I hate that I loved this place so much! I live in Michigan and was determined to get a reservation…read more So when I finally got it I was elated. First the service, now the host stand can be a little flat but I think they get so busy and it's so in demand they have to be stern but all the staff was amazing. I never needed a thing. They were so nice and checked on us constantly. The food... omg the fooddddd! Healthy portions! You could definitely share if you wanted to be more waist or budget friendly lol. My favorite had to be the shrimp and the steak. The steak was cooked perfectly and the au poivre was a great accompaniment. Dessert was also amazing. Healthy portions for sure shareable. I would definitely make that drove from Michigan to come back! Perfect start to my 30th birthday!!

I visited for my birthday dinner, and overall the experience was decent. This place has been on my…read morelist for a little bit as I'm all about discovering Chicago's best steak restaurants. The ambience is dimly lit, cozy, with speakeasy-like vibes and seemingly intimate, so it would make a good date night too. Service was great, and our waiter was very attentive and offered his advice and input on food items. I opted for the Lyonnaise Salad, thick-cut bacon, truffle mac n cheese, and Steak frites. My friend had the Double Wagyu cheeseburger. Everything was relatively good, the steak frites cooked a little too done for me though. The salad, the thick-cut bacon, and the cheeseburger were delicious. I am not a fan of the truffle mac n cheese, but then again I don't really like truffle, so take that into consideration. Dessert was delicious! Apple Pie and ice cream were literally so good. While I don't think it's spectacular or anything, it's on par with other Chicago restaurants in this category, and I would visit again.

This "sniffs in" at 4.5 stars…read more.. Per our local friend this is a classic Chicago steakhouse. LOADED WEDGE SALAD w/BACON, TOMATO & BLUE CHEESE: -- appropriate amount of tasty creamy dressing -- very large but great for 3 people needing some greens with their beef -- I stirred it up well and very tasty -- good or better balance of ingredients RATING = A 22 OUNCE CHICAGO CUT: -- ribeye type cut -- medium-rare -- pre-cut per our request (I prefer not as steak stays hotter when served) -- nice edge bark -- nicely cooked -- best beef of the night -- the rib bone piece was legit but did adhere to the bone a lot RATING = A FILET MIGNON (14 ounce): -- cooked rare plus -- definitely rare -- pre-cut again -- cuts easily but maybe not like butter -- very good steak but I still feel like a recent Mastro's petit filet cooked rare + was better) -- served with Bernaise sauce RATING = A- JUMBO LUMP CRAB CAKE w/thousand island sauce?: -- big fat delish cake -- lightly breaded -- tender and fresh RATING = A+ CARROT CAKE: The MOOSE is loose!!! -- this slice of cake is the size of our head -- it appears to be a 1/4 cut of a gigantic carrot cake -- there are three cake layers w/thick layer of cream cheese on top of each layer -- it could be better with black walnut throughout the cake -- there are walnuts pressed into the backside of it which is nice -- the golden raisins are not ideal but forgivable compared with regular raisins ("squishy" is not needed in carrot cake) -- very moist even days later stored in their plastic to-go container RATING = A The dining room is super active with staff and very noisy so it may not be the ideal choice for a romantic dinner or true catchup with friends you have not seen in a long time. But there is no denying the STAFF are fun and excellent as is the chowder.

My wife and I had one of the best dining experiences we've ever had here last night. (Living in…read moreChicago for 30 years, I like to think that's saying something.) For whatever reason, we've been stuck in our North Side routine -- and, hey, there are a lot of nice places around Lakeview, so not a bad routine -- but we got out to one of the classics downtown to shake things up. And, holy cow, we're glad we did. Every moment in Gibsons, from the host to the service to the food, was a joy. Our server, Avery, was excellent. He knew the menu. He made us feel comfortable and, above all else, welcome. He was funny. He saw we were getting tipsy and rolled with it. MY WIFE and I took our time a little bit, enjoyed the wine, perused the menu. We each picked the perfect entrees. MY WIFE is pretty small and short but she loved the skirt steak so much she ate the whole thing. I've never seen her do that before. And we still had a ton to take home. Just a great night for us. Thanks to everyone at Gibsons who helped make it so. We're definitely coming back, and we're not waiting five years to do so. The patio they have there is calling my name.

Yes, this place hits all the marks very well: service is astounding, food was amazing, ambiance was…read morereally fun (i.e., dark, romantic, lounge-like). I took my wife here for her birthday. She absolutely fell in love with the place and said she was having a great birthday. She wasn't planting seeds, I swear, but our server, ever the professional, said he'd take care of us. And he did, punctuating our dinner with a wonderful dessert with a birthday candle. Speaking of candles, the focaccia appetizer came out with a lit candle that melts a tasty, buttery dipping sauce. I had work done at the dentist earlier, so I had a hard time eating. Every bite was painful, but I heated up our leftovers and fell in love with my rigatoni with vodka sauce all over again. Yum. The only drawback is the prices. We're not rich, but we love a great experience. We understand that an experience like that comes with a price, so we'll be back as much as we can.

We visited Butcher & The Bear and had a disappointing experience in terms of food, service, and…read moreambiance. Especially not a good dinner option despite being excited for it for our Valentine's Day dinner. Food- really liked Caesar salad and Mac n cheese. However, this is a steak house. We ordered ribeye in medium and NY strip in medium rare. However, ribeye was medium rare and ny strip was cooked medium well. I considered telling our waiter but he never appeared at our table to ask about how our food was. He showed up half an hour later to ask if we wanted dessert. I didn't eat my ny strip because it was so dry and my husband had a few bites. Service- as mentioned above, the server barely showed up. Also our food arrived later than everyone next to us. The couple next to us got sat down after we put in our entree order and get they received their entree before we did. No apologies or context given on the delay. Also, I know they offer half orders for certain dishes like salad for takeouts and deliveries and saw older TikTok videos that mentioned getting half portions too. We asked if they do half portions so we can try more items in the menu, we simply got a "NO" without any kindness or explanation given. It was said as if we were asking them something stupid. Ambiance- I think the bar area is nice looking, but we were sat in the basement. It was crammed, the tables were small, and because it was a small room, you can really hear other tables conversations. For casual restaurants I don't mind that type of ambiance but if we are dropping more than $300 for 2 of us, I am going to compare it to comparable places in that price range: Bavettes, Gibsons, maple and ash, swift and sons, Alston, etc. this is significantly lacking compared to all of those "nice steakhouses". Theres not even a coat check. Also our leftover was packed in a cheap black plastic bag. Once again, not matching with the price point. We are locals and were very excited to try this place not far from us, but sadly, it was a truly disappointing experience and if anyone asked me if I'd recommend this place, I would say look elsewhere.

I had the pleasure to dine at Penumbra on a Thursday evening. We were celebrating a graduation and…read morethe staff were very welcoming when we arrived. I was visiting from out of town and was not familiar with the parking around the area. I asked one of the staff members and immediately they reassured me that the side street would raking was totally fine to park just so long as it wasn't the front of the building where you have to pay. The food started with a complementary potato soup which was flavorful and lovely. We got a round of drinks and one of our party didn't care for her drink and it was replaced no question. We had the flat iron steak, the chicken, and the salmon and each entree was wonderful. The proteins were all very tender and juicy. I was also very pleased with the salad that came first which was lightly dressed and very seasonal. We finished our dining experience with a slice of cheesecake. It was a nice cap to the end of a wonderful meal. I would recommend this restaurant for any occasion - I would love to come back and try some of the other items on their menu.

**Hidden gem!!!**…read more Penumbra is SUPER sexy and low-key elite. This is one of those spots that will make you look like a total restaurant pro if you take someone there or recommend it. The ambiance is intimate, romantic, and just feels exclusive without trying too hard. I took my girl there for her birthday and she absolutely loved it -- which is always the real test. We had the ribeye and the Rotini Bianco, and both were excellent. The ribeye was cooked perfectly, tender and flavorful. The Rotini Bianco was rich, creamy, and done just right. Every dish felt intentional and well executed. Don't hesitate to book. If you're trying to impress or celebrate something special, this is the move.

Had a wonderful business dinner here! The staff were extremely accommodating to our party of 6…read more Thank you to manager, Eric, for all his help. Great menu including cocktails and fun upscale KBBQ experience. A fun modern twist on a business "steak dinner".

Unfortunately, one of my worst dining experiences was in Chicago. Starting off, our food was…read moredelicious. I have nothing but praise for the kitchen team. For starters, we ordered the kimchi pork dumplings and grilled octopus, which both tasted great, but the kimchi flavoring did overpower everything. Our main course included the marinated short rib, wag rib eye, and a5 5 brisket which were all cooked to perfection by our server. However, my experience at Perilla Steakhouse was hands down frustrating. Upon arrival, things were off to a rough start when I could barely hear the server over the music. At times, I felt like our server was rushing us through our meal based on how much less attention he gave us versus the other tables. I'm not someone who needs my glass refilled every minute either to be clear, but things did feel off with how slow our meal was paced out and the general disinterest the server had in us. For reference, we arrived early to a nearly empty restaurant that hadn't started peak dining time yet. I recognize the steakhouse is an upscale, chic take on traditional Korean dishes and I admire the chef for sharing his culture with the city. I also understand restaurants are going to be more expensive, the closer you are located in relation to downtown. Even so, in comparison to other nearby high-end restaurants, the price to portion ratio for our meal felt off. For example, our $16 dumplings included 3 dumplings on a plate. Yes, there's an argument for inflation and the cost of quality ingredients, but I argue that at this price point we shouldn't have left hungry either.

amazing service, Emily was extremely attentive and friendly. thank you for making our experience…read morewonderfu!!!

Our servers name Jamie and we just wanted to thank him, he made our experience so special and we…read morefelt so seen and valued as customers. You can tell he truly loves his job, plus the atmosphere and team work together smoothly. The food was presented with love, the sauce on the steak was stunning, everything was excellent and we left so satisfied. We'd like to take a moment for the shrimp scampi because wow. Perfectly cooked shrimp in a sea of magical butter sauce. We hope to be back soon. Thank you for a magical evening. Shout out to the magical moment with the personalized menu and individual birthday cake!! Honestly we'd like to give you the galaxy but we only have five stars :)

Service, from Sarah, was wonderful! A member of our group had an allergy, and the staff were on top…read moreof it making sure she had a great experience. The food was outstanding. Best calamari I have ever had. Highly recommend the chocolate fudge pie. It was to die for! It is a very cool place. I will definitely make another stop when I'm in Chicago.

My daughter and I had a great time yesterday at Joe's seafood, prime steak restaurant. From the…read moretime you walk in the door you get 100 percent customer service and it's very upscale. Our server name was Micheal he explained everything and made us feel welcome. The food was delicious!!!!When visiting Chicago again we would definitely go back. I give it 5 stars

I took advantage of their prixe fix lunch deal. I had the French onion soup and the chicken…read morepaillard. The soup was very tasty and was a huge portion. The chicken paillard was very tasty but it seemed odd that the chicken and salad were both served on the same very hot plate. Luckily the salad didn't get warm enough to wilt the greens. My server was Michelle and she was wonderful. Very helpful, very cheerful, and just a joy to interact with.

Came here last night for dinner with another couple for the first time. While the food was good,…read morethe service was not so I don't think I'll be back. For starters, we had a reservation which I would recommend. We were seated right away and while the place is large inside, I'm not sure what walk-in availability is like. The food: we really enjoyed the octopus, escargot, I had the Filet Mignon Au Poivre, and the banana/coconut entremet. The octopus was tender and flavorful; octopus cooked right (especially in smaller pieces) is hard to find so I was impressed. The escargot was nice and buttery/garlicky, and piping hot. I LOVED my Filet with the green peppercorn cream sauce! It was delicious and my husband was surprised I ate so much of it. It was cooked exactly as I asked, the meat had good flavor, and the sauce was delicious and well balanced + the right consistency. Lastly, the banana and coconut dessert was a pleasant surprise. The banana flavor was fresh (not artificial) and had the right balance of coconut. It was creamy, not too sweet, and had the right balance of textures with the outer coating and the crumble underneath - if you like banana or coconut at all I'd say it's a must order! The creme brulee was just okay. My issue was the service - the table next to ours LIT ON FIRE because a menu was over the top of a candle. After burning half the menu and the fire was getting larger, our partners ran over and put it out with their napkins. They yelled and there was NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT from the staff at all - at least 2 staff saw and one waiters eyes got big for a minute and she turned away. Not even a thank you from anyone to our partners for putting it out, and they had to ask for new napkins because theirs had black char on them. We were in the middle of enjoying our appetizers and my friend was just digging into her French onion soup from our first round and the staff kept trying to take our plates away. My friend had to tell them 3 times to please leave the soup at the table, and overall made us feel very rushed. We weren't taking a long time to eat at all so felt very weird? When the entrees were dropped on the table, my friend got a steak and they kept trying to give her a butter knife. It took multiple attempts to get the correct knife. Then once we were done eating it took a while to get our plates and old glasses cleared away. Overall service timing was off and their aggressiveness in the beginning of trying to take our plates away + the lack of response to A FIRE in the restaurant was pretty alarming. While I enjoyed the food there, the service was pretty bad and I feel unsafe with the lack of response to a fire in the restaurant so I don't think we'll return.

We had Sunday brunch and were seated quickly. The…read moreatmosphere was warm, staff were quite busy but attentive. We split 2 meals between 4 of us because we k ew portion sizes would be just the right amount.

I went to lunch here solo & was very underwhelmed by the food & experience. I got the…read morePeruvian-Style Ceviche & the Fish & Chips. The ceviche was bland to me & didn't taste that great to be honest. The fish & chips which comes with fries actually surprised me at the giant size of the serving and the fries were hot, fresh, and delicious. The fish itself although hot and fresh had no flavor at all. Very filling, but tasteless. Overhyped & I could not recommend. I also originally ordered a root beer which the waitress confirmed upon repeating my order back to me, but I never recieved. It seemed as though service since I was dining solo was also very slow as well as I watched my waitress go to other tables and not mine when I kept looking to ask where was my drink. Overall, food severely lacked flavor and there's too many other places that can you dine at for better of taste/service.

We had a beautiful luncheon on Easter across from the Cathedral, at Sophia's steakhouse. I just…read morehave to say how wonderful our waiter Brent was. He was incredibly efficient, attentive without ever hovering, and had such a natural sense of humor that made the whole experience even more enjoyable. The food was excellent! It's rare to find someone who balances professionalism with warmth so effortlessly. He truly added something special to our afternoon, and we left feeling very well taken care of.

Wow!!! The best service we have had In a hot minute!!!! Had the pleasure of sitting in Nina's…read moresection tonight and she was such a delight! So helpful with the suggestions, so attentive and so kind and personable!!! Off of her amazing recommendations we got the tuna tartare, hamachi crudo, miso salmon , skirt steak and bread pudding !!! I would order every single item again! The skirt steak specifically was cooked perfectly and the chimichurri was absolutely phenomenal!!! I will be thinking about it for a while! The blueberry spritz was so good I had three lol! I love that every day they have specific specials so Monday night was steak frites. The tartare was perfect to share and lasted a lot longer than we thought! Who I think was the manager came by a few times to make sure all was well which just felt so nice for a Monday night. This place is perfect for GNO, Business Dinner, or a Third+ date! I have nothing but positive things to say!! AMAZING place