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Category: American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Streeterville, Magnificent Mile, Near North SideChicago (Red)
Don't Just Wish Someone A Good Holiday, Give Them One With Chili's.
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Go for the view and the white cheddar potato's. I took my fiance there yesterday for a 7pm reservation. We got there at 6:50 and they sat us right away. I did mention to the Maitre D' on our way to a table that this was my fiance's first time here and she would love a window seat and he said not to worry, he'll grab the best seat in the house. To my surprise, he actually got us an excellent table right next to the window. It was on the south view where you can see navy pier and the sears tower all in one view. I didn't tip him part because I didn't have anything smaller than a $20 on me, but also because he kinda seated us so fast and walked away without hesitating. We ordered a glass of wine each. I had a 2006 cab, my fiance the 2007 syrah. The cab was excellent and the syrah was just ok but being the gentleman I am, I let my fiance have mine, which worked out great because the syrah ended up pairing with my dinner a lot better than the cab.
We ordered the grilled bruschetta for an appetizer... Amazing! For dinner, I had the grilled duck breast and my fiance had the seared sea scallops which were very gritty and not tasty at all except for the garnish that accompanied it. I did like the duck and garnish, but wasn't wowed by any means. We both had the white cheddar potato's which were nice in portion size and very tasty.
Then came dessert. We usually never order dessert, but the prices were actually reasonable ($8.50 each). I had the vanilla bean creme brulee with shortbread cookies. You could tell it was sitting in the fridge because the cookies were soggy and the inside of the brulee was cold. It was tasty nonetheless but could have been much better had they not leave the cookies in the fridge and warmed up the brulee to room temperature. My fiance got the white chocolate moose with coconut macaroon and pineapple with mint sauce. Wow, what a disappointment. The moose was a little hardened jelly disk of despair. You can tell it was sitting in that round mold for quite some time. Just not good at all. Total price came to a little over $150.00 which is what I expected for the location. I had been there before but my future wife had not. I'm glad we went but would be hard pressed to go again. Maybe for the excellent brunch I hear about.
Okay, This is my first time EVER to yelp and let me tell you...I just had to share this !
We had dinner reservations for 7 pm at the Signature Room. After waiting ten minutes we were seated and our table was next to a window with outstanding views! From that point on- thank goodness our dinner party had a sense of humor! The waiters...VERY RUDE. The food...HORRIBLE! Seriously, give me Ruth's Chris any day next to this place. The only kind thing I have to say is .. go for the view and maybe a cocktail. Don't waste your hard earned money for the garbage they serve.
Great food and wine. Spectacular view. Excellent Service.
To top off the night, enjoy a few drinks at the lounge after dinner.
This a great date spot to celebrate an birthday or anniversary. I would love to come back.!
Brunch
I have been here twice; both times for my birthday. The first time dinner was fantastic I'm sure, but I was totally smashed from all the drinking I did at the bar to remember. Knowing me, it was some kind of seafood. Good times.
This time around I went for brunch. I love brunch. It is my favorite meal. This was just ok. Perhaps the view distracts people from the actual food. Seeing that I did not get a window seat, I was totally focused on the food. The seafood looked impressive until I got the 'please don't throw up on this table feeling.' The bacon was soggy. The omelets were well just eggs. Not impressed. I Would have rather gone to Bistro 110's Jazz brunch instead.
Went today for lunch. When making reservations, it says you can't guarantee a window seat until you arrive, which is fine. Got there a little early and the hostess, Anne wasn't friendly at all. I understand that part of her job is to be firm, but there's a difference in being firm and impolite.
We waited until our reservation began and then were told we had to wait an hour to guarantee a window seat. We opted out, but it was pretty frustrating when we saw many empty window seats that weren't filled when we were seated.
Our waiter Jeremy was ok, but very casual and not attentive at all. After reading what was on the buffet on a tattered piece of paper in his pocket (I mean, really...it's a buffet. Does it change that much? Can you not remember the SAME items that are in the buffet week to week?), we placed our order. We were brought some warm but stale bread, but then proceeded to wait 40 minutes for our food to arrive. During that time, Jeremy never came over to apologize about our wait, even though he was standing right behind us at the order station the entire meal. After asking about our food, he said something about the kitchen being the weakest part of the restaurant and that he'd go and check right away. Five minutes later, he remembered to ask a manager who happened to be passing by. Ridiculous.
The food was just ok. The view is neat, but if you're not going to want to wait for a window seat, skip it and go somewhere else. Bottom line, here are my suggestions.
-If you're going during a busy time, be prepared to be caught up in a swarm of people when exiting the elevator.
-If you definitely want a window seat, make a reservation for an hour before you want to eat. Go check in at that time and then come back an hour later.
-For a great view, skip the restaurant and head straight up to the lounge for a drink and lite fare. Don't have to wait an hour for a table. Food downstairs isn't necessarily worth waiting for.
-Be prepared for sub-par service. I should've known after reading reviews here, but truly, it's bad.
Brunch: Do it!
I have yet to consume a slice of french toast as heavenly as what I've had at their brunch. Swoon. The food ranges from high quality breakfast fare (ex: a whole smoked salmon) to rich pasta dishes to delectable desserts. The view, well that's what you really are paying for. It's like you're on a peninsula. Unobstructed views of the lake in three directions.
A plated meal? Not even something I want to think about, but brunch here at $42 is very doable and more than worth it. Although, you need to plan to make your reservation well in advance. I'm talking 2-3 weeks. And also possibly plan to pay when you make your reservation. It may seem a bit much, but just view it the same as purchasing tickets for a play.
Great wine selection and excellent view.
It stops there. I have been numerous times there and the food keeps letting me down. I ordered lobster last time...and talk about overcooked.
However, I hear they have excellent brunch and been hesitant to try it. And when I do...I hope it makes up for the other times.
3 Rating for the food, 4 rating for the view.
The food, we had the buffet, so I can't say I was expecting a lot. However the new york beef strip was fatty. The vegetables were mediocre and the cold dishes were nothing to rave about. Buffet's usually have more selection, but this was a very limited buffet.
The view on the other hand was what this place is all about. Granted it was a hazy day, but most places were still visible. Considering the Willis Tower was about $15 with no food and the Signature Room was $18 + tax/tip with food makes quite a difference. 95 floors vs 103 floors, when you are up that high, is another 8 floors of height going to make that much of a difference?
Love a dub the Signature Room on the 95th! I made a brunch reservation for my mama's birthday this past Sunday & it was fabulous! Once our party was complete we were seated right away. We had a wonderful view right next to one of the windows.
The food was amazing & there was so much to choose from! There was an omelet station, a pancake station, a meat station, soup, seafood galore, & some of the best bite sized desserts to try. They really did have it all.
The price was pretty affordable, $45 for brunch & that included coffee ice tea & juices. Not bad for 2 hours of eating! Mimosa's & Champagne are the same price so I would suggest getting Champagne, I think they were $12 each.
The service was super nice & attentive. When we gave my mom her b-day gifts our server came over with a decorated plate with a variety of desserts and a candle. So nice!
Can't wait to celebrate our next special occasion with brunch at the Signature Room.
Two dear friends of mine held their wedding ceremony and reception here this weekend, and everything was wonderful. I believe that we were actually using two rooms with the partition removed--the Chicago Room (facing south and west) for the ceremony, and the Chestnut Room (facing west) for the reception.
The venue was an excellent choice, obviously thanks in great part to the views. What a backdrop for wedding vows! The rooms were modestly sized, but they were holding a smallish wedding and had the perfect amount of space. My only real complaint was the garish, 1980s patterned carpet which took a bit away from the elegant aesthetic. Quibbles!
Service was also very good. We made friends with a couple of the servers, including one guy who seemed to be running the show. I remember one time he was refilling our wine glasses and chimed into our conversation with a comment; normally I would find this gratingly intrusive, but it was funny and quite astute. Speaking of the wine and water glasses, whenever you took a sip, there was someone there to top them off. After the first few times, I looked at my friend Amit and said, "If they're going to keep doing that all night, we are in trouble." And we were.
The dinner was very nicely paced; really, in all aspects great and small, the staff seemed like experts. It was pitch-perfect service. Except that my one friend had to tell the substitute bartender how to make a Manhattan.
I think that the bride and groom ordered the premium drink package, which gave us Glenlivet, Tanqueray 10, Grey Goose and Belvedere, Crown Royal Reserve and Jack Daniels but no bourbons (sad face), and a few other good liquors. (I stuck with gin and tonics before dinner and Glenlivet after so I didn't pay much attention to the selection.) I wish that I could remember the wine served, but it had a simple leaping horse illustration on the front. Fun fact: the plastic swizzle sticks were miniature Hancock towers.
And now the food: in a word, excellent. Based on reviews and word-of-mouth, I would be ambivalent to eating in the restaurant. But the catered food was well above average and exceeded expectations. I didn't care much for the soup, but the cheesy sourdough crouton was fantastic! And the salad...it was just simple greens, a few other vegetables, and a sherry vinaigrette, but it was somehow amazingly delicious. Close to the best salad ever. We had a lemon sorbet intermezzo, but through each course I was scarfing down the hot, floury rolls. They kept refilling those too...
I had chosen the beef option, which was a very generous filet (about the size of my man-palm and almost two inches thick) cooked perfectly. Really, I expected a dry, overcooked piece of steak but it was just to the medium side of medium-rare, which seems like quite a feat for a seating of this size. And with the filet came the best part of the meal--white truffle bread pudding. [Falls on floor.] Absolutely phenomenal; I have been desperately craving more of that savory ambrosia for the last three days. I was begging my tablemates for scraps of theirs but noone was giving it up! Really, that stuff belongs in any of the very top-notch restaurants in town.
Everything at this wedding that was under the Signature Room's control was practically flawless. Kudos to making a great evening, and I'm sure that my two married friends would recommend this to any couple who wants a memorable experience.
Came here on a Saturday for lunch and opted for the buffet.
When we arrived, we had a table right by the window. I would recommend a reservation (I used OpenTable) as you will get priority for a window seat.
The buffet was fine with 3-4 salad options, 2 soups, 2 meat dishes (including a carving station), 1 fish, and 2 hot veggies. Also, new types of salads were being brought every 20 minutes or so, so the variety changes. The buffet is all-you-can-eat. Unlike most buffets, there is no dessert included.
The service was great; the wait staff was very attentive.
Some tips:
Give yourself an extra 5-10 minutes during peak hours for the line to get onto the elevator.
Ask for a view of downtown (if that's what you want) - we got seated on the lake side and mostly only saw water.
Alright, Yelpers. I'll be honest with you -- I took a long break from Yelp and haven't been Yelping as often as I should've been. With that in mind, the fact that I chose the Signature Room to be my first review after my break says something.
After scouring the internet for "romantic restaurants in Chicago," I remembered that a family friend of mine pointed out the 95th floor of the Hancock building, stating that it was a great place to take a date. I made a dinner reservation on a Saturday night without any problems and was seated semi-promptly to our table.
The view from our seats was EXCELLENT. If you want window seating, be sure to tell the hostess; you'll have to wait around 30-45 minutes, though, depending on how busy it is. Seriously, you've gotta request window seating because what you get is a sweeping view of the city lights, including the Navy Pier. I would go out on a limb and say that this is the perfect setting to be proposed to -- dim lighting, light music, romantic view... it really is the whole shebang.
We ordered the laughing bird shrimp tempura appetizer, which was tiny shrimp with a lemon sauce. Ehh, not worth it -- too little shrimp for us to share. My entree, however, was very tasty! I ordered the Berkshire pork with miso sauce, and the meat was very tender and juicy. The sauce was mmmm mmm good! It came with a carrot and almond salad, which was a nice addition to the dish. My boyfriend ordered the salmon, which he said was not that great. He enjoyed my dish more, but that's only because I'm Yelp Elite and know what's up. ;)
We also had dessert, which was a white and dark chocolate mousse with raspberries in sauce. Great way to finish the night!
Next time I'm in town, I will definitely be coming back. Make sure to check out the 96th floor (the Signature Lounge) while you're waiting for your seats. Seems like it's the happenin' spot (my boyfriend ran into a classmate there, so hummm).
I was taken here on my birthday this past Sunday and I enjoyed myself, kinda. The views, of course, were awesome, the wait-staff was friendly and very attentive, and the ambiance was very dark, intimate, and romantic.
The food: terrible entree. I had the pork ribs and it was not at all how I expected it to be. The presentation was beautiful with each rib stack in a design topped with some greens and roasted potatoes but boy were they FATTY!! Gross!!! The description did not even describe what I put in my mouth. I was quite disappointed - and on my birthday!!
Nevertheless, I was happy that I finally got to visit and play "tourist" but that was the extent of my joy.
Next time, I'll bypass the 95th floor and head to the lounge...can't go wrong there, right?!
Oh, and my boyfriend enjoyed his $50 ribeye steak - sooooo wish I would have had that instead...
I have to take the time to put in my 5 stars for the phenomenal job the staff at the Signature Room provided meand my guests for my wedding.
We worked with Bill Ryan to plan out our event. He was courteous, had a great sense of humor, very patient and knew exactly what he was doing. It rained on our wedding day and we had an outdoor ceremony planned but had to move it to the Signature Room (where our reception was planned on being held). Bill and his team worked to make sure that we had enough time and room to fit our group of 70 into the room.
Please note, the room for our wedding reception and ceremony is not in the lounge, it is a separate room that faced North, South and West. The views were incredible of course.
Bill and his partner Kevin made sure that we were able to get everyone up to the room and got them drinking and eating appetizers, even with the hitch in our plan. Kevin was really good at rounding us all up and making sure that my DJ and wedding party was prepped. Remember, we had planned on the outdoor ceremony where our DJ would not be present, so having Kevin take the lead and Bill direct us was really helpful in making a very smooth transition.
Now on to the food service. The service itself was professional and well timed. There was no lag, nobody snatched the food away if you were not done and everyone got exactly what they ordered. The dinner was a 5 course meal, everyone was stuffed to the brim and had nothing but great things to say about what they ate. The wine was good and kept on flowing throughout the course of the night, since the bar was closed during dinner service.
The chefs at the signature room also designed my cake. I had no idea what I wanted and left it up to them. The cake was beautiful and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it came out with aboslutely no direction from me.
We had quite the rowdy crowd and due the weather issue the staff was nice enough to extend our time just a bit to make up for the open bar that was interrupted by our ceremony LOL. They were able to take a seemingly ordinary room with an awesome view and transform it into a beautifully set wedding reception location. The tables, even with the most basic choices, were gorgeous. Everything was very well organized and well orchestrated by both Bill and Kevin.
And you may be reading this and think its a tourist trap but I have lived in Illinois my entire life and the City of Chicago my entire adult life. I can tell you this much, not only was I impressed as a resident but I know for a fact that every person that attended my wedding will remember how amazing the location, the food and the company was (I take credit for the company!) so thank you very much staff at the Signature Room you truly made our day a day to remember.
* Follows the rule of good view=meh everything else *
I'm really hesitant to ever eat a meal in a restaurant with a view. It rarely turns out well.
But I was invited to a lunch at this restaurant which is on the 95th floor.
Thankfully it was a very clear day so there was a great view of the water and the city. You could see all the way up to Northwestern University to the north.
But as is true with most good view spots the food and service were subpar.
The staff greeting you was really unprofessional. REALLY unprofessional. They yelled at a guest that was looking at the window. Crazy.
The buffet appeared to look as if locusts had descended upon it with most bowls and warming trays empty!
The wait staff didn't provide any bread or water without a request for it.
The elevator also didn't seem properly pressurized as everyone in it had a bit of an earache on the way down.
My tip to you: Avoid eating here. Just ride up the elevator for free (instead of paying to go to the observation deck 1 floor away) and look around. Then ride the elevator back down. Skip the food.
only go here when you have tourists with you. for the view ONLY. the food is very sub-par, especially for the price. but for out-of-towners, the view is def worth the trip up the crowded, smelly elevator that makes your ears pop twice after you've waited in line amongst all the cougars, couples and randoms.
Burger: 2 stars
Buffet: heard it was 2 stars
Service: 0 stars
Crowd: Negative stars
View: priceless
The view is awesome, the food is okay. A bit overpriced for what it is. Oh well, I guess I was paying for the view!
The signature room is one of those places where I looked around and saw the following:
awkward young folk on dates where the guy was clearly trying to impress the girl with this very special locale.......business lunches with badass corporate types scooting out of work for a salad and 2394 beers or martinis......those celebrating (as i was).....those ogling the view.
I certainly wouldnt recommend coming up here for the food, but absolutely would recommend it for the views, the great service or just to have a fun, "special" something or other. I was here for a great friends bridal luncheon and we had a ball! Our server was fantastical, the champagne was deeeeeelish, the food was just ok but the company and celebration were top notch! Being on the 95th floor, overlooking all of chicago and the lake added to the very very special occasion.
a quick note on food.....the cheesey bready crunchy cracker things are to die for, yum city! I had a burger (no bun) and it was a-ok, great fries. The veggie flatbread looked and smelled amazing. I had a bite of the lobster salad and was totally grossed out. too much blue cheese, too much egg, etc etc...but it certainly looked gorgeous upon presentation.
I went here for a goodbye dinner for one of my teammates. The view is always spectacular at the Signature room, I mean if I was rating just the view, I would give it five stars, but hey I am talking about the food here. I ordered the rack of lamb for my entree, the lamb was on the verge of rare but since I did ask for it medium rare, I much prefer it on the rare side than overly cooked. It came with a mix of roasted vegetables atop a bed of cous cous. It was not bad, but definitely not memorable. Also my dish was definitely not hot when it arrived to the table. Perhaps it was the negative degree temperature the Signature room was set at, my toes almost froze off! My friend got the salmon which I had a taste of. I felt like her salmon was cooked a little too long and didn't have any flavor to it.
For dessert we shared the creme brulee, that was also ok, I always think it is an added plus when the creme brulee is warm or hot when it is served, but here it was cold and had some pineapple on top. I guess for $40 per entree I was hoping for a little more pizazz in flavors and presentation but I guess you are paying more for the view than for the view. The service is pretty good, I feel like people mostly come to the Signature Room to celebrate an occassion and they are pretty good at recognizing any occasion as I noticed that every table got a complimentary dessert for whatever occasion they were celebrating. (our table included since we were having a goodbye dinner)
Unless you are coming for the view, I feel like there are plently of other restaurants in Chicago that I would rather spend $40 per entree on.
I don't know why everyone is giving this place a mediocre rating. I took my mother-in-law here for lunch and the food was actually really good. I expected small portions but they were huge. Lunch is moderately priced as well.
One can't argue with the excellent view either. It was definitely the most enjoyable environment I have been to in a while. I want to return soon.
Great Food!
Great View!
Huge Prices!
Douche Management!
I went for my 6 or 7 year anniversary and it was odd.
We were sitting on the west side of the building (bar) during sun down, it got very hot and very sunny. We just went for drinks and were going somewhere else for dinner. We went over to the restaurant and asked if we could just sit down and have a drink and get an appetizer. After we ordered the apps and the drinks the server said we would have to order an entrée.
That pissed me off, I talked to the manager and he demanded we order an entrée. He would not allow just appetizers and deserts. The food was great the view was great, but the whole thing just sucked. It messed up our plans. It cost 120 dollars before we tipped the douche server.
By the way it was early enough that it wasn't packed and we were eating up a table, we were one of like 10 patrons in the restaurant.
I would go back... but it sucked the first time.
I gave this place 3 stars for the view, oh what a view! Well, of course, the view is only great on a clear day. Totally not worth your time if you can't see outside. The service is OK, and the food is so so. I've been to their brunch buffet a couple of times and hated everything they had. And for me, a pretty easy to please gal, that's saying a lot!
I would go to their lounge for drinks before or after a dinner somewhere else. While in the lounge, you get the beautiful view, without the so so food. Cheers!
I wasn't super blown away by my experience at the Siggy Room, but for lunch on a Tuesday? Excelente.
This is a great place to take your out-of-town guests. They'll be overjoyed at the amazing view you get of the city. I mean, you aren't viewing the skyline from afar. You're a PART OF the skyline, viewing the skyline. Whoa, man, it's like poetry.
They make a great steak too. My ma and her friend got the $18.95 (I think) all-you-can-eat buffet, and they enjoyed it as well. Probably won't come back here often, but it's a must-do at least once if you live in the city or if you're just visiting.
as you can probably tell not into writing long reviews... but here goes. pricey... yes... worth it? yes food is near perfection... the view even on not such a good day... perfect.
this is a place you go for that special event... if you tell them in advance when you set your reservation they'll take care or getting you the perfect table... i always ask for a southern view and get one in the floor to ceiling windows everytime!
definate must experience!
oh yes best time to go...is right as the sun starts to fall... what a view!!!!
Ok, to address the review a few down from this one.
ELEVATORS ARENT PRESSURIZED! ITS A GLORIFIED COFFIN THAT GOES UP AND DOWN!
Ok, that having been said heres my take on things and please take it with a grain of salt.
Tourist trap? Yes
Overpriced? I've seen worse
Price of Lunch Buffet on a Weekday: $18
Price of admission to the 100th Floor: $15
Seemed like a no brainer to me. We went on a nice day, view was great since we got a nice seating overlooking the lake rather than the city but thats still ok! The one problem was service. It took 20 minutes to get a freaking Pepsi.
Besides that, the buffet could have used some more selection but it was alright and I'm pleased. I will return, but only for the lunch buffet. I deemed everything else slightly overpriced.
It seems as if the Signature Room is losing its luster. Once a star attraction for localites and tourists, this place seems to be going down the tubes fast.
I have visited three times in the past month or so (October 12th, November 6th and 15th) as well as many occasions in the previous year.
Now, don't get me wrong. The views and touristy attraction of the Signature Room are great, but the food is mediocre and service is definitely subpar to what you can get at Spiaggia or Gibsons close by (for similar price).
Start with October 12th. Coming off a long walking tour of the city while visiting some condos, my associate and I stopped in for lunch at the Signature Room. No reservation, we were forced to wait a fair 10 minutes despite seeing many open tables around. About to sit down, I notice my chair has a pool of water in the middle. Looking around I then waited a few minutes for a chair replacement. Then, we were "greeted" by our waiter who basically shoved menus into our face and asked "Drinks?" as he briskly walked away. The food this time, no complaints. Everything ok, but service abysmal.
Next, November 6th. Had a reservation for 8:30pm, arrived around then and we weren't seated until just before 9 o'clock. Service was a tad better, with the waiters offering efficient refills on the lemonade (their Pink lemonade is quite good) and tips on the menu. Food was mediocre tonight. My dining partner's steak was ordered medium well (she doesn't know how to enjoy steak) and arrived almost medium rare. Not really any complaints about tonight, but nothing spectacular either (other than the fact that a man proposed to his girlfriend at the table next to us, that was sweet).
November 15th - Didn't really plan on returning here again after October 12th and the 6th, but my letter written from the Oct 12th visit gave me a personal call from one of the managers (Erin). She seemed to apologize profusely for our visit and wanted to welcome us back in order for us to be "taken care of". Now, generally, in the restaurant business, that means a comped meal. So, I had her book a reservation for brunch on the 15th. Service was abysmal at best, with the waitstaff taking awhile for refills on coffee/orange juice, forgetting to bring my dining partner green tea and instead coffee. The food was also mediocre today, with the food stations not kept to the correct temperature or the selections being freshly replaced. And, to top it all off, we paid $110~ for this experience. Supposedly we were going to be "taken care of", but experienced nothing of that in terms of the bill or service-wise.
The Signature Room is definitely losing its once-lustrous shine. Maybe OK for tourists just for the view. Recommending NO to my clients on this one.
Chris Szulc
OpenDoors Concierge
Expensive, but I planned for it. Take a look at the menu online before you think about dinner.
I aimed for 7:30 on a weekday and had no trouble getting a window seat. The only "for two" tables are on the north side of the building, so the view could have been a bit better. I did go to the lounge after eating and got a wonderful night time view of the city. It can take a while to get a window seat there. People, understandably, want to spend a lot of time looking.
I wouldn't go here often, but I'd definitely go again.
I have been here for lunch when friends visit from out of town. On a clear day, the view is amazing. The lunch is very affordable and you have a choice of buffet or ordering off the menu. I am not a buffet type of guy so I order their yummy sandwiches. During the day its casual but at night I hear there is a dress code.
Like most other reviewers say, the food is not that great for the money you will spend on it. The view is as you would expect: breathtaking. Now if you are going here on a date, I don't know if you would want to risk putting a damper on such a romantic lovely view by paralleling it with crap for food, and nonexistent service. Food at this place must be an afterthought both for the staff and the patrons.
**NOTE** - This review is from summer 2008, and I moved it bc I accidentally posted it under signature lounge
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Dining here for dinner was a lot better than I had expected. A few years back I was at the Signature Room for brunch and I thought it was terrible. So did my stomach for the rest of that day. So I've tried to talk my tourist-trap-loving family out of dining here because it's overpriced, overrated and overrun with tourists taking flash pictures in a dark room.
But...since it was my sister's birthday and she really wanted to go here, I had to suck it up. We had reservations at 730 and got seated promptly but it was a Monday night. I assume on a weekend this wouldn't happen, as the restaurant was so crowded that we would've had to wait if we wanted a window seat. You can't make that special request in advance.
So the food. I never thought I'd see a menu chock-full of locally grown produce here, but sure enough I did. They have a seasonal menu as well as your run-of-the-mill filet/lobster tail/etc. For starters, I had a Green City Market salad, which consisted of mixed greens, radishes, cucumbers, carrots and a sherry vinaigrette, with a pinch of sea salt. It was one of the best salads I have ever eaten. So fresh, so flavorful. We also had proscuitto and buffalo mozzarella with a tomato marmalade. The "marmalade" was like chunky tomatoes (kind of a bad name for it in my opinion) but the proscuitto and cheese were good. I liked the tang from the buff mozz. For my main course I had sea scallops (my favorite food ever ever ever) with lobster and brandade croquette (fancy name for a crab cake) in a citrus reduction. These sea scallops were out of control. Enormous. I mean if you bought these at whole foods they'd be like $20 on their own. You got four of them too! I never get full off a meal like this but I was stuffed by the end. My dad had a bone-in ribeye in a port wine demi-glace that was the size of the plate and cooked perfectly medum rare. Melted in your mouth. My sister got organic amish chicken with a morel mushroom sauce, swiss chard and grits. Like a spin on a southern chicken dish I suppose. She loved it. For dessert I had a macaroon tart with lavender honey tuile and coconut brulee. It was pretty good. It was no Hot Chocolate "Chocolate 64%" souffle but then what is, you know? Overall, I was pleased.
Drinks will be discussed in a review of the 96th floor lounge.
A friend wanted to take me for a special lunch, i couldn't believe it when she chose The Signature Room... I thought... only tourists go there! Well, really only tourists go there, but I had fun anyway. We had a nice salad, some calamari, white wine, dessert. Once in a while, it's fun to be a tourist in your own city!
Yes, I was a tourist in Chicago. And some friends said we [being tourists] should go eat at the Signature Room lunch buffet. So we [being prudent tourists] hustled downtown and arrived shortly after 1130am opening in an attempt to secure a window view of the city.
Unfortunately, the best table we could get without waiting was next to the window table - "whatever", we [being impatient tourists] thought, "it's good enough."
After we [being hungry tourists] got our food and excitedly attacked the quinoa salad, the window table opened up and a hostess offered to move us! So a little silverware may have been lost in the move, but the staff remained friendly and attentive and I personally found them amusing as they made little jokes - refreshing to hear from tired people who had to cater to tourists' whims all day.
Predictably, the view was incredible and the food was fair. We [being voracious tourists] attacked the steak and other buffet highlights with gusto and ignored other dishes. But all in all, we [being bloated tourists] had a great lunch.
of course this place is great. u get a great view of the city, so its a great experience. just go up and wait in line for the bar for like 15 min...have a $10 drink, the venue is worth it. or dont get a drink, just peep out the windows and walk around a bit...
We went up there around 11 pm on a busy summer week night and it was excellent. yes, it was packed but we scored a table and enjoyed our drinks. we did not have a window-side table but that is okay. the view is still nice. i have no shame in walking up to people who do have good tables and asking them to take pictures for me. Everyone I spoke with that night was happy to chat and take pictures. It was an awesome experience.
Located on top of the Hancock Center (95th and 96th floors), this bar boasts the best view of the city. That would be true, if everyone wouldn't be standing in front of the windows taking pictures with a flash. If you aren't seated by the window, don't expect to enjoy the view.
And, if you're looking to enjoy the view, just pay for the admission to the Hancock Observatory (94th floor) and see an unobstructed view.
Customers were sloppy and drunk, and the prices were way too expensive for the little value you get out of it.
Also, come at an off-time as this tends to be a trendy hang out. I can only guess that it's everyone's first time, as I'd never go back.
I went with a work function to the Signature Room. The place was expensive and just ordinary. Even the view wasn't so great, a very cloudy day outside. It was crowded on the day I went which usually means a good place for food and service. It was extremely clean, that is important in a restaurant. The food was just ok and not really being a drinker I didn't belly up to the bar. The staff was very friendly. If it wasn't for a work function I never would have tried the Signature Room so that is good, but I know I will not be heading back.
I was in chicago for six nights just last week, doing what i do review restaurtants.(i do not get paid) i was asking around for chicago's fine dinning..hmmmm..the concierge at the hard rock hotel, recomment the Signature Room..well let me tell you, the view was ok, but the food was T.G.I.F with wall street prices... lobster tails for 2, was 150.00, with nothing esle... the told for dinner was 418.00 for 2 people.. the food was bad.. we had salads, apps bad bad.. just a touris trap... BY THE WAY,,,, the concierge at all the hotels get free dinner,drinks for sending people over to the restaurtants in chicago.... DONT ASK THE CONCIERGE FOR ANYTHING...TALK TO THE GUYS WHO GET U THE CABS....VERY EXPENSIT CITY, TAXES ARE CRAZY.... LOOK FOR MY OTHER REVIEWS FROM CHICAGO... like always thats my opin....
I did not want to post a review under the Signature Lounge because they are very different even though only a staircase away.
This was the first time my husband and I ate at the Signature Room at the 95th. Wanted to for years and finally decided to splurge. Entering the restaurant takes you back to a fifties feeling but we liked it and felt it works. The views are amazing as you walk out of the elevator. Staff were very pleasant and attentive. We left feeling that the food, service and view were worth the pricey bill. Drinks are priced from $8 beers to $13 for a glass of wine. We had a very good cheese plate appetiser that could have been improved by providing an assortment of crackers. I wanted to try their lobster bisque but just could not talk myself into spending the excessive $10 for a small bowl of soup. Our entrees of pork tenderloin($30) and filet of steak($40) were excellent. They were both cooked perfectly and accompanied with outstanding sauces. Side dish choices were alacarte and enough for two to share. Yes, we left with a pricey bill of $120. We never spend this much while eating out. However, this was a special two hour celebration seated by the window overlooking our beautiful City of Chicago.
The 2 stars are purely for the view...the only worth while part of eating at the 95th. My husband and I were seated at a small table in the middle of the restaurant...no view at all. The waiters kept bumping into and tripping on my chair because the tables were so close together. Our waiter was very busy and we didn't feel like a priority to him at all. This was not the fine dining experience we expected. We ordered the seafood pasta $40 and the gnocci $27. The portions were ridiculously small, especially the gnocci. There were 5 noodles in the entire dish. When our outrageous bill came we felt like we really wasted money and were still hungry. We will not return. I recommend heading to the 96th floor lounge for decent sized appetizers and the same great view for much cheaper.
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