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Category: Restaurants
726 Lake StOak Park (Green)
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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So I've been watching Chopped on the Food Network lately and I now have this obsession with creating fancy dishes in a short amount of time. I'm way too old to pretend I'm on a cooking show but alas I still do it :)
With that being said, I'm slightly disappointed that the selections at Flat Top are always the same and that gets rather boring.
OK Flat Top...the thrill is gone. Time to start rolling out some new ingredients or something exciting to make me want to come back. I still like making my own stuff but give me something I can use...I've only got twenty minutes!!!
On the bright side, I got a coupon from them on my Birthday for a free entree.
I'm a chef!
OK not really, but sometimes I like to pretend that I'm a chef. Flat Top helps me play…
Read more »
I won't be back. I think the concept is lost on me. I don't care to cook, so I'm not sure why I'd go out to eat and then be expected to be that involved in my meal. We had brunch there this past weekend and I can't say that I was impressed.
The staff was friendly but often not around when you needed them. I had multiple questions, being a first timer and all, but there was simply no one to tell me how many eggs were actually used in the omelet when the question arose. Maybe I put far too much thought into my onion to egg ratio...
Frankly, I find the whole concept irritating at best and the food was mediocre. I find the use of all those darn sticks stupid and confusing. I didn't care for the options that could be added to the omelets either - very basic or weird (edamame?). Don't get me wrong, I love edamame but couldn't quite wrap my head around putting it in my eggs...I know, where's my sense of adventure, right?
While there were few other patrons, everyone was stepping all over each other adding things to their bowls. And I did love the Roti bread, I woulda killed for a piece of toast.
And come on, only one kind of cheese (it was some sort of plastic-y version of "cheddar")...
Flat Top is a great place to go if you like stir fry and want to be creative. They've now opened a Flat Top in Lombard so I go to that one instead. The quality of the food is the same but there are a few things about the Oak Park location that I don't like. The restaurant is way to small. I think they tried to squeeze one or two too many tables in the rows. They could take one at least one table in each section. Also the food area gets really messy and they don't have someone coming around to clean it up. The ingredients get mixed up alot and sometimes don't get refilled right away. The service is a bit slow on the standard stuff like getting refills or just checking up on your in general.
Again, the ingredients are too bad and I can't complain about the flavors since you're your own chef. They also will give you double roti bread if you put 2 sticks in (unlike other Flat Tops I've been to). The roti bread is my fave!!! But if I had to pick between Oak Park and Lombard, I'm definitely sticking to the Lombard location.
The idea of making your own meal is kinda cool if you know how to do it. But if you're a moron like me, I don't know what goes with what to make it taste good. It's a good thing that you can keep trying and make as many as you like cuz I didn't like some of the dishes I created. Some of the suggestions were good, but I wanted to to try other stuff too. The food is good, but nothing spectacular. It's a fun place to try to be a chef and see what you can come up with!
My boyfriend and I went here last week. It is a very busy place. The food was ok. The sauces were ok. I think that they could have had more greens such as bok choy and cabbage. Soups were pretty good. The key here is not to add to much meat. The pear tea was great. And the flat bread is to die for. Service is good. All in all may or may not go back. The place is all you care to eat. If you like that , this is a place to try.
Flattop is hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago and I frequent many of the locations around the city. I've eaten at the Oak Park location a few times now and I think it's great. Maybe it's just been the hours that we've gone, but I've never had to wait to be seated, and it never gets as packed as some of the other locations, so I like that. The staff is always attentive and friendly and the food comes out fast and delicious.
Not much more to say, if you haven't been to Flattop before, I suggest doing so in the near future. Great for dates or just going out with a friend. They also have some really great desserts and drink options.
OH! And the breakfast at this location is top notch, as well! I recommend the egg white omelet and some roti prata bread :)
This review is for their breakfast:
I absolutely love their breakfast. If you are ever hungover, this is the best place to go! You can stuff your face with every kind of fruit, meat, vegetable, carbohydrate, and candy imaginable! I always load every available candy into a pancake and proceed to raise my blood sugar by 10000 grams. Yes, not healthy but neither was the night before. Another added bonus: if you are in really bad shape, you don't really have to talk to anyone, since it is a serve yourself kind of place.
On another note: I would not go here for lunch/dinner. I think Stir Crazy (in Oakbrook) is a lot better. Their selection of vegetables and meats are more fresh and the ambiance is better too. Overall I think Stir Crazy tastes better mid-afternoon but you cannot beat Flat Top Grills' weekend brunch.
I like Stir Crazy, but I LOVE Flat Top? What could be better than unlimited stir fry?? Not much. ANd the best part isn't even that, but the options that Stir Crazy can't provide like getting the tasty paratha bread (I'm Indian too) as a side or transforming your mundane noodles into a Chinese pancake, soup or salad? Shweet.
I haven't been to other locations, but I really like the Oak Part spot. My Dad is a big fan of the lemonades too and I have been satisfied every time I've gone. Even my picky grandparents from India were happy :)
Oh, and where else in the city can you do a stir fry-esque breakfast? Pretty awesome to make your own loaded pancakes, eggs and french toast? My favorite creation is kind of a veggie, spices loaded egg scramble.
Like other yelpers said, I too like the concept, but sadly I am a carnivore, and that is mostly why I think it is a '3-star' place to have a meal.
PROS:
Food is fresh, service is nice.
If you like to have a 'no-guilt, healthy' buffet, this is the place for you!
CONS:
The size of the 'bowl for meat' is relatively small(one star off!). The kinds of proteins provided here should be increased. Also, the meat served here are cut into cubes, it would be nice to have some meat that are thinly sliced.
We call this dining style Mongolian Grill. I don't see a lot of those around so when our friends brought us here, we were excited. It's simple: you get a bowl; fill it with whatever your heart desires (or stomach rather) from their wide array of fresh veggies, meats, sauces and spices; poke your personalized stick on it; and leave it for the cooks to cook it on their flat grill. The wait staff delivers it right on your table. When you're done and ready, you can help yourself for seconds or mix up something completely new. At Flat Top, they have suggestions of different combinations if your stomach is preventing you from thinking.
Last visit: 5/07
I LOVE this place. (and yes, i love the blue stick, too)!
Not only is the food great (and healthier then most)..
but the customer service is fantastic at this location!!!
I've been going there for years and have introduced many friends to this place (even went there for a birthday where my drinks were comp'ed because our party was delayed being seated - they even brought out a birthday appetizer of edamame for all of us).
This past weekend, the boyfriend and i went for a quick bite to eat. i was grabbing a desert to go and they happened to burn part of it.
We ended up getting a new desert and it was comp'd off the bill.
the managers really know how to keep the customers happy here!
if you sign up for their email list...
you get a free dinner for your birthday, as well as coupons here and there for taking part in their surveys.
It isn't too pricey for what you get!
And for an extra 5 bucks, you can take a big bowl home as leftovers!
im not a fan of the breakfast. its just too crowded in there and the food tends to be really greasy.
I, like many of the other reviewers, don't get the point of putting together my own food, giving it to a guy and then waiting for a waitress to deliver it to me. Why wait in line behind the slowest people on earth who deliberate over two or three peas and discuss sauces like it is a life or death decision. ("Honey, soy or teriyaki - I just don't know!")
My husband loves it because he can avoid any vegetables whatsoever and load a moo shu pancake with meat. So, I end up here probably 6 times a year, to my dismay.
We also tried the place when they started offering breakfast. Now this is a decent option - you can create your own omelette and eat waffles and toast and yogurt, etc. That I dont mind, but, naturally, there isn't enough meat product there for the husband, so he doesn't like it. When they can make an all-meat omelette, I might get him back there.
Wait staff is pretty aloof - hard to get them to bring you anything but the check and the seating fills up quickly, relegating you to the elevated stools that are not comfortable.
Flat Top is ok, just make sure you are hungry when you go there. You can literally pile on the food and eat it stir fry style.
This was better when I was a broke college student looking for hangover food.
The Oak Park FTG is one of our household favorites. We plan ahead, and usually eat light all day to make room for all the delicious food we'll get here.
We prefer FTG over the other Mongolian BBQ or stir fry places for 3 reasons:
1. The flat bread made on the grill with your food
2. The exhausting selection of sauces
3. All the modifications you can make using the colored sticks.
Tip: As soon as your first round arrives, it will be too hot to eat. Fold the bread back to vent it, grab the wooden stick with your name on it, go make round 2, and come back to your table and eat while they are making the next batch. Wash, rinse, repeat. We started doing this so we can try many difference flavor combinations in a much shorted time.
Order: The dessert pear lemonade (free refills)
The new breakfast spread is also very impressive. You can build omelets, pancakes, french toast, and more.
I heart FTG
I absolutely LOVE Flat Top Grill! The food is very healthy...lots of veggies. And their meats are very lean. I love the chicken and the beef. I wasn't too crazy about their shrimp. Their food has always been fresh whenever I go there.
They have a very wide range of sauces as well.
Be sure and try the flat bread...it is really delicious!
You can also have your food prepared as a wrap, salad or soup. I have had their soup...it's excellent. Hits the spot on a cold night.
The place is a bit small and it does get crowded on weekends. However, their food would definitely get 5 stars.
This place is a good bargain. One flat price for all you can eat. The service was minimal since you get your food yourself and give it to someone to cook but I get you get what you pay for.
They have lots of sauces and ingredients to choose from. The one thing that I liked the best, even if I didn't utilize it, was the fact they cook vegetarian/allergy orders in a different pan.
Sometimes this place is packed and unfortunately there is little waiting room. I would suggest this establishment for lunch or a early dinner if you want to avoid the crowd.
It might be difficult if you have kids but if you come with at least two adults you can make it work. I sit with the kids until my husband comes back and then I go get my food. I don't feel comfortable leaving the kids alone while I go get my food.
We have been to eat here several times but when it's too busy we go across the street to New Pot (see my other review). Just as tasty but I different flavor.
Oh how I love Flat Top. Its all you can eat for a set price. You start by ordering your drinks with your wait staff. Then you head off to choose your fixins. You have your choice of rice or noodles, a great selection of veggies, herbs n spices, sauces, and meat. You then have additional selections too such as having your stirfry turned into a salad, a soup, mooshoo, etc. If you are feeling creative you can do whatever you want. If you're not thats ok because there are suggestions up on the wall to give you ideas on what tastes good together. You have a stick that has your seat # on it, stick that in your bowl and leave it at the grill. They cook it up and bring it to ya. How nice is that? What's nice is its all you can eat, so if you make something yucky you can just try again.
On weekend nights its often pretty busy, and there is not a lot of space for waiting around. there is a bar but its pretty crowded. So try going here on a less popular night...or maybe an early dinner or go for lunch!
The desserts are delicious - try The Chocolate Storm if its still around. A huge brownie with chocolate & white chocolate chunks in it...served with vanilla icecream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Yummi!!! :o)
Today was my first visit to one of these, and I am sure I will return. The lunch price of $9 was a bargain for all you can eat, and the stir fry ingredients has some nice unusual offerings -- one of the two bowls I made up was all vegetarian using brown rice and seitan from the vegetable bar. Variety of seasonings and sauces is overwhelming.
Our server was kind but seemed a bit ditzy -- a newbie perhaps. Also, empty raw meat containers took a bit of doing to have refilled -- we had to kind of beg their attention to this.
Anniversary at the Flat Top Grill: Earth Week, April 20-26, 2009
The Flat Top Grill celebrated my second anniversary early Spring, during the first week of April, in time for Earth Hour 2009 and before Earth Week, April 20-26, which makes the 40th anniversary of celebrating Earth Day, on April 22, 2009. Environmental concerns "add a little green" at the Flat Top Grill. Organic vegetables are still my favorite choice, topped with Vegan sauces and low calorie seasonings, ranging from zero "0" calorie, ginger water, to 128 calories, with horseradish tofu. There is more variety of fresh produce added at the Flat Top Gril, to create your own stir-fry. You can also try make your stir-fry in a fresh lettuce wrap! or Add a 10-piece of shrimp skewer to your bowl... And even the placemat is made from harvested eucalyptus plants and printed with flaxseed inks, for a sustainable, reversible Flat Top Grill Menu.
A friend recently celebrated his birthday at the Flat Top Grill when he joined the E-Mail list. He enjoyed a free, complimentary stir-fry in a bowl, a cup of coffee and a bowl of Triple Chocolate Storm Ice Cream at the Flat Top Grill in Yorktown, Lombard. When you join the Flat Top Grill E-mail list, you can also enjoy a free, complimentary stir-fry on your birthday, stay updated on the latest Flat Top news, and celebrate your anniversary date with a courtesy, create-your-own stir-fry in a bowl, while you earn special member offers. Visit the Flat Top Grill website at http://www.flattopgril...
The Flat Top Grill in Oak Park is a real treasure at 726 West Lake Street, one block from Scoville Park and the Oak Park Public Library.
Well, you can't really go wrong when you prepare your own meal, cuz you can definitely make it YOUR way. Just PLEASE follow the recipes! My only complaint here is that shrimp is no longer offered as an add it yourself option. You have to pay extra for it and then you only get a few shrimp that look like they've been genetically altered, pulled, if you will.
But the highlight of my last visit was that they have MOJITOS, a refreshing Cuban drink I discovered in Tampa this spring (white rum, fresh mint, club soda, triple sec...traditionally served with a stalk of fresh sugar cane) and boy was it outstanding with freshly mortared mint. Yummm.....
Use the Mongolian beef recipe, its really great.
Ok...so...
1. Buffet - check
2. Quality Veggies and Meats - check
3. 3 Ways to Eat Your Stir Fry (soup, in a wrap or with pratha bread) - check
4. A Million Sauces to Choose From - check
5. Good Service - check
6. Good drinks - check
I really enjoy this place...the concept...the quality...everything! I usually get either the chicken or beef and both are pretty good. I just feel the two locations I have been to are a little cramped but I think that is part of the charm! If you are looking for a new place to go and have a good time while you are there...check this place out for sure!!
Read my "Evanston" location review for info on the food.
This location is tied with Southport for second favorite. I didn't make it out to Oak Park all that much, having been a resident of Lincoln Park, but it was still all good. It also (if memory serves correct) is the largest location.
I go to this flat top for the breakfast all the time so I have a variety of experiences there. When we first started going a year ago this was the best flat top ever! They were not stingy with the breakfast meats like all the others are and they would never mess up and leave anything out like the Roti or cheese and they would even give you extra bacon when you asked!
It's really not like that anymore and I think it's cause they have become totally cheap or something...when I went yesterday they forgot my Roti bread on one of plates I made and hardly gave me any potatoes on the other one. They didn't have grapes or really any of the good fruit that I usually eat while I wait. Two of the ingredients were empty and they never came to refill them. My friend tried to wait twenty minutes for them to refill the spinach before it became clear that was not going to happen. They completely burned my pancake and her Roti bread (which she still had to give me half of cause they forgot mine) and they also burned her lonely piece of Bacon to a crisp. We couldn't stop laughing it was so funny! But the waitress was nice and refilled my drinks and stuff so she was really the only good part. So this place really has gone down in quality but I would give it another shot because I hope they can return to their former great service someday.
I went here for breakfast once, the service was horrible. You pretty much needed road flares to get someone's attention to bring you something to drink. I had an omelet...it was forgettable. Overall they're trying to be a mongolian BBQ and I think they failed. I haven't been here for anything else other than breakfast so that might be why I'm not quite as excited as everyone else seems to be about it.
I'm not sure what to call this cuisine since you can mix it up yourself. I'll call it 'flat-top fusion'
There are asian styled ingredients but it doesn't feel too Asian to me. I was the only Asian in there when I went actually. But nonetheless for a lunch during the week, it's $8.99 for all you can eat. Pretty good bang for the buck.
Clean and almost clinical in that chain-like style, it's a 'safe' bet for some quick eats...
I really didnt like the concept of making my own stir fry. LOL. Other than that the veggies were great and there were so many sauces to choose from. I got my stir fry with tofu which wasnt bad at all. I was a bit confused but the waitress helped out. I loved the bread that came on the side. Soooo good! To drink I started with a Mango Mojito which was excellent and then tried the hawaiian iced tea. I didnt trust the tea at first since it came in a can but it was good. My favorite moment here was when I crashed into one of my high school buddies!!! That made my day. It was an ok exxperince.
i was really looking forward to great stir-fry when I came here but I left very disappointed. When I went through the line a lot of the trays were empty and I had to keep asking them to refill it. I had an awful waiter who never refilled my water after I asked three times. All in all it was not an enjoyable dining experience and not worth the money.
Always fun, but not for everyone. I say this because if you don't know how to mix ingredients, you're in trouble. The quality of the meal depends on you.
Some may think it's a little pricey, but I think it's okay considering everything out is fresh.
A pretty good Mongolian BBQ-style restaurant. They have a decent selection (though it's always so messy, what with the sauces) and they serve an Indian flatbread that is delish.
That said, Mongolian BBQ style is not my favorite. I prefer to be waited on. And if I knew how to cook well, I'd just do it at home.
My husband really likes this style, though, so I go along and do my best.
Three stars for being relatively typical in terms of these type of chain restaurants.
I have been to the Flat Top in Naperville but we were not around there so we search another location and decided on the Oak Park location. The place is great. I love the seating on the stool/bar like seating along the walls, they do have regular tables as well. Our waitress was more than accomidating and I believe from observations that it was only her on the floor. When me dinner mate and I went up to pick our food, the staff was or than willing to help us pick a combination of sauses that compliment each other. LOVED IT
My wife and I dig this place. It's a really good/unique "make your own stir fry/soup/salad" type of place. Its a smaller chain restaurant (I've been to one of the other ones in the city) that is very well run. We always enjoy taking friends from out of town here. Very close to the Oak Park el stop on the green line.
Despite all of the positive reviews of this place I'd have to say I'm just not convinced. I thought for what it was, it was considerably overpriced. Maybe I'm a weird guy, but I have issues with restaurants that make the patrons put their food together, cook their own food, etc etc. Granted you don't actually have to stir fry things, and they at least give you suggestions on which sauces to combine, but it's one of those things that if you don't like the end result it's your own damn fault. The service wasn't bad... but I went with one of their recommended sauce combinations and I say beware of the peanut sauce, it overpowers everything.
I kind of live at Flat Top because I hate to cook and I love really large, exceedingly hot metal plates that cook food. That aside, FT offers me something that few other restaurants can - the ability to combine seitan and tofu in one fabulously excellent meal. The veggies are always, always fresh and high quality. The meats look hideous sitting in their trays, but a healthy hideous, so thumbs up for you carnivores! Veggies can request that their dishes be cooked in a special pan, and that is always nice. That roti bread is like crack and I can't stop asking my server to get more and more and more for me. The place is very loud, so don't go thinking you'll be able to do a significant amount of talking when it is busy. But on a quieter day it's just fine.
We went to Flat Top for their Breakfast Buffet and it was just meh. I mean, all you can eat for $9, I didn't expect a lot. They serve breakfast foods that can be prepared on a grill. Pancakes, omelettes, bacon, sausage. I had blueberry pancakes with no flavor and bacon that was so flaccid I had to take it back to the grill so it could be cooked properly (trichinosis anyone?). Even the coffee was weak. Service was inattentive. I won't be back.
When you are starrrrving for food, you should eat here. I always leave flat top grill pleasantly full =). Flat Top Grill is a chose your ingredients/ stir fry type of restaurants. When you go up to the counter to pick out your ingredients they always have fresh veggies, meats, and sauces to choose from. What is unique about this restaurant is that you can have endless bowls of stir fry. =)
If you've ever been to Mongolian Barbeque this is about the same thing. However, I'd say this place has a better selection of meats and vegetables. You don't have to wait around at the grill for the food either. You put it together and then return to your seat, they'll make it and deliver it to your table. A nice side note: their bread is absolutely amazing!
It was a very interesting and fun experience. I really liked being able to choose my own vegetable, sauce, and meat bowl. I do agree with Gary that the bread was amazing!!
It is fun to be able to put together your own ingredients and choose the form that it takes (stir-fry, soup, salad, moo shoo rolls, etc). The only problem is that things can start to taste the same. I would change the sauces around, but after too many visits the stir-fry started tasting like the soup...
Ahhhh Flat Top Grill!!! I tried it for the first time on my 18th birthday and have been loyal ever since. I've been to the one on Southport, the one on North and the one on Washington but the Oak Park location is definitely my favorite! It's never obnoxiously packed. I like that it has more room to move in and out of your seat, I like that the line has some slow times--even on weekends, I like the friendly staff and I like that I can always find parking nearby. I can't say the same for the other locations. The food is whatever you make it.. good or bad, it's all up to you! Pasta or rice.. whatever veggies, even some fruit.. whatever sauce you'd like.. and even whatever protein you'd like.. add some cheese while you're at it. It's like korean bbq but the fire isn't in your face! Someone else handles that. OH BUT YOU MUST GET THE ROTI PRATA BREAD!!! It's delicious.. so stick the blue stick in your bowl to get it. Oh yeah.. you also have to decipher the sticks but they say what they are when you're up there. Have no fear..
Yummmmmmmmmmo! I love how you pick out all of your ingredients, put them in a bowl, and have them cooked for you. I would highly recommend the indian flat bread (blue stick). The wraps are very good as well. (I believe they're the clear stick.) Every time I go there, I try a different combination of sauces and other ingredients!
Some tips:
a) If you plan on getting the unlimited bowls for only a $1 more (which I would recommend) put less in your bowl. Otherwise, you are full after one bowl and won't get a chance to try a different combination of veggies/fruits/sauces/etc.
b) If you get the wraps, only a little more than 2 ladles of sauce is necessary otherwise the wraps get very mushy.
c) If price is a limitation, try going at lunch when it is cheaper but you can still get the unlimited bowls!
Special
Chicago, IL
10 Dollars off
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Restaurants
Lombard, IL
Category: Restaurants
Oak Park, IL
Category: American (New)
Evanston, IL
Category: Restaurants
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