Pinched on the River

I went here for a group dinner on a Wednesday night! It wasn't super crowded and the tables had a good amount of space between them so when they did fill up when dinner service was in full swing - it didn't feel crowded.

It's part bakery. You wouldn't know there was a restaurant because it's on a different floor. So walking in and not seeing anyone, I thought this is weird, but they have a giant arrow and sign that you can see from the front door saying dine-in and pointing to go downstairs. Once is downstairs, it's so nice.

The weather was perfect that night. It has the cutest set up right by the river with some boats and docks. They also have fairy lights that come on once it gets dark on the trees. It truly is a really nice romantic hidden gem. And where it's located is far enough away from Lake shore drive that you can see the fireworks if you are there dining around around 9 PM.

They do mocktails and they have a peach or pineapple flavor. I got both and I was very happy with it. It tasted similar to a mojito, very refreshing and fit nicely with dining al fresco.

Onto the food, I liked a lot of what we got!

-3 flavors of hummus (poblano, red pepper and original) on cucumbers
-bruschetta
-Mediterranean Fish Tacos
-Mushroom Pesto Flatbread
-Falafels
-chicken skewers
-jumbo shrimp
-baklava
-Nutella crepe
-beignets

My faves were...
The shrimp was juicy and jumbo for sure and the chimichurri sauce was so flavorful!

Falafels were not dry at all! It kinda ate like a potato ball and I love me some potatoes! The outside was crispy and inside soft.

Fish tacos! They got a lot of flavor in it. I wouldn't think mediterranean and tacos, but they made it work.

Mushroom pesto flatbread was delish! It didn't look like a ton of stuff on it but I think simple was the way to go. The flavors shined and the pesto on top is what brought it together.

I'd come back and try more of the menu because what I did try really hit the spot so I'm confident I'll find some more goodies!

This is a nice spot that is halfwayish from Downtown and Navy Pier. It's decently priced for a spot by the body of water and they do have a kids meal! (Kids aren't allowed to sit near the waterfront)

The rice bowl is honestly worth it and you can just share this if you don't have a large appetite because the pita + hummus already made me full. Then, I had rice, salad, and the protein.

Service is pretty attentive, but not overly attentive which I appreciate. This seems like a great spot for either lunch or dinner and I would recommend again!

Had a reservation at 6:15, and were seated in about 10 min. Great view and lively location with $15 valet!
I ordered the fish tacos that were amazing. Seasoned expertly.
The Nutella crepe fell short, and was a tad dry.
Other than that pretty quick service, and good portion sizes.

The restaurant sits on the bank of a Chicago River branch and has a very nice outdoor seating area. The dishes are clearly refined compared to those that many of us have got at the fast-food type of Mediterranean restaurants. We had lunch here on a sunny but relatively cool summer day. The Mezze Plate we shared clearly showed the care that the chef took in preparing it. I got the Victory Plate with seasoned rice, beef chevaps and tabouli. The seasoning of the rice was very tasty but not greasy at all, and beef chevaps were delicious.

This was a great casual dinner spot that I can't wait to come back to! This section of riverfront dining is often missed. I brought my family here who each have different food preferences and we all loved it due to their build your own bowl concept. Everything was so fresh and flavorful and it was the perfect balanced meal. The chicken shawarma was so good and the bowl was huge! Comes with a large pita too. We had a perfect table on the patio next to the river.

Very underwhelming meal.

Went for a date night on the water. I think the location is fine for during the day to sit outside, but after sundown, we were being bit by bugs unfortunately.

The pasta was overcooked and there wasn't anything special that particularly made it "mediterranean" other than feta on it when it was labeled as a "Mediterranean Pasta". The sauce was like a basic marinara.

The hummus is anything but authentic. It was too acidic and didn't have the classic chick pea + tahini flavor.

The falafel was not bad flavor wise but the fry on it was not crispy enough. The tzatziki that came with the falafel was good!

I don't know if we just ordered the wrong thing but the plates we ordered were not great. The service was alright.

I don't see myself going back again.

This quaint spot is a hidden gem. First it takes you through their cafe where there is a beignet bar (watch out cafe du monde). Restaurant had a romantic feel on the river. Blackened Talapia Fish Tacos were to die for, solid Falafel, and Mushroom, feta, pesto tart was the right choice for a veggie app. Would recommend highly!

Was really excited to try this place but thought it was overall very average. We came for happy hour and tried the falafel, falafel wrap, hummus trio and the pesto portabella flat bread. Out of all the items the flat bread was probably my favorite.

The hummus was pretty thick and not as creamy but I did enjoy the flavor of the poblano one.

The service was also extremely slow.

I had a nice time at Pinched on the river. I came here specifically for the view on the river, but unfortunately it was raining. The food didn't take long to come out. I had the rice bowl where you pick a protein and 4 other options. I picked falafels for my protein. The food was fresh and had some good flavors going on. My wife didn't care for the flatbread. I love Mediterranean food but nothing really stood out. Everything felt clean and healthy.

My girlfriend found us a new happy hour spot and we loved it. Pinched is a great restaurant. Being right off the river creates a special ambiance and the HH prices were reasonable. I ordered a delicious Moscow Mule, and she got an Allagash White to sip on while we waited for our food! We ordered the veggie flat bread pizza, Fries w/ feta, and Beef sliders. All the options were delicious and they were a great portion as well. This place is definitely worth every penny for sure!