La Tache

Just returned home from a most horrible expererience at La Tache. Lentil soup = bowl of salt! Ribeye Steak/Frites=mostly fat and grizzle and soggy fries. Side of spinach=cold. Waiter was not at all attentive even though the place was empty. Tried to get away with double charging for drink with no apology. He didn't even know which side of the plate the silverware was supposed to be placed. This used to be a nice place.....no more, and never again!!!! Pros: Ambience Cons: Food, Service more

I really had a nice time at this Andersonville Bistro last week. I just moved to the neighborhood a couple of months ago and I'm trying to make my way through the restaurants to find my favorite. This is at the top of the list so far. We were greeted immediately and told it would be a small wait for our table (it ended up being 30 minutes or so). The bartender got our drink order (after handling a few difficult guys at the bar) and she had our drinks promptly. Pros: Great service, Cons: Small bar for waiting more

My partner and I had an 8:30 reservation for Valentine's Day. We'd been to La Tache twice before. We love french food and La Tache, though not at the top of our list, was certainly a place we found nice enough to visit a third time. more

This restaurant was a disaster. they took our order, drinks came. Then the wait began. Appetizers didn't come for over a hour and a half. Waitress never came back for 2nd drink order and when she did the bartender came out and told us they were out of the liquor we were drinking. Friends eatting with us said this was the 3rd time they have run out of liquor. then more waiting and after 3 hours we finally got our main course. With no explanation from our waitress. My order was wrong. I ordered a ceasar salad with salamon and i received a hot salamon plate with mashed potatoes and mushrooms. They took it back to the kitchen and took the blazing hot salamon and put it on top of a cold ceasar salad. It was disgusting. We asked to speak to the owner who refused to speak with us. She said she didn't like confrontation! This was a party of 6 which will never ever go back to this neighborhood restaurant. Cons: horrible service from the owner and wait staff, food was below average for the price more

We were the second customers there on a Saturday evening (around 5:45) and waited by the host stand since no staff were visible. Finally we went outside and asked the busboy if we could sit. There was a lot of confusion, all through dinner, about who our waiter was. The service was pretty slow, but that doesn't surprise me whenever I sit outside. The food was all right -- a bit heavy and greasy and the mixed green salad was overpowered by the salty cheese ... they should have balanced it with something sweet (the pear that accompanied it was under ripe). The pinot gris is a tokay from Alsace but not labeled as such, so it was unexpectedly sweet. The waiter (who was new) swapped it out for a drier white at no charge. When there was a problem with our bill and I went inside to address it (since we had a play to get to), it became clear that the majority of the floor staff (and the bartender) were new and not fully trained -- which I thought was kind of weird. The decor, location, and outside seating are really nice. Parking was not a problem, but we did get there on the early side. Pros: Nice, quiet spot. They don't rush you. Cons: Untrained staff, not much non-greasy food, esp. for appetizers more

This place is not huge which is good because the waiter and staff can become attentive to everyone and they really are. I ordered lamb and it was cooked and served perfectly. I will definitely go back this place again. Pros: Service, food Cons: Parking more

I had heard so much about this place, that a friend and I decided to try it out for brunch this past Sunday. We placed our order and waited WAY TOO LONG, I'd say 45 minutes or so, for the meal that was presented to us. We both ordered eggs. She ordered scrambled, which came over medium. Mine arrived as ordered, but were boring and very bland. There wasn't a spice or herb in anything on my plate. The potatoes were barely warm and again, not a single speck of pepper or herb to be found. I was glad the toast was included since I ordered wheat and got the skinniest, devoid of any butter, single slice of bread cut in half. I am shocked they would charge $2 for this toast as a la carte. The presentation was as terrible as the meal itself. I don't think I will go back again anytime soon. I contemplated trying out their dinners, but the dinner prices are quite high, and I choose not to pay that kind of money for bad food. more

Twice there: Room -- elegant and cozy. Staff recommended wines--wonderful. Service-- helpful, timely, polite. Food-- ran the gamut from excellent to seriously not fresh. The scallops-- fishy smelling plate of three. Two were allright. One was just a piece of scallop, somewhat burned, overcooked, thus tough. The rabbit also tough and dryish. The duckdisaster: Ive had duck all over Chicago without problem. The LaTache duck breast was served welldonesimply wrong unless requested. It tasted gamey. Ive never sent anything back to a kitchen; I sent this back. The second was appropriately medium rare (+ complimentary glass of wine) but gamey too. Realy gamey. My friend said ""nasty."" Upside: desserts -- consistently expert. Creme brulee--creamy, not custardy, and the carmelized sugar crust was perfectly brown and thin. Mousselight. Neither dessert was too sweet. I'd go back for dessert or wine, but thats it. Pros: dessert, wine, staff Cons: entree preparation, meat freshness, overly salty seafood more

Since I've moved from Andersonville to downtown, I've mourned La Tache. The food is wonderful (try the rabbit or the pork, and don't miss the hazelnut chocolate mousse!), the ambiance is warm and elegant albeit sometimes crowded on weekends, the service is attentive even during the busiest times, and the prices are reasonable. I frequented on weeknights and earlier on weekends (6:00 or so) and never found it too busy, though the well-deserved acclaim it's been getting has brought in a lot of new people. Pros: exquisite food, elegant atmosphere, great service more

Well worth the wait if you go on a weekend...it's a bistro so that is what we expect!! Charming ambiance and charming staff. Food is better each and every time!! People complaining about the wait on a Saturday night at 8pm should hussel over to McDonald's and hurry home!!! Relax and enjoy it is such a wonderful addition to the Chicago restaurant scene!! Thanks La Tache!! Pros: Excellent food, Prices Cons: , open for lunch?? more

When we arrived we were told our wait would be 45 min. The bar area is tiny and cramped, while waiting we ordered drinks and had no where to stand, the staff kept walking into us no matter where we stood. After 35 min the hostess told us our table was ready, so we followed her into the dining room. The she decided it was a mistake and that table was for another party and sent us back to the tiny waiting area. 15 min later she announced again our table was ready. Again we got up and walked over to the table with her when she again announced that she was mistaken and set us back a second time. 20 min after that we finally were seated. Food was OK, not great. Wait staff fair. more

After arriving we were told that there was a 1-1/2 hour wait. After 1-1/2 hours we were told that that it would be at least another 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. Any sensible person would have gone to another resturant at that point but we decided to be persistent and wait it out. After 2-1/4 hours we were seated without even an apology for the long wait. 30 seconds after we were seated our indifferent waiter asked us if we had picked out what drink we wanted. I suggested to him that it would be nice to have been given a wine list FIRST before we ordered our drinks. The menu was interesting and the food flavorful; too bad though that my salad was taken from me before I had a chance to finish it, because our entre arrived. We declined dessert as it was really getting too late (11:45). Pros: food Cons: long waits, waiter with attitude more

La Tache is a nice addition to the already great restaurants in Andersonville. It's cozy, elegant, and romantic. Highly recommend! more

I was very impressed with La Tache. The food was excellent and the wine selection was great as well. It is a perfect place for a date or a place to go with a small group of friends. I am pleased to see this type of restaurant appearing in Andersonville. I would definitly go back, it is a great dining experience. more