Not only is this location one of the best steakhouses I have ever experienced, it is THE best Wildfire I have ever visited. Every time I leave this establishment, I do not feel one morsel of guilt for the magnificent calories I have just consumed. Everything from their appetizers to their desserts is incredible; especially the blue-cheese crusted filet. The wine selection is above par, and for the price, this is one of the best values in the City. Be sure you make reservations on the weekend, unless you wish to wait hours for a table, or eat at 9:30 in the evening. A 'must-do' recommendation is to acquire one of their U-Shaped, horseshoe style booths - they are great! read more

Ok, so yes, I get it they are corporate. Wildfire gets 4 stars because they do what they do and well. We order carry out from here often as it is kiddie corner from where we live. The salads are big and yummy (a small is more than enough for two), the chicken sausage pizza is great and on Monday's their fried chicken special is one of the man of the house favorites( I can vouch for him it's good, I've tried it, my thighs just don't appreciate it as much as my mouth). BUT what sets them apart from other chain restaurant or any other restaurant for that matter And earns them 4 stars, is their customer service. We have NEVER had a wrong pick up order and that is saying something. We order a lot of carry out/delivery and 9 times out of 10 something is wrong or missing. Wildfire marks everything in the bag and will go through the items right there with you before you leave. Prevention is key, good job guys. You know what you are getting with these guys good food (not amazing, but good) and AMAZING customer service. read more

The atmosphere intimidated me at first and I'll be honest, I made assumptions, that a "supper club" style Lettuce Entertain You restaurant in downtown Chicago would fail my expectations and needs, but in the six years my family has been coming to Wildfire, it has always fed us well and without issue. The restaurant is a touch loud and yes, as others have mentioned, it does have a spooky corporate glow... but I have been able to eat a very nice, seemingly fresh meal catered to my specifications every single time we have come here. Even when I was on a diet where I could only eat fish and veggies, I happily ate their cedar-planked salmon and veggies all the way to yumtown. They have a very nice gluten-free menu, especially for meat eaters, but those of you who get by with the occasional fish dish will be exceptionally pleased with their offerings. The fish is dee-lish! The chicken chopped salad always makes the whole table happy and the staff always prepares it for us with everything on the side (for one kosher, one lactose-free and one gluten-free diner). This is a little pricier than your everyday meal out on the town, but great for special family occasions, out of town visitors, and those nights when you (you celiac) want to eat downtown without questioning everything placed before you. I'll admit, I love Wildfire. read more

This would be my first and absolutely not last visit to "Wildfire". the restaurant boost a low key atmosphere with very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Now for the food, and being spoiled with succulent juicy shrimp in other parts of the world there shrimp falls bleak in comparison. You'd swear they are serving us up with a bowl of crushed ice and 5 pencil like worms that had the color of shrimp. I did not enjoy these. Sorry guys but I am going to give you an "F" for trying. My wife has an french onion soup, hmm I am not sure how to describe this one but I believe they wanted to serve us a bowl of brown water and a heap of sugar. I have yet to find out when french onion soup has changed to a sugary very sweet recipe. Yes another F for this dish. Funny all of us went for the sirloin steak I had mine medium rare and out of all 4 steaks mine was the best but the outside was dark char grilled almost as if they forgot it on too high flame. I worked around the burnt pieces and finished about two thirds of my steak. very tasty and juicy. Not sure what the deal is with the sour dough bread in wine sauce below the steak. I'll ask the chef next time I visit. Also we brought wine from our last trip to South Africa and only paid $10 corkage which was a steal. similar bottle sold in the restaurant would have sold for over $150 per bottle. They have a coat check and there are ample cabs in the area. I must also say the place was packed for Saturday night seems like the economy is picking up slowly certainly a good sign or I may have just been traveling way too much. Call me a foody or a snob but I simply love good food and would have given them 4 stars but the truth is there is work to be done. Until next time. read more

Some complaints from the people I was eating with that the meat was over salted. I didn't have a problem with my filet mignon medallions. Came back a second time to order the exact same thing. Atmosphere is cozy and waiting staff was attentive. Would come back to again! read more

I was in the mood for a steakhouse dinner without wanting to pay 50 bucks for a piece of meat at Gibson's or Perry's, so I ended up here. I left somewhat disappointed. Started with the "Old Kentucky Home" bourbon cocktail, which was deeply tasty but too sweet (which I anticipated, since it involves orange marmalade, in addition to Makers 46, O3 orange liqueur, and sour mix). Caesar salad was a little overdressed, though the dressing was very good (obviously house-made), and I liked the use of coarsely chopped rather than leaf romaine (plus they brought me plenty of anchovies). I had the "Ellington" combination of a Parmesan-crusted "petite" NY strip and a skewer of five (smallish) garlic shrimp. The steak was a big disappointment. I pushed off the Parmesan "crust," which was not a crust but more of a wet, mushy blob and too strongly flavored. The steak itself was underdone (I had ordered charred medium, it came out medium rare) and wasn't tender or flavorful enough to be worthy of a supposed meat emporium like this. That's the main reason for my stingy two-star rating. (I'd do 2 1/2 if that were possible.) The mac and cheese side dish, though, was yummy. My glass of wine -- St Francis "Red Splash," a Merlot-based blend -- was jammy, full of bold cherry flavor, but a bit too soft and flabby to stand up to steak. My dessert -- an ice cream sundae that involved chocolate-covered pretzels -- was very good. Service and the pace of the meal were fine, though my waiter always seemed in a hurry and didn't establish any sort of bond. This place is crowded, noisy, obviously a gold mine for its corporate parent, but on the basis of this one visit, I think it's more mass-market "concept" than serious steakhouse. read more

This was our first time visit over Christmas Holiday. After ordering drinks the server brought us dark raisin bread and onion bread. The breads were warm and delicious. I ordered parmesan-crusted cod which was cooked perfectly and was tasty. My daughter enjoyed her rare filet mignon. My husband also liked the prime angus burger. As for the side dishes, we had steamed broccoli, au gratin potatoes, and baked potato. They were okay. The broccoli was very bland. Overall the food was good and service was excellent. Nice atmosphere. read more

Delicious food and drink. I tried the Tequila Passion Tini that was strong but sooooo good! Tried macadamia crusted halibut and creamed spinach with cheesecake to finish. Worth every penny. The only negative thing was when I went to eat my left over cheesecake, it had crumbled and the crust was on everything. Normally that's no issue, but I'm sensitive to gluten so had to throw it out since I couldn't pick around it. read more

Wildfire - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pretty good. Had val special. Steak over cooked but med rare for me is over. Ordered rare came med well. Nice atmosphere. Server young. read more

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I have ordered takeout online twice and each time my order was not correct - I asked for sour cream on the side and when I got my order it was all over my baked potato and the second time I asked for no sour cream and AGAIN it was all over my baked potato and the lemon pepper chicken was tasteless and had no lemon anywhere - I am disappointed and will no longer patronize this establishment. read more

We are usually fans of Wildfire and love LEYE (gold status for rewards) but our experience last night was one of the worst we have had in our history with dining with LEYE Negative: -Awkward waiter -I requested my filet medellions to be cooked medium, they arrived well done which was unpleasant -Ordered potatoes au gratin as my side. I am not sure what they brought me, sickly gray inedible potatoes that I could not eat -Mediocre salmon Positive -Our group enjoyed the bacon wrapped scallions and the bison meatballs -Mushroom cap side was good -Great drinks for reasonable prices -raspberry cosmo, beer flight, and manhattan. They have an extensive menu of martinis, cocktails, beer, and wine read more

Eh... It's really below average for the price. The service was kind of cold and they wanted to take plates away that we weren't done with multiple times. The steak was a bit overcooked for a couple of us. The sides were bland. The salad greens weren't incredibly fresh. It wasn't awful or anything but there are so many better options in the area. read more

I just tried Wildfire out for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It was a sunday evening and we were freezing from having spent an hour outside in the cold walking around at the zoo. We warmed up with a nice bottle of malbec and I had the peppercorn crusted filet (Medium). The filet was cooked to perfection and the redskin mashed potatoes were delicious. I was completely full from having eaten a smore and drank a large cocoa at the zoo in addition to my meal but I managed to split dessert with my girlfriend which were miniature keylime pie slices. Yes, I was glutunous and I paid for it later. Food wise, it was a great place to eat. As for atmosphere, it lacks any identity. There are large black & white photos of old movie stars and musicians which give it a somewhat generic feel. The open kitchen in the back is a nice touch but with the River North location it tends to bring a very touristy crowd. The price is not exactly cheap so I expected the clientale to dress a little better. I'm not saying everyone needs to be decked out but I think people walking around in sweatpants and football jerseys steals a little class from the place. I can't fault Wildfire for having patrons who dress badly but I can at least be the voice of the fashion police and try to persuade a few people to have some class and dress it up a little. Jeans and a nice shirt will do. If you want to wear pajamas order delivery at home or go to McDonalds. read more

Wildfire makes a mean chopped salad ... it's sad when that is your first thought to a steak resturant. but that's my first thought. The desert was good too I suppose. This place is very crowded on the weekends so reservations are a good idea. The drinks have a tendency to be weak at most. And the steak is okay. It's really not worth the price by any means. read more

The atmosphere is great here. Definitely make reservations in advance as it get quite busy. The service has been great both visits. We've been here twice now and it's always been very good. My husband loves their steaks. Their servings are really big, so be careful not to fill up on their delicious wine selection and/or bread. I only rated Wildfire three stars because I like to eat with more variety and although their food is excellent, it's just not too exciting for my taste buds. read more

This is place is fantastic and truly a bargin for the quality. I was very pleasantly surprised. Salad: The Chopped Salad is probably the best chopped salad I've ever had. It has all regular ingredients plus mexican tortilla - which was an unexpected treat. Entree: The Bone-In Char-crusted Ribeye with Peppercorn Sauce. Excellent. Probably the best steak I've ever had and it was only $32 and probably 20 ounces. It was cooked to perfection and I had enough for breakfast the next month. Yummy. Sides: Au Gratin Potatoes tasted just like my southern mother's...made me nostalgic for home. I didn't start with an Appetizer or finish with Dessert and I must say I'm glad. The portions are so generous you really don't need more than your entree. This is definitely on my list of favorites and I will be back many more times. read more

My husband and I went here with a gift card we received through 'lettuce entertain you'. Our waiter Eric was amazing! He had a great personality and was unlike most 'forced happy waiters'. He was genuinely happy and it reflected in his service. We got the calamari as and appetizer and it was a great sized portion which was unexpected but exciting! It was delicious. For our meals we chose to do the filet medallions in mushroom, Parmesan, and potato sauce topping with au gratin potatoes (delicious!!). We also got coconut shrimp with a twice baked potato. We shared the items so that we could get a better idea of what we liked since this was our first visit. All items were delicious. We will definitely get the medallions again! As for the shrimp, the sauce is what makes it so we may try something new. For dessert we shared the larger portion of key lime pie. It's not huge but it is super rich so sharing it was great! We also decided to try the martini flight. They are smaller sized glasses but we were looking more to taste test to find one we liked. Cosmopolitan and green apple were average and normal. The stormy night and raspberry samples however were our favorites! Also make a reservation because it gets packed fast!! read more

My husband and I had a date night last Friday and our evening began with dinner at Wildfire. We first stopped at the bar to enjoy half-priced appetizers and drink specials. The crab cakes were notably delicious, the best we'd ever had outside of Maine. We were seated for dinner at a table near the open kitchen, a location we actually enjoyed. We sipped some very reasonably priced wine while waiting for our dinner...and truly enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the busy kitchen. Our waitress was fun, attentive and professional. My husband had the 16 ounce prime rib with a side of redskin mashed potatoes, he loved both. He said the prime rib was perfectly prepared and full of flavor. I had the east coast sea scallops over a bed of sautéed lemon garlic spinach and a side of au gratin potatoes. The scallops were prepared in the wood burning oven, infusing that unmistakable deliciousness that makes just about anything taste better. The scallops were nicely prepared and very fresh. The au gratin potatoes were pretty good, though I did think they were slightly overcooked. Our waitress surprised me with a complimentary birthday dessert that we somehow found room for. It was a wonderful meal and we plan on going back for sure. read more

This place is great, every time I'm in Chicago I visit this place. The steaks are amazing and the service is impeccable. I would recommend that you make reservations early. read more

Went here last night with a buddy, was a very good experience. The ambiance is that of a time long ago as advertised. I had the special Filet medallion trio with choice of 3 crusts with a double baked potato and mac and cheese.. The Steaks were cooked very well, the crusts kinda were what they were nothing very special. The double baked potato was good as most are where ever you go Mac and cheese was rather bland. Overall, the experience was very good, service was prompt, food arrived quickly, wish there was a little more spice and seasoning to the food but I'd go again. read more

Came today with the family for a birthday lunch and really talked up the food since we had Wildfire previously in the suburban location. Walked away with a mixed experience: Pros: Beautiful location. It was really quiet in there today though, but nice atmosphere. Great server, not fake nice. Good selection on menu. Cons: Food took forever and we ordered burgers and there weren't many people there. My side dish - wild rice was raw. I sent it back and still got back crunchy rice. Maybe it's supposed to be that way but I did not care for that texture. The server brought me another side instead without hesitation. We were delighted that they comped us the appetizer and soft drinks for the tardiness of the food and my dislike of the rice. That made me consider returning another time when I had already decided not to be a repeat customer. Wildfire is probably a better dinner experience than lunch. read more

Just opened up for lunch I believe not that long ago so went there for a business meeting. Food was good, I had a BBQ beef sandwich. Sandwich was messy but that was excepted. The service is what killed it for me. The waiter frankly didn't seem like he wanted to be there. When they took our plates, my associate had a dish that the waiter spilled some juices from and they just left it. Didn't clean it up at all, not even an attempt after a few minutes. Have had good experiences with Wildfire in the past but not sure I'd come back for lunch again now. read more

This place is amazing. Started with the calamari and warm goat cheese/marinara dip for appetizers. Both items were perfectly prepared and very tasty! For our main course, we enjoyed the prime rib and filet, and both were cooked to perfection. The kids had the pasta and meatballs, and it was excellent as well. We finished off with a warm cookie topped with ice cream. Yum! We were most impressed with our service. Gabriel was our waiter and he went above and beyond your typical server. He was attentive to not only us, but even our two kids! I will definitely be coming back here the next time we're in the city. If you want a good steak, this is your place! read more

This review is actually for their Sangria Class, which was amazing!! The class is held in a private room with group tables set up as if you're having a meal. They served great appetizers throughout the class, in addition to 4 different sangrias. The atmosphere was lively and fun (especially by the 3rd round of drinks) and everyone at the tables interacted with each other. The only thing that was a slight put-off for me is that they present your bill upon arrival and ask for a tip up front, which seems to defeat the purpose of a tip, but maybe that's just me. I would highly recommend the class and, based upon the quality of the appetizers and the service from the staff, I would definitely return here for dinner. read more

I blindly trust any Lettuce Entertain You restaurant and this one doesn't disappoint. Always easy to get seating even though they're always busy. Great drinks and great food. If you go you have to get a fillet. Don't think there's anything else on the menu! Just kidding, the appetizers are very memorable as well. Always great service. A Lettuce Entertain You staple. Highly recommended! read more

I love this place to be honest. I think there is a reason that this restaurant group does so well with all of their restaurants. Wildfire has great steaks, service and reasonable prices considering it is a Chicago Steak House. Very much enjoy eating here every time I take friends or clients out for a night. Highly recommend! Consistently great. read more

Ok, to start, I just want to say that Wild Fire is a decent restaurant. To me, it's a classy dump. The atmosphere is a little too highbrow for what it has to offer. If it wasn't for the fun people I were with, the atmosphere would have been nonexistent. I ordered the three medallion filets. They were cooked to perfection. Had a very good side of creamy Spinach and the crab and shrimp bisque soup was mediocre. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed their food but I guess my big problem was the bill. Yeah , sure it is downtown and sure the service was good but I don't see the value in a restaurant like Wild Fire. There are so many restaurants in Chicago where you can get an outstanding meal for 25 bucks. It's overpriced, has a bland atmosphere, and is filled with stuck up people. It's a decent restaurant for a one time thing but Olive Garden has more charm. read more

We went here for my sister's 30th birthday last night. It served as a night out in the city for my sister, mom and dad. They love the wildfire out by them in the northwest suburbs so my sister made a reservation for all of us and a few friends of hers. We were seated quickly but at a table right next to where all the food was coming out of the kitchen. The waiters kept grabbing the back of my chair like a pivot point to make it around the corner (was on the end) so we moved the table back a little....was still an issue. Few other things: - asked for bread device a few times before it came out - my wife's steak was supposed to be medium rare and came out well done - drink service was slow and the table was hardly checked on - sides came out a good deal after all the other main courses That said, my steak was good I was just underwhelmed by the service, which never seems to be an issue at the ones in the burbs. This review is more based on a direct comparison to other steak houses in the area, and when you stack it up: 2 stars for wildfire. read more

Not sure I understand the hype. I immediately didn't care for the ambiance as the room was loud and filled with people in a way that reminded me of a commercialized chain restaurant along the lines of Chili's or TGI Fridays, albeit a bit more upscale. My date and I waited a long time to order our food and an even longer time to receive it; it was probably 45-60 minutes from the time we sat down to when we received our food. We ordered a burger and crispy chicken sandwich. Both were good - the burger had some unique seasoning that I really enjoyed actually. Unfortunately, it was cooked well-done when I ordered a medium temperature. The fries and mac n cheese that came with it were decent. Overall, a very average experience with a cookie cutter feel. I really don't understand the interest given all of the unique restaurants in the city. read more

Restaurant is located in the far end of river north. Good for happy hour. Will try the meat selection next time read more

Wildfire - Bread to start the meal - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Did not get drinks for 20 minutes. Steak tasted like it was microwaved. Service was horrible, when they didn't have a side I wanted, they up-charged me to get a salad instead? Pretty bad experience. 2 stars is generous. read more

I had lunch there and fought with natts the whole meal. After paying the bill we saw a roach and the manager informed the restaurant had a bug spraying on Sunday but they can't get them all. Never will I go back!!!! read more

The male bartender was rude to say the least. He has no business in the service industry. He ignored me and after going to the bathroom removed what was left of my drink. If it wasn't for the good service from the female bartender this would be a one star review. The bacon wrapped scallops appraiser was mediocre at best. The ribeye was a poor cut, fatty with a lot of cartilage. I could find a better cut at Walmart... read more

We tried Wildfire on a Saturday evening date night. Appetizers (crab cakes, caesar salad) were both very good. Our server was very nice, but very slow. We waited several minutes upon being seated for water and taking of a drink order. Overall, nothing in our entrees had much taste; the quality of steaks was extremely disappointing and the sides were all very bland. If you're looking for a steakhouse in Chicago, there are many other (better, and worth what you pay for) options. Skip this one. read more

My son and I have celiac disease and finding an extensive GF menu like the one at Wildfire is rare. They brought us GF flatbread to start. We had spinach artichoke dip as an appetizer. I had steak and au gratin potatoes. He had macadamia nut crusted halibut and mushrooms. Food was fantastic. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about celiac and gluten free. They had desserts but we were so stuffed we didn't try them. read more

Frequent fan of the Lettuce brand, but dinner at Wildfire on Saturday evening was monster disappointment. The place was filthy. We had an 8:00 reservation, over $400 for 4 people, and at 10 pm they were literally putting chairs up on the tables around us while they vacuumed. Food was mediocre at best. Never again. read more

I had only been here once before. And that was for a private function , as it was my friend's 50th Birthday. On that occasion I was pretty impressed by the professionalism of the staff and the quantity of food. Therefore, when the opportunity to enjoy another Prime Rib dinner arose, I immediately jumped! The downfall was having 6 Larger than Life characters packed into a sphere shaped booth more perfectly suited for 5. But aside from the special closeness we all shared, we were completely "Wowwed" by the professionalism exhibited by our waiter Phil. he had the charisma, charm and detail of the makings of a Rock Star--but then again, he was trained by the best in the business---Ms. Susie Southgate Fox! And how do I know that? I was trained by her 20 years ago. Tucci Milan, hmmm. We all experienced an enjoyable meal complemented by unobtrusive service. We will certainly be back! read more

Pros: The service was excellent; the New York Strip was cooked to perfection; the bread was good. Cons: The steak was horrible -- stringy, chewy, gristly. I did not finish it nor did I bring it home in a doggy bag. It was perhaps the most unpleasant steak I have ever eaten. It tasted like it had been frozen, thawed, and frozen again. Maybe I got a freak steak; maybe not. In either case, I'm never going back. read more

My girlfriend too me out for a birthday dinner here. It was absolutely superb! I can't wait to go back! Fantastic staff, very attentive and friendly! Great Surf and Turf! Wonderful beer selections and a very delicious desert! I made for a wonderful birthday dinner. read more

An okay place if you're in the mood for okay food and all American bar/restaurant. We (three of us) checked it out on a Saturday night after an art show in the near bar area - made reservation first. We had the signature salad and burger - salad was way big, burger was juicy. Overall not a bad experience. The warm and cheerful waitress and front desk people are definitely a plus. read more