Aqua Bar & Grill

What to say about Aqua Bar?
Um, I love it. I have no idea how this place has terrible reviews.
Stacy, the bartender, practically invented the word cool. The chef cooks up a mean Ceasar salad and mouth-​watering tacos. The food is completely out of control and they have incredible specials.
The crowd is pretty laid back, although my one gripe is that there are too many Redwings fans hanging about. But, what can I say, I’m a Blackhawks girl.
I hesitate to tell you to run, not walk, to Aqua Bar but that is only out of the selfishness that I really like this joint just the way it is. Aqua Bar is always a fun time.

Food is actually very good. The menu, albiet overpriced, is well balanced and everything is quite tasty.
The main issue with Aqua is their deceitful marketing practices. Almost all of the food & drink specials have some sort of unadvertised caveat. For example, $ 5 Martini night actually consists of just one martini (a Peach martini) that’s priced at $ 5, all other martini’s are still full price. $ 1 Fish Taco night is actually only valid for 6 PM-​8 PM despite the $ 1 Fish Taco Special sign still being prominently displayed on the sidewalk. Neither of these specials are advertised properly with all the conditions, so plan on being duped into entering the restaurant and discovering that your favorite martini is still full price or it’s 8:05 PM and Fish Tacos are no longer $ 1.
I would really love to recommend this restaurant but their crooked approach to gaining customers really detracts from the overall experience and makes me feel cheated. Simply posting the specials in a more honest manner would greatly change my opinion of Aqua. At this point though I’m thoroughly disappointed.

Well…
Built a night out around this place as it is in my neighborhood and I am always excited to have a good restaurant nearby. So, I looked on-​line here and their webpage for the hours and specials, and even went the distance to find their menu on a different site beforehand.
Had some friends meet me there last night (Tuesday)…only to find a sign on the door saying they are open Wednesday through Sunday. What? Why does this schedule not reflect as much on their on-​line advertising? Their specials blackboard even has Tuesday listed.
Disappointed. My friends went through the trouble of driving across town and parking in a crowded neighborhood, only to find this. We went to Leona’s instead, which is always a good experience.

This neighborhood place deserves an audience! Went here on Saturday night and had a nice meal. While I believe the space suffers from a bit of an identity crisis, the food was DELICIOUS! The prices for seafood are some of the most competitive I have seen, especially in Chicago. We started with apps– Buffalo Wings which we asked to have tossed in the sauce based on the previous review. The sauce was delicious with a good level of spice– not too hot, but not for wimps (I’m from Upstate NY so I know my wings). We also had the stuffed mushrooms with remoulade sauce. Very good! For my entrée I had the Seafood Trio — Salmon, Shrimp and 1lb of Crab Legs for $ 25!!! Each was delicious! I ended up taking home half of it (served with steamed veggies – well spiced). The crab was meaty and delicious, the piña colada sauce on the Salmon was well balanced, and the grilled shrimp had GREAT grill flavor. My partner had the Seafood Linguine– he loved every bite and said the seafood was plentiful. I had to take off one star for the weak wine glass list and the aforementioned décor comment. Good service overall and competitively priced!
Like everyone has mentioned, it was great to meet the Chef and a nice personalized touch to check on our meal and dessert.

Third time’s the charm! After a year, we decided to give Aqua another try. We figured that they must have changed something to still be open. I’m glad we went back, because everything is much improved.
The beer selection is excellent and reasonably priced, which was a surprise. For an appetizer we had the wings. They were good but not as described. Instead of being tossed in buffalo sauce, the sauce was served on the side, which I thought was a bit weird. The wings were big and crispy, but I like them a bit messier. I had the Cajun catfish sandwich. It had a nice zing to it and was big enough to eat the leftovers the next day (bonus!). My husband had the jambalaya and it was tasty, but inexplicably served over pasta instead of rice. If they just offered the option to serve it with rice I think it would be perfect.
The service was much improved, and so was the food. The chef even came out and talked to us, and seems excited about the changes they’ve made. If you were disappointed in Aqua as it used to be, I suggest giving it another try. I look forward to the continued improvements.

My boyfriend and I dined here last night. It’s very close to our new home and we were in the mood for seafood. The reviews were mixed, but we are self-​proclaimed foodies and supporters of local businesses so wanted to give Aqua Bar & Grill a try.
We entered Aqua on a Saturday night about 9pm it wasnt very busy and we were greeted by a very friendly bartender. Who would also be our server.
The special was $ 4 glasses of house wines, so I started with a Cab Sauv, my boyfriend ordered and Island Beach Rum we looked over the menu and couldnt decide.
The prices were a little high for the neighborhood bar feel of the place, but the seafood and chef said the fish was fresh.
We ordered our meals and my boyfriend walked past the bar area he saw an order of chicken wings that looked really good. They were on special .50 and even though the special had ended at 8pm. The server extended the special to us. They were very good wings, sauce on the side.
My boyfriend ordered the jumbalya and I had the Cuban Roll at the servers recommendation.
The jumbalaya was good, spicy and had nice big pieces of shrimp and chicken and italian sausage.
My pork wrap was good, served with a cilantro lime pesto. The sandwich was cold, which I wish I would have known first. By the description I pictured a warm sandwich.
Overall, the meal was really good, the service was great. The chef came to our table which was very nice.
We will definitely go back.

I went here about a month ago on a Groupon and was quite impressed. The atmosphere is great, it is really a beautiful space. Service was very good as well (it was not at all crowded so I should hope it would be), the server was super-​friendly in almost a suburban chain restaurant sort of way that actually was a little refreshing compared to what i am used to in Chicago.
We started with the jerk flatbread which was literally one of the most amazing things i have ever eaten. I got the coconut shrimp appetizer for my entrée and it turned out i wasn’t really in the mood for something fried so my fault, not theirs, but they were still very good. Only negative thing was that when my girlfriend attempted to order the butternut squash ravioli, it turned out they were out of it and when she attempted to order the other vegetarian entrée it turned out they were out of that too. They totally made up for it though because the chef came out to our table and discussed with her the other entrees he could make vegetarian and she ended up getting the macaroni and cheese which was excellent. I don’t even usually like macaroni and cheese but i kept stealing bites since it turned out i wasn’t in the mood for shrimp.
I really was impressed with this place and i hope it survives despite all of these bad reviews. Someone on here said they got a new chef a few months ago so I really hope some of the people who have had bad experiences try it again. I really get the feeling that this place is making an effort to correct the problems they have had. I bought another Groupon so definitely will be back soon though the food was good enough i will for sure be back without a Groupon as well.

I really wanted to like this place because this is my hood but my dinner here was so awkward. The manager/​owner/​server was so uptight and run around the restaurant, yet was forgetting the simplest things such as napkins and forks. I just could not relax. On the other hand, the real waitress picked up my plates without ever speaking to me. Very strange.
The wine list is pretty horrific, did not taste good and gave me a horrible headache the next day.
One nice thing is that the chef came and introduced himself. That was really nice and the food he prepared was good but the staff just sucked taking away from the whole experience.
Not for me.

I went in with my boyfriend on a Tuesday night and we were the ONLY table. Kinda weird, but we ordered a bottle of wine and the seafood trio which was crab legs, salmon (the glaze was delicious) and coconut shrimp with seasonal veggies (also delicious) and an order of crab cakes. We were shocked at how good everything was. Not that we expected it to be bad but given some previous reviews and lack of customers I was a little nervous… But everything was absolutely devine! The chef came out and asked us how everything was (honestly I would have preferred the chef wait on us, our server was not the best) and we could not rave enough. If the food was not so great and the chef so charming I probably would have given them less stars for our service. But if you’re in the neighborhood I definitely recommend stopping by. This place is for sure going to be a new spot for us.

Just got back from the 24.95 All You Can Eat crab dinner and it was great. You get salad and potatoes with your first round of crab. It’s a lot of snow crab. I was delighted. I also made a mess and had to ask for extra napkins. I brought a book and made an evening out of it.
Just get in at 6 (that’s when the crab special starts) and relax. The Chef will probably come out — he’s very amiable and straightforward. As for everything else on the menu, it’s all made to order. It’s a good place. Really pretty. So come and see it!
I talked to them about catering and they said they probably will do it. At least that is the gist I got. They have a nice big pool table and one of their nights is dollar tacos. Loyola students get a 20% discount. That makes it a great place to study.
Beautiful bathrooms, nice décor, pretty light fixtures, and glam art all combine to make this a snazzy place. My only beef was that the dining room floor was dirty. They were operating with a skeleton crew, though, so I forgive it. The lighting was really low. I only noticed it because I’m a nerd that way, and their flooring is beautiful stonework that should be shiny and beautiful. I won’t take a star off for it because it’s an easy fix.
Anyway, I’ll be back. With friends. You should go, too.

Was nervous with all the bad reviews but I had a $ 10 for $ 20 groupon and live right around the corner.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Food was fantastic. The crab stuffed mushrooms were excellent. The cuban sandwich was slightly above average– I was satisfied but probably wouldn’t get it again. The fries were PERFECT.
Service was decent. Our waiter was great, but the woman other reviewers mention did our drinks and was pretty rude. The chef came out to see how things were and was great.
I will definitely go back in the future.

Chris, who is the new Chef is gr8! Chris put together an excellent Octoberfest Meal and beer tasting. Now, Aqua needs to afford a wait staff/​owner to level up! The beer list is worthy including 3 Floyd’s Alpha King. The challenge ‘this location,’ not just Aqua, has over the years is parking, It was worth the effort last Friday. We found parking quicker that evening by Leona’s. With food like this, there should be a waitlist!

The reviews from everyone are spot-​on! Especially J S.‘s review.
My boyfriend and I stopped in for some food & drink, the menu looked good and interesting– Regarding the food, it was obvious they were cutting many corners on the food and the drinks. Regarding the service, we felt it was all very unorganized, the staff was clueless. So slow, we felt abandoned and ignored. Regarding the attitude, the Eastern European woman who was ‘part owner’ (we were told the main owner/​investor is a silent partner) was rude and very unprofessional when we asked for her to come over to our table to explain what the problem was. She actually started arguing with us!
As we both work in the service industry, we were shocked. It was VERY clear to us that she is the backbone that is breaking this place. The waitress stated that the staff keeps quitting because she doesn’t want to pay them. We were surprised she shared that with us, being mere patrons – but she was clearly depressed & frustrated. It was obvious the staff was very stressed and not happy, even though the place was practically empty. It seemed to all come down to the owner (s), who we were told had never opened a restaurant or bar before. THAT… was obvious. We left with a bad taste in our mouth, literally and figuratively. We couldn’t wait to get out of there, the energy in there wasn’t good. It’s a shame, and it’s an insult to Rogers Park.
Save your money. Hit the McDonalds.

I’ve been here two times, my experiences have been okay. I live right by Aqua so I am really hoping this place improves and management starts taking hints (it baffles me why they don’t read their Unilocal and Foursquare reviews??)
The first time I went to Aqua was about two weeks ago. The waitress had informed us that management had completely fired all of the previous waiters and hired new staff, and judging previous reviews, that was a good move. Both times we had great waitresses, and even though they were new they were definitely working hard to give us great service. We ordered the Calamari appetizer, which was good and a nice portion, and also the chicken sandwich. The sandwich was good as well and a little pricy, but given the location, I figured their food would cost more since the rent is probably higher for them.
The second time I want, we just ordered the fish tacos to share. That was a bad idea, as it was $ 12 and you only get 3 tacos, with shrimp that was clearly frozen with hardly any seasoning. I would not suggest ordering the shrimp taco appetizer.
I am realizing that Aqua is more of a drinking place than an eating place. Both visits we had good drinks, and reasonable prices compared to the location ($ 5 mojitos on Saturdays!). The music is too loud in there, the atmosphere and décor could use some serious work, and they really do need to re-​think their food pricing or portions. I urge people to give this place a try though… maybe with enough reviews they will start listening to us???

Rogers Park is in real need of good restaurants, and I was hoping that this new cajun restaurant would provide that. and sadly it doesn’t. I ordered four items from their menu to go.
1– Grilled Calamari: other than the spicy sauce was just not well presented or cooked
2– mushrooms: salty and unedible. Also the portion was small and rather burnt than cooked
3– Jerk chicken with coconut rice: it was neither bad nor good. More like what you would get at a mall than a restaurant
4– Blackened salmon: The sweet potatoes or whatever it was were horrid and unedible. The fish was something that anyone can cook with off the shelf rub.
This place simply needs a chef, why bother opening a restaurant without one? I would have been happy to come back but to what? I would rate this restaurant lower than a McDonalds with 3 times the cost. Sad for the owners and the neighborhood

I hate to give a bad rating because the place has potential but it just misses the mark on so many levels.
My wife and I came in around 1:30 pm, and only one other table had anyone there. Figured it was after lunch, no big deal.
However service was insanely slow. There was only one other table, so I don’t get it. We ordered a Bloody Mary and Mimosa which took 10 minutes to arrive. The Bloody Mary was just store bought pre-​mix and the Mimosa was watered down OJ with a splash of champagne. We then put in our order, but we’re denied a pizza because they did not have any dough. Odd. So we ordered fish and chips and an appetizer of fish tacos. It took 30 minutes to arrive luke warm — I have no idea why, there was only one other table.
The fish and chips were falling apart — it was more a mess of breading and some fish hidden in it. It lacked flavor but at least the dipping sauce helped.
The fish tacos were not any better. They were barely warm and very greasy for some reason.
Overall definitely not worth the $ 40 price tag. Service was slow, food sub-​par, and just a very disappointing visit. The only reason for the second star is how it looks on the inside and proximity to the beach.
Sadly, we will not be coming back — shame because the place has potential.

I live very close to Aqua and love stopping by for a few drinks from time to time. I cannot say anything about the food because I have never really eaten anything from here. The staff is friendly enough. Drinks are good. Its nice because you can drink something expensive or get a cheap can of beer.
The atmosphere is pretty cool. Its in this big old building in Rogers Park. It kinda has this feel that it was a restaurant/​bar in a hotel from the 20’s or 30’s (correct me if I’m wrong but I think thats exactly what it used to be). Very high ceilings, big columns and classic woodwork.
I love the barely touched pool table in the other room but they really need to fix the lighting in there! Too dark!
Right around the corner from the Oasis, this is a great waaaay nicer alternative.
I like calling Aqua my local spot!

Awful. Stay away. That’s the bottom line.
In more detail. Crappy eastern European techno on the speakers, empty house, terrible service (slow, disinterested, incompetent). Ordered chicken wings, which showed up raw. Had to specifically ask for every shred of service: please can I have a napkin? please can I have utensils? please can you take a drink order? please can you return this raw chicken? please can I pay the bill? please can I give you my card? There was a manager on duty who comped me an enormous piece of red velvet cake on my way out (how about take the raw chicken off the bill instead of giving a guy who showed up for beer & wings a big chunk of sugar fluff?). All I wanted was a beer & chicken wings. How do you screw that up?
Don’t take this as an ornery, one-​off Unilocal trouncing. I worked in restaurants for a decade. I know a dog when I see it. Aqua Bar is a dog and it needs to be put down. I won’t be going back, but you’ve figured that out already.

I don’t really know if my review will be accurate of how this restaurant really is now. I went here after the place had been open only a week, there was of course no one in the restaurant other than a woman and her daughter who seemed to know the chef.
Our waiter was very friendly and put in a good effort despite being uncertain with some of their menu items.
We ordered a cheese plate that came with some sort of fig jam and cracker things that was extremely tasty. I dont know if this is still on the menu since I’ve read reviews that there have been menu changes.
We also ordered a pizza, it may have been the Head to Toe, I think it had pepperoni and sausage but it wasn’t your boring meat lovers. I remember it was very good, the crust was extra tasty. It was a little greasy though. The chef did say he spent a lot of time perfecting the dough, going through six I believe different recipes.
The service was a little slow but with apologies. We had a nice time regardless. We chatted with the chef only a little but he seemed excited and eager to please. Offered to make us any dessert that we’d like but we turned it down being so full from the pizza.
I wouldn’t be surprised though if this place was still pretty much dead, I would go back for a pizza and see if it is still good but it’s never much fun to sit in an empty restaurant, especially if it takes a really long time.

Last night at the Aqua Bar & Grill marks the first time I’ve ever sent back a dish in my life, let alone a full table of food.
My fiancé and I, along with another couple, were the only people in the place, except for one other table and the waiter/​bartender, but it took a full hour for our food to come out. Once it came, three of the four dishes were so salty that they were inedible, and the fourth was a pizza with enough flour on the bottom that my friend was coughing up clouds of it.
Eventually we decided that the embarrassment of sending back food was preferable to getting sick. The waiter went and got the manager, who responded to our complaints and apologies by angrily arguing with us for several minutes. Eventually he accepted that we just wanted to leave, but I’ve never felt so insulted. Needless to say, we won’t be going back.