Category Archives: Steakhouses

The Grill On The Alley

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Crab shrimp and lobster louie

Tuna sashimi

Caesar salad

Exterior

Interior

*** (3 stars)

If you like old-school places, you’ll probably like The Grill on the Alley. It’s pretty much unchanged since it opened in the 80s, and it was designed to be retro even back then. It’s a bit like more recent retro steakhouse concepts such as the Palm or Mortons, but somehow lacks the upscale feeling of those.

I didn’t find much that was remarkable on our visit. The best thing I had was a shrimp, crab and lobster Louie salad, which was very generous in its seafood portion, as it should have been for almost $50.

The service was–and I’m being charitable here-uneven, to say the least. We seemed to be handed off through a succession of at least four servers, and the people delivering the plates and bussing the table were all in rotation, too, so it wasn’t exactly conducive to feeling like a guest–more like part of an assembly line.

The clientele here is even older than the restaurant — by about forty years, I’d guess, and seems to be devoted, so perhaps they see something in it that I didn’t.

The Grill On The Alley
9560 Dayton Way
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 276-0615
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-grill-on-the-alley-beverly-hills

Lawry’s The Prime Rib – Beverly Hills

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End cut

English cut

Bar

Interior

***** (5 stars)

I’ve been going to Lawry’s for almost 50 years, and aside from moving across the street a few decades ago, nothing has changed.

Perfectly cooked prime rib is still served, cut to your liking, from 70-year-old table-side carts. The creamed spinach is still the best anywhere, as is the gravy poured into the divot in your mashed potatoes.

Service is proper but not prim, and wine pricing is reasonable.

Lawry’s The Prime Rib – Beverly Hills
100 N La Cienega Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 652-2827
https://www.yelp.com/biz/lawrys-the-prime-rib-beverly-hills-beverly-hills

Swift & Sons

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Interior

Interior

Big eye tuna crudo

Crispy rock shrimp

Tomahawk

Chocolate trolley

**** (4 stars)

There are a lot of steakhouses in Chicago with great atmosphere, and there are some with great steaks, and there are fewer still with great side dishes. Swift & Sons is one of the rare places that offers all three, along with excellent service and fair prices.

We started with the big eye tuna crudo and the crispy rock shrimp. The crudo was melt in your mouth delicious, but a very small serving. The rock shrimp was a huge portion, as generous as the tuna was stingy. The crispy coating held up to the slightly spicy sauce; an excellent dish.

A Caesar salad split three ways was a nice palate cleanser, but it was just okay, and the croutons were fairly indestructible.

We shared a 38-ounce tomahawk rib eye (the smallest size!) three ways. That’s a lot of steak, but it was so delicious, with its charred crust and tender marbling, that there wasn’t a scrap left.

We also had a side of Lobster Thermador, which was very good, but not a traditional Thermador, more like a half lobster tail with some butter-based sauce.

The creamed spinach was also very good; rather than being minced it used the whole leaves, but was definitely more creamed than sauteed.

A popular dessert option is the chocolate trolley, with an assortment of small bites for $3 each. I opted instead for the very interesting white coffee ice cream, which was indeed white, and very nicely flavored.

Wine selections are extensive, thoughtful, and fairly priced. Our server was extremely familiar with the wine list, so that we didn’t even need the sommelier.

Both server and busser were friendly and attentive.

Swift & Sons
1000 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 733-9420
http://www.yelp.com/biz/swift-and-sons-chicago

Ditka’s Restaurant

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The fridge burger

Mini burgers

Exterior

Bar

Dining room

**** (4 stars)

Really great clubby ambiance and one of the best burgers in Chicago are the highlights here.

The Fridge burger has every thing I like on a burger: lettuce tomato, mustard, mayo, pickles and cheddar cheese. The patty was huge and perfectly cooked, and the bun held together despite the incredibly juicy content.

The fries looked great, but were unremarkable, and not crisp enough. But you can get several other sides, including slaw or fruit.

The atmosphere is like a mini-steakhouse crossed with a sports theme. But unlike sports bars, the dining room is classic white tablecloths, with no TVs, just lots of sports memorabilia in cases. If you like more of a bar atmosphere, there is a separate space for that, and also a nice outside dining area.

Lunch pricing is extremely reasonable for the area.

Service was friendly and efficient.

Ditka’s Restaurant
100 E Chestnut St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 587-8989
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ditkas-restaurant-chicago

Wildfire

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Interior

Bar

Tuna tartare

Scallop appetizer

Onion soup

House salad

Horseradish Filet

Beef Wellington

Wine flight

**** (4 stars)

This is another brilliant effort from Lettuce Entertain You. It’s much more old school than their other restaurants, and really does capture the look and feel of a 1940s steakhouse. Not only does it offer some of the best steaks in town, it also offers some of the best steakhouse prices in River North. Both the food and the wine list is priced substantially below those of other restaurants, including some of Lettuce’s other restaurants.

Highlights of our meal included the house salad (the smallest size is huge), the very traditional French Onion Soup, and the very creative tuna tartare. The bacon wrapped scallop appetizer was also quite good.

My horseradish crusted bacon-wrapped filet was just as good as it sounds. In fact, I think it was the best steak I’ve had in Chicago, and I’ve had a lot of them. Creamed spinach is a good side dish.

The wine tasting flights offer four interesting selections for $15 or less. Where else can you get that in River North?

Our server was friendly and attentive. And of course the Lettuce Entertain You Frequent Diner Club points make it an even better deal. Highly recommended.

Wildfire
159 W Erie St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 787-9000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/wildfire-chicago

Mon Ami Gabi

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Entry

Interior

Seafood platter

Artichoke

Smoked Salmon

Mousse Pate

Mussels

Trout

NY Strip

**** (4 stars)

Lettuce Entertain You always does a good job with their concepts, and Mon Ami Gabi is no exception. Although it is one of the oldest concepts in the portfolio, it is showing no sign of age. This is probably due to its classic French Brasserie theming, which is perfect.

As others have mentioned, the French bread served at the start of the meal is 100% authentic.

We started by sharing the chilled seafood platter, which was a good deal considering all that it included, and was a perfect starter for a table of three.

The artichoke appetizer is served chilled, which isn’t my favorite, and I prefer a mayonnaise based sauce, but my companions like it. I liked my mousse pate, and it was even better with the brioche that accompanied the smoked salmon, which was also excellent.

The mussels were also good, another classic preparation.

Trout was just okay, a bit on the dry side, but my Prime New York strip was a top notch steak. As others have mentioned, the accompanying frites are unusually thin, more like ribbons than traditional pomme frites.

We finished with chocolate mousse that was light and fluffy.

The wine list is the weak spot of the restaurant. Somewhat logically it is all French. But except for some nice Champagnes there are no great wines on the list. They’ve obviously made an effort to keep prices below $200, but since the markup is about three times retail, there aren’t really any wines on the list that manage a rating above 90 points.

Service was professional and attentive.

Mon Ami Gabi
2300 N Lincoln Park W
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 348-8886
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mon-ami-gabi-chicago

Steak 48

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Entry

One of many dining rooms

View from private tables in the rear

Bread-half Parmesan dill, half sea salt

Crab and avocado

Shrimp cocktail

PB&J

Crispy shrimp

Wedge salad

Small NY Strip

Small bone in filet

Creamed spinach

Mac and cheese

Asparagus fries

Brussels sprouts

Corn creme brulee

Crispy banana split

***** (5 stars)

Steak 48 is from the team that used to own Mastro’s Steakhouse. The chef is Brian Key, who previously worked at Gibson’s.

It’s a very large restaurant, on two floors with a huge bar. Some of the rooms can get quite loud, so if you don’t want that, ask to sit in a smaller room. There are three glassed in tables back by the kitchen that are fantastic.

The music soundtrack is excellent, with upbeat rock mostly from the 70s and 80s.

We started with the shrimp cocktail, which is sold by the piece; it came with cocktail sauce and mustard sauce. We also tried the crab and avocado stack, which was made more interesting by a layer of crispy wonton.

On a second visit we had the PB&J pate appetizer and the crispy shrimp (which is almost identical to Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish Grill). Both were excellent and were, in my view, the best appetizer choices.

Caesar salad is traditional, and definitely has anchovies blended into the dressing. The only non-traditional element is a poached egg, which we skipped.

The wedge salad isn’t exactly a wedge, it’s the whole heart of a head of iceberg lettuce.

Steaks are cooked in a 1500 degree broiler and served on 500 degree plates. Do not touch.

My bone-in small filet mignon was nicely seasoned, but cooked beyond the requested medium, and the hot plate added to that. My companion’s NY strip was a much better choice, perfectly cooked to the requested medium rare, and was actually as tender as the filet and of course much more flavorful. It was the best steak I’ve gotten at a Chicago steakhouse. Even though it was also the “small” it was a generous 12 ounces, with no wasted fat to trim off.

For sides we had the mac and cheese, which was fairly light, and the creamed spinach which was nicely smokey.

On a second visit we had the asparagus fries and the Brussels sprouts, neither of which seemed remarkable. The corn creme brulee was interesting, but is very, very sweet, more a dessert than a side.

The crispy banana split was an interesting variation on a classic, with salted caramel ice cream, luxardo flavored whipped cream, and corn flake crusted bananas.

I would rate the food as good, but not exceptional, except for that NY strip. If you’re looking for a great steak, that’s the reason to come.

The wine list has a fairly high mark up, especially on the prestige bottles, but the wines by the glass are generous pours, so they aren’t quite as expensive as they appear.

Service was incredible, especially considering the place had been open four days. It’s the reason for the five star review. It’s the best service I’ve experienced at a Chicago steakhouse by far. The bus persons were measuring the distance from the edge of the table to the silverware as they set the tables, and when clearing plates they asked how we enjoyed each course.

Our server, Nadiyah, was extremely knowledgeable and personable, and even took time out to give us a tour of the restaurant. Kudos to management for assembling such an amazing staff so quickly.

Steak 48
615 N Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 266-4848
http://www.yelp.com/biz/steak-48-chicago

Tavern On Rush

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Exterior

Upstairs

Upstairs

Lemon hummus

Tuna tartare

** (2 stars)

I really wanted to like this place, but there were problems on so many levels.

It’s divided into two levels that are nicely decorated, plus extensive patio seating. We sat upstairs, which is horse racing themed.

The menu is extensive, and the kitchen is fast, if not particularly talented. Lemon hummus was quite good. Tuna tartare was pedestrian and the tuna was tired.

My Bellevue Salad was described as coming with rock shrimp, but they were just small, regular, flavorless shrimp. The kitchen also forgot the balsamic vinagrette dressing.

The sliders were fine, but the kitchen forgot the cheese.

These problems could have been corrected had our server been available more often than once every fifteen minutes. But with as almost two hours invested in a forgettable lunch it didn’t seem worth the effort.

Incidentally, the wine list is nice and fairly priced.

Tavern On Rush
1031 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 664-9600
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tavern-on-rush-chicago

Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse

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Exterior

Dining room

Porch

Bread service

Crab avocado

House salad (included)

T-bone

1/2 creamed spinach

**** (4 stars)

I’ve tried nearly all the independent steakhouses in River North so that you don’t have to. This is the one you’re looking for.

Gibsons is a very old school steakhouse. The classic starters and sides are here, without any pretensions. And Gibson’s is all about the meat. Their meat isn’t just prime, it is their own designation of Gibsons USDA Prime, the only restaurant in the US to have one. So of course the meat is very flavorful and tender. As you would expect, the sirloins and the sirloin sides of the T-bone and Porterhouse have all the flavor, while the filet sides are very tender but comparatively bland. My steak was beautifully seasoned and seared, but cooked a bit beyond the requested medium rare. Of course, my server would have been delighted to replace it, but I can’t stand to waste a perfectly good $52 steak. By the way, I had the T-bone, which is essentially a baby porterhouse.

But what about the other dishes? My favorite item was actually the crab and avocado appetizer. The very generous serving of delicious crab was lightly dressed and served with creamy avocado slices. Really nice.

I was going to order a half salad, but my waiter suggested I go with the complementary house salad that comes with all the steaks, and it was a great suggestion. Crisp lettuce and tomatoes were topped with an excellent creamy blue cheese dressing.

I did have a half order of creamed spinach with my steak. I liked the fact that it emphasized the spinach, with just enough cream to give it a smooth consistency, but allowing the focus to be on the flavor of the spinach.

Service was both friendly and professional, a delicate balance. Pricing is fairly reasonable considering the inclusion of a salad, and wine prices aren’t unreasonable either.

The place is very, very popular and therefore packed at all hours, so be sure to make reservations. Ask to sit in the “porch”, a side room with windows looking out on the park; it’s much quieter than the main dining room or deafening bar.

Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse
1028 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 266-8999
http://www.yelp.com/biz/gibsons-bar-and-steakhouse-chicago

Prime & Provisions

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Entry

Dining room

Tuna tartare

Chicken for the table

Salmon

Tomahawk lamb

Smores

**** (4 stars)

During the past two years we’ve tried nearly all the high-end steakhouses in Chicago (except for some of the chains, which I presume are more or less the same everywhere). Prime & Provisions is definitely the best we’ve encountered.

The dining room is well-appointed, with a bit of a steampunk feel to it. Lighting is well-designed.

Our server was friendly, helpful and professional, and the support staff was excellent.

The focus here is on prime meat, of course, and it didn’t disappoint, with one of the best New York steaks we’ve tasted anywhere. But there are many other highlights on the menu, as our server pointed out, and we must agree.

We started with the tuna tartare, which had a delightful mustard tang to it, and was served with fresh-made criss-cross potato chips.

We also had the fried chicken “for the table” which was the only disappointment of the meal. My chicken was quite dry (although others’ were moister) but the huge amount of very crispy crust simply overwhelmed the meager chicken within. The bourbon maple syrup was good, though.

We shared a crab Caesar salad amongst the three of us, and there was more than enough. The crab and kale added little, but the Caesar itself was very good.

In addition to the fantastic prime steak, we had the salmon, which was coated with mustard and spices and served on quinoa. It was moist and perfectly cooked, and the quinoa had a nice flavor.

But the winning entree was the tomahawk lambchops. Two large double chops were perfectly cooked, seasoned and sauced, and were frankly the best lamb I’ve had… anywhere.

But wait, there’s more. It was the smores dessert that knocked it out of the park. This is one of the greatest desserts I’ve had, ever, including in three-star Michelin restaurants. A grapefruit-sized sphere of dark chocolate is presented, and as hot chocolate sauced is poured on it, it caves in, releasing a cloud of campfire smoke. Inside is vanilla ice cream, brownie, and below are graham cracker crumbles. The flavor of the smoke, which lingers on the chocolate surfaces, was absolutely incredible. A double decaf espresso was the perfect match.

So with all this amazing food, why four stars rather than five? The noise level was absolutely deafening, rendering communication amongst the three of us nearly impossible. Admittedly we had a party of screamers nearby, who no doubt amped up the level of the whole room, but this would never be a room with reasonable noise levels when full–the curved panels that join walls and ceiling guarantee that sound is reflected right back into the room. It’s a shame, because this is a restaurant I would visit regularly if not for that critical flaw.

Prime & Provisions
222 N La Salle St
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 726-7777
http://www.yelp.com/biz/prime-and-provisions-chicago-4