Pros: Bartender director amazing came to table and very knowledgeable on spirits. Knows how to make a well balanced spirit which is hard to find in the Naperville area. His recommendations and his willingness to educate the consumer goes beyond the call of duty. Manager was very attentive and also very helpful with any issues to arise during our dinner service. She was quick to correct and provide an overall great dinner service. Cons: Waiter lacked overall knowledge of dishes and spirits. Waiter was not helpful and did not acknowledge our table after raw trout was served. I felt this was extremely unprofessional. He did not stop by the table after he served the food, until my friend was almost done with her entree. Poutine- Extremely salty, which is pretty much the only flavor you could taste. Also very greasy. Octopus- Good portion of octopus, however the ratio of the ingredients was off. The chorizo was over powering and it had way too much sauce. Steak- My friend said her dish was very good. She enjoyed the side that accompanied her dish as well. Trout- Where to begin, this dish was terrible. The fish was under cooked and I don't think anymore really needs to be said for this dish. To top it off we still had a bill of over 100.00 with me having no entree and one of the two appetizers being awful. I'd stay away from this place if i were you, definitely not worth the money and the food is mediocre. Update: Ended up with food poisoning 24hrs later. Way to go Allegory. read more

See all

Honest review: not good omg every review that says it is loud isnt over exaggerating its so fucking loud in here. like U can hear the music blasting from outside gave me a headache then they play rock so its even louder. Inside its cute and hip theres a bar area. The seats a hard but its whatever. The service was alright reminded me of bar service didnt pick things up forgot things just was meh food: i think its cool that naperville is trying to jump on the fancy food wagon but this place does a really bad job at it reminds me of a fast food restaurant like chiles nothings flavorful everything's meh drinks arent good just is trying to be trendy but does a bad job of it best thing: skirt steak Amuse buche: it was blackbeans with fried sunchokes n a crema: wasn't flavorful didnt really have taste mexican tasted very americanized lacked seasoning Not poutine $14: i didnt like this at all. It was extremely greasy n potatoes lacked seasoning wish they were fries n were over fried. There wasnt enough of the sauce to make a difference n there wasnt any cheese the gravy was really salty. There wasnt alot of meat Mac n cheese: i didnt like this. I liked that it was really cheesy but that was the only positive. The mac n cheese was lacking seasoning. It had no flavor tasted like the mac n cheese from kfc. Liked the crumble on top but it wasnt crunchy enough so didnt add any texture. Would love bacon on it Burger: it was alright. The bacon jam needed more bacon it was just onions. The cheese was good liked that they used a different kind of cheeze. The issue the actual burger itself lacked seasoning. There was no sauce wish there was a flavorful aioli. Would have been nice if there was something crunchy in the burger like onion rings. The fries were crispy but lacked seasoning Skirt steak: this was the best dish of the nite. steak was cooked perfectly and was flavorful. The chimichuri was good but was dry wish there was more. The crema on the bottom was really tasty just put more i hated the plaintain cakes they were burnt and really heavy would have liked fries instad Blood orange cheesecake: i hated this was one of the worst cheesecakes i ever had. the cheesecake was really dense n wasnt sweet enough. It was a really acidic n bitter dish. Then the sauce was gross asf it looked like a burnt mole n just was so bitter and really thick Gingerbread icecream: this was alright. The deep fried chips that were served were burnt n there was only 3 pieces. The icecream was alright wish there was more ginger. read more

See all

Phenomenal local spot. Food, service and ambiance are incredibly. Will definitely be back again.

I went to lunch time last Friday with my husband and dad. I will start by saying the décor is really nice and the skylight is nice. The staff was all really friendly and helpful. We got an amuse bouche which I forgot to take a picture of, but it was good and not expected. We ordered the pot pie, philly cheesesteak and tacos. The tacos were the best out of all three. The cheesesteak was overly greasy. My dad wasn't going to say anything but the waitress noticed that he looked unhappy and came over. She immediately offered to get him something else and he got the meatloaf. While it was better, it was very salty as was the pot pie. Again, the service was great as when the meatloaf came out the manager brought it and apologized again and asked what was wrong so that she could discuss with the chefs so that they could make it better. While I really appreciate that I am not sure we would go back as there are so many other restaurants in the area that we do like. read more

See all

Stopped here for lunch with a friend after the art fair yesterday. Menu is pretty limited, which is understandable when you're trying to source fresh ingredients for a menu. Having said that, the limited selection should be a knockout in every respect and we felt there was some roughness around the edges. We both ordered the fish fry, and while the cod was lightly coated and fried and not the greasy spoon version you'd find at larger chains, the cole slaw was drowning in mayonnaise and no different than what you'd find at almost any QSR, and the flavor was less than inspired (no secret spices in that coating or otherwise). The Brussels sprouts,though, were very nicely done. From our observations of those around us, the Reuben sandwich looked like a pretty hearty bet, but the salads looked like any other. The sidewalk patio, right alongside the street and with ample trees for shade, was delightful on a beautiful fall day. read more

Allegory is definitely one of the best new restaurant experiences I've had in the last 12 months! A business associate and I stopped for dinner on a Thursday evening and fortunately were able to be seated quickly at the bar located at the front of the restaurant. The two bartenders took care of us as a team and did a good job with attentive service. Mike had a local craft beer while I had the Hats Off to You Man cocktail. This riff on a Manhattan was outstanding, well balanced and very expressive, particularly with the tobacco bitters. I loved it! The food portion of the menu features small plates, sandwiches and entrees from a variety of culinary viewpoints. Mike settled on the skirt steak with a Latin style to it while I had the short rib with garlic mashed potatoes and a carrot slaw. Both were delicious. The short rib was amazingly tender and fell apart on my fork. I highly recommend Allegory! read more

Allegory - From the men's room - what's not to like! - American Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

See all

This was my first time at Allegory. I enjoyed the farm to table aspect. The Ruben was piled with thick corn beef and a delicious sauce but was a little greasy and over cooked. The service could have been better as my water was never filled. I would try other things in the area before going back. read more

Allegory - Ruben - American Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

We dined here about a year back and It was great (if a bit loud). I meant to write a review but it got away from me. Tonight we got a delicious carry out. The online ordering is a bit confusing, but we successfully placed the order by phone. The cocktail was delicious even in paper cup. They could make a mint bundling it with a novelty travel glass. All our meals were tasty, we especially liked the fried chicken. read more

My food was delicious but my companion had way too much fat on her short rib. Very friendly staff.

Great food, it doesn't ever disappoint. I haven't tried the drinks but they look really cool.

If you are looking for a great experience, look no further. A bit apprehensive with a group of ten, but server made it happen flawlessly . The owner, Chris met us at the door and explained the farm to table concept in a very relaxed manner. The bar and drinks to come were perfect. Mixology was painfully precise with well measured condiments. Chris commented that they go as far as to create their own bitters and the like. Meal, outstanding. Flavor selection fitting for all. Nice place Chris. We shall return. read more

Allegory - American Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

The shrimp and grits were amazing! I also had the Brussels sprouts which were crispy and a bit smoky. Great drinks! Excellent service! Good Vibes! read more

WOW - lovely set up and friendly staff. I had the Chicken and waffles dish which was a revelation! Super rich but I loved every bite (and the left overs that I brought home) Wish that it had some salad with it as it was super rich. I did eat my left overs on a bed of arugula with would be a nice add in house. Hubs had truffle fries and Rueben - again, nicely done and large portions. Quick service too which was great because we were starved! CV sensitive, nicely decorated and super clean - this was a win after hiking in the forest preserve - we will be back when in the neighborhood! read more

The location is where Heaven on Seven us to be in Downtown Naperville. The food looked good but I just stopped in for a drink. It was tasty appropriate temperature and right on time. read more

Was in Naperville visiting family and we decided to see what this place had to offer on Saturday 11/5/22. Restaurant was hopping . We had called earlier that day for reservations and was told they were not taking anymore reservations for that night. Hostess said it would be a 30-45 minute wait for a table of 3. We were seated after a 50 minute wait. On this very busy evening the service after being seated was nothing less than awesome! Our waitress was impeccable!! Food was delicious! The Winner Winner chicken thighs dinner was very tasty and filling. The Fishy Fishy fried Cod dinner was delicious. The Rueben sandwich was also a nice pick from the menu. No disappointment in any of the dishes we had to eat. There is a small bar that serves wine, spirits and beer. Now for the downside of this good food,good vibe restaurant. The 3 of us went back on the following Thursday. This time it wasn't as busy as the first time. There was only a group of 3 ahead of us and had several open tables (this is where things go bad). While waiting to be greeted by the hostess the group of 3 ahead of us turned to leave and wished us good luck. He said the had been waiting 15 minutes for someone to greet them. Welll it was another 10 minutes before someone greeted us, she said she was going to clear a table for us, this is where I got confused because I saw clearly that there were 4 four tops available to be seated at. Now it was 15 minutes before she came back and then seated us at one of the tables that was empty in the first place!!! Now the fun begins... we sat at the table with a menu and already knew what we wanted to order but not one server approached our table, and the waitress that seated us walked by numerous times. After being patient for 15 minutes we got up and left very disappointed. The difference between the two visits was like night and day. If rating them separately the first visit would definitely be 4 stars and the second visit it would be hard for me to even give them 1 star. I apologize for the lengthy review but was wanting to give a comparison of our two visits. read more

Excellent dinner last night at Allegory. I had the shrimp and grits which is listed under small plates as an entree and it was delicious. I should have asked if they would do a larger portion or maybe even order 2. My daughter had the Magic Tacos dish which was also quite good. That cilantro lime rice was packed with flavor. Friendly service, quick execution. I used to really enjoy Heaven on Seven in this same location and it's nice to see a comparable quality restaurant has sprung up in its place. read more

Even though COVID, I felt completely comfortable dining in at Allegory. The restaurant is set up very nicely & allowed for safe social distancing. Went with a friend for my first time and I LOVE everything about this place! It has welcoming staff, wonderful ambience, and AMAZING local farm to table food. I NEEDED this in my life. Do I need to move to Naperville? read more

See all

Love this place for shrimp and grits. Their brussel sprouts are also delicious! You definitely want to make a reservation since this place is always busy. It is not a large restaurant it's a narrow rectangle l. It's more for a date night and trendy. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Naperville! They have great food & drinks and it's always fresh. I've never had a dish from here I didn't enjoy. Love this place for a date night. read more

Allegory is a breath of fresh air, serving food with the finesse you typically will only find in downtown Chicago. I wished I had a larger stomach because the 6 dishes the 2 of us ordered were all fantastic! We will definitely be back again to work our way through the menu! We had the pierogis, cheese&mac, trout, pheasant pot pie, meatloaf sandwich and a blood orange cheese cake to wash it all down :) read more

See all

Food is fantastic. The "winner winner" chicken dinner is off the charts. Brussels and garlic mashed were amazing. Had the skirt steak in our party as well which was great. Great ambiance in the restaurant and staff was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and happily provide recommendations if your on the fence between items. Their drink menu is a bit underwhelming however. Would be great to add a few more signature cocktails and widen the beer selection a bit or publish a separate drink menu from the main one so you don't have to limit your drink options to the real estate of a quarter of a page. read more

My visit to Naperville did not disappoint. I was visiting friends on my Chicago city visit, so glad I did. The town is cute full of life and Allegory is a gem in the midst of it all. I had the short ribs, Brussels sprouts and their old fashion. Lovely staff, great energy, delicious farm to table sourced locally in Illinois. We finished our meal off with a apple pie type dish, deconstructed delicious dish. read more

See all

Okay wow... I love this place! While trying to book a last minute reservation for Mother's Day brunch we landed on Allegory. Allegory is a relatively new restaurant, but it has amazing potential! They only use locally sourced ingredients in their food, which is often hard to find in a restaurant in Naperville. Loved the atmosphere, the service was great, and the food was absolutely delicious... one of the best meals I've had in a while. Will definitely recommend this place to friends and will be coming back again soon! read more

See all

I had a very good lunch here with my boyfriend recently. We had the chimichurri steak and a chicken salad and it was delicious. I really appreciated the farm to table ingredients. The ambiance and waitress were also great. I would recommend. read more

While I was so sorry to see Heaven On Seven go, I was blown away by the food and service at Allegory the very first time I went, which was right after they opened over a year ago. Every time I go, everything I've had, I love and look forward to my next visit. The service is friendly and knowledgeable, and always seems like everyone there, enjoys working with everyone there! Especially during this crazy ass time, it's a great environment to be in- with great food, and with staff following rules to keep everyone safe. Cheers to Chris and the great staff! read more

My husband and I went to Allegory for dinner last night without knowing anything about it other than it was new. We live in Naperville and like to try new places and support local businesses. As it happens, it was our anniversary. We were met at the door by the chef/owner, Chris Mason; he was warm and welcoming. Before we even sat down we were glad we decided to eat there. Since it was a special occasion we opted for a cocktail rather than our usual glass of wine. Had an Old Fashioned and Martini and both were great! Started with Tempura Squash and Mac & Cheese under the "Smalls" section. Trust me, the Mac & Cheese was not small but it was fabulous!! It's actually enough for an adult to have as their entree. At this point, we were kind of full so we split the "Phil E. Sangwich". The finale was a beautiful piece of flourless chocolate cake with "Happy Anniversary" written in chocolate on the plate. Thanks so much Chris and Stephanie (our server) for taking such good care of us. read more

Great comfort food, great service, just a tad expensive and almost always busy. But price is worth it in this economy

The ambiance was cool and restaurant has a rustic vibe. The beverage I tried was the very berries cocktail which tasted refreshing and paired well with my dinner of scallops. I had the Mac n cheese appetizer was yummy too. The meal overall was delicious. Will definitely come again! read more

Bumped into this gem and so glad we did. The shrimp and grits were the best I've ever had. Full of flavor. Please order. I had the short ribs and it was absolutely fall of the bone perfection. I'll be back for sure. read more

Allegory - (Not So) Short Rib Strauss Farms 12-Hour Braised Short Rib. Braised Mushroom Demi. Garlic Smashed. Crispy Brussels. Pickled Slaw. - American Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

See all

For the record, I hate giving bad reviews so I almost never post them. We were just so excited after reading Allegory's menu and we ended up so let down. The good: our service was great and our food came out fast and hot. The "Hats Off to You, Man" cocktail was excellent. We even took a picture of the menu so we could try to recreate it at home. The bad: we ordered the "Chef's Never Bored, Board" for a starter and it was...ok-ish. Highlight was the spiced apple chutney. Low points were the paper thin dried out apple slices, a few chunks of what we think was generic cheddar, and some bone dry focaccia. That was as good as our meal got. The ugly: I ordered the short rib with gnocchi and my wife had scallops with risotto. Our dishes arrived quickly and we were so excited to dig in. After a few bites we had a quiet conversation about whose meal was worse. After trying each other's plates, I won. Apparently the farm was really far from our table because our meals were anything but fresh. Her risotto seemed stale and the rice texture could only be described as rough. Scallops looked amazing but they were over-cooked and dry. Asparagus was mush aside from the woody ends they left on. My short rib was tender and well-sized but the presentation was just a big bowl of slop and my entire plate was so over-salted that I could barely eat it. The gnocchi were small, very firm (previously frozen?), and drowning in a brown gravy that was seeming salted by three separate people. I was starving so I ate almost half of it before I had to tap out. The highlight of my plate was a few corkscrews of bright pickled carrots that provided the slightest reprieve. 3 drinks, 1 appetizer, and 2 main dishes with tip came to $200. That's a lot of regret. read more

(It's beautiful that the lower rating for this restaurant is a complaint for the appetizers being appetizer sized.) You can't really go wrong here, the classics along with the rotating menu are excellent each season. There aren't many restaurants that feel unique in the area but Allegory maintains this throughout the year. It is my number one recommendation for visitors of Naperville for the past year or longer. I'm still waiting for their walleye to come back, but there's always a great seasonal dish in its place. This is one of the few restaurants downtown that I feel has done well to adapt to the pandemic from the beginning. read more

The food and services were Great ! Kitchen and little slow but it was packed to the walls on a weekend . It was really Great ! Highly Recommend it ! read more

Great food fun atmosphere Enjoyed the pink sangria! Highly recommend Recommend making a resv fills up fast read more

Love this place. Best food in downtown naperville. Their chicken entree is amazing. The quiche was amazing too. Lots of creative cocktails!

First time dining at Allegory. Food was good, the shrimp and grits appetizer is a must try if you like Cajun or Southern cooking. Shrimp were really well spiced and the dish overall was excellent. The chicken and waffles was okay, the waffle is more like a cake than a waffle and it crumbled and fell apart. There is a maple bourbon brown butter that comes served in it, which is excellent, but I think that putting that on the waffle instead of having it on the side, might why the waffle was so crumbly. The bacon on the top of it was crispy and not greasy. The chicken, which were thighs, were really crispy as well and seasoned well. I ordered a side of fries which were meh, kind of limp and a little greasy. My wife ordered the tuna melt, which looked a little messy but tasted really good. I wouldn't order the house old fashioned again, way too sweet and had kind of a funky after taste. The bourbon list here is extensive, but no big single ice cubes to be found, a little disappointing and it might sound snobby, but it does make a difference. We went earlier on a Saturday and it was very loud, very lively. Tables are close together. Service overall, very good. Server was friendly, knew the menu, and was attentive even though the place was packed. We are planning on going back and trying some of the other menu items. read more

Allegory - Chicken and waffles - American Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

Hands down my favorite Naperville restaurant. The food and cocktails are amazing. They also have a great draft list for the beer drinkers. Love the interior as well. May not be good for families though, it's dimly lit and narrow. read more

What a delightful experience. Not only were the tacos scrumptious, the meatloaf sandwich was super tasty. And how about those brussel sprouts... yum yum yum! Back to the tacos... I think i could have drank a pint of that wildly delicious magic sauce on the tacos. What's not to love about their beer? Try a few. Have a flight...I did! Did I mention the staff? Marta (wothout an H) made our day! Her recommendations were on point! She really brings this place to life with her engaging conversation and entertaining demeanor. You guys should clone her. Thanks again! Your new repeat customers. read more

Allegory - Meatloaf Sandwich comes with tasty brussel sprouts. - American Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

See all

The service was beyond slow and the food was nothing to write home about for the prices. Drinks had to be sent back twice, burgers were dry, and the desert was the worst part. Sorbet came out like it was old frozen ice at the bottom of a freezer and the ice cream had a consistency of glue and tasted even worst. read more

Usually a go-to restaurant for our family's celebrations, it was a disappointment tonight. Poor attention from our server, so our drinks ran out. Mire importantly, my short ribs came out cold. When I asked for my meal to be taken back to be nuked for 2 minutes, I think a new meal was made, taking 20 min. I ended up finishing my husband's meal while I waited. Not that the manager noticed, as the whole time he stood next to our table chatting with the group next to us, eventually sitting down with them to sample whiskey. Hugely disappointed. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g36422-d15583284-r863878677-Allegory-Naperville_DuPage_County_Illinois.html# read more

Very solid dining experience in Naperville. Chicago native here so my bar is set pretty high but this place delivered. It was pretty busy on a Thursday night, not a super large space but cozy and the staff was really great. Started with the charcuterie board, the spicy/sweet nuts on there were the star of the show, so unique and delish. The ricotta/feta toast was underwhelming but the lightly dresses salad that accompanied it was tasty. I just wish more places would do a nice crostini with velvety creamy ricotta so much better. For mains we went all out and got the marvelous on the bone beautifully tender short rib with great Brussels, not too greasy or over fried just perfect. The chicken sandwich, solid but not a show stopper and lastly the bavette and fritz, also good but a little dry with the blue cheese crust, fries were really tasty. Definitely worth checking this place out for a good meal and nice ambiance. read more