Came here for a nice evening out to eat! Very nice that they are still servicing customers during the pandemic and have the nice outside heated domes to seat guest. The crab ceasar salad was delishhh! Will definitely be back for that. had the lobster ravolli for my entree... not too bad! Portion is very small , but the dish was pretty good. 7.5/10 The pumpkin donuts are super good! We had a table of 3 and were able to share. pretty good place , will be back for the salad lol. read more

Today I treated myself a Willow Room burgers for lunch. Boy was it delicious! I ate outside in one of their "greenhouses", which was clean and airy. It felt completely safe. read more

Willow Room - The double burger cooked to perfection toppedwith a creamy, flavorful cheese. Awesome! - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had a wonderful meal here, from cocktails, through the appetisers then dinner and even dessert! Perfectly cooked beef wellington, buttery scallops and crispy halibut. CA wines seem to be at a huge premium over rest-of-world bottles, so we took the cheaper options read more

Wanted to come here for a bachelorette party, but it was a bit out of budget. Glad we were able to come for Restaurant Week. Started with burrata app, which had a fun twist w/ the apple butter. Mussels were fine. Scallops were awesome with the additional cauliflower & foam. Toffee pudding didnt feel enough. But the s'mores felt more than enough... in the best way. Service was wonderful. And the cocktails met expectations. My friend said the bees knees, mightve been the best shes had. My old fashioned and hot toddy were okay. Fine food, fine night, normal fine Chicago experience. read more

Went for restaurant week and can't say enough great things. Courses consisted of caesar salad, potato soup, lobster ravioli, and vanilla gelato. Portions were great, food was phenomenal, and the staff was superb. Go visit Willow Room! read more

Stopped into this place after work. The service is friendly and the food is good. I had their beet salad with the chicken.

I went with a group of girls for a random weekday night out. The wine list was so good and the food was delicious. We split several appetizers like the Burrata and Crudo. I had the mussels for my meal which was more than enough food. The decorations were beautiful. We were able to sit in the front of the restaurant in one of the bay windows with Christmas lights around. It was a lovely evening! read more

This is the local neighborhood joint I go to whenever I want a really good cheeseburger. I've sampled a few of the other dishes but I always come back to the burger, which is a standout to me in the entire city. The cheeseburger is a smash burger with a slight crisp to the patty. The American cheese is gooey and draped over the patty like a well placed toga, hugging the patty in all the right places. It's simple, with tomatoes, pickles and onions on a buttered bun - but they do the burger just so dang well. It comes with a side of thin crispy fries (though I think you get more whent you actually sit inside vs. order take out). read more

I was really impressed by the homey yet fine dining vibes that willow room gives. It's such a cute spot and it wasn't too busy around dinner time. I really enjoyed the lobster ravioli and the NY strip! read more

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I recently went in to The Willow Room for brunch with a girlfriend from out of town. I was particularly set on finding a spot that we'd be able to treat ourselves but not break the bank. This was the perfect level of "brunch" aesthetic without being overpriced or pretentious. We're both on a budget but I wanted to treat her to a memorable meal (a celebration) and I was able to do here. Every step of the way was filled to the brim with hospitality. My friend is recently engaged and this was our first time seeing each other since the big day; I called ahead to ensure that the host/waiter knew that I wanted to pay for the meal and inquire about any sort of celebratory drinks/desserts they offer. Anthony, one of the owners, was beyond hospitable and offered up some mimosas for us to toast with. The Willow Mimosa was SO refreshing... I often worry that I'm going to get a drink at brunch and then regret it the rest of the day. This lavender/basil magic was so light and delicious. Highly recommend - especially since it was so good for such a reasonable price point ($7). I would absolutely recommend this restaurant for a casual yet elevated brunch experience, especially if you're celebrating something special! read more

Very nice place that I recently discovered a few weeks ago. I have meetings @ Steppenwolf Theater quite often and was meeting a lovely lady afterwards to grab a drink. I did a Yelp search for cocktail joints near the theater and Willow Room came up. We met up here and grabbed a couple of drinks @ the bar. I wound up getting a mezcal old fashioned and it was very good. I then got the Paloma which was a tequila drink with some rose', lime juice, san pellegrino and pompelmo...pretty good! I looked at the menu and figured I would come back soon. I came back the next week after another meeting and this time I was a bit hungry. I was solo this time so I grabbed a bar seat. The burger seemed pretty easy to go with and I figured it would be good per the bartender telling me to go for it. This is basically a double cheeseburger with pickles and dijonnaise on a brioche bun. It came with fries and was as good as expected...reminds me of the burger from Parts & Labor in Logan Square, but better. I love the look of the place as it is open and well lit along with exposed brick which is always a good look for me. This is a good spot to bring a date for a nice dinner or come here with friends for relaxing and a good time. read more

I came here for a date during the pandemic so we had a patio seat. All of the employees were wearing masks and the patio seating was spread out. The patio seating was limited so I would recommend grabbing a reservation on Opentable. I ordered the Eggs Benedict and she ordered the Salmon Bagel. I thought the Eggs Benedict was good, but nothing spectacular. I really enjoyed the potatoes. My date thought that the Salmon Bagel was solid. Presentation was on point. Prices are actually pretty cheap for some good food. It's not the best brunch I have ever had, but I think the food quality is better than their price point, which makes it good value. I would love to come back here to try dinner and their cocktails sometime! read more

Willow Room - Eggs Benedict and Salmon Bagel. - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Made a reservation to eat here on a Wednesday night before a Steppenwolf play. Love the atmosphere- the exposed brick wall, lighting and bright windows to the street. As soon as we were seated, water appeared at our table. Our waiter , Murphy , was friendly, attentive and informative. Small menu but good selection. Ordered the mussels for an appetizer. Delicious. The sauce was a little spicy but very tasty. Best sauce my husband has ever had with mussels. My husband got the brevet steak. He loved it. Done medium rare perfectly. I ordered a salad ( because I'm on a diet) and it was good as well. My husband drank a homemade Bloody Mary and said he would definitely get again. Overall great experience- the food, the service and the atmosphere. Will be back ! read more

Ambience is really cute. Love the bulb lights bordering the windows. Sunset is also cool here - we came on a night with a very purple sky. Food was a miss for us. I got the halibut, which had a crispy chicken skin, and an Asian fusion-esque sauce served over a bed of kimchi. My fiancé got the steak. I ended up removing the halibut from the sauce and eating it ungarnished on my extra plate - I don't think the sauce was working for this fish. I did eat the kimchi too though. Comparatively, my fiancé really liked the sauce on his steak, but the steak itself was just so so. I got a cocktail, it was fine, but not great. Service was fine. We were just disappointed with the main entrees since we were celebrating something low-key and had high hopes. read more

Went here with my parents before attending the Rembrandt Play at the Steppenwolf Theater. We did not have a reservation and while they were busy-they offered us outside seating at a table on the sidewalk and side of the restaurant. The food was fresh, nicely presented, and arrived promptly... Our orders were...salmon, squash soup, and housemade caesar salad. Potty Entertainment=Celebrity Sightings... FYI-Check out the famous people that ate or visited the restaurant or possibly knew the proprietor of the restaurant...they are conveniently located in the individual bathrooms near the bar......interesting choice for decor to say the least! read more

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Very disappointed. While the contemporary atmosphere is charming, the food was incredibly disappointing. We had a small selection of appetizers (croquets, mussels, and burrata) - all of which were underwhelming. The mussels were cold. The value of this restaurant for the price they demand simply isn't there. read more

What a beautiful space. I arrived at 1250pm and I missed the brunch crowd, thank goodness. Ordered a Spring Kiss Mimosa- yum Crab Omelette was a treat to myself - the crab made a string appearance in the first four bites and then I was left with just eggs and parsley. Had the crab been evenly distributed - this brunch would be SUPER FANTASTIC! The omelette was simply eggs and crab- the taste undisturbed which I was fine with- it set the mood for brunch - only to be foiled by uneven distribution. I was a single diner and the second place setting was taken away 20 minutes after my arrival/ half way into my meal. The grapefruit brûlée- oh my! I don't know if I scored on a perfect grapefruit or if the torching made it spectacularly juicy but- I didn't want to waste the juice but was not comfortable with lifting and slurping it like an oyster- so I added it to my drinking water. No worries though... I shall return read more

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So glad to have this neighborhood favorite back! Dinner was great & the arancini appetizer was delicious!

Wonderful service and great ambiance. The food was delicious. We will return to try other items.

I'm not sure what these other reviewers see in this place. The food is mediocre to bad, my girlfriend had avocado toast where the avocados, grape tomatoes, and arugula were all odd and kind of gross tasting. I asked for a side salad and it was the large bitter pieces of iceberg. It's winter and I'm not expecting the height of freshness,m, but plenty of other local spots can do a lot better this time of year. Even the coffee was bad. Not coming back. read more

Totally forgot I had a wonderful summer brunch here a few months ago with my husband and sister before heading to the Lincoln Park zoo. I had the avocado toast, my husband had a frittata and my sister had a beny. Everyone loved their meal and the service was swift and sweet! I can't wait to come back and try more items on the menu. One thing to note - the avo toast came with lots of herbs which was fine but unfortunately the chop on the herbs were not. Very big pieces of mint and dill gave a rustic presentation but a mouth full of bitter herbs. read more

Updating my review from 2 stars to 4 stars. We had a somewhat poor dinner experience after the place opened last year and decided to give it a second chance for brunch on Sunday. We sat outside and it was very lovely. I started with a delicious mimosa with fresh OJ, 5/5. I had the eggs benedict (with mustard hollandaise) and I thought it was bland with a chewy english muffin, 2.5/5. However, the dish came with a side of breakfast potatoes which were out of this world, 5/5. I've never had potatoes cooked that style - roasted with crispy skin, but smashed down, and seasoned to perfection! Very yummy! My fiance had the crab omelette, which he enjoyed. He was in love with the potatoes as well. The owner or perhaps GM stopped by our table and let us know that the dinner menu was just redone by a new chef. So, we plan to visit again for dinner. read more

Willow Room - Eggs benie and potatoes - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My friend and I tried the Willow Room for the first time in Thursday during restaurant week. The restaurant has a really nice ambience that's well-suited to a night out or a date. We were greeted and seated really quickly, and the service continued to be pretty solid aside from 2 things. 1.) They were anxious to clear the table throughout, from wine glasses with a couple sips remaining to diving in to clear a plate as soon as the last piece was lifted from it. My friend had *literally* just lifted the piece of sourdough to her mouth. 2.) None of the people serving, managing, or constantly clearing our table asked the weird couple beside us to stop loudly face-timing. They had their phone on speaker and passed out between them as the sound blared. The food was great, though. The burrata was excellent, as was the salad (though very light of pears, which are kinda the highlight). The best of the night was the squash soup, which we both had. It was amazing! I was worried about the espresso component, but out likely just added richness and balance. The brown butter on top added a lot. I'd go back every day for the soup if I lived in the area. We both had the farro, but would definitely ask for the egg to be more fully cooked in the future (neither of us being a fan of runny eggs). I really enjoyed the texture of the kale and the way it picked up the flavors of the dish. We capped the meal off with a citrus custard the was the perfect, slightly tart, refreshing end we needed. I think I've recommended them to at least 4 or 5 people since Thursday! read more

Great Saturday brunch spot! Ran into the owner at the bar and he was warm and welcoming. Start with the donut holes as an app...you won't be disappointed! read more

Willow Room - Bacon, egg and cheddar frittata. - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I would say this place is a tapas joint. The food is slammin and was packed when my roommate and i walked in around 8:30 on a Friday night. So i would make a reservation to assure you can get a spot. We decided to get a few plates to share. We got the grilled octopus, the beet salad, truffle fries, and butternut squash dish. And it was all flavorful and delicious. It was just the right amount of food for two people. My favorite was the beet salad- it was probably the best one I've ever had! Defs check this place out if you are in the Lincoln lark area!! Oh and get the donuts ... you won't regret it read more

Willow Room recently opened so we came to try it out. We checked out the menu online before we arrived. For an appetizer we ordered the burrata. It was a good size portion with crispy french bread and jam on the side. The burrata was excellent and I definitely reccomend it. After having the appetizer, we ordered our entrees. I had my heart set on braised pork shoulder but was sadly disappointed when I found out they stopped selling it. I ordered spicy sauage instead which was on a bed of mussels. The mussels left a pool of liquid in the bottom making my sausage soggy. My girlfriend ordered the rainbow trout fish which was very crispy and came with rice and peas. For desert, I ordereda slice of key lime pie that's from bang bang pie shop in downtown Chicago. The graham cracker crust was oooo so yummy. The pie was for sure the highlight of the meal for me. read more

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A tale of two experiences. I've been to Willow Room on two occasions; once for the bf's birthday dinner and once for one of my best friend's birthday brunch. My experiences were worlds apart, which is why I'm giving Willow Room 3 stars. Dinner = Overall 4 stars. Had an great dining experience with excellent service and good food, for the most part. *Service gets two thumbs up. Our server Dan gave great recommendations and was always there when needed. *Drinks the Negroni was nice, Bees Knees was good and Autumn Spice was amazing! *Charcuterie was definitely a great start to our dining experience. *Meatballs were delicious. *Carpaccio was good, but not that memorable. *Pork Shoulder was love by the bf. *Tagliatelle was flavorless and disappointing. Thankfully everything else was good which is why dinner gets 4 stars. Brunch = Overall 2 stars. My friends and I all agreed that we wouldn't do brunch here again, especially after we are told that they were out of one of entrees. *Service was spotty. My one friend ordered a Bloody Mary about 10 minutes before our food arrived and 20 minutes later still no Bloody Mary. *Meaty Bloody Mary was a little watery. *Eggs Benedict with braised pork was flavorless and the addition of the green tomato was a negative. read more

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We went for our wedding anniversary and it was wonderful. The place is gorgeous, food was delicious and we loved our waitress Rashel. She was sweet, attentive, and so friendly. We would absolutely go back again! read more

Willow Room - The short rib and Halibut entrees - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This cute neighborhood restaurant was mostly empty when I came in on a Wednesday evening around 9pm. Kitchen closes at 10pm, but they kept the bar open until we left a little after 11pm, which was appreciated. I ordered a bottle of Hall cab, which is always a pretty solid choice and I wasn't disappointed. We got the cheese plate and the bavette steak, which was cooked perfectly and was really a winner on the menu. The owner was there and chatted with us briefly - very nice and knowledge re: wines. I'd definitely recommend this spot for dinner with friends or a date. read more

What's good: the potatoes. 10/10, must have. The chicken and rice pilaf was very tasty as well! The service was very professional, friendly and quick. What's not good: the sangria, which tasted like old fruit infused water. The fries were cold and portions were kind of small, which can be expected for the city. Overall, 4/5 stars. The ambience is great for a one on one date or even a group of 8. Bring your friends! read more

Willow Room - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been coming to Willow Room for years now, and it's consistently great. I took the kids last time for a fancy, early (5pm) dinner in one of the outdoor igloos. It made the dinner really fun! The servers were very kind, and the bartender made a beautifully decorated glass of chocolate milk for my daughter. I didn't even realize they had a kids' menu. It was nice to have a good meal for both me & the kids read more

I was taken here by my wonderful, generous boyfriend for our Valentine's Day dinner (the day after Valentine's Day, though, to beat the crowds) because we'd been eyeing it for months, and I'm extremely glad that we waited for a special occasion to experience this place. It was truly magnificent. First and foremost, we arrived on a Friday night, so it was pretty busy. The atmosphere was romantic and warm, even though it was 20 degrees outside and snowy. The lighting in here is totally gorgeous, the staff is pleasant, the colors are comforting, and the candles on each table make everything feel like you're right at home, except maybe even fancier than your home. We started off by ordering a bottle of cabernet, because nothing says romance like wine! We also ordered their grilled octopus appetizer with black tahini to start, which was a truly brilliant choice. We could not stop looking at each other and truly saying "oh my god, this is so good," while we ate this perfectly-cooked seafood appetizer. I felt spoiled off the bat! I'd also like to note that we did take forever to pick an appetizer and even longer to pick our menu items, and the waiter never rushed us or acted like we were taking too long. He visited us just enough times, and our water was filled at the perfect moments. This was one of the first date nights where I didn't feel like the waiter was interrupting at important parts of the conversation! The staff here is really cool and calm. At entree time, both my boyfriend and I each chose delectable dishes: he the beef Wellington, and I the oxtail agnolotti. He scarfed down every bite of his easily, plus it was one of his first times eating Brussels sprouts, so it was fun to watch him experience those for the first time. I'm not going to lie to you: I really didn't know what oxtail agnolotti even was, but I knew it was sort of like a pasta so I ordered it. I am typing this review about four days after eating this meal, and I can still taste this in my mouth -- not literally, you weirdo! I've brushed my teeth several times since then! :) Although I wish there were even more agnolotti in my dish, I know that's just because I'm always hungry and it actually was a perfect amount of food. To top it all off, I have to mention that the restroom was very red and looked like the ideal restroom I hope I have in my home in the future. Plus it smelled incredible, like cinnamon cookies. Basically, I absolutely love the bathroom in the Willow Room. I said it. If you've been curious about this place, visit! Go here on your birthday, a special occasion, just for a romantic night out for you and your significant other, or just to treat your own dang self. Enjoy! read more

I took my mother here this past Friday night to celebrate her 60th birthday. I was anticipating this dinner all week, as I had heard such great things. The staff is super friendly and accommodating. We were running about 20 minutes behind on our reservation, and when I called to give them a heads up, they had no issues with changing things around for us. Our waiter was very nice and attentive. He made some great suggestions and was always there to make sure everything was great. The restaurant itself is so charming. Everything from the exposed brick walls, to the artwork, and the lighting. The banquettes are velvet, as are the cute bar stools. The vibe was very eclectic and hip. Onto the food: We started with the Crab Cocktail which was served in a Coupe with saltines. Great flavor and very fresh Then we moved onto the Cheese and Charcuterie selections. We chose 6, and the presentation and flavors were on point. I tend to overorder on purpose so that I can have some delicious leftovers for the next day. We then shared the Rainbow Trout, New York Strip, Brussel Sprouts and the Cauliflower. The Rainbow Trout had excellent flavor and was a really nice portion size. I thought the Cauliflower was alright, but nothing special. Lots of people had raved about this in their reviews. The let down was the New York Strip for me. I'm a BIG steak lover and this one was kind of tough and almost overcooked from the Medium Rare I had anticipated. It wasn't terrible by any means, but it really didn't blow me away ether. The rest of the food was great though! We tried the Old Fashioned and the Negroni for cocktails and then moved on to a bottle of wine to share for dinner. The wine and cocktail lists are great. There's sure to be something for everyone there. I had mentioned in my reservation notes on OpenTable, that we were celebrating my mother's birthday. I didn't expect anything free, but I was hoping they would bring out a candle with the dessert I ordered. Once it was clear nothing was coming for her, I ordered a slice of Bang Bang Pie. No candle. Kind of a bummer. I love dessert and I felt their selections were kind of lacking. Bang Bang Pie is alway great. Overall, we had a really nice time and I'll be back for sure. I hear they'll have a cute little patio running down Willow for the warmer months. Looking forward to it. read more

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I've been here twice for brunch and twice for dinner. There aren't many locales close to downtown that have a neighborhood feel, this is one of the exceptions. Their food is very good, the menu is not overbearing, and the overall value is great. I've enjoyed the halibut, my wife likes the linguine with shrimp, and my daughter loves their burgers. All of the staff take pride, which is rarely seen these days. A few good cocktails as well! read more

Review is only for the downstairs bar. Found this place after having dinner down the street. We just walked in hoping to be seated in the restaurant for a couple cocktails, but the hostesses suggested we visit their downstairs bar, so we decided to check it out. You can't see it from the outside (of course) but the basement bar is really quite nice. We had an early dinner so we were there at around 8pm on a Friday, and it was mostly empty except for what seemed like a birthday party. There was a good chill energy to the place, and the decor and setup is quite nice. The bar itself is relatively small, maybe 8 seats, but there is additional table seating and an open floor. And it really is a full bar with a good selection of cocktails. My date ordered a Manhattan and I ordered the Kentucky Mule. Both were great, but my drink was a little sweet for what I wanted at that point, so I switched to the Manhattan for our next couple rounds. I don't visit Lincoln Park very often, but if I'm in the area again looking for a cocktail, I'll definitely be back. Maybe next time I'll try the food. read more

Willow Room - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Brunch review Had a reservation for 6 of us at 11 am on Sunday. I'd recommend having one as I've tried to walk in a couple times before and the wait was crazy. Overall, everything was just okay. The place has some cute decor but is really loud acoustically (lots of screaming children didn't help). I got the fried chicken sandwich which looked and tasted great but came out luke-warm, as did my wife's breakfast sandwich. The sandwiches were good sizes but I felt the sides of potatoes were small for the price, as were the coffee drinks (lattes etc...). I would go back, maybe more so to try dinner, but it's not at the top of my list. read more

Wasn't sure what to expect since reviews were mixed. I can happily say the chicken and beef stroganoff were both great. Had the s'mores dessert which was good too. Would return. read more

Good food and good service. Excellent blood Mary! Will be back in the near future. Reservation recommended. read more

After moving my daughter into her dorm, I came across this gem, looking for some lunch to kill time till pick up, and was throughly impressed! Lovely atmosphere and a truly stellar club sandwich, staff was wonderful and I was able to linger a bit, catch my breath and relax after a busy morning. I was so impressed I reserved it for us for dinner today for my daughters send off dinner before I head back home to Florida. Dinner was perfection and the gnocchi tender and the Fresno chilis a nice touch to balance the dish, and my daughters lobster ravioli was as she put it "fond of the gods". The lovely dark haired waitress even gifted a congratulatory dessert to go for the new university student. I'll be back in town in October and will DEFINITELY be coming back to enjoy read more

Willow Room - Gnocchi with Fresno chilis...SO good! - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went for restaurant week... amazing place.. great staff... meet Anthony and Tina both very nice people.. Food very tasty... I love that there are choices for mimosas.. will definitely go back soon for dinner. read more

Willow Room - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois