Graham Elliot: User Reviews
Yesterday afternoon I called Graham Elliot from the airport in New Orleans to say my husband and I might be a few minutes late in joining two friends for a 7:15 pm reservation that night at the restaurant because of rain delays at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. Restaurant personnel said the restaurant could hold the reservation only for 15 minutes past the original reservation time or I could switch to a 9:30 pm reservation. I kept the original reservation and my two friends arrived at the restaurant before 7:15 pm. The hostess as well as an assistant manager refused to seat my two friends because all four persons under the reservation were not at the restaurant and ready to be seated. Restaurant personnel stood firm in their position and rudely rejected my friends' request for accomodation after I'd called my friends to say my husband and I would come directly to the restaurant from the airport and arrive around 7:40 -7:45 pm . Thus, at 7:35 pm last night, my friends found themselves standing unwelcome outside Graham Elliot.
Graham Elliot lost 4 customers last night who instead found welcoming arms at a longstanding Chicago restaurant, One Sixty Blue. Not only good food but good customer service has surely kept One Sixty Blue's doors open all these years. Graham Elliot may not be so lucky if its personnel don't quickly learn that no restaurant's food--no matter how renowned the restaurant's chef--can be enjoyed and merit accolades when the restaurant's customer service is lousy
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Went there with a friend about a week ago. we had a late reservation but the staff made us feel more than welcome and we did not feel rushed at all. We tried the "Tasting Menu" each serving was a perfect portion, we left satisfied but not overly stuffed. My favorite course was the Halibut it was one of their specials that evening. Also, The sweet corn bisque was so uniquely created, making it even more appealing when it tasted absolutely delicious. Our server was a nice young women named Jay I believe, she was very descriptive with every item on the menu which I love. They also had chill '80's music playing, which was not expected.. but really enjoyed it....we will definitely be back again
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King salmon was raw and a dish I have made better at home. Dropped my napkin,server picked it up but never brought me another one. Way overpriced for quality, flavor, freshness of ingredients. Desserts- chocolate cake and panna cotta were the worst I have had in a long time. If you are a foodie,do not waste your time here!
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I had no clue what to expect from this place as everything you hear is counterintuitive: expirimental, approachable, fine dining, local ingredients, popcorn and fois pops, tattooed rock star chef, etc. I had been wanting to check this place out since before I moved back her in October '08. Finally decided to check it out when my dad asked for a place to 'really knock my mom's socks off." We decided to forgo the Tasting so we could actually taste more- definitely the best option if you are all comfortable sharing the love. Every single bite was an experience, the dining room is so comfortable you can come in jeans, and the service was perfectly unpretentious but warm and knowlegeable with a sense of humor (wish I asked his name). Overall, I can't imagine someone NOT loving this experience, I eat all over the city and can say this is by far my all time favorite complete experience you will never get tired of.
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Service still seems to be a problem here. Our first course came out within minutes of ordering, so we never had time to snack on the tasty truffled popcorn. Our entree was out in 2 minutes after the appetizer was cleared. Same with dessert. They handed us a check before we finished dessert. An entree came out cold, and when we asked for a replacement, the server tried to dispute it before taking it back. Finally, our server tried way too hard to upsell us on wine, emphasizing bottles twice the price of what we asked about.
The food was quite good, but the poor service just killed the dinner.
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interesting concepts, but not that tasty.
By foodie8404 from river west, May 18, 2009
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I ordered an asparagus salad. The dressing was bland. The salad seemed to lack acidity and not seasoned enough. There was a component on the plate called parmesan mousse, it tasted like flavorless whipped cream. I also ordered a pork dish. The pork was tasty, but they GLOBBED a tart cherry “mostarda” over the top. Once that was shoveled off the pork, the rest of the dish was good. My guest ordered a lamb dish that came out almost med well. No temperatures were asked ,but that’s crazy to serve med well meats in a higher end restaurant. All and all the dishes were creative, but somehow lacked execution, they also seemed barely warm,not one dish was hot. Nothing on the table had that “wow, that tasted amazing” effect. The plates looked interesting and the concepts were unique, but I have no desire to return.
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Graham Eliot..where should I start…Before being seated my friends and I decided to checkout the cocktail menu at the bar. Everyone raves about the drinks and we were not disappointed. The two cocktails we most enjoyed were the Indian summer and the blueberry hill (note..it contains blueberries.) I must admit after being seated at our table I encountered the only disappointment of the evening. First, just to give some perspective, I’m a carb guy. I enjoy jamba juice smoothies as much as anyone. What surprised me was the lack of bread prior to our entree being served. Now, in their defense, popcorn is served but this isn't the movies..know what I'm saying? Anyway, overall the experience was great. My friends and I really enjoyed the food, drinks and atmosphere. I hope to be back again....but I’ll be the guy sneaking in the loaf of bread under my coat.
Kent B.
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i was excited to bring two friends from out of town to GE. however, the noise level was reprehensible. we could not hear the wait staff describe the unusual and innovative courses... we couldn't hear one another's words. the service, food, quality of ingredients, was amazing, BUT, GRAHAM - PUT ON YOUR JAZZ SOUNDS... THE HOUSE MUSIC MADE US FEEL AS THOUGH WE WERE IN BUTCH MCGUIRES OR SOME JUVENILE BAR ON LINCOLN AVE.. WE, TOO, LOVE MUSIC BUT NOT LOUD,OBNOXIOUS, REPETITIOUS HOUSE SOUNDS.
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My boyfriend took me here for our third date. I loved it! The decore is hip, the music is amazing, and the service is on par with what they carry in their hands. Don't be shy about ordering a signature cocktail here, you won't be disappionted! The Chef himself is charming and down to earth should you have the pleasure of meeting him. This place is both edgy as well as romantic, and that I think makes it very special. Strongly recommend!
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I went with a group of friends recently and had a terrible experience here. While the decor and atmosphere are cool and lively, the service was horrible. We waited way too long for each course despite the restaurant not being anywhere near full. The food itself tasted fine, but the portions were way too small for the amount you pay. I left (after 3.5 hours) still hungry after paying $100 for my meal. Don't waste your time with this place - there are much much better options when you are spending that type of money.
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Review Summary
The following scores represent the average rating submitted by 226 users:
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