Had a great overall experience at Roister. This review is for the hearth seating. We had a 7:15 reservation for the hearth. My date arrived before me (on time, I was 5 min late) and they sat him right away. I appreciate that as many places wait for the full party. Cocktails: We each had a cocktail to start. Good, interesting drinks but nothing memorable. A good selection of liqueurs and interesting flavors. Food: For food we had 2 appetizers, 2 individual entrees, and a dessert. The hushpuppies were phenomenal - I could eat them every day. My favorite entree was the shrimp and grits! Everything, however, had great flavors and an interesting twist. Wine: We split a bottle of the cab franc. The waitress suggested a lighter bottle as we both had seafood entrees. I pushed back against a Pinot Rex as it's too fruit forward, and was not disappointed by the 2014 Lang & Reed cab franc. Ambiance: loved the music. Loved the hearth. It might be a little loud if you're sitting across rather than next to someone. It worked for us though ! Would we go again?! Heck yes. And get the chicken dinner next time as there was some table envy with the couple next to us. :) read more

I was so disappointed in this restaurant. The food was good but the Chinese takeout next door would have been better. I got the duck share dish and smoked oysters. Both were very underwhelming. Duck fat wasn't rendered correctly and the oyster taste was entirely masked by an adobo chili sauce that could have done w just a drop. Maybe my view of the place would have been different if the waiter didn't forget our drinks. Or was at least polite. Or maybe if he didn't act straight up like a douche bag. Lastly, apparently there's no industry discount at roisters either. When I told the waiter I was a cook, he just said "congratulations" I don't think I'll step in there ever again. I strongly urge anyone looking for a good experience to not step through the roister restaurant door. read more

WOW. I came here on a random Tuesday evening with a friend. We had gotten drinks elsewhere and were hungry so decided to come here on a whim. It had been on my list for a while, but I had been saving it for a special occasion. Well, that Tuesday was special indeed, thanks for Roister. TIP: If you aren't willing to put down a deposit, you can likely come on a weekday evening and get seated with minimal to no wait. FOOD: We ordered the aged cheddar rillettes, pork butt, and yukon fries. All were incredible, but the aged cheddar rillettes really stood out to me! It was creamy, crispy, hot and savoury all at once. I would return just for those rillettes. I would also highly recommend the pork butt - very flavorful with generous portions. SERVICE: We were seated very quickly, and our server was very attentive throughout the night. They were very kind about splitting our order into two take home boxes (even though we forgot both at the end of the night - REGRETS!). Overall, I had a wonderful experience and will definitely be returning! It is a bit pricey, so I would recommend it only for a nicer meal you're willing to splurge on, but it was well worth the price. read more

I had a great meal at Roister. I didn't really know what to expect since the menu feels Southern meets Asian, but it was unique and delicious. The inside is modern and a little more casual than I was expecting, but in a good way. The tables are also spaced nicely so you aren't on top of the people next to you (but you're close enough so you can peek at their dishes that come out). I had a Chilean pinot noir and my husband had old fashioneds. Both were great. The wine is served in what looks like a rocks glass, it was fine because the glass was super thin, almost like a stemless, but be aware if that's something that would annoy you. From the time we sat to when a server greeted us, to when we got out drinks was pretty long. Not a deal breaker but, not ideal either. We started with the cheddar rillettes and the hushpuppies with liver pate. The rillettes were so, so good. Imagine a fancy pimento cheese. I'm not even a fan of truffle but the truffle oil on this complemented it nicely, and the bread that came with it was like fancy fried dough--be still my heart. The hush puppies were also a great size and had a nice crunch. They had almost a crumb on top that I couldn't place, but was delicious. I'm not a pate girl but my husband really enjoyed it. For our mains we shared the shrimp and grits and the lasagna. Both were very generous portions and easy to share. The shrimp was cooked nicely and the grits were perfect on their own and seasoned perfectly. The curry was tasty, but it said it was a crab curry, thought I didn't get much crab flavor. The lasagna was comfort food at its finest. The caramelized onions were obvious and there was plenty of cheese. The soft and crispy noodle bits also created a nice texture. We were stuffed but couldn't leave without trying the foie gras candy bar. It was good, but the flavor is a little intense (I also struggle mentally with foie gras). The chocolate is smooth and delicious and I loved the pretzel saltiness. I did enjoy it but it was nice to share because you really only need a couple of bites. There's so much else on the menu I want to try so we'll definitely be back! read more

See all

This place was the real deal. The staff was so kind and the food was SO good! I highly recommend the green fried tomatoes and the chicken dish. They are so good, and your tastebuds will thank you for ordering them! read more

Covid times review: Great outside patio. They enforce the mask rule great. Can't beat the chicken and waffles. The aged cheddar rilletes and avo toast were phenomenal. Must try in the West Loop area! read more

Never thought I'd be giving this place only 3 stars, maybe I had too high of an expectation. I made a rez for this place on a Sunday lunchtime in the summer and it was only 1/3 full when I went. Ambience: 5/5 clean, modern farm kitchen table vibe where you can see them making and preparing the food. Decor of the place down to the clothe that held the fork and knifes was integrated with the farm table theme Service: 4.5/5 Attentive and fairly quick for the most part Food: This is where this place fell short for me unfortunately Chicken Sandwich 3.5/5: Ok the chicken was battered perfectly, a thin coating that just melted in my mouth and the bun was buttered up warmly. butttttttt the mayo and sauce they used was wayyyyyy too salty and not spread evenly so some bites was just too strongly flavored to the point where I felt like I was just eating the sauce and couldn't taste the chicken. Disappointed as I really wanted to try this but ended up only eating half the sandwich. Yukon Fries: 4/5 probably my fav dish tried. Common, who would've thought of putting bonito flakes and tofu mayo with fries? It's basically takoyaki but with fries instead and it tastes good! Grits: 2/5 Nothing special. Doesn't taste bad but nothing out of the ordinary. It was literally just 100% grits, with no other texture or something to mix up dish. Roister mimosa & Roister old fashioned: 4/5 Simple but balanced and refreshing read more

Exactly what you would expect from a Michelin Star restaurant. Service is top tier and the server expertly guides you through the menu to ensure the full experience. My date and I can eat more than the normal couple and 3 small plates and 2 big plates didn't leave room for desert. My recommendation is to get the potatoes, the mushrooms, and the chicken chamomile. We only order the 1/2 chicken which was more than enough but the chicken was beyond the best chicken I've ever had so I was hoping for left overs. It comes with a delicious gravy and a southern style hot sauce to dip the chicken into and I would take a bath in both. A little on the pricey side but definitely worth it. You will not leave this restaurant unsatisfied. 5 out of 5 recommend for a date or dinner with friends. read more

Another great restaurant from this group! Really good food. I especially loved the oysters. Also, the cookie dough and cream ice cream dessert is the absolute best. It was so good I didn't get a picture before it was gone. read more

See all

Holy Moley, this place is AMAZING. I am not a food critic but my word; this food we had tonight was out of this world. When walking in, your ears and body begin to bob along to the music. The vibe is so cool and the cooks are having so much fun cooking. It's awesome to watch them in action. We sat at the "hearth" where you can see all the action. Highly suggest snagging a reservation at this spot. We began our journey with the Shishito Peppers which were amazing with this aioli sauce they had on the side. Our dinner came and we were treated with the half chicken and the scallops. Both dishes were amazing. However; I must give credit where credit is due... the chicken was the star of the show. We were both amazed at how flipping good it tasted. Every bite was amazing; the texture of the chicken and the crunch on the fried chicken was sensational. We couldn't pass up the chance to try the desert.. So we tried the banana split.. not your normal banana split.. This banana split had so many textures and flavors that it felt like every bite was something new. Every spoonful we were rewarded with something unexpected. Truly; one of the best deserts I have ever had in my life! This was an amazing experience and dinner all included in one. I can see why this place has a Michelin star! Well deserved! Thank you for providing my husband and I with an amazing memory in Chicago! Great job all! Would highly suggest going there yelpers!! What are you waiting for?! You heard it hear, this is one NOT to miss people! Ignore the haters as honestly I don't get it. read more

See all

This restaurant has the best high end comfort food I have ever tasted. Everything here is impeccable. I dream of the Thai shrimp and grits and the cookies and milk dessert! I've been here a few times and both the service and food are great. Reserve seats at the counter where you can watch them prepare everything if you can! read more

See all

Decor: interesting wooden fixtures adorn the ceiling and walls, modern fashion. the paintings and art work on display are huge, vivid and thought provoking Service: very accommodating but our waitress was smarmy Nick kokanas was sitting next to us for most of our meal enjoying one himself with a young man, he is very animated and friendly and recommended the championed chamomile chicken which we ordered Food ordered: Hamachi - interesting notes of flavor on the plate Yukon fries - great textures, great flavor Cheese crudo, biscuit thing - not my taste; a raw cauliflower type of slaw which was meant to top the these strangely textured cheese wafers Bone broth soup noodles - tasty Chamomile chicken - 3 ways of a chicken cooking the entire bird. Cool concept utilizing all parts, somewhat overpriced in my opinion, but the flavored were all there, varied and resulted in a finely crafted dish Foie gras candy bar - amazing, this was literally an explosion for the tastebuds read more

Very tasty pre fixe downstairs in front of the chefs. Everything was expertly prepared, though sometimes the chefs could have been a bit louder explaining things. The standouts for me were the frog legs and the pork belly (especially with some of the fried rice). The ice cream and foie gras dessert didn't make any sense separate until I put them both in my mouth at the same time. Then it became magical, balanced, and led me to an understanding of a new part of my palatte It was a bit hot downstairs and through a minor bit of drama (that we caused) the Roister staff was extremely helpful in accomodating us. Expertly prepared food in a reasonably priced pre fixe at a premium location downtown. Thumbs up and five stars for Roister! read more

The fried chicken here was incredible. Crispy, sweet, savory. Comes with enough food to leave full and still manages to maintain the 5 star taste. Our server Alex was super responsive and gave great recommendations too. Will be back! read more

My fiancé and I went to Roister for the first time yesterday for a birthday brunch and it was phenomenal. I'm completely obsessed and wish I lived in Chicago to be able to go back frequently! I got the fried chicken and waffles and they were the best I've ever tasted. I feel compelled to check out the rest of the Alinea group restaurants when in town. read more

Roister - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for brunch and had a delightful experience. First, loved all the dishwear, none the same but had a great characteristics of calm get edgy. It's a very Asian fusion (we were even provided chopsticks along with regular utensils). Second, the service was great! It's always nice having staff asking about dietary restrictions before we ordering (me personally is lactose sensitive). I was also provided a shawl because I was cold indoor with AC. Next, the food was delicious. I ordered pea salad and chicken and waffle, my bf goat milk yogurt, fried chicken sandwich, and biscuit and gravy. I couldn't pick what's my favorite, but if you want refreshing taste, pea salad is definitely a good choice (its flash fried quinoa caramelized then dashed with cumin plus green pee sautéed in vinegar) read more

See all

Very solid for brunch. Arrived at 11 on Saturday with a reservation, and it wasn't busy at that time at all. I got the fried chicken sandwich, which was ace. Strong, delicious coffee. Am hoping to come back! read more

Made a reservation for seats around the open kitchen. Definitely worth it. We had great fun investigating how smoky oysters were made. Food wise, our tongues are surely not trained to tease apart the flavor of truffle from cheddar rillettes. But it tastes good anyway. Pea salad is fine. The fun part is we spend quite a while trying to figure what that crunchy thing is - it has every appearance of quinoa but tastes nothing like it. Salmon has a quite distinct sweetness in it. It almost tastes like Shanghai smoked fish - if you know what I'm talking about. Shrimp grits are too salty by any measure. read more

Roister - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Walking into Roister was a wonderful sensory experience. I was immediately drawn in by the smoky aromas, the attractive space and the the energy of the room and excited for the experience to come. And it did not disappoint. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of vegetarian options on the menu, which is often not the case at restaurants at this level. The food was absolutely excellent from start to finish. The flavors were perfect--unique and inventive, yet familiar and approachable. The rigatoni with corn butter was phenomenal. They took something as simple as pasta and elevated it to a whole new level with a corn butter that reminded me of a sophisticated, elegant and complex version of movie theater buttered popcorn that somehow paired perfectly with the pasta. The chickpea fritters were fresh, pillowy and delicious. My husband loved the hearth chicken and the presentation was lovely. Even something as simple as the fries were delicious and elevated by the dipping sauce. The portions are enormous and the prices were super reasonable for the quality of the food. My only minor negative was the hearth experience. I booked the hearth experience on Tok without fully understanding what it was. It's essentially bar seating surrounding the kitchen. It's fun to watch the food being prepared, but it's very, very cramped and tight. I was literally sitting just a couple of inches away from the patron next to me, which would have been uncomfortable in normal times let alone COVID. It was also very loud. And one of the worst parts is that there were multiple pig heads hanging on a hook directly in my line of site that they would occasionally take down to slice. As a vegetarian and animal lover, this was very disturbing and I had to keep looking away which did sully the experience for me. Probably just a "me" issue (my husband wasn't bothered). I would go back to Roister in a heartbeat, but would definitely book a table in the main dining room rather than the kitchen area. read more

Not sure what the hype is about this place. Chicken was over-breaded, only 3 scallops in the dinner and sea bass was not deboned and they weren't willing to take it back to debone it. Service was mediocre and party of 4 was a mandatory 20% tip. He seemed annoyed every time he had to come to our table to wait on us. We have been tipping 25-30% for good service due to Covid but service was not good. Mandatory Covid fee, as well. Absolutely no reason to go back. read more

I can honestly say the food was quite good, the service was even decent. However the management of this establishment was beyond reproach. After ordering 5 appetizers for our party of 4, 4 entrees and drinks when the manager came to our table and said we were coming up on our 2 hour dining limit and had not ordered dessert yet. We were seated withing 15' of the entrance, I scanned the room expecting a line, but there was no one waiting and 7 open tables. After inquiring with the manager if they had a rush coming, he said "they needed to follow the two hour limit". I won't waste my money on places that treat there patrons like they are too good for even them. read more

The ambiance and service of Roister were fantastic. If we go back I'd definitely wait for a reservation at the Hearth. Half of our meal was underwhelming, and the other half was amazing! Foie gras toast: the jam and the peanuts overpowered the foie gras. Salmon crudo: loved the dill, but otherwise too fishy and too salty for my taste. And I love crudo! Smoked oysters: yes yes yes! A smokey and slightly spiced delicious oyster platter. Would have eaten 3 orders if I could Duck platter: phenomenal! Honestly the rice alone is worth it. Everything was cooked to perfection. This plate could easily feed 4 people if you're getting appetizers too I would go back to Roister to try more of their menu, just be ready to spend a good amount. read more

Roister - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My husband and I are big fans of all the restaurants in the Alinea Group and have been faithful devotees of Next for many years. We had been to Roister once about a year ago and loved it, but I have to say, Roister was a huge disappointment this time. I had been raving about Roister to my close friend and couldn't wait to take her there last week. Unfortunately, nothing went right. The restaurant at 6:30 on a Tues. night was loud, noisy, and impossible to talk. The service was incredibly slow - it was clear the wait staff was understaffed. The Old Fashions that we ordered had no garnish, the fried green tomatoes were mushy and so salty we sent them back and got shoshito peppers instead. Their signature dish - chicken - was all breaded batter and very little chicken. The fries were just like you get at McDonald's - nothing special. We also ordered the cheese cake - which was very expensive, small, and dry (not moist as they had advertised with the paper wrap presentation). The strawberries were supposed to be "macerated" but tasted like they were mushy, unthawed frozen strawberries. Roister had asked us for feedback, which we gave them on Wed and shockingly we have gotten no reponse. So, unfortunately since they don't seem to care about our business, my friend will not recommend Roister and we will not be back. read more

Great ambiance, nice staff. Paid for our reservation to sit at the bar which went towards our meal was a great place to sit for two. Had the foie gras toast, to much jam and slivered almonds not enough foie gras mousse. Spicy cucumber salad was delish. charred rapini was delish but to salty & to much grated cheese. Salmon was so good with creamed spinach & potatoes purée. Creamed spinach to salty. Would like to try the chicken dish, looked amazing. read more

My friend suggested this place since he thought I would be fascinated with the 'kitchen is the restaurant, restaurant is the kitchen' concept. Honestly, it is quite interesting. A good alternative to look away into & act mesmerized during those few awkward silences with your companion. 1. Food- Expensive but is it worth it? YES!.... Sharing a mutual passion for cheese we started with 'Aged cheese rillettes'- Not mind blowing in my opinion but fulfills your rich creamy fantasies. Next was the Wedge salad- Tastefully presented, smoky goodness, not a fan of runny yolk but seeing my friend's orgasmic face I could guess it was epic. For our main course, after couple suggestions.. decided to go with Whole chicken and Chamomile- comes in a bamboo box sort of? 3 different textures, along with an array of dips and chamomile of course ( don't eat the whole flower at once- its very strong) I remember cracking up by saying 'This is a fancy KFC' (a good joke to add on your list). Never the less- very delicious, surplus and worth every buck. 2. Ambiance- Open kitchen concept is fascinating, could be a bit quieter. Servers are informative, polite and attentive. Towards the end of our meal there was a fire or so i'm guessing for we saw a fire trunk come in and a show of firefighters spraying the main entrance. Ideal to get your man a bit jealous but I enjoyed it thoroughly. The staff was very courteous and calm to escort us safely through the back door once we finished our meal. It did not hamper our evening at all!! 3. Drinks- Bourbon lovers here! Decent collection & quantity - pairs well with the meal. - Delicious potent flavors, decent ambiance and great staff!! read more

Love the atmosphere and decor of the restaurant. Also, that we can see the kitchen. Our waiter was friendly and wonderful table service. Food were delicious and hearty. Definitely, would return and check out other food on the menu. read more

See all

This may actually be my favorite of Grant Achatz's restaurants. It's more practical on the wallet than his other restaurants in Chicago, but the unique flavors and imagination that proved a game changer in the Chicago restaurant world is continued with this gem. No way you leave this place without getting their fried chicken, but don't skimp on the other menu items; the cucumber salad, the hush puppies, the wagyu, the salmon and the cocktails were all delicious. I can't pick one item that I had that I thought was even par for the course, everything was made with such precision and care that it once again has shown me who the creme de la creme of chefs are in Chicago let alone all of North America. (All due respect to what Rick Bayless is doing, but this is on another level) read more

See all

Wake up Grab a brush and put a little (makeup) Grab a brush and put a little Hide the scars to fade away the (shakeup) Hide the scars to fade away the Why'd you leave the keys upon the table? Here you go create another fable You wanted to Grab a brush and put a little makeup You wanted to Hide the scars to fade away the shakeup You wanted to Why'd you leave the keys upon the table? You wanted to I don't think you trust In, my, self righteous suicide I, cry, when angels deserve to die, die Wake up Grab a brush and put a little (makeup) Grab a brush and put a little Hide the scars to fade away the (shakeup) Hide the scars to fade away the Why'd you leave the keys upon the table? Here you go create another fable You wanted to Grab a brush and put a little makeup You wanted to Hide the scars to fade away the shakeup You wanted to Why'd you leave the keys upon the table? You wanted to I don't think you trust In, my, self righteous suicide I, cry, when angels deserve to die In, my, self righteous suicide I, cry, when angels deserve to die Father, father, father, father Father into your hands, I commend my spirit Father into your hands why have you forsaken me In your eyes forsaken me In your thoughts forsaken me In your heart forsaken, me oh Trust in my self righteous suicide I, cry, when angels deserve to die In my self righteous suicide I, cry, when angels deserve to die If you're confused, so were we. Both by System of a Down playing in the middle of the dinner rush, and by the amount of salt used in essentially every dish. The winner of the night was dessert, presumably made by someone other than the person/team that made everything else we consumed. read more

This review is for Brunch, a newly added meal to the Roister line-up. Firstly, the space is very high-end looking, kitchen is stunning and service is on-point. Reservations are a must; we snagged a 1:30 reservation and the entire place was packed, so wouldn't recommend popping in without one. We sampled a good portion of the brunch menu, a lot of the menu (over half) is set up for sharing, which I liked. Avocado Toast: Clean, fresh, avocado and grapefruit. Definitely a more elevated version than other restaurants who serve this. Yukon Fries: These were delicious. Perfect portion to accompany a sandwich or to start with. Came with a perfect aioli sauce. Get this. Cucumber Salad: Clean/Spicy - perfect compliment to the fries. Fried Chicken Sandwich: MHHHHHMMM. The hype is true. Biscuits & Gravy: High- End version of the staple. I'd give it a 9. Chicken & Waffles: Wish I would have passed on this and ordered the Fried Chicken Sandwich to myself. The waffle comes with butter already on it and it was way too rich, over-powered the entire dish. Yes, we had dessert too... Of everything we ate, both desserts were disappointing. For a Michelin Star restaurant, the desserts were just so-so. Cookies & Milk: Ice Cream: Tasted like something you could throw together at home. I'd skip on this. Foie Gras Candy Bar: Sounds cool, tastes bad. Sorry, Roister, this fell short for me. read more

We've been here twice for the Prep Kitchen and once for brunch. Consistently great service and food, and definitely deserving of its Michelin Star. Just booked a third prep kitchen visit, this time for the Half-chicken dinner. Can't wait! The Prep Kitchen is the highlight, for me at least. Having never worked in the industry, watching the chefs prep and plate the dishes right before you is fascinating. read more

Been to Roister twice for brunch, hands down one of the best fried chicken I've had in Chicago. I first ate at Roister with a friend and we both had the Fried Chicken Sandwich and without exaggeration, this might be the best fried chicken sandwich I've had in my life. Given the price, it's definitely not the one I'll eat every time I have a craving but the breading was crispy and light, the chicken was juicy and tender, and the chamomile mayo adds a different dimension that you cannot find anywhere else. I visited Roister for a second time with my boyfriend and two friends. I had the chicken and waffles this time. The honey butter they put on top of the waffles elevates the whole dish. The chicken is fried to perfection, just like the one you can find in the chicken sandwich. That said, my friends also ordered the chicken and waffles and I felt like my dish had slightly less food than theirs. Willing to overlook it because the food is simply amazing and the waiters are so bubbly and jovial. Not a knock against it, but be aware that the last seating for lunch (at least with reservations) is at 2PM. read more

I tried booking a company dinner and had a very difficult time receiving a consensus on the prices. Their regular ticket cost to reserve is $30 for regular sized a la carte dinners. Their dinner event for groups is $95 and this includes an open bar. During a phone conversation, the manager said a group of 12 would be required to book the event dinner and that a la carte pricing was not permitted. However, during a subsequent conversation we were told that our reservation would need to be $100 per person ($1200) prepaid and a la carte. When speaking with the manager, I expressed interest in the dinner event for $95 and was willing to book for that since a la carte was not permitted. I did mention my concern that the dinner event cost included an open bar, but that our group would not likely drink and wondered if we could substitute for something. The manager said that she would find out if we can get a lower price, although it would not be many dollars. I was surprised that the price fixe could be changed, but that was a welcome suggestion and waited to hear back. Another manager emailed me the next day to say that we had to book for $100 per person a la carte and did not explain this sudden about face. Since I was expecting to hear that our booking would be $95 or perhaps slightly lower since we would remove drinks, I was taken aback. Second, since the regular ticket price is $30 and the average cost of entrees low, it would be likely that our full group meal would be much less than $1200 total. Third, they said groups would not be allowed to get a la carte pricing and gave an elaborate reason as to why but now they wanted us to go a la carte. I did ask them to clarify, but in a third round of conversations, they simply dropped the reservation price to $95 per person from $100 without explanation and without addressing my questions. After 3-4 conversations with the Roister group, we decided it just wasn't worth the trouble, lack of standard and miscommunication. It also seems they are charging more for groups. I think as soon as I mentioned the company was paying for it, they thought we would be less conscientious of the funds. Given that our meal was for a Monday night at 5pm for an estimated 2.5 hours since most of our group had trains to catch, I think many restaurants would've welcomed our business. read more

I am torn about Roister as I am a big fan of Achatz and company, and have been to other establishments of his that were great which blew me away. We came here for lunch and had some stuff in mind to try. My friends have raved about the fried chicken sandwich. First of all, the interior is nice - upscale but at the same time casual. Just my style. The service was really good, which is to be expected of any Michelin starred restaurant. 1) Spicy Cucumber Salad - This was nice and spicy with good flavor. My girlfriend told me the spice mixture reminded her of some spice mixtures in China. Pretty good for a starter, but didn't blow me away. 2) Fried Chicken Sandwich and Anson Mills Grits - The fried chicken was really tender, but unfortunately all the other stuff in the sandwich overpowered it in most bites. Yes, the chicken was the most tender I've ever had in a fried chicken sandwich, but I could barely taste the chicken itself. They seem to have the tenderness down well, but as far as flavor goes - they probably need to work on it. I've had better tasting pieces of chicken before. The grits were good and I actually liked them better than the fried chicken sandwich. I really love a good grits dish. My girlfriend commented that the sauce on the grits reminded her of some instant noodle sauces she used to eat in China in college. Pretty funny comment, but I could see where she was coming from. Still good, though it didn't blow me away. 3) Avocado Toast - this might actually be the best thing we ate. The spice mixture on it was good and the grapefruit went very well with it. This was well balanced 4) Foie Gras Candy Bar - This one kind of excited me. It was a solid candy bar and the foie gras made it extra smooth, but it didn't blow me away. It was a better version of a candy bar, but it wasn't over the top like I was expecting. All in all, Roister was a solid option for food, but I expected more and it did not blow me away like some other Achatz places. The service was very good, but I'm not sure if I would come out of my way to eat here - only if I happened to be in the neighborhood or was close. Nonetheless though - solidly good food. Just don't come here expecting the most inventive dishes ever and you will leave happy. read more

They had outdoor seating because of COVID and came through on the quality in service and food! Gotta try the rillettes--they were bomb! We got both the burger and the chicken sandwich. The burger was super rich. Not the best "fancy burger" but still well worth it. If you do get it be sure to get the side of fries! read more

Roister - Burger and chicken sandwich - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Showed up for lunch and it was so loud you literally couldn't hear each other. We asked the host for the table by the open window which they said sure. Then they proceeded to give the table away to someone behind us. Luckily another window table opened up, which they promised us. Then they gave that away to people behind us who asked if they could have it. When I asked why they would have done that I got a "uh oh crap, sorry." We walked out. I've never written a yelp review before but this was unreal stupid on their part. Hire new hosts/hostesses. read more

This visit was for the Half Chicken Dinner downstairs in the prep kitchen. We were there on the 1st night it debuted on Jan 5th. No kinks to work out here! It is the definition of winter comfort food done really well. It's a heavy meal, so come with your appetite. The price point is remarkably cheap for the amount of food you're getting at a Michelin 1 Star. Without alcohol, it was $131.12 after tax and tip for 2 people. The meal starts with bread, pate, biscuits. All delicious and I was nearly stuffed already. Then on to soup and salad. Both unique and cleverly done. Not your average soup and salad. The entree is chicken done 2 ways. One is a juicy breast that has been marinated overnight and the other is one of the best fried chicken dishes I've ever had. Sides include a decadent mashed potato that is so rich and flavorful it could've doubled as desert. Collard greens with bacon, mac & cheese, chicken gravy and 2 different dipping sauces round it all off. Stuffed yet? Yes! Wait . . . here's ice cream with hunks of cookies and cookie dough to really put you away. I'm not a doggy-bag guy, but I took one home this night. Roister always has great atmosphere with top notch food and service. The new menu is a fun, delicious, and comforting meal for a cold night in Chicago. read more

Roister - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

The final night a trip ended with dinner at Roister (after eating at so many delicious places). We were left feeling pretty happy! Part of the Alinea Group, they have some great options. For a group of 6, they had a table near the bar for us that was secluded but also amongst the other patrons. The area is actually a pretty small area so it can fill up quickly. Out of 6 of us, two people were vegetarian and the rest of us were carnivores. We already had come with the mindset to split the ribeye steak (32 ounces). For two weeks, we debated on how we wanted the steak cooked (two people liked it medium rare and the other two liked it medium well). The waitress kindly informed us that they always cook it medium so that solved our dilemma! We started with the oysters which were good but not up to par with the price it was. I don't necessarily like my oysters plain so I enjoyed all the seasoning but my friends didn't appreciate it so much. When the steak came out, we were surprised to find out that it was smaller than what we thought. It filled four people pretty well but the boys definitely needed a bit extra. For dessert, we were super excited about the cookies and milk but was disappointed. The ice cream (which was supposed to be milk flavored) left you feeling disappointed and honestly, yucky. They had a coconut custard which was amazing and helped erase the disappointing taste of cookies and milk (note: still bitter about how excited I was for that dish!) For our vegetarian comrades - they had gotten the hot and sour soup (pretty good), cheddar rillettes (MUST EAT! amazing creamy cheesiness) and the lasagna (they truly enjoyed it). They have a good drink selection that fit the tastebuds of all of us. Overall, it was a good dinner place to try out at least once. read more

See all

Had dinner here with the Hubby before his company's annual holiday party around the corner at City Winery. We were seated promptly for our reservation time. Reading previous reviews, I was expecting the music to be really loud, but it wasn't...maybe since it was earlier in the evening? Music selection was good to me and set a nice ambience. I came here just to try the whole chicken dish; everything else was the side show. Our server was nice and made recommendations for other dishes to try leading up to the main course. He jokingly laughed when I asked for a drink recommendation that would pair well with the chicken. The Cheddar Rillettes were good, but unremarkable. The Yukon Fries were really salty. The chicken was presented beautifully. I really liked the crispy fried portion, but couldn't bring myself to like the taste of the braised chamomile portion. Hubby enjoyed the jalapeño gravy side while I liked the chicken salad. The portion was huge so we took half of it home. I'm glad we tried it so I can cross it off my Chicago Fried Chicken Bucket List, but not sure it was worth $67. My second favorite from the fried chicken was the Foie Gras chocolate bar. It was a decadent dessert served cold and melted in your mouth. I wish we ordered two since I didn't want to share with Hubby. I'd go back just for that. I've also noticed a running theme at Next, Aviary, and Roister...having to go down a flight of steep steps to use the bathroom. What's up with that? Just seems like an accident waiting to happen, with or without drinks, especially for a klutz like me trying to wear high heels on a rare date night. read more

See all

LAZY--the service we got, the waiter rattled off a monotone list of 4 items that were his "favorite" on an already limited menu. The service/experience was the worst part about this dinner, and because his 20% tip was already included it was very apparent he didn't care about our experience at all. Wildly disappointing for an alinea group restaurant and a place I will never take clients too in the future. read more

We had the WORST experience tonight. Not only was the food expensive and not good ( I'd give a 6 out of 10 rating), but they way they treated their customers was unacceptable. As we were about to finish our first course, our waiter promptly reminded us about the restaurant's policy of 2-hour time limit...and that our time was almost up. By then, we had only 45 minutes to eat our dinner, which hadn't been served. I told the waiter that I was terribly insulted by the way he talked to us. Five minutes later, one of the restaurant managers came by to further reinforce the restaurant's RULE.! To further insult us, he said, "as a result, you will not have time for deserts." Are you kidding me? I have never felt so disrespected. Roister is THE WORST restaurant in Chicago. I would NEVER give this restaurant any business in the future. read more