We celebrated our friend's 60th birthday with Sunday brunch at Truth Be Told, located on the University of Chicago campus and connected to The Study at University of Chicago. The restaurant has a warm tavern-style aesthetic--inviting, comfortable, and perfect for a relaxed celebration. Our waitress was very friendly, attentive, and genuinely personable, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The brunch menu blends English and American influences, offering something for everyone. We tried the Scotch pancakes, which were quite good, and overall everyone at the table enjoyed their meals. The atmosphere was pleasant and unhurried--we never felt rushed, allowing us to truly enjoy the food, conversation, and celebration. A great spot for brunch gatherings . read more

We stumbled upon this place because there happened to be an open parking spot on the street. Located on UIC's campus and near the Museum of Science and Industry. British themed menu so chips does equal fries. I had a delicious grilled cheese that had an egg on top it. I enjoyed it but it was definitely quite messy. My boyfriend got the chicken salad sandwich. It does have curry in it so wasn't his favorite but he didn't hate it. I wouldn't hurry back but if you're in the area, I would recommend checking this place out. read more

Truth Be Told - Chicken salad sandwich - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've eaten here twice, both during stays at the hotel within which it is situated, The Study at the University of Chicago. It's a cute concept and the name is awesome and the vibe is perfect for this particular university community. That said, the service--both times, months apart--is bad, bad, bad. Well, maybe not bad as much as dismissive and cavalier. Both times, the host kept me waiting to be seated for far longer than was warranted considering it was late morning or early afternoon both times and not busy at all. The waitstaff is completely blase as they are serving, and it's like pulling teeth to get them to bring the bill. And the food is absolutely meh. This place should be much, much better considering its importance to the University and its location within a trendy boutique hotel and because the food and drink is NOT cheap. Management needs a wakeup call here. read more

The only British restaurant I know of in the beautiful and timeless setting of Hyde Park (Chicago). Located near The University of Chicago, Truth Be Told can give you that "bougie" feel without being super pricey. Get there early to enjoy their food and beverage happy hour. My husband is a sucker for Bangers & Mash! read more

Truth be told, has me telling the truth! And it was GOOD! The salad. The salad. I don't think a salad has ever made me want to shed a tear. The food came out hot and ready. Service wasn't that great, maybe because I was alone. I wasn't paid much attention too, but people that had bigger parties were attended too. Now back to the salad, it was scrumptious. I played around with the menu and added shrimp which took it up a notch. I ordered a Mediterranean style meal but added salmon which also took this meal up as well. The old fashion was a classic, but they can go to hell with the overly big ice cube. read more

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Lowkey random restaurant on University of Chicago's campus- Really good burger and desserts- legit horrible service. I am allergic to nuts and they kept going back and forth to the kitchen while I was eating the desserts and said it actually did contain nuts? This happened three times lol - Honestly ridiculous read more

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Truth be told. Cute British pub in The Study hotel on the University of Chicago campus. Had a weekend brunch at Truth Be Told. The smoked and poached salmon pate with an arugula salad and toast was delicious. The salmon Benedict was also good. Service was okay. Even though they were not busy, it took a while to get a table and even longer to get coffee or tea. (I actually just went to the hotel lobby and grabbed cups while we waited for the waitress.) Very convenient location if you are staying at The Study, but not sure if I would make a special trip here for brunch. read more

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This restaurant has been on my list for a while and I'm glad I finally made it. I love finding a good local spot for breakfast and it's great not having to travel far. The waitress was very nice and attentive and we really enjoyed our food. The ambiance was modern, clean and comfortable, perfect for a relaxed morning meal. I'll definitely be back. read more

Came with a friend down for brunch for our birthday! Service was amazing and so was the food, shoutout to Andrea for making the meal awesome and providing excellent service. Definitely coming back if we're back in town! read more

Truth Be Told - Seating area - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Adjoining the Study Hotel on the campus of the University of Chicago in Hyde Park is a restaurant named Truth Be Told ("TBT"). Our recent visit was deeply disappointing. Upon arrival, there was no greeter and no clear view of the dining room, leading to an awkward and unnecessary wait. Service was extremely slow--25 minutes for water, over an hour for food, and long delays for both black coffee (15 minutes) and a cappuccino (20 minutes). The open kitchen revealed chefs without hairnets, raising concerns about hygiene. Most disturbing was the loud obnoxious waitress, who adopted a performative, stereotyped persona with us as a Black couple--behavior she noticeably toned down when serving the white woman next to us. Her inappropriate comments about her "Black baby daddy" were offensive and unprofessional -- no kidding she thought it was okay to chat us up like that! There was a positive-- Spinach & English Cheddar Quiche: Egg Custard, spinach, English cheddar cheese, shallot, garlic, served with a mixed green salad. The pastry puff the quiche was prepared in was a huge surprise (not described on the menu) and it made for an outstanding unique quiche, but also resulted in an hour long wait for our meal. Our waitress did not think to tell us the dish took an hour to prepare when we ordered it. When it was finally ready the other routine breakfast had not been prepared! ("Study Breakfast" -- Two eggs, sausage, home fries, wheat toast). Even when they finally brought the food out it was short the side of bacon that I ordered! The oysters were served with a magnificent pickled beetroot and champagne mignonette, but were tiny in size and definitely not worth $5 an oyster! BTW $5 for a cup of simple black coffee is downtown prices -- $2.95 at Salonica's a few blocks away! Jasmine Y. "Very disappointing experience," Elaine H. "Slow service," and MATT T. "Our dinner experience ... was poor and disappointing" all describe my experience which is in stark contrast to that of one reviewer who stated that he can't say enough about his positive experience at TBT. I will not likely return. read more

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This restaurant is convenient as it is attached to a hotel on campus. The food is good - just heavy. Inspired by a British pub so think pot pies, solid meals. I always like their burger and have to come in hungry. Depending on the bartender - you may or may not be able to get a mixed drink done properly. I asked for a Toki highball and they had to google the recipe. Good place to watch games - staff is friendly. read more

Truth Be Told - Burger - A burger with lettuce, tomato, bacon, and a bun is served with a side of fries and ketchup on a wooden board. - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food was good but our waitress was inattentive and forgot to put some of our food in and never came back to refill our water or ask if we wanted more drinks. Bathroom was out of tp and we informed them, went back 20 minutes later and still no tp. We probably would've had more luck getting service if we had sat at the bar. Not great considering they do auto-grat. read more

If the truth must be told... this place could use a little lift. The atmosphere is nice, but the staff and the cake is cold. The one server, plated and cut cake without gloves or washing his hands and the cocktails were definitely pre-k!! The cake was definitely frozen or atleast a day old.overall stick with the fries read more

This place definitely has a cute vibe on the inside. Truth Be Told is an English style restaurant and it's shown throughout the menu. Personally loved the cocktails! I had the a cucumber gin martini that was delicious! My wife had the expresso martini. For starters we ordered the lobster gratin and chicken soup!! IMO the lobster dish was the absolute best dish of the night! For our mains she ordered the fish and chips, the chips were delicious. I ordered the tandoori chicken, which IMO tasted nothing like tandoori but the chicken was cooked to perfection and the sauce that the chicken is laid on top of under the rice was delicious. I was caught off guard by the raisins in the rice but it made for an interesting pairing overall. In all I felt it was a 7/10 experience but I would definitely go back if not just for the cucumber and lobster but to try more things. read more

This is a great local Bristish inspired local tavern. The hubby and I ventured in for happy hour drinks. Unfortunately, they do not have any happy hour specials. Their social media and website need to be updated to reflect this change. We ordered a bunch of appetizers, olive dishes, riccata, cheese curds, and devil eggs. The devils eggs had an odd taste. We think the taste had something to do with the olivie oil. The cheese curds were my favorite with the added bed of marinara sauce. I will definitely be back to try brunch since happy hour isn't happy anymore. read more

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This was one of the stranger experiences I've had at a restaurant. We were seated, but it took a long time to order. Tables all around the restaurant sat unbussed, and the place was only 2/3 full for brunch at noon on a Sunday for brunch. We should have known better. When our waitress came to us, she was clearly frazzled, and asked us for our whole order. It took a considerable amount of time for our drinks to arrive. It turned out that our server was also making these drinks. I wish I had just sided with my table mates and ordered the mimosas. I got a good, but very small bloody Mary (no straw). Our appetizer never arrived. We didn't get water until 30 minutes in. Silverware had to be requested after receiving our food. Food was good, thankfully. Management clearly is not doing their job. The host did his job. The bartender seemed to be doing all the serving, but not effectively. A man in a suit was running expo and bussing, without any urgency. They were understaffed, which shouldn't have been an issue at a hotel restaurant that was 2/3 full, but it was painfully obvious. For $200 split 3 ways, I felt robbed. I also felt embarrassed for picking the restaurant. Service was terrible due to management, and no comps, discounts or anything was offered. Do not eat here. read more

We stumbled upon this place as my sister searched brunch spots near Hyde Park. So glad we came. It's on UChicago's campus in the new hotel. There was no wait to be seated, but it did take a half hour for us to get our food. We had the Scotch pancakes, eggs Benedict and the Study Breakfast. Eggs perfectly cooked and seasoned Bacon was thick and crispy Fingerling potatoes were well seasoned and fried Hollandaise on Benedict was delicious! The portions were nice-sized and the menu had fair prices. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a nice brunch. The restaurant is also bright and well-decorated, with a rustic feel. read more

Hate doing this but... Great cocktails but over priced especially when you give the bartender a really great drink recipe which she can take credit for and charges you 33% more than the other overpriced cocktails on the menu. Talk about price gouging. read more

Visiting our grandson at U Chicago for Easter weekend. Spending three nights at The Study Hotel on Campus. It's a nice hotel, but the star of the show is the restaurant, Truth Be Told. We've been there for three evenings in a row, sometimes with grandson and friends, sometimes without. It has the feel of a neighborhood restaurant, but with excellent, interesting food, very friendly staff, and a great bartender, O'Shea. She could and has worked at the finest establishments. She delivers Five Star service with First Class drinks while providing a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Demetrius, the maitre de, makes sure you have whatever you need, and in a very relaxed friendly way. The entire restaurant staff is well trained and friendly. I know this doesn't happen by accident. Our evenings in Truth Be Told were the highlight of the weekend, from watching Michigan win in the Final Four at the bar to having the Sunday Roast in the dining room for Easter dinner. read more

The service was as poor as we have ever experienced. It was slow and the server, though friendly enough, was unresponsive and uninformed. But most of all, the food was disappointing. We had a special holiday meal, and the main item (Chateaubriand, the most expensive item on offer) was cooked to death despite being promised, on the menu, to be medium-rare. And then we couldn't get sharp knives to cut the leathery meat. The faux-pub atmosphere is not bad, but the lighting is terrible (too bright in places), and the booths are uncomfortable. NOT A PLACE FOR FINE OR EVEN PLEASANT DINING. read more

I ordered on the phone. The number provided didn't take me directly to the restaurant. Tasty burger and chicken sandwich. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Thank you read more

The food was delicious and ambiance was great. I came here for a work dinner on a week day. The service was attentive, with great appetizers and food, and a nice environment. I got the pork belly dish and it was amazing with delicious lentils and mashed potatoes. This restaurant is nestled in the UChicago campus with lots of greenery and space around, and easy super and ample parking. read more

Truth Be Told - Pork belly - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was visiting Chicago and this restaurant was recommended. Called to make a reservations and whoever answered the phone must not have been the regular person. He was dumbfounded by our attempt to make a reservation for 8 people so he put us on hold to speak to the manager and came back with just walk in without a reservation! Well that was ridiculous, who would have that size party and walk in. Called back again and spoke to someone else and it was no problem this time. Weird and problematic...what if we hadn't tried again? Got there and it was a lively nice space. Staff friendly. I ordered the linguine with crab and it was delicious. Not sure why the menu said linguine but my dish was actually fettuccine which in the end was no problem but noted. Another to put on my for rotation when returning the the Windy City! read more

Great dessert! Great vibe! Cool that it's in my hood. I wish there was consistency for the espresso martini and the dessert that had banana, apologies I forget the name. The last time I had it I tasted oatmeal which is definitely not what was in it the first time. I'll be back read more

We had a good time. Very good service. And our steak sandwiches were delicious. It's pretty and I would go back

Nice neighborhood bar and grill. Great food and drinks. I had the burger and deviled eggs.

Poor customer service . Empty I'm ok this should be great! Not the case . Waited for 3 minutes for someone to come out and greet me . Once the waiter came out and saw me. The attitude was not pleasant at all his looks said it all. I left told him I was waiting on my sisters and would sit in car. NEVER JUDGE a book by its cover. Would not recommend this place ! read more

Quiet reversed atmosphere. I have ordered a few dishes, roast beef sandwich which was not a personal favorite of mine but the fresh cut fries were good. The smoked salmon platter is a staple dish for me, eye pleasing and scrumptious. The ricotta cheese appetizer is always fresh, light and tasty. They always have oysters and a nice drink menu. Service is impressive, one of our favorite spots to go to. read more

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Came here on a Wednesday and wow! First off they do wine Wednesday, so half of glasses and bottles. Made a reservation and was seated in a timely manner. The ambiance is great for a date, post work happy hour/bites or just in the area and wanting a good meal and wine. I had the steak and fries, I will say my steak wasn't cooked medium, a bit over cooked but still tasty. The cheese curds were a greater starter to share with the table. Overall tasty and I would return read more

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The decor is nice. It's connected to a hotel on the U of C campus. Not sure about the weekend but during the week it is difficult to find parking due to their location. I really like the seats at the bar because they are large enough to fit people. My friend and I sat at the bar. During the week they do not start selling alcohol until 10am. We went for breakfast. The menu is English themed. I had a breakfast sandwich with potatoes. My friend really enjoyed her food. Levi and Eazy were impeccable. They are acute reason I gave 4 stars. To me the food was just ok 3/5 stars. I will have to go back and try their brunch on the weekend and lunch/dinner menu. read more

I love Truth Be Told. I have been in culinary school so my reviews have been at a minimum, but every time I eat here I enjoy it, so I thought I would share. If you love a traditional English breakfast or are new to the experience Truth Be Told is a great place to get your fix, or discover the joy of a great English breakfast. Get the scones that come with the marmalade jam, the raspberry jam, the butter and whipped cream, OMg. Sit by the fire , or one of the lovely tables or booths, there is not a bad seat in the house! I got to go, I have to eat my brûléed grapefruit and lovely breakfast! read more

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Hidden gem. Don't really want to write this review because it will become popular! :) Asia was our bartender. Popped in for a brunch and catch up with friends. Noticed that they have bottomless mimosas AND bottomless VEUVE mimosas. Say less. Started at 11 and left at 3. The food was good also. Tried the avocado toast, Turkey sausage and eggs. Found out that we knew the executive chef, Jon! He pops over and has us try deviled eggs and the bangers and mash dishes. Both were good. The food vibe here is UK comfort food. Definitely will return. We enjoyed our experience. read more

Truth Be Told - Bottomless Veuve Mimosas - A yellow cocktail with a cherry and orange slice garnishes the drink, placed on a black napkin at a bar counter with a menu nearby. - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I came to Truth be Told for lunch for a school event with Chicago Booth. As seen on the menu, we had a prix fixe menu with two sides, an entree, and a dessert. The Butter Lettuce Salad was absolutely fantastic. It had great flavor. The Roasted Root Vegetable Soup was also excellent. I chose the Fish and Chips, and I would say it was very much average. After talking with others who ordered the Chicken Sandwich, there was consensus that the Sides were much better than the entrees. The Apple Treacle Tart was pretty good, but didn't taste particularly fresh. I will probably not return to Truth Be Told on my own dime, but it's quite good for a hotel restaurant. read more

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I was super exited to visit this restaurant. I specifically came here for the shepherds pie because i previously binged a show that takes place in the UK, that mentioned it so it's been on my subconscious. The restaurant itself is nestled in the University of Chicago campus. We made reservations, and we were seated right away. We sat across from a fireplace; very cozy. The restaurant was dimly lit, and not too noisy. We started with the oysters, which seemed to be tiny, but perhaps that was ok since it left room for our entrees. I of course ordered the shepherds pie and my date ordered the steak. My sheppards pie was sooo delicious. If anything I wish I could have more. I believe the steak and fries where ok. Maybe a tad too salty. Unfortunately, they were out of sweet potato pie when we visited. Which is a shame as it's one of my favorite pies. I will be back to try other dishes. Perhaps I'll check them out for brunch. read more

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This place has been on my list for a minute, so I was glad I had a chance to check them out for a solo lunch date. I arrived before 4pm, so they were only serving bar snacks at the time. I tried the Cheese Curds and an Old Fashioned. The Old Fashioned was just the way I like it - strong! The cheese curds were good...nothing fancy and no frills. The dipping sauce really made the dish. For my entree, I had the Slow Roast Pork Belly with Cider Vinegar Glaze. It came with mashed potatoes and green lentils. It's a little weird that the pork belly is served with 2 starches and no green veggies. Needless to say it was a very hearty meal. The skin of the pork belly was perfectly crispy and the meat itself was tender. The overall flavor of the dish was pretty tasty, too. The cider vinegar glaze wasn't too acidic either. I enjoyed a Manhattan for my second cocktail. Yet another strong drink - but so good! I do think the meal was entirely too pricey for what I had. I've paid less for more at other places, so that was a big con. Otherwise, I enjoyed everything. #ImNotAFoodie #ImJustAGirlWhoLovesFood read more

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Met a friend for a drink and some appetizers. We bellied up to the bar and had great service and food. Bartender made a Paloma inspired drink with gin- it was great. The beet appie was great! read more

So TBT was referred to us from a friend that has been there several times and enjoy it!! So we decided to check it out and the experience was ok!! The ambience of the place is nice with the darker shades and oak wood and the doubles sided fire place. They were short staffed and the host made us aware of that when we sat down which was a huge to communicate before ordering and find out later. THANK YOU SIR. The experience for 4 people overall was an hour on a Saturday at noon. Not bad at all!! Food: the menu was great and we all ordered something of different variances. Food was flavorful and we all enjoyed it. Drinks: Due to our server not being old enough to work behind the bar our options were limited....which was not a problem at all for our party. We were able to order mimosas though. Prices weren't bad at all!!! So if your looking for a place to grab a bite to eat with a hint of classy...THIS is your place and it's located in the historical Hyde Park area. read more

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The Worst service I have ever had at a resturaunt. Terrible food, and one of the most disrespectful servers I have ever met. Food was 2 hours late and she didn't do anything got have the orders wrong and the resturaunt was empty. read more

Truth Be Told is such a hidden gem on University of Chicago's campus. It's a really cute up-scale Irish Pub. I went for dinner and had a great experience. As a starter we had the House-Made Ricotta which was so smooth and creamy. It was served this house made sourdough bread which was fantastic. I would honestly go back just for the ricotta. For my entree I had the Tandoori Chicken which was served with this delicious coconut rice. The portion size was huge. It was defiantly enough to share. The chicken was perfectly seasoned. My husband got the Slow Roasted Pork Belly that he said was really tender and flavorful. Again the portion was huge. They also have a good beer list and it was nice to get to try a few British beers that I hadn't seen before. I can't wait to go back for brunch. read more

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Overall nicely executed with only one exception. Root veggie soup was rich and delicious as was the fish fry and steak. Cheese curds were decent. Chicken pot pie was terrible. Too sweet and mustardy, tasting instead like McDonald's chicken nugget honey mustard sauce with shreds of chicken and tough inedible mushrooms. The delicious soup is served in the same size bowl and just as rich but is nearly half the price. Do that instead and let them go back to the drawing board on the pot pie. read more

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