Frontera Grill, Chicago
 

Alerted by NP's question that Frontera's sister restaurant, Topolobampo, required reservations, and none being available for our dates, I thought we might try Frontera Grill. They take a limited number of reservations, then it's first come, first served. We will be in the latter group. Supposing we'd like to eat at 7:30 on a Saturday night in mid-September, how early should we arrive to stand in line?

Maybe an hour? But call them, and they can tell you. You might do better if you are wiling to sit at a counter/bar (details are fuzzy).

"Maybe an hour?" Probably at least that, but no possible way of knowing.

If you are coming at the time of a major convention - more likely up to 1.5-2 hours (i.e., 9/8-9/13 International Manufacturing Technology convention at McCormick Place = est. 100,000).

And, of course, the number in your party will also affect how fast you get a table.

I certainly don't want you to think I'm being flippant about this answer but going to a very popular restaurant with tourists, during a major convention, on the busiest night of the week at prime dining hours all add up to major wait times.

Good advice, all. Thanks.

Fra, interesting question. We had lunch at Frontera once and I was actually told that the wait at lunch can be worse -- so many business people, but I don't think we waited 15 minutes arriving about noon.

But as a side note, that is the day when just as we finished eating, Lee slumped over in his chair and fell to the floor out cold. Much commotion and EMS was called who eventually carried him out on a stretcher, but they they confirmed he was still breathing. I was of course in a panic, but tried to get our bill and pay (we were finished), but the manager refused to take any payment insisting we had "enough to worry about". How nice is that after we totally disrupted the entire place? Everyone thought he was dead!

After a night in Northwestern Hospital (?) it was determined that due to his Alzheimer's he simply underwent an event where his brain "forgets how to stay awake". It's exactly the same thing that happened in a restaurant in Nice, France.

How terrifying that must have been!

I hope Lee rests in peace.

<i> I hope Lee rests in peace. </>

he's NOT RIP mode..... :-)

AAFF -- ????

How terrifying that must have been!

I hope Lee rests in peace.

>>he's NOT RIP mode….:) <<

Not cute! What a horrifying/tasteless thing to say . . .

Not to mention totally over my head. I have no idea what you're trying to say.

Sorry NP. I think he's just confused, not malicious.

OK, I'll give AAFF the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he isn't aware that Lee did pass away in 2009, less than a year after the Frontera Grill incident.

Sorry to sidetrack your thread, Fra.
Meanwhile we canceled our Topolobampo reservation. Just too much chance of our travel plans getting slightly delayed and having to pay a $100 "fine" if we miss it. We may still do it for a 2 PM lunch seating (their latest) before we head home on Saturday evening, although we'd rather do a 4 PM or so late lunch/early dinner.