Silver Cloud Bar & Grill

Sometimes you care more about the charm and feel of a place than the quality of food they’re dishing out.
I feel like Silver Cloud falls into that category.
While the food isn’t bad, it isn’t amazing. My Sloppy Joe came on what appeared to be a Wonderbread bun and just felt a little like it came from a can.
My husband went with the burger and was satisfied, though his tater tots looked like the ones we pour out of the Ore Ida bag at home.
The Spinach-​Artichoke dip was forgettable, and the crisps that came with it were flavorless.
However, our server was a delight, very attentive and cheery. And the atmosphere at Silver Cloud makes you feel like you’re one of just a few people who know about it, which is always nice. And the prices were very affordable, which I can’t say about many places in Chicago.
Not going to be one of our go-​to places, but I think people should try it at least once.

I love bringing my kids to the city for a real urban experience, and last night at Silver Cloud was no exception. Right after we sat down outside on the patio, my eight-​year old boys experienced tongue kissing by the couple in the car right next to the restaurant by their table. It became a topic of conversation on the way home when I asked what they liked best about their city experience. Aside from the tall buildings in the loop, «eating tongue» came up. Of course my husband assured them that in a few years it wouldn’t be disgusting, but something they wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about in a good way… and there you have my family in a nutshell.
No trip to the city would be complete without a stop to Silver Cloud. And as I’m writing this, I realize it was almost exactly one year ago when we enjoyed a bit on the patio. My typical go-​to here used to be the grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup, but… I stepped outside my comfort zone and ordered up a pulled pork sandwich, a side of mashed potatoes with gravy (minor upgrade), and I stole some tator tots from my kids. It was served on a fun tray with a red and white picnic table looking paper mat. My meal started with dipping my arm in my mashed potatoes and getting it all over the side of my shirt, so after the tongue kissing start to our meal, our next distraction was cleaning my shirt off. Afraid to get sauce from my sandwich all over my dry clean only skirt, I decided to cut it like a lady. Cutting into paper is a challenge, so after cutting the paper on my tray, I gave up and went for it, and loved every. Last. Bite. So worth the mess. The portion size was perfect and smaller than I’d hoped for, but it’s a good thing they serve only what you need. I was stuffed and my eyes were bigger than my stomach for sure.
Let’s talk mashed potatoes and gravy for a second. They were heavy, homemade, loaded with skins, and the gravy reminded me of my grandmas. Next time I would be happy ordering up a salad and a side of these for my meal. Heavy hearty deliciousness.
My kids got the Zagat-​rated Sloppy Joes off their kids menu, and I sampled a bite. Note the kids menu only comes with a small drink, so we ended up ordering a grown-​up plate of taters to go with it. I was surprised that they got full so fast, but their sammies were deliciously rich and saucy. And, I think we ordered about $ 9 worth of bottled root beer.
Not super vegetarian-​friendly here, my hubby struggled a bit to find something on the menu since he didn’t want a basic veggie burger or salad. He ended up with the black bean nacho appetizer. It was small for the $$, but tasty. The pico de gallo was chunky with a nice splash of lime.
I didn’t try my friend’s mustard-​crusted salmon, but the portion size was perfect and looked like it was tender and flaky.
Cheers to another dinner perfectly done at Silver Cloud! Still love this place and am glad to see it survived all the Bucktown changes around it. Cheers!

This place has good food, but I’m really pleased that they had Ace’s Pear Cider, which was reasonably priced! Pear Cider was my first experience in hard ciders, and it is always hard to come by.
I sat outside and the service was great. I ordered a simple hamburger and it was very good. I’m pretty sure I devoured it within three minutes.
I can’t wait to go back and explore other options on the menu while trying my fate at trivia.

I came to Silver Cloud last week for trivia and had a great experience.
Their Thursday night special is an $ 8 beer flight. I was really glad I ordered it and got to sample some beers that I normally would not have ordered or tried. It was also an awesome value for the price, I’d highly recommend taking advantage of it if you like beer and are here on a Thursday.
I was not super hungry but wanted to try something on their menu (everything looked great) so I splurged and went with the Frito Pie. It was delicious and I really enjoyed their chili.
The ambiance and service at Silver Cloud also have to be mentioned. It is the perfect combination of bar and restaurant and I felt at home as soon as I walked in. It’s a cozy place but the tables are spread far enough apart where you don’t feel to cramped. Our waitress (wish I could get her name) was also stellar and took great care of us.
Definitely a fan of Silver Cloud and hope to be back soon.

This place was a cool. Came here on a Friday night and was seated right away. Our waiter was friendly and checked on my friend and I a proper amount.
The food was extremely tasty. I myself went with the basic hamburger and some tater tots. My friend got the pulled pork sandwich with their incredible mac and cheese.
We ended up buying 2 of their desserts, which were heaven. The smore’s and the campfire cookie.
They also had pear cider which was great as well as refreshing. Nice to change up the pace.

Decent food, fair prices, and a pretty fun trivia night on Thursdays.
They didn’t exactly wow me with anything super unique on the menu, but the grub is good and their tots are baked which is a way tastier way to take em. Try the blackened ahi sandwich if you want an entrée recommendation.
The vibe is very chill. Not a place you’re going to be ripping through Jameson shots at a rapid pace. It’s more pleasant for a date or even a family outing. There’s patio seating on the sidewalk and it’s close to the six corners so a pretty good spot to people watch the all the hipsters passing by.
Overall…a pretty solid experience. Def worth a try!

After a six year period of avoiding this place, I found myself back at Silver Cloud, and I was really impressed. The food is pretty good, definitely reasonably priced, and they have both cocktails and craft beers.
What really stood out was the service, though. Very friendly and warm. And some of the staff are super cute, too. Overall a very neighborhood-​y feel. I won’t wait so long before coming back again.

This place has the worst food and service. You’d think as one of the main go to’s in the neighborhood that they would at least try. I refuse to come here anymore. It’s gone completely down hill

Meh. It’s not bad, but it’s not particularly good either.
It tastes a lot better the first time around. I had French toast drenched in butter and syrup which was delicious (in retrospective it was probably the just the buttery syrup that was good)
I went for dinner the second time and the food was just okay. Nothing too good about it. The Cajun chicken was dry and the fries were pretty forgettable.

Monday night martini’s. Top picks:
The Vesper (inspire after James Bond and Casino Royale)
The Bacon martini. A dirty martini with bacon bits. Yesssss.
The Cucumber– cucumber purée and lemon, so fresh and so clean and so tasty!
I think the prices are more reasonable than many Wicker Park bars/​restaurants. It’s got good lighting, the noise level is good, and the dress is casual. The waitresses are attentive. I’ll always remember the night they did they did Seinfeld Trivia! So much fun.
Amazeballs comfort food. I know it’s weird to pair martini’s and comfort food, I don’t care. It’s so great. The Chicken pot pie is so light and fluffy and heavenly. The crust fluffs up, it looks like a pastry puff, but it’s perfect. It’s HOT. Let it cool, but
It’s phenomenal. The meatloaf is almost as good as my moms. The shepherds pie is so filling, and such a great comfort food. You can DIY your own Mac and Cheese dish! I got Mac, hot dogs, and peas and carrots. It was so nostalgic for my childhood! You can add fancier ingredients if you please though, gourmet cheeses and tender meats– do don’t feel limited.
The Bloody Mary’s are the one of the best I’ve had in Wicker Park. I try to get a Bloody Mary everywhere I go for a cocktail, because they are my one true love. This place– I wake up on a lazy day and think the only thing I want today is a comfortable booth, a chill hang out, and a bomb ass Bloody Mary.

Silver Cloud is a neighborhood restaurant/​bar. We came for some seasonal brews and trivia night. Plus points for trivia nights and tater tots on the menu. Minus points for the prize being a $ 50 gift card back into the restaurant. Wait… that’s not really a prize…

My main reason for coming here is for the grilled cheese. Seems pretty simple, right? Bread+cheese+frying pan. I don’t know how they do it, but the grilled cheeses here are simply the best in the city. I cannot recreate them, no matter how hard I try. The tomato soup that accompanies the ‘wich is also great and perfect for dunking the yummy pair of cheese and bread or the oyster crackers they give you. I’ve also had their mac & cheese (adding truffle oil) and it’s pretty damn good. I wouldn’t give it the title of «the best,» but on a cold Chicago night, it does the trick. It is big enough to share, so make sure someone else at your table likes it too. They give you a ton of crazy options to add to your mac, from doritos to a fried egg. I’m a puritan and only see truffle oil as a suitable mix.
They have trivia and a lot of other cool events throughout the week. I’ve done their pumpkin carving event once and it was pretty funny.
The décor is charming and the staff is really down to earth and helpful. They play all kind of music ranging from rock to 80s. They always have a good amount of beers on tap and the drinks are o.k.
The reason why I give it a 4 is because grilled cheese and mac are really the only reasons to go. I’ve done their breakfast and it was mediocre. Even my meat-​eating bf doesn’t care for anything else in their burger department or anything other than the grilled cheese. Maybe it floats other people’s boats, but Silver Cloud is just a ‘wich place for me.

Came here for dinner and was not disappointed! They have a large menu with very reasonably priced items, most entrees are in the $ 10 – 12 range. Items our table ordered included the chicken pot pie, Shepherd’s pie, mac n’ cheese and the chili. I ordered the chili and it was delicious. Just spicy enough, it was hearty, filling, and a huge portion. My boyfriend ordered the chicken pot pie and I managed to snag a bite before he devoured the entire thing… it was awesome. Very hearty, flavorful and filled with veggies/​chicken, I can see why it was voted «Chicago’s Best.»
Unfortunately, I had to leave early, but my dining companions succeeding in making me extremely jealous by saying that the chocolate chip cookie skillet was «out of this world.» Service was fine, we had actually ordered a side of their baked tator tots that weren’t brought until we were almost finished with our meals. Kind of disappointing. One odd thing about our experience, the men in our party ordered Maker’s on the rocks… which were $ 10 each. This seems a little unreasonable to me, especially considering it wasn’t a huge pour. Other than the weirdly expensive drinks, we had a great time. Will definitely be back to try their brunch menu!

I love it when food intimidates me.
*intimidation understood here in reference only to size /​quantity.
[ I don’t want to be intimidated in bad ways, like eating bugs or something gross… ]
Anyway, back to the food intimidation — that’s precisely what happened (in a delightful way) when my chicken pot pie arrived at the table. *see my photo. I giddily thought, «holy shit, it’s huge!» and then proceeded to eat the entire thing.
Silver Cloud is a place to go when you need a big ol’ plate of love. Whether that comes in the form of a gigantic chicken pot pie, a plate of old fashioned beef stroganoff, mac & cheese, or other comfort foods — that’s up to you.

I’d scoped this place out before we even arrived in Chicago for one reason, and one reason only: The Smoretini. I was so excited… then I tried it.
Hot coffee, w/​booze under a thick layer of whipped cream (i had to shovel most of mine onto my napkin), and garnished w/​a toasted marshmellow. Hot coffee? Really? You couldnt warn people about that? I guess it’s won a bunch of awards, but I honestly dont see why.
Other than my hugely disappointing drink, this place seemed pretty cool. Very laid back, and kind of 40s-​ish feeling. The next time were in town, I anticipate another visit, but it will not be to have another smoretini.

Stopped in here practically on accident, following the Hideout Block Party. We needed refueling before our next stop, and Silver Cloud provided! The large menu of comfort food had me wondering why I’ve never even given SC a second glance. Heaven!
The black bean nachos were really good. And I asked for jalapenos and they were buried under freshly chopped fresh jalapenos (not pickeled– although I don’t discriminate). 4 stars on the Nachometer.
Washed it down with a Pumpkin Ale from Lakefront Brewery that was actually a good beer. This month is Pumpkin Ale month, I guess, so get over there! I liked the supper club vibe, and we had a nice comfy booth, while sports played on the many TVs, and different couples bellied up to the bar.
This is miles from the crazy Coyote Ugly type bars around here *Cans. I’d expect a place like this to be in Lincoln Square, and was very pleasantly surprised. Now to get back for some of their «famous» mac ‘n’ cheese and more. I’ve got some winter weight to put back on.

Comfort food is the center of the menu here. In cozy booths in a bar that is not crazy like the tube dress party bars and bro-​heavy scene that has come to dominate the «alternative» mecca of Milwaukee and Damen, I am always happy to come here for yummy salads, Mac and Cheese, and great pulled pork. My buddy ate the mega nachos and did a damned good job of polishing these off.
I think they used to make a crazy green mixed drink here named after a swamp or something like that. I have no idea if they still do, but I remember this item a few years back when I went on an Ok Cupid date. Wow, that’s a story I will spare you, but I did remember enjoying my swamp drink and my super salad. Nice thing about dates — if the food is good you can chomp away and imagine you are on a date with Catherine Hepburn or someone cool. I suppose they can do the same about me — I’d say replace me with Mr. Depp since I wouldn’t be insulted.
Now, this food is comfort food. It isn’t going to hit you in the face and say «look at me I cost you $ 30 bucks and your uncle Clem from Rockford would wonder why the hell you took him here!» Nope, this is food that looks like food, and tastes like food, and well, is not too expensive so shut your pie hole and go to Girl & The Float if you want!
This place also has a great old fashioned bar that has enough space between chairs to be relaxing. I once met a Russian girl here — oh tell me about it Svetlana! And she did — she told me she was Ukrainian. Um, well, sorry. The bar is awesome — no new trendy fake bar — this is a bar that is probably 60 years old. Cool. Very cool.
A great place for late night eats, a more relaxed scene in this crazy hood, and some good drinks!

This review is mostly to record I (along with a team, of course) won Arrested Development trivia at this bar. Now beyond my team’s amazing victory this bar is pretty average. Stop in for a more slower pace bar in bucktown. The chicken pot pie is good and the drinks are reasonably priced.
Oh and did I mention Arrested Development and me winning are the greatest? Because if not I did in fact win, proving I can build houses and win games… we can win games.

I’ve been to this place a couple times and the first time I had a really great salad, some tasty mixed drinks and left feeling great. The last time I came back was yesterday and my boyfriend and I didn’t eat so healthy.
I had the brie burger which was suuuper rich, cooked perfectly well (medium and plenty juicy) but the zucchini slaw on the side was majorly lacking in flavor, perhaps just because it was paired with the burger, I don’t know. My boyfriend got a sloppy joe which tasted fairly average, and a side of tots. All in all, pretty mediocre comfort food.
I have been back several other times and kept trying other menu items and I just have to say that overall I’m not very impressed. Their bloody marys were good but that’s not really enough of a reason to come back, which is unfortunate because I literally live around the corner.
I was hoping to like this place a lot more but the food seemed to be slightly off. The only thing I do really like is the fact that they have things like Saved By The Bell trivia. That might earn them another star!

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