Bistro Al Vino

We haven't been here for awhile because my husband's feet are bad but we use to go there every week before they even expanded to the large dance floor. We liked Thursday night because of Pam & Tony (Wildefire). They play everything and are fun to dance to. We followed them around for awhile until Dave's foot problems. They have great food and wine. Lee & Dave more

I've been going to this place for the past ten years and quite frankly have seen it grow from a small wine bar with barely ten tables and some small appetizers - to a full bar with great bands for dancing, a large dance floor and a full kitchen for dinners. It only grew this way -- despite the bad economy because the people in the local neighborhood support it. They keep coming back again and again. Some of the regulars have met their significant others there and appreciate the warm and friendly atmosphere. Others know that it is a great place to stop and grab a drink on the way home or to meet friends for happy hour. Most people who go out, want to go somewhere where they feel welcome. Al and his wife Brenda have managed large hotel restaurant and bar facilities throughout the world. They know that people want friendly customer service. That is what they try to provide all the time. If you want to see passion for the industry -- ask the chef about why he tested six different cuts of beef with the customers before deciding which one to use for his side dish - which by the way is great with a Wedge Salad. Or try the bartenders ""Pumpkin Martini"" -- not to mention the Cosmos, JJ Sidecars, etc. And if Brenda isn't swamped with drink orders -- get her out on the dance floor. Every place can have an off night -- but if you visit the place several times -- please note how many of the people come back again, and again, and again. They like it. more

Having worked in the industry, I am typically not one to complain about the run of the mill inadequacies I encounter, but Bistro Al Vino set a new level of disappointment for me. Just to cover the basics, they were sorely understaffed. Considering the small fortune that they charge for the under-poured drinks and the below average menu items, they should be able to pay a few additional servers and bartenders to meet the needs of their clientele. (and maybe a few more to clean the disgusting, filthy floor and wipe the lipstick off of the glasses!) Al needs to take it down a few notches on the tacky meter, and realize that his greedy miser business stance, poor customer service and non existent management abilities will eventually be the downfall of his establishment. Now, with that all out of the way let me explain to you all the next level of incompetence, and downright discrimination that I encountered. The only reason that we set foot in this overpriced strip mall venue was to support a new band that was scheduled for the 8pm time slot, a band consisting of my Father and other close family friends. Now, please understand I am not one of more

Al is great and I've had some really good food there. The ambiance is alluring, but the music???? Bad 80s/90s covers that aging, botoxy, bleach blonds dressed like their daughters line dance to. Really. So I went to McCabe's and heard some better music and was mistreated by the staff. Typical Saturday night. Maybe I'll move back to the city. more

I'm new to the area, so checked it out... The owner, servers & very attentive bartender were all super friendly. The food was excellent, drinks strong, (not a big wine drinker, but they have an extensive collection), and the live music was very enjoyable. To get all that without paying for parking, or a cover charge, is a big plus, and I'll definitely be making it back there often! more

SO ME AND MY GIRLS SAW THIS PLACE AND WANTED TO HAVE SOME FUN AND PARTY A FEW WEEKS AGO TURNS OUT THE PLACE WAS A DUMP AL GAVE US FREE SHOTS I GUESS TO TRY AND COMPENSATE US FOR THE THE WORST ""COLD "" FOOD EVER!!!! IT WAS DIGUSTING!!!!!! OUR SERVER KEPT HITTING ON MY GIRL WITH SOME LAME MILITARY STORIES!!! WOW! PRETTY CORNEY!!!! WARNING TO OTHERS......NOT FOR FAMILY....FOOD IS GROSS.....AND THE SERVICE IS TERRIBLE Cons: FOOD SUCKS,AND SHITTY SERVICE more

Wow, what a great night! My husband and I stopped by last night as we had heard about this wonderful place from several of my girlfriends. The owner, Al, greeted us at the door and we felt very welcomed at the Bistro. I liked the flight of red wine I tasted, great selection. We had lots of fun on the dance floor and had an amazing conversation with this new couple we met! The live entertainment is a big plus and the food was prepared perfect. We are going back next week! Pros: Live music and an outdoor patio more

Met some friends here last night for dinner, drinks, and live music. I have to say that this place is great! Upon entering, we were greeted by Al, the owner. He was extremely welcoming and friendly, which I love since a lot of people these days are not very nice or service oriented. We sat at the bar while waiting for our friends, and the bartender was also extremely friendly and helpful. The drink menu was fun and unique. We tried a few different martinis. The wine menu was also quite extensive. They had a live band too which was a lot of fun! I would go back here simply based on the service, especially to sit at the bar and have a drink, but as an added bonus, the food is awesome! Yay! I'm a fan! Pros: new bands everyweek more

I have been going there since April of 2003. This is a great place to go to, with incredible bands playing every night, and where the people are friendly. Imagine Cheers -- But instead of Beer -- it is wine! Pros: A great place to go to more

We saw an ad for this place, which specifically mentioned it's a family restaurant. We decided to eat dinner here on a weeknight. There is a statue of a woman's bust in the restaurant, which is wearing a button up shirt. The owner himself at one point walked up to the bust and opened the shirt so as to prominently display the statue's breasts, while making a lude gesture, it was very uncomfortable. While our waitress was very pleasant, the owner had a very dirty mouth, his foul language made it terribly uncomfortable for us, sitting there with our children. The food was mediocre. We will definitely never visit this place again, with or without children. Pros: Friendly wait staff. Cons: NOT a family place, although it's advertised as one. more

I love me some Bistro Al Vino. I've been coming for years, and never been let down. Sure, we come mostly for the music, dancing, fun. But, there's sooooo much more to the place! The food is killer and kinda healthy- not greasy bar fare.. where else do you get paella, chile rellenos and osso bucco?? Quick answer: nowhere else! The staff is damn cool and good at what they do.... Love you Al! Thanks again for the good times! Pros: Music, Food, Service, Wine Cons: There's only one...... more

For me, it's mostly the music. The bands they have are always so good. Everyone is always dancing, including the owners. Even the servers and bartenders are dancing while they work. It's just fun! I just started coming in a few weeks ago, and already I feel like part of the family. The music is so different from one night to the next: funk, classic rock, R&B, jazz, always good bands! The food rocks. I haven't sampled too much of the menu, but the Burger is off the charts! Wine list is extensive to say the least. If I didn't have a job, I'd be there every day. Pros: Live Music, Wine, dancing, people Cons: None? more

This is a favorite spot for me. It's a nice space, but I still feel comfortable. It's a little out of my neighborhood, but it's well worth the drive to Aurora! The food is delicious. We had the hummus, crab cakes and paella. Great variety on the menu, and everything is perfect! They have good drinks and selection, not just wine. But there are over 100 by the glass wines. Which I like. A lot of it is wine you typically have to buy by the bottle. The staff is nice, the bands are always great, and Al is wonderful! He always remembers your name and chats with you for a bit. more

My wife and I had visited here one other time about a year ago and it was great so we decided to use our date night to visit once again. That was a bad decision! Our server was average at best, the food was terrible, and the wine was overpriced. I had a feeling the food was going to be questionable when I noticed that the ""kitchen"" was just the end of the bar, and consisted of two, yes two, microwaves and one of those glorified microwave/oven machines like Subway uses to toast the sandwiches. I am just glad I did not try the microwaved pork chop or salmon. I am also glad I did not end up with the chefs gum in my food, which he was chomping on the whole time he was making food. I love the concept, and Al is very inviting, however this most recent visit was enough to turn me off for good. Pros: Good Wines Cons: Food, prices more

This place rocks. The moment you walk in, you feel like you've been there before with a big hug from Al. Great atmostphere surrounds you -- live music is incredible and makes you want to dance! I actually danced on a table to the band ""Track 4"" one night and felt alive again! There are wines of all kinds and prices -- 15 are $15 a bottle. Can't beat the experience. Great place to meet friends -- or meet new friends. Want some serious culture in south eastern suburbs?...Al's the place! I'll be back. Pros: Great Wine, Great Atmosphere, Great Staff Cons: Could be bigger more

I think the Bistro is like any other place, you have to experience it for yourself and decide if it is for you or not.\r \r I have a great time whenever I go-and I go often. I love the dancing and the live entertainment. One in particular is Ron Ivory. He is there on Wednesday's. His stage presence is superb and he really engages the crowd. If you have a birthday or a special engagement, plan to do it on a Wednesday night there. \r \r I do have to say that the waitresses and service were horrible. OMG unbelievable. However, this is a new year and Al has started it off great with a new and much improved staff. There is a fabulous little red-headed girl and 2 new blondes. They replaced the other mean blonde. You can tell these girls are having fun now and the level of service has drastically been raised. Tina (black hair) the bartender is cute as a button and her drinks get a high five!!! Love her!!!!! Totally!!!\r \r I love Al and his wife Brenda because they are not afraid to get out and shake a tail feather and mix and mingle with the crowd. Al takes great pride in making sure everyone is happy and having a good time. I know first hand if there is a problem he will gladly fix it. He does like to meet and greet everyone, if he missed you somehow then feel free to go up and say hello. He's a hands-on kinda guy. He'll love that.\r \r I enjoy going to a place where the people are familiar and friendly. I enjoy seeing the new faces mixed with the regulars. This is a grown up place for grown up people who want to have fun dancing, meeting people, drinking and eating. Cut up and let loose for a bit.\r \r Check it out for yourself. This is a great after work place. There are different entertainers and different crowds every night. See which one strikes your fancy. Talk to someone you know and someone you don't know, but talk to everybody. Pros: New and improved staff, small business, great for after work get togethers Cons: The pros outweigh the cons more

I came in over the the New Year and my server was linda or liz...she had braids tied up around her hair...her outfit she had on was very inappropriate and made me feel uncomfortable I couldn't tell if I was at a wine bar or ""Gentlemens Club"" her service was slow and terrible!!!! Other then that I had a get time and enjoyed the music! more

I HAVE BEEN GOING TO THE BISTRO FOR YEARS NOW AND FINALLY THEY HAVE A EXCELLENT BARTENDER!!!! SHE IS THE GREATEST VERY FUN,POSITIVE, CLASSY,CARING AND GORGEOUS! SHE MAKES THE BISTRO WORTH COMING INTO MORE OFTEN HER NAME IS TINA!!! BESIDES THAT THE SERVERS ARE UNCLASSY AND A BIT TRASHY! WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A UPSCALE WINE BAR YOU THINK CLASS! NOT TRASH! HOPEFULLY THE NEW BARTENDER WILL RUB OFF! THE FOOD IS OKAY IF IT ISNT COLD HALF THE TIME OR BURNT! more

During my recent visit I was greeted at the door buy the owner Al who showed me and my friends to our table. Our server (liz, or lisa I forget) was fantastic all night. we ordered 2 wine flights and some martinis followed by sangria. We started our dinner with a dozen fresh oysters on the half shell that were outstanding and some french fries that we couldnt get enough of. I ordered the salmon that had some orange sauce that i enjoyed very much my girlfriend had the scallops that she said were the best she had ever tried. my best friend had a kobe burger that was gigantic and he said was the best burger he had ever had. We were all then invited to the back office to do a shot of tequila with the owner. There was live music all night long and the dance floor was full. I will be back very soon and have been telling my friend about this new bar. Its hard to find a place to go and relax with great service and good food. Its nice to know this little bar is in my neighborhood. Thanks for the good time Pros: amazing service and the best food around Cons: a waiting line for the bathroom more

After my visit there last week I have to say as an adult it is refreshing to go to such a fun and lively place to relax. The owner and his wife were both there which I think is very cool, the staff was well trained and knowledgeable. We had food from the new menu which was creative and well prepared. The pork is outstanding. The place can get loud with dancing and live music and it goes well into the evening on the weekends. It's nice to be around other ADULTS without kids and immature attitudes. Highly reccomended, a must go destination. Pros: Atmosphere, entertainment and food. Cons: could use more bathrooms more