Pinched on the River

For years I would go to the Lombard location all the time. That location closed, but I'm happy I finally made it to her Chicago location. The food is amazing as always and the location is gorgeous. I appreciate the wonderful flavors of the ingredients prepared and made fresh daily. Very reasonably priced for quality of food. Always hits the spot! Mmmm, I love Pinched.

I had a mixed experience at Pinched on the River. We had reservations for a party of 8, but when we arrived a few minutes before our time, the table we had reserved was not ready. This was a bit frustrating, as we had a few people in our party who were not able to stand for long periods of time due to medical reasons. However, the staff was very kind and accommodating, and they were able to get us seated at a smaller table in a shorter amount of time (still about 20 minutes past our reservation time). The food was delicious! We all ordered the build-your-own bowls, and they were all beautifully presented and full of flavor. My dinner was misheard by the staff, but they brought it back right away and made me the correct dish without any hassle. Overall, I would give Pinched on the River a 4-star rating. The food is great, but the lack of organization could be improved. If you're willing to put up with a bit of chaos, you'll be rewarded with a delicious meal.

My wife and I have had espressos and dessert at this location from a very well-informed manager. I can't remember his name but he knew more about coffee than anybody I think I've ever met in my life. Very nice guy! We were attempting to buy a coffee or some type of dessert and proceeded to walk through the restaurant to the McClurg inlet. The barista informed us that the owner doesn't like people to walk through the restaurant for some reason. It wasn't crowded at all so we left without buying anything and walked around the building to get to the other side where we went to Winters Jazz club. This attitude alone will probably prevent us from ever returning to pinched in the future to buy a coffee or dessert or have lunch. I don't understand this stance towards customers. The coffee was really good the barista was incredible and we really liked hearing his take on coffee and the desserts were great but, being owners in the hospitality businesses ourselves, this attitude from the owner rubs us the wrong way.

I was in town for a conference and wanted to grab something as we headed to the airport. Mediterranean, great! Shina, was the hostess with the mostest! We ordered a chicken shawarma and a falafel sandwich. The shawarma was okay, however the falafel was awful. It was gooey like dough on the inside. This was Sunday evening, by the time we sat down at the airport to eat, the restaurant was closed. Closed as well on Monday. When I was able to call and reach someone (a manager unfortunately I don't remember her name), I received less than desirable customer service, no empathy or apology but rather "if you read our reviews, people rave about the falafel". I was told it was Egyptian falafel and "not what you're probably used to". Egyptian or otherwise, it should not be gooey on the inside. Egyptian falafel is light and fluffy not like raw dough! The purpose of my call was to express my disappointment so that they could make the needed adjustments and maybe the next customer will have a better experience. If they have to deal with the manager I did, Im certain their experience won't be any better.