Park Grill: User Reviews

Better than you expect!
By EnthusedFoodie from Forest Park, July 14, 2009

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On our most recent staycation we stopped by the Park Grill for quick libations on a hot Saturday afternoon spent walking Millennium Park. I braced myself for the snooty servers and annoying tourists that usually accompany such a joint, but it was the very opposite. There seemed to be a couple regulars at the bar, or at least that’s how the highly hospitable bartenders were treating them. I ordered the Signature Bloody Mary which was topped with what could have been a meal: shrimp, olives, celery, lemon and lime wedge, and an addictively spiced salt around the rim. My companion had the Diablo, a savory mix of chipotle infused liqueur, vodka, soda, and muddled jalapenos. The bartender noticed my companion eyeing my drink. He right away caught onto the ‘garnish envy’ and slipped extra camarones onto his drink. With the friendliness of the staff and Chicago-style coolness of the patrons it was hard not to stay for a while and indulge in one of the delicious plates we saw coming out of the kitchen. Alas, we had a staycation to attend to, but we will definitely be back for a good meal!

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Terrible Service
By chitowngirl03 from Northern Suburbs, July 9, 2009

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My family (which consisted of my parents - in their 60's - my 2 children and my husband)and I went for the first time to the Park Grill. We wanted outside seating and the hostess told us it would be about 5-10 minutes. We were given a beeper and went on to the waiting area. We all sat down down on a sofa & chairs that were or appeared to be available. The waitress came by asked if we wanted to see the menu while we waited, we agreed and we even gave her a cover for sunglasses and a pen that were left on the table. 3 minutes later...a rude, obnoxious mule (to put it nicely) demanded we get off the sofa because he was sitting there waiting for his food - which is why he put his sunglass case there to hold the area. My husband of course asked him to be polite and words were exchanged. Nevertheless, we did move because he claimed he had food coming and he was sitting there. All the while, the waitress had seen all the commotion and knowing we had 2 senior citizens with us, did not even bother to apologize for the confusion or direct us to another area. She could have told us someone had ordered food and the place was reserved, she instead she went on as if we were new customers to her. That was horrible for a waitress to do. Thankfully the beeper buzzed as we were getting up and went on to get seated. The waiter seemed in a rush to get our orders and rush us out...even though there weren't many tables filled and there were enough waiters/waitresses. The food was ok, too pricey. Would definitely not go back...there are so many other fantastic restaurants in the area with better service & food & people.

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No Gracias
By Erin H. from Suburbs, June 19, 2008

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Spare yourselves. I'll write in sound bites... Our waitress was MIA for most of our dining experience. It was horrendously loud. My watercress salad was just 'ok'. The halibut was like a salt lick (and I LOVE salt); the accompanying ginger-glazed carrots were undercooked; and there were five fava beans on the plate. My boyfriend's rabbit was terribly overcooked with an uber-salty sauce. Contrary to all of that, our desserts were pretty good. The butterscotch creme brulee was delicious, although the description of 'cashew baklava' is a misnomer - it's actually just phyllo dough with chopped cashews, which hardly constitutes baklava. They do have a terrific wine list, which is worth mentioning.

I don't mind dropping a fair amount of money at a restaurant if it's good, but this was a horrible waste all around. If you can't have good service AND good food, you have to at least have one or the other to make up for what's lacking; but Park Grill fell flat on both accounts.

Losing it's touch
By Lovetruth from Lakeview, May 11, 2008

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We returned in hopes to try the famed burger. We were disapointed with everything. The server was over confident and very slow. The burger was OK, the fries were held way too long and were luke warm and dried out. It took her 10 minutes to bring extra ketchup and another 10 minutes to bring the check and another 10 minutes to bring our credit card back. This restaurant has lost its' edge and the only thing that will keep them in business is the excellent location and tourists. Unfortunately, we won't be coming back.

A Disappointment
By jimmyv from East Lakeview, April 5, 2008

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The best thing about our visit was our server who was friendly and courteous. However, it took the kitchen an hour to get us a bowl of lukewarm gumbo ($14) and a rather lackluster Kobe burger ($18) smothered with onions and served in a bun that would choke a rhino! The most entertaining portion of our meal was watching the hostess mishandle menus and drop them all over another patron's head.

I'm just so glad that we had a coupon from running the Shamrock Shuffle, so we ended up getting the gumbo for free. Needless to say, I will not return to this venue anytime soon, and I suggest that you don't waste your time or money either.

A Pre-Theater Treat
By djtod232 from barrington, March 3, 2008

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We dined at the Park Grill before seeing Jersey Boy's. We got stuck in traffic and were almost 1/2 hour late for our reservation. We called to tell them we would be late---they could not have been nicier or more accommadating. We were served drinks, salads and entree and were out in about 1 hour! We were very pleased with the items we ordered including a special salad, kobe burger and seafood ravioli.
We will defentily go back for a more lesiurely meal the next time!

Are you kidding me?
By rivenes from bucktown, February 3, 2008

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What a disaster. Completely disappointing for such a nice location. We will never return. Too many great choices to eat in this town.

Bernie can cook for me anytime...
By bartenderizer9 from Pilsen, January 7, 2008

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Chef Bernie Laskowski can make one hell of a mean pumpkin soup as well as the beef salad and... then there are his mother's beans in the tacos...

Inside, the bartenders are fantastic - but outside, I once waited for over 30 min to be served a beverage while everyone else around me enjoyed 2nd and 3rd rounds. Yet, I endured, because the food is worth the wait.

Very Poor Experience
By k.lowrie from lincoln park, October 20, 2007

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We dined at the Park Grill on 10/20/07. The restaurant was out of three of the items on the menu. One of us ordered the lamb chop and recieved less than a spoonful of mashed potatoes as a side. In addition the service was only average.