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The Graceful Ordinary

4.3 (289 reviews)
PriceyNew American, Bars
Open 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

The Graceful Ordinary Photos

THE GRACEFUL ORDINARY ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Intimate
Classy
Upscale

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Recommended Reviews - The Graceful Ordinary

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S'mores Sunday
Kadee D.

Firstly, anyone saying the food doesn't taste good or they leave hungry is smokin crack ..... also, sounds like you probably would of enjoyed a buffet instead. This place is incredible... the food is to die for. It's the first place I've been to and did not feel like bloated or so full to where I was sick because the portions were perfect. Nothing here fell short, in fact it's the first place in the burbs where the food wasn't overly salted or fried in some type of oil. Everything tasted fresh. The flavors were busting up in my mouth every bite I took, even down to snowball fight drink we had. I highly, highly recommend the bread cheese appetizer- this was something super unique to me as I've only had grilled up cheese one other time in Brazil, Queijo Coalho.... There was a beautiful twist on this cheese- crunchy, creamy, sweet, savory and the honey and tabbouleh were such a great finish to this dish. Pair this with the fresh bread and it was chefs kiss! We had the beer braised short rib and seabass- two completely different flavored entres that we absolutely perfect. The short rib you literally can't go wrong with- melted in my mouth with every bite - and hats off the the chef who cooked the onions so perfect to actually be able to taste them instead of just carmelizing or salting them! I would call this your typical Midwest comfort dish. The seabass was much different the salad was tangy with the lentils being rich- add a nice cooked crispy top seabass and you got yourself a unique dish of flavors that will have you thinking what's in it after hours! But the star of the show was dessert of course - OMFG - s'mores ice cream sunday ....... I died and went to heaven literally. I have never tasted ice cream that mimicked everything I've ever wanted my ice cream to taste like. It was the perfect temperature (trust me a lot of restaurants it's either rock hard or melted) this was epic. Creamy, almost pudding like and being able to taste every note was wild to me. The graham cracker - yes the freaking graham cracker was the best one I've ever tasted in my life. Clearly I've never had a graham cracker without preservatives before. The chocolate syrup .... Jeeze let me tell if I could swim in it I would.... The service was friendly, prompt and right on time. The server knew all the cues and timing of all the food to come out. She checked in everytime we got something to make sure everything was just right... you can tell she takes her job seriously but also knows how to interact with people - something a lot of servers lack these days so we really appreciated the service. As for the atmosphere- this place blows a lot of the chi city restaurants out of the water. The organic feel but fancy! Oh, and I can actually talk and hear myself think without blasting music over my head. We will be back ... but honestly please change nothing here- everything you're doing here is fantastic!

Ribeye with potatoes and peas
Caron C.

I had heard great things and it didn't disappoint! I had the ribeye cooked perfectly and the Brussel sprouts side! It was my birthday and waiting at our table was a card signed by staff. A nice touch. It isn't for the faint of heart regarding prices but worth it. It was a bit noisy but the space is beautiful so it offset the inconvenience of the noise. But if you have someone in your party who struggles with hearing, you may want to ask for a corner table...they also have a nice balcony with seating when the weather permits

Pork belly
Roy B.

The food,the service,the atmosphere, everything was perfect. I highly recommend this for special occasions. It will not disappoint.

Daniel B.

Where to start? How about with the grace of finding a place like this? Absolutely impeccable experience on every level. The service is outstanding. The atmosphere vibe & actual construction of the place is so cool. And the food Yep, it's amazing. Everything we had was really good. As for negatives, the room is a bit loud and it's a bit pricey, but that's just how things are now. And the bottom line with the latter is that it's worth it. Once seated, the noise level was a bit too much for me and in the category of asking for what you want in life, I I asked if we could be seated in a quieter area and they quickly accommodated by setting us up at table in the corner which was so quiet, had a great view of the room, and lovely upholstered booth, it was amazing. We love a good cocktail and these were great. Very creative delicious a touch sweet but not too much and a nice touch was the extensive rim salting, but all on one side of the glass so you could have plenty or none. They bring homemade bread to the table which was really great warm almost like a pretzel bread. All the food we had was exceptional oysters, a beet salad to die for with a wonderful bacon infused dressing, and a lobster pasta in interesting cream sauce that was a tad salty but sublimely delicious. Had an intense lemon ice cream for desert with other elements. Sweet way to end the meal on a good note. The service was really great attentive, but not to intrusive. Everybody we had interaction with was super friendly. You can tell they love working there and that is one way to tell ownership of a business and how they treat their employees. The vibe was chill friendly and inviting. The restaurant was built in an old 60s or 70s vacant bank building that I always admired right on the river some of the structure of the building goes down into the water and those areas they made into outdoor patios overlooking the river, really cool. This place is great. Can't wait to go back. Don't hesitate to come here. Can't wait to try many of the other items on the creative menu.

Suzy S.

What a beautiful restaurant lit by real candles (as opposed to battery operated mini lights.) We had a great meal with amazing service. We will definitely be back!

Steak and eggs
Kim M.

Update: This place really frustrates me. While their brunch is by far my favorite in the area, and the mussels are the dinner standout here - outside of the collaboration a few years back - i can't get a steak here cooked to my requested temperature for the life of me. Medium rare almost always comes out more medium well, and ordering rare to try and get it closer to medium rare is more like raw. The service however, also almost always on point. So will continue to go for the brunch and the mussels, but never again for the steak. Not after that many times, for that price that's a gamble on being cooked as requested.

PEI Mussels small plate- delicious!
Lindsay B.

We had an incredible experience at The Graceful Ordinary for our friends birthday- I can't wait to go back. The vibes inside the restaurant are impeccable, and they have lots of outdoor space for when the weather is nice as well. Service was top notch from the hostess to our server to the sommelier- everything was perfection. The food and cocktails were also incredible. I had the Le Granda cocktail which was tart and refreshing. We started with the octopus carpaccio and the bone marrow- plus fresh baked bread. I ordered the mussels small plate (which was not small) and it was fantastic- covered in crispy frites. I want to go back and have it again soon. Others at the table had scallops, steak, and duck- and all seemed very pleased with their entrees. For dessert, they had a cocktail on the menu called the song of the South- a sweet potato based beverage- it was fantastic and a great way to end the meal. I'll be back soon for another special occasion!

Inside

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2 months ago

Delicious unique food with the most beautiful decor in a restraint I've ever seen. You feel like you're at an upscale Chicago restaurant!

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1 month ago

Sooo adorable! The decor and ambiance is off the charts! We sat in the enclosed patio overlooking the river. Everything was amazing!

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3 months ago

Worst restaurant I've ever been to. Serves terrible. Food below average. Priced to high for what u get

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Ask the Community - The Graceful Ordinary

Is there any Gluten Free options?

There's not a designated gluten free menu. I am gluten free but not celiac. They were able to make everything we ordered gluten free to accommodate my dietary needs.

Are walk ins available?

Yes, but location is still very popular and you'll probably have to wait for a while. I'd recommend making reservations. Or there are many other places in the area if you choose not to wait.

Do you have valet parking available?

Yes The parking lot behind the restaurant does have the option to valet

Hi my friends and I (party of 13) were wondering if the check can be split 13 ways?

Just have one friend pick up the tab and Venmo/Zelle them what each person owes. Much easier than having a busy server do the complicated splitting. And one friend gets to enjoy all those extra points on their CC

View All 5 Questions

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Quick take: We stopped into The James for one round at the bar. The placed was pretty full on a…read moreSaturday afternoon but we were able to nestle ourselves at the end of the bar and partake. It's an upscale establishment with absolutely wonderful decor: an old house that harkens back to times of yesteryear. The ambiance is lively but not loud and it seems to host a slightly older (and more sophisticated?) demographic. We just had beers but did peruse the menu for fun and things looked very tempting. Although this visit was quick it left me wanting more on a return visit, of which there will be!

We had a reservation for a party of eight at 8:15 and were seated out on the patio. The inside of…read morethe restaurant is super cute, and they have very elegant bathrooms. I informed our server that I have celiac disease, and she was helpful in confirming that the cocktails were gluten-free. I ordered the Pineapple Express sangria, and it was absolutely delicious. When it comes to the food, most items on the menu can actually be made gluten-free, but they aren't marked on the menu and they do not offer a separate gluten-free menu. Our server did let us know right away that they were out of three of their entree items. For my meal, I started with the gluten-free soup which comes with gluten-free noodles, and it was really good. However, I didn't really like any of the remaining entrees they had left available, so I decided to order sides instead. The server mentioned that most of the sides are or can be made gluten-free. I chose the creamy mashed potatoes and the brussel sprouts, specifically requesting the sprouts without croutons. When the food arrived, the brussel sprouts unfortunately had croutons on them. I pointed it out to the server, and she immediately said she would have them remade for me. While I am very glad I caught the mistake before eating them, it is something to watch out for. Overall, the experience was mediocre.

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Fun spot with unique cuisine, this restaurant may be small but the food packs big flavor. On my…read morevisit here, I had the opportunity to try two dishes off the shareables menu and was super impressed with both of them. Service was also quick and friendly throughout the entire meal. The Birria egg rolls were a bit on the smaller side but made a big impression with its preparation. I've never had birria wrapped in anything as crispy as the wonton wrapper this was wrapped in. The birria was flavorful while being tender and not being too salty. The white cheddar and chihuahua cheese added a small amount of extra saltiness and a bit more fat, which matched well with the chipotle aiola. The duck poutine was incredibly flavorful, while sitting on the edge of potentially being too bold. The fries were incredibly crispy though there was quite a bit of gravy on the dish and the white cheddar cheese curds did a great job of keeping the entire dish hot throughout the meal, while adding a little bit of extra flavor. The bacon and onion added some umami though it almost made the dish a bit too salty and the duck confit added a nice protein element. Overall a little pricey, but given the more unique menu and quality of both the flavors and textures, it's worth the premium. The food here is definitely memorable and in line with excellent options available in Geneva.

All around had an amazing time! Visiting in town for work…read moreand wondered along this place that was delightful and charming. Henry was our server/bartender and gave us excellent service. He was naturally humorous and humble. The best part was my Tuna Tartare. I order it everywhere I go & I must say - it was the best I've had this year! Thank you Barrel + Rye!

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We had a wonderful dining experience. The ambiance is warm and friendly. The service was…read moreexemplary with a knowledgeable, personable and conscientious server who was attentive but not invasive. We found him charming. The food was exceptional. We started with the Baby Gem salad and the Artisan Cheese Plate, both excellently prepared and delicious. My husband had the 14 oz. Prime Ribeye with Cafe De Paris butter, horseradish jus, herb garlic fritesthat was perfectly prepared and came with wonderful, flavorful sauces. I enjoyed the Grilled Petite Tender, emphasis on tender! It was lovely. For dessert, we shared the Vanilla Bean Canelé, which was unique and sweet and made a delightful ending to an excellent meal. We will be back!

We've been here so many times just for their desserts because they have some of the best I've ever…read moretried, especially in the suburbs. Honestly prefer the desserts more than the food here, although we've had dinner here two or three times I think, but the desserts have always been what's most memorable to me. I still think about the apple cider donuts we ate here last fall. Whoever the pastry chef is here is amazing!! The dessert menu is constantly changing we can't even keep up, but it is always on theme with the season. This most recent time, we ordered the Smores Baked Alaska and Blueberry Shortcake. Both were soo good, but I liked the smores baked alaska the most--the different layered textures and flavors were perfect.

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My husband and I have been to The Turf Room North Aurora, IL a handful of times and have never been…read moredisappointed. We went there yesterday for dinner and continue to be delighted with the staff as well as the restaurant as a whole. I am always pleased with the staff. Our sever, Deven was on her game. She was quite knowledgeable and knew her menu well. She started us off with the Waygu Wellington Poptarts. The flaky crust that covered the melt in your mouth beef was extraordinaire. For my entree, I had the Blackened Salmon on arugula. This was combined with shaved almonds, strawberries, avocado, and blue cheese! Ever hear someone get excited about a salad? Yes it was that good. Husband had the Sous Vide half chicken with his coveted homemade mashed potatoes and carrots. My husband, the chef was not disappointed. And no meal is complete in his book without dessert. We had the Flourless Chocolate Torte. Quite heavenly. But what meal is complete without dessert? As always look forward to our next visit there!

I went here recently with some girlfriends and we opted to sit in the enclosed porch area, it had…read moregreat ambiance and protection from the cool breeze. Our waitress was so wonderful to start, she was attentive and offered some suggestions. We were taking some time to catch up, but we did order a few appetizers. This is when things took a strange turn... Our entrees started coming out, but the guys running the food didn't make any effort to clear our table or get boxes for our appetizer leftovers. So we had no choice but to put our empty plates on the table next to us - there truly wasn't any room and one guy giggled when I asked if he would take our appetizer plates. Our waitress came by shortly after and I said we asked for boxes and our plates to be cleared so we had room. She said she'd take care of it, which she did. After that, she was much less attentive. Finally, when it came to dessert... I asked for a recommendation, but unfortunately I was the only one who wanted a dessert at my table. I asked about taking it home, she told me the mason jar dessert couldn't be taken home and the others wouldn't last. I said okay forget it then. So no dessert was had and we were all VERY confused why our dinner went from stellar service to straight down the toilet. At least the food was good... I might stick to Hardware. It's a much more pleasant experience there.

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The Graceful Ordinary - newamerican - Updated July 2026

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