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    RJ Grunts

    3.8 (1.3k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    RJ GRUNTS ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - RJ Grunts

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    Bacon Cheddarburger
    Crystal Z.

    Ambiance - intimate, cozy, offers bar Service - our server was super nice, loved that they timed the burgers to come out at same time Food - Bacon Cheddarburger was slightly too dry even though I ordered medium rare, also lacking in some kind of sauce

    French onion soup, nachos and iced tea.

    Have loved this restaurant consistently since a teenager when my sister worked herself through college waitressing here. Everything Delicious food, Ambiance and service have remained wonderfully c throughout the years and the music is the Best!! Love the close proximity to the zoo and especially love a nice lengthy lakefront walk from Fullerton to the Pier, after lunch. Salmon, Kale salad and French onion soup are my favs, but the nachos and burgers make my husband very happy!

    Digial Salad...Not mine, but it was ordered at the table
    Elle Z.

    Our server was Ryan. He was on point. Excellent service. Food is always on point! I love their French dip sandwich with their horseradish sauce. The atmosphere, fun music and food were all perfect!

    Avery J.

    What a wonderful little gem! We decided to give their happy hour a try and while we were there, we tried their burger and tuna melt. The happy hour was amazing. All the drinks on the happy hour menu are five dollars, and they were very well made. Our server, Jill, was so friendly and attentive; she checked on us frequently and always with a big smile Thank you, Jill... it was a wonderful experience and we can't wait to return soon!

    Menu
    Kenna G.

    Unbeatable Happy Hour deal! All of their signature cocktails are $5. They do not allow modifications to the drinks, and you can't just get classic vodka soda. No food on HH menu. Less of a positive experience with their food, the fries were stringy, and soggy. 1/5 My friend said her Chili was good, but it was a bit cold. Lovely bar ambiance and vibe, fun decorations. Service was fine!

    margarita
    Molly B.

    Solid! For those not from the Chicago area, like myself, this is a must-visit. It is within walking distance from the zoo. My friends and I ended up stopping in just for a quick drink and everyone was super satisfied! A cider, margarita, amaretto sour, and cosmo were ordered. All great! The interior is so cool, lot's of old photographs and unique decor to gander at while you eat/drink. In the future I'd love to come back for a burger. I was EYEING the table by me's spread of them. Looks killer.

    You can get a salad bar for all you healthy folks
    Kerry V.

    For a burger and brunch place this was great. This place has a "local" feel. I had an old school vibe. We got there around 11 on a Saturday and they were serving brunch items and their regular menu. I tried the Belgium waffles with a side of bacon. The waffles were great and the bacon were thick cut slabs of goodness. My son got a cheeseburger with fries, pretty standard but he enjoyed it. We also shared a fudge sundae. It wasn't the best ever, but still hit the spot. I would definitely recommend this place. It's within walking distance from the Lincoln Zoo.

    Time for dinner
    Sue L.

    Located near Lincoln Park Zoo, this neighborhood favorite is cozy and vintage with past waitstaff members posted on the wall. The menu descriptions are very descriptive and the portion for fries are huge. The sandwiches, shakes, and chili are legendary. It's extremely busy and yet you can find a table. The chandeliers give the place a splash of class. Staff was not wearing masks. The rest rooms are gender neutral. Parking nearby can be an issue. The special Thanksgiving sandwich was delicious with moist turkey, cranberry sauce, and tasty gravy.

    Tuna Sandwich
    Amy D.

    We stopped by RJ Grunts on a whim before heading to the lake to see the beavers, and it was the perfect pre-adventure meal. The place has this great vibe overall and nothing short of big character. The menu is like a safari hunt. It feels like flipping through a diner-themed Where's Waldo book. It's packed with personality, and finding what you want is half the fun. Once you do, though, the food hits every time. Overall, it's a great place for a drink and comfort food. Just try to go on the weekday before it gets too crowded! -AD

    Smash Burger
    Anthony D.

    Finally stopped by RJ Grunts. The place is very functional they have pictures of their past waiters/waitresses on the walls. We went with: - Cup of chili - Smash Burger - Buffalo Chicken Wrap The chili was warming on a cold windy day. While the Buffalo Chicken Wrap was surprisingly light. Not the best burger in the city but still was very good, it was a special so not on the menu.

    Sweet potato fries, fried pickles, and chopped salad
    Carys L.

    RJ Grunts is infamously known for its late night happy hour and diy chopped salad! The happy hour is pretty great. It's Thursday through Saturday from 8 to 10 PM and it's very rare that you can find a late night happy hour so love that! They have really good deals on drinks! The chopped salad is a fun feature of the restaurant because they give you a little menu where you can select everything you want in your salad. It's very interactive and fun. That said, I would recommend reservations for this place especially on weekend nights it can fill up pretty quickly.

    R.J.'s Famous Chili
    Allison G.

    All the food was very very good! Chili was super flavorful with a good amount of spice. Pickle fries were delicious! It was quite busy, so there was a little bit of a wait to get seated & to get our food but I would go back again!

    Tuna melt

    Food is not bad but pricey for small portions. Look at the tuna that was included in my tuna melt for $16.

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    2 months ago

    I've been going here for over 20 years and the good is delicious. The homemade French onion soup is absolutely the best.

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    Enjoyed the atmosphere - quirky, friendly pub. French onion soup and burger were both delicious. Can't wait to come again.

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    Ask the Community - RJ Grunts

    Do they have a kids menu?

    Yes, pretty sure

    Is the make your own salad bar back?

    No it's not... and the food is terrible now at Grunts, as is the service. We had an awful meal there. Cold food, overcooked hamburgers, crap "salad" and very $$$.… Read more

    Do you still do temperature soup?

    I was yhere in August and yes

    Do you have parking?

    Nope... no parking, crap food, over cooked and dry hamburgers, indifferent waitstaff..very expensive. A real disappointment and rip-off.… Read more

    How much and what days they have all you can eat buffet?

    Hello, we no longer serve the brunch buffet. We do offer brunch items that are a la carte, as well as our salad bar that's available every day.

    Do they have gluten free buns by any chance?

    I know they have gluten free option but I didn't pay particular attention to gluten free buns though.

    Does the brunch buffet have a lot of options or is it pretty minimal?

    Hi Mallory, The brunch buffet has 3 types of Egg Dishes, Waffles, Pecan French Toast Bread Pudding, Bacon, Sausage, Breakfast Potatoes AND includes the entire Soup and Salad… Read more

    View All 9 Questions

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    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)

    Bar Siena really didn't make the high standard that its priced and ambiance should reflect. For…read morestarters, for a group of 6, we were only given one silverware? Als server never noticed it and had to ask multiple times for more. In regards to the food. Most if not all the dishes we had (gnocchi, vodka pasta, a salad) were pretty bad. Very costly for how tasteless it was. The only okay/good thing that came out of this place was the prosciutto, fig pizza that I had. Would not recommend spending an insane amount of money here.

    The Dearborn

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    Being a California boy (born and raised) my only way to get a Fish & Chip meal was at a fast food…read morefranchise called H. Salts Fish & Chips; and it was fairly good. Several golf trips to the U.K. (Britain, Scotland, Wales) I got my fair share of excellent Fish & Chips; the best being in Ullapool, Scotland at The Seafood Shack I have never had better! But, leave it to Chicago to deliver some of the best fish and chips I've ever had in the USA, here at The Dearborn restaurant in the Chicago loop. Everything about The Dearborn's signature dish just worked in every way: The fish was fried perfectly The fish itself was moist and delicious The chips (fries) were excellent The coleslaw was the perfect side dish The tartar sauce was scrumptious My Krobacher Pilsner paired perfectly with my dinner The service was spot on And sitting at the bar watching the NBA playoffs didn't hurt either. I did have a scoop of delicious salted caramel gelato that finished this meal perfectly. Having such delicious fish & chips a few blocks away from where I live is certainly better than flying "over the pond" (a British term for the Atlantic Ocean).

    This is an excellent spot for a special occasion! I visited recently with a large group for brunch…read moreand we had a great experience all around. Regardless of the time of day and especially during peak hours, I would definitely recommend making a reservation to air on the safe side. The staff prepared our table super quickly and was very attentive- they really went above and beyond throughout the meal. I do not recommend skipping the drinks! I ordered the seasonal Si Se Puede, Tia mezcal cocktail, which was quite spicy and perfectly sweet. For appetizers, we shared the parkerhouse rolls. The rolls were soft and buttery with a delicious whipped butter spread. For the main dish, I ordered the Dearborn Burger. It was solid overall and the portion size was very generous. I tried the fish and chips as well which were excellent. Would definitely order this next time! For dessert, we tried the sticky toffee date cake. I liked that it was not too heavy, and the Heath bar crumbles added a nice crunch. My only wishlist would be to have more of that delicious sauce to scoop up! We left with ample leftovers and in high spirits. Definitely looking forward to visiting again and trying more of the menu!

    HIDE+SEEK

    HIDE+SEEK

    (377 reviews)

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    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.

    This place was fine I guess. The service was nice and the place was well managed. We split a burger…read moreand it took much longer than average. Without asking, the manager stepped over to our table to apologize and offer us a drink for the wait. The burger was a good average. Like a 3.5 star. The side salad was forgettable. Basic dressed greens. The service was the real hero of this reviewer. Might be back for cocktails.

    RJ Grunts - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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