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Brasserie JO presents Une Dollar Bites at the bar every Monday. Enjoy a delicious treat for just $1! This deal is only valid at the bar.
Grand (Red)
Merchandise Mart (Purple Express, Brown)
Clark/Lake (Pink, Brown, Green, Blue, Purple Express, Orange)
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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best approachable french bistro in the city.
beer selection beats 90% of your local micro-brews.
service, decor, and food are all an A+
lamb is out of this world, perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned. the checrucherie plates are gorgeous. the frisee salad with bacon and poached egg makes you want to lick the plate its so delicious. and the desserts are perfect as well. this place is a foodies MUST!
Check it out! Yea, you see them 5 stars? That's right! My company and I enjoyed ourselves and I encourage you to enjoy yourself as well! Generally, the first thing that comes to mind when I start seeing French words appear on a menu is "CHA-Ching!" as little animated moths fly from my suddenly barren wallet. Well, I was surprised to find some reasonable prices for once on food that certainly was prepared to impress. I ordered the sauteed skate with brown butter caper sauce served with potato puree and spinach. The fish was cooked perfectly and the dish was well balanced between the rich sauce and the delicate mashed potatoes.
An extensive list of beers and wines are available. The staff are friendly and professional from the host to the bussers. If I had a third thumb I'd give m experience three thumbs up, but since I don't - well... you get the point!
Last week I went to dinner at Brasserie Jo with Zac and his Dad and fell in love with it again. My first visit was when I was celebrating my 22nd birthday and that was 6 years ago. It's a French style restaurant with a very romantic atmosphere. We went right after work on a Tuesday so their wasn't a huge crowd, but on the weekends a reservation is highly recommended.
The service is impeccable. They bring a loaf of bread and marinated carrots to the table ASAP. They go over the daily specials and make recommendations. I ordered the mussels with frites (the only thing I ate when I was in Paris, I was obsessed with mussels). Zac ordered the seasonal pumpkin seasoned pork lions (which were amazing) and his Dad ordered the veal schnitzel. Everything was flavored to perfection and we definitely did some sampling from each of our dishes.
Pricing: It's what you would expect for a top end French Brasserie. It's definitely on the pricey side but it's worth the treat.
I was living in Boston at the time I visited this place. There is actually a Brasserie Jo in Boston, but I'd never been there. So when I was in Chicago, I decided to give this place a try. I joined my mother who came in from NYC. We didn't have a reservation, but was seated promptly.
You could tell the first step you take in that this restaurant was popular as it was only 6pm and packed with diners. The beer and wine list is quite extensive. I ordered a Hefeweissen. As for the appetizer, we ordered a special which was an baby arugula salad with a citrus vinaigrette. After this, I became so addicted to citrus vinaigrette in my salads. It was that good.
I also had the classic French onion soup served with Gruyere. As for the main course, I had the classic steak frites. The meat came out just as I ordered and the pommes frites were perfect. My mother ordered the chicken paillard which she enjoyed immensely. This coming from a person who doesn't really like chicken. The waitress was extremely helpful and courteous. Next time I'm in Chicago, I'll be back here.
Great steak, sides, and service. ok salad. skip dessert.
Just a GREAT Place! For Chicago downtown the prices are reasonable and the food is great, NOT directly French but Alsace French food! Great tasting food that satisfies you with taste and size (not very large portions but more than enough). Deserts are great and the wine list is extensive and reasonable! OH and the bread - Just like in Paris, believe it!
Okay.
I got my dive bar across the street.
I got Frontera Grill for some good Mexican grub two blocks away.
I got my bank, a pharmacy, a 24 hr convenience store all within 2 blocks.
What else do I need within 2 blocks?
How about a proper French Brasserie? Yup.
Thanks to Brasserie JO, I can satisfy my craving for frisee salad au lardon, steak frites, and choucroute garni.
I've eaten here 3 times now and I can say that this place is legit. The prices are what you'd expect at a Brasserie. I recommend:
Tarte Flambee Classic with fromage blanc, lardons, and onions
Hanger steak with Bernaise
Baked French Macaroni with ham and cheese
Skate Wing with caper-brown butter
Brasserie JO has outdoor seating in the summertime which makes it an ideal spot to nibble on some pate or oysters with champagne or a glass of vino.
The service here is solid. The space is definitely a more modern rendition of a brasserie. As a reference point, Balthazar in NYC tries harder to authenticate the feel of a Parisian Brasserie.
Overall, this is a great place to satisfy any French food cravings. The portions and prices are extremely reasonable. You and your gf can easily afford to eat here 2 to 3 times a week.
The Tarte Flambee is $9.50 and easily serves 2. All tables are served a petite loaf of warm French Baguette. It is very good---crusty and flakey outside with a nice soft interior.
The main courses are all very generous. The restaurant carries some great beers and a respectable wine list.
But the best thing about this place is the fact that you'll always find a table. No reservations necessary. That is valuable on a Saturday night in River North.
This is a no brainer. Stick with the classic Brasserie fare here and you'll never leave dissapointed.
Go to JO.
We came here because I read somewhere that Brasserie Jo has a great beer selection - and that was correct. I started with an IPA and my wife tried one of their flights, 5 3 oz samples, all craft or import. It was great. Onto the food, I had the lamb chops, my wife had the steak frites. Both were amazing, tasted delicious, prepared perfectly, served just as you would want, what can I say - it was great. We will definitely be back.
Good food at a Great price. My one and only visit to Brasserie Jo has not had me eager to return. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the food, wine, and ambiance. The French onion soup made for a great start. I moved onto the hanger steak, which I would describe as good, not spectacular. I think I would order the steak frites next time.
If it's hard to decipher a recommendation from my review, I'd recommend experiencing Brasserie Jo if you have not yet dined there. It would probably make for a nice first date or casual dining. I think the city has many better choices for a special occasion.
Perfect for a special occasion. My husband took me here for my birthday. The cold shrimp cocktail was divine, the coq au vin was spectacular and the profiteroles were huge. My husband had nothing but good things to say about his butternut squash soup, pork and chocolate mousse. Presentation was fabulous and the service was decent. A little slow picking up the check. Otherwise a very tasty meal. Desserts are on the large side so be ready to share!
Nice place to dine if you're in the area and need a place to eat in a pinch. I wasn't overwhelmed or underwhelmed, just whelmed i guess.
*whelm means to be overcome, so do whelmed and overwhelmed mean the same thing? English police help me out...this also sounds like a job for the Department of Redundancy Department...
Whoa tangent, sorry about that. Ok, our waiter couldn't have been nicer. It was his first day there and he was excellent, and i let him know that at the end of the dinner.
My steak was decent, nothing great, but still good. I was insanely obsessed with the Shrimp Bag my dinner date ordered. Break it open and food awesomeness ensues. Shrimp, mushrooms, peas covered in lobster sauce. Damn, i'm jealous. Let me have a couple (more like 10) bites please?
So this gets the useless 3-star rating. Go for the shrimp bag, but otherwise you're not missing much.
I like playing with my food. I like eating food. And I especially like eating food that requires some playing.
Fancy French solution: The Famous Shrimp Bag.
A phyllo bag stuffed to the brim with shrimp, spinach, mushrooms, and peas? doused in lobster sauce and over a bed of herb rice? Yes, please! Rip it apart and enjoy the white tablecloth fusion of your fave childhood dining habits with a delectable adult sensation.
When I was little this is the restaurant my parents took my family to tell us we were moving to Paris. Now I have no memory of what I ate then but I've always thought well of it and reccommended it to friends. So, for my 20th birthday I decided this is the place I wanted to go- and I'm thrilled at my decision!
Our waitress was excellent- extremely professional but also very friendly and knew the menu like the back of her hand. I had the classic steak frites and it was cooked to perfection and my sister had the skate with that had the most delicious mashed potatoes. You must get dessert- the chocolate mousse or the profiterols are the way to go. Classic french desserts that they make and present beautifully.
But the best part of the meal was my pumpkin gnnochi. Wow. That was the best made pasta I have ever eaten in my life. Really, if you have the chance rush in before the special is over.
It was a fantastic birthday meal- but I wouldn't save this for only special occassions, the lighting and the decor makes it a great date location.
I don't make it on to Hubbard Street as much as I should. I had a French friend in town, and he had heard of this place and wanted to try it. The service, the food, the decor..everything here was top notch.
we had a wonderful experience, I think some people misunderstand my comments about service at other places..and those people should try out Brasserie Jo as to how real service goes!
The food was so delicious and the ambiance is terrific. While, I may not go here just for an average lunch, I will definately return. This is a great place for busines lunches, dates, anniversaries, birthdays.
On a recent business/family visit to Chicago, stopped by without a reservation and got seated. And wouldn't you know, but they have Etch-a-Sketches for kids! So, (behaved) kids are welcome (good kids menu too). But this place has a grown-up flair and food to match. The Onion Soup is well done with great gruyere cheese. And "moules frites" (French Fries and Mussels) is perfectly done as well. Authentic French without an attitude.
There's plenty of room so whether you're a couple looking for a nice bistro, or a family on vacation, it seems to have a good mix for both.
First of all, why did none of my friends correct me when I called this place "Brassiere Jo" instead of "Brasserie Jo"? I guess I'm not the only one whose French is a bit lacking (or, as they say, "je ne sais quoi"). I was here with a pretty large party and we got the back room, which was nice. However, it felt like someone checked on us only about once every 20 minutes, and no bread arrived until the entire party had shown up. For a bunch of people running on Filipino time, this caused a great disturbance in our stomachs, especially as the little butter dishes teased us with their sweetness.
We were given a small three-entree menu to choose from, though most of us ordered a starter dish. The oft-mentioned French Onion soup was a nice choice, but if you can split it with someone (both because of its volume and price), do so. I got the NY Strip with pomme frites (French for "Freedom Fries"), but I think they either switched my order with someone else's, or they have a very different idea of how a medium steak should be cooked than I do...it was a bit too pale for my liking. I wouldn't be surprised if I had the wrong one...there was a bit of shuffling of plates and sending things back on our end of the table.
The final kicker was at the end of our meal, when we looked at the bill and exclaimed "Sacrebleu!", which is French for "Daaaaaayumn!". There were no prices printed on our mini-menus, and while the $40 steak was correctly priced on the one menu our table had to share, it was still a bit of a shock. I was personally surprised that an adequate steak was priced so high...I know of a couple steak places where that much money would go much further flavor-wise.
Overall I give it a trois out of five, but it may be because I was in good company and the birthday girl seemed to enjoy herself. And if a place can accommodate that, I can't hate too much.
Tuesday 7:30pm Dinner for 2:
FYI this review is based on only 1 visit and I do intend to try this restaurant again and I hope to come back to the review and give this place 3 stars. I want to like it here because its reasonably priced and has a handsome look. But my first meal was more misses than hits...
B Chicken Liver Mouse and Country Pate' Nice that is came with warm toasty slices of baguette (as it should) Really rich and tasty, enough to share.
C Tartes Flambees (classic Alsac style pizza) smoked salmon capers onion.
This was a real miss for me. Be warned; we ordered this thinking appetizer but it's a big portion; Enough for 4 to share comfortably. It's one mild tasting dish. The dough is crispy, a great crunch, generous layer of fresh salmon but without the strong smoky salmon taste... it was more like a salmon rumor.
And then there were three 'special effects' ingredients; capers (which are there but you will not taste) a whole layer of caramelized onions which I didn't even realize was there until I moved the salmon out of the way and lastly and leastly bits of mozzarella cheese... I'm guessing it was mozzarella because it didn't add anything to the dish. This dish didn't offend, and truth be told I kept eating it, probably because I love smoked salmon and there was so much of it there.
C+ Classic Steak Frites, Mustard Butter.
The good: A huge portion of meat here. It says to you: hi, welcome to the Midwest. It IS a deal at $19.95.
The bad: now there is certainly no wrong way to present streak & fries but it just wasn't quite what I expected. The meat was pounded flat, piarde-style, so it was really thin with char grill marks. It was nice, but something you'd get from a backyard barbecue.
The real bad: the frites: Ummm better than McDonalds not as good as Wendy's. And over-salted of course.
B Service. Friendly, knowledgable. I wish our server came over just one more time during the meal; she disappeared for awhile.
B+ Décor. Nice aesthetics here. It's a big drafty-feeling space though, high ceilings, a big restaurant. Only one TV I could spy which was by the bar. But it wasn't playing Sports! It was playing B&W Julia Child episodes; I can deal with that.
A Floating Islands.
Get this desert. The most intense flavor explosion in your mouth of vanilla, almondy, caramel goodness. It's an airy custard perfect to share and linger over. You'll take a bite and need a break. If you finish the whole thing yourself your taste buds will go into a flavor coma.
What I found after my first visit: This is an American restaurant serving American portions of American food that are given French names.
0
9
This was a good meal with nothing exceptional, a few misses here and there.
First, we arrived at our reservation time but had to wait a little over 20 minutes. They were very pleasant, apologized and proceeded to seat us at a very cute private booth, away from everyone else. The warm baguette and carrot with mustard seed were very good--good start so far. I ordered the mussels with pomme frites and my husband the bouillabaise. Our server was attentive and the bussers helpful.
When the entrees came, I immediately noticed that the pomme frites did not come with aioli or mayonnaise. They were happy to bring it but this seemed a bit odd to me. I mean, come on! How else would you have your pomme frites at French restaurant!? (or in Europe for that matter? I relish mine with lemon, a dash of salt and pepper on top of the aioli). The portion of mussels was huge and they were pretty fresh.
My husband's bouillabaise was "new," meaning, it was just made. I prefer one that has had time to stew, really incorporating the flavor of the ingredients into the broth. There were no herbs either. Odd.
The downer of the evening was that there is an evident fruit fly problem. After we had paid, we had to mention it to our waiter because my husband's beer had fruit flies in it. He responded with an apology and that since the doors are open, this happens from time to time. Umm, I think we all know fruit flies don't wander in. They originate from issues with produce/food. Flies, I understand but fruit flies?
Dessert of profiteroles and creme brulee...creme brulee was better. Good flavor and delicate creaminess. Profiteroles were huge and almost unappetizing, plus the warmed chocolate sauce is watery, not really chocolate at all.
Overall it was good atmosphere but food is not the best or most authentic.
I am all about Brasseries! Having said that you will know I am a bit biased. People always talk wine with their French, but alas they know how to serve beer as well.
A great offering of Belgium ales, got me talking to the Manager about someone opening a Belgium themed Bar. I would like credit if one appears in the near future.
For starters we had the pate plate, very good, went well with the cheese plate, we messed around for an hour with these selections then moved on to our entrees. A hangar steak cooked perfect, simple and nice. We also had mussels, which were excellent.
The food here is unpretensious and well executed, I don't need to pay $35 dollars for my hangar steak because it is doused in a blue cheese and truffle crust, sometimes I just want a piece of perfectly cooked meat and a beer. This is a great place for just that.
If you only go out twice a year, you may deserve to be wowed a little more, but if you eat out regularly and just demand consistent French in a relaxed atmosphere, then Brasserie Jo is the place.
Questionable!
This visit, as well as my last visit proved to be pretty crappy. Both times a screaming baby and stroller were sat right in the middle of a busy section at 8p. Both times the restaurant had other areas where baby family could be sat.
I did consult the host and he offered me his card and said that if I called ahead he could guarantee that I would not be sat by a baby. Is he for real?
There are PLENTY of options in Chicago. I don't need to visit one that cannot offer me a great atmosphere. I think this place is sliding.
While I think there are better French restaurants in Chicago, this one was very good and had many of the classic dishes you would expect at such an establishment. I personally tried the "famous shrimp bag," which is it's exact name on the menu. You can't beat a phyllo dough bag filled with shrimp, mushrooms and lobster sauce. It was delicious, and I believe everyone was slightly jealous of my choice. Everyone's food looked good, though. I'm not sure what we had for dessert, but it was pretty amazing. It was two French pastry sandwiches filled with ice cream. When the waitress brought out it out she also brought a PITCHER of chocolate sauce and proceeded to pour it on top. While I was completely stuffed from dinner, I couldn't resist the chocolate-topped delight she put in front of us. I don't know if I'll be back so soon due to my lack of French eating usually, but this place is memorable and has great food.
Brasserie Jo's deal is that it's a trendy (re: pricey) French spot at Dearborn and Hubbard. For all the restaurants at that corner: Sullivan's, Hub 51, Rockit, Keefer's and Vermilion, it's pretty much in the same caliber. Yet for all its Frenchness, it's just lacking that je nais se quoi.
Frankly, I was a little disappointed in our appetizers. A chicken liver mousse and pate was way too heavy on salt and too light on quality: my stomach was a little queasy afterwards. A smoked salmon, horseradish and capers dish was fairly redeeming and well-seasoned, but that's a classic that's hard to ruin.
Entrees also fell flat on our palates. Friends tried a chicken pot pie, its strength in presentation more so than flavor. I had a sole and red rice dish I wasn't really feeling - I ended up leaving a third of it on the plate. I love French flavors and influence, but as my friend said, there was something about it that tasted like a diner.
What Brasserie Jo lacked in its savory dishes though, it made up for with their desserts. Good holy Jesus, their mousse and profiteroles are huge. I'm a quality over quantity kind of girl though, and will say that their puffs were a little tough. Again, I left a ton of my food on my plate, which is a huge deal. As the AGD (Asian Garbage Disposal), I usually clean my plate - and everyone else's around me.
Service here is fantastic. Though it was very clearly a busy Friday night, and they were running behind, a server presented us with complimentary tarte flambée (the best savory dish of the night) while we were waiting for our table. Our server was so charming and pretty attentive throughout the meal, and helped us pick a decent white to compliment everyone's dish. Now if only they could translate that quality of service into their food....
Thank the heavens for restaurant week for bringing me back to Brasserie Jo. Last time I was here was maybe 3 years ago when I was still in college. And 3 years later, I can say that the food ad service are still great! The night didn't start off too well: they were about 20min behind on their reservations, but made up for that by giving all those waiting a complimentary tarte flambée (which looked just like the tuna flatbread from Japonais and was just as delicious). After being seated, we were greeted by a very friendly and attentive waiter who helped our table decide which wine we should choose for the evening. He brought out samples for the table to try and gave a detailed account of each wines strengths and weaknesses. Very helpful!
Now on to the food: restaurant week is kind of a mixed-blessing. While it helps bring in the general public to places that may be a little more expensive, it also allows said public to make generalizations about the restaurant based on the limited selections. Brasserie Jo might have suffered from this (see fellow diner, Karen T.'s review). I, however, was completely pleased and sated by our meal. Yes, the appetizer choices were a little plain (I had the smoked salmon, which was good), but I LOVED my chicken potpie in a bag! It made for a great presentation, and left me feeling very full. And I'd rather be too stuffed from my main course than complaining that there wasn't enough.
By the time dessert came around, I wasn't sure I could make it. But I found room, and boy am I glad I did! When we were first seated, our server informed us that while there were 2 options for dessert, the restaurant was out of the bread pudding, but they were making more and it may or may not have been ready by the time our table got to dessert. Well, turns out the bread pudding was ready, but our server decided that we could get pick whichever dessert we wanted from their menu and not additional cost!
There were 5 of us and we all had something different. But if you're looking for a flashy dessert that tastes good, I would recommend the following 2 choices: the chocolate mousse and the profiteroles. The mousse is really good, but the way they present it makes you feel extra special: they bring out this tub of chocolate mousse, and serve you 2 big scoops right at your table. This is then followed by your server pouring chocolate on your dish from a kettle full of chocolate syrup. Deeelish! I would suggest ordering the profiteroles with someone else because there is sooo much on the plate! It's a great dessert for 2, or 1 if you're up for the challenge!
All in all, each person spent $50 for a 3-course meal and bottle of wine. Definitely worth the price, and a revisit.
Brasserie Jo wins five stars primarily for their French onion soup. It's expensive, but wow is it worth it. A thick swath of cheese is melted perfectly on top of flavorful broth that's not overwhelmed by bread - I haven't had better French onion soup anywhere, and I've been slowly working my way through all the French restaurants in Chicago. (And yes, I've spent a decent amount of time in France itself.)
The rest of the menu is solid - I was pleased - but seriously, order the soup.
(And yes, the restaurant does feel like a true brasserie - but with a larger space and bigger portions. C'est américain!)
Perfect place for work dinners. Came here to celebrate a co-workers 25th anniversary with the firm. There was a fancy menu with wine pairings and everything. The servers were extremely attentive and each course was delivered at the same time, which proved quite efficient. When I quibbled about being allergic to the apples in the salad, I was quickly accommodated with a caesar. I suppose this is the level of responsiveness one might expect to a dinner party that was easily $3,000!
It has been years since that first visit and it's still an unforgettable dinner. I can still recall the taste of the peppercorn steak!
The bf and I came here to celebrate his bday and we were pretty excited. We had heard good things from a foodie friend of his and most of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants deliver a pretty decent meal. Sad to say, we were sorely disappointed.
We ordered onion soup gratinee (aka French onion), mussels, tart flambee classic, skate wing, steak au poivre, and profiteroles. I believe we covered every corner of the menu, yet not one of the dishes stood out.
I'm surprised that the French onion soup received so much praise. It's hard to go wrong with French onion soup, but I thought they missed the mark. I have to say that Trader Joe's offers a far tastier version in its freezer section.
I'm a fan of Brasserie Jo because this restaurant is reasonable in all aspects. It's NOT fine-dining, it's a casual French restaurant where you can find a proper meal. If I worked close by, I'd definitely be at the bar for happy hour. They have great drinks: best rose wine by the glass, Pastis, and a great selection of beer.
Their filet of sole and any of their tartes flambee is a great choice. Their tartes flambee is the closet to the kind of pizzas you'll find in Côte d'Azur. Their chocolate profiteroles are yummy. Don't order dessert if you're planning on eating appetizers, otherwise it might be too much food.
I've had some great meals here in my lifetime including one infamous meal where my group bumped our tab up over $500 - eating and drinking ourselves to the point of gluttonous remorse. I don't recommend that but honestly, it was a great time. :)
Recently I had a birthday here and loved (did I say LOVED? give me an AMEN!) my dinner. I had the coq au vin, he had the hangar steak. Both were fantastic. That hangar steak had incredible amounts of flavor! We topped the night off with my favorite chocolate mousse and the profiteroles and, believe me, it was way too much food. The best part about that decision however, was that I insisted we eat the profiteroles because of the ice cream and that meant we had chocolate mousse for breakfast. That is a little piece of post-birthday heaven.
This place is lovely. It's solid. The bar is fun. The food is very good.
Solid French Bistro with excellent an authentic décor. They had run out of Mussels when we got there which was a drag but the rilletes were delicious. I had an excellent grilled chicken for an entree which was full of flavor and very well cooked.
Sunday night wasn't the best night to be here but I imagine on a bustling Friday night with friends it's a great place to get your French on!
Legit, dependable and authentic.
The baguettes they bring to your table are warm and good enough to be the reason to go there. Actually I think they are the best I know of in the city... Why don't the sell them to take home? I can't find a good baguette here.
Anyway, most things I've had there are better than most French spots in town even though it is a Lettuce spot and it feels a little formulized.
So my girlfriends and I decided to try this place out for restaurant week and I was really looking forward to my experience at this place but it hardly lived up to my expectations. If the service had been half as good as the majority of the food and our surroundings, it would've gotten four stars...I feel bad that the bussers' incomes depend on the tips of their servers, but then again my group had just the right amount of people to have automatic gratuity slapped on us. Go figure.
The food for all other intensive purposes was pretty good. I had a sole fish with some great whole grain rice/quinoa and my friends raved about an alsacean style pizza and the french onion soup.
Apparently our server was not interested in chatting up with us, a good looking group of twenty-somethings (yea they proabably aren't successful either since they are coming to a nice place during restaurant week; they've also probably never waited tables either). Maybe we aren't the demographic he likes to wait on. Although he did find plenty of time to talk to the only two other tables he was dealing with at the time (total=4 other people).
And the waiter obviously couldn't be bothered by all of our silly questions about the menu like what is bouillabaisse...I mean I can't even pronounce that. It's not like we were asking you whether the onion in the pate was cut minced or chopped. It's French cuisine for crying out loud! You should know by now that we aren't in France, and you will probably have to entertain questions regarding several entrees, mainly because their list of ingredients are not easily pronounced or common knowledge.
And I'm done with servers who harp on how difficult it is split checks. Suck it up. I am a server too and splitting checks in the easiest thing to do if all portions are paid with a credit card. If we had each given you a $50 bill and demanded change back, then you reserve the right to be angry. We can write down how much we want on each card and you're done...leave the snarl at home next time.
Great atmosphere. one star.
Good Food. one star.
Shitty service trumps the intial cordial efforts of the extraneous staff members/hostesses/bussers.
This place was not successful in acquiring my new business. The next time I want to go somewhere nice for dinner and drop a pretty penny, I'll make sure it's somewhere that an automatic gratuity for a server is at least midly justified.
I'm sad Brasserie Jo didn't have a service team to help it live up to the hype! I was rootin' for ya!
Good restaurant, solid French food. Started with a glass of kir (delicious). Had escargots - very decent - to start and bf had the pate and foie gras appetizer. Foie gras was fantastic, but I didn't care for the country pate. For my main course I had a Salade Nicoise. I think I have a really high standard for salade nicoise because it's seriously my favorite meal on the planet, but i thought this one lacked a little flavor. The tuna was perfectly cooked - phenomenal, actually - but the whole point of the salad is that the flavors come together. If I just wanted tuna I would have ordered that.
Our waiter was super nice - great service. But I've had better French food elsewhere in Chicago.
I had dinner here tonight with my wife. I enjoyed the baked brie appetizer and the Kwak beer. The beer even came in an interesting wooden holster (see picture). I had high hopes going into the entree, as the decor is also pretty nice.
Sadly, it was not to be. I had the roasted duck breast and duck confit and my wife had the lobster bouillabasse. The duck was really a shotgun approach to meat preparation, with two parts - lukewarm duck confit, still red/purple in the middle on one side, and on the other, hot roasted duck breast with the skin cooked to the point it could not be eaten. Maybe they thought it would average out to a properly-cooked, warm meal?
The lobster in the bouillabasse didn't have much meat on it, and the whole dish was kind of bland. The gateaux briton dessert was good though. And I also appreciated being able to have duck with a Kwak.
My GF and I came for Valentines day and it was great. I had Crab Bisque, roasted Chicken breast, and chocolate mousse for desert. The Crab Bisque and mousse were really tasty! The bisque had a mini crab cake in the middle that went well with the soup.
Also, we had great service.. one of the servers saw our table wobbling and they came by and fixed it right away.
It's not the best french restaurant in Chicago (my girlfriend loves Mon Ami Gabi) but it was great for the occasion and I would come back.
I picked Brasserie Jo as my birthday dinner location, and I have to say I am pleased with my decision. I didn't pick it for the food or reviews on yelp...I picked it because they are dog friendly and I wanted to dine alfresco with my fiance and dog. We weren't able to make reservations for the patio - which is tiny- but upon our arrival there was one table left! Happy Birthday to me...The hostess said she would bring our dog water and treats but that didn't happen. I would have gotten up to ask, but unfortunately my pup has seperation issues and i didn't want him to bust into the restaurant, knocking over tables and waiters, following me. I brought treats myself because this was our first experience dining with him.
I loved the carrots that greeted us upon sitting at the table. The bread was warm and chewy (in the right way). I had a glass of bubbly to start- they had a respectable selection of wines. We ordered the shrimp appetizer that is served warm with Israeli cous cous- it was delicious but a very French portion with only three medium shrimp. Oh well...leave them wanting more, right? They had a plethora of appetizers I wanted to try.
For my meal I ordered the sauteed walleye pike and my SO ordered steak frites. The frites were delicious, but I didn't try the steak. It was reportedly good but we both don't get the butter on top thing. My fish was sauteed just right and I adored the salad along side- frisee with potatoes and little fried onions served in a vinagrette. We didn't order dessert as doggie was getting antsy (and I wanted a huge cake). Our server was very nice, but a bit absent when we could have used more bread. However I prefer absent to asking for feedback too often. The music was just the right volume and I really enjoyed how the doors of the restaurant opened to the patio. Overall a very nice dining experience.
It's odd... I never expect much from eating at many of the Lettuce restaurants, but each time I do, I'm generally pleasantly surprised. Such was the case a couple nights ago when a friend and I came to partake of the crepe menu on special this week.
The spinach and mushroom crepe with rice was very much enjoyable; the wine... fair enough (granted, I am not the most versed when it comes to french wine; I probably should have taken the bartender's beer recommendation instead); and the crepe suzette, although not reminiscent of such from France, was tasty. My friend had the cous cous with lamb and chicken and he found it be more than enjoyable as nothing was left behind.
So... although I can't get too excited over the experience, it certainly isn't deserving of complaints either.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Its perfect for special events yet comfortable enough for a simple dinner or drinks at the bar. The atmosphere and decor are great and the service is excellent at Brasserie.
I have tried numerous items from the menu and Ive always been pleased. The chocolate mousse is to die for, and I especially love the elaborate presentation. I also like the mussles, hangar steak, and tartes flambes.
Two and a half. The food was tasty enough, but we had HUGE service problems. I'm not a big whiner when it comes to service, but we waited a fairly long time for our appetizers, and then, our food never came. I mean, it came, but only after a long wait, and after we could finally flag down our waiter and ask about it. He was...inattentive. And apparently never placed our dinner order, because he came out and said there was a "miscommunication" with the kitchen, and that the food would be out ASAP. Between the time we arrived, and the time we ate, 1.5 hours had elapsed. And we ordered nearly as soon as we had arrived.
It's more than possible this was a fluke; on the other hand, the restaurant was NOT full. Not even close, especially when we ordered, as we had a very early reservation (6:00 pm).
As for the food, the Skate was great, the steak frites was passable (not the best textured steak I've had at a French restaurant, that's for sure), the salad was unexciting, and we literally didn't have time to try dessert. We had somewhere to be.
I might go back, but then again, I might just find another French restaurant, because there are plenty of good ones in Chicago.
The underrated thing at Brasserie Jo for me is the beer. Very good selection of higher end beers.
Tonight, my wife and I dined there and loved our appetizers (onion soup and mussels respectively). Our entrees were excellent. The rack of lamb was perfect.
The service was a little more familiar than I'd like but friendly.
Are there better French restaurants in Chicago? Probably. But, the ambiance was straight out of Paris. For the price, about $150 including a generous tip, it was a great night out.
Copious, rich and fun ... like a chocolate pot!
I love it at Brasserie Jo because it is exactly what I would expect from a Brasserie here or in Paris. The room screams Brasserie and I love the whole vibe of the place, including the menus on the walls, the display of Champagne bottles, the big mirrored bar, the white tablecloths and the wine wall... the atmosphere is just so classic.
The food is French bistro, not to be confused with refined French dining, and at times it may seem to lack the refinement that it really has no business having in the first place.
Steak frites and burgers and pizzas can't be too terribly refined in bistro fare or it would be deemed silly by people who know what bistro food is. Some of the offerings may seem more deluxe than what a comparable place in the U.S. might have, but that's part of the point too: we don't have something comparable so we have chefs who treat us to the experience through French bistro restaurants. The combination of the rich and luxurious with the relatively common and comfortable is partly what French bistro fare is all about.
The chocolate pot with your profiteroles should make up for any misnomers about French bistro fare: copious, rich and fun!
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: French
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: French
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: American (New)
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