Browntrout: User Reviews

Really enjoyed the food
By kristi12 from Streeterville, September 10, 2009

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The food and the owners are both wonderful. We had the Fish Trio which was excellent. The tomato salad was also great, very fresh. I had the Salmon which was amazing. My dinner partners each enjoyed their meals as well; we each shared meals and hard a time deciding which one was the best. For dessert we had the most amazing choices and we couldn't decide so got the fallen chocolate soufle, Strawberry Shortcake and Blueberry pie all three were excellent. Service was a little slow but given how great the food is we didn't care. We all agreed we would be going back again.

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service was beyond awful
By betsyjnelson from ravenswood, August 23, 2009

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we dined at browntrout last night - had reservations at 8:30 and they claimed they were a little behind schedule so they didn't seat us until 9:00. Without going into all the gory details, suffice it say that the service was so incredibly slow that they comped our entire meal (which was very generous of them - considering we didn't ask, they offerred). Bad experience - actually one of the worst of my life. I would not recommend going there ever.

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Needs Improvement
By nothanks from Lincoln Square, July 24, 2009

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We were excited to try this new local restaurant with a focus on local and organic food. The meal started out wonderfully with fresh salads that included ingredients from their rooftop garden. However, our dinner quickly headed downhill after that. The mussels were not at all fresh and the preparation was tasteless. And the macaroni and cheese would have been delicious, but the noodles were crunchy! Service was also incredibly slow and portion size left a lot to be desired. With a bill of over $200 for four diners (it's byob), I expect a lot more.

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New Neighborhood Restaurant
By Mabel1 from North Center, July 22, 2009

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We were excited to try this new restaurant in our neighborhood. Great food, decent atmosphere, however the service and hospitality did not leave a good taste in our mouths. After ordering a coffee and receiving it in a lovely carafe, I wanted to share a cup with my friend. After learning we had to pay for another cup to be brought to the table we were, needless to say, a bit confused. The server said the manager would have to be consulted in order to get a second cup without charging us. The coffee was already on the table. It made no sense. We ended up not paying for the cup, however, it would have been hospitable for the manager to pay our table a visit to explain. That is the kind of thing you would expect at a neighborhood restaurant. The food was good. I hope it does well. I will go back, hoping that the kinks have been worked out.

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Hooray!
By foodie2527 from lincoln pk, June 13, 2009

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hooray for the ideas that this restaurant is invoking! Chicago does not have enough restaurants like this. Their food was delightful and so carefully prepared. Everything was so tasty! I can't wait for them to have brunch. i can't even imagine how delicious that will be. new favorite for sure :)

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not accessible
By mimi2592 from lincoln park, June 6, 2009

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couldn't get in with friends -- no wheelchair access -- and is a new restaurant.

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A Welcome Addition
By lauram from Uptown, June 1, 2009

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We thought this place was great and there were several things on the menu that made me want to go back soon. The Amish Chicken Breast was the best of the entrees we sampled, the others being the pasta and the sirloin, although everyone at our table liked all three. There is a communal table available if you are feeling social but it also has separate tables around the rest of the room. Front of the house staff is very professional, although our waiter was a little flaky in comparison to the rest of the staff. Simple decor, cool lighting and drinkware. I think it would be great for a date or to take out of towners. I guess the other thing I remember thinking is that their menu is split into something like Starters, Smalls and Bigs. Which was cool except they could do a better job educating the customer- do you suggest we all get one, would one for the table be enough, what's the dif between starters and smalls, etc. The menu items themselves are described pretty well and don't need the waiter to read the whole thing for you in his suggestions unless there's something we need to know about it, or the waiter has some extra observation about it. I should say non of this hindered the meal, it was really terrific. I could see them some day offering an open prix fixe menu like Ante Prima, or having a monthly Sunday dinner, like Mado.

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Delightful
By EmmyEm84 from River North, May 28, 2009

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A warm and romantic ambiance topped off with extremely fresh and exciting dishes make Browntrout a winner for me! It is also BYOB, which I love, for now while they get their bar up and running! You won't be disapointed!

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