The Duplex

Really 4.5 stars..I was pleasantly surprised by the food, service, and ambiance after reading the reviews beforehand. We went during dinnertime, and it wasn't so loud where we couldn't hear each other and there wasn't a DJ blasting music. The crab dip and orecchiette were so flavorful! We got really great service here. Our server went above and beyond to provide friendly and enthusiastic service. I dinged a star because the french fries were just ok ( I have high expectations for my fries!) and I found my cocktail to be way too sweet and not that well- balanced. All in all, a great dining experience with mostly hits and friendly service. Will likely return to try out other cocktails and pasta dishes.

Came here for a brunch with a group and I swear the DJ music was so loud that I couldn't talk to the person next to me without yelling. Has a table of like 7 people, literally couldn't have a conversation with anyone. I get they are trying to have a vibe but just bring it down a little so that we can talk. People ended up on phones cuz they couldn't even talk to each other. They forgot half of my order- I ordered a sweet and savory and they only brought the sweet. So ended up eating the meal in not the ideal order. Waiters had no idea who ordered what. Waiters look like they have no desire to be there. Shrimp and grits had like 3 pieces of shrimp. Would have given 1 star but the chilaquiles were good.

Not sure how The Duplex came onto my radar. I don't frequent the Logan Square area that much. However when it did, I checked the menu online, and thought it might be a nice place to visit. And they do have lobster rolls. I'm a sucker for a good lobster roll. So far I've been there twice and the results are mixed. The good: the food! It's good. The Garlic/Parmesan wings are a good recommendation if you're not into overly salty or spicy wings. They have the right amount of garlic, and there's plenty of wings in an order. The lobster roll was good as well but not spectacular. Decent amount of lobster and toasted bun with a side of fries. Food is ready quickly! The folks behind the bar are very friendly and hard-working, and they sometimes have a DJ playing R&B tunes. It's a very chill vibe and I enjoy that part of it very much. The bad: the hosts. They don't pay attention to detail and appear to be very snooty as well as busy doing nothing except gathering in the back or talking by the bar. Last time there, it took like 10 minutes to verify an OpenTable reservation. I was shouted at to "wait right there" while they went in the kitchen area to verify. Both times I've been there, I've sat at the bar and it is typically filthy from whomever was dining there before me. The area in front of me was sticky and not cleaned. Both times I went in, their bar is missing such staples as Tanqueray and Aviation gins. They also seemingly rent the place out for parties and gatherings, so sometimes you'll go and there's nowhere to sit because they're prepping for the gathering. They might even turn you away. So in my mind, The Duplex could be a very fine, romantic place to eat and meet, but it's just a little ragged around the edges with regard to the finer points. I wouldn't hesitate to go back if in the area, but I probably wouldn't make a special trip.

Well that was not worth it =[Went during happy hour last Sunday, restaurant was pretty empty since the weather was so beautiful. Our visit started out so upbeat and happy and went straight downhill.The HH Old Fashioned was yummy and the Moscow Mule while not in a proper mug was ok. Then the food.We ordered the HH wings. Ten bucks for 6 little pigeon wings microwaved? No crisp no snap spongy tiny sad little guys. Better off at home w a 50lb bag o' frozen Aldi's wings. NBD it's a HH item, low expectations.I had the Orecchiete. Very tasty, well-seasoned, spinachy and cheesy. Nice. I could see where some might think it too salty, but I like spice, and have roots in Genoa. Good imho, did not look like the pic.Ugh, companion had the surf n turf. Very disappointing. 4 small shrimp on top of a tiny thin piece of meat on top of mashed potatoes all over-seasoned to the point of unable to taste the base food. There IS such a thing as too much seasoning; we've been all across the South and Southwest loving some proper seasoning. Great presentation, but that steak brought back Ponderosa memories- Denny's, Golden Nugget, get the picture? A side of asparagus was very good- tender throughout, colorful, in a tasty salsa. Dessert was the whipped cheesecake- a deconstructed piece with a swirl of cheesecake (nice, not too sweet) with the crust and golden raisin topping on the side.What really came as a surprise was the automatically added 20% Service Charge and 2% Employee Benefit Fee. When questioned, our lovely and helpful waitress went to the manager and came back with "the Service Fee is for the front and back of the house, benefit fee is for insurance. If you want to leave an extra tip, that'd go directly to me." WOW, this is NOT common practice and strikes of nickel and diming by management. Nor is it the "New Norm". Covid is well over, yet the greed continues. Regularly we are very generous tippers and understand the restaurant biz (we both have backgrounds). This is a hard NO and reflects on management. This is intentional gouging of the customer relying on our sympathy for the staff and has to end.We left, removing the Benefits Fee (WTAF) and paid the 20%. Not returning, now cynically scrutinizing the bill at every restaurant thanks to this experience. Considering the price and gourmet positioning "Not Good". Disappointed.

Drive from the southside to Logan square for a dry burger and over breaded chicken. We must do better. I had better food at a fast food spot. Wife ordered chicken and doughnuts. Should be called breading and doughnuts. It was ready 20 minutes before mine. !!!! Like we came together why would t we want to eat together?

From the looks of it on a Sunday evening, it didn't look promising, as the place was dead inside, but the small outdoor seating area was almost full. It's good that we didn't judge a book by its cover, because this is a really nice restaurant. My party was getting chilly, so we opted for indoor seating, which was very nice and our server, albeit busy (she might have been the only server), was personable and friendly. Most of the dishes we ordered looked small in quantity, but was mighty in richness and flavor. The crab cake dip had a bit more spice than expected but was really good, and the lemon pappardelle entree had the perfect amount of sauce so that the ingredients weren't drenched in it; the other members of my party also felt the same about their respective pasta dishes. My husband ordered the lobster roll and didn't like it due to too much bread and not enough lobster, and didn't feel that the dressings/toppings atop the sandwich added any flavor. Nonetheless, I'd definitely visit again.

A let down. The first red flag is that they positioned mimosa kits over bottomless mimosas. When we purchased the kit we were a bit disappointed to find such a low budget brand (Cooks) as their champagne. Must be seeing crazy margins on that. When we attempted to order a third mimosa kit they told us they ran out of champagne which made sense why they didn't want people getting the bottomless. The food took forever to come, almost a hour. Basics like having ripe avocado seems crazy to miss. Most things lack flavor or taste old/spoiled. It took over 30 minutes to bring out a glass of champagne (which they forgot about and never brought out). We were told about last call 1 minute before. Just overall poor experience and the price is not justified. Music is good though.

Came her last minute on a Sunday for a birthday brunch. Without a reservation, we were able to score a couple of seats at the bar! The music was good - they played late 90s/ early 2000s. The DJ knew what to play based upon the crowd so that was cool. I chose to order the fried chicken and donuts for $24.00. Pretty steep if you ask me. Especially as a breakfast/ brunch dish. The taste wasn't anything special. The syrup used was minimal and overly sticky. The donuts were more so wanna be beignets and were incredibly dry. I mean a Popeyes biscuits and this donut could go flake for flake based upon how dry it was. No joke. They used boneless thighs, which are fine for holding flavor but I would've appreciated a larger cut of meat for the price. As I've been to the Duplex before for dinner, this is the one time I'd say go for dinner versus brunch.

Went for happy hour with a reservation at 5:30 pm on a Friday night and was seated promptly in the main dining area. Our server Dre was really nice and helpful with recommendations. We ordered the summer fries, bbq and garlic parmesan wings, truffle mozzarella sticks, and margaritas. The portions were shareable for 3 people. The bbq wings are a must! They were cooked perfectly, saucy and still crispy at the same time. Mozzarella sticks were pretty basic, can't go wrong with them. I just wish it had more truffle flavor to it. The prime beef meatballs were also good, just nothing special. Although, I would skip the summer fries, they were a bit on the soggy side. Margaritas were good and strong. Overall The Duplex is definitely worth going to. Really great happy hour value and vibes! They offer patio seating as well for warmer days.

If I could rate 1000 I would the vibe was amazing and the food was great mimosas were on point, big shout out to my server Dre he was soooo amazing ! Dre made sure me and my friend had everything we needed the gentleman he was training at the time was also amazing ! I'm from Michigan and definitely plan on returning