Riva Navy Pier

I've been to many waterfront restaurants in other cities and enjoyed them thoroughly. This one in my own home town was incredible disappointing. The food was overpriced and had no special qualities. The wait staff also don't seem accustomed to large groups. I was embarrassed trying to show off my town to out of town guest.

While Riva's upscale restaurant at the same location upstairs has had some acclaim, I can't recommend its street-level cafe on Navy Pier. Views of the water and pier are nice in terms of atmosphere, as is the bar waiting area inside. However, I found the service terrible, and the food was overpriced and nothing special. When I asked my waitress if they had any type of light dressing available for my Seafood Salad Louis, she sneared at me and said it only comes with what's listed on the menu. Then she practically slammed down napkins at my friend and I when we requested some (we didn't have any on the table). Perhaps the constant influx of demanding tourists had given our server a bad day, but still....The food was mediocre, one dish we ordered wasn't even fully cooked. Skip it and head elsewhere on the pier, or head upstairs and give the main restaurant a try.

PROS: Nice waterfront views in this cafe
CONS: Terrible service, mediocre food