This reateraunt is located in a shitty area next to run down apartments. The outside does not look appetising. When I got inside there was a very strong smell like products. It was super hot once we got inside. The food was put on display and had not been changed for the entire day. We had to wait to get seated and we got put in the back. It was super dark and there was no lighting. Once we all saw the menu we realized that it was not a good restraunt. We ordered drinks and it took forever. When the food got here it looked horrible. The food was dry and sticky and bad. read more

Something has happened. I haven't been here in a while but the quality of this staple restaurant has gone down drastically while prices have gone up. I see why so many have closed. At the food bar the rice in pot was hard. The ladles are hard to reach. The sanitation challenge is horrible. You have mess everywhere. And now you have to pay extra to go back. I took my son and he chose the wrong sauces, his first time, so we were stuck with a dish he didn't eat. This restaurant has gone down and that's sad because this use yo be the spot. read more

Hands down, the worst food I've ever had from a restaurant in my entire life. I've had better aftertastes left in my mouth from vomiting - I'm not exaggerating. Wait staff was friendly, environment was what I'd expect from an average bar, but the food was so, sooooo repulsive! While my wife, who recommended the place, was able (willing?) to stomach her food, she too was surprised by how terrible her dish was. Mine tasted like sour, watered down vegetable and split pea soup dumped on undercooked rice noodles. The manager was nice enough to give us a $10 gift certificate, but I'd much prefer if he had at least just removed the crap I was served from our bill. A gift certificate is useless - it's not like we'll ever be going back here again. read more

Shrimp mixed in with a good fresh vegetables and a five dollar Margarita - what more could you want!

Its a nice place with good vegetarian options, decent price and casual ambience. Only 3 stars from me because I find other similar places taste better so this is not my all time go to. read more

This is a chain and remains pretty consistent when I go. If it be in the Loop or Evanston location. You choose vegetables, a meat, sauces and other add ins. They cook it on a grill. You choose a carbohydrate as well: rice,pasta some kind of noodle. I went in like 3:45. They seem to have a lot of employees. Flat Top isn't going to wow you, Eh it might. It doesn't wow me but when it's almost dinner and you realize you haven't had lunch it shall relieve your hunger. read more

Filthy and unorganized tonight! I prayed that I don't get food poisoning! So bad that the manager had to help work the grill...shocking!

Food is over cooked and tasted like crap. They even burned broccoli, why can you burn broccoli? I would eat food at walgreen or dirt than this... read more

Flat Top Grill - Burned beef, burned broccoli, and burned noodles. Taste like shit - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went here with a mixed group of adults and kids. Not one individual liked their bowl. Rice in all bowls was a tasteless overcooked mush. I could not taste the sauce that was supposed to be in it and just added soy sauce. All bowls were very low on protein and these that had onions, onions were half the food in the bowl. Some of the cherry tomatoes in mine were spoiled. My 7 year old who is not particularly picky had the kids bowl with noodles that she refused to eat because it was "disgusting". She she picked the two pieces of chicken out of it and then told us she is hungry. My 12 year old picked at her bowl and packed most of it in a to go box, presumably for the parents to eat. I don't think others found their that bad, but all were made with little care or taste. Food for half the people was brought out 15 minutes after the first batch. Who does that. No one got sick, as far as I know, so kudos to them for that. No way would I ever go here again. read more

First time there and last time. Not to clean at all. Food all over the floor, slip and fall bound to happen. Bathroom was dirty, dirty dirty. No paper towels to dry your hands. Waitress brought the bowls but had her thumb in the first one. Hand to wipe the bowel out with napkin. Order scallops with order. Scallops were the size of a pea. Maybe cause I'm use to large bigger then your mouth kind of scallops. Everything I had in my bowel had been overcooked had shrunk to the size of grits. Food was over priced. McDonalds would've been the best choice. read more

We weren't sure about eating here but we were growing tired and hungry. Benjamin, the manager, came outside and invited us in. We were hesitant as one member of our family is a very simple eater and is not a fan of any type of stir fry. He offered to make her anything she wanted so in we came. Our server Adam helped us all create our own stir fry with choosing our meat (or meat alternative for vegetarians, which are welcome here as well as anyone with food allergies), rice, noodles, veggies, and sauces. The staff really knows the best combos and has great recommendations. Everyone enjoyed their stir-fry, the service, and the stylish atmosphere. Thanks Benjamin for getting us in the door, checking on us mid-meal, and Adam for giving us excellent wait service. And our "picky" eater enjoyed macaroni and cheese. :) Tip - try the mango lemonade. It's delicious! read more

Flat Top Grill - Lettuce wrap with chicken stir fry... loaded! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My family and I came across this place for father's day brunch. This is a great stir fry restaurant that provides you with a wide range of flavors, meats, and toppings. It is a bit overwhelming with the amount of choices you have for ingredients. There is a nice step by step chart that is provided to help build your meal. I ordered salmon, chicken,scallops, brocolli, brown rice, tomatoes, onions, spinach, mushrooms, garlice and topped it off with 3 ladles of peanut sauce. I wouldn't recommend any less than 3 ladles of sauce otherwise it will be dry. After you dump all the food in a bowl you drop it off at chef counter and they bring it out to you. The portion ends up being larger than you think once all the meat is added. I recommend that you come with an empty stomach. read more

Great ambiance for a relaxing dinner! Good food that you put in a bowl to create your own stir fry. Will come back here. read more

This place has never really done me wrong. Sure, it's not the fanciest of joints and I wouldn't really say it's the cleanest place I've ever been, but who cares. There are tons of options for people on restrictives diets, it's quick, and it always tastes good. Now that they deliver via Uber eats, I'm sure I'll grab a bite here more often. read more

Yummy yummy...create your own stir fry bowl. It's buffet style and after you create your bowl the chef cooks it on the grill. I made reservations thru open table. Great for date night... read more

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This restaurant only continued to enhance my experience here in Chicago. I was flabbergasted by the food, eccentric vibe and the service. Specifically, salud she was amazing at making us feel comfortable and leading us in the right direction. I surely will be back if I am in Chicago in the future. read more

The food was good. I've been there several times. However, a waitress yelled and cursed at our waiter right by our table and infront of the manager. When I told him how unprofessional that was, he seemed very unbothered. He said that's just her personality. Not acceptable. Nazir was a great waiter though. read more

Everything so expensive now, they charge for the cheese, for roti bread... for everything! Flat top is not the same anymore, I miss their breakfast pancakes and unlimited roti bread. Sucks such a nice restaurant went to waste. Avoid if possible!! DO NOT RECOMMEND. read more

This place is a scam when it comes to ordering for delivery/pickup . I'm always missing items. This was my 6th time ordering and still missing stuff. I always order extra prate bread and i only get one. But I still get charge for the extra or missing edamame. Let's not mention the employees are so rude to address the issues... So stay away if you don't want to get ripped off. read more

I always wonder why I don't eat at Flat Top more often. Then someone will suggest going there, and I think, "sure, why not?" and agree to go. Then I remember why. It's just really mediocre. On the numerous occasions I've gone, and I've been to pretty much every location, I try to be adventurous and concoct a different combination of ingredients. Despite whatever meat/vegetables/sauce I create, it all ends up tasting pretty much the same. And quite often the fixins look like they have that "not so fresh feeling." The vegetables just look limp and tired, and the meat, particularly the beef, looks like unappetizing cuts of mystery parts that have been sitting on the grocery store shelf a little too long. I've given FTG many chances to wow me, or at the very least, not disappoint me. I don't think I'll be back. read more

It is one of our go to place for lunch. It's little far from workplace but walk is worth while. Food is good. I like their concept where you can pick and choose what items you want in stirfry. Tips for vegetarian, inserts white stick in bowl and your food will look separately from others. read more

Flat Top Grill - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've always wanted to try a Flat Top grill because people seem to be in love with them on Yelp. They opened this awesome location right near my boyfriend's office downtown which gave me an excellent excuse to come here for lunch. This location is pretty large and has plenty of seating for small and large groups. I'm sure it gets really, really busy at the lunch hour during the week, so I'd prepare for a wait. We came on a Saturday afternoon which meant there wasn't really anyone here. Service was attentive and friendly - we never had to wait for anything that we requested. Our server explained the ins and outs of Flat Top to us newbies and we were set to start our stir fry experience. There's a small menu at the table that gives pretty awesome suggestions for making certain types of dishes if you don't want to just go up and put a bunch of stuff in your bowl and hope for the best. I decided to do that, so I just piled everything in (mini corn, noodles, watercress, garbanzo beans... the works!) and added some sauce and went to town. They'll add meat or tofu for you during the stir fry process, just add a little "flag" when you hand over your bowl for cooking. You can also get some other add-ons like seafood, bread, etc. They seem to be pretty accommodating of allergies and the like because there are ways to notify the cooks of any issue you may have with certain ingredients. However, I wouldn't come here at all if you were allergic to nuts. A pretty good experience, if you ask me. I still think Mongolian BBQ is better just because the buffet area is larger and there's way more combos and choices. However, this is a great little restaurant to have downtown, especially if you're looking for a fairly quick and satisfying lunch. Prices are great AND they have student discounts if you are looking for a place to use your college I.D. read more

What an awesome atmosphere and great stir fry! Plenty of food you won't leave hungry without a doubt! A lot of good Red Bull drinks read more

Came across this place while sightseeing Chicago. Figured I'd give it a try since I've never heard of the place. It was super busy and was told there was an hour wait unless we wanted to sit at the bar, which we did. It was very confusing at first as no one was giving us instruction on how to order our food. But once the server did attend us, he was great. He gave us step by step instructions. Food was decent, not great. But the bread that came with the meal was really good. Overall though, I don't think I would ever go back when I'm in the city. read more

I'm really suprised at all the 4 and 5 star reviews of this place. People really love FTG including my good friend...which is how we came to dine at this establishement. We wanted to catch a quick bite before seeing In The Heights. Have you seen it? It's fantastic. There is something for everyone and sort of a little west side story-ish. I thought the music was top notch and... Oh wait, this is supposed to be a review of FTG.... So my friend was craving FTG. When I found out it was a make-your-own stir fry deal...I didn't really get the hype. I mean, can't you just...MAKE YOUR OWN STIR FRY? Then I remembered...she doesn't cook. Which is sort of a good thing...trust me. It was OK. Meh. I've expereienced better is pretty accurate. People really seem to go ape shit over the roti. I thought it was just OK. I thought it was really greasy and would have preferred naan to be honest. I went the sweet & spicy route...using the recipe from the menu. I loaded up on veggies and asked my server to bring me a bowl of rice after my stir fry arrived b/c I didn't want my rice cooked with everything else. I'm a rebel. They had a good variety of veggies and faux meat for the vegetarians. I got some chicken and I'm not going to lie....I was pretty hesitant to slop up a ladle of it into a bowl. It looked like a hotbed of bacteria. I realize it was marinating in soy...but it just did not look appetizing to me. Raw meat bar = not a good idea, in my opinion. Why not just have a colored stick to put in your bowl of veggies/sauce to indicate what sort of meat (if any) you want added? Yellow for chicken, red for beef, etc...that seems a little more sanitary to me....and probably a better way to moderate portions....thus saving the establishment some money in the long run. Are you listening to me FTG? I didn't get salmonella and the show was fabulous. All in all it was a great night. Would I go back to FTG? Perhaps after I receive my lifetime gift certificates for the awesome money saving suggestion I stated above. I'll be checking my mail box FTG. Thank you. read more

I had visited this place a number of times when I worked in downtown Chicago...I visited again last week, and they did make one change. When you sit down to order, your server will ask what kind of meat you'd like added to your order (pork, chicken, beef, etc.) prior to this, you were able to add your choice of meat to your meal before submitting it. I'm guessing sanitary reasons made this particular change, which is fine. This change didn't decrease in the amount of meat added to the meal. So basically, you get a bowl...choose your rice (brown or white) thought leave room for your veggies. At the end of the line you choose your flavoring and at the larger table where you submit your dish, you can add "sticks" with add ons like cheese, or sticks that indicate restrictions/allergies. One tip is to get in EARLY because it does get crowded. read more

I dined here for lunch in February 2015. The last time I had been at this location had to be two years prior. It has gone downhill. While the following information doesn't impact the rating in any capacity, you should know some changes the company has made. First, Flat Top Grill has changed their business model. The bowls you receive to add your food into seem smaller and you no longer add your own meat, instead you add a stick indicating the meat choice you'd like. Probably saves money from people overloading in the meat part. I get it. But that's not why this place got 2 stars. This place got 2 stars because the service was spectacularly awful. It was noon on a Saturday. Barely anyone was at the restaurant. Wait staff was everywhere. And despite all that, I had to wave down a waiter (not our waiter) twice to get a refill. And then I had to flag down the manager for the check. Ten minutes passed from the time we had visibly finished our meals until we got our check. The wait staff were mostly goofing off not paying attention to customers. I love me some Flat Top, so I'll be going back ... I just won't be visiting this location again. read more

So I'm at home making one of those stir-fry in a bag meals, and I am picking out the broccoli and peppers. I asked my friend Dave, "I wish there was a place where I could make my own stir-fry, so I wouldn't have to pick out what I didn't like." My friend Dave asked me if I had ever tried Flat Top, and I had no idea what he was talking about. I am so happy he brought me there! And when I saw they had student prices, I almost flipped! All you can eat is like $12. You write your name on a stick (I thought it was fun to use a name other than my own...I used the name Madge) and on the other side of the stick is your table number, and you put it in your bowl, so that after its cooked, they know who to give the food to. They have everything you could ever imagine for making your own stir-fry!! Rice noodles, or brown rice, or white rice? Peppers, veggies, and sauces galore! And you can choose which meats you would like to your mix. Then you can add a colored stick to your bowl for certain modifications. After it is sizzled and stirred, they bring it to your table. And I would highly recommend the lemonade with dessert pear. It was a great experience, and I hope to come in more often! read more

They have changed the format for ordering here. No longer can you choose your own protein by sight or amount. I preferred the old system where you could see and choose your protein items. This is unfortunate because it is now up to the chef(s) to choose the proportions of vegetable to protein. Our food had the veggies over-cooked on this last visit. Also, I have forgotten how bad the music is here. The station they use features whiny pop music with screaming lead vocals. This is a problem in a lot of restaurants, so I don't mean to be sarcastic. It's just so unfortunate to be irritated by annoying music! Similar to another review, we found it odd that the "sticks" are first hand-delivered by the server, then the customer writes on them with pencil, then the server hand-delivers the sticks to the counter, then the counter staff probably handles the sticks, then gives the sticks back to the server who hand-delivers the sticks back to the table and in our case placed the sticks onto the (not clean) menus. After all this, you are supposed to bring these sticks with you to the food counter and place them inside your bowl of raw food. read more

I don't usually eat at restaurant chains, but I actually like flat top because its kind of fun to have control over your meal. However, at this particular Flat Top Grill, for some reason, I keep getting the same waiter, and he's no good. His name is Kenneth. I need to remember to ask to be seated in another waiter's area because Ken just ruins it for me. He always insists on pestering me and my guests about our drink orders and then seems to forget about us for the remainder of our meal. read more

Food is always a hit. So many options for any palette. My friend is vegan and I'm on a strict diet but we both were able to find options that we enjoyed and fit our eating lifestyles. So that part was great but the service was awesome this day. Manuel really took care of us and it's clear he really wanted us to enjoy our experience. If you're a drinker get the prickly pear margarita. I was hesitant but Manuel suggested it and it was BOMB. He made it to perfection. read more

Aaron S. and I have been here twice now and I really can't wait to go back again. The first time we were here it was for their practice run, and it was free, and I was amazed that they were giving away such awesome food for free. The most recent visit was just as delicious and fun as the first one. First off, I really loved how organized and clearly labeled everything on the buffet was. There was no guess work involved! My inner gem-a-phobe was also very happy seeing all the raw veggies and raw meats were nicely separated from each other The selection was mind boggling and seemed to allow for endless possibilities for stir fry goodness. They even have those options with the sticks, like get it made into a soup, or moo shoo, and that awesome bread. And the what? 20 different sauces or so? The waitstaff is also friendly, they offer suggestions, they bring re fills quickly, they check on your food when you are getting worried about it. I was only displeased with one thing I made and really it was my own fault for not realizing that korean bbq and plum sauce would not mix well and for not knowing that grilling the edamame really doesn't make for tasty edamame. Also they are kind of cramped in here but it wasn't bad really. read more

Word of advice-- don't be afraid to go nuts and fill your bowl..it cooks down so load it up...that goes for meat as well. And DO get some of that yummy flat bread. The service is always really good, which is surprising for a place right in the middle of the Loop. Sade G. is awesome. I need to let loose and get a little more wild on the sauce factor. Also you have the opportunity to write your name on your food stick.. which is always a good time. read more

Flat Top has become one of my favorite places. I think in my last review I had taken a star off for the service, but recently, the staff has been phenomenal! I would also like to share how to construct the perfect bowl: FILL IT. C'mon people, don't be shy! Tower your rice/noodles up in a big mound, and let your veggies pile up even higher! Nothing makes me sadder than seeing a lame bowl come back from the wok. Done right, your bowl can come back and easily give you plenty for your meal, and a good portion size of leftovers. Also, try putting the spices on the end on your meat rather than your noodles/veggies. I put garlic on my chicken to enhance the flavor. A spoonful of garlic on my other bowl would just get lost in the flavors. Not sure about sauce? Put more than you think. On my packed and filled bowls, I'll put 6 ladles of sauce on, and sometimes I end up wishing there was more like 7-8 ladles. If you end up like me (going basically once a week), ask your server about their punch card, buy ten bowls get the eleventh free...yay free stuff! read more

My favorite (and my boyfriend's favorite) restaurant ever. We come here for every major milestone in our lives, such as anniversaries, birthdays, promotions, etc. Even just for lunch sometimes. We are obsessed with this place. The food is terrific, the staff is terrific, the drinks are terrific (according to my boyfriend, I don't drink). They even have an emailing service in which you can get coupons. Usually restaurants give you crappy coupons, but Flat Top gives you awesome ones, like free appetizers and a free meal on your birthday! I recommend this to everyone! Great for groups as well. There is only one issue I have, but it is pretty minor: Seating. Some of the tables are so close to one another and it doesn't feel that private. read more

FOOD: 5 stars - Best stir fry/mongolian grill ever! The quality of the ingredients, to the cleanliness of the line, to all the awesome options, this place and it's endless option is dangerous for a gluttonous foodie like me. SERVICE: 2 stars - My husband and I put our bowls up at the same time but for some reason mine took 10mins longer. He was almost done with his before I even got mine. Our server took both our cell phones off our table while we were away and didn't even bother to say anything to us until we were getting frantically concerned that they may have been stolen. He also made a somewhat offensive comment to us about eating so much. ENVIRONMENT: 4 stars - Great location, music, decor and ambience. read more

This. place. rocks! Not only is the veggie and sauce variety huge, they also have an option for FISH to be one of their protein choices! I haven't seen that before and it made me very happy. Plus, I loved that you are able to put your own sauces in there and however much you want. An issue with stir fry for me would always be that it comes out too dry cause of how many veggies I put in. But not this time. I also got to choose how much of the starchy carbs I put in (barely any for me). I just really like how ultra customizeable this place is. Then, there's their STUDENT discount. Yes. This is now my favorite stir fry place. read more

I love me some Flat Top! How can you go wrong with an all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-build stir-fry meal? Just think all the vegetables, proteins, meats, sauces and even noodles/rice! Plus you get to jazz it up with egg, cheese, shrimp, lettuce wraps, pita to finish! Can't get enough of this place. read more

A very different restaurant experience which isn't necessarily a bad thing. We stumbled into the Flat Top grill after our hotel dining guide had us chasing a rabbit's trail to a restaurant that had moved. Always double check with Yelp*, lesson learned. I can see how the Flat Top grill could be a hard sell to some people. Instead of sitting down and looking at a menu there's a card with directions on it. There is a menu but that's mostly for drinks and side items. The directions show you that this is a create your own stir-fry joint. There's sticks you write your name on, bowls to take up and fill with the ingredients you want (one bowl for meat, the larger for veggies, noodles, rice, etc.) other sticks to put in your bowl at the grill stations for items that aren't out at the buffet. Now have you ever been to a buffet and come across a container of raw chicken? It was a little unsettling to me. It should be said that although you choose exactly what you put in your dish, this isn't exactly the place for picky eaters. If you take a seat by the grill you can watch the food being prepared (and why wouldn't you?) you'll notice that your stir-fry will be cooked MILLIMETERS away from the next persons food, using the same spatulas to flip the food around. I do not want to be eating my meal and find someones tofu chunk in it. They do make concessions for people with allergies, they have a separate grill but I don't have allergies. I just get weirded out. Maybe it's me, maybe I'm not mature enough for a place like the Flat Top grill. Perhaps I need that wall between me and the kitchen where I can imagine everything is being prepared to my highest standards. I guess I just don't like knowing. Ignorance is bliss. After all I would never visit a slaughterhouse but I loves me some steak. This is getting negative. This is NOT a negative review. Look up there what do you see? Three stars (A-OK). It's a unique experience, at least it was for me. The food is good. The price is right, unlimited stir-fry $10 for lunch $15 for dinner. Just tip the wait staff extra since there job is a little more complicated than most and don't bring your OCD date here. read more

I have been here numerous times and I'm finally getting around to reviewing it. Despite what the name may suggest (mostly to immature guys like me), people of all shapes and sizes are welcome here. Food: Selection is ridiculous. Tons of veggies, brown & white rice, two different noodles, crazy variety of sauces, lots of real meat, plenty of fake meats. They recently added quinoa. And they're very accommodating to dietary restrictions (lots of vegan options, sauces are clearly marked with allergy info, and they (claim to) prepare food in a way that doesn't mix potential allergens. Service: I have usually had friendly and prompt service. Occasionally they are swamped, so the food takes longer to prepare and serve. Value: Ranks up there with Chipotle. In other words, (quality + quantity) / price is really high. Also, lunch is slightly cheaper than dinner (you also get a slightly smaller bowl for lunch). --Pro tip1: If you like a lot of sauce in your creation, you should fill up the main bowl halfway with veggies, add some sauce, add some more veggies, then some more sauce. --Pro tip2: To maximize value, stack contents in such a way that stable/squeezable items are at the bottom and more rigid items are on top. For example, brown rice and greens should go at the bottom, while peppers and broccoli should should go on the top. And beans should go on at the end because they can squeeze into the nooks and crannies created by rigid veggies. (Lol, there's a science to eating at FTG!) read more