06/29/26 I knew there was a S/W in NYC, but it is such a hassle to travel there. When I looked out my hotel window and saw a S/W right across the street/Chicago River, I figured I'd waited long enough. We were seated promptly and had very attentive service throughout our meal, which was a 42oz porterhouse (for 2), truffle fries and a bottle of Daou California cabernet. The steak was done perfectly and was pretty tasty. Lots of steakhouses all over and S/W is supposed to be one of the best. The ambiance is 'old world', but not in a bad way, like I almost expected to see Al Capone walk in the door to his favorite steak house. Great view of the city and Chicago River. Would we go back (if we were in Chicago)? Probably not, but not because of anything this place did or didn't do, just because there are SO many steak places all claiming to be the best. My wife says I still make the best steaks on my BGE. read more

Smith & Wollensky - Chicago - 42 oz Porterhouse with veggies - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Not my first time here, but it's been awhile. Classic steakhouse with one of the best views of any restaurant in Chicago. Frankly, watching the boats go by on the river is worth the bump in prices alone. No steakhouse will be cheap these days. Yes, the prices will astound you. Figure minimum $150/person if you have any drinks or appetizers to accompany your steak. The steaks were fantastic. I did take issue with the cook level on one and they instantly whisked it away and brought out a better one. I was a bit surprised that after seeing all the "raw food" disclaimers on the menu that I would be served a medium rare steak that was clearly medium. No matter, mistakes happen and they quickly made it right without issue. We had impeccable service and excellent food. Worth the splurge IMHO. read more

This was a very nice place; the food, however, I think was a bit overpriced for what it was. I was very excited to try the Norwegian Salmon. And while I liked the sweet potato mash that came with it, it also had sweet potatoes on the plate... it was an overload of sweet potato. The oysters were delicious, and they have a great drink list. The espresso martini was top tier. Overall, it's definitely more known for its meat entrees. It was very nice inside, and our waitress was the best. read more

See all

My team has a tradition of organizing a dinner at Smith & Wollensky, and as a first time attendee, I now see why. From its setting right on the Chicago River to the flamboyant table-side service, each moment of our dinner was memorable. The restaurant itself felt grand and historic; I felt like I was stepping back in time to attend a stately dinner party. Our group was large (~10 people), so we were guided to the bar as we waited for our full party to arrive. I ordered a blackberry-infused mocktail, which was pleasantly tart and tasted sophisticated even without the alcohol. Once we were settled at our table, we ordered a seafood tower, two types of steak (tomahawk and dry-aged), and several side dishes to share. The seafood tower was a showstopper; piled high with crab, lobster, oysters, and shrimp, there was an abundance of fresh seafood to go around the table. To top this, the tomahawk steaks were rolled out, and the server theatrically seared each steak with a stick of butter and a blowtorch. All eyes at the table (and all of the surrounding tables) turned to watch the spectacle. The remaining dishes were then brought out, and everyone heaped their plates with the two types of steak and array of side dishes. The steak was solid, but many of the side dishes tasted slightly overcooked (e.g., burnt Brussels sprouts, mushy carrots). Always one to make room for dessert, I couldn't resist the Gigantic chocolate cake. This was no ordinary chocolate cake - each layer (and there were many) was blanketed between layers of rich ganache. Dessert was the highlight of the meal for me. Dinner at Smith & Wollensky was an experience I'll never forget, and I'd consider coming back with a large group for a celebratory meal. read more

See all

The restaurant has a classic old school Chicago Steakhouse feel. Its on the water, and if you get window seats its nice to watch the boats go by while dining. The over experience met expectations, the service was friendly and attentive. The old fashioned was solid, with big ice. The coffee seared tenderloin with some type of cheese sauce was unique and cooked to a great medium rare. It wasn't pretty, but it was tastey. The Chilean Sea Bass served with Risotto was fantastic. The fish was tender and juciy, and paired will with the risotto. In general it was a solid place for anniversary dinner. I wasn't overwhelmed, but enjoyed the experience. read more

See all

Hubby and I came here after a long morning of sightseeing. We sat at the bar because we wanted to try the Wollensky burger, which is only served at the bar. It was absolutely delicious! I also ordered a lemon drop, and hunnyyyyy it was stiff!!! Our bartender understood the assignment! She was awesome! read more

Smith & Wollensky - Chicago - Wollensky's Butcher Burger* - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had been wanting to come here for awhile now to see how this steakhouse is. Hubby asked where I wanted to go for Valentine's Day so on 2/15/26 we went that evening. Requested a window seat with our reservation but were told they couldn't guarantee one because they are in high demand which was understandable. We get there and use valet parking. Walk in and are immediately greeted at the front desk. They told us to go downstairs where the main dining room is. There were steps to lead us down there. We were surprised that there was a window seat waiting for us when we were seated and it seemed to be the best seats in the place in my opinion. The view was spectacular of the river and the pretty downtown lights. Rosana was our server and she was FANTASTIC - friendly, knowledgeable and whatever we reasonably asked, she quickly got for us. They brought us out bread to start that the flavor was so good. Our drinks came and I would highly recommend getting the key lime martini - one of the BEST drinks I've had in my life. Tasted just like key lime pie!! Scrumptious! Hubby had the Gilded Pear Sparkler which had LaLuca Prosecco, REÀL juicy pear purée, cinnamon & clove syrup. He enjoyed his also. We ordered our food and we got the Wagyu Ribeye and the mashed potatoes. Also got an addition of a Lobster Tail. All of it was cooked to perfection and simply delicious. Every moment was wonderful there. This is one of my top steakhouses and experiences I've been to. Definitely want to come back. My only suggestion is that front desk staff let patrons know there is an elevator to take you downstairs. I was wearing heels that night and it would of been a lifesaver to know that I could have avoided all those stairs by taking the elevator. Keep up the fantastic work Smith & Wollensky. Well Done (literally)! read more

See all

One of my favorite bartenders at Ruth's Chris in Buckhead, Atlanta recommended this restaurant when I came to Chicago. We were able to make reservations easily online. We arrived a bit early but grabbed a quick drink at the bar before being seated. The staff were pleasant and very accommodating. It felt like we had one of the best views in the house, with a beautiful view of the river from our table. We started with a few drinks and the Wollensky salad. The drinks were well crafted. I had an apple martini, and my spouse had a nice glass of red wine. The Wollensky salad was different--nothing I've had before--but nonetheless very good. For our entrée, we had the swinging tomahawk ribeye, carved tableside with confit herbed potatoes. We also added a side of Brussels sprouts and truffle mac and cheese. Everything was very delicious. This steak may have entered my top five. Overall, it was a pretty exquisite dining experience. read more

See all

Food was good, not great. Service was tremendous between our server and the rest of the staff. They get a A+ for the River view and for giving us birthday service and cake. We would definitely return. read more

We had a celebratory meal post graduation, and everything was perfect! 7 of us enjoyed the whole experience! read more

See all

I cannot express how wonderful our experience at Smith & Wollensky was! We were celebrating our upcoming wedding with some friends and family and each and every one of us had an incredible time. To start, our server Steve was just a true professional. SUPER patient with our large group, very knowledgeable about the menu, and made us feel beyond welcome. The food was just divine - we got a mix of steaks, seafood, tons of appetizers, and sides and EVERYBODY was wowed. Everything was fresh and cooked to perfection. Yes the price is high but you're paying for some of the best quality food you can ask for! The view is just gorgeous - our table was a little set back from the windows but we could still appreciate the river and city in all its glory. We truly cannot wait to come back. HIGHLY recommend this restaurant for any occasion and definitely for big groups! Thank you team S&W! read more

Smith & Wollensky - Chicago - Shellfish bouquet for 3! - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food and awesome service. A little expensive for the price but a Chicago classic when you're in the area. read more

Smith & Wollensky - Chicago - Twin Petit Filet Mignon* Whipped Potatoes and Brussels sprouts - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I requested a table by the window because it was a birthday event and they gave us a beautiful table with a great view. The service was excellent, the food was delicious, and they even surprised us with a complimentary birthday cake. We had a wonderful experience and would definitely recommend this restaurant! read more

The food was served quite slowly, and unfortunately, the server forgot to bring my drink. Aside from that, everything else was great. read more

See all

Celebrated my good friend's 51st birthday . 4/5 of us arrived on time and was told we needed to wait for the 5th person in order to be seated so therefore instead of being seated and possibly ordering a cocktail and appetizers we needed to wait another 15 minutes. Food service moved at a good pace , however the wait staff removed my half eaten appetizer before I was able to finish instead of asking if I was done . I'm giving four stars instead of three due to the food quality and the ambience of the restaurant. read more

See all

Came here on a Thursday night for an office dinner. Our group had about 16 ppl in it. We had a really good time! The seafood tower was the bomb -- super fresh and loaded. Truffle fries were love, and the mac n cheese was creamy and delicious. Steaks were cooked perfectly and the service was awesome. We had a private room, which was a bit drab, but the views made up for it. The outdoor seating looked amazing, just too cold to enjoy this time. The service was top notch... especially the ladies. They killed it!!! Desserts were so-so, but overall, we left happy and full. Would definitely go back! read more

See all

Smith and wollensky is a very old school, kind of stuck in the past steakhouse. It can be very hit or miss on whether the food is good or not. Sometimes you get warm bread and food, sometimes it's stone cold. I do like the pot roast, as that is the most consistent in quality. Fair warning the chocolate slice of cake really is gigantic, they are not exaggerating. This is a good option for a business or catchup with someone lunch spot if you want a slightly higher than normal quality lunch. read more

See all

I came here with my husband to celebrate Valentine's Day and this place was perfect! I wish we sat by the river, but overall the restaurant is very big downstairs and nice. I loved the warm bread that comes out fresh and melts in your mouth. My husband told me about the bread before coming here and it literally exceeded my expectations! I was looking forward to the calamari but I was slightly disappointed by it. I thought the dish portion was a bit small and food did not taste good/fresh. Not sure if it's because they were really busy due to Valentine's Day, but the food was lacking something for sure. We did broccolini as a side and I LOVED it. I've had broccolini at other restaurants, but this place really nailed it. I love that it was nicely seasoned and cooked with still a crunch to it. I think the cajun steak I ordered was the real spotlight! I've been telling my friends to come here for the cajun steak because it is literally what you would expect it to taste like and WOW! I took the bone home to eat it the next day and after tossing it into the air fryer, it was as good as I remembered it the night before. My husband had their filet mignon and said I thought it was way too salty, so I'm glad I went with something different that I typically don't see on menu at other steakhouses. The apple crumble was surprisingly really good for someone like me who does not like apples. I took like two bites of it along with the vanilla ice cream and it was soooooo good after a heavy meal. Overall, I really enjoyed the food here especially the cajun steak and cannot wait to be back! read more

See all

What an amazing experience. From top to bottom- drinks at the bar before hand Excellent greetings and seating. Lovely table by the river and a Fabulous staff. The food was spot on and the service stellar. read more

See all

Great views and service. And of course the steaks were amazing. The ribeye was one of the best we'd had in awhile. Also, I forgot about how good their rolls were. read more

See all

Another one of our fave Steakhouses. Really disappointed in the Duck Confit salad here. It was so bad we almost sent it back. The egg was cooked perfectly thou & we loved the little peas & veggies in it. The duck was just way too gamy. We should have sent it back. Very disappointed in the Duck Confit salad. Womp Womp. DO NOT RECOMMEND the DUCK CONFIT SALAD. However, the rest of the items we chose were fabulous. Especially the "9 ounce Black Grade WAGYU FILET $98" SUPERB! YUM YUM OUIOUi !!! "The 9 oz black grade Wagyu roasted shallot asparagus with bone marrow butter (add brandy wine peppercorn sauce) Winners circle indeed" OuiOui :)... We added a side of the Brandy wine peppercorn sauce to ours. This is the way to go! Yum Yum Yum Yum Superb! The wagu bone in Ribeye was also Superb. As was the Hand Cut fries OuiOui! The burrata salad was super simple & lovely as was the broccolini. The shrimp on mashed potatoes flavors didn't work for moi. The other disappointing thing was the "Gigantic Chocolate Cake" It was frosted in a Dark chocolate ganache which is moi fave & it came with the cutest cow cookie LOL! Unfortunately, the cake part was too dry. Will return for the Hand cut fries & Wagyu Wagyu Wagyu as we had two! Highest Recommendations on the 9 ounce Black Grade WAGYU FILET $98" SUPERB! YUM YUM OUIOUi !!! FIX THE DUCK CONFIT SALAD PLEASE! Will return to update. read more

See all

I so hate that we were disappointed with our visit to S&W. It was my first time in Chicago and I was so excited for this meal. The table was inside but with beautiful views of the water. Sadly, that is where our good time ended. Our server was okay, a little "dry", but not a bad server. The star at any restaurant should be the food no matter the view. None of us enjoyed our food. The steaks were tough and gristly and lacked any seasoning. The sides mac and cheese: 0 stars, the French fries looked old like they'd been under a heat lamp. The frizzled onions and sautéed mushrooms were the best part of our meal but couldn't fix lousy steaks. The broccolini wasn't even hot. I regret that no one said anything to the manager when he came by; we were all trying to be polite and put on a good face for each other, but when we finally said the hard part out loud, we agreed we all disliked our food. One of us didn't take her leftovers and the others of us did, but ended up trashing them; we really wanted to return them in hopes we'd get some of our money back. Next time in this position, you can best believe we will not be silent trying to be polite, and respectfully speak up about how we are spending our money. A meal this expensive at an establishment this known should not be this bad. read more

See all

A very nice quiet and small restaurant, not crowded, but sits on the river so it's about the experience. The food was really good, and the staff was nice as well read more

A group of us, co-workers came in for dinner on a weeknight recently and sat outside with a beautiful view overlooking the river. Our service, Michelle was EXCELLENT! Very friendly, helpful, and engaging! Unfortunately, the kitchen wasn't as helpful, they seemed to be quite behind and our food took an unreaosonable amount of time to come out - But she did her absolute best keeping us informed and even escalating to the manager who came to talk to us (he was nice, but probably could have done slightly more to help out, considering how long we waited).... That was the worst of it and overall, it wasn't really all that bad. The food was all pretty darn good! Their split pea soup was what we remembered from the original location in NYC and we enjoyed it! Cocktails and wine were both great as well. Their bone-in NY Strip was nicely done and perfectly seasoned! Dessert - Plenty to choose from... their signature coconut cake was great, as it usually is. Their incredibly huge chocolate cake was nice, but a little dry. Overall - It was a nice visit and would probably 5 stars if the kitchen wasn't so jacked up... Service from our specific server was perfect - the best she could do given the conditions of management and the kitchen, but I'm still giving it 4 stars, when it's probably more deserving of 3 1/2 stars. read more

See all

Great outdoor space, frequent but unobtrusive check-ins from the wait staff, and a yummy burrata salad. Loved my ginger pear sparkling cocktail. read more

Smith & Wollensky - Chicago - Ginger Pear Sparkler - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Went to Smith & Wollensky for lunch. Place was quite lovely, service was great. Sat by the window, everything was genuinely lovely. The lunch menu was well worth it. Had the steak tips au pouvir was excellent. The cognac sauce was exceptional, while steak tips were cooked to perfection. The salad was great, but the dressing was bit too acidic. However it was great! I would go back for dinner! Wish they had opened the lower level dining room. read more

See all

Reservations on a Sunday afternoon here at the Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse was very much favorable. This steakhouse was in a nice secluded spot. Views of the boats passing by, connecting bridges and of course the surrounding skyscrapers was such a beautiful sight. Seated Outside the terrace with High & low top seatings with absent of the down stairs was the only displeasure. It was only concerning because my kid was and is terrified of flies, yes flies or bees anything that flys. Hahah! Definitely,could have used the seating with the huge beautiful windows with the river view. Our server, was Cassidy. She was great! She had such great mannerisms and delivered such a positive dining experience. Her promptness, professionalism and attentiveness was impressive. I had everything I needed when I needed it. She was THAT good! She even took pics for me. She made personal suggestions of her faves and our entrees took no time. Therefore, we took no time indulging! For starters, we ordered the Wollensky salad and my Tequila Mockingbird. Which was really good, plenty of dressing for the salad. For entrees, we ordered the Wagyu Filet along with the lobster tail and the Half Chicken. Sides were the truffle Mac and cheese, Brussels sprouts with bacon and the whipped mashed potatoes. . A M A Z I N G! Steak was tender and flavorful along with the juicy chicken. Kid loved the chicken to the fullest! Literally, everything was shareable for her and I. We had a marvelous time and will be back! It is always a good time when the weather is nice and the service is sensational, kinda hard NOT to have such a wonderful time. CHECK EM OUT! read more

See all

The only thing this place has going for them is the location and view. Everything else is seriously a struggle. Our server was nice but very bad lol he even spilled a drink on my coworker. But he apologized and got us new drinks so thats not why the bad rating. The food is the reason why!!! Over priced and awful. Paid 80 bucks for a steak that was the worst steak I've ever had. Mac and cheese looked like supermarket bought and microwaved. Crab cakes tiny. My martini was ehhhh. I'm sure between all of us we spent over 1k and I was not impressed. So crazy. Def do not recommend. There's many other places by thr river that I'm sure are better priced with better food. read more

Smith & Wollensky - Chicago - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

While waiting for a table, my son and I had drinks at the downstairs bar area and enjoyed the game on television. While walking down, we were rudely stopped by a woman who came across like we didn't belong in the venue, I thought it was me, but my son also expressed the feeling of negative energy coming from the woman "guarding the establishment." The drinks were good, though it was my first time, the food was as expected from a Chicago steakhouse. Our server was attentive and polite. I'd return... read more

See all

The best part of our trip to Smith and Wollensky was absolutely our server. She was very knowledgeable about the menu and very friendly. The food on the other hand was very subpar to other steakhouses in the area. Beautiful ambiance as we sat outside on the river. In my opinion it was overpriced for what it was. read more

Smith & Wollensky - Chicago - Gigantic Chocolate Cake - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

What can you say and what has not been said about this 1977 chicago icon on the river? Great steaks Great seafood Great service Very nice wine selection Pricy as you want to be with a $270 tomahawk for two. Or $22 for mac and cheese on the side. Great people watching read more

See all

My husband and I came here for our Anniversary the other night. We arrived a little early and they offered to move us inside with a great view of the river since originally we were going to sit outside and it was very humid out! We had a couple drinks at the bar and then we're seated. The view was amazing! The complementary bread was buttery and delicious. We started with the angry shrimp appetizer. It was ok. I probably wouldn't order again, but wasn't bad. My husband and I each ordered a ribeye. I ordered the wet aged and my husband ordered the dry age. I'm not a huge fan of dry age, but it was pretty good. My wet age had so much flavor! It did get a little rough which was disappointing, but overall it was a good steak. I really liked the mashed potatoes and corn. We were able to order half sizes which was good because we were so full! They gave us a huge slice of cake for our anniversary. Super thoughtful! Overall a good dining experience! read more

See all

The steak and Lobster was the best I've ever had! And the green velvet cake is amazing! Experience 1000/10!

This was one of the most perfect meals that I've ever had. From the ambiance, to the service, to the food, everything was outstanding. My husband made reservations online about 3 weeks ahead of time. We ended up getting to the restaurant an hour before our reservation and they still were able to accommodate us. The gentleman at the host stand was beyond nice! We were seated immediately and looked over the menu. We ordered a Caesar salad to share for an appetizer. For my meal, I ordered the signature filet mignon and my husband ordered the Cajun marinated rib eye. We shared a side of the truffle Mac & cheese. Bread was also served complimentary at the beginning of the meal. I want to say this was one of the best of everything that I've ever had - bread, salad, steak, and mac & cheese. We also shared their signature gigantic chocolate cake for dessert. You cannot go wrong ordering anything on their menu. The portions were big (especially the cake), so we did take a lot of the meal home. The service was unmatched. Multiple employees came by our table to refill our drinks, drop off food, or pack up the leftovers. The restaurant is beautiful inside and has a gorgeous view of the water outside. This is a great date spot for an anniversary or a birthday! read more

See all

Perfection.. from drinks to dessert!! Amazing food, fantastic service David was instrumental to our very enjoyable evening celebrations. We had a large group and everything ran smoothly!!!! Top Chef !! read more

Went here with my wife of five years for Valentines thinking the food was going to be very good, but I thought wrong. The food was mid. I can honestly make a steak better at home. everything had no taste almost $700 for something I could've made at home. Save your money and don't eat here go to Gibsons Italia or somewhere else the prices here are ridiculous. P.s the waiter gets a $80 tip automatically and it's added to your tab. read more

Smith & Wollensky - Chicago - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Worst meal in life. The ribeye au poivre was 1/4 fat, so tough I sharpened my knife twice and didn't help, with a peppery but bland sauce more suited for veggies. The creamed spinach and potatoes gratin (no cheese) had no flavor; salt didn't help. The Australian lobster quarters was to be hot but came iced. The coconut (no) cake was a whipped cream mess. Did they throw in the worst piece of meat in house because it was an Uber Eats order? Wouldn't surprise me. Packaging was nice tho... A NYE waste. read more

Came as a group of 4 for dinner on the weekend. We had no problem walking up without a reservation and getting a table outside with a view of the buildings and river. We all ordered drinks and I thought the off-the-rails old fashioned was fun. You roll 3 dice and your numbers correspond to the different ingredients to make a custom drink for you. I had the spicy cucumber margarita and it was refreshing with a kick. The table bread was fluffy and fresh. I tried the clam chowder as an app and it was a huge bowlful with plenty of potatoes and clams. They serve it with oyster crackers. For our entrees, we split the seafood tower for 4. For the price, I was a little disappointed in the volume of food. It was all fresh and tasty, though. The octopus ceviche was my favorite. It had an Asian flavor to it that worked very well. All 4 of us split the gigantic chocolate cake slice and still couldn't finish it. It was dark and decadent, but a little dry. It really needed the fresh whipped cream that was served on the side in a metal milk container. The view was fantastic and you get a good breeze on the outside patio. I think it would definitely be a good place for drinks and an app or maybe a nice steak. read more

See all

g a horrible night. Food was just ok and nothing special. My first drink was very watered down. I kept giving this place the benefit of the doubt. However, once we finished dinner, we asked to see the dessert menu and place two espresso martinis. I decided I needed to use the bathroom and didn't want to go alone, so of course my husband walks me to the bathroom. We come back and there was already another couple sitting at our table. The waiter tells us that it's the hostess's fault and we will have to wait for another table to close out to be able to enjoy our dessert cocktails now. I go to the hostess stand and spoke to one of the "managers" and he just cuts me off as I'm trying to explain what happened and just brushes me off without an apology. So long story short, we did not get to have our espresso martinis. Instead opted in for cocktails at home. Don't go here. Horrible service and mediocre food. It's definitely not worth the money. No one apologized or tried to make things better. read more

I never write yelp reviews but this place was so good and has the best food that I can't withhold. The service from beginning to end was very attentive (unlike other reputable places we had been in Chicago) And food was insanely fire... would definitely go again 100x over. Oh and my boyfriend is picky and loved it. read more