mantra

good. i have been several times, the food and service are always good. the menu has enough variety that most can find something they enjoy, and the prices are very fair.

jake is a wonderful bartender, the drinks are top notch and the food menu is varied but delicious! the service was great, and the food came out tasting wonderful despite us bringing a party of 15 people.

very good service and food. i loved the spinach dip and the fish tacos were tasty. we really enjoyed the outdoor seating and the drinks were great. i didn't like how close the kitchen was to the indoor seating. i hate smelling like a kitchen when i leave a place. overall good experience though.

i love this place! my boyfriend and i enjoy their sunday brunch and have never had a bad meal. great french toast and crab cake eggs benedict. oh and the mimosas are spot on. this is a must try if you haven't been before.

great atmosphere and i really like the location, just outside busy benson. our group of four stopped in on a friday evening at dinner time and were able to get a seat on the patio. we started with drinks, and although their drink menu was more limited than i expected, the bloody mary's and moscow mules were good and inexpensive. the food menu is also small, but the food was prepared very well and was good enough to make up for limited selection. all in all, we liked it! the menu is simple, yet the food is delicious. the atmosphere is also very nice, so we will be back!

even the little touches...... mantra's omelet special is a definite favorite. this past weekend i asked if i could have a side of something besides the fruit or breakfast potatoes. (both of which are good, just not what works for me all the time) i asked my server if just a side of sauteed vegetables would be possible and she said she would ask the chef. when my omelet came there was a side portion of zucchini, squash, sweet onions, julienned carrots, but the incredible thing was how well they were seasoned and the freshness of flavor. these were, literally, the most delicious vegetables i have ever had at a restaurant. i already loved the omelet yet found the mixed vegetable side was equal to or even surpassing the main item. looking forward to many more great meals at mantra!


-----10 aug, 2014-----

dinner...and then brunch...... we have come to appreciate what mantra is providing! it's a cool, simple atmosphere with very great, fresh food offerings! early afternoon, sunday, i ordered the specialty omelet, and asked my waiter if the chef would make it as light and fluffy as possible. (i have a "need for moist" issue since having had radiation/chemo treatment on my throat). the omelet was perfect, for me. added in were sweet cherry(?) tomatoes, fresh/tender asparagus, thinly sliced,/tender prosciutto, havarti cheese. the fried breakfast potatoes were even cooked to how i could handle them, soft and crispy at the same time. the fruit bowl accompaniment was fresher than most i've had at other restaurants. and though i couldn't do the english muffin, i could tell is was toasted just right. (it's carbs, like that that i really miss). our respective dinners @mantra have also been better prepared than what one expects from a specific description!

disappointed... had the crab cake benedict ... crab cakes was the worst i have ever had!! i told the lady about it and she looked at me and ... oh that sucks.... great customer service! not sure i will be back

great food, wait staff, and atmosphere. i just love going to this place. the staff is warm and friendly and the food is consistenly excellent. everything i've ordered has been impeccable. plus, the prices are reasonable. it's became my new favorite neighborhood place! great job mantra for always giving me a pleasant experience from dining to drinking!

excellent food and atmosphere. the blt and chicken enchiladas are a hit

falls flat.... heard some good things about mantra, but at the end of the day i was not impressed. our parties food was extremely hit or miss, and seemed to be lacking freshness and flavor. crab cakes fell into a category of "ok" to slightly above average even though one cake was served falling apart. next up, flat iron (which seems to be the "in" cut for bistros) special that i had was again right at that "ok" line. the veggies and potatoes served w/ the beef fell flat, unfortunately. my wife ordered the chicken enchiladas, not good. inside was dry, chicken had been well over cooked and had seen no seasoning. the overall feel from the sauces, appetizers, and entree's was that much of the ingredients was pulled from can's, frozen etc and much of it could be made at home without much food knowledge... the one positive seems to be the price, which put's it right below some of the more popular up and coming eateries in the area (benson-dundee-midtown), but the food simply isn't up to par.

meh.. i really wish there was a "meh" button on here. i neither liked nor disliked my meal here. i really *wanted* to like it. i ate it all. but it was pretty disappointing. i got the chopped veggie salad and added salmon. the presentation was good, but the piece of salmon i got for $4 extra dollars was miniscule. and the salad dressing was not good at all. it was a soy ginger vinaigrette (which i usually love) but the salty soy taste was completely overpowering. i didn't even taste ginger.

i wouldn't be opposed to going back and trying it again, but this time around i was not impressed.

stopped by after work for dinner, slam dunk!! flatbread was awesome and the spicy shredded pork soup they had tonight was spicy and delicious!! the staff is always great and it's just a nice place to be. the only thing is that the bartender had a weird shaped head. i'll be back for sure!!

nice place. went with a friend on a wet and windy tuesday recently. very nice decor. part sports bar (tv's everywhere...sound off though) part bistro feel.

great waitress. very friendly and prompt.

crabcake appetizers were good...not great.
chicken picatta was very good, just not a picatta. the sauce was too heavy for a traditional picatta.

very pleasant evening. i'd definitely go back.

disappointed. i used to really love this restaurant but have had bad experiences the last two times there. i usually try to tell management before going social but there is no contact on the website.
last night, it took 25 minutes after ordering to receive fish and chips and a bowl of soup that was cold - had to go back. the restaurant was only about 1/4 full. the folks next to us had to ask a second time for their drinks - beer and wine. the waitress told them "the bartender gets to chatting and forgets".
during the prior visit, they were out of sam adams and the walleye at 730 pm on a friday. we ended up not ordering a second entree out of frustration as the second choice was out as well. nothing was offered to make amends.
the menu is tired with little change over the last year.
will be some time before we go back. it would seem that owner presence is no longer obvious which might be the difference.

a great go to restaurant. the food is amazing for the price. i have had nearly everything on the menu at this point and i have yet to dislike something.