A ChitownJ

I haven’t been to Big Bowl in a long time. I must say this visit was a bit disappointing. Pros: food was hot, and there was a quick turn around time from the time we ordered until the time we received our food. The pomegranate ginger ale is still delicious. Very refreshing. If you like freshly made ginger ale, this drink is a must try. I have no complaints about service. Cons: They now charge a surcharge. It was completely unexpected. I don’t remember seeing any mention of it on the menu. I noticed it on the bill. Surcharges automatically applied to the bill is a red flag and a bad business practice. I understand rising costs, but customers bear the brunt of these costs. Transparency is key. At least apprise me ahead of time or leave space on the receipt to allow me to accept it or not. Charging it and expecting the customer to dispute it is just poor customer service. It’s not convenient for the customer. The convenience is for the restaurant, especially when people don’t bother to dispute it or ask to have it removed. Another con is the selection for the kid’s menu. My son is pescatarian. He could only order the buttered noodles. Trust me, this dish sounds better than it tastes. Literally, wet noodles no sauce. Lastly, my pad Thai was NOT good. I couldn’t taste the pasta only beansprouts. Lacking in flavor. Appetizers were decent. I went during happy hour and paid 50 bucks for one adult, 1 kid’s meal, and two appetizers. I appreciate the happy hour menu and would recommend ordering from that menu. The appetizers were better than our meals.

Bonefish offers a seasonal dynamite salmon. It’s hands down one of my favorite dishes. I had it with a side of elote. This dish was absolutely amazing. I went during a busy time so the service was slow but the food was really good.