Giant's food is truly off the charts. Love the shared plates family style eating so you can try multiple things from the menu. Very small restaurant, close quarters. You are eating with your neighbors. Service is very attentive. Be warned, on top of tax and tip there is an extra charge for employee health insurance on bills. Food ratings are as followed Jalapeño biscuit: 4.8/5 (butter paired with it is amazing) Lamb rib: 5/5 (love the sauce it comes with) Tagliatelle: 4/5 Eggplant: 3/5 Drunken beef: 4.2/5 Microwave cake: 5/5 (such a unique dessert, great special!) read more

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We're big fans of Chef Special, so when we heard GIANT was their sister spot, we booked a table on Resy. It's a small, tight space, but the food more than makes up for it. We started with a bottle of red and our server suggested 4-6 plates for two, since it's tapas-style with small plates, some big plates, and weekly Test Kitchen specials. The menu's super unique. Baked clams and the jalapeño biscuit were delicious. My personal favorite was the SORTALINI -- "sort of tortellini" cheese-filled pasta rings. Light texture, smoky umami flavor, with smoked tomatoes, guanciale, and pine nuts. Another winner is the zucchini with shaved goat cheese. We also had the drunken beef with chicken fat. I am already planning our next visit to try other items on the menu. read more

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This is a tinyyy restaurant specializing in small plates. And when they say small, they do mean small. But that's the beauty of it - you get to try so many more new things! They recommended 4-5 items for two people, so we ordered 5!! This place has literally every cuisine! Talk about fusion :) We started with the masa dumplings, which are these balls of corn dough served with shrimp, lobster, and a creamy lemony sauce. I really liked this, and the different textures were fun. Next came the beef massaman curry - this was on the rotating weekly menu. Wrapped in a banana leaf, this was very rich though the beef was a bit tough. Rice portion is on the lighter end so it doesn't fill you up too quickly! Next was the Japanese eggplant, which is arguably what giant is known for. Now this was soaked in a tangy sauce with cashews and pancetta. I thought this was actually delicious and made me understand why ppl like eggplants. Next came the sortalini. These were wheel shaped pastas filled to the brim with liquid cheese, folded with pine nuts and guanciale. This was amazing, and so so unexpected!! Only a few pieces on the plate, but this filled me up with how rich it was! Final dish was the roast pork - and this pork was actually incredible texture wise. Very soft with still a firm chew, perfectly cooked. My friend said it was the best pork he's ever had texturally! This was served with the best hush puppies I've ever had, but at this point I was so incredibly full. I'd say if you can, sit at the chef's table. You're so so close to watching them cook, and there's no glass barrier so you do see all the action. read more

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If you've ever been to Community Tavern, Giant's menu and quality and taste of food, is very similar. And that's a great thing. Both places have an Asian influence obviously and push the boundaries in a good way. Only downside of Giant, and I'm sure you'll read it in every other person's review, is how close the tables are to each other. You are basically eating with everyone. Don't come here if you want to have a more intimate conversation. Really don't understand why they can't just get rid of one table to give more space for their guests but.. that's alright, more people can try their phenomenal food every night! Our faves.. jalapeño biscuit with maple butter, drunken beef, and the anchovy bacon bucatini. They have a test menu every day or week and it's really interesting! The biscuit is so warm and soft and with the maple butter.. melts in your mouth amazing. I could have a whole loaf of this without any issue. I love when there is anchovy in dishes because of the umami flavor and with bacon.. delicious. Bucatini is bouncy and picks up the flavor well! Everything you want in a pasta dish. The star of the show is the drunken beef. It is paired with a chicken fat mayo which can sound a little off putting but man oh man.. it is amazing. Everything goes so well together and I've never had anything like it before. Meat has a charred burnt outer but cooked medium. We did try the eggplant dish once and it wasn't bad but we probably wouldn't get it again. Very delicious food and amazing menu. Only downside is the lack of intimacy but if you are okay with it, book that reservation! read more

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The ONLY reason I wouldn't give "Giant" five stars is because of how close together the tables were. The service was great-- very friendly! And every plate that we shared was delicious and flavorful. I would absolutely recommend anyone to come here, if you're in the neighborhood. But be warned, there are about 9 inches of space between each table. When we got our dessert, the guy at the table next to us was staring and said something like, "Wooww!" ha I mean it was funny, but don't expect this place to feel private. Definitely a community/communal vibe at Giant! read more

Giant - Outside/Entrance - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Last time we ate at Giant every dish we ordered was a huge hit. This time we had a few blah dishes and a couple of misses that we wouldn't order again. Hits :- Apple Tart Tagliatelle Broccoli Onion Rings Nothing special:- Super Croquette Drunken Beef Noodle Kugel Big Misses:- Razor Clam Toast Baked Clams Service was good, cocktails tasty, wine selection good. We will return. read more

I've wanted to go here for two years and I was very happily to finally try it! So the food was excellent- Everything was extremely flavorful and tasted really fresh. My favorites were the broccoli, ONION RINGS!!! Japanese eggplant, biscuits, pasta and the desserts. The desserts were genuinely outstanding- We got one dessert that was some sort of meringue dish and then another one that was a peach type cobbler? Just really unique and lovely flavor profiles. The service was not good- Kind of rude and I found the 5% surcharge to be a bit much. However, the food was excellent, and my cocktail was outstanding. The atmosphere itself is pretty small and nothing of a note (quite bland). But again you go here for the food for sure and it's the perfect place to share small plates with friends. read more

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Had a great dinner here. Service is good. Seating is tight. My favorites were the jalapeño biscuit with maple butter, drunken beef, and the apple tart. They have a creative menu that they change every week or so. I tried soy sauce ice cream from it. It was... different. read more

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We shared: 1. Saffron Tagliatelle - dungeness crab, chili butter 2. Vanilla Cajeta Ice Cream - pecan, strawberry 3. Shrimp and Scallops - fermented rice, bacon, stuffy pepper 4. Little Jalapeño Biscuit - maple butter 5. Drunken Beef - chicken fat mayo 6. Corvina - spicy miso broth, sticky rice, peanut 7. Peach Fritter - chantilly cream 8. Japanese Eggplant - cashews, pancetta Everything was well executed for the most part. The ones that fell short for me personally were... The signature crab tagliattelle. Sauce was overwhelmingly buttery, not balanced. I would prefer fresh, thicker pasta. The Peach Fritter was a nice pastry that had very few pieces of peach. Cajeta Ice cream would be absolutely perfect if those bread? Crumbs were crispier. No issues with service. Ambience was simple and relaxed. read more

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Service was really nice. Waiter was nice and happy. Food was good Test kitchen uncrustable was good Jalapeño corn biscuit was good. Surprisingly good. Japanese eggplant was very tasty The anchovy pasta dish was good The sortalini was good The drunken beef was good too We sat chefs table and the agnoiloti which we didn't get looked really good and lots of people got it. Also tagliatelle looked good too. My one thing is their dessert is not worth getting. They should work on that, nothing really worth the calories. Better off getting dessert at another location and saving money. Cool vibes too! Liked the atmosphere. Overall good meal! read more

Giant takes some bold swings, and while not every dish is a home run, the hits definitely outweigh the misses. The service was excellent, and the back patio made for a great dining experience - much more comfortable than the slightly cramped front. Some standout dishes for me were the onion rings, baked clam, Sortallini, jalapeño cornbread, scallops, sweetbreads, and corvina. Between the Sortallini and the cornbread, it's hard to say which I loved more. I wouldn't order the cumin lamb buns, bucatini, or either of the desserts again. They just didn't measure up to the other dishes. All in all, I'd still highly recommend Giant. The creativity, strong service, and standout dishes make it well worth a visit. read more

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I loved it so much, I've been twice in a few weeks. We didn't have a reservation & called and got in at 8:45 at the chef's table on a busy Saturday night. Small area that was so cool watching the chefs work their magic. We tried 4 menu items. Both of us had the test kitchen jalapeno corn bisque that was delicious. One mushroom in a savory bisque. Next was the Jonah's crab salad. The potato waffles were delicate but strong enough for a dollop of crab dip & a dash of cocktail sauce. Pasta was amazing, feta in phyllo was perfect with the endive & grapefruit salad. I love the small plates. Just enough to sample all of their dishes. The flavors are so balanced & so well thought out. Watching the chef's execution of each dish was so cool. On our second visit we had to have the jalapeno biscuits with whipped butter. Amazing & filling. Repeated some of the same choices & tried corvena fish in a miso sauce with sticky rice & peanuts. I loved it! Oh, the zucchini too. Great beer & cider selection. Wine selection was huge. I can't wait to come back. Desert next time if I don't eat too much. Run to giant! read more

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What an incredible restaurant. Every single dish (and we had a lot) was perfectly seasoned and presented. Wonderful service across the board. Will be back soon!!!!!! read more

I had such a lovely food night with my girls here. Hopping little place, lots of energy. You can tell the people love it. We sat out on the charming and decently sized back patio, walked through the kitchen to get back there, neat little behind the scenes action. They essentially have a chefs table, but it's a bit of a squeeze if you were to sit there. Fair warning. The Team was very attentive. We ordered basically one of everything and did an excellent job distributing bites fairly. Just enough for everyone. Apps and the desserts were the stars. I came specifically for the crab pasta -- sadly it was a meh for me -- but I would take a bath in the butter for the little jalapeño biscuit if that wouldn't ruin the experience for everyone else. Lemme know! read more

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I was soo excited to come here after the amazing reviews but was a tad bit disappointed. First, they should warm the plates because the pasta was already pretty cooled when brought. Second, expect to order at least 2 plates per person to be full, as the portions are pretty small. Third, the tables are very close together so no private conversation- felt like everyone was dining together haha. Started with the feta. It was beautifully plated and delicious, but there was a lot going on. Citrusy cabbage and sweet crispy phyllo, with charred grapefruit, pistachio, sweet fig like sauce, and honey... im probably missing more things. It was enjoyable nevertheless and fun to eat. Now the tagliatelle... this was why I came. It was a tad bit too acidic, and this is coming from someone that never skimps on the lemon when eating seafood. It was definitely rich in crab flavor and tasty, but the acidity was too overpowering. Flavor was flat.. especially for $40. The pasta also reminded me of ramen noodles... not a critique just an observation. Whats worth coming back for is the white truffle cavatelli-- sooo good. Texture of the pasta was amazing and the white cream was heavenly. Not too creamy and heavy but perfect, no other words. read more

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The food was delicious. The setup is really fun - you get to order a bunch of small plates and try a lot of different food. We had the Little Jalapeno Biscuit and the maple butter was excellent. We also tried the Beef Cheek Ravioli, Bucatini and the Smoked Michigan Lamb. My fiancée's favorite was the Bucatini and mine was the Lamb. The Ravioli was good but not as good as the other options. For drinks we had the Pera de Noche - not my favorite but my fiancée liked the spices. I had the gin drink that I can't recall now but loved. The drinks are pricy but they aren't watered down. For dessert we did the Magic Cake Brûlée - that was probably the most disappointing thing we ate. It was still good but it wasn't as wow as the rest of the food. The servers timed everything to come out at a good pace so your table doesn't get overwhelmed. All in all a fun dinner. Be prepared though because seating is very tight and they don't waste any space. Probably the tightest seating I've ever seen in Chicago. But definitely worth being crammed together for. read more

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When we went, my wife made the reservations and I didn't know this place was a big deal. Place is narrow, tables very close. Waiter explains menu but apps and entrees are not that different, and it's more like smaller plates. The three of us order seven dishes plus homemade bread. While we are waiting, the patron seated next to me (12 inches) is literally scraping the dishes with her spoon to get all of it. Whatever. First dish comes Japanese eggplant. Really a side dish. Sigh , but then these bites are amazing, just amazing, and they kept bringing food and they just don't miss. The meal in this little restaurant inches from other diners watching waitstaff in t shirts who were clearly industry veterans was quite an experience. Cocktails were gorgeous. Fell in love with the place read more

Giant is my favorite restaurant in Chicago, no doubt about it! Go on a nice evening and sit outside on the back patio. If you're able to log off work in time, treat yourself to a half off bottle of wine Monday-Thursday between 5-6. Service will be prompt. The egg plant is amazing. I love the crab fries. You can't go wrong with any pasta. read more

Giant - Crab Pasta - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The onion rings at Giant will live in my mind rent free, they were phenomenal. Perfectly crisp, deeply flavorful, and elevated by the parmesan sprinkled on top. The trout roe was an unexpectedly delightful combination of flavors, so much so that I ordered a second round. We also tried the famous tagliatelle, which, while good, felt a bit overhyped compared to the other standout dishes. Dessert, on the other hand, was excellent, I especially loved the syrup drizzled over the ice cream, which tied everything together beautifully. The staff were warm and attentive throughout, and while the space is on the smaller side, it has a cozy, intimate charm. I especially loved the industrial style bar and open kitchen, such a cool detail to watch while dining. Overall, Giant delivered a memorable dining experience with dishes that balance comfort and creativity in a truly unique way. read more

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I went to dinner on 2-5 and ordered restaurant week menu. 1st course was 2 vegetable dumplings with a savory broth that tasted like soy sauce. 2nd course Gulf shrimp in lobster sauce with fermented rice and masa. It had a nice kick but I didn't see any rice. This dish was very flavorful. 3rd course beef cheeks bo ssam with green and red sauce, lettuce, and pickled carrots. The beef cheeks were tender and tasty. 4th course soy sauce ice cream. This was sweet and salty. I am not a dessert person so, I didnt finish this. All the food had an asian influence. I ordered the pera de noche a tequila based cocktail. Overall, I enjoyed my food and drink. The portions were tapas size which allowed me to sample multiple dishes. I definitely would return to try other menu items. read more

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dishes are considered family style but portions felt a bit small. both the bucatini and sortalini felt like they had more oil than sauce but everything was overall good and servers were very attentive! read more

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Incredible service! Tried the Japanese Eggplant, Shrimp & Scallops, Semolina Cavatelli and the Baked A-Labna. Everything we ate was great - nothing outstanding or mind blowing except the Baked -Labna if it was less jammy. Would still love going back here for reliable well done meals! read more

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So good! Thanks katie! Great ambiance will be back and delish food Yummy. Cute. Great area. read more

I was very impressed with the food since each dish was unique and had great flavors. The plates are meant to be shared with everyone so the four of us got at least 8 items which was the recommended amount from the server so we were able to try a variety of dishes. My favorite was the sweet corn dish with scallop, chipotle, orange which is probably seasonal. My friends say they change their menu a lot. I also liked the sizzling flank steak and the sweet and sour eggplant dish stood out as well. The tagliatelle was also popular at our table. This place is pretty small inside and popular so reservations in advance are needed. We were able to find parking on the street right outside the restaurant but we arrived for an early dinner. I recommend coming here with another couple so that you can share several dishes since there are many great ones to choose from. read more

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Cons -very poor ventilation (smelled strongly of fry oil) and I came home with all my clothes smelling like oil -tables are super close together -the food was hit or miss for me. I didn't enjoy the eggplant flavors but my partner did -crab salad: waffle fries were way too oily but the crab was good Pros -great cocktails. Super well balanced and not too sweet -corvina was good -service was really great The food was closer to a 3.9 IMO but I found the ventilation issue so off putting I wouldn't return read more

Sat at the chef's counter with my partner and it was amazing watching how efficient, quick and clean the chefs worked in such a tiny kitchen. They turned out amazing dishes...the Dungeness crab pasta and lamb ribs were especially memorable. Bravo! read more

Giant was so cute! I saw that one of the biggest complaints was the tight seating but we did patio seating and it was very spacious and very cute outside (though I did get a few bug bites)! For food we did 5 dishes for 2 people with one of them being the biscuit which is pretty small. I would say it was the right amount of food. The biscuit itself was good, but the maple butter was definitely the best part - it reminded me of eating a savory breakfast biscuit! For smaller plates, both the eggplant and the peppers were really good. I would say the eggplant was a little better to me especially with the soft pita and the spices almost gave the eggplant an Indian flare. The peppers were good, too, especially due to the bread which does not taste like anchovies at all. For pastas the trofie was a little bit of a letdown - not too much flavor, the pasta was a little too aldente, there were A LOT of peas, and not a lot of mushrooms. The Pansotti and Gnudi however was incredible, definitely my favorite dish of the night. Both noodles were soft and so so yummy! read more

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loved giant, 10/10 with no notes. each bite was curated to perfection. the vibe was warm and cozy. our waitress gave thoughtful recommendations. i definitely plan to go here on all of our visits to chicago! read more

Giant - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Everything is amazing, really like the food here, will come back again, also a long list of alcohol and non alcohol choices

This spot is pretty solid but not sure if totally worth the hype. Giant is known for their pastas, but I thought the pasta dishes we got (bucatini and tagliatelle) were so-so. The bucatini wasn't very inventive (kind of just tasted like a cacio e pepe) and the tagliatelle was a bit too salty. The peppers anchovy bread dish was really unique and fun but also a little salty. The desserts we got (microwave cake and cajeta ice cream) were just okay. You could definitely make the microwave cake at home and the cajeta ice cream, while good, was a bit boring. Nonetheless, the jalapeño biscuit, trout roe, Japanese eggplant, and drunken beef were veryyy good. My absolute favorite bites were probably the biscuit and the eggplant. The space is small and cozy but chic and the service was great. So, some home runs and some meh, but overall a good experience. read more

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I think I've found my favorite restaurant in Chicago -- and I'm not even exaggerating. After three years of living here, it's been a long time since a dish genuinely made me stop and say, "Oh wow." Let's start with the practical stuff: Giant is very hard to get into, so be sure to make a reservation weeks in advance. The space is incredibly tight -- expect to hear your neighbors' conversations and even catch a whiff of their food (which, to be fair, only made us hungrier). We got lucky with a cozy corner table, but if you're not into the communal vibe, I'd recommend trying to snag a seat at the chef's counter. Now the food -- absolutely phenomenal. The standout dishes for us were the trout roe, the jalapeño biscuit (a must-try!), and the crab salad. Every bite was bursting with flavor and set the tone for the rest of the evening. On our server's recommendation (shoutout to the super friendly and welcoming staff), we also tried the tortellini, which did not disappoint. One of the most popular items on the menu is the Japanese eggplant. I personally loved it -- it's like a sweet eggplant curry served with warm, pillowy pita bread. If you're into naan-style bread and bold, comforting flavors, don't miss it. It wasn't my partner's favorite, but it hit the spot for me. For dessert, we had the microwave cake -- light, rich, and surprisingly good -- though honestly, the savory dishes stole the show. Drink-wise, I had The Sully -- their take on an Old Fashioned -- and it paired beautifully with everything we ordered. Final verdict: Giant lives up to the hype. I can't wait to go back and work my way through the rest of the menu. This place is a gem read more

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They never cease to amaze me. Each time I've gone, they always have something slightly different, mostly seasonal, and always delicious. I love how the always have plenty of non-meat options. I took my picky teenage daughter there for my bday and she devoured their vegetable dishes and hasn't stopped talking about them since. While not truly a family friendly type of place (it's small and intimate), it's a great date night spot. Truly one of my faves. read more

My review is way overdue, so some of my menu items are not on their menu currently, but I wanted to make sure and get a review on here. We made a reservation for a mid week evening and were able to get the Chef's Counter, which I was super excited about. We got a text about 30 minutes before our reservation saying the party before us was taking longer, and was it ok to push back our reservation an extra 30 minutes. It was no problem, as we were having a drink down the street. Then we got a text as it got closer saying the party was still there, so they would save us a table, and if they weren't gone when we got there, we could keep waiting or take the table. When we got there, the party was still at the counter. The hostess was so apologetic, and we opted to take the table. They said they could move us once the party at the counter left and informed us they were already working on a complimentary dish for us. We sat down, and our server came over right away and was also very apologetic. We had never been there before, so we got the run down and drinks were ordered. Our first dish then came out with our drinks, so our experience got started right away. After some help from our server, we placed an order for our other dishes. The counter spots did come open at that point, but we decided since we had already ordered, we would keep our table. They say their menu is a little all over the place, but we loved that about it. Every dish we got was so flavorful and full of different textures. We had veggies, the biscuit, pasta, seafood...everything was outstanding. My husband says he always leaves places with shareable dishes hungry, but he was stuffed. So good food at reasonable prices that left us full and happy. The restaurant is definitely small, but I would take that for their amazing staff and food any day. They checked on us an appropriate amount of time, knew their stuff, and everyone seemed genuinely interested in making sure we had a great dinner. While it wasn't the experience we originally expected, we still really enjoyed it. We will be back in Chicago later this year, and will hopefully snag the counter at that time. Regardless we will be back! read more

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We visited Giant for restaurant week and it was a delicious and fun experience. The restaurant is small and noise level is lively but we were able to talk easily and hear one another. They allowed us to have one person order from the restaurant week menu and and another from the regular menu and the server coursed things out very nicely! Food highlights were the Trout Roe, fococcia and Tagliatelle. Flavors were strong, but everything we had was delicious. Highly tecommend getting to fococcia to sop up sauce from the tagliatelle. Our only regret was that there were only two of us so they're were many things we didn't get to try. read more

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Last dinner in Chicago, this place was recommended so we were really looking forward to it, unfortunately quite disappointing, the only great thing was the jalapeño biscuit, all the rest very average and not worth going back. Then we get the bill and there is a 5% surcharge for employee Health insurance, this is the first, never ever have I been charged for this at a restaurant, it is the employer responsibility to get health insurance for their employees!!! In this way I am sure a lot of people will tip less so the waiters get less tip and charging 5% to every bill is way more of what would be needed for health insurance but they point is, I am not the one that should pay for it ! read more

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Giant friggin rules and I've taken almost everyone i know here. The uni shooters are incredible!! The restaurant has a really cool vibe to it and i really recommend going alone and sitting at the chef's counter. I did that the first time i went and it was so fun! read more

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The service. Guests are forced to keep the same fork for all 3 courses, insisting that you take it from your dirty plate before cleaning the table. The food was extremely subpar. The dumplings tasted no different from frozen dumplings I've bought at Costco and cooked at home. The ice cream was overwhelmed with olive oil, and the soy sauce was so salty that my wife couldn't finish hers. Our guest ended up going to Margie's Candies afterward just to get ice cream they could actually enjoy. The Old Fashioned was also disappointing. It smelled strongly of candied orange and tasted exactly like that, lacking any balance or depth. The most disappointing dish, however, was the beef cheek. This was the item we were most excited about, especially since it was presented as a hands-on dish meant to be assembled into a makeshift slider. Unfortunately, the execution fell flat. The three of us were expected to share three very small dipping sauces: one tasted identical to Louisiana hot sauce, another like store-bought salsa verde, and the third was pickled kimchi with only a few thin slices of carrot. Overall, the experience was extremely underwhelming, especially given the hype surrounding the restaurant and its awards. I would not recommend stopping by. read more

We really love giant! It's a tiny little place and a little loud but the vibe is amazing. The service can be a little slow because there are only a few servers for the whole place, but they do a good job pacing your food generally so you're not without. Over our visits, I would say the trout roe and biscuits are always a must get. We almost always get vegetables because they're just the best things on the menu. I love the eggplant and broccoli. The bucatini is a nice pasta, and for those concerned about anchovies, I hate anchovies and couldn't taste them. We've had several desserts but the cookies and cream microwave cake can't be beat! read more

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Thank you all for an excellent experience. You guys are the best of Chicago in my opinion. I love sitting at the chef table to watch the kitchen and you guys impress me. I understand much of what you do because I cook every day since forever but you are a great controlled kitchen. I love watching you all. Our waiter was awesome and was very knowledgeable about the wines and food. We had many things including a zucchini flower app, broccoli with so many ingredients, eggplant and many crazy flavors with Mini pitas, cavatelli and pesto, rabbit foie gras pasta with a cream sauce. This meal was so magical and just the description can't do it justice. Thank you guys for a great evening!!! We will be back soon. read more

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This has to be one of the most unique and delicious dining experiences we have had. From the test menu to the ice cream, we were continuously and pleasantly surprised by the flavors and simple complexity of each plate. Our server was attentive and knew the menu well. She shared information and flavor profiles with us and while our menu came pre-recommended, she was able to offer insights. I've eaten at quite a few restaurants in Chicago, but Giant is a clear example of why people keep Chicago cuisine at the front of their minds. A stand-out, for sure! read more

Giant - Trout roe and corny lil biscuit - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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