This is a great restaurant: atmosphere is good, decor is pleasing and service was great. Most importantly, the food was superb. We had the rib-eye for two and I can't express how good it was. My husband and I love steak and this was just done perfectly and the flavor was maybe the best steak I have ever had. It is defintley priced high, but the meal we had was definitely worth the price. Highly recommend this place. read more

The host was kind of rude. We came in and the waitress asked us to wait for the host to seat us. This was on 04/22/17 at 11:30 AM. I specifically said in my reservation that I wanted corner seating if possible. Most tables were open and he wanted to sit us in between people. I asked for different seating, which the waitress graciously obliged. Now, onto the food: Chorizo Pupusa - $13 - 3/5 This was good. It needed a lot more sauce than was given, though. I never really got the chance to ask my waitress because she didn't come back around much. The flavors were nice, and my sister and I enjoyed it. If I had more sauce it would've been a whole lot better. I didn't want to wait around for it to get cold, though. Anyways, it was masa with chorizo (and cheese?) in the middle. Topped with lime crema and had hot sauce on the plate. Would get again if I *ever* came back. Longanisa Sausage - $13 - 1.5/5 Okay. The garlic rice was okay. Not great, but edible. The sausage lacked a lot of flavor. It actually had next to none. Then it had some shaved radish and I don't even remember what else because it was so boring. It lacked seasoning, so when I asked for soy sauce I was shocked they were serving Asian dishes but didn't have any soy sauce. I had to ask for salt instead because the dish needed it so BADLY. They seemed offended I asked for salt, which I kind of understand, but if you don't want that to happen then SEASON. YOUR. DISH. I wanted to send this back but it was mainly my sister's dish and she didn't want to. (Though she agreed with everything I said). Cinnamon Roll - $5 - 3/5 This was good. The Vig's cinnamon roll is way better, though. This cinnamon roll was dense and room temp or lower. I wanted it to be warm and gooey and it wasn't. It was still decent, though. Overall, the service and quality of the food wasn't great. I would never voluntarily come back. Nothing was remotely a 4, which is a shame. read more

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We came here last night to celebrate my birthday. It was relatively empty, but it was a Tuesday. The ambiance is perfect for date night. It's intimate, but still casual. We started with the specialty cocktails. I can't remember the name of it, but I ordered a drink that was green with vodka and pistachio. It was delicious! My date had a bourbon drink. He liked his as well. I tried it. It was pretty good, considering I detest bourbon. Next...let's talk food. We ordered the steak tartare. YUM! It comes on a think crostini, which was unanticipated. The sauce underneath really tied it all together. This was our favorite dish of the night, even though it didn't take a traditional presentation. We ordered the crudo. Again, fantastic. I wish there was more of it (like, make it a large plate and not just a small). The sauce pairing with this was great as well. This meal needed some greenery, so we ordered the green salad. It was fine. Nothing fancy. There was a little shaved gouda on it, but it was a fairly uninspired salad for $10. Lastly, we split the gnocchi. It took me a while to decide if I liked it or not. The gnocchi was a little large and more doughy for me than I would traditionally like. The brussel sprouts were sort of flaked apart and I'm not totally sure if it worked in this form. But the flavors worked together by about the second or third bite. This was a decent dish, but I think I preferred the steak and the fish. Our server was good. However, we noted on the reservation that it was my birthday. The server either didn't know or didn't do anything to acknowledge it. That was kind of a bummer, but we still had a good time. read more

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Wood is one of few nearby recipients of the Bib Gourmand award, which is awarded to restaurants that offer exceptional value. With that in mind, I finally stopped by for Easter brunch with my family, and, honestly, it impressed me as being fairly "meh." Let's start with the food. Most of the food, I found, had potential but underdelivered and was a bit boring. We ordered the cinnamon roll to share among the five of us. The flavor was there - especially the lip-smacking-good cream cheese icing - but I was downright disappointed that it was not served warm. I also ordered the Benedict, which was served with lunch meat-like pork and a side of deep fried breakfast potatoes - and honestly, for breakfast, I don't want anything deep fried unless it's a donut. I would love to see more or more creative menu options here, at least for brunch. That said, I admit that having come for Easter brunch only, it may have been a limited menu. On the other hand, service was exceptional. Our waiter, whose name escaped me but whose on-point handlebar mustache did not, was highly professional. All in all, my parents enjoyed this restaurant, but they do not live in Chicago; as a Chicagoan, I know that there are much better options out there (really, we are spoiled in this city). read more

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Executive chef of Wood is also a chef at Alinea. My friends and I ventured here for brunch on a Saturday and it was pretty empty and quiet. I can imagine this place being packed for dinner because their dinner menu seems like extensive and appealing. I got the chorizo pupusas and it was very filling (probably because it is all carbs). The filling has a little kick to it. Overall, brunch was a bit on the pricey end and the food was meh, nothing spectacular. Service was spectacular, though! I would want to come back to check out the dinner menu but would pass on brunch here. read more

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We had the escargot toast, beet salad, spicy Italian flatbread, duck confit, and braised pork shoulder. All of these dishes were not only incredibly delicious, but they had their own unique touch. They were exquisite with good depth of flavor. Many restaurants just don't get it right, and this one was a 5/5 for every dish. Overall, it felt like a very high end dining experience and am looking forward to coming back again. read more

Amazing food, service & ambiance! This restaurant is a diamond in the rough! Don't miss it! Franco is a master of his craft! Thank you for the most wonderful evening ever! read more

They seated us immediately a mere 20 minutes before scheduled closing time on a Wednesday evening , and the service and food was top notch. Looking forward to our next visit! read more

After the recent order closing indoor dining, I was happy to see Wood able to operate with their outdoor space. It's enclosed and has heaters. Granted I came on an unusually warm night but felt comfortable in short sleeves. The restaurant has changed over the years. It used to have gigantic meaty portions like the corned beef hash that was the staple brunch item. Lately the food is more delicate but the portions are still pretty big. It feels similar in style to contemporary French like the late Blackbird with many sous vide meats, but more relaxed and more satisfying portions, which I guess fits its position as a neighborhood place. The menu changes a lot. Current favorites are the beef tartare, and the flatbread is honestly better than a lot of specialty pizza places. The entrees make me feel like the chefs could easily do one star Michelin entrees if they wanted, but they offer a more relaxed plate with bigger portions and reasonable prices, which is preferable for a casual neighborhood restaurant. read more

Wood - Covid era outdoor dining space - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

They have a free access parking lot. When we enter, some staff and waiters greet us. Were lucky because there are only 1 table left since there are so many customers inside and you can see that their tables and chairs are full of people. Since it's our first time here we have no background or idea about their dish. We also asked the waiter what he recommended and we ordered it. We also ordered wine to pair with pasta and chicken. It came fresh and quickly. We enjoy their food. We like it so much. Their dessert was sweets and very yummy. I like their pasta and it is really good. It's our first time here and they didn't disappoint us. I highly recommend this restaurant to you. Come and taste their dish. read more

Delicious and high quality food and cocktails. The menu changes all the time so you will always get to try something new when you go back. The staff was friendly and puntual as well. I knocked off a half of a star for not having paper menus available (am I alone for wanting a paper menu instead of a QR code?!). I took off another half a star for the unexpected 4% COVID surcharge that's tacked onto our bill that was not mentioned on the menu. I'm all for supporting local restaurants but this charge should be clearly marked or just raise the menu prices to avoid these surprises at the end of the bill. Overall, good experience and would recommend this place. read more

How one bad waiter can ruin a special evening is absolutely appalling, especially given we celebrate all of our special occasions at Wood. I'll compare tonight's experience with our last amazing evening there for our anniversary in the height of the pandemic, where the host greeted us with a very warm welcome, recognized from the reservation that it was our anniversary, wished us a happy anniversary and the remainder of the evening was exceptional down to the service, food, timing and ambiance. And then tonight -- we were met with a nice enough welcome after making a birthday reservation at 6 p.m. (the restaurant was virtually empty, although it did get packed during our two hour ordeal). Our waiter, Scott had to have been the worst I've had in a really long time. He had zero personality, was completely disinterested and never checked on us unless we made a point to get his attention. We ordered cocktails and a small plate and all was well, or so it seemed.. We later ordered the surf and turf for two, and Scott informed us it would take little longer to prepare due to the large portion of meat. We agreed, not imagining it would take 30 minutes to receive our entree. I've been to restaurants that list certain speciality items as taking extra time (which Wood does not), but tonight's experience was ridiculous. Not once did Scott stop by to update us on the status of our seemingly lost entree. The most obvious details went unnoticed the entire meal. After we finished the entree we ordered two desserts -- reluctantly, but I wanted to make sure my partner's birthday dinner wasn't completely ruined. We waited an inordinate amount of time for dessert and I finally handed Scott my credit card and asked him to cancel dessert and cash us out. He argued and said, "Let me see what I can do." To which I replied, "Please cancel the dessert and cash us out." He looked disgusted and came back a few minutes later to let us know that the dessert would be right out. I explained that after waiting 30 minutes on our entree we were done. He argued and said it was only 20 minutes. I was appalled that he was actually arguing with me. Talk about the straw that broke the camel's back. One other comment I will make is that while the surf and turf was absolutely delicious, the lobster serving size is tiny -- basically two bites, on an entree served for two people. I can see from other reviews that things seem to have gone downhill here which is really unfortunate. There was zero management presence, and it is such a shame that once a very nice restaurant has someone like Scott and and a slow kitchen ruining guests' experiences. read more

The food was ugh! We ordered beef tartare. It was actually good. We also ordered a salad which was also ok. My husband ordered the chicken Milanese and it had to be the absolute worse one ever. It was a weird piece of chicken with dark meat and the skin on it still. Fried in a fryer that left it like KFC chicken. It was awful. We also ordered the farro risotto. It was fair to good but lacking a pop. Wine was delish. We will not go back. read more

Great to have Wood a short walk from the condo. Our recent selections were off their restaurant week menu. We each had a salad then a duck and a salmon main dish. Equally good. The desert was attractive and a rather good sized portion. Service was a little slow, but it was Saturday evening. We will return. read more

High quality cuisine! Loved This restaurant. The food was flavorful fresh and had a great presentation. Lively ambiance with fantastic hospitality. We can't wait to come back to try the rest of the menu. Desserts rocked. Heide Reilly. read more

It was so refreshing to be out in public again. We felt safe and sound in their care. We sat at the bar, which was just lovely. Lighting was perfect, sound level was perfect, decor was perfect. Service was attentive throughout. Loved (loved) the pork belly, the endive salad (light and crisp) and the duck confit. Not thrilled with the cassoulet (too much sausage, not enough confit; a little bland). The ice cream sandwich was worth every calorie. All in all a great experience and we will definitely be back. read more

My boyfriend and I came in here for dinner and drinks Saturday evening. We scored a couple seats at the bar and were very pleased with the quality of our meal and stellar service. I wish I recalled the bartenders name who served us. He was willing to offer suggestions and gave honest feedback on menu items we were considering. I tried the drink with earl grey tea, egg white, gin,... - it was deliciously well crafted. My boyfriend got the flat bread with honey, brussel sprouts, etc and he loved it - ate the whole thing. I ordered the chicken. It was one of the moistest chickens I've ever had. The menu was extremely reasonable and the portions were perfect. Kudos! read more

If you want to feel invisible and forgotten, this is the restaurant for you. Service from Tim was near non existent. Nearly 2 hours for two large plates and no drinks. Restaurant shouldn't be in the service industry as it isn't providing much service. And charging a 3% CC processing fee just adds insult to injury. Please close as you aren't providing the service that customers should expect. Boystown deserves better. read more

Let me start this with Wood is one of my favorite, go-to places to have brunch in Boystown. The price is good, the food is tasty (their new potatoes are *chefs kiss*), consistent, & you can find something you want every time! I also really enjoy their cocktails. The server today, Marco, was very nice! Took care of us quickly & efficiently. They checked in an appropriate amount, were very speedy when we had requests, & never made us feel like a burden (& my friends & I are very extra). I am giving this place four stars today bc an exchange I witnessed at my table. The server (who is normally a bartender!) input the seat number incorrectly (honest mistake) so the food was placed in front of the wrong person. This is not a big deal. The owner (older individual, bald, black button up) was helping run food, & then in front of us, chastised the waiter for not putting food at the "correct seat" & spoke to him in a tone that is completely unacceptable. You do NOT talk to your employees like that, & you do NOT treat people like that who are keeping your business running, at any time, but especially during a global pandemic. That behavior is memorable for all the wrong reasons. I really like the place & the staff here. It's always a good experience. But if that behavior from the owner continues, I can't support that. You are nothing without your team. Thank you again to Marco for a pleasant brunch! read more

Ordered a burger, came with bacon but it's not listed on the brunch menu that it comes with bacon. It was folded up under the cheese and I realized it after a few bites. Told the waitress I don't eat pork and that it should be listed on the menu. Fries were also burned. Couldn't eat my meal and the managers solution was to comp my friends drink as opposed to comping MY burger that I couldn't eat. Could barely wrap my head around it that that was the solution they came up with. Only after I told them that that was a ridiculous solution that made zero sense did they take the burger off. The waitress was apologetic and nice but manager needs to learn a thing or two. Didn't even come out to address the situation. read more

We were at Wood Sunday afternoon for a Birthday dinner. We love this place and each and every time enjoy it even more. We chose to sit at the bar (maybe 'cause we're closer to the booze, I dunno),but we loved our bartender. Made a great Cosmopolitan and a perfect slightly dirty martini with blue cheese olives. We started with an Avocado salad and a small plate of Tagliatelle. What a nice compliment to each other. Everything was fresh in the salad, delicious blend of flavors. The pasta was perfect. Sausage had a slight kick to it but a tasty meat blend -- oh and the pasta was al dente. Main Course - Pork Schnitzel. A portion enough for 2 with fancy fingerling potatoes and "special sauces" dolloped on the sides. 2 different flavors to choose, yet each complimenting the schnitzel. We loved it the first time we were there and last Sunday pulled us in even further. Benissimo read more

Wood - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wood is a solid spot for a meal with a relaxed, but elegant vibe. I came in with a group of 4 on a Saturday night, and the restaurant was busy, but still had a lot of available tables. We had a reservation and were seated right away. We ordered a few glasses of wine and cocktails. I had the paloma and the negroni. The paloma was just OK, and the negroni was standard, but very well made. Consensus was that the glasses of garnacha were decent. As an app we got on of the flatbreads. Crust was amazing, crunchy and flavorful, a rare combination. It was a great choice for an app, but was really pretty small. For an entree I decided on the trout sandwich with fries since none of the entrees caught my eye. Fries were super crispy and perfectly seasoned and went perfectly with the aioli they brought out. The trout on my sandwich was perfectly cooked, but I felt like the sandwich was a little one note despite the several layers of thinly sliced vegetables. Maybe a little more of the sauce would have helped? Overall a solid spot with good food, but I'm not sure I'll be running back. Everything felt just a bit overpriced for what you got. Ex. the flatbread would not be enough for an entree, but cost around $17. Nothing crazy, but just a bit higher than you're going to find at most places. read more

What a great experience at this very nice gay-friendly restaurant. From the host - who really was more than just a host and seems to care about the place and its customers - to the server who was very attentive, to the atmosphere and ambiance and of course the food. The food was amazing: we had the beet salad, the charcuterie platter which had everything and everything was delicious, then the pork schnitzel and the hangar steak which was out of this world! Totally recommend it! And make sure to have the s'mores for dessert. Wood is a solid choice when you're in Boystown. read more

Wood - S'mores - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Not sure where all these 5 star reviews came from. Or maybe the menu has changed so much and before the pandemic it was better ? But there is also an odd service issue I'll bring up also went there last Saturday a group of 4 of us and finally had time to write this. First the Food : sigh I really wanted this to be good but really disappointed. I will say the cheeseburger was good. But same burger you can get at most places in Chicago. It's similar to the Au cheval burger good. The "beignets" are shockingly bad . Maybe they have never been to New Orleans and know what one is ? What they served were extremely dense thick balls filled with some kind of batter. Think more like a banana bread or cinnamon roll type thing. Not even close to anything resembling a beignet - seriously The chitarrra pasta was not just al dente but nearly hard. Also over salted and covered in corn that didn't add to the dish. In fact almost every dish had some sort of "succotash" type use of corn and beans. Not sure why. The service is slow and odd/off putting. You could almost say it's rude but I think it's mostly just some odd rule their kitchen has in place that rubs people the wrong way. It's mentioned already in other reviews. - but god forbid you get to your table and want to just order apps first - NOPE - "the kitchen requires your full order". They won't let you order in portions. So you have to order everything at once like some bad episode of Hells Kitchen lol. Food was just dropped off at the table in whatever order the Kitchen found fit - and with zero conversation or telling us what the dish was as it arrived In general don't believe the hype or how good the menu "looks" read more

Anything positive to say about the food (which was hit or miss) is completely overshadowed by the horrendous service. Amateur hour.

I came here last night with my boyfriend for an early Valentine's Day celebration. Jason, the owner, is fantastic- he's funny and hospitable. Our server, Siobhan was great too- both offered their favorites on the menu to steer us in the right direction. We started with drinks- I had a whiskey based drink called "Are the Kennedy's Gun-Shy?" and the bf had a gin based drink called, "Daywalker". All of their drinks are seasonal and are names by the employees but I'm sure they can make all the basic cocktails as well with a full bar. For apps we had the Brussels sprouts and a goat cheese. The sprouts were great- nice portion size and perfectly cooked. The goat cheese portion was very generous and was only $6. It came with bread, honey and candied nuts too. For entrees, I had the steak and it was one of the best steaks I've had in my life. Juicy and tender and the potatoes were unreal. I have no idea how they make them into a cube but they're like layered as if they were shaved and then formed into a square- unreal! The bf had salmon and I was lucky enough to snag a bite as the sauce was very tasty and the salmon was cooked to perfection. I had very high expectations for this place and they were surpassed. The staff, ambiance, drinks and food are all five stars. If you're in Chicago, you must try Wood! read more

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First off, I have to say thank you! Andre & Tommy have been nothing but amazing! They both greeted me at the same time! I mean it was even busy but they both were so on top of things to make sure I was taken care of. I enjoyed the cocktail and the atmosphere they both created for me. I came in alone thinking of be alone and enjoying a drink by myself, but when they both engaged me in conversation and banter, it really changed my evening. I have to say this bar has a wonder staff, one who's engaging and sincerely cares about who ever walks through the doors! Honestly I didn't expect a local restaurant/late bar to make me feel so welcome as they did. Thank you so much! Made my evening, even if I was alone or I'd I had a group of friends, I'm sure they would have been as accommodating! They are the BEST, definitely going to send friends and my next friends gathering here! read more

Wood - Great sparkling rose! - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, best meal I've had in months! I'm not all that far from Boystown and am already planning my visit back. I've been wanting to go to Wood for ages and finally got there last night. Now I'm kicking myself for not getting there sooner! All the missed amazingness! The food at Wood is so phenomenal it's hard to even put into words. Every bite of every dish I tried was delicious! When we walked in, we were immediately greeted and led right away to a comfortable half booth elevated table. The atmosphere at Wood was casual yet classy without any aire of pretentiousness...unlike this review. Sweet Potato Sour cocktail ($13) - Templeton rye, sweet potato juice, citrus & maple, toasted marshmallow - This was such a unique drink that I couldn't not order it. Our server told us he made the marshmallows himself! This cocktail was delicious on every level and if mixed drinks are your thing, it's a must do while at Wood! Strictly Platonic cocktail ($13) - I tried to make my best guy friend take a pic with me and this drink but he told me that was 'corny' and refused. Wahhhh. Plantation rum, cynar, lemon, peach bitters, egg white, and ginger beer make up this drink. All the ingredients sounded so cool that I felt like this was a cocktail I needed to get in my mouth. Though it couldn't top the Sweet Potato Sour, it was yet another very solid libation. Fried Chicken app ($12) - Flavors of bánh mì, chicken liver toast, jalapeño - I was worried about the spice with the jalapeno element of the dish, but our server said it was his favorite small plate and I had to follow his lead. Oh.Em.Gee. The chicken was insanely crispy on the outside yet soft & luscious on the inside. There was slight spice but it was so well balanced with the flavors that it ended up being the perfect amount of heat. This appetizer blew my mind! You must get this when at Wood. Burrata app ($12) - The burrata cheese is put over a beautifully plated dish of calabrian chili vinaigrette & almond pesto with garlic bread on the side. Every component of this dish was perfect. Who knew such a simple dish of bread & cheese could be elevated to a level of mouthwatering goodness!? Tagliatelle app ($15) - Braised lamb, niçoise olives, tomato, Espelette pepper, and parmesan. I'm normally not into red sauce dishes but this pasta dish gave me a come to jeebus moment. Again the plating allowed for me to grab some good food pron as it looked so delectable on the plate. Great balance of ingredients with every bite tasting better than the last. Pork Belly & Quail entree ($26) - Sweet potato purée, savory bread pudding and fried Brussels Huge entree. Apparently it was a very sweet potato filled night for me...that puree though! I couldn't stop dipping the various parts of my dish in it as it added just the right taste to top my thick cuts of pork belly perfectly done and tiny little quail legs. This dish was so incredibly scrumptious...my stomach was telling me, "No, Sarah! You're full! Stop eating!" But my heart was telling me, "Get the grub in your belly pronto!" Chocolate Cremeux dessert ($10) - Chocolate cremeux, salted caramel, whipped cream, and candied nuts - My friend said to me...but not in these exact words...Dude, we don't need dessert, we're packed to the brim with food in our bodies and don't need to shove some sugary concoction down the hatch to top it off. I'm a gal that is not very good at taking advice bestowed upon me and we ordered up the chocolate dessert. Holy richness what is this trickery in a glass?! We were both glad we ended up ordering this (Sarah's always right) as it was robust in chocolate & caramel flavors. Absolutely addicting! The only thing we would have liked from Wood was if they would have named the dishes as they were being set down. Sometimes staff would say what they were putting down, other times they wouldn't. Plus a small description of each as they set down the dish would have been great, as well. I'm sure I'm just being nitpicky as there was zero fault I could find in the food. I can't gush enough about the delectable dinner I had at Wood last night! It's an absolute must do in Chicago...you know...if you're into tasty food. read more

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Wood is 2 blocks from my condo, and I've wanted to try it for quite some time. I walk past it often and have read many great reviews. My fiance and I decided to go to Wood to celebrate her finishing the Bar exam as well as a belated Valentine's Day dinner. The restaurant is charming and inviting, and we were seated immediately. It was nice watching the dreadful Chicago weather from inside a warm restaurant. Our server, Jeremiah, was charismatic and charming. He overheard that we were celebrating my fiance's completion of the bar exam, and he sent us two glasses of Rose to celebrate. Now that's fantastic service! We started with the burrata cheese as an appetizer. I've only recently discovered burrata, and I love how the dish is solid mozzarella on the outside and a cream/cheese combo on the inside giving it the creamy texture. It's tough to cut, but certainly worth the effort! I really enjoyed this dish. I wasn't sure what to order. All of the items looked delicious and I couldn't make a decision. Jeremiah recommended the roasted chicken. He claimed it was the greatest piece of chicken he's ever tried. That's quite a lofty claim! I took him up on his recommendation and tried the roasted chicken breast. I have to say, his claim isn't far off. That chicken breast was absolutely one of the finest chicken breasts I've ever had in my life. It was flavored well, cooked to perfection, and SO tender. We left Wood satisfied and will most certainly be back. Outstanding experience! read more

Wood - Roasted Chicken Breast - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It is rare that I am surprised by what I find in the new offering of restaurants that pop up in our fine city. But Wood surprised me from the moment I opened the door and continued delighting me throughout my entire visit. First the name. I originally thought that "wood" might be a whimsical nod to the Boystown neighborhood that Wood is located in . But not so, said the bartender. Turns out the owner's family was in the wood working business and his father always wanted him to come into the family business. With the passing of his father last year, this is the owner's way of being in the family business, so to speak. And there is plenty of wood used in the place from the burnt cedar panels that run horizontally above the massive bar to the wooden tables reflected in the mirror glass behind the bar. We were going to grab a table outside on their patio, but we were getting such amazing service from Gustavo the bartender (Goose, for short) that we decided to stay put and eat at the bar. Nothing has been left to chance at this bar- room for about 25 to sit, a huge range of liquor and wine and even purse hooks (not easy to find on this side of town either) The cocktail list is vast . . .not surprising as the bartender most recently worked at The Aviary, pouring some of the city's best drinks. The menu is made up of small plates with a few entrees at the bottom. We tasted a range of food from one of their flat breads (all I can say is indulge in this- it is worth all the calories). We had the cheese, onion and bacon one and I seriously wanted to order another as it was that good. And the soft shell crab was amazing- perfectly crispy served atop corn and other vegetables. We also had the stuffed squash blossoms nestled in pureed eggplant, and the tagliatelle which was rich and spicy and meaty and . . .wait . . I need to wipe the drool from my chin! Yes. It was that good. But that's what chef inspired food does. And this chef is no new timer to the business having worked at Zealous and Alinea. And here's a hint. There is a back portion of the restaurant called "Backwoods". It's a walk up window where you can order Belgium style fries with your choice of about 5 sauces (I can only remember the truffle, curry, sriracha, ketchup but I know there is one more) And if you ask nicely- you might even be able to get them with your dinner although they are not on the menu. Franco, the owner, is also not new to the restaurant business. He also owns Tank sushi and was so personable and welcoming to us and other patrons of his newest venture. He recognized a need in this part of town and Wood is filling that need and then some! They don't take reservations so you may have to wait a bit if you go during a busy weekend. But the bar area is large enough to stand in and enjoy your drink while you wait. Dinner for the two of us with plenty of drinks was just over $100 and street parking is always hit or miss in this area but you can usually find it. Wood is a great addition to Chicago's restaurant scene. I just can't wait to go back and see what Franco and the team have for us the next time we stop by, And trust me- we will stop by . . again and again! read more

When I first heard about a place called Wood in the middle of Boystown, I blushed... and thought, "Oh dear. A salaciously-named bar named Wood?" Little did I know it was an actual restaurant -- with, again much to my surprise, fantastic food! I went in recently on a Saturday night for a quick libation with friends before we hit the "town" - and by town, the land of rainbows and unicorns also known as Boystown. I ordered the One Small Step cocktail (Hangar one spiced pear vodka, smith and winter violette, saint germaine, lemon). FANTASTIC floral hint! YUMMY. And typical... as we were drinking, we got hungry... so we ordered the tagliatelle and the endive salad with pork belly. Both were just the right size for light bar fare and especially, before we hit the club. I mean, we can't go out feeling blah in a 'hood full of boys! Psh. Anyway, if you want a nicer alternative to a "dive" bar in the area, I would suggest grabbing a classssssy cocktail at Wood to start your night -- or end it. ;) read more

Wood - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It seems rare these days that you can go to an opening weekend of a restaurant and have it go really successfully, not to mention the opening weekend of this Lakeview restaurant was held on Pride weekend. At last, Boystown has a fine dining establishment that's both trendy, has good service, good food, uses fresh ingredients, and not dumbed down for the masses. We called earlier in the day to see if we could get a reservation, I think the takeaway from the call was that they don't really do reservations but we put our name down for 2 and she said "they'd try their best." ... When we got there we ended up taking 2 stools at the bar that had just opened up. Their bar seating is various spacious, the bar itself is almost as long as the room is long, and the width of the bar allows you to have a wide array of small plates out and not feel cramped. We tried a number of the small plates including the foie mousse, roasted beets, pork belly, risotto, and pork croquettes. The pork croquettes were my favorite item, very moist and packed with flavorful pork. Everything we had was good. The proteins were accented with nice, fresh ingredients (beets and greens, etc). The pork belly had a very nice reduction over the top of some fava beans, very nice. For dessert we had a lemon pound cake served with a blueberry ice cream, yes it was delicious. The bartender was very, very friendly. For an opening weekend, it seemed like things were going off without a hitch. They were out of the bottle of wine we ordered and there were no cocktail menus, but other than that you never would've known they had just opened. My only two complaints: 1) It was really, really, really, really noisy. Part of that was it was packed to the brim with cheery, boisterous clientele, and part of that was the loud music. 2) Every time the bartender swiped someone's credit card, it would display the full credit card # and name on the POS screen long enough that if someone sitting at the bar really cared, they could have easily gotten the full info committed to memory or written down. Pricing and portion sizes were reasonable. Including our $52 of wine, our check was $112 after tax before tip. Though if ordering wine, the wine list didn't have much on it for under ~$35/bottle. I wood go again. The back of the restaurant will have a separate restaurant, Backwoods that will be a late night Amsterdam-style-fry joint. read more

Wood - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Dishes sampled include: Sweetbreads - Broccoli, Chanterelles, Wheat Berries Duck Confit - Wild Mushrooms, Corn, New Potatoes Country Ham Flat Bread with Kale and Raclette Cheese Chicken Liver Mousse with Grilled Bread, Pickles, Mustard Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Mousse and Beet Ice Cream Helmed by Ashlee Aubin straight off time as chef de partie at Alinea I'd hoped to make it to Wood for brunch during my trip to Chicago but with time short and plans extensive I missed out...only to decide last minute to pay the space on North Halsted a visit for pre-dinner before our reservations at Elizabeth. Named after the wood-fired over responsible for the majority of food emerging from the kitchen and featuring in house butchery, hyper-seasonal produce, house grown herbs, and a menu that is known to change from day to day my assumption was that at the very least my sister and I could grab a plate or two and a drink before dinner...but of course that ended up turning into a quintet of plates as soon as I looked at the menu. Narrow, long, and surprisingly quiet on an early Sunday evening we were seated immediately on arrival and with a young man named Kevo as our server a quick perusal of the menu indicated at least ten plates I should have liked to try but limiting myself and seeking opinions from both server and dining partner I'm fairly certain we received a pretty good idea of what the restaurant is all about and every bit of it was excellent, the setting and the service no exception. Promoting a focus on "unique flavor combinations" but in reality successful largely through the use of exemplary ingredients and technique one of my favorite aspects of the cuisine at Wood was how unmanipulated the majority of the majority of the ingredients were - the fine dining/molecular cuisine training saved for the occasional sauce, garnish, or dessert thus rendering the plates almost rustic, the sort of food you think you can make at home but never do; the creamy sweetbreads with toothsome wheat berries and woodsy vegetables the most obvious example and the confit amongst the best I've had stateside while the flat bread and mousse were rich - probably too rich for a per-dinner meal - but simple and perfectly executed. Moving past savories to sweets I decided that restraint should be in order but couldn't help but order one (I wanted two...or three) and while the composition was certainly less rustic than the prior dishes it was no less delicious; the flavor profile trending much further towards herbal than sweet - a true spice cake with smooth frosting and ice cream that, eyes closed, tasted like a roasted beet with just a bit more sugar and good enough that if we hadn't already bought tickets for the meal that followed I'd have probably scrapped those plans and stuck around for a while to try a few more plates, both sweet and savory. read more

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I've been coming here for sometime now with my wife and I always have the optimal experience. Food and drinks are delicious. The service is stupendous. Marco (bartender) always makes us feel at home. This restaurant is a gem and gets better with age like wine. The owner is awesome and is very hands on, I respect excellent work ethic. Highly recommend. read more

Wood - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I ate here back in August and I'm still dreaming about the food. We had a burrata on these savory-soaked croutons that blew my tastebuds away.The short rib melted in my mouth and the beignets were perfection. I can't wait to go back and try more of the menu. That tomato crouton burrata thing is seasonal so it's probably not on their current menu but holy cow--one of the best things I've EVER eaten. read more

Sunny H. and I made our way to Wood for brunch on one of the coldest mornings of the year. As we stepped inside Wood, we were immediately welcomed by the warm and cozy decor. The restaurant is long and narrow, there really isn't a ton of seating. We arrived around 11:15 and the only remaining seating was at the bar, I would recommend a reservation if you have more than two people or don't want to sit at the bar. To start, we ordered the house-made focaccia which sounds fantastic. However, instead of being light and fluffy focaccia, it ended up being rather hard and crumbly. The raspberry jam and cheese that accompanied it was delicious, but the focaccia itself was a disappointment and I would not recommend it. We both ordered the corn beef hash for our main dish and it was fantastic. This is an incredibly hearty dish filled with potatoes and corn beef. The only downside was the really fatty pieces of corn beef, but they were easy to cut off. Other than that, the corn beef and potatoes were flavored so well and the two eggs on top made the dish. We didn't partake in cocktails but they looked delicious. The coffee was very tasty and heated us up well. Overall, a phenomenal atmosphere and great main dish, I'll definitely be back! read more

Wood - Corned beef hash, awesome brunch dish. - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had brunch here today with my boyfriend. When we walked in it took about ten minutes for the host to come over and seat us. The bartender greeted us though. I ordered the Belgium waffle. It was supposed to come with raspberries, Nutella and whipped cream. They switched the raspberries to cherries without telling me. I felt that it was really rude. If they were out they should have offered a different fruit or at least informed me of the substitution. The waffle batter was good though. My boyfriend had to wait a very long time before someone brought salt and pepper for his eggs. Overall food was fair and service not so good. read more

Wood - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visiting old stomping grounds and stumbled upon Wood. Incredible. From the wine selection the expertly selected ingredients, this was an amazing culinary experience. What stood out most was the various textures complimented by maintaining the unique flavors without loosing it in the dish. Thank you for making my palate sing. Cheers! read more

Stopped by for brunch with some friends and the food was ok (seems like the dinner menu is better than brunch). I started with the traditional bloody and it was great, just spicy and bold enough for my taste. We shared the cheese curds and cinnamon roll. The cheese curds were pretty standard and served with a side of ranch, however the cinnamon roll was outstanding - I couldn't get enough!! First of all it's a GIANT ass cinnamon roll that was moist throughout with small pockets of cinnamon sugar. It is topped with an outstanding mascarpone glaze! I would order this again. I ordered the fried chicken, which consists of two boneless fried chicken thighs, buttermilk biscuit, sausage gravy, home fries and fried egg. The chicken was bland and over fried. The home fries were over fried. The biscuit wasn't memorable and the sausage gravy was bland. I didn't finish the dish because it wasn't good food. I kept picking at the cinnamon roll though. The brunch menu seemed limited and the brunch execution wasn't up to standards with other places around the neighborhood. Seems fine for dinner, however for brunch I'd reconsider. read more

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"I was a bit hesitant on coming here for dinner, mainly because I got the vibe that the place was another downtown gastro pub wannabe and full of pretentiousness. However, I must admit that the food was delicious (almost fulton market quality), drinks were good, the portions were larger than expected and the service was good! I thought the prices were reasonable. Overall a good experience.. We didn't get to try their small plates, but I'm definitely popping up one night and try them.. Highly recommended.. read more

Wood - Short rib - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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