100,000-watt sound system blasting DJs who'll play anything from house to country." [UrbanDaddy]
The Staff News: A number of Yelp reviewers are critical of the customer service: "This place is new and has some kinks to work out. It clearly has potential to be a great hangout: cool ambiance, good food, fun crowd, but right now the service is so lacking it ruins the whole experience." [Yelp]
The Menu News: An OpenTable user is unimpressed: "With the location that American Junkie is in, you'd think this place would be incredibly trendy with a menu that rivals other River North restaurants. I do like the ambiance and vibe this place has, but the food didn't live up to the standards I've come to know in this part of town." [OpenTable]
The Sports News: @TheBullsShow tweets a photo of American Junkie's largest HD TV in the Midwest: "Shouts to @chicagojunkie & @NoahJBorden for the primo setup for tonight's #Bulls game.
pic.twitter.com/jGJggh7vFF" [Twitter]
The Price News: On Yelp, American Junkie is knocked for its overpriced fare: "The food you get for the price will make you nuts! WAY overpriced for the small dishes you get." [Yelp]
The Patio News: Red Eye Chicago named American Junkie one of its "10 Standout Spaces" for summer: "[American Junkie] already has its retractable roof ready for warm weather. When temperatures climb above 50 degrees, the greenhouse-like glass roof opens to let sun into the second-floor space, which has a capacity of 265 people." [REChi]
· All American Junkie Coverage [~EChi~]
· American Junkie [Official Website]