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    Mister J's

    3.5 (221 reviews)
    InexpensiveAmerican
    Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    MISTER J'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Mister J's

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    Grand entrance
    Ajay P.

    Came here upon the recommendation of a friend who was a student here in Chicago many years ago! I walked here a little early around 11:45pm so it was not full! It's halfway clean & dingy! I guess works well with the downtown Chicago vibe! This place is located right opposite Loyola University I ordered a #15 special Philly steak sandwich which came with fries & drink for a grand total of $16.74 plus tax The guy who took the order was very helpful and quick! The order was received within 10 to 15 minutes the Sandwich & Fries were fresh & hot!! The taste of the sandwich was NOT spectacular but fair! I have had much better Philly steaks before The sandwich roll was fresh and the meat was cooked well with all the fixings although I felt something was missing not sure what! I hope to be back here again someday soon!

    Steak Sammie
    Darth V.

    Grilled to order! Excellent team is ready to serve the minute you walk in. Got grilled chicken Sammie, steak Sammie, Chicago dog and fried white fish. Favorites were Chicago dog, chicken Sammie and White fish.

    Storefront
    Arkadiusz S.

    This place been here for a while. Good Chicago dogs, fries and burgers. Staff knows what they are doing so the food comes out fast. Prices are reasonable for Gold Coast. There is a small dinning room with 4-5 tables Overall solid greasy spoon and a staple to our Windy City

    1/4 lb cheeseburger with everything and fries and root beer
    Zach S.

    Food was pretty good. Service was pretty decent and very nice, and the ambiance was not too flashy but just enough to show what they serve.

    Storefront. You want food cooked in a place like this
    Isaac S.

    Solid dog. Great Italian beef with the sweet hot peppers. That was stupid good. Great little place with a wide menu and fast/simple service. Very clean inside despite the high traffic. Would eat again.

    EL D.

    Wanted to try Chicago style hot dogs and Mister J's was close to my hotel. Ordered the 2 Chicago style dogs with fries and a drink for $12. The dogs were tasty, fries hot and atmosphere was interesting with a mix of locals, cops and me. Not personal but my honest experience

    My buddy running the grill!
    John S.

    The burgers were great, but the staff was amazing! My buddy and I went there awhile ago and they let him run the grill!

    Polish sausage, Chicago style, Italian sausage and French fries
    Stef L.

    We loved walking by this gem in the downtown/Mag Mile area. We were looking for some Chicago Style Hot Dogs and lots of places were closed on Easter Sunday. When we walked up, there was already a local customer waiting outside for the store to be opened up. He told us he has been coming to this place for 30 years. Once the restaurant opened we were greeted with a friendly smile and picked two Chicago favorites. The Polish and Italian sausage. Those Hot Dogs were just simply amazing and the price is very reasonable compared to restaurants in the area. Next time, when you visit Chicago, don't overlook this small locally owned spot that's been open for over 70 years.

    Howard L.

    Came to this place a couple days ago with a bunch of my coworkers. I've never heard of this place but the menu of this place is immense! If your coming here for your first time, you'll be staring at it for a while. Employees are usually bilingual which is great too! Food time does take a while for it to cook but it's made to perfection. It's definitely moderately priced, definitely great for something that's in the heart of the city. I definitely recommend this place! Don't expect to use a restroom here either, parking will obviously be a hassle.

    Gyro next to a ramen cup for comparison

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great hotdog and fries! Kind staff that catered to my subs. Very considerate. I will gladly be back!

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    15 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Love this place. No frills and great, fairly priced options. Great place to grab a quick bite!

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    3 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Needed a Chicago dawg- hit the spot. Unassuming, but perfect if you need a quick, cheap hotdog. Vienna beef.

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Family owned business so they are so nice a friendly. Loved the Chicago dog!

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    4 years ago

    Anyone giving this less than 5 stars is lame. It's the only late night spot this part of Gold Coast. It's a savior. Cheap, real fast food

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Great food. Cash only. They have great burgers and specials. Staff seem cool. I usually just get in and get out though haha

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    4 years ago

    Expensive as all hell and the Italian beef tasted like I was eating a wet gym sock.......

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

    This place has my vote. Exactly what you want in an otherwise stuffy area for somewhat cheap meal... solid gyros and burgers

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    10 years ago

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    Page 2 of 6

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    Trivoli Tavern - Corn bread

    Trivoli Tavern

    4.5(970 reviews)
    1.4 miWest Loop, Near West Side
    $$

    We stumbled upon Trivoli Tavern quite by accident. Walking…read morethe streets, Thank goodness we made a right when we did. This is a sheer delight! Everything from the music to the leather booth to the chandelier and the wallpaper it's like a gorgeous hunting lodge located in Tuscany somewhere. We loved the meatballs and marinara sauce. Great wine list. And the music... the music is just everything here. It's romantic it's nostalgic, a little dark and sexy. Great for a date night or a family gathering, birthday. I would come back here again and again. It is the perfect spot to be in the midst of a modern city.

    So happy I snagged a reservation for this spot -- this was a highly rated restaurant and it…read moredefinitely lived up to the hype In regards of food: -- Pike Fish & Chips: 10/10 the reason I ordered this is because I read a review from someone who was British who said this was the best fish and chips they've ever had and I have to agree. The fish was so flaky and tender that it was falling apart. The breading was perfect. I also loved the fries it came with because they were crispy on the outside and had a good amount of potato in each bite -- Crispy Fried Chicken: 9/10 the breading was also perfect but I do think it's missing a good sauce. the dish is included with a bottle hot sauce but because I don't do spicy sauces, I did find the fried chicken a little dry on its own. Loved the coleslaw and mashed potatoes that came on the side though -- Lobster Mac and Cheese: 8/10 very creamy and cheesy but not much lobster flavor. wasn't a bad dish at all but I probably would skip this for next time because the other dishes were more of a standout -- Sticky Date Toffee: this is the dessert they're known for and I have to admit I was reluctant to try it at first. I don't really like dates or toffee and I had read a few reviews who mentioned it was a little salty. I'm not sure if they adjusted the saltiness based on feedback but I didn't find the dessert too salty at all. It felt so balanced- the warm sponge cake, the toffee sauce, the cold ice cream and crumbs for a little bit of texture all came together perfectly In the future I hope to try their vodka pasta with spicy sausage, their chicken pot pie, their cornbread, and Bella Punch or Cosmo In terms of service, our waitress was extremely attentive and sweet -- multiple wait staff were keeping our water filled and checking in with us But outside of the food and service, I will say I was a little disappointed they charge for reservations here - it's $2.50 person and even though the cost isn't that high, I think the concept of charging for a reservation versus taking a deposit or charging a no show fee is hard for me to get behind Keep in mind they also have a 3% surcharge included in the bill as well But overall I loved my experience dining here-- I think the have so many amazing dishes to try and it was so hard to choose so I definitely would love to come back to try more

    Photos
    Trivoli Tavern - Gelato & sticky date cake

    Gelato & sticky date cake

    Trivoli Tavern - Butterfinger pie

    Butterfinger pie

    Trivoli Tavern - Chicken pot pie

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    Chicken pot pie

    Au Cheval

    Au Cheval

    4.4(9.5k reviews)
    1.3 miWest Loop, Near West Side
    $$

    so glad we tried this place! we actually only waited about 15 mins to get seated at the bar on a…read morewednesday night around 7pm. we came here for my boyfriends birthday and we were so happy we chose to celebrate here. the two people that helped us was antonio and issa and they made the experience 10x better. they were very attentive and friendly and just easy to talk to. gave us good recommendations and good vibes. we both really liked our drinks and were happy with the spread the food came out. we got to eat the bone marrow first which also came with this really good sauce it was almost like a meat jam but was so good on the bread and then put some of the bone marrow on for the perfect bite. now the burger, you just have to try it because it really is that good. the sauce in it was so good and it just had a really good flavor. it was just an elevated burger. we got fries as well and we shared the burger so it we were really full after. the server brought out ice cream with a candle and some sort of chocolate sauce too which just made the overall experience. we were really happy with the service and food and it just made my bfs bday that much more special and memorable.

    Despite all the hype, it's really an average smash burger. This is a place that has capitalized on…read moresocial media hype and people wanting to say they've been here and thus are cool and trendy. But it is seriously just a greasy smash burger. Their fries are good, and actually stand out more than the burger. Everything is overpriced. I don't know why people complain about the wait; do some research like a responsible adult. I never just walk into a place and expect to be immediately seated, I call first - like anyone who has some sense. If they tell you the wait is 2 hours and you have 2 hours to kill, there are a bunch of bars in the area where you can have some drinks and an appetizer (and not feel like you're stiffing Au Cheval; they're the ones with the 2 hour wait, what do they expect people to do?) Not much to say about the decor or ambience; it's a typically loud West Loop bar with mostly 20 - 30 somethings all trying to one-up each other with their trendiness that instead makes them all basically clones of each other. It is crowded, and you're a moron if you think any place like this is suitable for your 5 year old. That's not the restaurant's fault - it's not Chuck E Cheese. Often I wish Yelp offered a 1/2 star option, because there are places that are a 4.5 or a 3.5. Not in this case. 3 stars is spot-on.

    Photos
    Au Cheval - The cooks were very attentive!

    The cooks were very attentive!

    Au Cheval - Crispy Fries & Potato Hash

    Crispy Fries & Potato Hash

    Au Cheval - Wings (very sticky so they come with hot towels)

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    Wings (very sticky so they come with hot towels)

    Bar Siena - mini tavern burgers. april 2026.

    Bar Siena

    4.2(2.4k reviews)
    1.4 miWest Loop, Near West Side
    $$

    Last night, after a genuinely frustrating experience elsewhere, I walked into Bar Siena not…read moreexpecting much (if anything), just hoping for a reset. When I asked about the wait time, the host joked that it was two hours. Under normal circumstances, I would have laughed and played along. Given what had just happened minutes earlier, it did not quite land... but to their credit, the moment I explained the situation, everything shifted. They sat me promptly and turned what could have been a lingering bad night into a completely different experience. Julio, my server, set the tone immediately. Julio was professional, attentive, and generous. He brought out meatballs on the house, which were excellent. I ordered calamari, rigatoni alla vodka with shrimp, and what I believe was a chocolate torte for dessert (also on the house, which I was not expecting). Everything was spot on. The rigatoni in particular stood out. It was made in house and had the kind of texture and quality you notice right away. The Manager (Lance) also stopped by, having been present when I explained what had happened earlier. That kind of awareness and follow-through matters more than people realize. It what separates a place that serves food from a place that understands hospitality. By the time I was finishing dessert, I found myself watching pizzas go out to nearby tables and immediately reconsidering my menu choices for the evening. That's usually a good sign. The host who initially joked about the wait time also came by at the end of my meal. She was polite, thoughtful, and clearly intentional about making sure the experience landed well. I appreciated this gesture. When the bill came, I asked what the total would have been without the discounts and complimentary items. Once I had that number, I tipped Julio the difference. It felt like the only appropriate way to reflect the level of service and generosity I received. I'll be back (for the pizza). Overall: Food (yes) Service (yes) Ambiance (yes)

    (Kari's Rating 8/10)…read more TLDR: -Attentive Staff -Smaller portion sizes -Dark atmosphere Came here on a weekday with a friend and had a reservation for Monday at 7:30pm. We had to wait a little bit for a table so we sat at the bar because my friend and I aren't drinkers. We just had glasses of water while we waited for our table. Once we got seated, our server took our order relatively quickly and we ordered the House made for Kasha with a goat cheese and honey topping, the grilled octopus appetizer, and because we were enjoying our conversation so much we ended up just skipping Wright to dessert and ordering the gooey butter cake. For a light meal, this was relatively satisfactory. Our server said they come to the octopus because we waited so long, so it was nice that the staff was acknowledging that we waited a little bit for our table and we're willing to compensate us. As someone who lives in the river north area, I have actually been here, probably a dozen times, and it's always a good little spot but a little bit pricey for what you're getting. I would still probably come back with some friends, but I wouldn't go on my way to come here if I was bringing people off from out of town.

    Photos
    Bar Siena - Industrial bar

    Industrial bar

    Bar Siena - Parmesan Potato Skins appetizer

    Parmesan Potato Skins appetizer

    Bar Siena - This  N 24 was so delicious! I love mezcal so much  and it was the perfect birthday drink

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    This N 24 was so delicious! I love mezcal so much and it was the perfect birthday drink

    The Dearborn

    The Dearborn

    4.4(2.8k reviews)
    0.9 miThe Loop
    $$

    New favorite! Came downtown from the 'burbs for a show - my sweetie called ahead and we got a GREAT…read moretable just inside the door, perfect for people watching. Tasty drinks - the grapefruit pilsner was a perfect choice for a warm spring evening, and our server was funny and sweet. Sticky ribs appetizer was spot on, with just enough heat to keep it interesting. We shared the fish and chips - perfectly cooked, crunch and sweet, great fries! House made slaw and tartar sauce was out of this world! Gotta make one comment on something we didn't have. The next table over, two middle aged women order cheeseburgers. When they came out I almost regretted ordering the fish. They were huge, juicy, and looked incredible. This two ladies, drinking their Chardonnays polished them off, that's how good they were. Next time... Dessert? Why not? Sticky toffee cake please. Perfect with a cup of black coffee. Out the door and on our way - we'll be back! Thanks!

    We dined at the Dearborn on a Saturday afternoon with my family. Our reservation was strategic we…read morearrived hours before we assumed it would become very crowded. The seating was tight. Overall I was having a good experience. The food was OK. The menu was limited. Oh btw, the special that day was a $70 wag goo burger. That interaction between me and the server reminded me of a car salesman trying to sale me undercoating for the car i just purchased. REALLY I can't make it up. The experience dropped to a single star as our dining experience was nearing an end. The manager of the front of the house. Made a conscious effort to make it clear that the table we were dining was needed by waiting customers. I've never ever experienced this before in any restaurant in the Loop. I can't and will not recommend dining here. This is why I'm giving 1 star. I my opinion The Dearborn maybe they need to be in a different location. Maybe located far west of the Loop. I would suggest instead of Dearborn maybe Halsted St. and probably change their name to The Halsted. Im not going back. OH btw good luck in your new location.

    Photos
    The Dearborn - $12 Martinis for Martini Mondays

    $12 Martinis for Martini Mondays

    The Dearborn - New Spring Menu

    New Spring Menu

    The Dearborn - Spring desserts

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    Spring desserts

    HIDE+SEEK

    HIDE+SEEK

    4.0(378 reviews)
    1.4 miWest Loop, Near West Side

    The Fam and I are always looking for new places to indulge one of our favorite food groups, which…read moreis brunch with bottomless mimosas. After doing a search on Yelp, I decided we should check out HIDE+SEEK. Ding ding ding! We have a winner folks. We decided to go with the Brunch Party. First let me start off saying that Brunch Party is one plate, one side, and endless mimosas. The entire table participation is required and there is a strict 1.5 hour time limit. That said, Angelique (was our server) was on point during that time period. Our glasses never got pass the half-way mark and a good time was had by all! HIDE+SEEK has a pretty chilled vibe and the décor was cool, a very nice bar area, booths on the east side of the restaurant and tables in the front. I think there was a back area, but can't for sure as I didn't explore as we were seated immediately in our booth. Angelique was very cool. She welcomed us and asked if it was our first time there (it was) and began to explain the menu, focusing on Brunch Party and that everyone at the table had to participate, which we did. For my entrée I got the Short Rib Hash (Sunny side up egg, piquillo pepper, red wine jus, rosemary mornay) and my side was Eggs Your Way (over easy). I got an order of the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (honey-whipped ricotta, blueberry compote, maple syrup) for the table. Both dishes were very nice. I am a sucker for anything with short rib meat in it and this hit well with me. The pancakes were good, nice and fluffy, and the compote was very good. They weren't as lemony as I have had at other restaurants. The flavor was there, but in a subtle way, almost like an afterthought, but still nice. The pancakes themselves were nice and fluffy, just they way I like them. The Doctor got the cheeseburger and fries, which looked nice. He cleaned his plate so I have to assume it was good. The Queen got the Steak and Eggs. I had a bite of the steak and it was tender and had a nice flavor to it. Overall we had a great time and while it was only an hour and a half, it seemed longer. I will totally come back here again for brunch, but want to check out their happy hour and dinner as well. The menus looks interesting.

    I would come back here, but it isn't high on my list. The food was overall good, and the menu is…read morevery creative and diverse! Even so, it wasn't enough to necessitate the price tag, which all of my friends and I were surprised by when we paid at the end. The cocktails were outstanding - we all enjoyed our choices. For some of us, they were enjoyable enough where we got the same one more than once 0:) Our server was not very friendly - she does not need to act like our BFF or anything like that, but she was cold and seemed annoyed by our questions and such. She also had no idea about the wine, so my friend just rolled the dice on what she wanted without knowing much about it. She wound up liking it - but more clarity would've been helpful (or even seeking out someone else working there for more info!). Minor environment note: The largest artwork there is a triptych of photographs - three famous women: Princess Diana, Sharon Tate (I think?), and Marilyn Monroe. There is a horizontal band going across where their eyes all line up, and the band replaces their eyes with cartoon eyes, likely of Disney princesses. It is supposed to be quirky but I found it creepy, especially since it featured three famous women who met untimely ends.

    Photos
    HIDE+SEEK
    HIDE+SEEK
    HIDE+SEEK - The Dutchess

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    The Dutchess

    Mister J's - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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