This was a lovely, intimate restaurant with attentive, helpful service and inventive takes on quality dishes. We ordered too much for 2 people and I didn't have dessert, sob. We had a trout caviar starter, biscuit, eggplant, okonomiyaki, onion rings, flank steak and bucatini. My 2 favorite dishes were the vegetable forward ones--go figure! I'd love to go back and try the carrots and broccoli dishes. Shout out to the most wonderful hostess Melissa who helped make our meal extra special. read more

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What an unfortunate dining experience! I've been here several times and it was amazing, and was really, really looking forward to coming back here, but this last time was just awful. The food used to be absolutely stellar, but the dishes were ordered were way off the mark. First of all, our food came out before the wine we had ordered. (Not to mention that the server brought the wrong wine.) By the time we got our wine, the lamb was cold. Secondly, the lamb ribs were ALL fat, and I mean, hardly ANY meat, not even a full bite. The other dish we ordered- that I had tried before and was previously out of this world- was the Japanese eggplant. This time, it was served cold and was so incredibly sweet, we couldn't even finish it. The bucatini dish was also a major disappointment- couldn't even taste the anchovy or jalapeño. Overall, very disappointed, left hungry and sad. read more

Ordered the broccoli, tagliatelle scallops and flank steak! Every single dish was overly salty and had no other flavors. No wow factor at all. Not sure what the hype is. The most enjoyable part of the meal was listening to why the girl in the table next to us got upset at the guy she was there with! read more

Completely underwhelmed. We had been looking forward to trying this place for a while, but it fell short on so many levels. First of all the tables were so close together that they had to pull the table out in order to get in. We heard the entire conversations from both of the tables next to us. Service was really slow throughout the entire evening. It took 15 minutes for our server to come to the table. He also forgot to put in some the dishes we ordered. Nothing was really memorable other than the sweet and spicy peppers and the crab tagliatelle. The rest of the dishes were way too salty. The flank steak was completely overcooked even though we asked for it medium rare. I don't get the hype for this place. read more

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We finally got the time (and the reservation) to head over to Giant. Hostess is at the front and she'll take your coats which I recommend because the seating area is quaint and tables are a close (overhearing conversations likely). Our server was very friendly and gave good recommendations. Japanese eggplant: was our favorite dish of the night! The curry was so flavorful, garlic naan was nice and soft. If you have to get one dish, this is it! Crab salad with waffle fries: listed as market price, was $26 in Jan 2023. The waffle fries were crispy yet airy and the crab was able to add some freshness and cut any oiliness. Grilled peppers with anchovy bread: we saw this bread everywhere on their Yelp page so wanted to give it a try. Bread was airy, but not my favorite. Carmelle - ricotta stuffed pasta served in a butter sauce and had fried potato chips on top. A unique dish and I liked the crunch of the chips on top. I kind of wish it wasn't a butter sauce? Bucatini - was too salty for me with the butter, cheese, and pancetta. I thought it was actually going to be paired with a white sauce, which maybe would've cut the saltiness. Pasta was still cooked well. It was a good meal overall and I'm glad I tried it once. Again space is a little condensed so I don't recommend large groups. read more

Giant's been on my list for a loooong time. We actually had a reservation in April 2020 - so expectations having been building for awhile. Yes, it's crowded and tables are close together. But I've been to plenty of places in Chicago and other cities where this is the case. If that's my biggest issue with a restaurant I'm not going to complain. I was a little nervous when we started because our server was quadruple sat so we waited a bit to talk to him about the menu and order our wine. To be clear, I don't blame our server for being busy, but someone else should have helped him by taking our wine order and/or talking is through the menu. Sorry, I was a server for several years and I always judge service through that lens. But, once our server made it to us- he offered recommendations and everything was back on track. My husband started with the LITTLE JALAPEÑO Biscuit with maple butter. My husband LOVES butter - likes eats it straight--and he really enjoyed this. He thought the biscuit had a nice corn flavor & kick from the jalapeño. Next up was the Blue crab salad with waffle fries. At first bite, I was a little underwhelmed but then I made myself a complete bite with the crab, waffle fry and the cocktail sauce and it was quite delicious. Next up was the saffron tagliatelle with king crab and chili butter, garganelli with salt pork ragù and ricotta salata and the Mighty O's. My favorite was the Mighty O's. Originally I was a little nervous, but reviews were confirmed by our server and so we went for it and I'm so glad we did. My husband's favorite was the garganelli. We were both a little meh about the tagliatelle. This may be a case of 1. High expectations- this is dish everyone takes a picture of - what I thought of when I thought of Giant. 2 - IMO, it suffered by comparison vs the other pasta dishes. For dessert we had the the microwave cake with banana ice cream. It was chocolatey and delicious. Next time we'll order an extra scoop of ice cream. read more

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I had reservations for Sunday night. Unfortunately, our table wasn't prepared when we arrived at 7 so we had to wait a bit outside as the restaurant itself is packed! Highly recommend making a reservation rather than walk-in. Street parking was relatively easy. The service was great! Each employee had great knowledge of the menu and we were offered new plates before our main course. For a party of two, we ordered the tagliatelle, tri-tip steak, sour and sweet eggplant, and trout roe. Though everything was delicious, the portions were a bit lacking considering the restaurant encourages shared dishes. read more

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Truly fantastic-- best dish I had was vegetarian which says something imo. The zucchini!!! Also homemade pasta was amazing.

I visited giant with my family, a party of 5. How was my experience? Let's see: Ambiance The restaurant is kind of cramped. I would say that 5 person party is probably pushing it for comfort in seating. There is plenty of lights. The music is loud, but you can hold a conversation without having to yell. There is an area where people can sit and watch the kitchen in action. Service The service was good. The wait staff kept our drinks filled up and we did have some service where they would fold your napkin and they would change out the plates during service. Food Japaleno biscuit with maple butter These were delicious. The biscuits were warm with a hint of jalapeño taste. The maple butter added a nice sweet taste to the biscuit. Blue crab salad It was interesting. The crab tasted fresh with slight sweetness. Paired very well with waffle fry, which gave a crispy/soft contrast. Green curry carrots These were okay. It hit sweet notes with a hint of curry which did not overpower the dish. Broccoli with chickpeas, honey, and mint The broccoli was crispy and the hint of mint was a nice. Tagliatelle with king crab and chili butter I would argue one of the best dish they have. I would say that the king crab is masked by the butter but a very balanced dish Garganelli with salt pork ragu Hmm... it was good but unfortunately tasted similar to other ragu's I have eaten. Mighty O's These are a very interesting. Like a ravioli theses O's have a meat juice filling which bursts in your mouth. I would have to say this was the other dish that I would recommend. Bucatini with bacon, Jalapeño, and anchovy This dish had a nice saltiness to it. It had a nice creamy sauce. Skate with butter sauce and mushrooms Hmm.. it was cooked well. Had a nice crisp to it. I think it was served on a pommé Anne potato. This was hard because this was one of the last dishes we had. I can't really say it was special... Cajeta Ice Cream with pecan and strawberry I think I should have skipped this, especially with the amount of food we ordered. We were expecting this to be a fancy strawberry shortcake good humor bar. It was okay but not like the good humor bar that other people have said it was like, in my opinion. Price It was pricy compared to the amount of food you get, but would say common for the prices in the area. Our server recommended at least 2 dishes per person and he was right. Overall I would say this is a place for a nice date. The food was good. My review of each dish is unfortunately mares with the amount of food we ate. With the variety of food we got, there are dishes that were overshadowed by others. It is definitely a place to try. read more

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I have been wanting to try this restaurant for a while. Overall, it was a solid meal with some dishes I'd recommend and others I'd pass on if I return one day. This is a small plates restaurant and it was fun to dine with 6 people so that we could try a variety of menu items. We ordered 11 dishes for the 6 of us ( some dishes we ordered 2 orders) and that seemed to be the right amount of food ( portions run on the small side ) Best Dishes: Japanese Eggplant with house-made pita - A+ Tri Tip Steak - A Bucatini ( with bacon, jalapeño and anchovy)- A + - this was a standout and best dish we had Broccoli - A Dishes I would skip next time: Mighty O - B- manchego filled pasta with foie gras ( portion was too small and it wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked) There was one more dish I'd skip whose name I can't recall but it was basically a tiny portion of crab salad with crispy waffle fries that oddly tasted like a salty funnel cake. Weird. That was really our only real miss of the night - C- Good service, nice quaint atmosphere, easy street parking in the neighborhood. Overall a very lovely experience and would recommend for the adventurous eater. Be warned you will have to squeeze into your seat. They cram the tables very very close to each other in this small restaurant. We didn't mind it but I click see how some might P.S. bring your vaccination card ( this seems to be one of the few restaurants still asking for one at time of entry) read more

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Atmosphere: crowded and slightly claustrophobic, very loud, very uncomfortable seats. Service: lovely servers, very friendly and attentive. Food: a giant disappointment. Everything was badly over-seasoned and absolutely drowning in sauce. The scallops were actually perfectly cooked and then completely lost in a sea of overbearing discordant flavors. Same with the eggplant, and the clams (also perfectly cooked but drowned in sauce to the point of being lost entirely), and the corvina (which was a disappointment on its own but even worse when combined with the abundance of unnecessary sauce). Given the amount of food we ate, I expected to feel satisfied, but by the time it was over, I just wanted to leave. read more

I came here twice with my boyfriend and we love this place a lot. It's a very nice date night place especially in the summer because afterwards there's a park nearby that you can walk around in. Our favorite is the trout roe which is a one bite kind of appetizer. I love broccoli, but I thought broccoli was just OK but their Japanese eggplant is like insanely good that we got it both times when we came here. The tagliatelle was a bit too tart for me that day. I want to try the flank steak next time I return because I saw that every table had it and it was literally sizzling. I love how their menu is always changing and I can't wait to be back to try other menu items. Their patio seating in the back is very cute for a date night in the summer. Service is top-notch. They're very good at explaining what you should be expecting for each dish you decide to order as well as giving recommendations whether it is your first time or a returning customer. read more

I really wanted to love Giant. The service was excellent! Drinks in my opinion were mediocre. Unfortunately their pasta dishes are just SOO SALTY. I am one who really loves salty things too. This was too much and a bit hard to eat. I wont be back bc i got some form of mild food poisoning, my stomach was in knots all night. My suggestion to the chef is either try shit before it goes out...bc if if i was chef these would have been remade and not left the kitchen based on salt. Or maybe move away from eyeballing salt and being more precise with it. I was most impressed with their eggplant dish and their bisquits if you go. The crab pasta and corn pasta was so salty so would avoid those and deff have the chef re check those flavors and be aware of salt! Hope this helps the community and giant! :) read more

First off, I'd like to say the service and attentive wait stuff were great. The restaurant is a bit small, but well decorated and I believe there's an outdoor patio area they open up in the warmer months that really help additional seating especially for walk-ins. For me, my friend and I snagged a Friday night resy at 5:30pm about a week before. I've been really excited to try this place for the past few months especially since I've seen a couple other friends go and seemed to have enjoyed it. Online reviews were also glowing for this place so I was pretty excited. Got to the restaurant a good bit before my friend so went ahead and ordered a cocktail to start. Ordered the "Do You Trust Me" which was pretty alcohol forward and I thought was decent. Didn't really taste any jasmine notes which I was hoping for though. But now onto the food review. I was honestly so disappointed with pretty much every dish we ordered. Waiter recommended we order about 4-5 dishes for 2 people. In order we got... - Japanese Eggplant: The flavors were decent, but the eggplant was just a bit cold. Eggplant takes a while to cook so I'm sure they did some prep work for this, but I would've really appreciated it to have been warm to mix with the bread we got. It was also just a bit too salty? - Strozzapreti: This was a cold pasta dish. The flavors were pretty balanced and solid. Probably the only dish that wasn't overly salty, but just didn't really love this dish. - Flank Steak (not pictured): Flank/skirt steak is always tricky to cook I feel just because how chewy it can be. This unfortunately was one of those times were the steak was super chewy. The sauce it came with was okay. Nice little kick, but really couldn't get over how tough the steak was. Also a bit salty. - Saffron Tagliatelle: This was the biggest letdown for me. I was looking forward to this one the most and I know this is one of the most popular items on the menu. For me, it was just way too salty and the flavors just didn't really meld very well since the salt was just a bit overwhelming for me. The total bill after tax and tip was $142 so the items were definitely not cheap. The friend and I left the restaurant really scratching our heads on what the hype of this restaurant was all about. Really big shame especially since I've tried their sister restaurant, Chef's Special Cocktail Bar on Western and thought that had some solid dishes and drinks, but for me everything here just fell flat on flavors or seasonings. And given just how expensive it was, really turned off from giving this place another try. read more

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Solid spot. Food VERY tasty and our waiter was amazing. Friend made reservations weeks in advance and I think that's what you kinda have to do to eat here? Really really enjoyed pretty much everything we ordered. Sweet corn (chefs kiss), tagliatelle (my fav!), broccoli (amazing!), prawns (v v good). Overall great experience. 4 stars bc it's on the pricey side and like to be wowed when it's an elevated price, but from LA so used to this. Great experience overall, would definitely go back! read more

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Came here yesterday, had reservations for 4 of us. We are visiting Chicago for the week and I had heard good things about this place so decided to book. This place basically serves family style small dishes to split. Few things - this is a clear 3.5 stars for me that I am rounding up because the food was very good and the service was solid. The things I didn't like - WOW they fit SO many freaking tables into this tiny restaurant. I know times are tough and businesses are still trying to recoup from covid, but we were so close to the tables next to us (and in a booth), that no one could get in or out without moving the table next to us. Like, I live in SF and there are lots of small restaurants with too many tables, but this was a different level. Don't be deceived by the name, lol. The only other thing I didn't love is that the server either misled us so that we ordered too much food or was new and didn't realize how big the plates were. He recommended 10-12 dishes for a party of 4, and we all eat a decent amount (there were 2 guys in our group as well). We ordered 9 and he said that was an OK amount... but it was way too much food for us. We could have easily done 7-8. However, the food overall was delicious, with the key takeaway being that they do their veggies much better than they do their proteins: -Carrots: Yummy. pretty much none of the veggies were that healthy, they all came dressed up with some sort of cream sauce and garnishes, but they were good! -Broccoli: my favorite dish! Again, cream sauce and garnishes galore, but mighty good! -Peppers: came with aged provolone, an oil sauce and a side of anchovy bread. All very good! -Steak dish: a little overcooked (didn't look it but was dry). Nothing special. -scallop: nothing special. Again, love their veggie dishes way more than their proteins. -Pork: this was delicious, but how could something not be if it is wrapped in a fried cheese shell and covered in some sort of cream sauce lol. We also never got our biscuit but they didn't charge us. Can't remember the other dishes but overall was good! read more

The service was great, our server was very engaged, amicable and knowledgeable. The food was good, interesting, unsurprisingly a bit pricey, but that's expected. The ambience was nice. At our 2-top table we were quite close to people on either side - they could've given us a little more space but it wasn't a big deal. It wasn't loud which was really nice. We had a handful of distance between us and only one or two stick out as exceptional. We had drinks and 1 of 2 were very good. I'm looking at the menu now and it has changed since we went a couple of months ago, which I applaud... a great sign of a restaurant that's trying to do something *more*. read more

Came in for a birthday dinner with my husband. Made a reservation a week in advance. Reservations do require a card on file in case of late cancelation where a fee is charged. When entering we were greeted by the hostess and sat at a two top. Seating is VERY close quarters, to get into the booth seat, she needed to pull the table out so I could squeeze past our neighbors. Our server Sam was extremely friendly and tentative. Both rounds of drinks took a while to be brought to the table and we did have two dishes served to us prior to our first round of cocktails arriving. There was one male food runner who brought a couple dishes out and didn't explain what they were so we had to look back at our menu and try to figure it out. The jalapeño corn bread was AMAZING, and paired so well with the maple butter. Onion rings were a bit over done, the breading was just falling off. The pasta dishes were both delicious. 5-6 plates is enough for two people to share. Very interesting spot and would consider stopping back in when the next food/drink menu is put out. read more

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I've wanting to go to Giant ever since it opened. Sadly, I was disappointed in the food. Everything had great strong flavors; however, it was way too salty for us. Our favorite dish was the Tagliatelle. The crab was so good. The noodles cooked perfectly. The sauce was good, but the salt just over powered the sauce. I really wish I could have eat the sauce without so much salt. It had such great flavor. Least favorite dish was the tri-tip steak. The description and what we got was not the same. Not sure what happened. It was served over a bed of herbs with a little bit of haricot vert and pickles. No rice. The sauce was too over-powering, too spicy and too salty (although less than the tagliatelle.) The steak was a bit rarer than I liked. It was barely medium rare. It was chewy and not tender. My daughter only took 2 bites of her piece. We did not eat much of the dish. Like usual, I spied on my neighbor's food. Their bucatini came out while we were ordering and it look really good and they enjoyed it. They also ordered the pork and enjoyed that. I wish we ordered the pork over the steak. The restaurant is small and everyone was packed in. Despite being small, it has a nice airy vibe. I would say most were on dates. Service was great! Definitely a highlight. Our server recommended 5-6 dishes. We were plenty full after 3 1/2 dishes. I give service 5 stars and food 3 stars. read more

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Wow, was I absolutely floored on my most recent trip to Giant. I'd like to think of myself as a retired Yelp reviewer, but I'm coming out of retirement to talk about just how impressed I was on my most recent trip to Giant was. I've been several times now and the food has always been excellent, but today I'm here to talk about the service. My boyfriend and I went to Giant last night to celebrate our anniversary, and due to a backup in the kitchen, we were seated just under 30 minutes later than our reservation time. This didn't really bother us because it was a beautiful night and the neighborhood was lovely to walk around, however, Giant took this very seriously. They went way way WAY above and beyond to show us how sorry they were for the delay by gifting us champagne, several dishes, and a dessert, all completely on the house. We were so appreciative of the initiative, and it only deepened our love of this restaurant. Giant is a prime example of a restaurant that values hospitality to the same degree that they value the quality of their food, which is something that you don't see all that often. Giant is easily one of my top 3 all-time favorite places to eat in Chicago based on their food alone, and the service-first experience we had last night just reaffirmed my opinion that Giant is one of the best restaurants Chicago has to offer. Bravo, Giant, keep up the excellent work. read more

I've had the privilege of eating at some of the best restaurants this city has to offer, but out of all the top rated spots I've been to, Giant is definitely my favorite. The first time I ate here was truly a mind blowing experience. Everything on the menu seems pretty unassuming at first, but you experience a flavor bomb of epic proportions after the first bite of any of their dishes. I had no idea that vegetables could be elevated to such a high level. And the surprise I've experienced from these dishes has left a lasting impression on my palate. Giant is a New American restaurant that's run by national award winning chef Jason Vincent, Ben Lustbader, and Josh Perlman. Vincent and Lustbader worked together with Jason Hammel at Lula Cafe and again at the now closed Night Wood in Pilsen. Giant opened in 2016 and received much deserved acclaim from local foodies, critics, and various food publications. Not only does the menu go through some seasonal changes, but existing fan favorites are elevated even more and end up tasting even better. The first two items I have tried here were the biscuit and trout row bite. It was the best biscuit I've ever had and the maple butter that comes with it is delicious. I can't recall ever eating a biscuit that was so soft and moist. And the trout roe bite delivers a burst of flavor that indubitably hypes you up for what's to come. The first vegetable dish I got to try was the broccoli and I was blown away. Never in a million years would I ever think that a plate of broccoli could taste so good. I was so taken aback and surprised by how delicious this was. I mean, this is broccoli we're talking about here! This is what makes Giant so great. Up next was the Jonah crab salad with waffle fries and Japanese eggplant. The waffle fries were the best I have ever had and pretty much ruined all other fries for me. I've never been a fan of eggplant, but I ordered it due to the rave reviews it's received from foodies. It comes with pita bread that's apparently based off a pizza dough recipe from the first restaurant Jason Vincent worked at. This is one of my favorite dishes of theirs and is something I will order every single time. It completely changed the way I think about eggplant. Up next were the peppers that come with anchovy bread and those are also a must order. Then there's the carrots and once again I was taken aback by the sauce, the surrounding crunchiness of whatever the hell they top them with and just the fact that carrots could taste this good. I also ate the onion rings and they were the best I've had. Now, I have only ever had okonomoyaki once, but this one was way better than that one. Very tasty. You must order at least a few pasta dishes here. I've tried the bucatini, sortalini, tagliatelle, chiromante and they are absolutely stellar. The bucatini is probably my favorite, but they are all amazing and my favorite pasta dishes in the city. And that is truly saying something. The only protein dish I've eaten from here is the flank steak and that too is delicious. I've eaten the entire dessert menu and they are some of the finest in the city. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I think the crepes suzette is just a little better than the other two. There really is no wrong choice, though. Also, the service here is top notch. The staff has been incredibly friendly, accommodating and enthusiastic. Like I've mentioned before, this is my favorite restaurant and I would eat here once a week if I could. I wish I lived in Logan Square just so I can order carry out! The Yelpers who give this place 1 star are clearly fools, delinquents, and charlatans who deserve to be in jail. Don't listen to them! Listen to me! I am an ELITE yelper, after all. Oh god. What has become of me? I used to have hopes and dreams, you know. I guess my life took one too many wrong turns. Now look. I'm sure the chefs here hate people like me..... Anyways! The cuisine at Giant is creative and eclectic, so do yourself a favor and book a reservation ASAP! read more

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Food is consistently fresh, creative, and delicious. Service is friendly and great with recommendations. It's a bit boisterous, it's a smaller space and always busy. We don't come very often since it's a bit on a hike for us, but it's always worth it. I am especially fond of the family style menu, a few plates to share often wildly different from one another, but it all still makes sense. It's possibly because their reverence for produce-- veggies can be stars here. One of my favorite casual spots in the city, highly recommend. read more

Run. Don't walk or put this experience off for another day. Like pasta? Well my friends, the Sortalini (pictured above), is one of the best pasta dishes I have eaten in the USA. How good? We ate the first entree and promptly ordered another one. Little pillow puffs filled with nutty cheese and the most delicious butter sauce laced with pine nuts. When you pop one in your mouth, the fireworks begin. The rest of the food was really goods. Ordered the Sourdough, Jonah Crab Salad and Broccolini. The Sortalini deserves the standing ovation! Didn't have room for dessert. Next time. read more

Giant - Sortalini - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went to Giant for Restaurant Week and was so pleased. Incredibly good deal (and food) and look forward to going back to sample the full menu. Cocktails are particularly creative and the mocktails are equally tasty. Upscale but comfortable atmosphere - great for a weeknight dinner or special occasion. read more

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Highly recommend for a great meal (and at an approachable price)! I had the jalapeño biscuit, bucatini, and cod. The cod was absolutely delicious and I would come back just to have it again. I'm glad I ordered it (most places don't do white fish well but Giant knocked it out of the park). The bucatini was delicious. To drink, I ordered off menu for a gin martini (delicious) and the "not an espresso martini" (not great/ can be skipped). The ambience is fresh and tasteful albeit the dining room is small and tables are close together. Service was friendly, speedy, professional, and seemed very knowledgeable of the menu. Definitely a new restaurant to add to my usual rotation of top chicago picks. Location in Logan square is nice with other bars / restaurants nearby. It felt like a safe and hip area. Somewhat inconvenient to get to from lakeview / Lincoln park but that is not the restaurant's fault. read more

We had a fabulous dinner for an early Valentine's Day Friday night! The jalepeno biscuit, eggplant, and broccoli dishes were all amazing. The cocktail we got was pretty great too. Knocking a star as the other dishes we got were good but not mind blowing: the pork pasta and grilled pork (though my husband quite liked the grill pork. The microwave cake was underwhelming. I was pleasantly surprised when I snuck a peak at the bill -- the cost was in line with $$ instead of $$$ It was pretty crowded -- tables were packed in the small venue. Overall so good and we will be back -- especially to try the other veggie dishes. read more

Giant - Sweet and Sour Eggplant - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food service and ambience were all good . Great place at restaurant week.i would go back again. read more

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The staff here are incredible. We had a wonderful time thanks to them alone. Our favorite dishes were definitely the Japanese eggplant and the fried trout roe. The other reviews say everything you need to know about these; they're delicious and unique. My one issue? It's true that, after 2 dishes or so, you begin to realize most of the food is *extremely* salty here. We both woke up with huge puffy eyes the next morning. Not sure what that's about. read more

Wow! All I can say is this is my favorite restaurant in Chicago. I love sitting at the chef's counter and watching everything being made. Everyone was so sweet and welcoming. The food was spectacular. Everything we ordered was delicious. I wish my stomach had more space so we could keep eating! We ordered the crab tagliatelle which was perfectly rich and acidic. The sortalini was so great, I wish they made double portions LOL. The eggplant was tangy and it was so great with the crispy pita. The broccoli was a refreshing dish-the crunchy bits were awesome! Lastly the flank steak was tender and flavorful. The accompanying salad was great too. Overall, I don't think you can go wrong with any dish at Giant. Sadly, no space for dessert, but I bet they're awesome. The next time we're visiting Chicago, we're immediately coming back. I highly recommend you give them a try! read more

The reviews are right, the seating is kinda intimate like you're going to be cozied up next to another table which is kinda fun because the lady at the table next to us had this wild british accent and it was fun to hear her throughout the night, if I was on a first date though I feel like I would be nervous because the tables next to us would be KEENLY aware it's a first date so I would say this is a good spot for dinner for 2: as friends or a second date or onwards Honestly got the best table in the restaurant though, the window spot, that 5:30 resy coming in CLUTCH The server was so attentive and checked in about the food so often! We ordered the jalapeño cheddar biscuit (this was fantastic, why is biscuit spelled like biscuit) 5/5 broccoli 4/5 Sea Scallops 3/5, I'm looking for a SEAR Peppers 4/5 Japanese eggplant 4/5 Bucatini 5/5 I ordered way too much though the server said 4-6 items for 2 people and I was like okay let's get 6 THINGS and with the addition of 2 cocktails (secret society and not an espresso martini very yummy ) it was like $100 a person and it would probably have been more if I sucked it up and got the tagliatelle but that's listed on the menu as market price which is a gamble I am never willing to take, and I would have been satisfied with 4 items! read more

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Bucatini, Sortallini, jalapeño biscuit, all good! The peppers were not my favorite. I wish they had a bit larger menu, but interesting options for sure. I think we also had anchovy bread. I'd go for the flank steak or fish as well next time. The butter for the bread was really great. Everything had unique flavor and the Pinot noir was nice. Highlight was the dessert crepe! That was amazing, save some room! The service was pleasant. It's a little tight in there but we were comfortable. Didn't realize how many good restaurants are situated in Logan Square. Need to venture over more. Thank you read more

I finally made it out to Giant. I've tried a few times but silly me never made reservations and every time I called they completely booked. So reservations are highly recommend. We sat in theeback in their heated patio and enjoyed a lovely dinner. We started off with with two orders of their "Little Biscuit." Their biscuits were so tasty, soft on the inside with a nice crispy outer. It was served with their jalapeño butter. Never thought those two would go together, but Giant made it work. Definitely a very tasty appetizer. My wife ordered their "Pici" pasta. It was a dish my wife was contemplating on ordering, but when the server suggested it, it was an automatic order for her. The pasta was perfectly cooked al dente, and served with jalapeño and bacon. It was a creamy tasty pasta, although I didn't taste any jalapeños with the few bites that I took. When I saw Tri Tip steak on the menu, I knew I had to order it. Tri tip is not a well known steak cut here in the Midwest. It is very popular in California, so I have high standards when it comes to this cut. In fact, I usually store a few pounds of this in my freezer on a yearly basis. I am glad to say that Giant's version of Tri tip was damn tasty. The Tri tip was grilled to perfection, but also served in a red/green sauce with mushrooms and sour cream. Now I'm not a big fan of mushrooms, but Giant may have served me probably the best mushrooms I have ever tasted. The mushrooms, the sauce and the sour cream tasted so perfect with a bite of the Tri tip. All the ingredients complemented each other so perfectly. I would definitely order this again without hesitation. I'll definitely be returning. read more

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My friend picked Giant as our fancy night out for our girls' weekend in Chicago, and I couldn't be happier with her amazing choice! We originally could only get a super late 10:45 PM reservation. Giant texted us the day of asking if we'd like to move up to 10:15, which we did. Great touch. When we arrived, we were seated at one of Giant's comfortable booths. The interior is small and cozy, beautifully decorated. IMPORTANT: right now, Giant is requiring proof of vaccination to get a table. They will accept a picture of your vaccination card if you don't want to bring the real copy. Personally, I love that they are asking for this, because it helped me feel way more at ease having a long, unmasked dinner with other folks around. Our server was Baylee. She was warm, friendly, and on top of her game, giving us plenty of space to enjoy our company but always stopping by at the right time to get our next food or drink order. There was also a quiet, polite busboy who kept our water glasses topped off so diligently I was tired watching him, haha. Giant shares on their menus that they provide health insurance for their employees, which is an awesome, unusual benefit in the service industry -- one that I'm more than happy to pay a little extra to support. The food was, by and large, phenomenal. Giant is a tapas-type place and it's recommended to get 2-3 dishes per person. We had an appetizer-type round of jalapeño biscuits, garlic prawns, sweet and spicy peppers, and Japanese eggplant. I didn't try the prawns because I don't like them, but my friends enjoyed them. The only dish I wasn't super crazy about the entire night was the peppers. I still took a couple bites and...sort of enjoyed them? The anchovy bread was very crusty and stood up nicely to the soft, slightly chewy peppers and cheese. However, the aged provolone had a super strong, super funky aftertaste that I didn't love. This was the only hiccup of the night, however. The Japanese eggplant was full of subtle and nuanced flavors and the crunchiness of the cashews added a great textural element. I wouldn't call it super spicy, but it was definitely unique and delicious. The highlight of the night had to be the jalapeño biscuits with maple butter...holy goodness. Added to the list of those rare dishes that hit me just the right way and honestly make me a little emotional because they were just so good!! Slightly crunchy exterior hides a buttery, pillowy, steaming-hot interior. Slather that transcendent maple butter on top, close your eyes, and enjoy!!! We were already slowing down from the appetizers, so we split two of the pasta dishes between the four of us to round out the night. We ordered the garganelli and saffron tagliatelle. I mostly ate the garganelli as the tagliatelle had seafood in it, but I did sneak a crab-less bite and it was delicious - very faintly spicy. You could actually taste the slightly sweet, slightly earthy saffron, too. The plating of both dishes was beautiful, too. The garganelli I split with a friend was rich, buttery, and covered in ricotta. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the salt pork ragu brought the right amount of crispness and saltiness. 3/4 of us got drinks. After splitting the tab 4 ways, with tip, we managed to get out for $54 each, which is more than worth it for such a lovely evening - at least in my opinion. I would be more than thrilled to revisit if I'm ever in the neighborhood again! read more

Giant - Prawns (top left), peppers and anchovy bread (middle), remains of Japanese eggplant (bottom right) - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was good, but nothing amazing. We had the Japanese eggplant, jalapeño corn bread, pasta matta and monkfish. We didn't get any drinks, but they had a very impressive wine list. The server was also very sweet and attentive, but the dining experience was just so uncomfortable. The tables are so close together that you are nearly touching the table next to you. The host had to pull the table out for us to get in. If you are any bigger, then it will be difficult to sit down. read more

Giant - Pasta Marta #3 - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

After seeing Giant on enough "Best of" lists, we had to check it out, and it by far exceeded our expectations! This was a great spontaneous weeknight date night spot for us, but it's nicely suited for a special occasion or a group dinner, too. The menu has a shared small-plates format, and our server recommended 2-3 dishes per person. We started off with the peppers: a perfect combination of spicy and tangy, served with some superb house bread. Next up were the semi-gnudi (very cheesy, gnocchi-ish) and tagliatelle (also very good, but low-key wish we'd gotten the bucatini instead!) Finally, finished off our meal with the grilled pork, which was a different note than the other dishes, seasoned in a Southwestern style rather than Italian-ish, but equally delicious. Highly recommend all of these. Dessert is an absolute must, too. The cream cake is rich, sweet, peachy, awesome. Get it for sure. The service is attentive, friendly, and highly knowledgeable. Seating is a little tight, which was mildly annoying when we were seated next to a loud party, but otherwise this was one of the best dining experiences we've had in Chicago. Will definitely return. read more

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Good, cocktails, ambiance, service...EXCELLENT. The eggplant! Wow! Flank Steak, wow! Jalapeño biscuits, wow! Tagliatelle, pasta with crab, wow! I could go on, but suffice to say everything here was awesome. You would be remiss to not stop here for a meal. I ate everything before I could take. A picture of it. Dessert is the only thing standing and it to was delicious. read more

Giant - Microwave Cale and a Suburban Tax cocktail...nothing better and this isn't all that they do well. - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had a great meal here recently! We were a group of 3 which meant we avoided the super cramped 2-tops so my tip is to go with more than 1 other person to do the same. Our server was very friendly and knowledgable, and checked in on us enough without being overbearing. We ordered the broccoli, onion rings, okonomiyaki, ahi tuna, lamb ragu, monkfish and microwave cake. These 6 dishes + dessert were perfect for 3 people. My favorites were the lamb ragu, which was so luscious; the broccoli, which was deeply flavorful, and the monkfish, which was so light and cooked perfectly. The onion rings arrived cold and weren't anything special. The ahi tuna was the same - it tasted like any other crudo you can get out. The okonomiyaki was good just not quite as memorable as the other dishes I mentioned. Dessert was fine, tasty but not incredible or creative. I'd still recommend this place to anyone! read more

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Fortunately, we were able to scoop up a last minute outdoor seating reservation for a Friday evening. We got super lucky. Upon arrival, we had to wait an extra 45 minutes for a table to open up. But because we had to wait, Giant gave us each a free glass of delicious wine which we very much appreciated. The wine was so good, we actually ended up ordering a couple bottles. The outdoor patio area is in the back, small but very cute and cozy. We had the zucchini dish, jalapeno biscuits, crab salad with waffle fries, saffron tagliatelle with Dungeness crab and then olive oil cake to share. Everything was delicious! Service was excellent. Prices are on the higher end. read more

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Good restaurant but wouldn't bother working it into a rotation. Menu has some highlights but feels totally random and arbitrary (as opposed to seasonal yet deliberate). Tables inside are too close together. If you need to pause conversation whenever someone gets up or sits down at the table next to you, the tables are too close together. Maybe try sitting outside, idk. Most things were interesting though not anything to write home about. The $19 pork dish was two pieces of bacon and some vegetables--a complete ripoff. The soft shell crab was very good (though small). The pastas were great but I can't really justify getting on the Blue Line just to eat two pasta dishes at a New American restaurant. Also, they were using super fibrous white cloths to dry plates and glasses, which resulted in tons of white dust/fiber being in my wine glass, on a few plates, etc. It was all over the place due to a surprising lack of quality control. They still check vaccine cards which at this point in the game feels a bit more like virtue signaling than actually caring about health and safety. read more

Went there for dinner last night and everything was delicious! Highly recommend the broccoli, egg plant, clams, tagliatelle. Don't miss the onion rings too - best I've ever had. The drinks are fantastic! read more