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Categories: Steakhouses, American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Near North SideGrand (Red)
Mon-Thu. 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 7:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Went here for my birthday dinner last weekend. Wow. I didn't know a steak could be so delicious. I usually take the fish route when I go to a steakhouse, but it would be a night of beverages so I figured a nice steak would start the night out right.
The atmosphere is very low key and not too loud. We comfortably waited for our table in the little lounge area. The employees are super nice and cheery. OUr waiter gave us great recommendations and checked up on us the perfect amound of time.
We started off with grilled octopus-mmm mmm. It came on a bed of grilled onions, cherry tomatoes and red/yellow peppers. My boyfriend got the caesar salad (prepared tableside) I've never had dry-aged steak before and was really excited to try it. I ordered the filet "southside" style. It was perfectly rare with a great char on the outside. They have this cheese biscuit thing they serve with your salad and i've never had anything like it. Awesome. we had the basil mashed potatoes and it was the perfect amount of food. If i wasn't so hungry i could have brought home a good size for breakfast the next day!
I would definitely recommend taking clients to this place or eating here for a special occasion! Its not cheap, but you'll leave happy!!!
I was REALLY looking forward to eating here as I had heard and read so many rave reviews. I was disappointed. However, I am being fair on this review even with the hype.
My friends and I went here for lunch. It for our birthdays - 2 out of the 3 of us. The service was excellent - from host to waiter. Our host was a charming elderly gentleman. Our waiter was young. kind and professional. If you go here for lunch go for the pre-fixe deal.
For my app, I got the surf and turf dumplings. They were presented well in lollipop style but were almost flavorless (even with the sauce). My friends got the Kobe beef sashimi which was served on a block of ice. Now for the steaks...
I ordered the bone-in ribeye medium and it was medium well to well done. I sent it back. My friend ordered the same steak medium rare and his was medium well. He sent his back. The waiter apologized and didn't argue at all. My new steak came back medium to medium well. I was starving so I settled. My friend's steak came back almost black and blue so he had to send his back. When you go to a steakhouse of this caliber they have to do it right. Especially when the Outback can. The steaks were of very high quality,
The sides were nothing special - asparagus with butter and garlicky spinach which wasn't all that garlicky,
Our desserts were close to excellent - get The King. It is banana cake, chocolate cream, peanut butter ice cream, peanut BACON brittle, and tempura fried banana. It all works so well together.
I would go back for lunch and get something other than steak. In this town there are so many options for steak so why risk it?
It's Burger Week again (Nov 9 - 13) - 40 day dry aged burger for only $5. (Swiss or cheddar cheese is $1 extra)
Well, for $5, it was a good burger - just be prepared that for $5 you get 1 patty, and 1 bun - a condiment plate is an additional $5. We only mention that because it would be the type of thing that would send certain Yelpers into an absolute frenzy of rage... and then we'd all have to hear about it.
Overall the burger was tasty. Not the best we've ever had, but certainly not bad. The bun was a good size for the patty. Big thick patty. I ordered very rare and got medium... Sigh, for $5 and being too hungry to send it back, I won't raise a stink. But you'd think a steakhouse would know their temperatures better.
The condiment platter contains smoked bacon, pickled red onions (yum), grilled mushrooms, house-made ketchup, mustard of some sort, and dill pickles. Not bad.
Asiago and truffle fries both good tasting, but the fry texture needs work - a little too weak and chewy.
We ordered the fried apple pie served with a vanilla creme. Tasty - not too sweet, and a very nice crust.
Service was attentive, cheerfully bringing a side of mayo upon request (what a shameful omission from the condiment plate tho!).
The Hubs and I came here during their $5 burger week. I had been wanting to try their burger for a long time, but am glad I waited for the $5 week instead of paying full price.
The good:
Service was great
The bad:
The burger was really meh. I understand dry aged blah blah blah, but the whole thing is that I like for when you bite into the burger for it to be juicy and ooze with juice.
The ugly:
$5 for a burger platter? That is the biggest juke move ever! The burger comes with lettuce and tomato. To get ketchup or mustard you have to buy the platter. Why? Because like I said, it's the biggest juke move! They have homemade mustard and ketchup (the ketchup was too BBQ saucy), some bacon, some pickled onions and a pickle. $5?! Really?! I was sooooo irritated.
I hate that I spend so much time on the internet, but sometimes it pays off. Thanks to Twitter and Thrillist, I found $5 burger week.
The conditions were perfect. BF & I both had the day off, David Burke's had a 2:00 res. I love a good lunch date!
The whole way there on the bus (hey, I was going for a $5 burger) I was kind of irritated that we would have to pay for ketchup and mustard. I was thinking, even McDonald's gives you this stuff for free. But then I encountered the condiment tray. My favorite part of the afternoon. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
I arrived and the place was packed. I'm glad I made a reservation. Turns out I must have been the last person to hear about this. We arrived early, but were seated promptly at 2:00pm. I liked how they offered just the burger menu and the wines by the glass list. I'm not sure if this place usually serves lunch, but I liked the fact that I didn't have to feel guilty for going for the discount.
Our server was great. Friendly, cool and didn't even look at me in disgust when I asked if they have free refills on Diet Coke. (I know, I know, but I was having one of those caffeine-necessary days).
We both ordered the Burker, mine with cheddar, the condiment plate and some asiago truffle fries. The burgers arrived plain, but oh, that condiment plate was fabulous! Sauteed onions and mushrooms, sauteed spinach, fried shallots, full strips of bacon, pickled red onions, homemade ketchup (that is actually different than the regular as we discovered with our fries), mustard, pickle and this amazing garlic mayo. It was fantastic! We loved every bite of it. The fries were pretty tasty too.
Overall a great lunch in a lively atmosphere. Now I can't wait to go back for dinner.
Oh dear David Burke, I really want to write a raving review of all that you have to offer, and I simply cannot in good conscience do so.
I had been waiting for a good reason to dine here and finally got a chance to treat my family right the other week. We decided to go all out except dessert -- we simply couldn't find room for it.
We had the 55-day aged steak and chateaubriand for 2 were great, but not spectacular. Funnily, my husband who had the 55-day aged preferred our chateaubriand, and we his. The other plus was the cheesy souffle popovers.
Sadly, the compliments stop here. The French onion soup was all right, we've certainly had better in less impressive cities. And our three choices of sides -- mac and cheese, chorizo mashed potatoes and broccoli spring rolls -- were highly disappointing and bland. The broccoli spring roll was a sad ensemble of mashed broccoli stuffed in a spring roll wrapper.
This was my first trip to Chicago and went with a friend of mine whom I was visiting in St. Louis. We wanted to eat at a really great restaurant, so David Burke's was it. We walked in and right away were welcomed by the kind staff who also asked us to check our coats. What a plus. We took our seats and immediately were amazed at the lovely decor. The energy was great, as there were two full tables of folks having dinner and drinks so the atmosphere was lively. We felt comfortable and enjoyed our seats and perused the menu.
Since this was our first time at the restaurant we decided to enjoy a good meal. We ordered a bottle of wine to start and were pleasantly surprised to receive a cheese popover for each of us. It was a delicious beginner to what was to be a great meal.
I ordered the kobe beef sashimi which was excellent while my friend ordered a lovely caesar salad which was prepared tableside. For our steak we ordered the 55 day aged 20 oz ribeye with a fabulous bearnaise sauce which was perfect for sharing, as we wanted to make sure we left enough room for the sides. The steak was phenomenal. we made sure we ate every last bit of meat! We ordered three of those. We had the asiago and truffle fries, corn spoonbread and grilled asparagus. All were great.
We loved our waiter. He was knowledgable and friendly and not at all stuffy. He was fantastic and was a huge help in recommending what to eat.
For dessert we ordered the cheesecake lollipops and The King, which was an icecream sandwich with peanut butter and graham cracker and banana on the side. It was great. Both desserts were great and we enjoyed every bite. In fact we both had said this was easily one of the best meals we ever had.
You need to try this place, you won't be sorry. The ambiance, the wait staff, and of course the food were all phenomenal. No weak points.
Make a reservation!!
Great steaks on par with the other great Chicago steak houses.
What made the difference for me were the appetizers, desserts and our waiter. That combination made for a fun evening with great food and wine.
Our party of 4 spent over $600 ($90 for wine and included 3 appetizers and 3 desserts). That's the only reason it is not 5 stars in my review.
Pros: The 70 day dry aged steak- delicious and tender! Also the Kobe beef sashimi with truffles on a salt block was exceptional.
Cons: The Sommelier said she would be right over and then didn't show so we chose our own wine after waiting 20 mins. The surf and turf dumplings were gummy. Sides dishes are small even though our server described them as "family size". Since when is a cup of mashed potatoes considered family size? Our waitress seemed to forget about us towards the end of the night- I'm talking walking past several times without stopping or glancing our way which made it hard to leave that $100+ tip.
Overall, fill up on appetizers, martinis and some seriously delicious steak. Skip all the sides they're overpriced and lacking in flavor.
Disappointed is the word here. This restaurant has nothing to compete with Gibson's and the likes, but the price.
Their meat was, simply put, not good: too hard, too burnt. Their sides were ridiculous. I don't like arty farty when I eat my steak: if you have "onion rings" on your menu, you'd better not bring me five (I counted them: they were five) onion rings in an arty presentation.
Not for me.
Well, this place reminded me that I definitely need to get downtown more often. You know how we have those rare weeknights that we go out and actually enjoy ourselves and not think about the weight of the world on your shoulders (er, job) and you say to yourself, "you mean to tell me I'm missing out on this 7 nights a week, where did I go wrong?" Well, this place will do it to you. I wasn't expecting much being in a hotel and all, but I was quickly reminded yet again to never judge a book by its cover.
Go here just once, and I promise you'll want to return. I was there with a party of three. I personally got a taste of the Crab Cake, Baby octopus, sweetbread, a classic wedge salda, a classic medium rare Filet, and the Chorizo Whipped Asparagus Truggle. We washed it down with two bottles of Pichler Riesling. Fabulous. Sadly, there were twenty other things I wanted to try on the menu, but I pretty much maxed out for the evening.
Here's my 10 point scare on all the important things to you as a potential patron:
Atmosphere: a 10. Money and eye candy everywhere. Think Miami Vice in the 80s when we were kids.
Food: an 8.
Eye Candy: a 9. Talent a plenty folks.
Staff: a 9. Friendly, timely, knowledgabe (If he were a she it'd be a 10).
Bar & Lounge for pre-drinks: a 9
Capacity: a 9. Stunned that it was that packed on a Weeknight. Had to be a lot of out of towners.
Bring friends-ability of this restaurant: a 10
Bring a date-ability of this restaurant: a 10
Bring cool family members-ability of this restaurant: a 9
Bring dull family members-ability: a 1. Too expensive to waste the experience. Go with someone you enjoy hanging out with.
This 4.5 was rounded up to a five for me. Can't wait to try this place in the Summer.
I've been to David Burke twice. The first time was for our company holiday party which was a horrible experience as we were there for nearly 5 hours for a group of 30 with only 2 servers. I don't even want to start rambling off my complaints from that night. The second time went with the family while they were staying at the James-service was great as was the food. Net net-go for the food; take a gamble on service.
Shellfish Castle-This was pretty good. Oysters were plump and shrimp was fresh. The salmon tartare was fantastic. I may skip the shellfish castle and go for just straight oysters and tartare next time.
Kobe Beef Sashimi-This was good but I didn't really enjoy the presentation on the block of Himalayan salt as I had thoughts of them reusing it, and previous patrons licking the block clean...I could have done without the truffle-mayo as I found this a bit too heavy and masked the flavor of the Kobe.
Surf and Turf Dumplings-Good but nothing special.
Lobster Bisque-Again good, but nothing special.
Bread-whatever popover they served with fresh butter was so tasty and melted in your mouth. This was a nice touch and free addition to the meal.
55 Day Aged Ribeye-20oz bone-in was sooooo yummy. This and the ribeye at Osteria via Strato, surprisingly, was one of my favorites. Charred perfectly on the outside and meltingly juicy inside. This is truly a great steak to try, but at $62 a la carte, it is a bit pricey. I did have this with truffle mousse on the side which really complimented the steak very nicely.
Delmonico Steak-I had this when I came with my parents and was very happy with my choice. Cooked the same way as the 50 day aged, but smaller (7oz). This was perfect since my dad, being a professional eater, suggested that we go to Quartino's for salumi and pizza PRIOR to having a 5 course meal at David Burke. I don't think I could have handled the 20oz bone-in ribeye. My dad convinced the bubby to order the 20oz steak because "real men" need at least 20oz.'s. I think he threw up that night, and I'll just leave it at that.
Slice of Prime-This was very rich and I put me over the edge. Would have been great if I didn't overindulge on the previous courses.
Lolipop cheesecake-Again, very rich, but good.
Bottom line-Come here for the steak, and hope to get lucky on service.
I will be totally honest about this place, it was not that fancy. For some reason I was expecting a top flite/5-star restaurant. Usually quality hotels have amazing restaurants (as far as the set-up). I went for the $40 (40 day) aged burger. Let me tell you something, it was magical! Worth every penny (I only paid $6 total). The potato bun was fresh and the food was delivered in proper time. My only true complaint is about the service, the waiter took about 10 minutes to come back to my table after the food was served maybe even 15. Food was good!
I am only writing about my brunch experience.We had a wonderful time trying the enormous selection that is brought out non stop.Most of the items were good or better.The ones that were misses made up for it in quaintness or creativity of presentation.All in all a great place for a spin on dim sum american-style for a great price.
We were graciously taken to David Burke's for my man's birthday by his stepmom--hence, why we came here in the first place, we'd never be able to afford it, remember we'z poor!
Our server Chris was super cool--he gave us the official spiel about their prize bull, nicknamed "Prime" whom they breed all their steak from; told us about allll the organic stuff they serve; helped us pick out a wine that wouldn't completely burn a hole through our already flaming pockets; and he was very attentive the entire evening, particularly when something went wrong...more on that later.
The menu is similar to the other few hoity-toity steakhouses I've been to, but with a twist. For instance, the crab cake an appetizer was not a cake, it was a LOG of crab. Different and delicious! I had the beet, honeycomb and mache salad with pink peppercorn dressing; others had the lobster bisque, and the arugula, goat cheese and tomato salad with balsamic. The lobster bisque was verrrry rich and tasted of sherry...mmm. Talk about a meal in a bowl...
When our steaks and sides came out, Chris immediately noticed that my classic filet mignon had been covered in blue cheese, NOT my requested order. I was so disappointed, I considered keeping it as not to sit there without a plate of food while everyone nom-nom-nomed on their steaks, but Chris let me keep the steak there, pick at it as I pleased, until my new steak came back out. Well, that was gracious of him...and I'll tell you, the bite I had was outstanding (minus the blue cheese flavor) and quite possibly the most tender, well-seasoned, melt-in-your-mouth bite of steak I've ever had. Too bad it was screwed up and I couldn't eat the rest, not even when I had done my best to scrape the blue cheese nastiness off. My second steak was fine, and only fine--they had rushed it, so the outside was more charred than the slower cooked first steak. Boo. I ate the whole thing anyway?
The sides? My favorite of those we tried were the truffle asiago fries and the tempura green beans--you can always count on the fried stuff! The asparagus and shallots was nothing to write home about, and the cavetelli mac 'n cheese was sort of bland.
But then...dun duhn dahhhh...dessert came. OMIGOD. Creme brulee with fruit sorbet and drunken peaches (I think that's what it was, it was absurdly awesome); freshly made donut holes with salty caramel, pastry creme, and apple ginger dipping sauces; and chocolate mousse cake with s'more ice cream. Every centimeter of the inside of my stomach was filled with dessert extravagance, and I was content.
All in all, David Burke's was a solid experience--the staff was gracious, the food (for the most part) thoughtful and well-prepared, the atmosphere sleek and upscale. I'll come back...when I'm very rich and I want a redo on that steak.
I felt this place was only a little better than average, but that may be because I didn't order steak. Maybe their steak is really, really good but I wouldn't know since I don't eat beef.
I really enjoyed the ambiance and interior decorating as well. Since we were dining on a Thursday evening, there weren't a lot of people except for some hotel guests, a few business men, couples, families, and a group of middle-aged men having a boy's date night (how cute). My sister and I were seated at a huge table booth for a party of six, which was awesome because we had all this extra room to ourselves; but it was right next to an A/C vent, so were freezing...
We ordered from the lunch menu even though we were dining at 9:30 pm. The chef was nice and willing enough to accommodate us since our server wasn't sure if we were allowed to order from the lunch menu. We ordered a chicken sandwich and a tomato pasta (I don't remember the names) and they were both pretty good, but not jaw-dropping-worth-the-expense good. We also ordered a dessert, (forget which again but I did submit a photo of it) which was also really good but paled to comparison to the cookies given to hotel guests during turn-down service. NOW THOSE COOKIES WERE JAW-DROPPING GOOD.
My only complaint is that although our waitress was friendly, she was a bit incompetent towards the end of our meal. I saw her walk from the kitchen to the cashier and began chatting with a male server, with our dessert in hand. I just kept thinking about her spit going all over our dessert because she was just chatting away. She was there for awhile, until the manager saw her and she noticed, and finally brought us our dessert. Obviously, the ice cream in our dessert was melted to say the least.
I was originally going to rate David Burke's a 4-star establishment but because of that, I'm going to have to deduct one star. I love a good dessert and I want it as soon as possible; with the ice cream not all soft and gooey.
Everytime I come here I have an amazing time. Here are some more events I've gone to:
Primehouse Birthday: http://misstiffie.word...
Oktobeer Fest (Rick Gresh's homemade brews): http://misstiffie.word...
RICK GRESH IS THE MAN!!! :D Most delicious food EVER!
They also now have this Spicy White Truffle Chocolate Popcorn in the bar lobby area.. sOOOOooOoOoo good :D nom nom nom!!! Anyone who doesn't give this place a good review, wth is wrong with you?!?!?!
Wow! Not even sure how to begin. I came here this past weekend.. the boyfriend spoiled me by… Read more »
I recently went there for their "burger week" and tried their signature aged prime burger. The food was amazing. Burger was well prepared and came on a great bun.
That being said, there were many issues that would prevent me from going back. First, the service. I met a friend there for lunch around 1 on a weekday. She said the hostess ignored her until I arrived. Apparently they ignore single, pretty ladies in their 20s but will respond to a boisterous man's voice. In any case, after calling the night before to make a reservation and learning they did not take reservations, we were told it would be a half hour wait. So we decided to sit at the bar. Thankfully we were able to snatch up the last 2 seats.
The bartender/waiter was terrible! We were sitting at the bar for cryin' out loud, how bad could service be?! But apparently we weren't the most important customers in the place because it took him way too long to take our drink order. Then they were out of Sam Adams beer (how can you be out of a beer that's specifically on the menu as a special?) Then too long to take our food order. Thankfully the food came out quickly.
And one thing about the burger week menu, everything is a la carte. Cheese, $1. "Asiago/Truffle" fries were $6 and were a pathetic serving size. Heck, even ketchup and mustard was a la carte and cost $5. So the $5 burger week is deceptive. It's only $5 if you want a lonely burger on a plate.
Overall the food was excellent but the service, ambience (it's in the lobby of a hotel) and cost were terrible. Needless to say, I won't be going back.
Went back for Burger week today. It was great, but the biggest change was a great server who seemed to want us happy over my previous experience where it seemed like the knob just wanted us to leave. There are indeed better burgers in that area for cheaper, but it's not a bad deal.
Okay, so I went twice last week during the $5 burger promotion.
I admit that reviewing the Primehouse…
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Went here last week with a group. I started with what according to the menu sounded like a good salad. Mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, nuts and blue cheese. Not good. Then I had au gratin potatoes with either bacon or prosciutto cant remember but they were good. Also had beef tips, they were ok but a bit tough. My coworkers wanted her tips medium rare, they came to her blood red and cold on the inside. Ewww. So she sent those back for a second try which I guess was a charm because after that they were perfect. The place is very nice as far as the atmosphere and decor. The service was outstanding. The best part was dessert, shot glasses of chocolate mouse with chocolate cake on the bottom. Shoulda named that good sex in a shot glass!
My girlfriend insisted we stop by during the $5 burger week. Let's just say that I should have taken her to Five Guys instead.
Went for breakfast and got the James Omelette (filet tips, truffled mushrooms, caramelized onions) served along with hash browns and perfectly toasted slices of sourdough. To drink, coffee and a Power Driver (OJ and carrot juice spiked with ginger).
Wife had waffles and berry juice which she said was good.
Since we could not stay for lunch (catching a flight), they were kind enough to package up a 40 Day Aged Burger for us, which is served with potato skins and asiago. The burger was super beefy and I wish I could have enjoyed it fresh but it was still very tasty at the airport and I was sure it was the best meal there.
Service was friendly and efficient. During breakfast many diners were from the hotel and in their jeans (at best), so no need to dress up. Might be different for lunch/dinner.
Will visit again when I am in town.
Would have given them 4.5 star, but have to take 0.5 star because the leather seats/banquets were starting to show some wear and the stitching in some places was coming undone.
I gave this spot two attempts. Both were real disappointments: sub-par service combined with mediocre steaks and sides. Many better alternatives in Chicago.
I was prepared to be all judgmental but was totally, totally won over.
David Burke's is his version of the traditional American steakhouse and he does it right! We found out about this place based on a survey (I know, I know, but the survey did have Peter Luger's on there so I knew they knew something about steak; see Peter Luger's review).
David Burke's specializes in grass-fed prime beef that roams the pastures of Kentucky. All his beef comes from the Prime Stud 207L. The reserve cuts (which I had to try) are aged in their Himalayan Salt Room on site. They range from 40, 55, and 75 day aged ribeyes. Although I couldn't splurge for the 75, I did reach a little for the 55. After asking around and talking with my bro-in-law a lot, he mentioned that it is somewhat hard to tell the difference between the two (and after our meals (we had different ages) it is hard to tell).
As for the steak, bar-none, I loved it. I got the 55 day aged ribeye and it was delicious. However, making a great steak does not make a great steakhouse (at least a 4-star in my eyes). Really, a great steakhouse has everything else, and David Burke's really does that for me.
There were four of us total so we all had a chance to try the appetizers, salads and the sides.
What we ate:
Miso-glazed scallops
Crab cake
Surf and turf dumplings
Lobster bisque
Ceasar salad
The Wedge
Truffle asiago fries
Pan roasted mushrooms
Tempura green beans
Honestly, everything we ate was excellent. I think it helped that my sister and brother in law had eaten here before and "knew" what to order. When I asked my sister if she had ever heard of this place, it sounded like her jaw drop. She told me it was her favorite place to eat in the city right now (and thats saying a lot in a great food place like Chicago).
I've eaten at the David Burke's sister restaurant in Las Vegas (Venetian) and some of the desserts (Cheesecake lollipops) and appetizers do crossover.
I think this is a great steakhouse and really can't wait to come back here. Well done David.
Of note, you can order a to-go order of the cheesecake lollipops if you are too full to eat them at your table.
I went to David Burke's last night for the first time, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. I started with the French onion soup, which had toasted cheese ravioli in it...awesome. I had the classic filet, which was excellent, and my companions had the Kansas City steak, the Delmonico steak (ribeye) and the salmon...everyone really liked their dinners. For sides, the mac and cheese is fabulous, and for dessert...I highly recommend The Elvis (this banana cake/peanut butter ice cream/bacon thing - trust me, it's good), the donuts (which you fill yourself with little squirt bottles), and I will be dreaming about the salted caramel ice cream for the rest of my life.
It is NOT cheap, but what steakhouse is? However, they have a really good prix fixe dinner I think only on Sundays...it is a colossal amount of food for only $42, but the whole table has to participate. I'd definitely be game to try this another time...that said, I am looking forward to going back.
Blog for full review:
Arriving prior to our appetizers we first received one of Burke's famous popovers served in a copper sauce pan. Clearly not made in the pan but a very nice effect, the popover was crispy on the outside and largely hollow on the inside aside from the strong vapors of butter and yeast. An excellent dinner roll, my aunt complained there wasn't enough substance and that she wished she'd have gotten more than one - of course this was stated before she failed to finish her meal - I think Primehouse is aware of their portion sizes and I'm glad (for once) I didn't fill up on bread.
Having a limited (but great looking) number of selections for lunch we ended up getting only 2 different appetizers. For my mother and sister, they each chose the Lobster Bisque with Green Apple essence and Lobster Spring Roll. Not overwhelmed with cream and butter like most steakhouse bisques I was very impressed by the quality of Burke's bisque and compare it favorably to the broth-like version we'd had at Crop in May. Rich and complex with quite a bit of lobster, the brine of the dish was well tempered by the underlying tones of apple and garlic.
For my aunt and I we each opted to go with the Pretzel Crusted Crab Cake with Poppyseed Honey, Citrus, Mango-Mayo - in a word, excellent! Featuring pretzel's lengthwise with a well proportioned crabcake baked and pan-flash finished inside plus notable aromatics provided by spices, the cake itself was both unique and tasty. What set the dish apart, however, was actually the light accents provided by the mild honey and the creaminess added by the sweet yet savory mango-mayo. Certainly a novel take on the steakhouse favorite and it worked well.
My addition from the dinner menu was served along with my crabcake and was worth every cent of the $18 price (note, the app/main/dessert feast was only $20.09) Entitled Foie Gras Terrine with Green City Market Rhubarb, Strawberry Pinot Noir Jam, and Toasted Brioche this item was every bit as good as it sounds - better than the foie at Alinea and probably #3 on my all-time list behind The French Laundry and Alto. While I fully admit to preferring terrine over roast, this version was particularly decadent with the luxurious and creamy liver served beneath a layer of rendered fat/Pinot/Strawberry and topped with chopped, poached, and sweetened rhubarb. Spreading thin in order to savor I requested extra bread which was delivered, grilled, within 2 minutes.
The Lobster Pasta with pea tendrils, morels, and roasted shallot butter. While the pasta itself was largely boring and a little soft for my liking, the shallot butter was superb, the lobster fresh, and the morels...amazing both in quality, quantity, and texture. Quite frankly, in Columbus the Morels and lobster on this plate alone would've cost $20.09 at Whole Foods.
The Tempura Shrimp Salad with Cucumber, Carrot, Bell Pepper, Ginger Soy. Vibrant, enormous, flavorful, and featuring very fresh vegetables with an incredible texture I was very impressed by this dish despite not being a "Salad for a main" kinda guy. The Tempura Shrimp were ginger glazed prior to frying which added an unexpected and pleasant degree of complexity.
The Pan Roasted Chicken with basil whipped potatoes, asparagus, roasted garlic jus and when it arrived all I could think was "chicken - are you sure it wasn't a turkey?" Quite honestly, the dish was enormous - and I can eat! A whole half an Amish chicken, easily 3/4 lbs of potatoes, a half bundle of perfectly poached garlic accented asparagus, and an ample helping of chicken/garlic pan jus. Well cooked, great tasting, probably the best chicken I've had in half a year or more - superb.
The Gianduja Creme Brulee with Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Brulee, Coffee Ice Cream, Caramel Hazelnuts. Though not a big fan of crème brulee in general, having experienced Gianduja multiple times in the past I expected this to be good - and excellent it was. The "worst" of the desserts, I still preferred this to anything we'd had at Spiaggia the night before and found the flavor much akin to nutella with a hearty coffee ice cream that featured great top notes of hazelnut.
"A Slice of Prime" described as layers of chocolate mousse, chocolate cake, and fudge s'mores ice cream I found the presentation with a dense chocolate bulls-head lollypop quite attractive. Thick, rich, almost too decadent for one the cake was actually great on its own but enhanced to a new level by the ice cream which helped to not only cut the sweetness but also to add a degree of nuance to the dish with its notably "marshmellowy" tones.
"The King" - Banana Cake, Chocolate Cream, Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Peanut Bacon Brittle, Tempura Banana. Just read over those ingredients and tell me how this could possibly be anything less than awesome? Sweet/savory, hot/cold, chocolate/peanut butter, soft/crunchy...with bacon. Dense cake, hefty cream, smooth ice cream - perfect.
I can't believe I didn't review this after the meal we had last year, but our return this year for the annual husband birthday feast was just as good. The waitstaff perfectly treads the line between too invasive and just friendly enough and we always enjoy our time.
This year, I had the East meets West oysters (as the husband put it, West Coast oysters be frontin - the East are so much better) and the salmon served with baby bok choy and dumplings in a spicy broth. So good. The husband had the full-on heart attack special - the bacon appetizer - just bacon on a plate, the 20 ounce aged steak and truffle asiago fries and slice of prime chocolate cake with s'mores ice cream. I also had a yummy glass of tea after dinner (some day I would love to see what a $150 cup of tea tastes like....)
I love this place both for the food and the service - and especially the fact that they teased the husband about planning to sing to him!
I tried: 40 day, 55 day, 75 day dry aged steaks, the seafood appetizer tower, array of desserts.
Located in one of my favorite hotels downtown (The James), it's a favorite spot of mine to go to. They have an excellent wine list, but I found their service to be just ok for the prices we paid. We went in a group of 7 and the meal came out to nearly $1,500 with wine, but still, I wasn't impressed with the level of service they provided.
The seafood tower: Amazing, fresh, and unique. I preferred the raw foods on it, but their saucy concoctions were good as well.
Steaks: Everytime I go, I try a different steak, and it doesn't mean that if the steak is aged longer, it will be any better. Their 55 day old was better than the 75 day old filet, and their 40 was excellent.
I'd recommend this place to just about anyone that wants a quality cut of meat.
Dinner (or any other meal) at David Burke's Primehouse is an absolute delight. I've eaten here several times, have brought out-of-town guests here, and raved incessantly about this inspired gem in the middle of Streeterville, adjacent to the James Hotel (another fabulous establishment). If you come here, get ready not only to eat some fabulous food, but to have an out-of-this-world experience with the service.
First, the food - you can't get much better than this. For the carnivores, the filet, ribeye, etc. are to die for. A variety of unique twists on the usual sides of mashed potatoes, green beans, etc. make the dining experience even better. For those who don't eat meat, you still have your pick of some fabulous non-meat dish in seafood and veggie options. Desserts are tremazing (try the lollipop tree!). Wine and drink lists are extensive, and the sommeliers know exactly what they're doing. Food exceeds all of your wildest expectations.
Second, the ambience is just perfect. None of that you-can't-walk-in-here-without-a-jacket attitude, just a laidback and comfortable but upscale dining experience made a trillion times better by...
... third, and most importantly, the service. Think of the place you've gone for dinner that treats you like royalty. Now multiply by a thousand and you've got the service that is Primehouse (without all of that obnoxious in your face stuff). The servers and bussers here are all fabulous - you've never met friendlier people that know their stuff and want you to have the time of your life having dinner. This is the one and only steakhouse in Chicago I'll plug to the people I know and don't know (and Chicago has some great steakhouses)!
I love David Burke! What a genius. I'm eager to try out his other restaurants in various locations in the US. I plan to make it to all of them in due time.
This steakhouse...is just AWESOME! My husband and I are both carnivores. The kobe beef sashimi on Himalayan Salt is just amazing wtih benito shavings. The lobster bisque is heavenly and velvety smooth (but isn't any bisque?). The south side Filet and the Kentucky Rib eye are to die for. Everything is exquisitely prepared.
Thank you David Burke for opening a restaurant in Chicago! I can't thank you enough!
Secret...
I eat here about once a week and every time I leave a very happy meat eating girl.
I recommend the pretzel crab cake if you can keep your hands and mouth off of the pop over goodness that comes with my Indiana favorite-butter. The surf and turf dumplings are scrumptious too. I go back and forth between the Delmonico and the bone in "South Side" Filet-but that's me. I always have to have the truffle fries and asparagus. Other favorite sides are the mac and cheese, temp. green beans, and temp. onion rings. Make sure to save room for the cake in a can or signature cheesecake lollipops!
Top 3 steak places in chicago. The best if you love dry aged beef.
Great service, great food and a great hotel attached. They also have amazing lunch specials. the bourbon milk shake is no hummer but it is a tasty drink none the less.
Another steakhouse in a city with an abundance of steak houses. I think judging steakhouses is pretty cut and dry as either the steak was either good or bad. The few times I've been here, the steaks have been pretty good. Can I get an equally good steak for a lower price? Yes. I cannot recall anything special that would keep me coming back.
My wife and I occasionally visit Chicago, having grown up in Illinois. We also saw the Travel Channel episode in which the Primehouse was featured. Our dinner on a Thursday night was very disappointing. Here's why:
1. The ambiance and noise level of the dining room is reminiscent of a high school cafeteria.
2. The wine list is laughably over-priced.
3. The high-priced steak, minus the fat, bone and gristle, was small and nothing special.
4. The spinach side was so salty as to be inedible.
We were amazed to see that the dining room was almost 3/4 full. I think a greater appreciation of fine dining is needed and places like this should be avoided.
I had watched an episode on the Food Network on aged steaks and all that it entailed, so I've been curious ever since. I have to say, it was very tender and cooked to perfection. My first disappointment was that it wasn't sizzling hot! Just warm, ugh! Second, it wasn't juicy nor fatty! I'm the type of girl who enjoys the fatty steak!
Here's what we ordered:
East meets West (3 east coast & 3 west coast oysters)
Kobe Beef Sashimi
Lobster Bisque
Roasted Beet & Mache Salad
55 Day Aged Ribeye, bone-in
Lobster Fried Rice
The food was good but I don't think I'll be coming back.
Perhaps my expectations were just too high. The steak was great (bone-in Filet). The velvet cake was great. The cream spinich was fair, mushrooms were typical, and the waffle potato thing was weird and bad.
My main disappointment was the dining room and overall experience. The ambiance/environment was that of a nice corporate cafeteria. Busy, lots of distractions, just plain odd. The server was pretty weak too. I've had better server/dining room experiences at chain restaurants.
Go for the steak, hope you get a decent table, and expect a 3-star experience and perhaps you'll be impressed at the end.
It really doesn't matter that they own their own bull or have a salt rock walled drying room, or any of the other nonsense that they think will impress you. The question is, in a city chocked full of steak places, is this very pricey restaurant better than others. I say no. The steak was good but at least $20 more than at other steak houses and it wasn't that good. Sides were weak (we had tempura beans and basil mashed potatoes), desert was inedible (how can you ruin carrot cake -- they did). Service was good and vibe is fine but I'd rather eat at Keefer's or Hugo's or Capital Grill. Overpriced and over-impressed with themselves.
The prix fixe lunch is what got me to try the place, everyhting else is what will bring me back. The service was excellent, I thought the value for $20 was pretty good - and you can get a bone in 20 ounce ribeye for an additional $20, where you get an appetizer and dessert too! At dinner just the steak is $40, so its a great price if you are in the mood for a giant steak at lunchtime.
Oysters were a tad on the small side but otherwise very fresh and tasty, and the root beer sorbet is also really good. The king is named appropriately.
I had really high hopes for this restaurant. I had stayed at the James hotel and never had a chance to try this restaurant. G/f and I had a chance a week ago and we jumped at the opportunity.
The staff is very friendly and makes you feel welcome. Service is great - waiter was attentive but wasn't pushy and was very helpful. I ordered the miso scallop appetizer and it was very good. G/f had the tomato salad and it was tasty as well.
The steaks we ordered were not that good. Mine was raw in spots - i mean raw. I ordered it medium with some pink but essentially half my steak was not edible. G/f had a steak that had none of those issues but jsut wasnt that tasty. I was sorely disappointed since i had heard amazing things about this place.
I would be willing to give it a shot again but would be more careful about what i ordered. For 3 people the bill was expensive and given my experience not justified.
Weekend Brunch
Neighborhood: The Loop
Give a Gift, Get a Gift: $25…
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Steakhouses
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Steakhouses
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Steakhouses
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Steakhouses
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