Chicago Chop House

Traveler 33 is corret with everything he stated.
They really took us to the cleaners! I have never been taken like this ever in my life. We had 2 clients with us for the IMTS show and believe you me I would have gotten up and left if they werent there. My antenae was up when Nick the waiter kept pushing the drinks and the seafood platter (269.00) and never gave us the menu until we had our drinks. He gave us the wine menu before the food and kept asking to order the wine . The bill was all wrong and then they had the balls to suggest that an 18% gratuity was required. Seems like the door man was part of the act too, just making sure everything was ok. Please stay away from this place. I dont know who the owners are, but they must have been on their yacht somewhere counting all the money

Run... don't walk! The Chicago Chop House is the largest rip off ever! With the IMTS show in town along with foreign attendees the Chicago Chop house has removed their usual menu has been replaced with a very small menu in which there are only 8 oz steaks for $89.00 instead of their usual 10 oz for $29.00 and their 16 oz for $39.00. The well coached service staff will graciously and over eagerly explain to you how the kobe beef steak came from a cow who lived his short life listening to only classical music while eating a very strict diet, but it does not change the fact that the same steak you will receive next week will cost you less than half, thanks to the IMTS show will be over. While not being legally discriminatory they have applied this new outrageously priced menu to everybody with the knowledge and hopes that unsuspecting businessmen attempting to impress clients will avoid the embarrassment of sticker shock and simply pay the bill. They have also removed all prices from their web site to further facilitate this fraud. Simply put, during IMTS figure each person eating at this chop house will be spending $275.00 per person. Our total bill for eight came to a whopping $2200.00. This did include our drinks as well which... also had been inflated. In addition to this review we will also be writing to what ever restaurant regulatory review board that exists as well as the mayor's office. The steak was just okay however I would have rather gone on a Caribbean vacation.

If your going to Chicago Chop House, confirm when ordering from Steven that you want a 32 oz Porterhouse to share between two persons and not a 64 oz steak. A 64 oz Porterhouse was delivered to the table...last night! Cut from the bone, it is difficult to tell the exact ounces being served...and imagine our surprise when we got the bill.

Steven was less than accommodating for the miscommunication, despite my clarity when ordering...and that there was no 64oz Porterhouse on the menu...!
And he added, "I didn't charge you for a split plate..."

The piano was wonderful. The wait staff great. Steven...sarcastic, discourteous and confused.
Definitely a damper to what was great company.

Would not recommend based on split plate charge policy. It's too bad a $10 split plate charge policy ruined a $350 meal experience as food was really good. When brought this to attention of waitress and management was simply told "that's the owners policy" and it was obvious this feedback has been given in the past. A note to the owners--Bill Farrahi, Susan Gayford & John Pontarelli-- that when customers spend this type $ for a meal and "experience of fine dinning" split plate charges do not sit well given drinks, appetizers & sides were ordered along with an entree. There are so many places to eat in Chicago and have never had another restaurant make this an issue; some of your competition even encourages sharing entrees. I will never dine here again and recommend my friends and business asssociates dine elsewhere purely out of principal.

Pros: Excellent Food Quality

Cons: Poor Customer Service

The ambiance and food here were excellent. We came in from out of town for the weekend and wanted to find a restaurant with a Chicago flavor. We were very happy with our choice of the Chicago Chop House. The steak was wonderful and perfectly cooked to our liking. The salads and sides were excellent. The only negative was that our waitress pushed the side dishes without warning us of their size. I'm sure she was trying to run up our bill, which she successfully did. One side can feed 3 people easily. We wasted a lot of food. If you dine here, order one side only per 3 - 4 people.

Pros: Steak and sides were excellent.

Cons: Way too much food was pushed on us!

Went there last night with some friends from out of town, The waitress was very rude and overbearing. There were ten of us and the following occured:
3 steaks ordered with crab meat and bernaise sauce arrive with cold crab and sauce. When we asked for them to be heated we were tiold that the sauce is supposed to be cold. When we still asked for them to be heated we were acutally told by our waitress, Blanch, that heating them would ruin the sauce. Not accepting this as an answer we finally made her take them back to be reheated. When they arrived we had no idea whose steak was whose.
1 steak was totally overdone and when we complaned the waitress, Blanch, actually had the nerve to tell us that it was not overdone. This must occur often because she actually had a flahlight to check the steak.
The other steaks were not very hot when they arrived either but those 4 were ok to eat.
I would NEVER recommend this place to anyone. Not with all of the other quality steak houses in town.

Pros: None

Cons: Bad Service, Poor Food

I was in Chicago last week and was sent to the Chicago chophouse based on a recommoendation from the concierge at my hotel. What a treat! I had a bone-in strip that added 2 inches to my waistline after I was through. Hands down it was the best steak I've ever eaten! The server was very knowledgable and attentive and I never once had to ask for anything. The restaurant was filled with great pictures of Chicago and people who have made their mark on the city. I could have spent hours just looking at all of the stuff on the walls. This place is a must do for anyone who loves steak!

Pros: Food/ Piano Bar/ Service

Rude service, Over cooked food, poor management??..We paid $160. for two people which included tax but no tip, I didn?t leave one. For $160 you get 2 glasses of wine,( the cheapest on the menu are $12 a piece), two appetizers, two entrees , which come with a baked potato only and two deserts. I have no problem paying premium prices. However, at these prices you can eat just about anywhere in Chicago.
Upon our arrival we were informed there is no piano bar, the pianist was?sick?. There was no music in the restaurant at all. Overall the space feels loud and very cramped.
When my appetizer of Oysters Rockafeller came it had obviously been under the heat lamps for a good 45 minutes. The oysters were tough and the spinach dried out without any sauce. After about 20 minutes the waiter appeared to ask us about the meal I mentioned the problem. There were no apologies, no ?I will remove it from your bill ?, or explanations, just a lecture that I should have sent it back. We rarely saw him the rest of the meal. When my entree came, there was the same problem with the potato, very dried out. When we left I mentioned my concerns to the management. Again, he just listen then showed me the door, he made no comment what so ever.
Please don?t make the same mistake we did, choose a newer place that doesn?t feed off the tourist business. I have lived in Chicago for over 30 years and this is probably the worst meal I?ve ever experienced.

Cons: Overpriced attitude, poor management

I had a chance to dine at the Chicago Chop House upon a recomendation from a friend. Located in the River North area on Ontario.It was really easy to find the victorian style, former townhome. The place was steeped in Chicago History. But atmosphere aside, I wanted to go there because I heard they had some of the best steaks in Chicago, a city known for it's steakhouses. On the regular menu the Chop House boasts 100% Prime Wet Aged Steaks. I know a lot of places say they have prime steaks or have it most of the time but, this place has prime all the time. While the steaks on the menu all seemed fantastic, I actually ended up getting one of the steaks the Chef was featuring that evening. It was huge bone-in American Kobe Ribeye! This was seriously the most flavorful steak I think I've ever had. I was really excited by the fact that they had Kobe in the first place and a few dry-aged selections. These options just aren't available everywhere. They also had a Kobe filet but, I wanted something with great flavor. The waiter was extremely helpful in pairing our meal with a great wine from their expansive list. If you're looking for unique steaks and amazing wine, this is the place to go.

Pros: Great Steak, Great Wine Great Service, Valet, Location

The 24 oz. ribeye rubbed in the cajun rub was great!! I ordered it well done, and to my surprise it was not over cooked and was still juicy and tender. The meals are ala carte so that makes them a little more expensive, but over all it was a good place to eat. Also, the setting gave you the Chicago old town feeling and was very nice. In addition to all of that, the service was also Excellent! However, I do recommend adding a sauce, such as the cajun rub, because the seasoning may be light to the tasting.

Pros: GOOD STEAK

Cons: PARKING, ALA CARTE

This steakhouse did not meet the expectations I was expecting however, the meat was good, I say good because I was anticipating the best steak in the US. This is a bit of a tourist trap, but you can look past that after tasting the dinner. The Chophouse has a very very traditional atmosphere, good for eating and leaving. I would recommend the tieramssu.

Pros: Traditional Atmosphere

Cons: The hype

My boyfriend and I went there to celebrate his birthday, and we had a great time. I was reading through some of the more "negative" reviews, and I can see maybe why they were disappointed, because it does get a lot of hype, and maybe they were expecting a more "fine dining" kind of experience. But this is part of what makes the Chophouse so great. They haven't changed much since the day they opened in 1986. It is a traditional chophouse, you have to go for the steak and seafood. If you go expecting gourmet delicacies for your side, then of course you will be disappointed. It is all about the meat, (which is delicious!), and you can enjoy it in a traditional Chicago environment: live music, and the walls giving homage to Chicago mayors and mobsters. Our food was great, the steak was PERFECT, and our waiter was absolutely wonderful. Everyone working there was great, and very attentive, and we came for the steak and got the best in town. I would definitely recommend this Chicago Chophouse to anyone who wants to go to a great steakhouse, and who goes there for the steak, not for fancy side items. For a real taste of Chicago, Chicago Chop House is a must on the list.

Pros: Great steak, valet parking, good service

Cons: Very crowded; Reservations are essential

We were looking forward to a great steak dinner at the kind of world class steak restaurant we know Chicago has. We absolutely love Chicago! We researched on the web quite a bit, but unfortunately did not talk with our Conceirge until the next night. The Conceiger said (verbatum) "it is a tourist trap, I do not like it even when the Restaurant itself pays me to go eat there." Obvious Lesson learned, pay for a nice hotel, go talk to the Concierge!!!!

All the things the Chicago Chop House touts on their webpage are there when you walk in, but the experience is short lived because they wisk you up multiple flights of stairs to a boring, Denny's-esque room with muzak. The food is competant, but completely bland. I mean, the Bleu Cheese dressing was the most tasteless I have ever tasted. There signature grilled finish prime rib was equally unimpressive and c-h-e-w-e-y!!! I have never in my life had a chewy $40.00 piece of meat, absoutely never!

In my opinion and also my Hotel's Conceirge, this was not just a bad night at the Chicago Chop House. This place is a pure and simple Tourist Trap to be avoided. I know many of the other reviews of Chicago Chop House will say different and I believed them when I read them. You owe it to the $150.00 you'll spend on dinner to check with your Concierge first.

Pros: I did not experince any

Cons: High Priced with Bad Food, completely misrepresented ambience

I've been to the Chicago Chop House several times this year and the steak there is always great! I always order the seared Chop House Prime Rib special...so good! And it accompanies a salad and potato at a reasonable price. What more can you ask for!

Pros: Steak, Service, Price

Cons: None I can think of.

We were seated promptly and in a timely manner and that is always a good start on a busy saturday night.Our server was nice but lacked a little when it came to a warm welcoming. Ok now the food is great, we had the shrimp and crab cakes for starters, and all thier main courses come with house salad and choice of mashed or baked potatoes. me and my wife both had steaks whcih were good but not the best in town,lets be honest now.The service is good too but not the best.The scene is nice and great for local patrons.But i just can't give them the 5 star rating,bcz there is simply other places that deserve it more.

Pros: Atmosphere, and live piano

Cons: service

We visited in March of 2008, and I have to say that they have excellent steaks! I am very pleased with our decision to have dinner at the Chop House. Although not ideal for kids (we had 2 10-ish year old girls and an 11-month old son), the food was excellent, the service was patient with us (they moved our table away from the kitchen after we realized that's where they had us orignally setup), and one of the owners (John), was amazingly courteous, helpful, and friendly. I have to specifically thank John, for providing us a bowl of applesauce for my son after I inadvertently spilt all of his apple juice. His personal attention and acknowledgment of us as guests just topped off the evening. All-in-all, I would recommend the Chop House to anyone interested in a delicious and hearty helping of beef (my daughter loved their Salmon as well).

Pros: Great Food, Good Atmosphere (for Adults)

Cons: Not great for kids, mostly from the point of ambiance/atmosphere.

After reading the reviews, my husband and I made a reservation at the Chicago Chop House for a special dinner during our vacation to Chicago. We were incredibly disappointed! We were crammed into a corner with the next table just inches away from us. The service was awful - every time the waitress came to our table, which wasn't often, she had mixed up our order. To top it all off, the food was mediocre at best. Don't waste your time and money.

Pros: location

Cons: horrible service, below average food

I've made many a trip to the Chicago Chophouse, and never been disappointed. The place is packed during dinner hours, particularly on the weekends, so reservations are highly recommended. But any wait can be enjoyable - given the very, very Chicago-themed bar on the first floor. One side of the bar features photos of the city's mayors, both past and present. The other side features mug shots of the city's gangster-types. And they sling a mean martini, too.

The food itself is top-notch. Thick and well-prepared steaks are - of course - the main attraction. But the seafood menu will not disappoint. Service is attentive without being intrusive. There are three dining levels, all with their own specific feel. (My favorite is the top floor, which makes you feel like you've found the best-kept secret in town.) Not a cheap night out, but worth every penny I've ever spent here.

Pros: Excellent food, great service, good location

Cons: Not a single one worth mentioning

This was good but not great. The best steak I ever had was at Gallagers (sp) located in New York New York in Las Vegas! Bar None! At the Chop house, I enjoyed the 16 oz. Prime Rib. It was cooked beautifully, but didn't really have much flavor and the horseradish sauce could have definitely had more horseradish. If anything our concensus would be that there just wasn't enough flavor in anything. Starting with the dressing on the salad--the blue cheese was rather bland, there wasn't enough umph (try a danish blue maybe). We also enjoyed the chop plate, again not enough flavor. The 16 oz ny strip was delicious. I'm glad we didn't order seafood in there as it was beautiful but extremely fishy smelling. I really enjoyed the mushrooms :) Coffee was nice as was the lemon sorbet(in a lemon shell), the chocolate ice cream was dark and yummy and the sherbert was just ok. I did have a delicious austrialian shiraz! The staff was very attentive and the knew how to do their jobs. I would give them another chance.

I have had steaks everywhere I have traveled too. Chop House has some of the best Steaks anywhere. If you have a craving for steaks go to Chop House and try everything they have to offer. Recommended: 48 oz. Porterhouse

Pros: Steaks and sides

Cons: none i can think of

Both my date and I were very disappointed with the food. The baked potato's were microwaved (not fluffy) and my NY Strip wasn't nearly as good as Morton's or Gibson's. My dates king crab legs were salty and literally smelled like dirty socks. I guess we're just not into seafood. Our waitress, sensing our disproval of the food, counted out the tab money at the table before releasing us, as if we were going to "stiff" her...so rude! If you want a slice of Old Chicago go to a museum not the Chop House! Never again.

Pros: The historical photo's on the wall.

Cons: The food and value.

My bf has always loved the Chop House and has gotten me hooked on it too. There filet is always cooked perfectly and their crab legs are fantastic! The restaurant def has an older/business feel but the food is great! The waitstaff is very knowledgable and friendly there.

Pros: Great food and service

Cons: Older/business feel

I am a fan of the Chop House. Good Steak and good seafood. Service is quite nice.

YOU HAVE TO TRY THE HOLLANDAISE SAUCE!!!

I've been in Chicago a week and a half and I've been to the Chop House 3 times, twice for lunch and once for dinner. Lunch Menu is simple and to-the-point, very tasty food. Dinner was fabulous!!! I got the smaller N.Y. Strip (huge steak!!!) and it was cooked perfectly; so flavorful and juicy. I ate with three others and each had the small filet, and each took a bite of my strip, then each wanted to trade. I had a bite of the filet, and it was great, but my strip was the best...the best I've ever had. I highly recommend the Chicago Chop House. Our waitor was on top of everything. In short...great service, great wine selection, great food, not to mention the interior decor...a 10!!!

Pros: Service, Steaks, Wine

Very good selection of wines, the oysters on half shells were fresh and sweet. The meat quality is above average. The prime rib was thick and juicy, the lobster was not bad, and also the filet mignon was tender but they overcooked my veal chop! The lamb chop would be a nice choice as well. They put us on the 3rd floor, which was really stuffy and humid for a nice restaurant like this. They only have ceiling fans there no AC. So, definitely get the table on the main floor if you want to go there.

Pros: wines, oysters, steaks

Cons: stuffy dining room

Great restaurant, amazing steaks and comes with salad/potato. Always busy for a good reason. Only had one bad experience, this past weekend. 2 of our 4 steaks were very overcooked, the manager was kind enough to comp a round of drinks for us. I wish we hadn't let the 2 girls grind through half the steaks, we could have just had them cook fresh ones. Oh well, can't win them all! Great meal and great atmosphere, service can be a bit slow when busy.

Pros: price, atmosphere, menu options

Cons: crowded, loud downstairs, slow service

Our evening was just perfect. While the atmosphere is definitely that of a gentleman's club with ample Chicago history adorning the walls, it still lends itself to a quiet romantic dinner for two. The wine list was impressive and the prime rib and filet mignon with crab legs were amazing. Perhaps what impressed us most was the superb service. Elaine, our waitress, reminded us that outstanding service is a lost art form, and a key to a superb dining experience. Our every need was met without an intrusive presence, and our wine glasses were never empty thanks to Elaine's diligent eye. There was a deliberate effort to make us feel that we were free to linger and savor the experience. This was a wonderful dining experience and we will definitely return on our next trip to Chicago. The restaurant can hold its own among the country's finest steakhouses.

Pros: Food, Service, wine list

Cons: Atmosphere

Don't waste your time or money here. I went on a Saturday Night and ordered the Salmon, because it was recommended by my waiter. It was the WORST I've ever had. Very flavorless to say the least. I could of had a better piece of Salmon at Red Lobster for less money. The Oyster Rockfeller were overdone and soupy. Just an awful meal. My husband's steak wasn't all that either. The only good thing I can say about the restaurant is the Piano Player was fantastic. We will definitely not be going back. It's basically a restaurant filled with tourists who probably don't know any better.

Pros: Piano Player, Ambience

Cons: Food, Food, Food

Spent 7 months working in Chicago in 2001 and one of the last places I ate before I left was the Chophouse. I'm glad I saved it till last. Atmosphere was excellent. A great Bar downstairs and after a relaxing drink, they take you upstairs to dine. Blackened Prime Rib.... 4 Years later, it still sits on my list of top 5 pieces of meat I have ever had. Dinner for 2 with drinks was a bit pricey, but some things really must be experienced.