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    Chef Art Smith's Reunion

    4.0 (289 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

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    CHEF ART SMITH'S REUNION ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Touristy
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Chef Art Smith's Reunion

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    Reviews With Photos

    Jerrica C.

    Some of the best appetizers I've ever eaten. Honestly, I didn't think this place would have been anything special and was pleasantly surprised. Fried calamari was light and crispy. The hush puppies were the star of the show with pepper jelly and pimento cheese dipping (yes, you heard that right). Fried green tomatoes had a delectable chipotle sauce that had me scraping my plate. Margarita pitchers were well worth the money. I would visit here again!

    Cozy atmosphere
    Jingle M.

    Chef Art Smith's love of sharing and togetherness is what made him the success he is today - currently, Chef Art is the Executive Chef and Co-owner of six restaurants and two non-profits. He has received the culinary profession's highest awards and has cooked for some of the world's most famous celebrities. In 1997, Smith became the personal, day-to-day chef to Oprah Winfrey, a position that lasted ten years. He also had the pleasure of serving for Florida Governors Bob Graham and Jeb Bush, Romero Britto, film stars Ali Landry and Eduardo Verástegui among many others. What a great menu! Caesar was our most accommodating server who helped us order enough food! So we shared Catfish Entrée with corn grits and collard greens and Fried Chicken Entree with Mac n cheese instead of mashed potatoes, fried green tomatoes and Church Lady Deviled Eggs, all delicious! This was an exceptional restaurant on Navy Pier, followed by Much Ado About Nothing in the Shakespeare theater! Awesome night!

    Crispy Chicken Sliders Braised Southern Greens Brown Butter Old Fashioned
    Amanda S.

    Typically, when I visit Navy pier, it's to watch the fireworks or something very specific. But very rarely do I stop to dine unless it is at the Offshore rooftop. However, this time my wife and I decided to be a little adventurous, and we stopped at this restaurant as it was near the front entrance. I appreciated the southern fare and decor, so I figured I would be delighted by the food. And boy was I right! The chicken sliders were so amazing; the chicken was well flavored, the skin had the right amount of crisp...overall it was just really good. The greens were also another favorite. They had a spicy but vinegar taste; and I typically do not like vinegar overpowering the greens, but it was just enough balance. And lastly, the brown buttered old-fashioned is highly recommended. I really liked how the bartender made the cocktail, especially since he was a bit young and I was skeptical. Kudos to him and kudos to Chef Art Smith.

    Elayna D.

    Amazing is all I can say! I ordered the famous fried chicken and Mac and cheese. The Mac and cheese was suggested by my waiter. He said it was better than the mashed potatoes and his favorite. Well dog gone it, I can't speak to the mashed potatoes but that Mac and cheese did not come from a blue box . It came out piping hot, perfect crust, gooey cheese and delicious. The fried chicken was hot and crispy, seasoned all the way even the meat. The biscuits...listen, just get the biscuits and be in hog heaven with all the food on the table! Goat cheese biscuits with goat cheese squeezed in there .. man oh man. Now here is a warning. There is an up charge for white meat and the mac and cheese so do what you wish with that information. Located at the Navy Pier ( old bubba gump location) it's at the beginning of the pier or the end of the pier if you're walking from the hotel like I did. Go try this place out!

    BLT
    Mika C.

    Aliza has been amazing!!!! The service was impeccable especially for how big and last minute of our group. I enjoyed eating outside with the nice weather. I tried the lobster shrimp roll but I really liked the shrimp and grits off my friend's plate. So delicious.

    Calamari
    April R.

    Ambiance was good - I like the wooden touches in the decor. Service was great - our server was excited to share his own favorites as well as make recommendations Food - I had the shrimp & grits and it wasn't one of the better ones I've had. The calamari was good especially with the fried lemon slice. They have big servings. One of my friends got the chicken tenders and it is more than enough for 2 people to share.

    Goat Cheese Biscuits and Chef Art's Puppies
    John M.

    There is a lot of "corporate" stuff at the Navy Pier, and this was nice, it felt unique. And it is! Casual southern vibes upon entering. The staff was friendly! The white sangria was basic, and I would not recommend it. It needed some different fresh fruit other than just orange slices. It was basically watered down white wine. On the other hand, all of the food that we ate was GREAT. Except for the whipped mashed potatoes, but whatever, that was just a side. The Chef Art's Puppies were great! Fried to perfection, and I loved the sauce and pimento peppers that came with it. The Goat Cheese Biscuits were also soo good. Highly recommend those. They were very rich, but in the best way. The fried chicken was fried well, had a nice crisp to it. Although my partner said he wanted it "more crispy" but I thought it was perfect. The homemade hot sauce was yummy-- but again, my partner didn't love it. The potatoes tasted like instant potatoes. (Not Pictured) but the fish tacos were a hard pass. Fried pieces of fish, that were overcooked, so, dry, and pretty tasteless. Overall, I would recommend this place if you're looking for some good southern food on the Navy Pier. I would come back here for the chicken and biscuits, but would pass on the fish tacos, sangria and the lobster roll (saw it at another person's table, didn't look impressive).

    Indoor seating
    Xenia M.

    I really wanted to love this place...but it fell short in a few areas for me. I'll start with the good, the restaurant itself is beautiful and spacious and has a lovely touch of southern charm. The service here is also exceptional! I will say the food was cooked well -- catfish fried crispy, mac and cheese nice and brown on top, drinks strong! But, the food wasn't seasoned at all. The catfish, grits, and Mac and cheese had absolutely no flavor or seasoning. The collard greens and hush puppies were seasoned well -- these were actually my favorite! Idk if the kitchen had an off day when I went, but this made it hard for us to fully enjoy our meal.

    fireworks from the back
    Diana K.

    Loved the energy here! Great mix of fun comfort food, indoor and patio seating, and a separate outdoor bar with fireworks views. Plus the interior design is really cute and is East Coast Beach Core. Highly recommend the alcoholic slushies - the espresso martini one was . The Brussels sprouts also hit the spot, especially with a little Valentino hot sauce. Definitely a must-visit while on the pier.

    David C.

    May 17, 2025 I chose this place because i wanted dine at a restaurant closed to the Chicago Shakespeare theatre. After reviewing the website, pictures and reviews; I decided that this was one. Besides; it was my birthday and wanted to have a great experience. I wasn't disappointed!! Food, ambiance, customer service; they were great. I definitely come back. The food was off the chain.. May 26, 2025 I loved it here so much that I came back again on Memorial Day with my mother. I was impressed with the way the staff treated my mother. I was happy and satisfied because my mother enjoyed herself. The seating, customer service, food and more.

    The plasticware
    Riley C.

    Why not serve a meal on paper plates if using plasticware? Not the first time there, but the least favorable. We sat in the patio that has to be ordered at the bar, but we were not told that when we were seated. Simple enough. Ordered and was given two packages of plastic ware. Upon leaving we noticed people were eating brunch with plasticware. Kind feels like a skimp on the experience. Also the exceptional hummingbird cake and hummingbird sundae were a bit of a challenge to eat with plasticware that was bending while trying to get a bite. There was a musician playing which was pleasant and a comfortable patio. In a change of events the men's restroom was clean, but the women's toilet was not. The women's restroom was out of paper towels, the hand dryer was broken and a pile of toilet paper was in the corner of the stall.

    Ken C.

    Reunion in Chicago is located in Navy Pier and it's owned by Chef Art Smith, celebrity chef most known for his work with Oprah. I've had food from "Homecoming", his restaurant in Walt Disney World, and I really enjoyed that place. If you search my reviews, I gave Smith's "Homecoming" a five star review. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for his Chicago restaurant. Chef Smith is known for Southern Cooking, particularly his fried chicken. For this reason, ordered his Fried Chicken ($28), served with mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, I left unimpressed. Ordered a soft drink and the coke was flat. The fried chicken definitely was seasoned, but I didn't get much other than salt. I don't know if it was a freshness issue as I came in the late afternoon, but, despite getting dark meat, it still came off as a little dry. Though I can normally kill a half chicken meal, I didn't eat more than 2 pieces out of 4. As for the mashed potatoes - they were very runny. Hopefully that was because of higher butter content. The thing is that, I did agree to the suggestion to have some gravy with the potatoes. Texturally, the giblets in the gravy were the only thing that wasn't completely pureed. I wasn't feeling it. I'm debating whether I'll eat the rest or whether I'll toss it. Main reason it's two stars and not one is because service was accommodating.

    Specials
    Lisa P.

    Chef Art Smith has a heart for Chicago. I have enjoyed watching his growth from working with Oprah, to shows on the Food Network Channel to Table 52; one of his first Chicago restaurants. With his southern style of cooking , fried chicken, biscuits and hummingbird cake is a menu staple. After finding out that he was back in Chicago as Reunion, I was excited to try what he was offering. Beautiful space nestled inside of Navy Pier. Hummingbird cupcakes, oh my. Today's order was to-go. Chicken sandwiches with mac and cheese. I was told that I could wait for my order at the bar. I ordered a spicy margarita and it was perfectly delicious. I'll have to go back to see if the chicken and biscuits is as good as I remember from years ago. This will be a sit down meal, so I'll have to carve out some time.

    Chef Art's Famous Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes

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    Page 1 of 8

    Chef Art Smith's Reunion Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Chef Art Smith's Reunion

    What's the likelihood of being able to get a table without a reservation?

    Go for lunch on a weekday and you should be good! We walked right in on a Thursday for lunch.

    How convenient is parking? Is valet available?

    You have to check with Navy Pier. The restaurant is on the pier so it does not have its own parking. However, it is located at the very front of the pier so it would be easy to drop someone off and go park if valet service is not available.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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