The Banshee is one of those iconic Chico staples that never fails to deliver. It's always a good place to go for a few drinks and phenomenal food. I have never eaten anything at the Banshee that wasn't good. The fish tacos, beef brisket phó, pastrami bomb sandwich, you name it. I cannot recommend this place enough. read more

Highly elevated and creative bar food. Banshee has the best example of many different things in town including their Philly, pho rench dip, burgers, fish tacos, tuna melt, blat, the list goes on. Great beers too. It gets busy but if you serve great food and beer, have solid service, a have a great ambiance that's bound to happen. read more

Excellent burger, cooked exactly as requested and some of the best mac & cheese I have ever had. Our server, Joe, did an extraordinary job with friendly, accurate service. read more

Stopped for dinner and a sour beer on our way home. Had the pork skins for an appetizer and wings for dinner. Both were fantastic!

Let me start by saying my food was disappointing (a bahn mi pork taco and a garden salad). Maybe I don't like bahn mi pork. I am sure I dont like pickles on my salad or their version of Balsamic dressing. I will however definitely give The Banshee another try. There are several other items I would like to try as well as cocktails, ciders and beer. The vibe on a Wednesday afternoon was nice and chill. Music was good, service was impeccable. I feel bad that I can only give a 3. See you next time. read more

Best fish tacos Chico has to offer, don't get only one! Top noch Mac & cheese! Yum! Even the $15 quesadilla is amazing! A little pricy but very good food. Avoid Friday and Saturday nights, it gets very loud in there. They don't call it the Banshee for nothing. read more

Love the banshee! So happy to see them open again since the lock down! Such great good still and can't wait to go back. Sorry to hear about such low staffing but for the limited staff they did have still got great food and checked in on! Their fish tacos and Mac n cheese plus mushrooms and bacon! Those are my favorites! Love the new outdoor seating area (when it's not too hot) read more

You never have to questing if it's fresh, hot, cold, spicy, seasoned. Their food is 100% bomb af all the time! Everything there is good. But YES try the mac n cheese. And the chicken Cesar is amazing! read more

Go to spot for a quick pint. I've never had the food, but I hear nothing but good things. The plumbing there is incredible, I've noticed. Good selection of beer. Friendly staff. Easy to get in and get out (provided it's not Friday or Saturday night in the months of August through May) read more

The food must be great, because it was packed and everyone had a plate. We were bar hopping, and just stopped in for a drink. The place was cute, on the trendy side and the staff was busy. Sitting belly up to the bar, I appreciate a little more attention than we got. Seems like a fun popular place to hang out, just not my style when I go out to drink. read more

Good drinks & great food! The Banshee has a rep for the mac & cheese but the fish tacos are what I find myself craving all the time! And extra bonus, they're on the late night menu as well. Also the service has always been wonderful! read more

Banshee was my favorite go-to restaurant in Chico, for lunches. I've been there twice in the past three weeks after they reopened and the food has gone downhill, must have lost their cook. First time I got their fish and chips, previously the best in town IMHO. This time there were three fish sticks on a plate of fries. That's right the fish, cod I assume, wasn't any bigger than a 1 inch by 5 inch fish stick, 3 of them. I asked if this was all and was told yes. Then the bill, price was way up and the fish way down. Went to Scotty's the next week and their portions and price hasn't changed. Then last week I went in for my favorite Rueben sandwich of all time, at least it was pre-pandemic closure. I'm not sure what I was served but it seemed to be a few pieces of pan-fried, crispy pastrami. It tasted great but had one-third the meat on a smaller bun for a huge increase in price $18. I understand the pandemic has been hard on everyone but these guys went from the best in town to "maybe I'll eat there again" instead of looking forward to my weekly Banshee meal. We will see, only two strikes so far. read more

Great bar to come to to get some delicious comfort food. The quesadillas are excellent, particularly the steak and onion one. Also they have amazing mac and cheese which I recommend adding jalapeños and bacon to. The fish tacos are also amazing! They have really nice drinks as well, I often get the white linen read more

Great place for lunch. Ordered Turkey pesto sandwich with garlic parmesan duck fat french fries.... DELICIOUS!!!! Generous portion of food...the price is worth the taste and amount of food served. Not enough staff working, but the waitress did the work of three staff to ensure the patrons got everything they orderd. This place is worth coming back for sure!!! read more

My fiance and I come here to share a bowl of their Pho because we swear it's the best in town. AND it's a large serving, so we usually just share it. The mac n cheese is bomb, too. read more

Reviewing The Banshee, Chico ,CA: Went to try this place as has several "great" food reviews. Was happy to sit outside on side of road and share a table with two other parties (happy to be outside free of COVID). However, the food was horrible. Staff was worse (more than one of them drunk as a skunk at 12pm PST). Further my server who was the most drunk kept putting her face within 2 inches of my face and placing her drunk hand on my lower back as if she cared she never put in our entree orders. I got COVID a week later. In short, the food sucked, the staff were wasted. Save yourself $30 for a Mac n cheese and make it at home. This place has obviously gone downhill since was sold to new management recently in light of the pandemic. But if you are a young college person I am sure you would enjoy this place. However, if a wise parent taking family to this place to eat because of the "great food" reviews, skip it. They need to take the family centered items off the menu as this is a BAR and a rough up bar at that. Banshee is not a family establishment in an outdoor bar setting as advertised. It's a bar on the side of the road with a bartenders over serving staff before noon, and charging the hugest prices possible for low grade food (seriously $30 for a Mac n cheese?! New management needs to take the family items off the menu and just replace with Irish car bombs and a side of COVID. It would be more fitting read more

From the pours behind the bar to the food absolutely amazing. I'm from sac visiting randomly stopped here and ate some food. All around great customer service and food is excellent . Pastrami sandwich with the onions and peppers (deluxe) best pastrami sandwich I have ever had by far. Incredible. The Mac n chz when I walked in half the Bartop if not $70 percent were eating the Mac. Looks amazing. One of the best things I have had in quite some time if you are in the area the pastrami deluxe sando and Mac are the home run hitters without a doubt read more

Mac and cheese is amazing and their drinks are delicious! Get there early because they fill up fast!

Amazing burgers and Mac and cheese. Kinda grumpy service and poor seating on busy days but nice rough around the edges spot with amazing food read more

The "PHO-rench dip!!! Freaking Heaven on a plate! And the pho Bowl astonishingly delicious! Downside is the music is always pretty loud and the place gets really really crowded during regular meal times. It's always worth the wait though! One of My favorite places in Chico! read more

Really great food, very bad service. I had recently gone there for my birthday with some friends, got quality drinks, amazing food. But because of a misunderstanding from our part and after being denied a split check we were ambushed very aggressively by our waitress, very loudly in front of other tables. She had been very angry stopping us from leaving to say that we can't tip in cash and our tip was "unacceptable,to people in the real world" and " im not trying to be a bitch but thats not how it works" To make her not so mad, we gave her an extra tip where she grabbed it rudely and walked away. Again, we had misunderstood and I felt it could have been dealt with in a different way. Feeling terrible and upset, I will miss the great food, for I will not return to this local pub. read more

Received bad service tonight. Waited 20 mins for drinks at the bar, was told to sit back at my table and take orders from the waitress. The bar tender wasn't that rude, I was frustrated that I waited 20 mins to be told to sit down at my table that had been skipped over by the waitress. We explain what happened to the waitress and she comped one of our drinks, which was really nice. We ordered 2 of the same drinks and mine was made different. Like a huge difference from my friends. Immediately we decided that we were just gonna close our tabs and go to burgers and brew for food. We waited 30 mins to receive our receipt and I had to approach the waitress for our receipt. She told me that she'd give my receipt to me when she was finished. I understand that they were down 2 people and overstaffed. I didn't want to cause a scene. I wasn't being rude. I was frustrated from the service and wanted to leave. I love coming to the banshee during the day, I think I just went at a bad time. read more

Just walked in with two families and found room in the back. We scooted one of the tables over to make it large enough for our party of 9. The waitress walked by us 3 times without saying a word. The last time she walked by she asked us if we could "scoot in" and give up one of the tables and only use one table because we were taking up her whole area. We had 4 adults and 5 kids sitting at the little 30" square tables in the back. I about lost it but before saying anything I stood up and told my kids let's go. It's her loss. She was worried about her tips getting shorted with less tables I guess. Too bad she didn't know how we roll, our same group just dropped over $400 on sushi the night before. read more

I really wanted to like this place. Sports on TV, decent and changing selection of beer, and a nice long bar. I went with a friend on a weeknight. We sat at the bar and both got carded (Chico is a college town so I expect a certain amount of them wanting to see my I.D., but sheesh, we are not so young looking!). We asked for baseball on the T.V. Twice. She finally changed it. We ordered food. Generic bar food. Nothing special here. Except for the food poisoning that came to my pal after eating the "cheesesteak." I would possibly drink there again, but definitely not eat a thing. read more

This place has never treated me wrong when out on the town in Chico. The only thing I don't completely like about the place is the set yourself when a table is available but this too can work in your favor. It can be very busy at times but that is because the food is great and they have a pretty big selection of beers. The staff is always friendly and the place is always alive. Great place to go to kick off your weekend or night. read more

The Banshee - Baka style fried cod tacos - Bars Near Me - Chico, California

LOUD! Like...forever deaf, eardrum busting loud. I also got food poisoning from the wings at the Banshee the second time I ate there. The macaroni and cheese, however, is DELICIOUS! If you can hack the loud noise, super tight, crowded spaces, the macaroni and cheese is totally worth a try. I'm not a big drinker, so the variety of booze they have on tap is lost on me, but I hear it's good? I just can't stand the claustrophobia-induced panic attack and 3+ hours of being hearing impaired I am guaranteed every time I step into this place. It also smells like urine outside. Pretty much all of the time. So there's that. read more

It's really is one of those special places to eat in Chico. You have to know what you are getting into when you go in though. They are really laid back and the bar is usually more busy then the restaurant. The seating area is also a little awkward. No one greats you or seats you, it's almost like you have to already know what to do if you want to eat there because the staff does not automatically know if you are their to drink or to eat. But if you sit down in the back a waitress will find you. Most unique and diverse menu I have seen at a bar in Chico. They have great choices of comfort food. The Philly cheese steak is by far my favorite but everything else is amazing as well. I have ordered a burger, bacon mac and cheese, and every time I am impressed. It's pretty much all comfort food. While I do like to be healthy this place is perfect for that once a month treat. Even though the place is set up a little awkward the server made all my concerns go away. She was super friendly and patient. And when my girl friend received her fish tacos covered in cilantro(which she hates) she replaced them for her without making us feel awkward or anything. For what this places is it really nails it for me. read more

Went up for a day and a half from the Bay Area to just hang out and chilled and I had to whip out my handy dandy Yelp app because I had no idea what was out here. Then I came across this place. I must say though....I was a bit skeptical yelping anything because of the few reviews some places had but 100+ reviews on this place really did it for me and that did not disappoint at all. Came here yesterday (Sunday afternoon) for lunch. Forgot my phone in the car and so I couldn't remember what was most popular so I went out on a limb and just ordered a burger. Ohhhhhhhh man it was seriously good. I topped it with mayo, avocado, a fried egg--which btw was fried to perfection and tons of jalapenos. Oh need I mention a squirt of ketchup for every bite. I devoured that cheese burger like no other. I was so full and satisfied I didn't even eat dinner. I kinda wondered if the beef was grass fed because it's usually tastier but whether or not it was, it was really good. The dude had a pastrami bomb, he didn't think it was as big as others he's had before but he said it was really good. I didn't have any but it did look delicious and it looks like many other reviewers did have that. Next time I come here, I'm definitely going for the mac n' cheese and fish tacos! This place is a must for some serious eats in Chico. Oh and I should say that though I was not in the mood for any beer, the selection looked quite nice. Since Sierra Nevada is local and made in this town, it is also a must when I hit up the bar next time I'm in town! read more

You can't go wrong with anything on their menu. Typically they have a great unique twist to their menu items. Great place for a late night meal or afternoon lunch meeting. Would like to see them expand to an outside eating area but that is just wishful thinking. Overall one of the best in town. read more

I dig the scene, it's kinda small, dark and handsome, you know? It's intimate but the music (which is sometimes decent) is so loud you feel like you're at Normal (barf)... anyway, the long tables make for a real, "Avaste ye matey!" kind of feel and there are very creative bathrooms: not only are the floors glittery but they have chalk to draw on the walls with! I give 4 (four) stars because it is expensive for Chico standards, but mostly worth it. Where else in the Northern California area can you get Strongbow on tap?! read more

Up until now I've been very happy with food- the burgers in particular. Had fish & chips today that were less than stellar. Fries were above average, however the three small pieces of fish were reminiscent of fish sticks from Costco. Did not feel like it was worth $14. read more

My husband and I came hungry after church. We split a Philly cheese steak sandwich and fries while we watched the world cup on their big TVs. We are both full and happy. Delicious. PS My husband is 6' 4" and has a healthy big guy appetite. It's saying something that he can split the meal here and feel satisfied. :-) read more

Not a local. Vaguely remember stopping by last year. Let's try again this year! Hey, this place is pretty busy, that must be a good sign! Especially over the summer, with school out and all. What a nice doorman, thanks mister. Gee golly gosh, look at these drinks! And these prices! These drinks are basically free compared to SF! Whoa now, young fella, you're drinking shots like it's going out of style. But how can I blame you? SO DELICIOUS Oh boy, you're not looking so good. Perhaps you should take a seat. Maybe outside. Oh, that was graphic. Just...shot out of you...like you were fire hydrant. That was fun. Let's remember to get food next time. Instead of just a dozen shots. read more

Atmosphere is good, staff is really friendly but mannnnn they served me the worst burger I've had in a long time. Dry and not cooked medium/rare as it says on the menu. As yelp described two starts "Meh. I've experienced better.", a better burger that is. UPDATE: Owner Will offered to buy me another burger so I took him up on that offer. This time it was really good. Maybe it was just a bad day the first time I went but will be back again for a really good burger and good beer! Also knowing the people running the joint are willing to do that is another reason to go back! read more

I love to be here. Hanging out, sipping a drink, ordering bomb food--their pho is divine as are their tacos. Fun atmosphere, relaxing...I think they may be seeing me in there for lunch today. :-) read more

I am updating my previously harsh review because the owner/manger took the time to address my concerns, which is very rare today. I greatly appreciate them taking the time to consider my complaint about split checks and no ATM machine, both of which they remedied. The food as I reported earlier was top notch and so were the party's drinks, so now the place certainly deserves 5 stars. It is refreshing to see a fellow business owner who cares about the customer experience enough to address specific concerns. read more

Exceptional food. One of The Best Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches I have ever had, and I've had many. My wife really liked the Fish Tacos too! Looking forward to going back soon and having the Pho-rench dip sandwich :-) read more

I absolutely love this place! I love the food and the bar atmopshere! When I have people come to 5th Street Steakhouse (where I work) and ask where to go in a non-college atmosphere I send them all to The Banshee! Thank you to the entire staff! read more

Love this place! During the day it's a nice place to catch up with friends and have some lunch. An early dinner is great as well since it tends to get crowded and loud at night! Their food is pub grub but a little more upscale than just a burger and fries. . It's not expensive if you're visiting from out of town, but if you're a college student, you might find it at the top of your price range. Well worth the money :) it turns into a bar scene at night with lots of people from in their 20's-40's. Great mix! They do have a couple tvs to watch some games throughout the day & night. They just opened a late night food counter on the outside so you can still get some of their great food after they've closed down the kitchen on the inside. read more

SUCH good food (pastrami bomb with garlic fries is a MUST). We like to take out of towners there because it doesn't get too crowded during the afternoon. Night time is a different story, it's usually loud and packed and hard to get a table, but if you do- a good time is ensured. They play awesome music and the staff is quick and helpful. Love the Banshee! * It is REALLY loud, even when it's only half full. So if there are any hard of hearing in the group, better off going somewhere a wee bit quieter (or ditching them). read more