When you want to step back into time,... go to Tortoise Supper Club. Upon arrival, I was greeted right away. Since my dinner date hadn't arrived yet, I had opted to have a drink in the bar area, which has several tables along with a piano in the corner for entertainment on the weekends. The attendants were friendly and attentive. Once my friend had arrived, we were seated right away in the dining room. The room has several sizes, The server, Philia Y, had greeted us right away. Since I had glass of wine, my companion decided to order a Whiskey Sour and the Relish Tray for an appetizer. Both were delivered shortly. You never can go wrong with their relish tray. For main entree, we decided to have the Salmon Cedar and the BBQ Ribs. Within 12 minutes. great timing, our meals were brought to us. Along with couple more glasses of wine. Philia would check in with us periodically. Both meals were excellent. For dessert, we had opted to try slices of the Key Lime Pie and Peanut Butter Pie. I have had the slice of Cherry Pie before and it very delicious. Overall, we truly enjoy the food and service. I would recommend this great supper club. read more

We had our rehearsal dinner at The Tortoise Supper Club and it was fantastic. The staff are professionals that do this for a career and have been with the restaurant for years. Kelli, the event coordinator, was awesome! She quickly answered all of my questions and has a lot of experience! read more

Came for dinner, and had JORGE M. as a waiter. I must say, he was the BEST waiter I've had at a restaurant that I can remember. He went above and beyond, made it super personable, and was just the nicest waiter ever! Food was amazing! Service was even better!! Recommend this place for every reason. 2 thumbs up!!!! read more

Went for the mother's day brunch buffet with my family and we all thought it was overpriced for the amount of food. The food itself was not bad but there should have been more variety and choices to justify the $85/pp. Also adding 3% credit card surcharge to the bill was not cool. I don't think anyone in my family will go back to the restaurant after today. read more

Great place to go to share a meal with the team at work! The wait staff is very knowledgeable and gives the best suggestions about items on the menu. read more

I dined at the Tortoise Club this past Saturday evening with a group of 8 friends and colleagues following a professional event. The food was excellent! We enjoyed the Steak Tartare and Ahi Tuna Tartare appetizers - wonderful! The seasonal soup was also lovely - a very straightforward butternut squash soup. For mains, the Meatloaf and Whitefish entrees were favorites among the group. The cherry pie for dessert was aces! Our waiter and supporting service staff were helpful, friendly, and professional. They offered truly good service. All the while, live jazz added to the traditional and somewhat formal atmosphere. The only drawbacks here are a slightly raucous level of ambient noise - and - if you are looking for culinary creativity, this is not the place you're looking for. I would recommend The Tortoise Club for formal occasions with your older family members! read more

I really enjoyed my experience at the Tortoise club. While this restaurant was recently established, it possessed an old world feel. The decor included dark oak finishings and tables, and nice red and green hues on the walls and furniture. Beyond the comforting decor that harkened back to another era, the food was fantastic. I was pleased with my choice of the tomato soup and ahi tuna tartare. Both dishes were well presented and flavorful. Lumps of goat cheese in the soup and a pairing with a moist and fluffy biscuit really made it a wonderful option. The ahi tuna tartare was also a perfect, with its fishy and avocado flavor pairing. It was a perfect end to a trip to the Windy city. read more

This review is shamefully overdue - especially given how fabulous of a time we had at the Tortoise Supper Club for our wedding reception dinner in November 2021. My (now) husband and myself live in California but wanted to host our reception in Chicago (where all of my extended family live). We were doing all of the planning ourselves and were unable to visit any restaurants or venues in advance of our event - very stressful! The Tortoise Supper Club was one of our top choices from the get-go - the photos on the internet had such character and we loved the unique feel. Kelli from the Tortoise Supper Club made planning every detail SO EASY! She gave amazing recommendations and answered all of my many questions. I have never planned any event before and her upbeat attitude and quick responses always put me at ease. The night of our reception dinner was a dream come true. The restaurant looks even better in person than in the photos online and the jazz musician trio gave such a lively backdrop to the entire evening. We reserved both the lounge (for our cocktail hour) and the red room (for the sit-down dinner) for our event. The fireplace with the red lacquered walls of the red room made for some amazing photos! For the food, we went with various platters and passed appetizers for the cocktail hour (held in the lounge area). Dinner was the Steinway package - every course was delicious. One of the benefits of holding our reception in a restaurant was being able to accommodate all of our guests' dietary needs and restrictions. Plus we didn't need to gather anyone's entree choice in advance - they all got to decide the night of (which made planning everything even easier). The service was top notch. We had the team of Chimi, Luke, and Victor making sure that our evening ran along smoothly. They were so attentive - our guests needed for nothing! I truly could not recommend the Tortoise Supper Club enough. We had guests reaching out to my parents for weeks and weeks after the event just to share what a great time they had. read more

We had a wonderful experience with Kelli and staff while planning our rehearsal dinner. They were unbelievably attentive, available for questions, prompt in responding, and gracious hosts. We were treated like royalty! When the day came, we were in the main dining room and all the details were perfect down to the custom feather and greenery centerpiece arrangement add-ons, the linens, the menus, everything. We had to move rooms due to a mixup long before the day and enjoyed live jazz complimentary - the epitome of customer service! We opted for the caricature portrait add-on, and our guests were enthralled, it's a must do. We even framed ours. I haven't even mentioned the food - chef's kiss! You will not regret having your private event at Tortoise Supper Club. Thanks Kelli and team! read more

Arrived on a Monday night for happy hour and was greeted with a surprisingly empty restaurant.. no problem though! $1 oysters were a deal. Fresh, but truthfully not the most flavorful, but I couldn't complain, I still ate a couple dozen. The highlight was the bartender, Gemma (or Emma), who served up some serious cocktails and showed off her mixology skills. Ask her for a Ruski Rose (vodka, lemon, pomegranate, apple bitters) which I admit is a damn good fruity cocktail or a Dr. Funk (rum, absinthe, pomegranate) if your feeling adventurous. Next time I'm in Chicago, I'm stopping by for a drink or two. read more

Me and my beau visited Tortoise Supper Club for New Year's Eve. Everything was amazing. Our server, Eric, was very attentive and made some stellar recommendations when it came to pairing drinks with our order. I had the Chilean Sea Bass and he the NY strip. We shared the Brussel sprouts and the spinach artichoke casserole. We were thoroughly impressed with the taste of EVERYTHING! The atmosphere was wonderful and we could not have chosen a better spot to celebrate the New Year. I personally enjoyed the tradition/story of the owners and me and my boyfriend came up with resolutions individually and a few for us to tackle together. We will be back - especially for that Sea Bass! read more

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Not good. The food was lack luster. Wine over priced. Service was great. Would skip and find some place else

My parents took me here for my birthday and I was extremely satisfied! The ambiance was nice and intimate, and the food was very delicious. I ordered a butternut squash soup (seasonal) which was absolutely incredible; if I could eat this every night of my life, I undoubtedly would. For the main course, I ordered the lamb rack which can never disappoint, and the Tortoise Club did this classic dish a favor. The waiter brought out a slice of cherry pie with a candle in it for dessert, and it was incredible! A very romantic, intimate spot with great food and service; I would definitely recommend for a fancy night out with parents or spouses! read more

Tortoise Supper Club - butternut squash soup (seasonal) - Supper Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great place for a fun, lively, and friendly dinner with live music! It can definitely get noisy so it maybe isn't the best place for a romantic date. But $1 happy hour for $1 shrimp and oysters is definitely worth checking out after work! Other dinner highlights: the lobster bisque, salmon poke, braised short ribs, and chilean sea bass. And for dessert: get the peanut butter pie! read more

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First time to the Tortoise Club for me and my wife's one year anniversary. We are both pretty picky and appreciate good food and good service and were not disappointed. We were greeted by the manager upon our arrival and escorted to our table where a "Happy Anniversary" sign was on display. Within two minutes we each received a complimentary glass of champagne. Our waitress was very pleasant throughout the evening and we had excellent service from the entire staff. We both really appreciated the ambience and atmosphere and enjoyed the live music in the background. The place definitely had a retro feel from a bygone era (50ish). To the meal etc! I started off with a craft cocktail - old fashioned - and was not disappointed. Very good presentation and the taste was spot on. I've found throughout the years that most places find someway alter this classic and for a purist, this can definitely be a let down. Simply Bourbon, Orange Bitters & Simple Syrup; so slightly altered from the true original but close enough to be very good. Make sure to ask for light ice or you risk it being watered down! My wife ordered the popover for an appetizer (3 per order). It was light and airy like a popover should be and the bacon + chives were a great savory edition. Came with a side of honey butter that paired well for a salty sweet taste! Her words, "they were delish." My wife (Jackie) had the braised beef short rib. Meat was perfectly tender and not at all stringy. The side of whipped potatoes and root veggies were spot on. Overall the flavor, seasoning and sauce could not have been done much better. I had the steak frites and ordered them medium rare. I am super picky with my steak and I was very happy with the result. It was a fillet actually, so it was definitely a different twist on this classic. Rich, delicious & melt in your mouth. Slightly small portion but worth every penny ($29). Now the side order of fries was simply ginormous and I could only get through half of them with help from my wife. What was missing was something to dip this mountain of fries in. Seriously, add some type of aioli or steak sauce to give it a little kick. It's pretty tough to eat a mountain of fries without anything to dip them in. I love ketchup as much as the next person but was just looking for something a little classier for $90 meal. Would definitely highly recommend the Tortoise Club if you have a few bucks to spend and enjoy that retro feel. As a side note, they do have a few sandwich options under $15 so you could potentially visit here on a budget. read more

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We held a private party at the venue for a large birthday party. Everything was top notch from helping plan, communicating and ultimately delivering on the party itself. The service and food was exceptional. They were very attentive to our needs and the guests loved it. It was all we could have hoped for and more. We highly recommend Tortoise for private events and look forward to going back soon! read more

ONE AND DONE!!! Sit at the bar and say hello to the bartender -- no response. Ask for a food menu and is given attitude along with stated response "It's Happy Hour" *So?* Then slams down our tab, that we hadn't asked for yet so I say to his action; we're not done and he rudely says you gotta go we have a private party coming in 4 mins. I say "why didn't you say last call earlier?" No response again. He then goes and complains to a manager about us, the manager comes over and dismisses us without even asking what happens then walks away saying "there's always one, never satisfied !" Then the owner comes over and instead of asking what's wrong he ALSO dismisses us. Absolute joke. How unprofessional and unreasonable to completely disregard us in this manner. So upsetting to have not our voices heard and be treated with such disrespect. Zero stars. read more

Food is fantastic, atmosphere is fantastic, service is fantastic. Our group had the beef Wellington, Chilean sea bass, short ribs and prime rib. Deserts were the Tortoise pie and cherry pie. Cocktails were great. I won't give 5 stars to just any place. If you are looking for an "old school" high end restaurant, this is the place. read more

Excelletn! Old school classic decor; great service. Steak tartare- excellent- I would've preferred a little bit more acid, but my dining partner liked it just the way it was. Crab toast- excelletn!!!! I loved this and I don't even like avocado. Petite steak was good and delicious, but heads up petite really means petite. My lobster roll was excellent!! I loved it and it was really light and not heavy on the mayo. The bread was just awesome with it too. read more

We stopped in Tortoise Supper Club for dinner before a show at nearby Chicago Theater. All the staff we interacted with were attentive and friendly. The decor of the dining room takes you back to supper clubs of yesterday. Tables topped with white table cloths and waiters in vests and bow ties. We enjoyed everything we ordered including the Bibb salad, the jumbo shrimp and duck entrees and the cherry and turtle pies. Tortoise Supper Club is fine dining so I recommend giving it a try when you are looking for a special experience. read more

It was a date night. Our server was good and pleasant. We enjoyed the jazz band. The food was very good. I must say the seating was very close in the lounge. We didn't expect that. The supper club was very LOUD!!! Not just in the lounge but throughout the whole restaurant. We will probably go back in the future. read more

We had an amazing experience! The service was great and we loved our cocktails and food. Make sure to get a slice of the tortoise pie!

Cozy, friendly place. We had a drink and enjoyed the jazz. After seeing the meals that were delivered around us, we will be sure to have our dinner here next time. read more

Great service, terrific food. Will definitely go back! Had the even special of lamb chops and hubby blackened snapper. Both were delicious and lamb was cooked to perfection. read more

Service was very disappointing. My 3 year anniversary dinner was overshadowed by service that was very unfriendly, rushed, and lacking etiquette. Service was diner-esq. For money spent and overall experience, I won't be returning. For a $300 meal, I expect service on par with other staples throughout the city. read more

We ate here prior to going to the Chicago Theater for Rogan, as it was close. This is a super cute place and we were seated by the live jazz in the bar area, which was nice. The waitress was nice, friendly and gave us really good suggestions. We ordered the shrimp cocktail, scallops special and the skirt steak. All were amazing! They also comp valet for theater goers so that was a plus. read more

Tortoise Supper Club - Skirt steak and special scallops - Supper Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visited for Thanksgiving dinner. The food was wonderful, drinks were reasonably priced, and the service was fantastic. Our server was Carly and we cannot say enough good things about her. Unfortunately, we feel the need to give 4 stars overall due to management. A gentleman two tables over from us was belligerent, and was rude and disrespectful to both staff and the owner. We witnessed him physically grab our server and others multiple times, belittling them - even going so far as to throw his valet ticket at our server...demanding she go to the valet for him. He threatened to complain about the service (which was great) to the owner and management even though the wait staff went above and beyond to accommodate him. We spoke to the manager regarding the jerk's behavior and in support of the wait staff. That is the reason for the 4 stars - the manager seemed only to want the issue to disappear rather than acknowledge the excellent service by his support staff or support his employees at all. A real shame - TS seems to be a wonder place with great people, but the manager's attitude towards his staff was almost as disappointing as the asshole that happened to be dining there. read more

I went here with friends after learning about its opening via UrbanDaddy. Overall the experience was fantastic. What I liked most was the ambiance. It's perfect for fine dining or if you're looking for a place to start your night before you go partying (albeit you'd have to be dressed up to enter.) And speaking of partying...the cocktails would be #2 on my list of 'pluses.' If you're into alcoholic drinks that taste like nothing alcohol related...try the Bees Knees or the Corpse Reviver. Those two will be big fans with the ladies. I also tried their house specialty (the Tipsy Tortoise) but wasn't a huge fan. The location is great b/c it's located next to several local attractions in downtown Chicago. My table's server (Jason) was quite attentive and made sure we had a memorable evening. The only thing I'd have to downgrade was my entrée...and more specifically the price. I paid $45 for a NY Strip; and I was a tad disappointed in the size and taste. For $45 I wanted to be floored with meaty goodness; and it just didn't happen here. I think I was the only member of the party who wasn't impressed with their entrée though; as other people tried the salmon and the lobster and said good things. In addition, the two appetizers we consumed (tuna tartare and crispy shrimp) were good; as well as the house salad. I've still got to give this place 5 stars b/c everything else from start to finish was awesome and I'll be back. They'll need to lower the price tag on that steak before I give it another try; but that's the only thing that left me a lil concerned. read more

Tortoise Tortoise!! My partner scheduled dinner reservations here for Valentines Day. And to my surprise they were very prompt on such a busy day. Our reservations were at 7pm we were seated at 7:10pm. Which was fine. The servers were the BEST servers in town. They didn't bug you during your meal, but they were very observant. Right when we finished our soup our bowls were taken away and entree came right on time. Right when my water was low a server came immediately without me having to mention it. I love that! I ordered the house soup which I didn't like so I sent it back and had there tomato soup special. It was a bit spicy which I like but a little to thick more like a paste. I then order the salmon as my entree. It was so tender, fresh and delicate. It came with spinach and asparagus. I ordered an extra side of mash potatoes which I really didn't need. The portions were awesome. I requested salt and pepper and didn't even need it. Very flavorful!! My only negative is that the seating was close to other couples. I'd prefer to not have to whisper naughty words to my mate. Lol. They gave us a rose at the end of our meal too. Which I was stoked about. read more

Tortoise Supper Club - Salmon Entree - Supper Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went Saturday night , order lobster bisque and was asked if we wanted that in two cups and I figured it would be split but we were charged two orders . We got filet mignonette and ordered medium and it came medium rare -rare and was not cheap at ~57$ for 10 oz . The spinach soufflé was tasty but firm, mashed potatoes were not very warm. At least the chocolate Martini was delicious and strong. read more

Pros: - Blue wedge, salmon, & duck are good. Beware salmon is an extremely small portion, compared to other like restaurants and price points. - Grasshopper milkshake (can be virgin or alcoholic) is amazing and served in a bucket. Cons: - Smoked trout salad is fresh but EXTREMELY salty. 3 stars. Very decent but also very passable. read more

Jorge was the absolute BEST waiter we've ever had. It was my brother's birthday and he went above and beyond to make him feel special. Not to mention, the food was unreal. Best meal we have had in a long time. We were in the library and it was so cozy. Then we got to enjoy some live jazz. I can't recommend this restaurant and Jorge enough. read more

Very good food and good service. Big portions, "cheap" drinks at happy hour. The poke is to die for! The duck was good (I'd try something different next time) and the service was good. Great atmosphere. Not quite a supper club if you're looking for the authentic Wisconsin Supper club but I real gem in the city. read more

Tortoise Supper Club - Supper Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

3 feels a little low. Would I try again? Yes. Was I wowed- no, but let me explain. I went for a work event so I didn't have the benefit of tasting my companions choices. I also had to take a call in the middle of the dinner which I'm sure impacted my sense of wow. I loved the ambiance, supper club, old school. Great service. I was bummed, I got a Sidecar and it was meh. I expect a place like this to do a solid Sidecar. I suspect they were more wine focused. The menu was full with solid entrees. The starters were less compelling. We had the shrimp and the relish tray. The presentation was lacking. Too much fuss for not enough substance. I had the salmon and it was very well cooked, seasoned. I like salmon but the asparagus was not quite done. I like a bite to mine, al dente but these were under done. My colleagues enjoyed their meals. No one else got a cocktail. SO... now you see why I'd go again and give it a second chance, just look at the pictures, it's lovely to be in. read more

I've booked this place to celebrate my birthday. When we walked in the restaurant our table was ready and the waiter displayed good customer service. I've ordered the prime rib, but I had to send it back because it was not warm enough. I felt the steaks were not a overpriced for its size. Bread is not inclded in the meal. Big disappointment!! Overall, the customer service was great, but the food was mediocre at best. We probably won't return again as I know there are better quality of steakhouses in Chicago. read more

We had such high hopes for this place. The ambiance is EXCELLENT, but not a place to eat.  I'd recommend going for a cocktail (which were delicious and made expertly), but I wouldn't spend the money on the pricey and mediocre entrees. They have a quirky (good) little jazz band in the evenings and the vibe is very 1920s speakeasy, which I love.  Of import:  We ordered oysters that should not have been served to anyone. First, they were preshucked. You don't shuck an oyster til it's ordered. It was like a scene from "Defending Your Life" where the food comes so quickly that you ask, 'was this made for me?' They were bone dry and practically glued on to the shell. We alerted the waiter. He acknowledged "this last batch we received isn't very good."  He then brought replacement ones that were just as desiccated. Why would you serve bad oysters? Don't serve them. They were dry as the mohave desert and inedible. We should have returned them. We just flipped them over so they would take the tray away. We also had the duck, which was nothing special and a fish entree which was rolled with crab and swimming in a reduction of some sort. Skip eating here. Go for the music and a cocktail--eat elsewhere. -- read more

I was traveling with several business associates. We happened upon the Tortoise Supper Club. A great place. Just as name indicates, this place reminded of a restaurant of old. Linen tablecloths and tall candles on every table. It was a wonder night! Jeffrey our server was outstanding! He is a true professional! read more

Really nice place for dinner and music both of which were very good. Great atmosphere and wait staff very friendly. Cocktails were good too.

Was so excited when we walked in! Great music, great atmosphere. We had a reservation and came right on time. The host took our name, walked away, then walked back and said nothing. A couple walked in after us, also had a reservation. Right away they got information on their table. When I asked the host what was the information on our table, she scowled like we were bothering her. Okay, perhaps she's just having a bad night. Then we were got seated. Such a great place! The server came. He was rude and condescending. It was so bad I asked him if he was having a bad night. He told us no, but he continued to be abrupt, abrasive, and rude. I ordered salmon, he never asked me how I wanted it prepared. When he came to the table to check on us, he only spoke to my white dinner partner (I am African-American), my salmon was severely overcooked to a point where it was not edible. The server clearly saw I was not happy with my meal and never asked me how my meal was. When I paid the bill (it was a gift to my friend), is the only time he even spoke to me with any hospitality. I guess once he realized I was paying the bill and not my white friend, he realized he'd been kind to the wrong patron. This server ruined our night. My friend kept apologizing to me, because even she thought his behavior was racist and rude. We were both too exhausted from the terrible server to complain to management, and I wish we had. The service was terrible. My food was terrible. But great atmosphere. read more

We'd had such a good experience for our Restaurant Week lunch that I decided to come here with family to celebrate my birthday. Alas, this occasion fell a little short in some respects. The Chilean sea bass ($49) with shrimp ragout that I ordered was very good, though based on my earlier experience with the whitefish (see earlier review) I was hoping it would be extraordinary. One of our party ordered the whitefish (prepared slightly differently than it had been at our lunch) and said it was very good. The generous serving of seafood spaghettini ($26) was good as was the stuffed Walleye ($36), especially the crayfish sauce. The prime rib, on special ($40) Saturday nights only, was ordered medium rare and came out quite chewy as opposed to tender. The accompanying fries, sadly, were uninspired in terms of crispy crunch and were not very hot when served. Bread does not come with the meals but you could order the Miso Brioche Rolls appetizer for $7. The complimentary cherry pie dessert was a nice birthday touch. The service was fine overall. The only glitch was when we ordered a good bottle of Champagne and it came to the table at room temperature. The server agreed, when asked, to take it back and chill it more, but we ended up drinking the birthday toast with lukewarm bubbles and half of dinner was over before the bottle reappeared. (Just for comparison, once when we ordered a bottle of luxury champagne at another restaurant and the owner/sommelier realized it wasn't chilled, he explained that he would chill it before he opened it and offered us all while we waited a complimentary glass of a bubbly that was the correct temperature.) Tortoise Supper Club is a warm, handsome place. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the leather and white tablecloths feel rich. Some of this visit didn't quite live up to expectations, but I will still come back sometime for happy hour oysters and martinis and to enjoy the live jazz. read more