It's a nice restaurant with a good quality of food. I just tried all the things on the table. I took a bit of everything. They weight your food by pounds and you paid for $6 something for a pound. I really like it. If they can make it to buffet (all you can eat) style, it would be even better so people will have the liberty to taste the delicious food over there. This is a good place to go if your groups have different eating portion. Everybody can adjust the portion and pay as much as they eat. Moreover, they have so many selections.. definitely great !!!!
(4)
Mark M.
I can only speak for the stir fry which is create your own and costs under $10, I bring my own drink. The other stations are pay by the pound and expensive due to its location in a tourist area.
(5)
William G.
Food taste good but its not necessarily worth the high price. Staff is friendly.
(3)
Trung N.
This place is awesome, I always stop by in the morning to pick up my egg white with spinach,avocado and turkey sausage! They make it fresh in the back and it only cost me $3.25. Great deal and taste great.
(4)
Joshua L.
I've only eaten off the buffet here -- no bfast grill/sandwich counter, so my review isn't as comprehensive as it could be... To be brief, a tad overpriced for the quality of food, definitely overrated for lack of variety -- either that or I just have coincidentally always gone on Thanksgiving / Asian food day. Though it's supposedly 6.95/ib off the buffet, it seems I always end up nearer to 8 or 9 bucks for a bit of rice and chicken. Heck, Panda Express is a hop skip and a jump away, is just as unappealing, and is 3 bucks less a meal. I think I'd opt for that first...not to mention there are 25 other restaurants in a 5 minute walk-radius that are on par if not better.
(2)
Dane K.
Delmonico has reopened but under the name Market Creations. The setup is basically the same. They have buffet by the pound and sandwiches and other stuff made to order. The quality hasn't improved or worsened, which generally means its "just ok" .. I've been to other Delmonico locations and it seems like this location was never up to the quality that the others had. Delmonico had primarily Mexican stuff at the grill, its now more hamburger type stuff made by Greek guys instead of Mexican guys. I've had a few things from the grill. The BBQ pork was pretty boring, and the cheap Sisco bun made it even worse. The burgers though are great. Its probably the best burger you can get in the area without going to a sit-down restaurant. (Its actually thick, fresh, they don't overcook them like other places, and there are a number of different topping choices) ... The prices are pretty good, too. **update** last time I went for a burger (Sep 07) the burger had changed... they gave me two pre-formed patties instead of the big thick one of the past. ... Update 2... this does seem to be the new burger... hmmm :( ... all i can say is their frozen pre-formed patties are just not as good. They need a more organized line at the grill, there isn't one and every time I go there I feel like everyone's looking at each other like you're gonna "cut" in front of them. One time I was waiting in line a long time before ordering, some guy walked in... She then was ready to take orders and he chimed in with his order... I told him politely that I had been waiting to order long before he was there, he replied "what the f##k? Get a life!" and left. See, they need a real line. Or numbers. Or something. The price of the buffet went up slightly and they no longer offer the tenant discount they offered us before. And they're very strict about giving you a "stamp" on your buffet card--if you're even slightly under a pound they won't give you a stamp which is kind of annoying. A tip to those new to the buffet: avoid heavy items such as mashed potatoes. If you get mashed potatoes, your meal will probably go up $4-5 because they're so heavy. I'm excited to have perfected the "$5 buffet lunch" They ditched the sushi bar now. When Panda Express opened in the building the buffet seemed to change a lot... You can get orange chicken just about every day here and it's just as good as Panda, but you can control how much you get ... The sandwich area now has daily soups that always sound interesting, and they also have paninis. Update: I would recommend asking for a sample of a soup. I ordered chicken noodle soup here without sampling first... It was disgusting. Worst chicken noodle soup I've ever had. The broth was like pure oil and somehow lacked any flavor. I would have taken it back if I was eating in, unfortunately I took it to go. Also, I ordered the "Italian cut" panini sandwich one day and was suprised to learn it was just artichoke hearts and mozzarella. No Italian cuts of meat, like the name might imply. I actually got into an argument with the guy about it and ended up leaving him with the mostly made nasty looking sandwich... (I still maintain he had to be wrong. the price of the panini was more than other ones, why would a vegetarian panini with canned artichoke hearts cost more than a turkey/roast beef panini?) The items on the buffet now are almost identical to those that were on the Delmonico buffet. So if you ask me, its probably the same owner they just may have had some issue with the Delmonico franchise. They now have a breakfast buffet. I was on a kick for awhile where I'd go in and load up a platter... (I'd get a biscuit, put sausage on it, chicken fried steak, and pour gravy over it all.. and i'd also get a bit of fresh fruit. Total cost? $3-4, no more. A great deal. Some days the chicken fried steak would be too mushy though, and other days the gravy tasted like they fake maple syrup into it.). I ceased this daily breakfast bar venture when my friends convinced me I was on my way to have a heart attack for eating what I described. One of the biggest complaints I heard about Delmonico before was that they put their lunch buffet food out at 10:30 every day... With the breakfast buffet there now, I'm guessing the lunch food comes out closer to lunchtime.
(3)
Leslie G.
I would give this place 3 1/2 stars if possible. I get my lunch from Market Creations a couple of times a week because it's in my office building. I don't eat anything from the buffet, however. I almost always get a turkey sandwich--so often, in fact, that the woman who makes my sandwich starts making it as soon as she sees me. I don't even have to say anything. That's pretty good service, if you ask me, and the sandwiches always taste great. Every once in a while, I deviate from the sandwich routine and get soup here. I recently had a seafood bisque that was pretty good. I've also been known to get breakfast here once in a while--usually just a toasted bagel with cream cheese, nothing fancy. Sometimes they run out of bagels pretty early, which is sort of annoying, but everything tastes fine. The line to pay can get very long at lunchtime, but because there are 5 or 6 cashiers, it always moves quickly. I don't ever sit down here to eat, but there are signs posted everywhere telling customers to watch their wallets and purses. I think thieves are a bit of a problem. They even had a photo of a thief posted on all the cash registers the last time I was here. In short, this is a quick and easy eatery with pretty decent food.
(3)
Ali C.
Good food but pricey because it is in the loop. The quality of the sole is high and it is very much in demand. Wide range of entrees, salads and desserts.
(3)
Renee E.
Anyone that knows me knows that I am a major fan of interesting salad bars and buffets. I love to pick out little bits of different things, since I seem to have a commitment phobia where food is concerned. i only ever want small amounts of lots of different things. My office just moved into Aon, a short pedway excursion away from Market Creations and I can tell I'll be beating a path there a few days a week. I like the freshness of the salad bar (nice selection of veg). I like the mounds of fruit. I love that they switch things up on the hot side. I keep seeing different options every time I visit, which I love. Today they had tofu! And these really interesting sesame bean balls. It really was pretty exciting. They also have comfort foods like mac and cheese and roasted, sliced chicken if that's your thing. I haven't tried any of the "to order" items or the massive cupcakes. I'll probably just stick with salad bar. And what a glorious one at that!
(4)
Miss B.
I love Market Creations. It is such a nice alternative to the fast food choices available in my building. I especially love the beer battered sole. They just don't make it as much as I would like. Ordering from the Grill inside of Market Creations is really good. Made to order BLT or Turkey Burgers. YUM. It is different from other buffets in the fact that the food is fresh and is constantly being replenished. I check the menu on line and see if there is something new, I tried a pork soup and it was delish!
(5)
Shradha A.
We decided to finally give this place a try on Friday after walking past it for weeks now! And we LOVED it! I had the veggie burger, which was totally awesome! And my coworker had a mix from the salad bar with fruits added and really enjoyed the variety! Prices weren't too bad either and the place was nice and clean! Loved it overall! (Veggie Burger Type from Soy, Vegetables, Seitan, BlackBean = Vegetables)
(4)
Kate S.
The only reason I can't give this place 5 stars is the price...as everyone else has pointed out, it's 6.95/lb, and no matter how hard I try, I always end up paying at least 10 bucks for lunch, and as an intern in Chicago I can't really afford that. But, I digress. The food is pretty good, and the variety is unbeatable. Their fresh fruit is great (but I have started getting it during the breakfast buffet and putting it in the company fridge for later, since it's a dollar cheaper in the morning). Their homefries in the morning are also fantastic. I have tried a variety of fish (cajun tillapia, salmon, grilled perch, etc.) and it's all fresh tasting. Their orange chicken is great, but it's heavy so it racks up your tray's weight pretty quickly. The crab rangoon is amazing, but I've only seen it there on Wednesday and Thursdays. They also have an extensive salad bar, with premade salads (Greek, caesar, and passion - which is fantstic, btw), or you can make your own. I also recently tried the grill, which is less expensive ($5.99 for the turkey burger with fries). The fries were perfectly crispy, the turkey burger was cooked to perfection, the hamburger bun wasn't the typical bun but a little more fancy, and they had pepperjack cheese for the burgers...great. They also have impressive-looking cakes and pies, but I've never tried one. They're usually $2.95 per slice.
(4)
Katie W.
This place is okay. I eat here all the time because it is close to my job. I usually get one or two things and it fills me up until it is time to go home. If you are hungry but don't want to spend much on food I would say check it out. You can get as much or as little as you wan. They do charge you by the pound so it can get a bit expansive, or be a the cheap side depending on what you get.
(3)
Josh S.
Normally this place has really good food made fresh to order but I would not recommend ordering the turkey burger. The meat had too many hard chunks "blah" and didn't have a very good flavor to it. I will stick with their taco salad instead.
(1)
Eliza M.
I challenge you to find a cheaper, quicker breakfast place in the loop that plays swing/big band music... I am super A-type in the morning and want to be in charge of getting my own breakfast items in a timely manner. Market Creations has a fruit bar (with yogurt and cottage cheese) and a hot breakfast bar with scrambled eggs, hash browns, biscuits & gravy, and pancakes/French toast. Sometimes there are eggs benedict, chilaquiles, or crepes. The food is not great but definitely decent for the price. They also have breakfast sandwiches made to order, but I'm too impatient for that. The cash register girls make the lines go quickly and when they're not ringing people up, they're scrambling like cockroaches (bad example but seriously these girls are scurrying about) cleaning and wiping down everything. The bathroom here is spotless and smells like Strawberry Shortcake. I have perfected the art of filling a biodegradable bowl so that it comes to $2, which lasts me til lunch at 1pm.
(4)
Andrew T.
Love this place, probably more so for breakfast than lunch, but I also love the concept of variety, so 4 stars. Breakfast has powdered eggs, country fried steak (which was surprisingly juicy) w/gravy, egg whites (somehow these seemed powdery too though), hash browns, corned beef hash, tater tots, grits, 3 types of sausage, cottage chesse, a lot of pastries/muffins and all kinds of fruits (pineapple, grapes, watermelon, cateloupe, honeydew, etc)... Also seems to be a fresh-made omelette station in the back. It's 4.98 per pound for breakfast. Lunch is 6.25 per pound and has a couple kinds of fish and american as well as hot foods of asian descent, but made appetizing for a broader audience. I like the fried rice and singapore (curry) noodles. Also have ham, turkey, etc. Large salad bar and fruit bar.
(4)
Minna A.
I am a huge fan of Market Creations as they have some of the best foods in the 60601 area, a very popular lunch destination! I recently discovered the breakfast bar.... i'm so lucky to have found it. :)
(4)
Jenny T.
Can't really complain about a delicious buffet, can you? I came here with a co-worker & almost had a heart attack. How could I not have known about this lovely little place? I can get buffalo wings, fried rice, shrimp, beef & broccoli, and chocolate milk all for $7.00? Yes, please. I also went on a day where they were offering free cake. Loved it. Couldn't pass it up. The place is a little depressing. I mean seeing all the people just stuff their faces & it's quite clear it's daily routine, but I think Market Creations is a nice treat once in a great while.
(4)
amanda y.
this isn't your elementary school cafeteria......nonono, come to market creations and you will be floored by the extremely healthy and excessively unhealthy options they have to tempt and tease you with. on the RIGHT side, they have a vast assortment of fresh fruits, veggies, lettuce and salad dressings. they have juices, prepared salads and steamed broccoli and cauliflower. on the LEFT side, they have flan, mashed potato, macaroni and chese, gravy, chinese food, glazed ham and other artery clogging food.... coincidence? i don't care, because the variety from the healthy and unhealthy sides satisfy my food ADD like food adderal. this place has a huuuge variety of meals for breakfast, lunch and, maybe even an early dinner! i love this place, because i can buy a cup of chilli for $2.20. they give you crackers, too! this may not sound like a lot, but once you try the delish chilli, you will realize that you only need a small. aside from the CHEAP, FILLING, and INCREDIBLE chili, they have a variety of sandwiches, ethnic varieties, and other goodies. it is by the pound, which is a little tricky. you never know what you're going to do after that long meeting with your team members. alls i'm saying: market creations is better than any other place in the pedway for the variety. come with a butcher, a baker or a candle stick maker, and each of them will find something that they love.
(5)
Matthew S.
I average around a pound and half of food per visit. I love their Asian style wings and the Yankee pot roast. This place is awesome!
(4)
Marissa b.
We usually lunch in a different segment of the pedway, where there's Delmonico's which has a similar format, less options but better quality i think... But anyway, we wandered down this way a few days ago to try to change it up a bit. My friend and I had the "Chicken Burger" which was greasy and heavy, with soggy fries and our 3rd member browsed the by-the-pound buffet and picked up some chinese... which she was very surprised to find at $6.25/pound, quickly adds up! The dining area is also extremely cramped. Not worth the price or the walk to this side of the pedway!
(2)
Steve G.
It's a good cafeteria-style restaurant, maybe a touch pricey in its per-pound rate at lunch; you really have to pick the right things to make it worth the cost. Market Creations is not worth going to if you don't work in the vicinity, but it's perfectly good for quick work lunches if you do work around there.
(3)
Heather K.
Not my favorite place to grab lunch, but I discovered this week that Market Creations has a turkey panino with cranberry sauce and stuffing. One of my life goals is to try every Thanksgiving sandwich in the greater Chicagoland area, so I felt compelled to make note of this. Market Creations is a place of culinary freedom from judgment, as you could pile mashed potatoes, kung pao beef, and cheese quesadillas into your to-go box without a second look. A haven for the hungry and/or indecisive. Also, if you get a kick out of seeing men in business suits drinking chocolate milk out of little cartons (a la your elementary school cafeteria), this is the place for you.
(3)
Timothy V.
This place is awesome! I wish it was closer to where I work - so I could go there (just about) everyday for breakfast.
(5)
Chris M.
This place really is hit or miss. On some days I find myself failing at possessing any sort of self-control because everything looks so darn tasty. On the other days, I find myself wondering if I should have went to Chipotle or Noodles. Stay away from their Potstickers, they're pretty gross. Macaroni and Cheese is also pretty gross. The egg noodles are usually a good choice, as is their sole or tilapia. The fried calamari is so delicious I wish they made it every day (seriously, the piece of calamari are gigantic). On the salad side, the sicilian pasta salad some days can be swimming in oil, like I'm eating an oil soup with pasta. The greek orzo salad, on the otherhand, is delicious. Stay away from the florentine salad, it is pretty gross. Getting a salad here usually is your best buy based on the lb pricing, fill up on spinach and flat lettuce leaves with some assorted carrots, water chestnuts, and onion, and you're golden. The dressing choice they have are good, though I like to put some of their hot chili dipping sauce received for the potstickers on mine. Great place to go when I feel too lazy to leave the prudential building.
(3)
Tom S.
I like this place. One side of the buffet is primarily Chinese food while the other side is Mexican mixed with American. Almost everyday, on the Chinese side, there's an offering of fried rice (changes between beef, shrimp or chicken), white rice and 95% of the time, there's noodles and orange chicken. I know this maybe hard to imagine but their orange chicken is comparable to Panda Express' but since Market Creations charges you by the pound, you don't end up with a huge portion like Panda gives you. Or, if you want, you could get 10 pounds of orange chicken, up to you. Today, I had a bit of beef fried rice, 2 pieces of orange chicken, 1 fairly big piece of Chinese BBQ pork and 2 chicken enchiladas. Yum. If you so choose, there's a make-your -own salad bar or pick between a variety of ready-made salad options. There's also a grill area for burgers, chicken, etc. or another section for sandwiches and paninis. I eat lunch here almost everyday and breakfast here about 2-3 days a week.
(4)
Jo F.
I love this place, although I haven't been in over a year. Not because of them, but because I am on a lifestyle change as far as my food intake. BUT, the buffet is awesome!! When I did eat here, I never came out of there with a bill total under $10 - never!! Their asian wings and calamari are excellent! One day, I am going to treat myself and go back!
(5)
Bill M.
The "new" Delmonico is located in the old Prudential Building, a mere half-block east of Michigan Avenue (there is another Delmonico in the bowels of the labyrinthine Illinois Center corridors). The color close-ups of food in the windows may not be the most photogenic, but you get the idea. This is a buffet with a good number of hot and cold choices, including many of the Asian persuasion. The food is sold by weight (not all-you-can-eat) so choose what you will use and try not to take anything with a bone in it.
(4)
Peter Y.
The prices are very reasonable and the food is very fresh and well presented. Where else can I get great tasting turkey, mash potatoes and gravy, plus some chinese food all for around $8? It's a great spot with a lot of variety.
(4)
Filly G.
I just ate all up in this mofo and feel inspired to write a review. First of all, it's a buffet, so take that for what it's worth, oh, and I'll tell you what it's worth--about $6.95 per pound, lunchwise. What what! I think $6.95 per pound is a bit pricey, but by charging by the pound, Market Creations offers something many buffets don't: restraint. You know what I'm talking about. Those all-you-can-eat buffets are dangerous because people really take "all you can eat" to heart. Have you noticed the size of most people at all-you-can-eat buffets? The food, yes, the food. The majority of my visits have been during breakfast. I have to say, for the most part, I'm pretty impressed. It's reasonably priced (I believe $5.25/lb at b/fast) and the food is decent. I have noticed that during the b/fast buffet, the selection never really changes much: a few varieties of scrambled eggs, pork links and sausage patties, pancakes and french toast, biscuits and gravy, and my all-time favorite, country-fried steak. Yum to the double um. Nothing like some tasty beef for breakfast. The one thing lacking from the breakfast buffet, which definitely knocks a star off, is that I've never once seen bacon. Hello? Bacon is the most delicious thing in the whole wide world. But alas, it's not like bacon is readily available at a grocery store or a 7-11, so I guess it makes sense that a breakfast buffet wouldn't have it, you know, since it's so incredibly rare. As for the lunch, I've only eaten that once, and that was about one hour ago. Not as tasty as the breakfast; it was just aight. I still somehow managed to overeat, despite the pay by the pound schtick. It's just that I wanted to try a little bit of everything, so that way I know what to get next time, you know. Right? Anyway, next time, I will definitely be getting me a whole plateful of big ass crab rangoons. Mmmm mm mm. They were honestly some of the best crab rangoons I ever did eat. They were ginormous and loaded with lots of cream cheese and fake crab meat! The other pseudo-Asian dishes were so so; nothing to write home about, and the veggies were bland. If I could give this place 3 1/2 stars, I would, but apparently that's really, really, really hard for yelp to manage, so I'm going to have to go with 3 stars here. (I still love you yelp, despite your shortcomings.) But in all fairness, I wouldn't give most buffets 3 stars.
(3)
Nicole V.
It's a bizarre twist on your standard buffet. I have never been to a place like this before. They have your standard salad bar / buffet setup but it consists of very different types of cuisine. One side is full of Chinese dishes and the other is a mixture of home cooking, things like; fried chicken, mac n' cheese, mashed potatoes...but then there are the odd balls like broiled fish and chicken quesidillas??!! It's quite the variety. One half of the salad bar is standard lettuce with veggies and toppings and the other is pre-made salads. I was there at 1 PM and the pre-made salads were practically empty and there seemed to be no refill in their future. I'll pass on the last scoop of anything on a buffet. Pricing on the buffet is around $6 per lb...so careful how much you pile on. To add to the madness they also have a walk-up grill in the back where you can get a sandwich made to order. I ended up going with the Chinese and it was decent. Not sure it was worth the amount of money I ended up dropping after adding a drink. If I go back...I'll probably grab something fresh from the grill.
(3)
K M.
Chocolate covered strawberries in a salad bar? Good ones? For real? If I knew this always happened on Fridays, you could pretty much count on me being here every Friday. What a happy end of the week treat!
(5)
Judy L.
When I think about it, there's really nothing special about Market Creations. It's simply a buffet with Chinese influence. Nonetheless, my coworkers and I always seem to crave it every now and scoot our way down to fill up our Styrofoam boxes with mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, orange chicken, fried catfish and guacamole. Yes, Market Creations offer all the above mentioned items and switch up their entrees everyday so patrons won't get bored with the selection. This place is great if you don't know what you want to eat but crave a little bit of everything. It's a per pound charge but I usually get very full off of $7-$8 of food and sometimes with leftovers too! Their breakfast layout usually stays the same on a daily basis offering your typical scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, muffins and oatmeal. If buffet is not your style, the restaurant also has a grill for burgers and a sandwich station, all reasonably priced.
(4)
Miss O.
i'm obsessed w/this place for the moment. i like the variety and if all else fails - there's always turkey and mashed potatoes.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
Kenny P.
It's a nice restaurant with a good quality of food. I just tried all the things on the table. I took a bit of everything. They weight your food by pounds and you paid for $6 something for a pound. I really like it. If they can make it to buffet (all you can eat) style, it would be even better so people will have the liberty to taste the delicious food over there. This is a good place to go if your groups have different eating portion. Everybody can adjust the portion and pay as much as they eat. Moreover, they have so many selections.. definitely great !!!!
(4)Mark M.
I can only speak for the stir fry which is create your own and costs under $10, I bring my own drink. The other stations are pay by the pound and expensive due to its location in a tourist area.
(5)William G.
Food taste good but its not necessarily worth the high price. Staff is friendly.
(3)Trung N.
This place is awesome, I always stop by in the morning to pick up my egg white with spinach,avocado and turkey sausage! They make it fresh in the back and it only cost me $3.25. Great deal and taste great.
(4)Joshua L.
I've only eaten off the buffet here -- no bfast grill/sandwich counter, so my review isn't as comprehensive as it could be... To be brief, a tad overpriced for the quality of food, definitely overrated for lack of variety -- either that or I just have coincidentally always gone on Thanksgiving / Asian food day. Though it's supposedly 6.95/ib off the buffet, it seems I always end up nearer to 8 or 9 bucks for a bit of rice and chicken. Heck, Panda Express is a hop skip and a jump away, is just as unappealing, and is 3 bucks less a meal. I think I'd opt for that first...not to mention there are 25 other restaurants in a 5 minute walk-radius that are on par if not better.
(2)Dane K.
Delmonico has reopened but under the name Market Creations. The setup is basically the same. They have buffet by the pound and sandwiches and other stuff made to order. The quality hasn't improved or worsened, which generally means its "just ok" .. I've been to other Delmonico locations and it seems like this location was never up to the quality that the others had. Delmonico had primarily Mexican stuff at the grill, its now more hamburger type stuff made by Greek guys instead of Mexican guys. I've had a few things from the grill. The BBQ pork was pretty boring, and the cheap Sisco bun made it even worse. The burgers though are great. Its probably the best burger you can get in the area without going to a sit-down restaurant. (Its actually thick, fresh, they don't overcook them like other places, and there are a number of different topping choices) ... The prices are pretty good, too. **update** last time I went for a burger (Sep 07) the burger had changed... they gave me two pre-formed patties instead of the big thick one of the past. ... Update 2... this does seem to be the new burger... hmmm :( ... all i can say is their frozen pre-formed patties are just not as good. They need a more organized line at the grill, there isn't one and every time I go there I feel like everyone's looking at each other like you're gonna "cut" in front of them. One time I was waiting in line a long time before ordering, some guy walked in... She then was ready to take orders and he chimed in with his order... I told him politely that I had been waiting to order long before he was there, he replied "what the f##k? Get a life!" and left. See, they need a real line. Or numbers. Or something. The price of the buffet went up slightly and they no longer offer the tenant discount they offered us before. And they're very strict about giving you a "stamp" on your buffet card--if you're even slightly under a pound they won't give you a stamp which is kind of annoying. A tip to those new to the buffet: avoid heavy items such as mashed potatoes. If you get mashed potatoes, your meal will probably go up $4-5 because they're so heavy. I'm excited to have perfected the "$5 buffet lunch" They ditched the sushi bar now. When Panda Express opened in the building the buffet seemed to change a lot... You can get orange chicken just about every day here and it's just as good as Panda, but you can control how much you get ... The sandwich area now has daily soups that always sound interesting, and they also have paninis. Update: I would recommend asking for a sample of a soup. I ordered chicken noodle soup here without sampling first... It was disgusting. Worst chicken noodle soup I've ever had. The broth was like pure oil and somehow lacked any flavor. I would have taken it back if I was eating in, unfortunately I took it to go. Also, I ordered the "Italian cut" panini sandwich one day and was suprised to learn it was just artichoke hearts and mozzarella. No Italian cuts of meat, like the name might imply. I actually got into an argument with the guy about it and ended up leaving him with the mostly made nasty looking sandwich... (I still maintain he had to be wrong. the price of the panini was more than other ones, why would a vegetarian panini with canned artichoke hearts cost more than a turkey/roast beef panini?) The items on the buffet now are almost identical to those that were on the Delmonico buffet. So if you ask me, its probably the same owner they just may have had some issue with the Delmonico franchise. They now have a breakfast buffet. I was on a kick for awhile where I'd go in and load up a platter... (I'd get a biscuit, put sausage on it, chicken fried steak, and pour gravy over it all.. and i'd also get a bit of fresh fruit. Total cost? $3-4, no more. A great deal. Some days the chicken fried steak would be too mushy though, and other days the gravy tasted like they fake maple syrup into it.). I ceased this daily breakfast bar venture when my friends convinced me I was on my way to have a heart attack for eating what I described. One of the biggest complaints I heard about Delmonico before was that they put their lunch buffet food out at 10:30 every day... With the breakfast buffet there now, I'm guessing the lunch food comes out closer to lunchtime.
(3)Leslie G.
I would give this place 3 1/2 stars if possible. I get my lunch from Market Creations a couple of times a week because it's in my office building. I don't eat anything from the buffet, however. I almost always get a turkey sandwich--so often, in fact, that the woman who makes my sandwich starts making it as soon as she sees me. I don't even have to say anything. That's pretty good service, if you ask me, and the sandwiches always taste great. Every once in a while, I deviate from the sandwich routine and get soup here. I recently had a seafood bisque that was pretty good. I've also been known to get breakfast here once in a while--usually just a toasted bagel with cream cheese, nothing fancy. Sometimes they run out of bagels pretty early, which is sort of annoying, but everything tastes fine. The line to pay can get very long at lunchtime, but because there are 5 or 6 cashiers, it always moves quickly. I don't ever sit down here to eat, but there are signs posted everywhere telling customers to watch their wallets and purses. I think thieves are a bit of a problem. They even had a photo of a thief posted on all the cash registers the last time I was here. In short, this is a quick and easy eatery with pretty decent food.
(3)Ali C.
Good food but pricey because it is in the loop. The quality of the sole is high and it is very much in demand. Wide range of entrees, salads and desserts.
(3)Renee E.
Anyone that knows me knows that I am a major fan of interesting salad bars and buffets. I love to pick out little bits of different things, since I seem to have a commitment phobia where food is concerned. i only ever want small amounts of lots of different things. My office just moved into Aon, a short pedway excursion away from Market Creations and I can tell I'll be beating a path there a few days a week. I like the freshness of the salad bar (nice selection of veg). I like the mounds of fruit. I love that they switch things up on the hot side. I keep seeing different options every time I visit, which I love. Today they had tofu! And these really interesting sesame bean balls. It really was pretty exciting. They also have comfort foods like mac and cheese and roasted, sliced chicken if that's your thing. I haven't tried any of the "to order" items or the massive cupcakes. I'll probably just stick with salad bar. And what a glorious one at that!
(4)Miss B.
I love Market Creations. It is such a nice alternative to the fast food choices available in my building. I especially love the beer battered sole. They just don't make it as much as I would like. Ordering from the Grill inside of Market Creations is really good. Made to order BLT or Turkey Burgers. YUM. It is different from other buffets in the fact that the food is fresh and is constantly being replenished. I check the menu on line and see if there is something new, I tried a pork soup and it was delish!
(5)Shradha A.
We decided to finally give this place a try on Friday after walking past it for weeks now! And we LOVED it! I had the veggie burger, which was totally awesome! And my coworker had a mix from the salad bar with fruits added and really enjoyed the variety! Prices weren't too bad either and the place was nice and clean! Loved it overall! (Veggie Burger Type from Soy, Vegetables, Seitan, BlackBean = Vegetables)
(4)Kate S.
The only reason I can't give this place 5 stars is the price...as everyone else has pointed out, it's 6.95/lb, and no matter how hard I try, I always end up paying at least 10 bucks for lunch, and as an intern in Chicago I can't really afford that. But, I digress. The food is pretty good, and the variety is unbeatable. Their fresh fruit is great (but I have started getting it during the breakfast buffet and putting it in the company fridge for later, since it's a dollar cheaper in the morning). Their homefries in the morning are also fantastic. I have tried a variety of fish (cajun tillapia, salmon, grilled perch, etc.) and it's all fresh tasting. Their orange chicken is great, but it's heavy so it racks up your tray's weight pretty quickly. The crab rangoon is amazing, but I've only seen it there on Wednesday and Thursdays. They also have an extensive salad bar, with premade salads (Greek, caesar, and passion - which is fantstic, btw), or you can make your own. I also recently tried the grill, which is less expensive ($5.99 for the turkey burger with fries). The fries were perfectly crispy, the turkey burger was cooked to perfection, the hamburger bun wasn't the typical bun but a little more fancy, and they had pepperjack cheese for the burgers...great. They also have impressive-looking cakes and pies, but I've never tried one. They're usually $2.95 per slice.
(4)Katie W.
This place is okay. I eat here all the time because it is close to my job. I usually get one or two things and it fills me up until it is time to go home. If you are hungry but don't want to spend much on food I would say check it out. You can get as much or as little as you wan. They do charge you by the pound so it can get a bit expansive, or be a the cheap side depending on what you get.
(3)Josh S.
Normally this place has really good food made fresh to order but I would not recommend ordering the turkey burger. The meat had too many hard chunks "blah" and didn't have a very good flavor to it. I will stick with their taco salad instead.
(1)Eliza M.
I challenge you to find a cheaper, quicker breakfast place in the loop that plays swing/big band music... I am super A-type in the morning and want to be in charge of getting my own breakfast items in a timely manner. Market Creations has a fruit bar (with yogurt and cottage cheese) and a hot breakfast bar with scrambled eggs, hash browns, biscuits & gravy, and pancakes/French toast. Sometimes there are eggs benedict, chilaquiles, or crepes. The food is not great but definitely decent for the price. They also have breakfast sandwiches made to order, but I'm too impatient for that. The cash register girls make the lines go quickly and when they're not ringing people up, they're scrambling like cockroaches (bad example but seriously these girls are scurrying about) cleaning and wiping down everything. The bathroom here is spotless and smells like Strawberry Shortcake. I have perfected the art of filling a biodegradable bowl so that it comes to $2, which lasts me til lunch at 1pm.
(4)Andrew T.
Love this place, probably more so for breakfast than lunch, but I also love the concept of variety, so 4 stars. Breakfast has powdered eggs, country fried steak (which was surprisingly juicy) w/gravy, egg whites (somehow these seemed powdery too though), hash browns, corned beef hash, tater tots, grits, 3 types of sausage, cottage chesse, a lot of pastries/muffins and all kinds of fruits (pineapple, grapes, watermelon, cateloupe, honeydew, etc)... Also seems to be a fresh-made omelette station in the back. It's 4.98 per pound for breakfast. Lunch is 6.25 per pound and has a couple kinds of fish and american as well as hot foods of asian descent, but made appetizing for a broader audience. I like the fried rice and singapore (curry) noodles. Also have ham, turkey, etc. Large salad bar and fruit bar.
(4)Minna A.
I am a huge fan of Market Creations as they have some of the best foods in the 60601 area, a very popular lunch destination! I recently discovered the breakfast bar.... i'm so lucky to have found it. :)
(4)Jenny T.
Can't really complain about a delicious buffet, can you? I came here with a co-worker & almost had a heart attack. How could I not have known about this lovely little place? I can get buffalo wings, fried rice, shrimp, beef & broccoli, and chocolate milk all for $7.00? Yes, please. I also went on a day where they were offering free cake. Loved it. Couldn't pass it up. The place is a little depressing. I mean seeing all the people just stuff their faces & it's quite clear it's daily routine, but I think Market Creations is a nice treat once in a great while.
(4)amanda y.
this isn't your elementary school cafeteria......nonono, come to market creations and you will be floored by the extremely healthy and excessively unhealthy options they have to tempt and tease you with. on the RIGHT side, they have a vast assortment of fresh fruits, veggies, lettuce and salad dressings. they have juices, prepared salads and steamed broccoli and cauliflower. on the LEFT side, they have flan, mashed potato, macaroni and chese, gravy, chinese food, glazed ham and other artery clogging food.... coincidence? i don't care, because the variety from the healthy and unhealthy sides satisfy my food ADD like food adderal. this place has a huuuge variety of meals for breakfast, lunch and, maybe even an early dinner! i love this place, because i can buy a cup of chilli for $2.20. they give you crackers, too! this may not sound like a lot, but once you try the delish chilli, you will realize that you only need a small. aside from the CHEAP, FILLING, and INCREDIBLE chili, they have a variety of sandwiches, ethnic varieties, and other goodies. it is by the pound, which is a little tricky. you never know what you're going to do after that long meeting with your team members. alls i'm saying: market creations is better than any other place in the pedway for the variety. come with a butcher, a baker or a candle stick maker, and each of them will find something that they love.
(5)Matthew S.
I average around a pound and half of food per visit. I love their Asian style wings and the Yankee pot roast. This place is awesome!
(4)Marissa b.
We usually lunch in a different segment of the pedway, where there's Delmonico's which has a similar format, less options but better quality i think... But anyway, we wandered down this way a few days ago to try to change it up a bit. My friend and I had the "Chicken Burger" which was greasy and heavy, with soggy fries and our 3rd member browsed the by-the-pound buffet and picked up some chinese... which she was very surprised to find at $6.25/pound, quickly adds up! The dining area is also extremely cramped. Not worth the price or the walk to this side of the pedway!
(2)Steve G.
It's a good cafeteria-style restaurant, maybe a touch pricey in its per-pound rate at lunch; you really have to pick the right things to make it worth the cost. Market Creations is not worth going to if you don't work in the vicinity, but it's perfectly good for quick work lunches if you do work around there.
(3)Heather K.
Not my favorite place to grab lunch, but I discovered this week that Market Creations has a turkey panino with cranberry sauce and stuffing. One of my life goals is to try every Thanksgiving sandwich in the greater Chicagoland area, so I felt compelled to make note of this. Market Creations is a place of culinary freedom from judgment, as you could pile mashed potatoes, kung pao beef, and cheese quesadillas into your to-go box without a second look. A haven for the hungry and/or indecisive. Also, if you get a kick out of seeing men in business suits drinking chocolate milk out of little cartons (a la your elementary school cafeteria), this is the place for you.
(3)Timothy V.
This place is awesome! I wish it was closer to where I work - so I could go there (just about) everyday for breakfast.
(5)Chris M.
This place really is hit or miss. On some days I find myself failing at possessing any sort of self-control because everything looks so darn tasty. On the other days, I find myself wondering if I should have went to Chipotle or Noodles. Stay away from their Potstickers, they're pretty gross. Macaroni and Cheese is also pretty gross. The egg noodles are usually a good choice, as is their sole or tilapia. The fried calamari is so delicious I wish they made it every day (seriously, the piece of calamari are gigantic). On the salad side, the sicilian pasta salad some days can be swimming in oil, like I'm eating an oil soup with pasta. The greek orzo salad, on the otherhand, is delicious. Stay away from the florentine salad, it is pretty gross. Getting a salad here usually is your best buy based on the lb pricing, fill up on spinach and flat lettuce leaves with some assorted carrots, water chestnuts, and onion, and you're golden. The dressing choice they have are good, though I like to put some of their hot chili dipping sauce received for the potstickers on mine. Great place to go when I feel too lazy to leave the prudential building.
(3)Tom S.
I like this place. One side of the buffet is primarily Chinese food while the other side is Mexican mixed with American. Almost everyday, on the Chinese side, there's an offering of fried rice (changes between beef, shrimp or chicken), white rice and 95% of the time, there's noodles and orange chicken. I know this maybe hard to imagine but their orange chicken is comparable to Panda Express' but since Market Creations charges you by the pound, you don't end up with a huge portion like Panda gives you. Or, if you want, you could get 10 pounds of orange chicken, up to you. Today, I had a bit of beef fried rice, 2 pieces of orange chicken, 1 fairly big piece of Chinese BBQ pork and 2 chicken enchiladas. Yum. If you so choose, there's a make-your -own salad bar or pick between a variety of ready-made salad options. There's also a grill area for burgers, chicken, etc. or another section for sandwiches and paninis. I eat lunch here almost everyday and breakfast here about 2-3 days a week.
(4)Jo F.
I love this place, although I haven't been in over a year. Not because of them, but because I am on a lifestyle change as far as my food intake. BUT, the buffet is awesome!! When I did eat here, I never came out of there with a bill total under $10 - never!! Their asian wings and calamari are excellent! One day, I am going to treat myself and go back!
(5)Bill M.
The "new" Delmonico is located in the old Prudential Building, a mere half-block east of Michigan Avenue (there is another Delmonico in the bowels of the labyrinthine Illinois Center corridors). The color close-ups of food in the windows may not be the most photogenic, but you get the idea. This is a buffet with a good number of hot and cold choices, including many of the Asian persuasion. The food is sold by weight (not all-you-can-eat) so choose what you will use and try not to take anything with a bone in it.
(4)Peter Y.
The prices are very reasonable and the food is very fresh and well presented. Where else can I get great tasting turkey, mash potatoes and gravy, plus some chinese food all for around $8? It's a great spot with a lot of variety.
(4)Filly G.
I just ate all up in this mofo and feel inspired to write a review. First of all, it's a buffet, so take that for what it's worth, oh, and I'll tell you what it's worth--about $6.95 per pound, lunchwise. What what! I think $6.95 per pound is a bit pricey, but by charging by the pound, Market Creations offers something many buffets don't: restraint. You know what I'm talking about. Those all-you-can-eat buffets are dangerous because people really take "all you can eat" to heart. Have you noticed the size of most people at all-you-can-eat buffets? The food, yes, the food. The majority of my visits have been during breakfast. I have to say, for the most part, I'm pretty impressed. It's reasonably priced (I believe $5.25/lb at b/fast) and the food is decent. I have noticed that during the b/fast buffet, the selection never really changes much: a few varieties of scrambled eggs, pork links and sausage patties, pancakes and french toast, biscuits and gravy, and my all-time favorite, country-fried steak. Yum to the double um. Nothing like some tasty beef for breakfast. The one thing lacking from the breakfast buffet, which definitely knocks a star off, is that I've never once seen bacon. Hello? Bacon is the most delicious thing in the whole wide world. But alas, it's not like bacon is readily available at a grocery store or a 7-11, so I guess it makes sense that a breakfast buffet wouldn't have it, you know, since it's so incredibly rare. As for the lunch, I've only eaten that once, and that was about one hour ago. Not as tasty as the breakfast; it was just aight. I still somehow managed to overeat, despite the pay by the pound schtick. It's just that I wanted to try a little bit of everything, so that way I know what to get next time, you know. Right? Anyway, next time, I will definitely be getting me a whole plateful of big ass crab rangoons. Mmmm mm mm. They were honestly some of the best crab rangoons I ever did eat. They were ginormous and loaded with lots of cream cheese and fake crab meat! The other pseudo-Asian dishes were so so; nothing to write home about, and the veggies were bland. If I could give this place 3 1/2 stars, I would, but apparently that's really, really, really hard for yelp to manage, so I'm going to have to go with 3 stars here. (I still love you yelp, despite your shortcomings.) But in all fairness, I wouldn't give most buffets 3 stars.
(3)Nicole V.
It's a bizarre twist on your standard buffet. I have never been to a place like this before. They have your standard salad bar / buffet setup but it consists of very different types of cuisine. One side is full of Chinese dishes and the other is a mixture of home cooking, things like; fried chicken, mac n' cheese, mashed potatoes...but then there are the odd balls like broiled fish and chicken quesidillas??!! It's quite the variety. One half of the salad bar is standard lettuce with veggies and toppings and the other is pre-made salads. I was there at 1 PM and the pre-made salads were practically empty and there seemed to be no refill in their future. I'll pass on the last scoop of anything on a buffet. Pricing on the buffet is around $6 per lb...so careful how much you pile on. To add to the madness they also have a walk-up grill in the back where you can get a sandwich made to order. I ended up going with the Chinese and it was decent. Not sure it was worth the amount of money I ended up dropping after adding a drink. If I go back...I'll probably grab something fresh from the grill.
(3)K M.
Chocolate covered strawberries in a salad bar? Good ones? For real? If I knew this always happened on Fridays, you could pretty much count on me being here every Friday. What a happy end of the week treat!
(5)Judy L.
When I think about it, there's really nothing special about Market Creations. It's simply a buffet with Chinese influence. Nonetheless, my coworkers and I always seem to crave it every now and scoot our way down to fill up our Styrofoam boxes with mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, orange chicken, fried catfish and guacamole. Yes, Market Creations offer all the above mentioned items and switch up their entrees everyday so patrons won't get bored with the selection. This place is great if you don't know what you want to eat but crave a little bit of everything. It's a per pound charge but I usually get very full off of $7-$8 of food and sometimes with leftovers too! Their breakfast layout usually stays the same on a daily basis offering your typical scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, muffins and oatmeal. If buffet is not your style, the restaurant also has a grill for burgers and a sandwich station, all reasonably priced.
(4)Miss O.
i'm obsessed w/this place for the moment. i like the variety and if all else fails - there's always turkey and mashed potatoes.
(4)