Insider Pages Reviews for Park Grill

5 Stars: Park Cafe was outstanding! (by maryjatkinson)

maryjatkinson — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:00:00 GMT

I ate here with friends during a visit to Chicago, and we chose to eat outside at the more casual "Park Cafe" (the outdoor portion of Park Grill, where the ice skating rink is during winter). The food and cocktails were excellent, and although it started to rain during our lunch, the service was also friendly, efficient, and helpful. They pulled the umbrellas over our table to ensure we wouldn't get wet, and made sure we got our food quickly since we were off to see "Jersey Boys" soon after. Try the mini burgers, fish tacos, or scallops, and the pear martini -- all GREAT!

3 Stars: Nice Location (by Sharletha J.)

Sharletha J. — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:58:00 GMT

We visited the park cafe instead of the grilll. Most people standing in line were buying ice cream and that is what we bought as well.

There are not many varieties to choose from but very good and rich ice cream. I opted for one scoop on a waffle cone since you get more for your money.

It is in an incredible location, Millenium Park. So you can purchase your good and have a nice seat in or walk through the park!

2 Stars: For the prices you are paying I would expect better (by Michael N.)

Michael N. — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:17:00 GMT

My friend and I went to lunch here to catch up and relax. We heard it was a little upscale and we were prepared to enjoy it. We ordered a pizza as an appetizer and burgers for our main course. Then they both arrive right on top of one another - that is annoying. Then each topping on the burger costs $1.50 - I would prefer to just know I am overpaying for a burger and not get nickeled and dimed because I want more than lettuce and raw onions on it. Then towards the end the bussers got super rabid about taking away all the plates. I am the type of person to clean my plate and it is annoying to have someone put their hand on your plate and then look at you like - are you going to eat that last bite? Each of us had two beers, an appetizer and a burger and it came out to $35 a piece with tip. The food alone definitely did not justify that price tag for lunch and the service sealed the deal. I would not go back there again - in my opinion it is for suckers.

4 Stars: Best Burger in Chicago!!!! (by bertdvm)

bertdvm — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:00:00 GMT

I think that they serve one of the best burgers in the world!
It was absolutely fabulous!
I very highly recommend this burger ... with cheese of course!

4 Stars: Solid upscale casual (by fitz_skeets)

fitz_skeets — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:00:00 GMT

Excellent burgers, great salads, decent wine list for an upscale casual restaurant. Opted for the cheese plate over a sweet dessert - very good. Wished more local product were evident. Would go there again - love the park location.

4 Stars: Great atmosphere (by neskwik)

neskwik — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:00:00 GMT

After researching many places in Chicago, I took my wife to the Park Grill. It was a Saturday evening and the restaurant was not full so we were seated right away. The atmosphere was awesome! The music not too loud and the temperature very comfortable. Our waitress was very attending and made excellent recommendations. We ordered the farmer's cheese platter as an appetizer. If you are a cheese lover, they are excellent. My wife ordered the ricotta ravioli because she wanted a light meal and I ordered the braised beef cheek with mushroom risotto. Both were excellent and well prepared. For dessert, I ordered the peanut butter tart and my wife ordered the cranberry tart. My wife did not really enjoy her dessert and the waitress was kind enough not to charge us for the dessert.

Overall, I really liked the environment, the food was well prepared and I felt very well attended by the staff.

3 Stars: Great Patio Dining (by sugarywitch)

sugarywitch — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 02:00:00 GMT

I've been to the park grill for lunch a number of times now. The service can range from just ok to quite bad, with some servers bordering on snooty and others being reasonably gracious but just not totally competent. They are almost always busy as well, so catching someone's attention is difficult, and the waiters are not very good about stopping by to inquire about needs. Understandably this is also a huge tourist draw which might be the reason the service is sometimes not great, I've noticed that mentioning you're a local is pretty helpful. That said, while the food isn't super creative it is usually well prepared and fresh. If you want to sit outside and watch the crowds in Millennium Park while enjoying a nice salad or burger (which they have so far managed never to overcook!) and glass of wine this is the place for you. Also if they have them, try the squash blossoms which were served with a very nice goat cheese sauce. If you don't have reservations and want outdoor seating show up a little early because the tables are in high demand.

3 Stars: a really BAD service and BAD food ever..!! (by ihomiyanti)

ihomiyanti — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 01:00:00 GMT

this restaurant really makes me feel disappointed.i ate here on new year eve with my sis..i ordered kobe burger and it's really BAD .even McDonald tastes much more better.Really !! The kobe beef was really bitter.it's the most terrible food i have eaten..My sis ordered a steak..and it's also terrible..she's a culinary student and she really knows what kind of food that is bad..finally, we just ate less than half of the plate..we said to the waiter that the beef are bitter..and my sis know for sure that it is because of the griller are dirty (..i know maybe they are busy),.but the waiter said it's because of the balsamic?!?! come on, we all know the taste of it .It tastes quite sweet and tasty, not bitter!! it's really ridiculuous..and the way the waiter serves us really bad.i better go to self service resaturant, her service is even not worth it for a penny.Really bad !!I feel very disappointed and it ruined my new year eve...BAD RESTAURANT EVER !!!!

4 Stars: Good food in Millenium Park, questionable service (by carlson_b)

carlson_b — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 01:00:00 GMT

If you're downtown and want a good meal, you can generally get it at the Park Grill. Some menu items are better than others (unfortunately most of the servers are no help) but it's generally a good meal which is a bit overpriced due to the location but not too bad. Be prepared for bad service though - from wine and food recommendations to basic service protocol, they usually miss the boat compared to similar restaurants with upscale food selections like the Park Grill. Oh well, just try it and you'll likely be impressed with the food.

4 Stars: If you're hungry in Millenium Park (by marge715)

marge715 — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 01:00:00 GMT

Food is ok. Service is ok. It's just so nice to be right in the midst of Millenium Park. A very basic American menu and service isn't that great. Definately worth going over the summer when you can sit out on the huge patio.

1 Stars: Salty! (by littlegene)

littlegene — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Don't waste your time and money on this restaurant. It seems that the chefs believe that extra salt is necessary on all their entrees. I had to send my first pork tenderloin back due to its excessive saltiness and the 2nd one wasn't that much better. My wife also found her Kobe burger to be salty and its bun to be largely inedible. Also, if you (males and females) must use the restroom be prepared to stand in line - there are only 2 unisex bathrooms. Conversely, the service was great.

2 Stars: Plastic cups, plastic knife & fork, etc. (by N. K.)

N. K. — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 09:53:00 GMT

Food is pretty average here, and too expensive for what you get. We ate in the outside area, called Park Grill on the Plaza, and the drinks are served in plastic cups, and the food in those annoying plastic trays that are really annoying to eat out of because the sides are too high. And then the paper underneath gets soggy and starts mixing with the food. Knife and fork is plastic too. How cheap can you get? The chips weren't even home made, but the Kettle brand, which is really the only choice (other than cole slaw) since they don't serve fries.
To really rub it in, we had an automatic 18% gratuity added even though we were only 4 people eating. When we enquired about it, they promptly took it off, but it seemed like they were just hoping people wouldn't notice or bother complaining about it.

PROS: Food's not bad
CONS: Shady looking waiters wearing sunglasses while they add their own gratuity

5 Stars: Outstanding meal and service; pleasant outdoor experience too (by Larry S.)

Larry S. — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 09:49:00 GMT

I have visited Millenium Park with family as well as business associates and have enjoyed several meals in both the inside Park Grill Restaurant and outdoor Park Cafe. The service and food have always been excellent and the menu choices are interesting and varied. It is great for business lunch or dinner and the people watching is great as they ice skate or just enjoy the ambiance of the park atmosphere. I highly recommend it.

PROS: Great food, service and atmosphere; Private room available.
CONS: Lower level parking costly but there are alternatives on the street.

2 Stars: Sorry, there are much better choices. (by drmemory1)

drmemory1 — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 01:00:00 GMT

Ate there 1-24-06. I had the Steake & Fries, my date had the Sole. Total weight of the Sole was about 3 oz. If you're hungry, get something else! I ordered my steak with the Dijon Sauce on the side. Too bad they drenced a supurb piece of meat with a sub-par tasting sauce There was so much of this Dijon Sauce that most of my fries (excellent tasting by the way) were coated with this crud. Too bad they ruined such a quality piece of beef! They did offer to replace my meal because they failed to give me the sauce on the side. I took a couple of free drinks instead. One other complaint. If I'm going to pay premium prices for a meal, they should at least warm the bread!
Look elsewhere and you will find much better for the $.
Service=10 Ambiance=10 Drinks=10 Food=3

5 Stars: Bravo! (by chicagofun)

chicagofun — Fri, 01 Oct 2004 02:00:00 GMT

A genuine Chicago gem. What a nice suprise to find a park Restaurant that exceeded our expectations; and from the looks of it, a lot of other people; the place was packed, and the feel was awesome. Food was tasty and the service friendly and professional. My only complaint is that the place needs more bathrooms.