Bar Goa, an Indian Restaurant & Cocktail Bar

Overall good experience at Bar Goa. We were surprised how easy it was to get a day of res. The cocktails were really tasty and pretty strong. For apps, we tried all three Kulchas. The chili cheese one was good, but kinda just tasted like an open face cheese quesadilla. The other two, Amritsari and chicken were both really good and I especially liked the sauces that came with the Amritsari. They originally brought us two Amritsaris instead of the chicken so when we told them this they did bring out the chicken and took one Kulcha off the bill but picked a less expensive one which was a bit annoying. The Aloo Chaat was good, especially the sauce, but I had a hard time getting past the pomegranate seeds and leafy greens. The butter chicken croquettes are always a crowd favorite and did not disappoint. For mains, the saag paneer was a little disappointing and the spinach sauce was kind of spicy. The butter chicken was classic and yummy. The lamb was better and slightly bigger than expected. The biryani was also pretty good. Of course you have to get garlic naan. We got two but probably could've used a third. The daal was probably one of my favorite dishes of the night!

This restaurant presents a fusion Indian menu with interesting cocktails. The weekend dinners can be enjoyed with live DJ which creates a great vibe. I also went for brunch but was disappointed with service as there was only one person helping out and catching his attention was difficult. We got the butter chicken sliders but the chicken was undercooked. They addressed the issue and replaced it for us but overall it left a bad taste.With that said I would definitely give this place another chance.

Next time you're in River North you have to check out Bar Goa!It's such an aesthetic Indian restaurant/cocktail bar on Hubbard Street. We stopped by for happy hour on a weekday and received quick service. We loved their butter chicken sliders, crispy fried coriander chicken wings, sabudana vada, and butter chicken croquettes (the makhani sauce is ), and a mango-based dessert!Few fun facts:: Goa, India is known for their music and fun vibes - stop by Bar Goa between 9:30 PM and midnight on Friday and Saturday evenings to enjoy some electric beats: Their new brunch menu incorporates some popular South Indian items such as idli and dosa!: They do catering and also host in-restaurant private parties of up to 100 people: ALSO If you visit their website (bargoachicago.com) and sign up for marketing messages, you can get a $50 off of $150 coupon (restrictions apply)!

Enjoyed a lovely happy hour with a friend. Happy hour runs Mon- Thu: 5-6pm, Sun: 3-5pm. We ate outside on their small-ish patio of 3-4 tables so I cannot speak to the interior but overall good vibes. Staff was overall friendly, although our server could not really speak to the vegan items for my friend (which I wish she would have just went to verify with the kitchen). The food was all very good- I took advantage of all the happy hour items - $2 wings are a great deal and they were very crispy and the flavor was spot on with coriander! The $4 butter chicken croquettes were great, but the sauce is what stole the show in that dish! The fries were full of flavor! Definitely a dish to share, but be prepared to eat with a fork! I would definitely come back but probably only during happy hour. A normal $18 cocktail is still a little expensive if you have a few outside of happy hour ($10 during happy hour).

We stopped in for an after-dinner drink and snack. We got seated upstairs in the booth at the end and it was such a cozy spot. The drinks were decent and the chili cheese kulcha was amazing! Perfectly warm and flaky. Even though we'd just walked over after dinner and were stuffed, we almost ordered a second.Unfortunately, service was off. I don't know if our waiter was high or just didn't care - he was aloof, unfriendly, unhelpful, and had super weird vibes overall.If I'm back in town I may try it again for dinner or brunch, but hope the service was a one-off experience.

I've been here a couple times for food and drinks and it's always a good time! It's got clubby coastal vibes and the DJ is always great!I usually make a reservation but around dinner time there's usually tables open. My impression is that when it gets later it gets busier with the drinks and dancing crowd.Food is on the pricey end but I think it's typical for River North! It's DELICIOUS. So don't think twice about ordering some food or dessert! Highlights were the butter chicken croquettes and Bombay biryani (it has a delicious pomegranate yogurt to add in, and a fun crust on top of the dish!). A MUST TRY: Saffron cheesecake!!! You will not regret it. Incredible flavor. Not too sweet. SO GOOD.I've tried several cocktails and really enjoyed them all! Generally they were tropical and had very unique flavor profiles. The highlight was Sea Foam, which is a watermelon flavored drink with foam on top!! Foam is really there for fun as it didn't taste like much, but I enjoyed it! Service is always a good level of attentiveness and friendly! I will definitely come again and again :)

I haven't had Goan food before and Bar Goa was a great entry into the cuisine. There seemed to be outside seating although it wasn't available given how cold it was so we sat inside. The interior was lively and the music was fun throwback songs which is always a good time. As for the food? Delicious. We went with a larger group so there were a variety of dishes on the table. For drinks, I got the Mango Sangria which was refreshing and fruity. For food, we got Paneer Makhani, Cauliflower 65, Ghee Roast Aloo Chat, and Goan Cauliflower Stew. The Cauliflower 65 and Paneer Makhani are classics that I get every time and this time was no different. Both were flavorful with just the right level of spice for the cauliflower 65. The real shocker for me was the Goan Cauliflower Stew. I hadn't heard of this dish before and so my expectations were moderate but it was fantastic! So creamy and rich but not too heavy with a good helping of vegetables.

Horrible service. Started with flies and bugs in glasses and they couldn't care less. Felt rushed from start to finish and they were more interested in taking the dishes away than asking what we wanted next. Poorly lit bathroom alleyway with the open access to basement stairs was a disaster to happen. Coming to the food: Not sure how many actual goanese have had food here but I can guarantee none will certify them being even a decent copy of such cuisine. Having friends from goa and visiting them so many times I dnt remember I had any food like that. Naming a chicken curry goanese curry doesn't make it goanese. It's pretty sad that all the dishes(meat and non meat) we ordered were smothered with only cream. One thing is for sure they have a good relate with the creamery from where they buy their cream. The chili kulcha was literally 2 non spicy chillies left on top of the kulcha. No idea what the person cooking (I have my reservations calling him a cook, forget about being a chef) thought. Anyways, if you wanna come here, please dnt think you will get anything related to Goa from India. Stick to no food and bottled drinks and you may have a good time.

During my recent visit to Bar Goa for restaurant week, I encountered a crucial issue that I believe is fundamental to any restaurant's operation: how they handle patrons' allergies. From what I've seen, this can really make or break a dining experience, reflecting on the restaurant's overall organization and the attentiveness of its staff, including waiters, kitchen crew, and especially the managers. Sadly, my experience at Bar Goa was far from satisfactory in this regard.Here's what went down: we had a major mix-up with the wait staff about the ingredients in one of our entrees, particularly concerning because of my friend's severe allergies. The information kept changing, even after my friend had already started eating. What baffled me was that the manager, who was right there near us, didn't step in or offer any help.When we tried to get some clarity from the manager about which dishes would be safe, he barely paid attention to my friend's specific allergies. He just told us to check the menu via a QR code, which wasn't exactly helpful after the misinformation we'd already been given. This was particularly disappointing to me, as I've noticed a commendable awareness about allergies in other Chicago restaurants since moving back to the city.Furthermore, the manager's promise to remove the charged dish from our bill, as compensation for the inconvenience caused, was not fulfilled. This was just another letdown in a series of service failures.As for the food, my experience with Indian cuisine, stemming from my Indian heritage, left me underwhelmed by Bar Goa's offerings. The Butter Chicken, a staple in Indian cuisine, was a letdown with its tough brown chicken pieces. Accompaniments like the Malabhi Parantha were disappointingly small, diminishing the overall enjoyment of the meal. Although the Payasam dessert was a highlight, it wasn't enough to offset the other shortcomings.Interestingly, my friends, who are not of Indian descent, enjoyed their meals. This leads me to believe that Bar Goa might be catering more to a tourist demographic with its non-authentic, overpriced Indian food. Most concerning, though, is the restaurant's apparent inability to handle dietary restrictions and allergies competently. I'd opt to skip this spot.As you can see in the comment from the restaurant staff below, they continue to not understand the allergies and recommends the dal with coconut milk. For someone with allergies to coconut, they cannot consume coconut milk either, and the restaurant's reassurance was extremely misguided and could have led to a serious anaphylactic episode. While Manish mentions we were not charged for the dal, the only reason that was the case is because I had to look over the entire receipt and ask our server to remove it as they told us they would. Only then were we not charged. This is an extremely careless and poorly run restaurant that reflects on a poor experience dining there.

Visiting from California when I came across this gem. I was craving some Indian food but wanted to have drinks before and found this place on yelp. Food was absolutely amazing, staff were amazing and the drinks were perfection!!!! We ordered the curry chicken, one of the paneer plates, garlic nan, and a few other things I don't remember the name of. I would definitely recommend this spot to anyone visiting Chicago.