My meal here was surprisingly tasty for a chain BBQ place…read more The lunch special was great. $12.99 for a pulled pork sandwich, side, and drink. That is essentially unbeatable downtown. The pork was juicy and the KC style bbq sauce was good (other options were Chicago, Memphis, Carolina(?)). The mac and cheese was really tasty, I found myself scraping the bowl for more. It had a really nice crust on top. The service was quick and friendly.

I've had the full spectrum of BBQ from mind-blowingly incredible to places I send people I don't…read morelike. I am pleased to report that Blackwood BBQ is somewhere between "good" and "very good". It won't knock your socks off, but it is nowhere close to "bad." It's perfect for what it is, that being: a spot for a bite during the lunch hour. On both visits, I ordered the two meat platter, with brisket and sausage. Both were flavorful and savory, with the brisket being balanced in terms of meaty vs fatty (as requested). Now, that said, the prices at Blackwood are on the high side. On the one hand, I know the price of a pound of ground beef is greater than the minimum wage (as of this writing). However, I also can't help but feel the punch to the wallet when two meats and one side, where one of those is brisket, and a soda comes to somewhere between $20-25 (I think it's close to $25, but don't want to misspeak). Half a pound of meat is not a lot, making the wallet punch even worse. Then there comes the service. Most of the folks working here are professional and welcome. There is this one person, though, whose level of gruffness seems a bit high. It wasn't so much a lack of pleasantries for the sake of efficiency as it was annoyance that customers exist? Final verdict: If you're working in the loop, and craving BBQ, Blackwood is a rock-solid spot, but the high prices mean it likely isn't practical for a regular spot. If it's a weekend, there are better options out there.

The first time I had Soul & Smoke was from a food truck on Michigan Avenue near the Apple Store…read more Now they're located in the Northwest Metra Station near my job. My favorite dish is the Shrimp and Grits. On Friday I decided to try the Gumbo and was pleasantly surprised. I'm so funny when it comes to Gumbo, I prefer seafood gumbo but if the Rue is solid, I'm a happy camper. Highly recommend!

January 10, 2026. On our way to the Chicago Bears vs. Packers. We took the train downtown to the…read moreOgilvie Station and arrived early enough to have lunch. I've seen this place and have always wanted to try it but just never had the time. I ordered the meat alone. No platter with sides, just the meat so I can't review the sides. I ordered a 1/2 pound of brisket and the sliced jalapeño cheddar sausage. I believe it came in a 5 ounce portion. The brisket was wonderful! Very moist, great smoked flavor and a perfect fat cap and bark. Very, very tasty. The jalapeño cheddar sausage was equally as good. It wasn't at all spicy, but it had great flavor. I don't usually use bbq sauce on my brisket or sausage, but when I didn't request any sauce, the gentlemen behind the counter suggested I just try the mustard sauce with the beef. What the heck, I tried it. It's probably one of the best Georgia style mustard sauce I've had. It's got that mustard flavor with that vinegar twang, but besides some black pepper, I can't tell what other spices are in it. But it really is good. I still like the brisket without sauce, but this mustard sauce in my opinion is really good. I see other reviews people complaining about the cost of the bbq. Most people don't understand what goes into creating great bbq. The cost of meat, the cost of wood for smoking, the time (12 to 16 hours for brisket). These places aren't just throwing this meat on a roller grill and waiting for it to drop off the other side. Great bbq is a work of art. Soul and Smoke dished me up a work of art. I will definitely eat here again.

I've never been to a Fat Shallot, but was surprised how good the sandwich was. I tried their…read moreTruffle BLT which was generous with the B and the truffle wasn't overpowering. It's worth a try if you're looking for a good sandwich!

Came in for lunch and got the Truffle BLT. It wasn't too busy so my sandwich was made quickly. This…read moreBLT is FAT. They do not shy on any of the ingredients! The bread is thick enough to hold everything together, and did not get soggy from the truffle aioli. The bacon was crispy, the veggies were fresh and the truffle melded with the other flavors well. Things with truffle tend to be overkill, so I appreciate the fine balance here. The price was fair for the sandwich too and I would love to come back to try more food from here.

I've been exploring different lunch spots whenever I'm in the office. On this particular day, I had…read moreno idea what I wanted to eat, so I walked over to the food hall and decided to try Harry's because their fish sandwich caught my eye. The sandwich was solid and definitely hit the spot. It was made quickly, which is always a plus when you're on your lunch break. My only downside is that it's a bit pricey, especially since it doesn't come with a side. Even so, I'd order it again when I'm craving a good fish sandwich.

They have gluten free buns and turkey burgers! Necessary visit. Every single worker is nice and the…read morecashier seemed eager to help with menu options. With only a few people in front of me, I still only waited about 15 minutes for my order. Someone ordered wings and they looked delicious! The turkey burger is really good and the GF bun holds up well, isn't flaky and falling apart. It is also seasoned well and they offer customizable options. While the burger is very good, the fries are even better. Skinny fries, fresh, hot and seasoned. And they are not at all stingy with the amount you get. I will be a regular here and will for sure taste the wings in the future.

The best compared to what?…read more Very high prices and a very small sandwich. The buffalo blue grilled cheese had only the barest hint of either. If I hadn't ordered it myself I probably wouldn't have even known it was supposed to have anything beyond the base cheese. I could see the chicken but barely tasted it. It surely wasn't worth a nearly $6 upcharge over a plain grilled cheese. Two stars because the staff was friendly and there was live music (although the singer was painfully flat).

During a search for vegan options near my Chicago hotel I happened upon Gayle V's. "Vegan?" you…read moremight ask, "this is a grilled cheese place!" I know, I know - I thought the same thing. HOWEVER: Gayle V's does indeed have several plant based options for the discerning vegan diner. I ordered: - Cheeze & Thank You - a fabulous sourdough situation made with locally made vegan cheeze and tomato jam that has a bit of a kick. - Tomato pesto soup - vegan without the parmesan, and truly delightful especially for dipping a vegan grilled cheese. - Seasoned fries (made in the air fryer!), served with house-made ketchup which hints of marinara and stole the show. Although I arrived near closing time the staff member taking my order was very patient and thoroughly answered every question I posed about the menu and ingredients. The interior is cute - appropriate for a grilled cheese restaurant located in the lower level of a shopping mall. Pricing is reasonable for the quality, however I did feel the size of my sandwich (even though delicious), was a bit small for the $13 price tag. With the variety of options and that ketchup, Gayle V's is 100% worth a visit.

This location is tiny with not a lot of seating, but the food was delicious! I got the #3, sausage…read moredog with everything on it. The staff were friendly and got our food quickly for a party of 5.

Italian beef was served from a heated pan along with the juicy water. The bun was soggy due to the…read morewater and this would be so much better if it was made to order. Fries were decent and as you would expect. Price was high given the quality. I will not go back but based on reviews there may be some other better choices.... It is NOT the italian beef

Loved the bar over looking the Riverwalk. Enjoyed the foos very much. Great service, nice people…read more Will return if I go back to Chicago

I have been dining at Carson's restaurant for over 30 years, but after my experience last night, I…read morewill be looking for a new barbecue spot. Up until four years ago, I used to visit at least five or six times every single year. Last night was my first time back since then, and I was deeply disappointed by how much the standards have slipped. The entire evening felt incredibly rushed. The person taking our order seemed to be in a massive hurry, acting short and dismissive with us. To make matters worse, an automatic gratuity was added to the bill. While I understand this is becoming a common industry practice, a gratuity should ultimately be an option based on service. The server did mention at the end that we could have it removed if we wanted to, but customers shouldn't be forced into that awkward position in the first place. Unfortunately, the quality of the food has also gone downhill. I always used to order the ribs and frequently took extra food home because it was so good. Last night, the food left a lot to be desired. The barbecue simply isn't what it once was. When my uncle graduated in the 90s we went to your previous downtown location.He loved the restaurant as well; the food, the exceptional service, and the warm atmosphere. I went there year after year. While I respect that they have managed to stay in business for 30 years, there were just too many issues with both the service and the food for me to return.

First of all the service was really nice. I'm a tourist so I'm usually a bit lost on what to order,…read morebut he helped me pick my sauce and safe to say it was really nice. I got the shrimp basket, it came with fries and some lemons in it. The shrimps were great, I was actually expecting just shrimp. The fries are amazing, but I guess that depends on your preference. It's really nicely seasoned. It's not just salt on fries, there's a lot of other spices that I can't place but I love them. Also try squeezing some lemons onto the shrimp. Order came out within 5-10 minutes. The surroundings are just those of a regular food court. I really recommend! Forgive my half empty box, I ate them on the way home

Through my Facebook feed, I saw that the Happy Lobster Truck would be parked in downtown Highland…read morePark, IL, so the Hubby and I were excited to try something new. Since their website mentioned they could sell out, I preordered and prepaid online for a 5:30 PM pickup. Unfortunately, when we arrived, our order wasn't ready, which was disappointing because preordering is supposed to save time. There were only about four other people waiting and two employees working the truck. We ended up waiting close to 20 minutes for our food. As for the meal itself, the lobster was fresh, buttery, and flavorful. I wish the rolls had more of a toasted crispness, they were squished flat. We also weren't fans of the coleslaw because it tasted overly vinegary, maybe it was just an off day? We would have preferred some crunchy french fries versus the Cape Cod Chips. The highlight of the meal ended up being the chocolate whoopie pie for dessert -- absolutely delicious! Not sure if we would try it again?