Everything! The food the service the ambience. Everything. Even the music was cool. You can have a…read moreconversation and hear music. Acoustics were perfect.

Will definitely be returning, great experience, excellent ambiance…read more The Baked Goat Cheese was excellent, just enough for a family of four. The cheeseburger was excellent, and warmed up well in the toaster oven two days later. Ditto for the French Dip; also great a couple of days later in the microwave. I hated the Ghia Spritz, and my family member didn't like their Paloma - so we swapped and it worked well. The Spritz is an acquired taste. One issue - the filet was overcooked, we mentioned it to the staff but didn't return it. The staff did an amazing job at making it right, five stars on that alone.

Took a client here after closing a major quarter deal. You can't beat the classic Chicago…read moresteakhouse atmosphere. The bone-in ribeye was cooked to an absolute perfect medium rare. It's definitely on the pricey side, but the service is impeccable and they don't rush you out the door. Great spot for business dinners

I had a great lunch experience here yesterday!…read more I am visiting friends in Chicago and we had a reservation yesterday. We were seated right away and the service was quick and efficient! I had the lychee martini and grilled chicken sandwich. The martini was delish and full of flavor. I loved the chicken sandwich! The crispy onion strings and buffalo aioli were a great addition. And I loved the fries it came with! Overall, loved lunch and will definitely be back next time I'm in Chicago!

Yes, steak houses are expensive, but here, you get what you pay for. Check out the menu before…read moregoing there's a lot to choose from: seafood appetizers, different meats and cuts including a Wagyu tasting board. Our main server, Billy, and his team could not have been better; available when you needed them and out of the way when you didn't. When my wife mentioned to one of the team, she wanted wine with our entree, Billy was there 10 seconds later with two reds for her to taste. The focaccia with beef tallow was suggested by everyone, we thought it was nice, but nothing special. We split the beef cheeks for another appetizer and it was spectacular. We also split a Ceasar salad that was good. Both of us ordered the rib eye and a side of whipped potatoes. Both were phenomenal. Nice touch with offering the option for the kitchen to slice it for you. At this point, we were pretty full and got lemon sorbet (not too sour, not too sweet) crème brûlée gelato (good) and because it was our 39th anniversary, he brought us an "Italian donut " (sugar donut with vanilla ice cream) that was great. I noticed another table getting the biscoff cheese cake, and carrot cake. They looked great and were HUGE. Coffee came a little late but that's being picky. Complimentary lemon cello ended the evening with a nice touch. My wife said the service and food made this a wonderful experience and a memorable anniversary. I agree. The atmosphere is dark but romantic and the noise level isn't bad. I do have a HUGE COMPLAINT!! My wife's idiot husband (me) left the doggie bag with a good amount of steak and whipped potatoes on the table. We look forward to coming back with family and friends.

First off, what you're getting for your money just doesn't gel…read more I dont mind paying an exuberant amount for food if the food matches the price but sadly it doesn't here.... The good: Salad was amazing with bits of nicely cooked pork belly mixed in and the salad dressing is to die for Focaccia bread was very good but nothing special but the bone tarrow butter was fantastic and carried this bread. Brussel sprouts were flavorful but greasy and overcooked... Beef cheek ragu noodle dish was heavy yet tasty.. Rib eye steak done medium rare was fatty and very very chewy so this was a complete fail, but seasoned very well...extra 10 bucks for some dipping sauce for the steak but worth getting to elevate the steak...Definitely don't do any steak under medium here... Lemon sorbet was the true winner of the night...Delicious without being too tart..... Overall like I said, not worth the $250 price tag before tip...._

I had the pleasure to dine at Penumbra on a Thursday evening. We were celebrating a graduation and…read morethe staff were very welcoming when we arrived. I was visiting from out of town and was not familiar with the parking around the area. I asked one of the staff members and immediately they reassured me that the side street would raking was totally fine to park just so long as it wasn't the front of the building where you have to pay. The food started with a complementary potato soup which was flavorful and lovely. We got a round of drinks and one of our party didn't care for her drink and it was replaced no question. We had the flat iron steak, the chicken, and the salmon and each entree was wonderful. The proteins were all very tender and juicy. I was also very pleased with the salad that came first which was lightly dressed and very seasonal. We finished our dining experience with a slice of cheesecake. It was a nice cap to the end of a wonderful meal. I would recommend this restaurant for any occasion - I would love to come back and try some of the other items on their menu.

**Hidden gem!!!**…read more Penumbra is SUPER sexy and low-key elite. This is one of those spots that will make you look like a total restaurant pro if you take someone there or recommend it. The ambiance is intimate, romantic, and just feels exclusive without trying too hard. I took my girl there for her birthday and she absolutely loved it -- which is always the real test. We had the ribeye and the Rotini Bianco, and both were excellent. The ribeye was cooked perfectly, tender and flavorful. The Rotini Bianco was rich, creamy, and done just right. Every dish felt intentional and well executed. Don't hesitate to book. If you're trying to impress or celebrate something special, this is the move.

One of the best kbbq I ever had. The quality was top notch. This is the type of place you go to for…read morea special occasion because it is pricey. My husband and I came here for dinner on a Fri night. The menu was misleading. We ordered the premium steakhouse set ($70), assuming that we could split it between the 2 of us, but you have to order per person. It came with picanha, wagyu hangar, prime short rib, and marinated prime short rib. They were all 5/5 fantastic quality. This is ultimately why I'm giving this place 5 stars. The meat was incredibly tender and flavorful. We also ordered the brussels sprouts which were the best I had in a long time. It had a hint of sweetness from the golden raisins and fermented honey. The pumpkin seeds added a crunchy element to this dish - I could've devoured this entire plate by myself. The japchae was good too. I like that it had more veggies than your average japchae. Perilla steakhouse was a beautiful restaurant. There's plenty of seating and I was surprised to see that they also serve breakfast. If I lived here, I would probably check it out.

The Korean Fried Chicken (6.5/10) was fine with a sweet and savory gochujang-soy glaze, but nothing…read morestandout. The Tteokbokki (8/10) was one of my favorites. The rice cakes were super chewy with a creamy, cheesy texture, and the gochujang sauce had a nice kick. The Wagyu skewer paired really well with it too. The Steamed Egg (6/10) was much denser than what I'm used to and wasn't really my thing. The Banchan (6/10) were solid with amazing kimchi. The Wagyu Strip (8/10) was incredibly tender and practically melted in my mouth. The Prime Short Rib and Marinated Prime Short Rib (7/10) were both tender and well cooked, but didn't stand out as much. Service was okay. Other staff checked in often, but our server wasn't around as much and drink refills took a while. 6/10. The vibes were elegant, modern, and intimate. Each grill station is sectioned into its own area, making it feel much more upscale and private. 8/10. Overall, a fun modern Korean American steakhouse experience with great tableside grilling, but definitely on the pricey side.

Delicious! And the service is the best in the city! Always ask for Hernan, Dario and/or Jovanny for…read morethe greatest experience. My friends and I love the place for the ambiance and the vibes.

We came in from Portland Oregon to see a concert and do Chicago things. A coworker recommended…read moreMaple and Ash to me and I made my reservations! From the moment we stepped out of the Uber, we were met with the kindest and friendliest staff we have come across in a long time! There's an elevator guy too?! Holy cow the food was outstanding, the drinks were on point and our server was top tier! She gave us the low down on the IDGAF which we would have ordered if we didn't have to fly back home the next morning because we knew there would be A LOT of leftovers. We had a plan B in place and that was the filet mignon and we shared sides of roasted mushrooms and potatoes au gratin. Definitely recommending Maple and Ash to friends if they ever visit Chicago!

Crazy on a Monday night at 630 pm the place was packed!!…read more Classic Chicago steakhouse. It's lively and fun & the food is great! So is the service, excellent without being overbearing. We had a big party and most orders were a bit different. Everyone lived the apps, drinks and their dishes! Everyone was too stuffed to have desert. I had a perfectly cooked strip steak. It was delicious and the flavor was great! Shared a baked potato and the wonderful Mac & cheese. Mrs A liked it better than Swift and Sons - but that is still #1 for me - although it's in the west loop and not walkable if staying on MI Ave. Don't like the 3.5% for "rising" costs...seems like that has been around since COvID. I always catch it after I pay the bill...

Joe's Seafood in Chicago has an unusual amount of personal history for me. It opened as a…read morepartnership between Miami Beach's iconic Joe's Stone Crab and Lettuce Entertain You, bringing South Florida to Grand and Rush. I first went when it was still a huge, buzzy Chicago spot, and one of my most memorable dinners came after my high school graduation in 2003. I even got a speeding ticket on Lake Shore Drive with my grandmother in the back seat on the way to dinner, which still makes me laugh. Chicago was an especially fun place for Joe's to arrive. Open outcry trading was still a force, and the wealth creation around it was wild: people who had dropped out of high school could become millionaires in their twenties, while math PhDs from the University of Chicago could make fortunes in the same ecosystem. It was a golden era for hustle culture, when commerce idolized Tony Montana in a way that today is more likely to idolize Jamie Dimon or David Solomon. Death Row and Bad Boy ruled the airwaves, while Michael, Shaq, Kobe, and Allen Iverson defined the NBA. Basketball was so dominant in Chicago culture during my coming of age that I still map other things, including restaurants, to NBA teams. Joe's felt like the Miami Heat coming to Chicago in much the same way Smith & Wollensky represented the New York Knicks: each brought a recognizable piece of its hometown culture into another major city. Joe's brought real South Florida sizzle to Chicago, and it landed at exactly the right moment. Going there felt like an occasion. Florida took longer for me to understand in full. My family has roots in the state going back decades, farther north along the Atlantic coast, and I didn't visit Miami until March 2007, when my sister started graduate school in Coral Gables. That trip began my love affair with Miami and helped me understand why the original Joe's was such an institution. A close family friend's father spent time around Miami in the 1960s and 1970s. He knew local fishermen who caught stone crabs, which gave me an appreciation for the older South Florida culture around the food, separate from Joe's own history. Another Joe's memory captures an entirely different moment. Looking through my OpenTable history, my July 31, 2008 reservation at Joe's in Chicago is the earliest reservation I can find at a restaurant that is still open today. I was 23, working at UBS, preparing to move to New York while the firm was already on fire from its mortgage losses, and Lehman would file for bankruptcy just weeks later. I was broke but wildly aspirational, dreaming about dinners at Balthazar, begging my way past the doors at Cain and Tenjune, hoping to drink for free, and trying to meet women comically far out of my league. Through all of those memories, the restaurant itself has been remarkably consistent. The stone crab claws are incredible, the seafood is excellent, and Joe's holds its own among Chicago's serious steakhouses. The room has traditionally felt a little more formal than Miami, with bow ties, polished service, and a darker old-school steakhouse rhythm, while still being genuinely welcoming. Finish with the key lime pie. Years later, my wife and I held our wedding reception at RPM Seafood, another Lettuce restaurant, then ate at the original Joe's during our honeymoon in Miami during COVID days later, which felt like a fitting circle back. In sheer range of venues, repeatability of quality and atmosphere, and consistency of hits, Lettuce is the gold standard in Chicago, with some of that same reach in Vegas and DC. I've been extraordinarily privileged in my exposure to hospitality, and I still repeatedly admire Rich Melman's model, taste, and execution, now carried forward by the next generation of the family. Joe's is a prime example: world-class, durable, unmistakably Chicago, and absolutely somewhere I want to return next time I'm in town with some dough to spend. While Joe's may not be French, this place still earns my highest marks: très bien!

Had a fantastic experience here. The French onion soup and steak frites was excellent, the fries…read morewere crisp, and the peppercorn sauce really brought everything together. A special shoutout to Matt, the manager, who was incredibly welcoming and attentive throughout the meal. He made sure everything was taken care of and really added to the overall experience. Great food, amazing hospitality, and a place I'd happily come back to.

Delicious food and cocktails. Our server was fantastic, I can't recall her name but she was a gem,…read morefriendly, efficient. We had the escargot and the Parisienne gnocchi and they were great. Live piano music on a Sunday evening was a lovely touch. This was my first visit but I'd certainly come back. Lovely, elegant surroundings and a good time overall.

This was my second visit to The Dearborn, and the food and service were both on point. We ordered…read morethe salmon tataki, fish and chips, Wellington burger, and Midwest fried chicken. Everything was well prepared, but the fried chicken was the standout, especially with the hot sauce adding another level of flavor. The staff stayed attentive throughout dinner and even replaced our plates between rounds, which was a level of service I wasn't expecting. I also respected seeing the owner personally making the rounds, stopping at every table to check on the guests and the food. Calm atmosphere, solid hospitality, and a kitchen that delivers.

Had a reservation with two friends from out of town and had the pleasure of being with Vivian…read more Amazing service, so sweet and funny, very thoughtful. and we got free cookies! we got sat in a little private booth in the back, so quiet. will def come back again and again :)

Food was good. Had a reservation so no wait time. And service was excellent. Prices were reasonable.read more

Our absolute favorite anniversary and special occasion spot!…read moreSophia Steak never misses. The food, service, and atmosphere are consistently top-notch. They even print personalized menus with your names for special occasions to take home as a keepsake, which is such a thoughtful touch. The crab cake is a must-order every single time. It is packed with real, sweet lump crab meat without all the heavy breading and flour filler you usually find elsewhere. The calamari appetizer was decent, though compared to the rest of the meal, it was slightly less memorable. For the entrees, the scallops were cooked to perfection with a rich, buttery, melt in your mouth texture. The roasted chicken was also incredible, super juicy and tender on the inside with perfectly crispy, seasoned skin. Since we were celebrating a birthday, they even surprised us with a complimentary dessert to finish the night. Everything was truly flawless from start to finish. Highly recommend for any date night or celebration!