Three Dots and a Dash, Chicago, IL (bar) - Locating Tiki

RC Ragbag Comics Member The shores of Lake Michigan Joined: Feb 24, 2009 Posts: 212	RC Ragbag Comics Posted posted on Thu, Sep 5, 2013 11:08 AM The way I read the Yelp reviews, they were asked by the bartender to stand with a giant glass bowl with four straws (in a crowded bar) because they flatly refused to make 6 different drinks for a small group, and that instead they could "only" make communal drinks... which is completely insane. I will say on our visit, we had 8 people and it wasn't super-smashed crowded yet while we were there, but the manager still came over twice, and was fairly emphatic that we "should really just order a bowl first or it's going to take a long time" to which we politely refused (and the drink turnaround was pretty quick at that point...) Personally, I don't like getting the hard sell on anything, especially considering (a.) we know what we like (we've been at this Tiki thing awhile), (b.) the amount of money we were putting down for a couple of drinks was considerable, and (c.) we wanted to try a lot of different things... you drop $75-$100 on a bowl for 2-4 people, that's a HEAVY commitment to a drink you may or may not dig too much. Rob- You hit the nail on the head with crowd control; to KillDevil's point, when I see a line outside of a new bar (which, with the craft cocktail scene in Chicago being as extensive as it is is only expected) I have no problem with waiting in a line if I've decided to go check a place out- I don't even have a problem with waiting for a table once inside if there's an appropriate place to wait. What bothered me on our first visit to 3 Dots is that, having been to places like the Violet Hour or the Whistler (or, hell, Kuma's Corner or Hot Doug's), is when I see that line outside, that tells me that the crowd levels are being kept in check for a specific purpose once you're inside. When I see a line (especially one staffed by four...five? security guards) I expect that once I've paid my dues and waited in it, I will get a proper, managed experience. That was not the case. Making people wait 10 minutes only to wait another 40 minutes inside is stupid, especially when the organization for that 40 minute wait is horribly chaotic and jumbled and no one seems to know what's going on. I understand they're trying to turn as many tips as possible, which is good for business, but TERRIBLE for a relaxed Tiki-escape vibe. I did think the staff seemed exceedingly harried on both visits... understandable, and I understand they're getting their sea legs yet and there are plenty of bugs to work out, but yes... I agree 100%, they've gotta keep levels somewhere where their staff isn't completely overwhelmed. Tiki, at the most basic level, is about leaving crazy-hectic-crowded behind, and about escapism and relaxing a bit. You can't do that with 9 Axe body spray club bros yelling and bumping into your elbos while you try to enjoy your expensive drink. I dunno... they're doing a lot of stuff right (that Rum River Mystic is fuggin' outstanding) so I have faith they'll get some of these bugs worked out. But I've been to a --LOT-- of tiki bars all over the country (new, old, still open, closed) and I've been to most all the hip craft cocktail joints in Chicago (and a few in other cities) and I guess my feeling is that to blindly love this place and overlook all of it's fairly clear-cut issues at the present is silly. I think Chicago proper has been SO starved for Tiki (and well-crafted Tiki DRINKS specifically) we all really want everything to be perfect and REALLY want to love everything about this place immediately, which is a kind of blind Tiki love. If, someday, I can wait patiently in line at 3 Dots and KNOW, without a doubt, I will enter to a calm, relaxing environment playing appropriate music at an appropriate volume, and have a high quality, high-octane craft Tiki cocktail served with care, then that will be a magnificent thing, and I'll be coming back more frequently. It will be worth the time invested waiting in that line. Spending time waiting for a hectic, frazzled club-y loud jumble ain't my thing (it IS a lot of other peoples' things out in the non-TC world, tho, so I'm in the minority there.) For now, my experience has been mixed, but I think they're barking up the right tree, so hopefully once those few wrinkles are ironed out we'll have a (consistently) decent Tiki joint downtown for post-work imbibery. Finding the balance between relaxing-classic-tiki and average high-end-modern-drink-lounge-person is tough. I wish 'em the best with it! --Pete

The way I read the Yelp reviews, they were asked by the bartender to stand with a giant glass bowl with four straws (in a crowded bar) because they flatly refused to make 6 different drinks for a small group, and that instead they could "only" make communal drinks... which is completely insane.

I will say on our visit, we had 8 people and it wasn't super-smashed crowded yet while we were there, but the manager still came over twice, and was fairly emphatic that we "should really just order a bowl first or it's going to take a long time" to which we politely refused (and the drink turnaround was pretty quick at that point...) Personally, I don't like getting the hard sell on anything, especially considering (a.) we know what we like (we've been at this Tiki thing awhile), (b.) the amount of money we were putting down for a couple of drinks was considerable, and (c.) we wanted to try a lot of different things... you drop $75-$100 on a bowl for 2-4 people, that's a HEAVY commitment to a drink you may or may not dig too much.

Rob-

You hit the nail on the head with crowd control; to KillDevil's point, when I see a line outside of a new bar (which, with the craft cocktail scene in Chicago being as extensive as it is is only expected) I have no problem with waiting in a line if I've decided to go check a place out- I don't even have a problem with waiting for a table once inside if there's an appropriate place to wait. What bothered me on our first visit to 3 Dots is that, having been to places like the Violet Hour or the Whistler (or, hell, Kuma's Corner or Hot Doug's), is when I see that line outside, that tells me that the crowd levels are being kept in check for a specific purpose once you're inside. When I see a line (especially one staffed by four...five? security guards) I expect that once I've paid my dues and waited in it, I will get a proper, managed experience. That was not the case. Making people wait 10 minutes only to wait another 40 minutes inside is stupid, especially when the organization for that 40 minute wait is horribly chaotic and jumbled and no one seems to know what's going on. I understand they're trying to turn as many tips as possible, which is good for business, but TERRIBLE for a relaxed Tiki-escape vibe.

I did think the staff seemed exceedingly harried on both visits... understandable, and I understand they're getting their sea legs yet and there are plenty of bugs to work out, but yes... I agree 100%, they've gotta keep levels somewhere where their staff isn't completely overwhelmed. Tiki, at the most basic level, is about leaving crazy-hectic-crowded behind, and about escapism and relaxing a bit. You can't do that with 9 Axe body spray club bros yelling and bumping into your elbos while you try to enjoy your expensive drink.

I dunno... they're doing a lot of stuff right (that Rum River Mystic is fuggin' outstanding) so I have faith they'll get some of these bugs worked out.

But I've been to a --LOT-- of tiki bars all over the country (new, old, still open, closed) and I've been to most all the hip craft cocktail joints in Chicago (and a few in other cities) and I guess my feeling is that to blindly love this place and overlook all of it's fairly clear-cut issues at the present is silly. I think Chicago proper has been SO starved for Tiki (and well-crafted Tiki DRINKS specifically) we all really want everything to be perfect and REALLY want to love everything about this place immediately,
which is a kind of blind Tiki love.

If, someday, I can wait patiently in line at 3 Dots and KNOW, without a doubt, I will enter to a calm, relaxing environment playing appropriate music at an appropriate volume, and have a high quality, high-octane craft Tiki cocktail served with care, then that will be a magnificent thing, and I'll be coming back more frequently. It will be worth the time invested waiting in that line. Spending time waiting for a hectic, frazzled club-y loud jumble ain't my thing (it IS a lot of other peoples' things out in the non-TC world, tho, so I'm in the minority there.)

For now, my experience has been mixed, but I think they're barking up the right tree, so hopefully once those few wrinkles are ironed out we'll have a (consistently) decent Tiki joint downtown for post-work imbibery. Finding the balance between relaxing-classic-tiki and average high-end-modern-drink-lounge-person is tough. I wish 'em the best with it!

--Pete

Post #692574 by Ragbag Comics on Thu, Sep 5, 2013 11:08 AM