Absolutely delicious! I went with friends to celebrate my birthday and had a wonderful time. We had…read morean assortment of appetizers, drinks, meals and desserts and everything exceed our expectations. Everyone was beyond friendly and the food...sooo good. I shall dream about their chocolate cake. Definitely recommend you give this restaurant a try- you won't regret it!

The burger is the softest, juiciest, tastiest burger I have ever had. I also had the pork ribs…read morewhich were delicious. Great service too! I like that they validate parking in the garage nearby. Awesome! The only negative is the additional surcharge a lot of restaurants keep adding to the bill these days. I find it quite annoying. Just increase the prices instead. I'd respect that better. Otherwise a pleasant experience.

Dropped into Yardbird in Chicago for their happy hour, and it proved to be a great choice. The…read moreatmosphere was lively, but what really elevated the night was the exceptional service. Our server, Miguel, was phenomenal. She was attentive, fast, and gave us some spot-on recommendations. Per her advice, we ordered the deviled eggs with jalapeño, hands down the highlight of the table. The deviled eggs with paired with that subtle jalapeño kick was absolutely perfect. For the mains, the chicken and waffles were good, carrying that solid comfort food flavor you expect. The waffles were a bit soft for my taste. To drink, the sidecar was mixed perfectly, well-balanced, crisp, and hit the exact right note. Giving it 4 stars only because while the mains were good, the starters and the outstanding service from Miguel were what truly stole the show. I'll definitely be back to hang out at the bar again nest time I am in town!

Very first time visiting Yardbird's while visiting Chicago since it was on our to- try list. We…read moredidn't have a reservation but were able to be sat immediately. We were greeted by the host in which I believe to be the manager. He was pleasant and welcome. The restaurant itself is aesthetically appealing and it gives an upscale vibe. We sat and didn't have to wait too long for the waitress. She was nice and assisted up accordingly! I ordered the bottle of champagne for mimosas with pineapple and orange juice and was pleasantly surprised by the $35 price since we're used to paying twice that back home. The food came out pretty quick and was hot and ready to eat. All of our food was good well and we all enjoyed our dishes. My only takeaway would be if guests ordered bottled water and/or champagne, the waitress should poor them into the glasses for you. From my experience, this is something that I thought was a norm. Overall, great place to eat!

This is hands/down one of our favorite restaurants in the U.S. ! You heard that right! IN. THE…read more UNITED STATES! Chef Stephanie Izard is a food genius! The winner of Season 4 of Top Chef and the first female winner in the show's history, she has built a restaurant that continues to impress us every single time we visit Chicagoat. Be sure to make your reservation in advance because you will not be seated without one due to its popularity among both locals and tourists. We come here every time we visit Chicagoat. The food is absolutely amazing. We had the following dishes: 1. Roasted Pig Face Straw fries topped with roasted pork face, a sunny egg, and a collection of magical sauces that somehow transform into pure comfort when mixed together. I don't even know exactly what's in the sauce, but I don't need to know. This dish is divine and an absolute must-order. The crispy fries, rich and tender pork that practically melts apart, silky egg yolk, and savory sauce create a dish that is indulgent, comforting, and ridiculously delicious 2. Green Beans Not featured in the photo because we ate them too fast. Enough said. Get them. 3. Goat Mousse The menu changes periodically, so this was a new dish for us. The goat mousse was creamy, rich, and surprisingly light, served with sweet jam, crumpets, crackers, pickles, and giardiniera. The contrast of sweet, tangy, creamy, crunchy, and savory flavors creates a little flavor party in your mouth. Every bite can be customized differently, which made this dish especially fun to share. 4. Pork Belly & Watermelon Perfectly cooked pork belly with a crisp exterior and rich, savory flavor, balanced beautifully by refreshing watermelon cubes and fresh greens. I don't know how healthy it is, but we aren't here for health. We're here for flavor. We're here for comfort. We're here to be punched in the soul with food that we will never forget! The sweet, juicy watermelon cuts through the richness of the pork belly and creates a combination that sounds unusual but works incredibly well. 5. Halibut with Thai Sprouts A beautifully cooked piece of halibut served with Thai sprouts, miso marcona butter, and blueberry fish sauce. Yes, blueberry fish sauce. And yes, it works. The fish was flaky, buttery, and perfectly cooked. The savory umami from the miso butter paired with the subtle sweetness and acidity from the fish sauce created a combination that was balanced, and memorable yet surprising to me. The restaurant itself has a dark, energetic atmosphere and is always packed. The tables are definitely close together, but given how popular the restaurant is, I understand why they maximize the space. Absolutely recommend coming here. Your tummies won't regret it.

I had a splendid dinner at Girl & The Goat. Was seated promptly when I arrived for my dinner…read morereservation and my seat had a view of the kitchen. It was so fun to chat with the chefs and watch them prepare dishes. I ordered the roasted "pig face" potatoes and the famous sautéed green beans. While waiting for my food, the chef surprised me with complimentary chickpea fritters to try. All of the dishes tasted incredibly delicious and this was the best restaurant I ate at during my trip. The atmosphere was cozy and romantic. I would definitely dine here again the next time I am in Chicago.

So happy brunch returned on Saturdays! We are regulars here - daily mimosa is always a pleasant…read moresurprise highlighting seasonal fruits. Walking in, you don't know what you will get, but rest assured, you will be more than happy with what comes to your table. Another staple (secret menu, thank us later) - egg mcduckinn but with their homemade biscuit. which is amazing on its own. The true highlight, if you're to get anything, either for brunch or dinner - are the duck "wings". Thank us later

I went to the Duck Inn for my birthday dinner on a Sunday night and had a wonderful time! Our…read moreserver was sweet and very helpful with recommending the best dishes to try. Our favorites were the brown butter crumble brussel sprouts and the duck wings. I thought the whole roast duck was a little lack luster. $85 felt pretty steep a price for two breasts and two legs plus only like six small wedges of duck fat potatoes and a salad. The star of the show was definitely the fois gras crème brûlée. On first glance, it's a confusing combination but the it works perfectly. The fat from the fois gras makes the dish even more creamy and rich with a slightly salty, decadence that would win over any food critic. I fell in love eating it, and am still thinking about it days later. The ambiance of the Duck Inn is fancy/casual. The servers are all wearing jeans and t shirts (more or less) but the vibe is fancy and stylish. You can really wear anything (except maybe pajamas) and fit right in. I really enjoyed the layout of the space, with lots of tables and a nice bar space at the front. The vinyls were a lovely touch in the lowlight of the night. Overall, I would give the Duck Inn 4.5 stars. The only thing really pulling them down was the roast duck because I just didn't think it was worth the price. A definite winner for a birthday dinner though!

Such a beautiful, well designed space. Plenty of seating--choose between served seating or self…read moreseating in a separate room with real books on shelves. The service was ok for the most part. One day I ordered a breakfast sandwich and it was prepared incorrectly twice. I only sent it back once and it was quickly fixed. I didn't bother correcting them again. The potatoes had no flavor and were advertised as hash browns, but they were surely closer to smothered potato with peppers (no onions). If they were drained of oil better and/or seasoned at all, I could've given a better rating. Drinks were good. I don't know if I'll return for the food, but the restaurant is a nice touch to the hotel.

I love Hoyt's! The food, the service - wonderful! As a guest of the Royal Sonesta, it's so nice to…read morejust walk downstairs and have a delicious meal with friendly service.

After what felt like 5 years to try this place, I FINALLY got to try the famous burger here! Spark…read morenotes: this place is definitely worth the wait! My friend and I dedicated a day where we would just put our name down and however long it took we would wait haha. We drove into the city which took and hour and we put our name down and waited an hour before we were called. The weather was great so we just walked around the west loop area. We started with a half size of the green salad and a half size of the roasted bone marrow. The house salad is super refreshing. A lot of vinegar in the dressing which I personally really like. Also tasted some fennel which was an interesting flavor. The roasted bone marrow is the winner of the night. I would come back to Au Cheval for this alone. It was paired with a thick slice of Texas toast and a beef cheek marmalade and it is seriously the PERFECT balance of flavors. Fatty. Sweet. Buttery. Literally insane and this is a must order! Then came the famous burger. My friend and I each ordered a single cheeseburger with the egg and bacon added. Something to note is that the single cheeseburger actually has 2 patties and the double cheeseburger has 3 patties (3/4lbs of beef). The presentation itself is beautiful and makes you just not want to eat it haha. The burger itself is so decadent and hefty with the burger patties, cheese, egg and bacon. I'll be honest, I needed some more pickles or just something to cut all the fattiness of the burger. There were pickles in the burger and it is served with a huge pickle spear. But I still was itching for some more bitterness/acid to balance the flavors. It was so decadent, I couldn't finish it all. All in all, I would definitely come back and order the burger again and would recommend it to anyone! We ordered a side of fries which came with their garlic aioli. The fries were cooked to perfection. Super crunchy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside and piping hot! The garlic aioli is perfect and have no notes for it. We also were treated to a vanilla scoop with chocolate sauce which was the perfect cap to our meal! Our waitress was so friendly and my friend and I loved her! She was so sweet and genuine. Hog Salt restaurants never fail with their service!

Au Cheval is likely the most coveted restaurant destination for out-of-towners…read more "Best Burger" "it's so delicious with the egg" "I'm glad you're ending your trip with Au Cheval". I'd like to throw in my own quote into the gauntlet: "it's ok". It sounds harsh but Our burger patty was noticeably dry. The bread... was also dry. The egg and bacon add-ons were good but as a whole, the burger was missing the core aspect. The bread being dry I can justify by knowing that Au Cheval makes it a point to make everything gluten-free (or so someone told me). I think that's cool but not necessarily what I came looking for. I actually noticed prior to our trip from photos that the buns looked noticeably arid but I gave them no heed because of all of the praise. And I can give them the benefit of the doubt that we were there on a Sunday night, so potentially not the most quality inventory (although I personally don't think that's a great excuse). The service and the ambiance were on point! If you're wondering if there's a required attire (no shorts or flip flops) I wouldn't fret, the atmosphere is a lot more casual despite self-describing as an "intimate" setting. It's definitely more intimate than a normal burger restaurant, with dim lighting and isolated booths but what you're wearing isn't going to dictate how other guests and staff feel. I would cover up anyways just cause there was ac running. I told my friend who moved from Nyc to Chicago and he said he felt the same. And one of our couple friends were surprised to hear the patty being dry, so... off day?

I got the strawberry Negroni drink and loved it! Very smooth and flavorful. They have good non…read morealcoholic options as well. I enjoyed all the food we received, it was tasty, warm, fast, and you get a good portion. The lobster roll was good, the lamb was good and the zucchini was as well! We got Brussel sprouts for the app and those were my favorite. The dessert was also very delicious and I would get again! They validate parking if you park in the north parking garage for $13. Make sure to bring your ticket with you! More details are on their website. The service was great and the place was clean. I loved the aesthetic!

We've been to The Gage many times over the years since it's one of our top sit-down spots near…read moreSymphony Center before or after concert. Our favorite dish is definitely the PEI mussels. The broth is the kind you want to keep dipping bread into and practically lick off your fingers afterward -- flavorful, savory, and a little briny without being the heavy creamy type of sauce that some places do. Very comforting but not overly rich. Honestly, I don't even remember all the other dishes we've ordered over the years, but our experiences have consistently been good. Service is polished, the space feels classic Chicago, and it's a great place to relax before or after a performance downtown.

The portion size were good and the food itself was ok. Mediocre at best. The service was…read moreacceptable. The workers were nice. The ambiance and the decor is maybe the only redeeming factor. It has some nice touches, but again nothing crazy.

The food is incredible here. The Lamb Ragu specifically is a must try!…read more The vibes are very fun as well. A great place to have drinks or a meal with friends. Very great visuals for pics of you want. The service was mid. That was the only drawback. I would go back for the food but it was if we were a bother to the server. We made a reservation and were seated at the bar area. Our server forgot our wine. It was just the worst service I had of any of the places visited while I was in town.