Joe's Seafood in Chicago has an unusual amount of personal history for me. It opened as a…read morepartnership between Miami Beach's iconic Joe's Stone Crab and Lettuce Entertain You, bringing South Florida to Grand and Rush. I first went when it was still a huge, buzzy Chicago spot, and one of my most memorable dinners came after my high school graduation in 2003. I even got a speeding ticket on Lake Shore Drive with my grandmother in the back seat on the way to dinner, which still makes me laugh. Chicago was an especially fun place for Joe's to arrive. Open outcry trading was still a force, and the wealth creation around it was wild: people who had dropped out of high school could become millionaires in their twenties, while math PhDs from the University of Chicago could make fortunes in the same ecosystem. It was a golden era for hustle culture, when commerce idolized Tony Montana in a way that today is more likely to idolize Jamie Dimon or David Solomon. Death Row and Bad Boy ruled the airwaves, while Michael, Shaq, Kobe, and Allen Iverson defined the NBA. Basketball was so dominant in Chicago culture during my coming of age that I still map other things, including restaurants, to NBA teams. Joe's felt like the Miami Heat coming to Chicago in much the same way Smith & Wollensky represented the New York Knicks: each brought a recognizable piece of its hometown culture into another major city. Joe's brought real South Florida sizzle to Chicago, and it landed at exactly the right moment. Going there felt like an occasion. Florida took longer for me to understand in full. My family has roots in the state going back decades, farther north along the Atlantic coast, and I didn't visit Miami until March 2007, when my sister started graduate school in Coral Gables. That trip began my love affair with Miami and helped me understand why the original Joe's was such an institution. A close family friend's father spent time around Miami in the 1960s and 1970s. He knew local fishermen who caught stone crabs, which gave me an appreciation for the older South Florida culture around the food, separate from Joe's own history. Another Joe's memory captures an entirely different moment. Looking through my OpenTable history, my July 31, 2008 reservation at Joe's in Chicago is the earliest reservation I can find at a restaurant that is still open today. I was 23, working at UBS, preparing to move to New York while the firm was already on fire from its mortgage losses, and Lehman would file for bankruptcy just weeks later. I was broke but wildly aspirational, dreaming about dinners at Balthazar, begging my way past the doors at Cain and Tenjune, hoping to drink for free, and trying to meet women comically far out of my league. Through all of those memories, the restaurant itself has been remarkably consistent. The stone crab claws are incredible, the seafood is excellent, and Joe's holds its own among Chicago's serious steakhouses. The room has traditionally felt a little more formal than Miami, with bow ties, polished service, and a darker old-school steakhouse rhythm, while still being genuinely welcoming. Finish with the key lime pie. Years later, my wife and I held our wedding reception at RPM Seafood, another Lettuce restaurant, then ate at the original Joe's during our honeymoon in Miami during COVID days later, which felt like a fitting circle back. In sheer range of venues, repeatability of quality and atmosphere, and consistency of hits, Lettuce is the gold standard in Chicago, with some of that same reach in Vegas and DC. I've been extraordinarily privileged in my exposure to hospitality, and I still repeatedly admire Rich Melman's model, taste, and execution, now carried forward by the next generation of the family. Joe's is a prime example: world-class, durable, unmistakably Chicago, and absolutely somewhere I want to return next time I'm in town with some dough to spend. While Joe's may not be French, this place still earns my highest marks: très bien!

Had dinner at Joe's last week...service is still excellent and the restaurant is still great…read moreoverall, but the food has definitely declined in quality unfortunately. The baked potatoes and other sides were still delicious but the steaks came out dry and overcooked. The quality was very much lacking. Our waiter was kind enough to remake both steaks, which was very much appreciated and the second round was better but still not as good as we remembered. We'll likely return ... hopefully this was just a one time problem?

great service the workers help out a-lot good music nice prices the well recommended best in townread more

A fun place to get some seafood after work…read more Tuna ceviche, Asian taco, Salmon, Sea Bass. It was all good. The salmon was some of the best I've had, not overcooked at all. The taco in the Asian taco is seaweed. Its a small dish, but tasty. The ceviche was also excellent. The wine list is pricey but there are some values off the beaten path - the Bibei Lapola white from Spain pairs well with seafood. We passed on dessert but were generously comped the Key Lime Pie. It was deconstructed into piles of crust, merengue kisses, and foam. It was good. Service is friendly and professional, the space has an upbeat energy without being too loud, and the two story glass walls make for great viewing of the River and skyscrapers. Extensive outdoor space, but our visit corresponded with one of this summer's many heat waves, so we ate indoors.

Had a reservation with two friends from out of town and had the pleasure of being with Vivian…read more Amazing service, so sweet and funny, very thoughtful. and we got free cookies! we got sat in a little private booth in the back, so quiet. will def come back again and again :)

WOW! We had such a great dinner at The Dearborn. The restaurant is lively, cheery with a fun…read moreatmosphere. Our server Melissa was great and checked on us regularly. We ordered a variety of dishes to share among 5 people. Do not miss the Parker House rolls! Holy warm baked buttery deliciousness. We also loved the Japanese curry poutine (which was a surprise!), the market salad and the gnocchi. We also tried several cocktails, including the Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches and the Spanish G&T.

Hubs discovered that Hugo's has a Happy Hour on SUNDAYS, from 3pm-6pm! So after I finished my last…read moreworkshop on Sunday afternoon, we met here with about 15 minutes to spare. Available only in the bar area, we were able to find a table for two inside by the windows, in spite of it being very packed. Our server was quick to approach our table, even though hubs had wandered over to the bar to order. After I summoned him back, we ordered a couple of Stellas, a Filet Slider and Baked Goat Cheese; each item was $5 on the HH menu. A few minutes later, Hubs waved over our server again to order 4 oysters, which were BOGO during HH. Upon her suggestion, he chose the smaller East Coast oysters. He told me they were really good and he was happy with his choice. I had two good bites of the filet slider & was delighted at how delicious it was. The piece of meat was quite large, especially for $5! Thick & juicy, it was cooked perfectly medium rare. The slider was plated with lots of crispy string fries that were very tasty. Our other app, the baked goat cheese, was served atop a skillet of tomato sauce with four pieces of toasted bread. This was also a delicious plate. Service was very on-point, and we never felt rushed, even after Happy Hour ended. At some point, the pianist arrived & we enjoyed a rousing selection of yacht rock tunes as we finished our beers. My favorite piece of ambiance was the steampunk-powered ceiling fans, even though they probably did very little to circulate the air. The decor was vintage travel, which I loved! I'll definitely return to Hugo's again, at least for Happy Hour, the next time I'm in Chicago's Gold Coast area.

First of all, the Sea Bass was absolutely amazing !…read more We sat on the small patio, which was perfect. Not too hectic outside, great warmth, great ambiance. Our waiter was direct and too the point - very helpful, checked in on us just the right number of times, had some great suggestions and alterations. We will definitely be coming back. Just as a heads up, the inside seating area was a zoo! very bustling, extremely full. I wouldn't say it was a negative at all, just a complete 180 from the peaceful, one row of tables patio out front.

The food was absolutely fabulous! I'm from Houston, TX, and we know good food. The service was just…read moreas nice.

So good! What more can we say about Luke's? We go to the location downtown and the staff is so…read morewonderful. The lobster rolls are delicious with nice chunks of lo Lobster meat and claw meat. You can't go wrong with the trio of 3 different lobster rolls. We also order from them online and have them directly shipped to the house, which is wonderful for special occasions. LOVE LUKE'S! YUMMY FOR MY TUMMY!

Delicious! And the service is the best in the city! Always ask for Hernan, Dario and/or Jovanny for…read morethe greatest experience. My friends and I love the place for the ambiance and the vibes.

We came in from Portland Oregon to see a concert and do Chicago things. A coworker recommended…read moreMaple and Ash to me and I made my reservations! From the moment we stepped out of the Uber, we were met with the kindest and friendliest staff we have come across in a long time! There's an elevator guy too?! Holy cow the food was outstanding, the drinks were on point and our server was top tier! She gave us the low down on the IDGAF which we would have ordered if we didn't have to fly back home the next morning because we knew there would be A LOT of leftovers. We had a plan B in place and that was the filet mignon and we shared sides of roasted mushrooms and potatoes au gratin. Definitely recommending Maple and Ash to friends if they ever visit Chicago!

We came like 5 minute before our reservation but wasn't seated until almost 8:20 and our…read morereservation was at 8:00pm. The ambiance inside was so nice and it was busy especially on a Wednesday night. Our waiter was great but really busy during this time. We left before we could even get a menu for desserts. We got the charcoal grilled branzino which was really good and the whole lobster. The Caesar salad was good as well but wished they would cut it up instead. I got a drink which I asked waiter if it was sweeter than other one and he said yes but it was really tangy but refreshing. Because it was a graduation celebration, I really wished the experience had felt a bit more special. After finishing our main courses, we waited a long time for a dessert menu to order a sweet treat to mark the occasion. Eventually, it took so long that we just decided to leave before we could even get one. Great atmosphere and good food, but the long wait times at the door and between courses made the night feel a bit rushed at the end.

RPM Seafood is definitely on the pricey side, but for a special occasion or a memorable night out,…read moreit's absolutely worth the splurge. The beautiful location right on the Chicago River, elegant atmosphere, outstanding service, and exceptional food all come together to make it a truly special dining experience. We started with the mini seafood tower, which was beautifully presented and loaded with fresh oysters, lobster, crab, shrimp, and other delicious seafood. The spicy spaghetti was packed with flavor, and the branzino was perfectly cooked with crispy skin and a delicious herb sauce. Dessert was the perfect finale--the Banana Stacked Neapolitan was incredible, with layers of crispy pastry, creamy filling, bananas, and rich caramel sauce. It was indulgent and absolutely delicious. Yes, it's expensive, and you definitely know you're paying for a premium dining experience. But when you factor in the quality of the food, presentation, service, and spectacular riverfront setting, it felt worth every penny. A wonderful choice for a celebration, date night, or simply when you want to treat yourself.

the lobster roll was very good and filling..the meat was very good. i had it delivered..great..read more

Food was okay but a bit overpriced for the portion size. We tried the uni pasta and sesame tuna…read moresalad. Not sure if I would come again since there's so many good options nearby. Restaurant was not that busy and pretty quiet, service was good.