We held our staff summer party there last night. For some of us, it was the first time every seeing each other in person since covid. The staff (and our server Jessica) couldn't have been better. They Kept the food and drinks flowing at a great pace. They were checking in with us regularly to ensure that everything was running smoothly. All together a great evening! read more

I have now been to Recess a bunch of times and each time just gets better. The service has always been great and the food is fantastic. Everything I've had there is so good, especially the tuna poke nachos. Jenny was my server last night and she was great. We sat outside, the outdoor space is one of the best in the city. The place in general has a great vibe. If you're looking for a casual place with great food and drinks, and good energy, Recess is the place to go. read more

This place is absolute trash. We made a reservation the server took our order then we waited 2 hours for our drinks and food to find out the manager is telling us they ARE NOT serving us and made us leave with absolutely no explanation. Our table wasn't making too much noise or nor were any of us under the influence. The absolute worst service and a horrible way to end the night for the newly weds we were celebrating. read more

Was excited to check Recess out as their patio reopened with social distancing practices for summer. We had actually tried coming here before last winter but we got confused going to the City Hall side of the building versus the Recess side (Recess is on the Northwest corner of the building). We came on a Thursday night with a reservation in advance (book online and early, they book fast!). Perfect environment for summer in Fulton Market, tons of people and friendly staff. We were a little bummed because most food items were sold out and the kitchen was entirely backed up, but understood given the circumstances happening in Chicago. The waitress and manager were really nice about our experience and gave us 50% off given the long wait times we had (40 mins for a glass of wine, 35 minutes for a plate of chips, burger sold out, burrata sold out, etc) which was appreciated. I definitely will plan on coming back but in a few weeks/months as they hopefully improve their growing pains. read more

Recess - Cocktail menu - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place was pretty cool. Has a lil of everything. From good eats to good drinks and a little entertainment. Definitely have to revisit soon read more

We made a relatively last minute group reservation (three days in advance for a Friday night party of 25) and were thrilled Recess was able to accommodate us. We had our own elevated space and a designated server, Dee, who was wonderful -- attentive, accurate, and fast. Our friends had a great time and we'd definitely recommend for birthday parties or other larger tables. read more

Carolina was super nice. My friend was visiting from Madison WI. and wanted him to have a Chicago Brunch experience and Carolina made it possible. We enjoyed everything about it , the food, the music, the mimosas, the whole ambiance was enjoyable. read more

Brought my entire staff for a company outing, and it was so fun!!!! What made it even better was our AMAZING server, Lynnsey S!!! If you go, ask for her, she's the absolute best! read more

This place is a great place to grab a bite and drinks with friends. It's huge with lots of indoor and outdoor seating. I really love the set up, it's hard to pick a favorite place to sit. Our waitress, Steffani, was the shit. Great spirit, consistently checking on us, and she made us feel welcomed. Give her a raise! As for the food, we just had the buffalo tenders to start and the Wednesday specialty burger. The wings weren't really much to write home about. I'd probably ask for them to be fried hard as they were a bit soggy. The burger however packed some interesting flavors that I found to really like. The drinks I had were *chef kiss*. I forgot the name of it, but it was similar to an Arnold Palmer, but made with whiskey and frozen! It's amazing. I would've had more, but my friend cut me off. Will definitely be back today with a new friend group. read more

Eazy is the GREATEST bouncer of all time. He takes care of his customers and is very fair. I love coming to this place because of him. Thomas and Deji are the greatest. They are the cool. They are discerning but also fair with all of the customers. Love them all! read more

Went to this place for dinner yesterday for my birthday with my two friends. The place itself is really cool- has a very chill industrial vibe which I liked, however my friends and I were really not happy with our service. 1. Our waitress was honestly kind of rude, and every time she approached our table she did so at a distance until we put our masks on. I understand that we are in the middle of a pandemic and that the rules are being put into place for the safety of staff. However, as I looked at other tables with customers that were NOT people of color, they were not being treated the same. They were not asked to put on their mask every time a waiter/waitress approached their table. 2. The food menu was a bit limiting. We ended up ordering some pizza which was actually pretty good. Food options could a bit more broad, but every place is going to offer different things which is understandable. 3. The thing that got to us the most is that we saw a HUGE ASS RAT running around the patio and right there and then we wanted to leave. We all felt super uncomfortable. We were waiting for our waitress to come and talk to us so we can tell her and so we can get the bill. She took forever to come to us, and when she finally did my friend told her about the rat that we saw and her response was, "Well we are outside, but I'll tell my manager." After a few minutes, the manager came to talk to us and pretty much the same thing. He said that we are outside in the downtown area, but that they are planning on taking care of it and that they already had called pest control as they had seen some rats a few days prior as well. My thing is- if you know you have a pest problem in a FOOD establishment- why are you continuing to open your business. That is very concerning and brings up sanitation issues. Second of all, I don't care WHERE the fuck I'm at! I have gone out to eat to plenty of outdoor patios for dining and this is the first time I see a whole ass rat and the staff and clearly management are so nonchalant about it. Makes me feel like this is an everyday thing. I didn't even finish my food because I lost my appetite and was not trying to deal with a rat running to where we were sitting at. We did receive a 25% discount, but I am honestly still shocked with their response. Honestly, don't think I'll be coming back here again. read more

Stopped by on a Tuesday night to watch the Cubs game. Lots of Tvs, huge patio, cold beer and great food. Was told live music on the weekends too! read more

Recess - Big TVs, cold beer, big patio, and great food!! - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food is fine, the drinks are fine (overpriced but that's west loop for ya), the space is great especially for large groups. But what really irks me is the service charge. I was paying for a group of people and it was over $100 and that's on top of the generous tip I gave her. It's fine, and I get it but the fee is way too much. I almost had a heart attack when I looked this morning. read more

I visited Recess for the Holiday Pop Up. I paid $35 and made a reservation a week in advanced, but when i arrived, there were not any fire pits open to roast the s'mores i paid for. the manager was very kind and i got a refund and was seated at a normal table. however, our waiter was horrible. i'm not sure what his name was but he was wearing a leather jacket and was total tool. he kept touching my arm and one time accidentally touched my boob, during a pandemic. his mask wasn't even covering his nose. he also forgot to get my drink twice and told me it was on the house. however, when the check came he still charged me for it. i asked him politely to take it off and he said he would. after i paid, i realized he had still charged me 50% for that drink. horrible service, lying servers, and an unorganized event. read more

I have never written a negative review but we had horrible service here. The encounter was hostile as soon as we walked in for no apparent reason. Poor staff, organization and hospitality. It's so unfortunate to see such poor mannerism during such unprecedented times. I'll be taking my business to establishments that deserve it. read more

Excellent experience. Sure enough it happened to torrential down pour but our server Amanda L was spectacular. She accommodated us indoors and made the circumstance absolutely phenomenal. I can't wait to recommend recess to my friends and family. Cheers! Thanks again Amanda! read more

I had such high hopes for Recess! My friends and I had been looking forward to our reservation for two weeks. Unfortunately, we found that our drinks were inconsistent in size, when we ordered a second round (full glasses for the first round, the second round of the same drinks were maybe 1/3 the size for the same price). They were also out of quite a few menu items. Due to COVID, I completely understand that restaurants are strapped on the produce they might be getting in. But based off the drinks and the menu items being unavailable, we left disappointed. I decided to give Recess another shot last week. Things were a bit better (we were able to order all the food we wanted) but the service was disappointingly slow and the drinks were inconsistent, yet again. With all the attention Recess is getting, I really hope they're able to work out the kinks. The outside patio is ideal for social distancing but, unfortunately, I'm not sure I can justify spending ~$14 for inconsistent drinks and slow service. read more

the service was great, the food was great and the drinks And the vibe was pretty cool I strongly recommend this place for a great time and it's dog friendly. read more

Planned a last minute corporate event (less than 72 hours in advance) and they were super accommodating. The city hall portion was wonderful. Service was great, although the catering selection could have been wider. read more

Drinks are good (try the mezcal shots if you're into that), food is good, vibes and music are good. I'm curious to know how they'll convert the space in the colder months since it's such a summer staple for outdoor day drinking and brunch. I love the art in and outside of the building, and in that little part of west loop in general. read more

Great new spot with a warm and welcoming staff. GM was exceptionally inviting and really made us feel at home. We found the food and drinks to be very tasty. All and all, we'll definitely be coming back for more! read more

Cool place to drink, especially in the summer! One Major Thing that took down a star - You guys really need to tell your door guy to calm down. I was carded (4) separate times when I was trying to enter the bar to use the restroom from the outdoor area. I understand safety and upholding the law is his #1 priority, but carding me (4) separate times is a bit much. read more

The manager was truly awful. The drinks were below average and the manager was miserable. Go there to ruin your night.

Love this place. I visited about a month ago for the very first time(freezing outside). The pizza was AMAZING! The staff was friendly! The atmosphere was cool! different genre of music played! Cant wait to check out the place when it gets warm out. read more

Last Saturday a few of my friends went to Recess and had the best time. Their bar manager and one of the best mixologist in the city,Alec Pignotti, made our visit so fun. This place is going to be summers hottest spot. Will come back all the time for those loaded tatter tots!!!!! read more

Attentive staff, lots of space, and sizable $6 slices of pizza on top of a great food menu. Definitely will be returning for after work drinks and grub in the future. They even have elevated seating areas that aren't for reservations in addition to sections that are...great accommodation. read more

Beat place to have a day both in and out of COVID as there's so much room to space out. The Burger was so fire and the cocktails even better. Will be back soon. read more

Was excited to try this place out, but it was a complete waste of time. The management was very rude and didn't seem to know what they were doing. I'm surprised a place like this is still running with this management. read more

Horrible management, service and food. Wouldn't even go back here if it was a last option.

Absolutely the best outdoor winter dining experience so far. Huge patios, tons of fire pits, cute Xmas decor and they were soooo accommodating when we arrived and I had messed up my reservation. I can't say enough about this and we will definitely be back! read more

I can't say enough about how incredibly bad this place was. It's a nice space, sure, but the service is terrible. I can't comment on the quality of the food as my order never came. In the span of 90 minutes, our server managed to come back once to take an order for a 2nd round. That's it. Surprisingly, she was shocked that we asked for the check only 90 minutes in. Beyond that, the drinks are vastly overpriced for the area and just weren't that good. What's worse; they require reservations and call to confirm them and when we get there, the bar tables are empty, yet we still had to wait 15 minutes to get a table. This place is probably great for a bachelorette party for suburbanites, but that's it. read more

This was our first time here. My friends and I were very disappointed at the service provided during our one hour RSVP outside. It took almost 30 minutes to order a drink. We decided to stay and eat inside the restaurant as we were told the pizza is delicious and a "must try". We gave it the benefit of the doubt. I have to say the waitress Marta Martinez gave us beyond service. She was very attentive and quick. We immediately knew she likes what she does. Thanks to the service Marta provided, we will be coming back again. Thank you Marta. read more

The general manager Andrew grabbed us out of the blue because we did not have a place to sit. He found us a spot to hangout while we waited for our table. Excellent service and an awesome patio open atmosphere read more

Poor customer service and over-priced. There are far better bars and event spaces. Manager was not helpful when resolving an issue with an event ticket. Information provided from staff over the phone was not consistent with how unfriendly the manager was in person. As a newer space, I would have expected better customer service but that is clearly not the priority for management! read more

Great vibe for a night out with friends. Beautiful outdoor patio with rows and rows of seating with two levels. Backyard schoolyard vibe, hence the name Recess. Large drink menu with something for any and every taste. Table service was attentive and energetic. With a reservation, we still had to wait a few minute but we're able to order drinks at either the indoor or outdoor bar, although seats at the bar were limited due to covid guidelines. Music was quite loud indoors, which made it a little difficult to have a conversation. But, noise was reduced when outside on the patio. Overall would recommend if you would like to sit down and enjoy a drinks with friends. read more

Celia was such a great server, helped us pick our drinks/dishes and had great energy. Will return just because of her!! Her light up shoes were added bonus. 10/10 read more

The moment we walked in we were greeted by the best hosts! It was our first time here and it was amazing! The atmosphere is so fun and colorful. We got the liquor license which was so tasty. Highly recommend the pickle pizza. My daughter recommended it and wow it is GOOD! Thanks for a great fun time. We will be back! Ps kalika was one the best, outgoing servers I've ever had! read more

When we tried to make a reservation online, it didn't work. So, we called and made one. When we showed up on NYE they said they didn't have anything under our name despite me having proof that I called. Eventually, they found a reservation under my name but with no time and I was seated after a long and annoying delay. Then, despite them multiple times telling us on the phone and online that the fire pits were first come first serve, they refused to sit us at one of the many open pits. Once seated, we didn't receive any of the NYE party favors like every other table around us. We asked for it three or four times to our waiter. Despite him promising us that he would bring it to us each time, after 25 minutes of waiting we eventually had to just take them off the table next to us. The food was okay, the drinks weren't great. We had an amazing NYE in the end, but Recess almost ruined it. Don't go. read more

Great open-air atmosphere and a delightfully tongue-in-cheek menu. Our group had fun time parsing out the cocktail names. I'm not a vodka drinker, but the Department of Agriculture was fresh and balanced with a pleasant, vegetal quality. And not too sweet. Overall, service was attentive, polite, and knowledgeable, and food was delicious too. My favorite was the Beyond Burger, and I'm a meat-eater, for reference. It was smokey with a great texture, and served with a mountain of waffle fries. We will be back! read more

If you're trying to go somewhere fun post-Covid, I don't recommend this one. Went with a party of 5 last Friday, had a reservation. Businesses have been closed down long enough for the managers to come up with a responsible plan of attack on safely re opening. Most places have hand sanitizer, arrows letting you know which direction you should walk in, general basic safety protocols to limit interactions between different groups of people. This place did not have any. When you walk in they check all IDs, and instead of having a designated in/out path, sometimes the bouncers ask people to walk up the right side to get in, sometimes they ask you to walk up the left side but then you run into the people who are leaving. We each got food and only 1/5 of us thought the food was good. The drinks come elaborately over priced for something that was made wrong- too much lemon so that it was so sour you can't drink it. Too much ginger. Something off. There's no clean practices anywhere. The waitress wears a mask and that's about it. Bussers don't wear gloves when handing you your food. No one even lets you know where the restroom is if you want to wash your hands. The other customers there got rowdy and started getting into other people's space maskless just yelling and trying to do pull-ups on the containers. No one to tell them to remain social distanced. While we were 5 feet from the next table, it honeslty felt like there were WAY too many people there. I had the daunting feeling that this would be the place to catch covid because of the lack of clean protocols I was seeing. Not even separate enter and exit doors to keep flow of people a certain way. Probably the worst part of our night was the server who disappeared constantly. I get that it's busy and you may be running on a limited crew- then management needs to limit the capacity or change things up. It doesn't take an hour to get a drink. If I'm paying a 3% Covid tax, at least do something safe with the money. This place made me regret ever risking going out. read more