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Foodlife

3.5 star rating
based on 169 reviews

Categories: American (Traditional), Pizza, Asian Fusion, Mexican  [Edit]

Neighborhoods: Streeterville, Near North Side
835 N Michigan Ave
(between Chestnut St & Pearson St)
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 335-3663
Nearest Transit:

Chicago (Red)

Good for Groups:
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Garage
Attire:
Casual
Price Range:
$$
Good for Kids:
Yes
Takes Reservations:
No
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
No
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Good for:
Lunch
Alcohol:
Beer & Wine Only
Nearby Tex-Mex

Chili's Grill & Bar

Neighborhood:
Near North Side

Chili's® Grill & Bar is as bold and flavorful as the food it serves. The energetic, fun atmosphere makes it the perfect spot for a... more »

169 reviews for Foodlife

Review Highlights   

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"This is the spot to go to after 5pm." (in 5 reviews)
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"…style" food stand are great - corn, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, etc…" (in 6 reviews)
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"A cafeteria-style eatery in the basement of Water Tower Place." (in 26 reviews)
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Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites'
Photo of Ken L.

Elite '09

13

110

Ken L.

Chicago, IL

3 star rating
11/19/2009

i almost always ended up at Foodlife whenever i am around the water tower place area. I dont know why I think its mostly because I cant think of any other options. its a great concept, but too touristy and over-priced.

A meal w/ a drink will probably cost you $10-15 depending on what you get, when you can get for $6-8 elsewhere, with bigger portions.

I had tried most of the food here, and I have to say the food is bland and mediocre. The staff especially the ladies at the front would rather chit chat than serving you. And lunch time is crazy!

The decor and atmosphere is nice, but what ultimately draws customers is the food... Sometimes I truly wish there's better and cheaper options around here.

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Photo of Thomas L.

Elite '09

4

43

Thomas L.

Oak Park, IL

3 star rating
11/10/2009

.If you have to take out of town guests all over the city and don't feel like taking requests about what they want to eat this is the perfect place. With over 13 food kiosks a sort of modern food court/ cafeteria this place has something for everyone. I can actually say the numerous times I have been here I have never ate at the same spot.

It easy, clean, and not too hard on the pocketbook. The only downside is that you may have to wait to get in

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Photo of Mihir S.

Elite '09

190

528

Mihir S.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
11/1/2009

I love the concept. For those of you who have been to Marche by Movenpick, this is pretty much the same concept. As you walk in, you are handed a card. There are a variety of food stations and each has its own cuisine or course. The stations that I remember are: soup, salad, burgers, Chinese, Big Bowl (Mongolian grill concept), Mexican, juice, pasta, rotisserie, sushi, pizza/panini, and dessert. As you pick up your items from the stations, they swipe your card and your tally is kept track of. On the way out you you pay the damage. But I have mixed emotions about Foodlife.

The Good:

1 - The variety
2 - The gumbo (I got a cup) - though the guy at the station was crabby
3 - The sesame chicken
4 - Separate checks!

The Bad: the price. For my food and a fountain soda, my tally came out to $15.67. The gratuity is included. If I am going to spend this much money on lunch, I'd rather be served at my table and not do the work myself.

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Photo of Nicole C.

 

4

14

Nicole C.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
11/11/2009

I've been going to FoodLife for quite some time now... it was one of the only nice options for food I had while working in the Hancock building for about 9 months and their food could always cheer me up from a bad day.

They've recently just started doing a $10 special {this is for everyone complaining about the price}.... for $10, you get an entree {from anywhere}, a drink, a soup OR salad, and then a dessert. Seriously. That's a deal.

The portions are huge here so I always thought the $13 I would pay  was worth it. I also like that you can walk in and have a variety of types of food to choose from. You can mix and match meals if you want.  It's great for indecisive people or people who don't want to eat the same exact meal over and over again.

But yeah.... I really just wanted to let everyone know about the amazing $10 special. I'm not really sure you can get a better, fuller meal downtown for less than $10.

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Photo of Shradha A.

Elite '09

79

458

Shradha A.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
Updated - 10/24/2009

Tried the veggie burger, which is made of actual vegetables and quite good! I'm going to start categorizing my veggie burgers into 4 groups now, soy patty, black bean patty and veggie patty, mock meat patty. There's is a veggie patty!

I felt the cheese was unnecessary as the burger patty itself was quite fresh and flavorful, and only needed some crispy onions to add to the zest! It was also perfectly cooked to the point where it wasn't compressed tight but neither was it falling apart in each bite.

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3 Previous Reviews: Show all »

  • 4 star rating
    7/8/2009

    I've been going here so long that I don't find enough reason to keep updating my review for… Read more »

Photo of April P.

 

5

57

April P.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
10/30/2009

From the looks of it, it's practically a one-stop shop for the different diverse foods you might be craving. But be warned: it's very dangerous since it's not a buffet. You end up paying at the very end when you leave and the bill adds up as you order at each spot. Although, I do like the system though. You're given a card when you enter. Each time you order food, your card is swiped, and you pay when you leave.

I had a Chicago-style hot dog and some macaroni and cheese, which I loved. If you visit Foodlife, come with a hearty appetite and an empty stomach. I really wish I did so I could've tried a lot of other things they had to offer.

It gets a little pricey and the automatic gratuity added but the food is pretty good and going to Foodlife is an experience.

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Photo of Gene Y.

Elite '09

3

189

Gene Y.

Chicago, IL

5 star rating
10/21/2009

Best foodcourt ever?  Really?  Well, I have to agree.  Tons of selection.  This place is immaculately clean, at least for a food court.  Thumbs up for Lettuce Entertain You for running this place.  Plus, the best pot roast for under $10!  Love it.  They have a pizza station, a comfort food station, a noodle bowl place, a tex-mex place, a mongolian buffet type of station, soup kitchen (without the soup nazi), rotisserie chicken bar, dessert bar, and I'm sure that I'm missing another station or two.  

Go there almost religiously whenever we're in the neighborhood (mostly for shopping...sigh...of course..lol).  The only drawback is the 8% gratuity.  Really, where's the service, since it's self serve.  You can talk out of it, but who wants to bother with the trouble and awkwardness.

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Photo of Pamela V.

 

30

37

Pamela V.

Chicago, IL

5 star rating
10/18/2009

Best foodcourt ever.  I often sneak away from the loop and grab lunch at the to-go station here.

Great place to please a diverse group of taste buds, everything from Italian to Mexican to Comfort Food to Asian cuisine.

My guests and I have never been disappointed here. Never thought I'd find the world's best mac n cheese (only rivals my mom's)  and sweet potatoes in the Water Tower Place.  Give it a try.

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Photo of Aise W.

 

75

52

Aise W.

Chicago, IL

2 star rating
10/12/2009

They tried to poison me!!!

I hadn't been here in years, years I tell ya, but I got the bright idea to go here when a friend and I couldn't really decide on what to eat.  The whole getting a card and going to different stations concept used to just delight the mess out of me before. There was little delight in my last visit.

What happen to the customer service???   I go to the "Comfort" station to get some Turkey Meatloaf w/ peas & carrots and mashed potatoes. Got a little muffin biscuit too. I had to come back for butter and said "Excuse me" to the guy with his back to me three times. I thought he hadn't heard me, but it turned out he was ignoring me when he finally sharply turned around and said "one minute." Then he tells me there's butter where there wasn't any butter.  If you were selling the biscuits, why don't you have the dam butter?  I had to solicit butter from another station.  I get to the table and damned if the meatloaf isn't a bit below lukewarm. Taste wise, it was pretty good, would have been better if it was hot. Matter-o-fact, would have been better IF IT WAS COOKED ALL THE WAY THROUGH!!    

Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep........... I had been eating underdone turkey meat. Poultry. A bird.  

Once I see the pink meat (there was plenty of it) I immediately go to the manager and show him the plate telling him my turkey meatloaf was underdone. He looks at me like "Ok, annnnnnnnnnnnnd?"  I have to point out that it's not beef and you don't eat underdone birds!!! WTF?!?!  This guy is manager? Of a food establishment?? And doesn't realize the problem here????

Before I consumed raw turkey, I was already unhappy about how hard it was just to get a frickin packet of butter for my muffin biscuit, the fact there was only pop, caffeinated tea, and coffee to drink (no juice), only Splenda and Equal for sugar-but-not-really-sugar, and how un-warm both of our food was.  

You may be asking, "But Aise, why are you giving it 2 stars then?" Well You, my answer would be because I had an awesome strawberry crepe after my plate of food was disposed of and charged back. And I needed it cause a sista was hungry. It didn't make up for anything (and I paid for it), but it was pretty damn awesome.  

I'll keep to the pizza and smoothie place on the outer perimeter and leave the inside alone from now on.

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Photo of Nick H.

 

13

71

Nick H.

Chicago, IL

3 star rating
9/24/2009

If you are with other people looking for a lunch spot downtown and cannot come to a consensus on one place to go, Food Life is the place for you.  You get a card when you are shown to your table that you take with you to all of the different food stations.  Everything you get is put on the card and you pay the total at cash registers on the way out.

The food is not exceptional, but everything I have had was pretty good.  The salad station, the BBQ station, and the Mexican station are my usuals.  I would give it four stars, but I subtracted one for the price.  The food is definitely not worth what you end up paying.

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Photo of Michelle C.

 

0

4

Michelle C.

Mill Valley, CA

4 star rating
9/16/2009

I'm a wheat-allergic pescaterian. He's a beef-loving Texan. Our little man has a toddler's love of hot dogs and spaghetti. Fortunately we live very close to Foodlife, which has saved us from dining exclusively at Mexican restaurants.
The meal deal rocks.
Get to know the staff at your favorite stations-- they can really make a difference in your FL experience.

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Photo of Springheeled J.

 

0

20

Springheeled J.

Chicago, IL

3 star rating
9/25/2009

Sweet Jesus, this place is daylight robbery.  The conceit is fantastically charming -- you go to the food court, you get a little charge card, you charge at any of a number of food stations, you pay on your way out.  It's all very chic, very streamlined, very hip.  Will you walk into my parlour, said the spider to the yuppie fly.  I came here for lunch with a friend and now I can't quit my fascination.

The food's not bad, sometimes good, sometimes mediocre (I wouldn't recommend the Chinese, but the bottomless soup is a nifty deal); however, their crepe station is great and is completely worth your future diabetes.  There's quite a variety of stations and the Comfort Food and Rotisserie stations are, to say the least, tempting -- as are the Stirfry, the Salad Bar, etc.  There's something for everyone.  Is that something good?  I dunno.  However, that something's definitely expensive.  But what are you doing in Streeterville anyway?

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Photo of christine c.

 

0

21

christine c.

Cook, IL

4 star rating
11/7/2009

4 stars not b/c of food quality but b/c the dinner deal is a good deal. EXCEPT i have heard that portions are getting smaller so that's annoying

i usually just get the dinner deal which is $10 comes out to be $11 or so and then i get the chicken w/ 2 sides which is normally 7.99 or 8.99 so it turns out to be a GREAT deal to get a salad, drink, AND dessert for only an extra dollar or two.

i usually get the dark chicken w/ mashed potatoes and macaroni and it is absolutely delicious

my friend had teh big bowl food there and said it was gross... i think b/c we went when it wasn't a normal meal time so the food had just been sitting there.

oh, i've had the pasta before - chicken marsala i think, NASTTTTTTTTTY compared to the other stuff just b/c it was so dry and the pasta had just been sitting around fro a while

i have to say i'm upset that we can't cohose a cupcake anymore for the dessert, and its gelato instead. a friend went yesterday and said they've now changed it to be either a cookie or a brownie, even CHEAPER!!!

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Photo of Jessica D.

 

5

77

Jessica D.

Chicago, IL

2 star rating
11/3/2009

Foodlife is a great CONCEPT and that's what I always remember about them. It's great marketing, actually. In the hustle and bustle of life, options always sound great and what matters isn't the quality of food or service, but the sound byte you leave someone with.

This is my problem with Foodlife. Whenever I've been on Michigan Avenue at Borders or H&M or LUSH, I try to think of somewhere to eat. Maybe someplace fast, or cheap, or that will satisfy the tastes of myself and my compatriots. That's when I think, "I know! We'll go to Foodlife!" Why do I always think that?

The thing is, I do value choice. We Americans love choice! So the option of getting sushi, stir-fry, pizza, sandwiches, Italian, Mexican, soup, salads, or comfort food is amazing in theory. Except it's always so bad. I mean, really, really bad. The best you can hope for at Foodlife is bland, mediocre food for too much money. I've had that happen a couple of times, like with the ravioli at the Italian stall or the crepes at the Dessert area. But mostly, my food is just not good at all. The Mexican food is somewhere between ballpark food and overpriced Chipotle. The pizzas sit on racks, waiting for the next order. Once, I got a panini sandwich that took 15 minutes an was burnt (I meant black all over burnt) and terrible. And it's always twice as much as you expected. You leave, thinking you've been frugal, and then realize that your sandwich, juice, and cup of soup somehow came to $20.00. How does that happen?

I always think I'll like Foodlife. It's like they wipe your memory when they wipe your little green card. But I never do. So why do I keep going back? Please, someone put some decent food north of Chicago on Michigan Avenue. Please.

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Photo of Heather M.

Elite '09

38

127

Heather M.

Chicago, IL

2 star rating
10/21/2009

This place is a crucial rip-off. You'll end up paying $8-10 for whatever you can get for $6-7 elsewhere - not including the mandatory 18% gratuity they tag onto your tab - yet nobody waits on you. They should quit acting like WalMart and actually take responsibility for paying their own employees (i.e. bussers). There's nothing spectacular about the selections - not bad, just pretty standard stuff - and you have to stand in line forever to pay.

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Photo of Yo U.

 

0

219

Yo U.

Chicago, IL

2 star rating
10/31/2009

I tried the Chinese food station.  Expensive and not very good.  I won't be back.

Foodlife Market, the soup, sandwich and salad place just outside the food court proper, seems to have some very good options.  That may be worth checking out if you're in the area.

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Photo of Christopher B.

 

0

35

Christopher B.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
10/24/2009

Foodlife is great for my wife and me when we can't agree on what to eat.  The variety of offerings is broad enough to satisfy a wide range of tastes.  The quality of the food is quite good, and the prices are certainly fair.

Atmosphere is a nice blend of casual dining with some of the informality of a food court.  This works for me!

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Photo of Rebecca T.

 

13

56

Rebecca T.

Clawson, MI

3 star rating
10/5/2009

I like the concept of a buffet type meal, and there were plenty of options to choose from, but I would have liked more of a buffet style meal, you could just have little bites of whatever you want, instead of getting an entire entree (like orange chicken from the Chinese restaurant), because after that and a cup of soup, well I felt like I was wasting food.

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Photo of Solomohn E.

 

54

22

Solomohn E.

Chicago, IL

5 star rating
6/22/2009

Okay. You guys know how a wolf even with a life threatening injury will continue eating/sating its appetite because the pleasure of the chomp overrides the life-threatening pain (or something like that)?
Whateva!
Point is, I left Foodlife with the biggest belly ache ever! I could not stop eating. I was surrounded by yumminess, defeated by the delectable, a slave to the sumptuous. Foodlife nearly killed me and I cannot wait to go back!
Suggestions: brisket, sweet potato spears, and a crepe w fresh strawberries and organic vanilla bean creme.

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Photo of Vickie L.

Elite '09

9

194

Vickie L.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
7/21/2009

Foodlife is dangerous, it's like a buffet, but it's not unlimited, you pay for what you order so be careful, it definitely adds up quickly!  You can get pretty much any type of food here you desire - American (sandwiches, soups, salads, burgers), Chinese, Italian (pasta, pizza), Cajun, BBQ, Japanese, you name it, they got it!  And everything tastes SO GOOD.  I loooove the loaded baked potatoes.  The spaghetti bolognese was the only thing here that I've had that was just "okay" and that's mainly because the sauce didn't have enough meat to be called bolognese.

They have a HUGE dessert area too, gelato, ice cream, cookies, pies.  You won't get much shopping done after leaving here because you will want to pass out on one of their benches!

Part of me likes being walked to my assigned table, because then I'm not wandering the room like a freshman looking for a friendly face in the lunch room.  But sometimes it's moot because I've been here a couple times and when i get back to my table, some stranger is sitting there because he/she forgot where their table is.  oh well.

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Photo of Michelle B.

 

2

12

Michelle B.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
9/11/2009

This is the spot to go to after 5pm. For $10 you can get some really good grub! You get your choice of drink, appetizer, entree and dessert from any of the cuisines there. It's like a huge food court, but not that food court feeling and better quality food.

Recommended Food: Grilled Salmon, Mac and cheese, Sauteed Spinach, Fried Chicken, any salad from the salad bar and Lobster bisque.

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Photo of Anastasia K.

Elite '09

7

82

Anastasia K.

Chicago, IL

2 star rating
8/13/2009

Foodlife, what happened??????

I hadn't been here in about a year, and my return was anything but triumphant. They've redecorated the place to seem ultra-mod and in doing so they've completed eliminated the comfy sidewalk cafe feel it used to have. The prices are still high for a self-serve place, and the food is just ok.

I also think it's ridiculous how long you have to wait in line to be "seated" when there are open tables everywhere. Just let us pick our own spots!!!

Kudos for using green cups, but cups are not enough to save this review.

I miss the good thing this place once used to be.

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Photo of S. M.

 

13

378

S. M.

Naperville, IL

1 star rating
8/20/2009

Just a review of the Miracle Juice Bar section. Things were utterly confused over here: two people both taking orders and making the food (one should really have been taking the orders and one prepping). Also, there was no clear sense as to where you were to order or where the line was. Some girls were waiting for their order to come up but they were standing where the line was, so they were in the way. Meanwhile another girl just randomly cut in line in front of me, I guess taking advantage of all the confusion, or because she too couldn't figure out the flow.

As for the food, the smoothie I got (Mango Tango: mango, peach and orange) tasted like canned peaches with some tang from the mango. Not worth the $4-something bucks I shelled out. The frozen yoghurt that they sell at the juice bar looked pretty good, topped with fresh fruit, but you'd still have to deal with the same screwed-up serving line.

Food Life has a lot of other things to offer (sushi, rotisserie, stir-fry, pizza, bakery, etc.), so maybe some of that is better organized and tasted better too. But the juice bar was no miracle; nothing even remotely elevated about it at all, in fact. Skip this and try something else.

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Photo of Mark W.

Elite '09

12

386

Mark W.

Chicago, IL

3 star rating
9/26/2009

I was working an event at the Ritz and we had a short break. I only had time for a quick bite, so I thought I'd go to WTP and give Foodlife a try. I went for the pizza slice and decided on the Veggie. The slice was about $4 and was really pretty large and tasty, with lots of veggies on top (and not too much dough either). Service was quick and friendly.

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Photo of Swarup B.

Elite '09

142

418

Swarup B.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
9/17/2009

we wanted to get a quick bite on our last day in chicago and came across this dandy little food court.  there are 13 stations, each with freshly made ethnic cuisine.  once you are seated you are given a card.  the card is given to each station you get food from and then give the cashier the card at the end and pay for you meal once you leave.

w/ so many choices i somehow gravitated to the stir fry station, seeing that i hadn't tried any asian food on the trip.  this was setup like a mongolian bbq in that you pick your veggies and stack em into a bowl and then you pick your protein and style of stir fry at the very end.  you also have a choice between egg noodles or rice.  i ended up choosing sesame ginger sauce w/ chicken and egg noodles.  the sauce and veggies were cooked well but the chicken was a tad bit tough.  the noodles had a real nice bite.

i kind of wish this type of place was in downtown SF for all us FiDi working folk.  endless combos of food and i'm sure the foodie populace of SF would love it.

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Photo of Funky M.

 

0

14

Funky M.

Cook, IL

4 star rating
11/2/2009

The space that Foodlife inhabits has always had a restaurant of an upscale yet fast food variety.  And, sure enough, FoodLife is an upscale yet fast food kind of a place.  Whatever you want, you can get it at FoodLife.  You want thai noodles?  Got it!  How about a nice portobello mushroom burger?  Yep.  Mac-n-Cheese?  You betcha!  Soup?  Like, 6 different varieties!  The price is kind of what you'd expect it being in the Water Tower Place and all, and it's an awful lot of fun.  Is it a 5-star restaurant?  No way.  But, on Yelp, wtf, I'll give it 4!

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Photo of Ed A.

Elite '09

49

73

Ed A.

Chicago, IL

3 star rating
6/13/2009

Above average food court food is the best way to describe this restaurant/cafeteria. The food selection is good, from Chinese, Mexican, American to Italian.

You get pretty good portions that are made fresh while you wait, giving you plenty of time to be pushed, bumped and asked the location of the Hancock building by out-of-town tourists.

The food is not overpriced when compared to other restaurants in the building and surrounding area. The exception of course is McDonald's and the pretzel store. Anyone willing to pay five for six dollars for a pretzel should find it more appropriate to dine at the higher end restaurant called the Mighty Nice Grill. It is located within and towards the back of food life.

The best attribute of this restaurant/cafeteria is that it is located indoors and makes it extremely convenient when shopping at stores within Water Tower Place.

Of course, this restaurant as well as water Tower Place is extremely accessible by wheelchair, with power doors towards the back of Macy's

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Photo of Blaire L.

Elite '09

25

56

Blaire L.

Evanston, IL

5 star rating
3/30/2009

Foodlife is currently hosting the BEST DEAL OF CHICAGO.  Their 3-course-$10 meal is a steal.  It comes with an appetizer (small salad or bowl of soup), entree of your choice, dessert, and drink.
I chose the small salad, which includes your choice of greens, two sides and dressing.  The small salad is not small at all- it is what made this deal a STEAL.  
For my entree, I got the yellow chicken curry and brown rice at the Asian station which was tasty and nicely sized.
Unfortunately the dessert selection is limited to three types of cupcakes (chocolate, vanilla, and carrot).  Nonetheless, the carrot cupcake is enormous (more than 3/4 is sitting in my fridge) and lusciously moist.  

I recommend this $10 3-course meal, which is offered after 5PM, EVERYDAY (including weekends).  Hurry!  They haven't announced when this limited deal will end.

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Photo of anne marie p.

Elite '09

86

433

anne marie p.

Irvine, CA

4 star rating
5/10/2009

Really like the concept.  Order from a good dozen specialties (sushi, wine, soups, desserts, burgers, pizza, etc).  Pay on your way out via a swipe card.  Lots of seating.  My college commons without the cliques.

Grilled chicken sandwich was simple and good.  Lots of little packages of sweets while you're waiting to pay to entice you.

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Photo of Alex S.

 

1

57

Alex S.

Berkeley, CA

2 star rating
9/12/2009

It's mall food.  It looks like it's something different, but its definitely mall food.  A meal w/ a drink will probably cost you $10-15 depending on what you get, but it's basically a mini-food court w/in the food court...

I got the mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and 3 piece chicken meal.  Everything was okay, but honestly if you want chicken your better off going to Church's or Popeyes (it'll cost you a lot less too).

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Photo of Dan S.

Elite '09

96

368

Dan S.

Minneapolis, MN

2 star rating
2/17/2009

You wait in line, get a card, get seated, choose from about 5-6 different restaurants to get a meal, you can mix and match, and pay when you leave.  I went to the BBQ restaurant and got a really good beef brisket with BBQ beans and mashed potatoes for $8.  

They get 2 stars because the food was a value and the best food court style food that I've ever had.  

It gets docked 1 star because a fountain soda was $3.  It gets docked 1 star because they have an automatic 7.5% gratuity.  I'm not a cheap person, I tip 20% unless the service is horrible.  But am I wrong to think that I shouldn't have to tip at a place where I fill my own beverage, carry around a plastic tray to the different kitchens, order directly from the cook, and carry the food back to my table.  My "waitress" sat me at the table and bused the dirty dishes.  

Also, it gets docked one star for the layout.  There are a bunch of slack jawed idiots wandering about the place, not looking where they are walking, quickly stopping right in front of you.  The tables are laid out bizarre, where you have to zig zag around tables and carry your tray over people's heads to get to your table.  

Other than that, the food was good, my girlfriend got the half chicken with mac and cheese, and it all tasted great, so I feel kind of bad giving the place only 2 stars.

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Photo of Edith K.

 

3

27

Edith K.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
6/22/2009

Everyone's cuisine
I think there are way to many choices here, sometimes we get confused on  what to get ... from here? from there? from over there!!
I think the best deal are the soups, LOVE THEM ALL!  you pay for the first one and then you get the second one for free, and the third one and... ok you get it. My favorite was the clam chowder until i found out it has pork (hate it) but because of this one i discover the tomato soup (a long time enemy of mine) now i can really enjoy, relax and eat this soup.
Nice people, so far no complains about the service, drinks are available ovethere for me to get it, so it is my fault if my glass is empty.
love the trees, but do not try to pay for your friends, my billed got to be too much,,,... i will never paid for them again. Just take care of yourself.

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Photo of Isaac H.

Elite '09

14

78

Isaac H.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
3/24/2009

Located inside Water Tower Place.

It's essentially an upscale food court, based off a card system. You enter the premises, escorted by a host to your table, and you're handed a card that basically tallies up any order you make from the various cuisines offered. They offer everything from pizza, sashimi, thai, southern, italian. You name it, they have it.

You can expect each meal, with drink to go with it, to run around 10 bucks. More if you get caught staring at their fountain of chocolate.

It's a nice refreshing place to eat if you're in the area, of even inside Water Tower sucking the life out of your credit.

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16

24

Eddie C.

Chicago, IL

5 star rating
Updated - 4/2/2009

I had to come out of my mini Yelp hiatus to echo what Blaire L said....Go to Foodlife now!! They are having a bomb-ass deal right now, $10 for a soup/salad, entree, cupcake, and drink. It is a sick deal, because a lot of the entrees themselves are already at least $8.

The first time I went, I got the salmon special at the Big Bowl station that was priced at $9.49! So for 50 cents more I got a salad, drink, and cupcake. This time I went, I got a stir-fry entree, which I always love cuz I get to pile up the bowl myself. My friend who I went with today got a HALF CHICKEN and 2 sides as his entree! Neither of us could even start to eat our cupcakes, so we just took them to go.

The "side" salad is pretty sizable too, and its not just leaves, you can choose from lettuce, spinach, and mixed greens as your base, and you get to choose 2 out of a wide array of high quality toppings. I got roasted brussel sprouts and cherry tomatoes the first time and asparagus and avocado tonight, with lime-cilantro vinaigrette both times.

One of the best deals around right now, my only fear is that it might end eventually!

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 3 star rating
    1/22/2009

    Not bad, not bad. Nice that it's a reasonably-priced place to grab dinner in the middle of… Read more »

Photo of Diana C.

Elite '09

29

160

Diana C.

Silicon Valley

2 star rating
Updated - 4/23/2009

Burgers here are not good.  Like really not good.  (No flavor, no juice, no nuthin'.)  And not cheap.  All around disappointment.

Mac 'n cheese is pretty good, though.  It's traditional, with yellow cheese.  Make sure you get a fresh batch, and not yesterday's leftovers.

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2 Previous Reviews: Show all »

  • 3 star rating
    11/18/2008

    If the stir-fry station is busy, skip it!  I always get soggy, overcooked stir fries when there's a… Read more »

Photo of Tara M.

Elite '09

135

209

Tara M.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
Updated - 1/1/2009

Well, they no longer have the turkey breast in the salad bar so I eat it much less often. :(

However, I had a dish from the pasta station a couple of weeks ago that was phenomenal: butternut squash ravioli with brown sugar sauce, walnuts and prosciutto. I still can't get over how good it was! Unfortunately it was a special that day, but I hope to see it again.

The beer cheese soup? Rich, fatty and delicious.

Nutella crepes slathered in whipped cream? Only when I've been *extra* good.

Throw some elbows at the tourists with their ginormous American Girl bags and go. Seriously!

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 3 star rating
    5/25/2008

    I have lived off of Foodlife Market's salad bar for the past two years and give that five stars for… Read more »

Photo of Amanda M.

 

30

372

Amanda M.

Portsmouth, RI

4 star rating
3/22/2009

This place is dangerous for anyone who loves food! I got some soup at the soup bar (pot roast vegetable soup) and some fettuccini alfredo at the pasta bar.

Thinking of it as a "food court" I didn't have high expectations, but it was GREAT. I wish we had one of these where I live.

My only complaint is that "tip" is included in your final bill, but I never even had a waiter, I got my own food, sat myself, and cleaned up after myself. Maybe I did "the experience" wrong, but who's my tip going to??

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Photo of Dave L.

 

0

12

Dave L.

Lombard, IL

5 star rating
4/7/2009

I followed the advice of my fellow Yelpers and went to one of my old favorites, Foodlife.  I always got a kick out of going around with the card and having many options though I tend to go the Grill a lot.

For $11.90 I think (includes tax on the $10.00 deal) --
I had a Bacon Cheddar Burger with Fries (around $7.00 or so reguarly)
A Spinach Salad with a Sweet Vinagrette
A Cherry Coke and a Cupcake.

All of it tasty and fun, place was clean and they always allow me to take my time.

I recommend that you let each counter you go to know that you're doing the $10 meal deal -- we had a little techical issue when one counter hadn't closed out on my card so the other was delayed.  No biggie.

At least a good food deal has come out of this bad economy!

P.S. A fellow Yelper (big ups to Blair of Evanston) noted that it is only good after 5:00pm.  Didn't know that.  I guess evenings are slower.

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Photo of Fabian B.

 

0

12

Fabian B.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
4/4/2009

Top fresh food and service, can be a bit busy, but def worth the wait. And not expensive at all for how good it is.
They got it all.

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Photo of dina d.

 

63

63

dina d.

Chicago, IL

5 star rating
9/17/2008

I LOVE Foodlife and I'm not ashamed of it!

Foodlife is the shit and those of you that don't like it are just jealous of our love...

Foodlife is like Epcot Center but without all the walking...all kinds of food in one convenient location.  

I have now eaten at there, literally, over 50 times.  I almost never get tired of it because it is awesome.  Please get chicken quesadillas, a harvest or cobb salad, chicken milanese, a cheeseburger, sesame chicken, fresh juice drinks, roasted or fried chicken with sweet potatoes mac and cheese, green beans or corn, pizza, and my personal favorite, the baked potato BAR!  It comes with cheese, broccoli, bacon, scallions, tomatoes, and sour cream!   It's only $4.95 and is HUGE!  I regularly eat here for under $10 so don't believe the people whining about money.  Please, too,  eat a nutella crepe from the crepe station at some point...

I also love not having to bus my table!  I'm lazy like that.

Avoid during peak weekend lunch hours and you shouldn't have anything to complain about...

...and when you're done go see a show at The Drury Lane Theatre!

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