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Categories: American (New), Burgers
Neighborhoods: Near West Side, River WestGrand (Blue O'Hare)
Clinton (Pink, Green)
Mon-Wed. 3:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"No hate for Elate...none at all. An indie restaurant inside the newly sprung Hotel Felix (River North), Elate is a diamond in the rough…" read more »
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Wow. I'd been driving by this place for 9 mos before going in. I thought it was a little dive bar. I was so wrong!
It's a great place, and the food impressed the hell outa me. I had a cheeseburger. It wasn't just a burger; nope, it was special. It had ground rosemary and seasoning in it. It was a tasty alternative to the boring burger that we all have come to know.
The downstairs is tiny. It had 2 tables and about 10 bar stools. There is more seating upstairs, but I didn't go up there. The kitchen is practically in the bar, so all of the aroma is in your face. It smells damn good too.
So basically I love this place because it's so much more than what I thought it was. It's also in my hood, so that's a plus.
If I lived in Chicago, I would visit the Paramount Room once a week, if not more. They've got it right. A cool vibe, friendly and knowledgeable staff, interesting beer and spirit offerings, and fabulous food for a reasonable price.
I went on a Thursday night at 8:30 pm. We grabbed a table on the lower level, which made me happy because of the three TVs with football playing. We sat in a cool rounded corner booth. Our server was very knowledgeable about the beer offerings and helped me make my decision. I ended up with a delicious Belgian. For dinner, I had the wagu beef burger rare with Gruyere cheese and the fried green beans. The burger was perfection. And, the green beans were heavenly with their spicy sauce and lemon to squeeze on them.
I really wish Houston had a place like the Paramount room.
This review is entirely vegetarian based - and for those who are..BEWARE!
After reading some reviews, I found out you have to be very cautious when ordering here. The fries are cooked in some animal lard and they don't specify this anywhere (on the menu or in person), so if your vegetarian and didn't read these reviews your screwed. Luckily, I had and asked for the meat-free version of the fries. Our meat eater friends tasted both the meat version and ours and said they couldn't tell the difference...what's the point then?? Didn't McDonalds get sued for this?
Anyhoo....after politely telling the server I was vegetarian, I ordered the Caesar salad. Of course, the two didn't get comprehended because there was the sickest fish smell coming from my salad. Gross! Apparently some vegetarians eat fish. Well I don't (And yes, some Caesar's are made without anchovies. I've have it many times before).
My server, annoyed but polite offered the beet salad instead. No problem I love beets. Love them. I just didn't assume that would be the only thing on the plate! Quite expensive beets at that.
2 starts instead of 1 because even though dinner here as a vegetarian is a complete letdown, I wouldn't mind returning here just for the fries and drinks. The atmosphere is calming and the beer selection is good.
The four star rating is not based purely on food. The food is about 3 for me, but there are many other reasons for the good rating:
1. Location: Close to downtown, great place to go to after work and avoiding the overcrowded south loop bars.
2. Parking. Ample parking everywhere on the streets. You can't beat that in downtown Chicago.
3. Crowd control: Never overcrowded or too loud, but crowded enough to feel lively.
4. Drinks: They have some good specialty beer choices. It's not an exhaustive list by any means, but prices are reasonable and you will find something you enjoy.
5. Great staff: Waiters/bartenders are incredibly friendly and nice.
6. Food: I like the different types of food they have. It's so tiring to go to a bar and have the same lame bar fare, and Paramount is the opposite of that. The food is unique and delicious. It is not astonishing food, but it is good and satisfying.
Fries with the garlic mayo thingy- YUM.
Tempura green beans - pass.. sounds better than it looks
Kobe burger with fried egg on top - Delicious, does not disappoint
Fish fries - Very good.. the batter could have been crispier, but the fish was actually delicious and didn't have that bad fishy taste to it.
Amish fried chicken - Chicken itself is good as more naturally raised chicken are, but I was not a fan of the batter.. I wanted a crispy chicken batter, but this was more like a shake and bake type of softer batter. I wasn't a huge fan. However, the chicken comes with mashed potatoes and the yummiest gravy ever.
All in all, I'm never disappointed at going to paramount room, and they have good prices and a nice ambiance. Who can ask for anything more?
My husband beat me and our friends there and growled via text message "this place is so small and there's no where to sit!".
Ah... but by the time I got there, the three of them were happily situated in a big round-ish booth by the kitchen. I just love round booths... so cozy. Perfect for conversation.
I digress.
It is quite small. If you get there and all the tables are already filled, you're probably going to have to make other dinner/happy hour plans. The people that were sitting at the tables when we walked in were the same people sitting at those tables three hours later when we left. Get there early.
Waitress: helpful, knowledgeable, friendly and efficient. 5 stars.
Drink specials: my husband and our friend were big fans of the PBR and a shot for $5. Me? One shot of the house whiskey and I was almost done for. But they have a great beer selection and you can basically just tell the waitress what you like and she points out a good one. Based on my desire for a dark, chocolaty beer, she recommended a porter that was yum.
Parking: a little strip lot around the corner was practically empty. Watch out... $2 an hour. Wowza these parking fees are getting out of control...
Finally, food: fries with the garlic mayo stuff... YUM. I clearly liked the green bean fries more than some of my table mates... I thought they were delicious. Mussels were decent but I'm not the biggest bivalve fan so I'm the worst person to ask. I ordered the fish and chips. They were pretty good! The fish was perfectly cooked and nice and meaty. $14 seems a tiny bit steep for fish and chips but it really was pretty good.
I don't work downtown so it's pretty much always going to be out of my way... but it only took me 20 minutes to get there from Ravenswood and it's a good place to drive downtown, park easily and meet friends for happy hour.
The boyfriend and I realized right around 3pm on Saturday that we hadn't eaten yet that day. Being famished we set out for a good early dinner that would leave us stuffed enough for the rest of the night. We stumbled upon Paramount Room.
Now first off- we were totally scratching our heads at first. Apparently the main area is downstairs. Upstairs (where we were sitting) there was a small bar and 2 large booths and a kitchen. Nothing else. The booths are huge and face each other- so it would be a cool spot to reserve for a party or a large group.
Now onto the food. YUM! We each got a Kobe burger. Mine had cheddar cheese and apple-wood smoked bacon.. The cheddar cheese was SO MELTY and in such abundance! I really haven't had a burger with such perfectly melted cheese in every bite. It was delish! Other than to say the thing was mammoth in size, I can't give a real indication as to how big this thing was. It was intimidating. I think I ate all but 2 bites. And really, I would have unbuttoned my pants had I been eating at home. The man's burger had mushrooms. I have no idea what kind of mushroms these were or what they were marinated in but O.M.G. We were both blown away by the mushrooms. He was kind enough to share 2 with me.
I also had a cup of their onion (French onion) soup. The piece of cheesy bread that came with it was better than the soup itself. I'm accustomed to french onion soup having melted cheese covering the top of the bowl. Here they give you a small slice of bread with melted cheese topping it- all floating in your soup. It was just OK. I wouldn't get it again.
My better half had the Tempura Fried Green Beans with his burger. They were AWESOME! They came with a spicy dipping sauce- much the consistency of hot sauce- but not quite THAT spicy (at least not to me).
OH- and they serve pickles with the burgers. I have a real issue with places that stiff ya on the pickle. These were HUGE and SO GOOD! I'd rate them as high as I rate my favorite (Portillo's).
I do plan to return, only next time I really want to try the marinated beet salad with truffled goat cheese. I LOVE goat cheese and beet salad is always delish! Quite impressed with what looked like a real nothing place on the outside! I will return!
For months, my brother in law would go on and on about how great the burgers were at the Paramount Room.
"Oh Rob, these burgers are great! Kobe beef burgers, get a beer and a burger $10! Can you believe it? How are they making money on this?"
On a strange and chilly night a miracle happened. I got done with work early and KM and RL had dinner together. It was a very exciting night.
I finish with work and quickly make my way over to PR. KM had already secured a table for us in the corner and was half way finished with his beer when I got there. Again. Raving about the burgers. How he got his with blue cheese and bacon... blah blah blah... well I found out a few things that night that I'd like to share.
1. The $10 burger and beer deal is on Monday's until 7pm only. We were there at 7:30pm.
2. The burger was pretty delicious, (though be warned it has rosemary which I like, but you may not). I don't know if I would get their special sauce again, but I wouldn't get it dressed again, (tomatoes, lettuce, onion). Mainly because when I got the burger, with the gruyere and cheddar cheese, the bacon, I quickly forgot about any veggies and had to go to work on my burger.
3. Apple. Smoked. Bacon. And a few slices to boot. No skimpy half a slice on these bad boys.
4. Fries were not particulary crispy so you may want to ask for them extra crispy, but the garlic aoili that came with them... well its addictingly good, but note no vampires will be coming near you after eating it. Well, perhaps neither will your date unless they had some too.
5. The tempura fries were tasty, but definitely shareable and should be. Squeeze some lime, the tang enhances the hot sauce you get on the side.
The service was good, in fact the bartender was more than happy to shoot the shiznit on beer, the place or anything we needed or asked. Even calling over from the other side of the bar to see if I wanted another Malbec, (um yes please). No fancy stuff, but plenty of good stuff.
There is a downstairs lounge but we never made it down there. The place is small, slightly cramped, (ie cozy especially if you are cozying up to some one you want to cozy up too... ), slightly dark, slightly askew in not a bad way and yes, its not an extensive menu, but the burgers are good, ($9 for the Kobe beef, the only burger they have).
I left with a smile on my face, a good time had in my heart and an all too good memory of a tasty burger that I will be longing for quite some time.
Apparently I wasn't first on the scene here, given the fact that Paramount has over 100 reviews, and given that it was somewhat crowded on a cold Sunday at 5:00 pm. To make matters worse, my parents have been here several times. I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that I didn't just stumble upon the newest cool place in River West, but it is pretty cool nonetheless.
Upon entry, I saw yupsters that cursed a lot, well-mannered bikers, and the occasional tattooed punk rocker. The scene was reminiscent of another place that is well known for their burger and beer selection. What's that place I'm thinking of?
Unlike that other mystery burger bar though, Kings of Leon was playing instead of death metal. There were large plush leather banquettes and well-spaced tables instead of sardine-can-like circumstances that I can only refer to as "eating areas" at mystery place. The waitress at Paramount didn't seem like she had somewhere better to be, nor did it seem like she immediately disliked me for my business casual attire. That's always a nice touch. This is somewhere I'd come to drink, even if I weren't eating, which I would be, since I eat a lot.
As for the food. It was very solid. I wouldn't go so far as to call it "badical" or "totes tubular", but $10 for a kobe burger with a beer before 7??/// Is that a joke?
Don't worry, readers, there are two things I don't joke about, and food and drink specials are one of them. The other one, of course, is regularly priced food and drink.
Don't go counting the change in your sofa just yet though. Toppings are extra. The bacon is a must. The rest are on you, but don't sleep on the fried egg. The fries or tempura fried green beans are also $2 extra, but well worth it. And when I say "well worth it", I mean, you'd have to be clinically insane to not order the fries. I don't normally think too much about fries, but Paramount's come accompanied by the most delicious aoli I've ever tasted.
I look forward to coming back.
I would love to love Paramount room, but always leaves me a little under-excited. The space is great. The beers are great. Everyone swears by the food though and I'm just not buying it.
The $10 beer and burger deal is now only until 7pm, good to know. The burger's damn good. Although when I've ordered it medium rare, it's way too rare. And I like a rare burger.
I find the menu really heavy and gave a chicken sandwich a try when I was last there. It was not described well. It was essentially on a brioche hot dog bun and was sliced chicken with coleslaw on top with a couple rounds of melted mozzarella. Seasoned... not at all. I have salt at home if they want to borrow it. Seriously.
The foods huge and should be great, but it always falls a little flat for me.
p.s. the chicken dinner special IS delicious.
Amisha S. found this place as a physically closer alternative to Kumas while we were on vacation in Chicago. Great Kobe burger! (see my pic). Awesome meat juices as Tricia S. would say. The garlic aioli served with the fries was a nice gourmet touch. The only bad thing I can say is that my red onion seemed a bit dried out as if it had been previously frozen. I didn't have any drinks but my college friend says it's one of his favorite places for happy hour. The proprietor came by after he saw me take some photos w/ my DSLR as he thought I was writing a restaurant review. I bet he wasn't expecting a Yelp review :) 4-stars for the burger!
Why do people love this burger?????? The meat was supersaturated with rosemary - I felt like I was rubbing a sprig of it onto my tongue and into my nose. Aside from the meat, the special sauce was delicious and creamy, the bread soft, and the toppings (we all had diff and everyone enjoyed their diff cheeses, etc) were quality. But the meat, people, that's where it counts!!!!!!!!!! Especially when you pay full price for a burger, 2 $1 toppings, extra for a side of fries, and a beer ($20 meal for 1 person...boo)
The fries and the garlic aioli were a great combo. The service was good and attentive. But I will not be coming back for the burger. Never again.
I came here last night with a few friends and I thought this place was pretty great.
It was my first time there and I was most impressed with the decor. We headed downstairs and no one was there but that was kind of nice because it was our little party (I think the rain kept everyone in). We pretty much entertained ourselves which was fine (we had been drinking for a couple hours already so..) but when we did interact with the waitress she was a bit off for my taste.
The gender ratio of the group (2 girls 1 guy); she was pretty flirty towards him and pleasant to us with other intentions. He asked for 3 shots and she came back with 1 (bookers) for him. She was all talk with him and said, "that's strong enough to be 3 shots". We aren't pissy people so nothing was carried out from there but it was a bit odd.
Aside from that little situation, I will be back :)
Speak of doing it better and BOOM you remember going to the Paramount Room your 1st night back in city. A lot of great beer to choose from alongside $9 Kobe Beef Burgers. Anytime you wanna go ring me! Oh & YELP you need another option in the tips section "Good for kids" or "Vegetarians" = "Who Cares"
Big fan of this place. Went with some friends last night for the all you can eat fish and chips. I was expecting some tiny pieces of poorly seasoned fish paired with salty run of the mill fries. Nope...I was completely incorrect. The fish was crispy on the outside and juicy and moist on the inside....I will also add that they were seasoned perfectly. The fries were also delicious- seasoned and tasty.
The beer list was fantastic and the service was great. I will be back a lot...considering I live 2 blocks from here.
I had already been to Paramount and was very satisfied, so I went again with a friend for dinner. We went to get their popular Kobe burger and pint special. We asked the waitress for the special and she said it ends at 7:00 pm. My friend and I both looked at our cell phones and we both had 6:57 pm. We explained this to our waitress and she looks at her watch and says, "My watch says 7:00 pm, so I can't give you the special." We both got up and were about to exit, never to return, when I stopped, because I felt I needed to tell the manager about this.
I explained what happened to the manager, Diana. Her first reaction was, "This is unacceptable!" Diana quickly apologized and offered us the special. She found us 2 seats at the bar and immediately brought us our drinks. Minutes later, the bus boy brought us a complimentary plate of appetizers. The appetizers were excellent consisting of vegetable rolls, mini-burgers and bacon wrapped foods. We received our burgers, which were as usual, delicious. Diana also made sure to give us a healthy "pour" on our drinks.
I'm not sure why in this economy, certain servers treat customers and guests terribly. My friend and I had no intention of ever returning to Paramount after the awful encounter with the waitress. But after the outstanding service we received from Diana, we have every intention to return. The food and drinks at Paramount are some of the best you can get from any bar and grill. The service we received from Diana was rare and some of the best service I've ever gotten. Wrongs happen. A test to see how good an establishment is, is to see how they make amends for their wrongs. Diana went above and beyond. Thanks to her, Paramount kept the business of my friend and I in this jacked up economy.
Burger and a pint! Burger and a pint!
That's all you need to know. Great place for lunch or after work!
HELLO BURGER! My friends have been swearing my the burger at the Paramount Room, saying its the best in Chicago.
As I have posted in past reviews, I'm never really impressed by "best burger". Well, we have a winner. As much as I love Kumas, this burger is perfection.
It is perfectly seasoned, totally huge and fat, but not too fat, and with blue cheese and bacon its burger heaven.
And, I'm a sucker for tempura green beans, and its awesome that you can have them instead of fries.
They also have a great beer selection! I want to go back and try other things on the menu, but I know I will always want that burger!
Oh, and the space is pretty awesome, too - perfect for date night.
I tried the kobe burger. I definitely know it ain't the real kobe burger, if it were it'd be $25 more on top of this. But the meat is a variation of the kobe which makes it a higher quality of meat that you would normally find in a bar or pub.
But wow good burger, I had mine with grilled onions and fried egg (dollar extra, worth it!) on top and it was delicious. My burger was cook well, not perfect but it was still medium rare but this is probably because I had the burger to go. But the meat was just so tender, and juicy as well. Moreso the kobe patty had a distinct spice that had a hint of black pepper and possibly cajun spice but no idea. It was just seasoned very well! The bread had good fluff texture and thus a great burger.
I would have to say though $9 for this burger would have been great but the meat just didn't fill the surface area of the bread. Actually I had to take a couple bites of my grilled onions and egg only to make sure the last bite of this great burger had actual kobe! Where's the beef?? bite bite, ah there you is.
But yeah it was a thick patty but rather have a smaller bun to have a better ratio of meat to bread. Come on I love my meat and I am not about to have an egg sandwich at the end! This is the only thing that I'll knock on this burger.
Also the burger does NOT come with fries which was a major disappointment, its an extra $2! Whoa thats a bit much but my friend and I split fried green beans which was a choice. It was like a tempura you'd find in any japanese restaurant but not fried nearly as well. But it came with 3 dipping sauces (ketchup, spicy chilli, and ranch) which made it fun to eat. But didn't finish thus tells you how great it was.
Overall it was great, 25 dollars total for 2 kobes (extras on each burger (cheese and egg), with fried green beans.
This was a great burger probably in my top 5 best thus far. I still gotta try kuma's, and couple more to solidify this. But yes go try it if you got the money!
On the recommendation of Olivia L, a group of photographers pumped after listening to a passionate speaker were hell bent on celebration and burger consumption. Alas on a Monday night the kitchen closed at 10pm, a few minutes before we arrived. It was a bummer, but the smell of the food as we walked through, and the overall ambiance of it had me wanting to come back.
A few days later I did return on a Sunday night (this time before 10pm) and got to eat. The place wasn't dead, but it wasn't packed. We easily got a 4 top by a window. The space was a little cramped, but not terrible. I was a little worried first when I asked for a Coke or Pepsi and was offered "cola." I settled on a bottled root beer. Anyhow the burger, which is what I came for had an unusual flavor to it, some minute ingredient that eludes me, but it was good. My wife had a Cuban sandwich she really liked. The menu was a bit odd, as is the location of this place, but I will be back.
Paramount Room is a great place to grab nicer bar food and have a quality beer. The food menu is what you would think of when you think of "upscale" bar food. The beer menu has higher end non-standard beers (American/Belgium/German/English/etc).
Many people rave about the burger. I think it's good. I've been there for it three times; unfortunately it seems like a hit or miss on how the burger is cooked. Either it's cooked perfectly and it's amazing; or it's just okay (overcooked/too dry). The lack of consistency is probably the only thing going against this place.
Paramount Room is a fine everyday establishment. The quality of the food is definitely above average; there are no tourists (which is a selling point if you live in River North); the ambiance is nicer than a typical bar (actual natural light in a bar/linen napkins); the staff is pleasant; and the beer selection is interesting.
If you're there at the right time you may catch the $10 burger and a beer deal. It's definitely an incredible value considering you could spend $6-$8 on a beer alone (no Miller/Anheuser on tap).
I'll certainly be back.
I often dream of burgers. Really good burgers, handpacked, oozing with flavor. The burger of my dreams is hard to find in Chicago barring an hourlong wait on an empty stomach. Lucky for me, I knew of the Paramount Room and their kobe burger special. I found it more difficult to persuade my mister over here. It took a busy Saturday afternoon to get here. I'm so glad that I did!!!
When I walked into the Paramount Room the first time, its size or lack thereof which threw me off. It's remarkably small, but there was a back booth open. The bathrooms are small, but they have the Dyson handdryers that my fiance couldn't get enough of.
Coming here, I knew what I wanted instantly. I wanted the burger of my dreams. I braved a beer since I gave it up at Christmas in preparation for the wedding. I went with a tasty raspberry ale. For my lunch, I had the kobe burger with vintage cheddar and fries. My fiance had almost the exact same thing with a different beer. My dad chose the eggs benedict on the suggestion of a patron who exited the restaurant as we entered.
The burger is hands down amazing. The meat had a rich, smoky flavor topped with light salt. It had a complex flavor profile where every bite was flavorful and delicious. This burger fulfilled my desires for a quality burger in the city. There's no frozen patty thrown on the grill and priced $9 here. The burger came with a garlic aioli of sorts thatt made fry dipping tasty. Yeah, I'm the girl who mixes mayo and ketchup together when eating fries. The fries were tasty as well. My dad raved about his eggs benedict which looked nommable.
We had great service here. The waitress was nice, helpful, and a little snarky. She made sure that I experienced my one beer of the summer or the year for that matter. When my dad ordered another beer, he asked her for a recommendation. She didn't even suggest anything but she tapped a beer for a taste. He loved it and it hit the spot. She knew the perfect beer for my dad. For a Saturday afternoon, the staff was pleasant and nice. I would definitely return here because that burger is too amazing to pass up. Their other menu items look delicious as well. Be prepared to take a nap after the wonderful burger. You may need one. It's a food coma worthy burger!
Listen, not being from Chicago I'm not used to fried eggs being a staple of a burger. The concept is not alien to me but it seemed as though every place offered this. I love this. I love it with all my throbbing heart. Though my heart my beg to differ in the long run.
In any event the Kobe burger here is affordable and most importantly, delicious. Washing it down with a wonderful bloody mary made it all the better. I've never seen a bloody mary mixed with a little guinness but now I make it for myself the same way. The pastrami garnish may be a bit weird but often times greatness seems that way at first. I'm happy to see someone go for the gusto with a bloody mary. I only wish that I had the time and second stomach to try more items here.
Yes, the Kobe burgers really are that good. Yes, there are good beers on tap... and a kind of bitchin' daily specials of $5 for a shot and a beer or $10 for the Kobe burger and a pint.
That's where the love affair ends.
Here's the deal with Paramount Room: It's got the most bizarre setup ever (the upstairs has a little bar and four tables and the downstairs "lounge" has a few more tables), it's claustrophobic, kinda expensive and hard to find. The patrons aren't particularly friendly. And I didn't really get a warm fuzzy when I walked in. No one greeted me and I stood awkwardly waiting for some stools to free up at the bar. I wasn't sure if I could just sit at the tables or if someone was supposed to seat me. And certainly no one who worked at Paramount Room asked me if I wanted a table, etc. It felt... odd.
However, when I settled into my seat at the upstairs bar, I found my groove. The hilarious and spunky bartender told me that the Bells on tap was delicious, so I went with it. She regaled my friend and me with tales of running into Harrison Ford (he bought her a drink to stop her from calling him Han Solo) and the crazy 40-something women throwing themselves at Duran Duran at their reunion show at the House of Blues a few years back. I dig a nice, witty banter with bartenders, and the gal bartendress at Paramount Room is tops.
Now can we talk about those Kobe burgers? Ahhhh-mazing. Perfectly seasoned and cooked well, they're served on a grilled bun and served with your choice of awesome toppings like vintage cheddar, bacon, grilled onions, etc. You get the picture. The best part? You can substitute fried green beans instead of fries. They're rockin'... and a nice change of pace from the fried 'taters.
While my burger was fairly priced, I did notice the menu had some interesting, yet pricey options. I'm not sure it this type of place warrants such a fancy-schmancy menu. Shouldn't bars just stick to the pub grub?
I'll be back for those Kobe burgers for shizz. However, I can't see myself hanging out at Paramount Room on a regular basis. Good thing it's close to home!
id say this is one of my top 10 date places in chicago. ok.. so when you park, probably under the overpassing expressway, the area looks.. well.. a bit on the "I'm for sure about to get mugged" side. But keep walking you're almost there. go inside and if theres a seat grab one at the bar. The bartender has ample knowledge of whikeys and as an avid whisky lover, i was in heaven.
If you got a lovey lady with you, make your way down to the stairs to the lounge, beautiful decor and very friendly waitstaff. gastro-wise, well the kobe and pint are a great deal and the burger was delish, skip the foie gras, but not the desert. i cant remember what i had cus i was sloshed from the whiskey, but i think it was phenomenal.
A bit pricey but worth it for a special occasion.
I like this place. I did not sample the food but I hear it is amazing from friends. I am a beer geek and although their beer menu is fairly small, they do have a great selection that can tickle your tastebuds fo sho!
Nice crowd here. Not pretentious, come as you are is what I feel about this place. Nice to experience that. Staff were great also, very friendly. Although there is not much going on where they are located, I will make a point to go out of my way and go there again.
Neither the fries nor the bloody maries are vegetarian - unless you specify. Imagine the horror! Salami in my beverage! Duck fat on my innocent little potatoes! Just be warned- not a good place to be veg.
Laidback atmosphere...a gastropub/dive sort of feel. Large selection of craft beers. Great selection of whisky. Delicious mixology-like cocktails with fresh ingredients, well made, reasonably priced (a bit expensive for Chicago but well worth it). Tasty, well made food; awesome kobe burger and rueben.
Threw a party here, reserved the downstairs lounge. Service and food was phenomenal. Will definitely come back here...a great neighborhood bar!
Came back again last night, had the Croque sandwich, it was alright but really lacked in flavor compared to other foods that I have enjoyed there. Duvel Green on draft is always a plus, but all in all something was a miss with the food last night and it wasn't as outstanding at before. Still a supporter, may have just been the sandwich I had.
This is my go to bar to go and avoid my normal circles. Cozy, place for a date or a small group of… Read more »
YUM! Oh man Paramount's Cuban sandwich is delicious! It was my first Cuban and it won't be my last - it was also the last one of the night and so it was the Andre the Giant of Cuban sandwiches. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the half pickle placed *on top* of the bread and not inside of it, which required some knife skills to dismantle the pickle and the sandwich in order to incorporate it.
Our house-made corned beef and cabbage roll up appetizer was pretty darn good too, with its mustardy sauce. And as always, our drinks were fantastic.
I wish I could base these four stars on a review involving food however that's not why we went, so… Read more »
Where's the beef? That was my first thought when our barkeep served my Kobe burger. It was a skosh on the small side. But, after eating, I was quite satisfied. (The bowl full of mussels beforehand didn't hurt.) On the way out the door, I took a spin to see the "lounge" downstairs. It's a very creative and elegant use for a basement--you don't see too many bar/restaurants taking advantage of space like that.
Really the perfect restaurant for me.
High quality food by a dedicated chef with an excellent beer menu and in a setting where you don't feel like you have to get all dressed up. My t-shirt and jeans wardrobe never makes me feel like a slacker here despite the fact that the food wouldn't be out of place in a much fancier joint. I recommend the Scotch Egg as an appetizer then get the Kobe Beef Burger with an egg on top. Amazing.
Expectations exceeded!
The food, service and beer were all top notch for this obscure little place. I went here with 2 others--we enjoyed the steak tartar, 2 kobe burgers (one with aged sharp cheddar and one with gruyere) and the cuban sandwich. We also ordered a side of the hand-cut fries and tempura fried green beans. We had waaaaay too much food to eat. Everything was hot (that was supposed to be hot) and clearly was straight from kitchen to table.
I can't wait to go back and try the mussels. They smelled delicious on my neighbors' table!
Paramount Room threw me for a loop.
A girl I'm pretty sweet on told me she wanted to check this joint out cause its a hop, skip and a jump away from her crib.
So we decide to see what its about one night after dinner. So we walk over and we're about 20 feet away from the spot when I ask her "okay, so where is this place supposed to be?" ...she says "its right here" (pointing to building right in front of my face). Whole in the wall alert light goes off.
I'm lookin at this joint from the outside and I'm hoping a swam of guys in leather dont stare me down and the record doesnt come off the player when I walk in...had a flashback of the movie Police Academy and the bar The Blue Oyster that Lasard's dumb ass went to for a unwanted hazing session.
We walk in and it's in-fact a hole in the wall. Very narrow spot. So much so, if somebody's sitting at the bar, you almost need them to scoot in to get past them. Well maybe not, but it's close.
We sit down at the last two spots available at the bar (there are a total of about 10 of them by the way (L shaped bar...5 on one side, 5 on the other). There are also a few booths and tables by the window, for the record.
I'm starvin like marvin up in this bitch so I ask the bartender to get me hooked up with a menu. Can't really decipher if any of the dishes will meet my tastebud needs with a stomach so empty its touching my back....so I spot the burger and give the bartender the green light. (note to public: make sure you order it what they call "dressed" and I would also recommend it with cheddar cheese)
The burger comes out in a very reasonable amount of time (but not so soon that you're concerned if it was cooked thoroughly). I investigate and am pleased at the presentation. I take a bite and my taste buds may have had some of the best sex of their life with a burger. Seriously, one of the best burgers I've tasted in years, or possibly ever! Am.not.bullshittin.you!
After I down the burger with my brew of choice (Amstel Light...they have a nice selection of brews, a few others of which I also downed that night too), I take a visit to the bathroom. The bathroom is one of those one-person-at-a-time set ups, and I opened up the door to find a guy already in there (sorry buddy, lock the door next time!). So once the guy comes out and I apologize...I make my way in and am very impressed. Look, this is a whole in the wall, the ambiance is not the greatest or the worst, so I expect average from the bathroom.
Look, the owners of this joint invested some money in the bathroom, and I appreciate it. That tells me you care and makes me trust the food you're serving up. The bathroom has this Star Wars inspired Dyson hand dryer. You basically stick your hands down this machine and it turns on...and you slowly pull your hands out and they're totally dry! No bullshit, I'll come back to this joint just to wash my hands...and yeah, I'll probably hit them for a brew on the way out.
Overall, good place to go with one or two folks who are non-pretentious. Service is friendly, but not over the top "yes sir! thank you x 5 every 10 seconds). Maybe not a spot to make your night but somewhere to wind down. Burger+Handdryer=alright stop, collaborate and listen: I will be back!
Hungry on a random night? Try the $10 kobe burger and a pint. The atmosphere is very chill, we had a group of 6 in a booth and felt pretty comfy. The burgers were made as ordered, except my roommate ordered medium and got well and I ordered medium and got medium rare (I was thrilled though, I love medium rare but I'm usually afraid to order it, I didn't get sick here so I recommend it highly). Also, we discovered on our bill that only the $5 and $6 pints count, if you order a $7 Duvel they charge you an extra 2 bucks - kind of lame, but its still a good deal overall.
I also recommend ponying up the extra buck to buy more toppings for the burger. The fried egg rocked my world, the bacon is thick, and who doesn't love some gruyere?? So don't be shy, remember that you get what you pay for, and enjoy your burger as much as possible.
After hearing my husband rave about this place after two separate 'boys night out occasions', he finally took me here this weekend so I too - could experience this $10 burger and pint deal. He swears that this is the best damn burger in Chicago.
However, I beg to differ. Price performance ration: Outstanding.
Where can you get a burger and a pint for $10? However, I hesitate to believe that they use Kobe beef here. Why? I've had Kobe beef burgers at three other area restaurants and I order it medium. Here, the meat was very lean. Kobe is more fatty - and at the other restaurants that I've been to, they were fatty. I also found my patty to be covered in black pepper. Thank goodness I enjoy black pepper but there were some bites where the taste was a little overwhelming. Decent burger, nice thick buttery bun thats toasted. But not the best burger in the city. I still prefer Sweets and Savories Kobe burger.
Sides: they offer you two choices - either fries or green beans. Thinking that I was going to be healthy, I ordered the green beans- but NO ONE mentioned to me they were deep fried. But good nonetheless! Your plate will come with two limes - I didn't know what they were for at first, but I squeezed some juice over the fried green beans - delicious!!!
I highly recommend the steak tartare. It is very, very good here. I enjoyed that the dish was served near room temperature because you can taste the flavors better than when something is cold out of the fridge. They use a very nice combination of herbs in their tartare including parsley which I don't think is normally found in tartare. It's $11 but great for sharing among 3-4 people.
My buddy Matt ordered their Cuban sandwich. It's American style cuz it was HUGE and stacked high - not pressed and thin like the typical Cuban. However, it was tasty. No skimping on meat here! Portion is huge and enough to share for sure!
Great selection of beers including my current favorite - 3 Floyds Gumballhead.
Big bonus: our waitress was awesome enough to split up our totals on the check so we knew what we each owed - we didn't even have to ask. That is something I have never seen at a restaurant before. Awesome.
I can see myself being a regular here especially since we were able to grab a table for 3 at 8pm with no wait!
I loved this place as much as I thought I was going to love Kuma's. When you walk in you assume it's just a normal bar with burgers and fries, but as soon as you look at the menu you know it's more than that.
We started the meal with an interesting steak tartare made with shallots and mustard. It was a different take on a great dish, and the quality of the beef really showed. The grilled vegetable sandwich featured crunchy vegetables and a unique avocado mayo that really complemented it well. The biggest draw of all is the Kobe Burger and a pint deal for 10 dollars. The burger is top notch (as good as a Kuma's burger, though smaller) and the great selection of the beers (Hop Juice on tap is so good) makes this deal an absolute steal. I think if everyone got the burger and pint special, it'd put them out of business. Also I loved that you could get a side of tempura green beans rather than fries. A very nice touch indeed!
This is definitely my first choice for a quick bite in the west loop/river west area.
Living adjacent to Jewel, I've been wondering about the establishment across the street indicated by the marquee sign, a bright piercing reminder that civilization is alive and well, in this industrial transforming in to residential area of town which can look rather dreary on an rainy April night.
The $10 kobe/pint deal got me in the door. My medium rare Kobe was delicious, melty mouth good; so good you don't want to brush your teeth that night because that fat flavor lingers. My date went Medium, a common mistake of the younger female species; a bit charred but serves her right for angering the meat gods. Her fries were good but I'm on an all meat diet and they distract. However, the 'No Crap on Tap' held true and we had a Stiegl from... WAIT the menu says GERMANY! Ahh, but an embarrassed bartended quickly reprinted the menus with the correct origin of Austria. The list was a good mix of local favorites Gumball Head and Matilda to solid imports Kostritzer, etc. and of course cans of another beer, the winner of a blue ribbon at the 1893 Columbian Exposition.
What us Fulton River Districtians are in need of is the cool businesses that take years upon years of entrepreneurs to build up over time, but we want it rather soon, like now. This is precisely what I've been looking forward to.
Instead of cop bars where the owners let the boys in blue turn their patrons blue and red; or over priced Italian, this dare I say the overused term, Gastropub, is good beer and good meat and that's all I require.
I think I may learn the meaning of the term regular in due course.
Upon entering this spot, I was not expecting to be wowed, but after my visit, I sincerely cannot wait to go back. The large party (about 13 people?) I was with was totally accommodated downstairs, at around 10 pm on a Saturday night.
The menu is very impressive, ranging from items like foie gras, Kobe burgers to oysters on the half shell. It's an extensive bar menu for even the most seasoned foodie.
Burgers come w/ tempura green beans or fries that come w/ an amazing truffle oil.
The beer list is equally impressive! Our server, Becky, was very attentive and handled our big group with ease.
Anticipating a return visit, I saw on their site that they have nights with complimentary happy hour hor d'oeuvres on a few nights, 1/2 off appetizers late night on Saturdays, as well as Industry discounts on Sundays.
Can't wait to go back to Paramount Room!!
Poor Paramount Room....some folks love ya...others hate ya. Well at the very least give you very few stars...
But I enjoyed you for all the reasons that make you what you are....small AND intimate.....Well established BUT hard to find. Tasty food AND reasonable prices. Nice staff AND even nicer bartenders
The beer selection is small, but wicked in the sense that they served
up some I'd never heard of before and they were tasty.
My date and I did a number of sandwiches downstairs is in and of itself
is cool have they've laid it out. The tempura green beans were outrageous and good times were had.
Place is tiny and best probably patronized during the week and earlier than late night.
The artist side of me loved some of the wall paintings.....Elvis downstairs and the winking 3 eye cat are great.
Good food...laid back attitude and great beer make this a great place in my book.
Step off haters or I'll pull a Joaquin Phoenix bum rush on ya ass!!?!?!?!?! *wink*
Outstanding first experience. I visited the restaurant recently and very much enjoyed the burger + pint... excellent food for the price and I'm looking forward to trying out some other options.
The upstairs is rather small and mostly has a bar area... more seating is found downstairs.
Recommended.
Weekend Brunch
Neighborhood: The Loop
Half off Apps
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Near West Side
Category: Pool Halls
Neighborhood: Near West Side
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: River West
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Near West Side
Category: Burgers
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