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    The Graceful Ordinary

    4.3 (276 reviews)
    PriceyNew American, Bars
    Closed 4:00 pm - 10:00 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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    Food menu
    Cady D.

    My first time visiting The Graceful Ordinary and it was amazing. Immediately we were welcomed in by the friendly hostesses who opened the door for us. Claire at the bar was also very kind and made us feel welcome the entire time. The cocktails were delicious and some of the best I've had in the area. We tried the TGO Clover, Orchard's Bounty, and Swim the Tide. The TGO Clover was fruity and refreshing, the Orchard's Bounty was sweet reminded me of autumn, and the Swim the Tide was tangy and spicy from the Thai bitters. For my entree, I got the cider glazed pork belly, and for dessert we got the butterscotch pot de crème and samoa ice cream. We left so full and satisfied. Will definitely have to go back to try everything that we didn't get this time! Great restaurant for a romantic date night or celebrating a special occasion.

    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.

    Pam K.

    From the time you walk in greeted by the wonderful hosts until you leave it was amazing. Food is outstanding. Service by Tiffany is above and beyond. Decor is absolutely beautiful. Highly recommend!!

    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
    Lexi M.

    This was a locally recommended spot, so I made reservations and met the rest of by team there. We started with octopus carpaccio and a bottle of great wine for the table. The space was extremely charming sitting right on the river. The decor was very modern and fresh and was the perfect spot for date night! I can't wait for my next time here so I can try all the other dishes I wanted to try.

    Bone Marrow & Garlic Bread with Bread service & a dram of Locals Only
    Donna F.

    The venue has no strict dress code, but since it's classy, consider dressing up a bit for the occasion. When my party of two arrived without a reservation, we were informed of a 15-20 min wait. However, we ended up being seated within just 10 mins. The restaurant was not very crowded on a Thursday night. We understand that the restaurant employs staggered seating to avoid overwhelming the kitchen. We decided to sit indoors, facing the open kitchen, which provided a captivating view of the culinary action. I managed to capture some stunning photos showcasing the venue's exquisite decor and the refined ambiance in the indoor and outdoor dining areas. Every dish we tried was delicious and had a unique flavor profile. We look forward to returning to sample more items from their enticing menu. Our waitress was both amiable and accommodating. While some might prefer frequent check-ins from the staff, I appreciated that we were not interrupted too frequently during our meal. We got a friendly hello from the executive chef/owner and a takeaway red chimichurri from the host - such a nice surprise! In general, this dining experience has truly raised the bar.

    Mint julep sundae
    Lisa S.

    What a fabulous spot overlooking the fox river in St. Charles to enjoy a fabulous meal and devine cocktails. The space is gorgeous - every detail carefully planned including screens for the patio to eliminate pests. Service was unobtrusive but always readily available. My favorite cocktail, the sazerac, was actually on the menu, and it was delicious. Not too many bars stock absinthe so i was surprisingly pleased with their l fantastic variety of libations. The food was phenomenal from the complimentary bread service to the appetizers (frisee salad was amazing!). My husband and I decided to split the Halibut, and they plated that for us. It was plenty of food and probably one of the best Halibut dishes I ever had. The mint julep sundae was the perfect ending with just the right combination of flavors to be decadent but not overly rich. Nearly 2 1/2 hours were spent enjoying the dinner, not because service was slow but rather we didn't want the experience to end.

    Exhibition style kitchen
    Bill R.

    St Charles was recommended by a local as an area to explore for fine dining in the West Chicago area. I would say The Ordinary definitely represents well in that regard. Ambiance is stunning. Upscale finishes without being too pretentious. The exhibition style kitchen allows for seating with a front row to all the action from tickets arriving to completed dishes waiting on the pass. And the views overlooking the river are excellent. Outdoor dinners will enjoy. The menu is comprised of snacks, small plates, entrees and sides. Snacks are very small and probably not for sharing. Started with octopus carpaccio. This was an excellent composition of flavors and textures. I'm not sure I've had octopus this tender ever. Served with lemon puree, peanut, chili oil, and pickled mustard seeds. Every bite a flavor explosion. Entree was truffle stuffed chicken. Half chicken, bone in, with a spaetzle and collard greens and truffle jus. The chicken itself was expertly cooked with crisp skin outside and tender meat inside. However, I struggled to find any trace of truffle flavor. There was a faint hint of it in the stuffing but barely there. The truffle jus provided zero truffle essence. And it was unfortunate that the spaetzle and the jus were almost cold when served to me even though the chicken was piping hot. I would suggest they should start using warmed plates for service. The cocktails were on point and they have an extensive menu of original creations that will entice any palate. Despite my critique on the chicken, I wouldn't hesitate to return.

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    10 days ago

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    10 days ago

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

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    14 days ago

    Prices are city prices not suburb prices. Food is average to good. Ambiance is great! Location is superb! Service is great!

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    22 days ago

    Food and drinks were fantastic, make sure to make a reservation tho! Location was close to the theatre.

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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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    Preservation - Steak skewers

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    (425 reviews)

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    A nice spot to grab a drink on a nice weather day - the outdoor patio is fantastic!…read more The fellas and I grabbed a round of brews here while roaming around downtown Geneva and we had zero complaints. It was really nice out so, naturally, we were at the outdoor bar/patio. What a delightful space: open, airy, ample seating, great staff. The biggest bummer is navigating inside for the bathroom but everything else is top notch. We're fans and will return again!

    I'd love to share my full experience at Preservation but alas, there isn't much in the way of food…read moreor drink I can report on. The service however, is a different story. My friend and I arrived around 7:15pm this evening, Tuesday night, a weekday. We were greeted by a hostess in a full winter jacket and completely empty front room. She gave us the option to sit in said empty room or to follow her back to a "cozy heated area." We couldn't decide so we asked her to choose, and she led us down a long, narrow hallway to the back. There were three parties total in the indoor patio--us, another table of 2 and a large party of 8. Their outdoor patio was open, and with a view of it from the cozy room. The outdoor patio was festive with holiday lights, heaters and perhaps 3 people sitting at the bar. Many employees bustled back and forth through the door linking our two spaces. Our waitress brought us two glasses of water and food menus, pointed out the QR code menu on our table and walked away. That was our ONLY interaction with her. We proceeded to then sit for 15 minutes, watching our waitress, along with 3 other employees walk back and forth, attentively serving the large party, cleaning up a recently vacated back booth, chatting with one another and even saw another employee take a moment to vape inside near the POS system. We were ignored. No eye contact, no smile, no acknowledgment. It's as if we were not even there. For a slow Tuesday night, with ample staff, this was unacceptable. It grew so uncomfortable that we gathered our jackets and began to walk out. As we made our way back down the long hallway, the hostess, carrying a tray of waters, thanked us for coming in. Clearly there is a lack of awareness--or attention to detail. In what world would we have been able to order drinks, eat and pay our bill in less than 30 minutes since you seated us? But Finally! Someone noticed us. Too bad it was too little too late. We walked a block down to a different restaurant, and had an amazing time, spending more time & money than originally anticipated at that establishment, as a direct result of the poor hospitality and lack of service received at Preservation. Their loss was the Alchemist's gain.

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    Absolutely wonderful! First time at Buttermilk and I'd make it a staple visit if I lived closer to…read moreGeneva. Our hostess for breakfast was wonderful - kind, attentive, friendly and made me feel like I knew her for years (thanks Melissa!) So many breakfast options available, something for everyone to eat, and gluten free options! I settled for the mountain house skillet which was so good, probably the best skillet I've had in a long time. My husband had the classic eggs Benedict. Their homemade jam was excellent (comes free at the table) and lots of coffee and drink options. Their pancakes looked so good - definitely saving for next time. Highly recommend!

    I had a very disappointing experience at Buttermilk…read more The service was extremely poor. It seemed like there were not enough servers, and staff kept saying they were too busy to take orders because they had too many tables. We waited a very long time just for someone to take our order, and overall the service felt slow, unorganized, and frustrating. On top of that, the food quality has dropped significantly compared to previous visits. We ordered the Holy Molly, and it came with literally three small pieces of meat, which was very disappointing for the price. As a customer, it feels like the restaurant may be trying to reduce costs, and unfortunately that appears to be impacting both service and food quality. I understand restaurants get busy, but in this case the experience was far below expectations. Between the long wait times, lack of attention, and noticeable decline in food quality, this visit was very disappointing. I would appreciate a response regarding how these issues will be addressed moving forward.

    The Graceful Ordinary - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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