I came here because of a coupon but I'm glad I did :) Although this is your standard restaurant inside a hotel in a very busy suburb with a lot of restaurant options, the food was such good quality that it was worth stopping in. The decor is basic, and you can tell most of the customers are business people working. It's definitely a very quiet place that probably doesn't get many guests at once. There was quite a bit of people at the bar though! I had the short rib meal with mashed potatoes for $29. For the price, they gave me a lot of meat and potatoes, which I was super happy about. The potatoes were so soft and creamy! The piece of meat was huge, cooked perfectly, and had no fat on it. I would definitely recommend this meal. My fiancé had a turkey sandwich because he is watching his weight. He enjoyed the sandwich. It had a nice cranberry mayonnaise on it. They also let him substitute soup for the side which he appreciated. For dessert we had the pumpkin creme brûlée, which tasted a lot like pumpkin pie filling but in a good way. I loved the candied pumpkin seeds on it as well. I would highly recommend this dessert. The next time I come I want to try a few of the appetizers and the bread pudding dessert. Our server was very friendly and attentive. If I was staying in this hotel for business I would definitely eat here for a working lunch/dinner. read more

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I had a weekday late lunch with my sister. I had eaten here once before and she had as well - we both had good prior experiences. This time around my ratings: Customer Service - 4 stars (not exceptional but better than good) Price - 3 stars (average for a hotel) Food taste / preparation / portion size / presentation 4.5 stars I had the salmon grilled with lemon / wild rice and asparagus --- to die for (exceptional) She had the crab cake sandwich / sweet potato fries (very very good) It is a hotel so ambiance is somewhat lacking - but for lunch it was a really good experience. read more

Can hotel restaurants be good restaurants? Can they earn the respect that stand-along places are usually given? Can they break away from the "bad room service" stigma to warrant visiting them for a good meal? My wife and I were forced to find out last night, thanks to a restaurant.com gift certificate. We were upset that so many of our options were connected to hotels. 1401 West, connected to the Marriott across from Oakbrook Mall, was our first choice because it garnered accolades by traveling Yelp members within the reviews for the hotel. But this place deserves a write-up of its own. There were a select few patrons during our meal. With so many other dining choices in the mall, that's not too surprising. We were waited on by Armando, who was friendly and doting to our needs. He sensed our unease with the original table choice and gave us a great spot in front of the window, where we could watch the action on 22nd Street - okay, there wasn't much action, but it was nice to have some natural lighting at our table. After each ordering a seasonal Sam Adams brew, we opted to share the crab cake sliders as an appetizer. My wife went for the fish of the day, which was salmon, alongside grilled asparagus and fingerling potatoes. My choice was the flank steak dip, prepared medium rare, with garlic french fries. The appetizer came with fries of its own. Had I known, I would've gone with fruit as the side dish of my entree. The fries were very good, but not as good as the crab cake sliders. On fresh buns, the cakes had good consistency and were well-complimented by the lettuce and tomato. There was early stomach-filling regret that we ate some of the complimentary bread and butter, despite the freshness and good chewy quality of it. That's how they get ya, you know. (?) My wife was very happy with her salmon, and an offered taste was not passed up. It's great to have a fine meal that's actually good for you. With the right amount of flakiness and flavor, it ran for $20 and was comparable to a similar dish in any fine American fare restaurant, without the server scooping up bread crumbs and putting them in his shirt pocket. My dip wasn't so healthful, as the grilled ciabbata bread and gooey swiss cheese held the thickly cut pieces of flank steak and blackened portobello mushroom nicely. I asked for steak sauce but never used any, as the sandwich held enough flavor and juiciness on its own. The au jus was unnecessary, but I couldn't resist it anyway. The sandwich with chips or fruit cost $12, but the fries increased the total by $2. Next time, I'll get the fruit, I promise. We weren't pleased to have an 18% gratuity automatically added to our bill, but that's likely not the fault of the restaurant, as every choice from restaurant.com seems to insist on that stipulation. We like to think that servers must earn their tip, and if they're very good, we tip them well. Despite knowing that his tip was already pre-determined, Armando earned a little extra. We regret not trying some desserts but our stomachs had enough yummies for the night. I'm giving 1401 West five stars because it can change one's mind about hotel restaurants. Some are intentionally designed so as to appear separate from the hotel itself: Glen Prairie is such a place. But Glen Prairie's burgers were disappointing when we visited for an inexpensive meal. I'm curious about 1401 West's burgers, as they offer four types at a reasonable charge. I'm struggling to come up with a criticism of this place that would drop its star rating. They didn't have Fat Tire. There weren't many people there. Two cops subtly came into the hotel lobby (visible from my seat) and waited a long time for someone or something to which I wasn't privy. Guess you don't see that in a stand-alone restaurant too often. But that only added to the coziness and entertainment values! We were as pleased as can be with our experience at 1401 West and will try it again to see if the experience can continue to be this good and this surprising. read more

For a hotel restaurant, I have to give 1401 West 4 stars. I was pleasantly surprised. They had a lot to choose from, and the portions and costs were way more reasonable than what I have typically experienced at hotel restaurants. I had the hummus and the airline chicken (comes with Asparagus and veggies). YUM! They also have regular specials which I saw that some others had gotten that looked amazing. The service is also top notch. If I find myself in Oakbrook and too lazy to venture across the street to Oakbrook Center, you will probably find me here. read more

Food was ok, we were the ONLY people in the restaraunt at 730 on a sat night. We had a restaraunt.com coupon which indicated it was good if you spent $50, nothing about this being for food only (not alcohol). All other restaraunt.com coupons make it very clear if alcohol is not considered in total. Our bill was $83 dollars, $48 of food, and they said they would not honor our coupon unless we bought more food. I questioned this and some mgr brought me some bs piece of paper with mumbo jumbo legal language. Huh? How about being transparent on restaraunt.com that alcohol isn't included (like all others do)? Now I know why the place was empty.... read more

My super greens salad was amazing. We had a nice dinner here but then realized that we could have had a light dinner for free in the concierge room since we were guests of the hotel. Oh well.... read more

Generally speaking, I find eating in a hotel the same as admitting defeat. Unfortunately, with some business travel, it's a challenge to find anything open when you roll into town and are only staying one night. As was the case, I rolled into the Oak Brook (IL) Marriott around 10pm - all the nearby restaurants had just stopped serving, so I slumped to the in-hotel restaurant, 1401 West. Looking over the menu, I noted the familiarity of the choices: some appetizers, some salads, entrees and desserts. I chose the spinach salad, which was most notable for how fresh the spinach was. The goat cheese and candied walnuts were fine and the dressing was appropriate in its quantity and taste. For my entree, I selected the rib eye, which it was dubious that's what they served me, but at least the meat was properly cooked (medium rare). The taste was good and the cut wasn't too fatty. All in all, it wasn't bad, but certainly not the culinary experience I could have had... read more

It's winter holiday season, and I know what you're wondering... where I am I going to take my mother for Mother's Day? I'm typically not this targeted in a review of restaurant, but we had a great experience. So, fair warning, this assessment is only regarding 1401 West's Mother's Day brunch. If your mother does not mind eating at a suburban hotel restaurant (i.e. Marriott in Oak Brook, IL), dining at buffets (i.e. mostly self-service), and is a huge fan of breakfast/brunch, then 1401 West fits the bill. This is not Old Country Buffet or Golden Corral. Here are some details that helped elevate the brunch: -- Make a reservation, as they have multiple seating times until about 3 p.m. While there was some communal seating for large parties, it wasn't obtrusive. White tablecloths were in effect. Well-dressed staff constantly re-filled drinks, took away plates, and accommodated requests with a smile. -- Actually, my party of four arrived early and was comfortably seated in the closed bar area. They didn't just let us sit there. A staff person, with no prompting, asked if my mother (and anyone else at the table) would like a mimosa (and other options). We took him up on that offer, of course. -- Made-to-order omelets with shrimp as an option. Made-to-order mini waffles(5 to 6 at a time). -- There was a carving station (with server) for various meats, and people, they had blood sausages. -- Tilapia fillets (not fried) on a bed of risotto. -- Macaroni and cheese made with Gruyère, as well as a couple of other cheeses that I can't remember. -- Plenty of vegetable and fruit options, if you're into that sort of eating. ;-) If you want to skip that and hit the carbs hard, then there was a large variety of bread options too. -- Desserts had its own room. They had nice decorative touches, like "Happy Mother's Day" and "Moms Rule" (or something similar) written in frosting. -- We were seated around 1 p.m. and did not leave until 3 p.m. We didn't feel rushed or crowded, while having our leisurely meal. The total cost (including tax and tip) for this special-occasion brunch was about $35 per adult person for all we could eat and drink. The exact cost changes every year, but its typically between $25 and $35 total for special-occasion brunches. Kids between certain ages usually are half or less of that cost. Kids under age 4 might dine free. It's a hotel, so free parking. There wasn't an extended wait time and there was enough variety for everyone's dietary preferences/needs. Bottom line, my mom was very happy, as was everyone else. This might become a tradition. read more

Went tonight. We were a little hesitant since there were only a handful of customers on a Friday night. However, we will definitely return. The service was great, attentive and informative on the menu. Having lived many years in Maryland, my husband and I are really particular about crab cakes. 1401 had flavorful crab cakes that were full of crab. The steaks were cooked as we requested and very tasty. I would definitely return. read more