Janna S.

What can I possibly add to all that's been said already? Service here was superb - probably the best we had at anywhere in Chicago, which overall doesn't seem to deliver great service. You can't beat the view and everyone at our table agreed their order exceeded expectations. Probably one of the best steaks I've ever had - finished with a slice of chocolate cake large enough to feed a family!

Alexandria T.

My work hosted our holiday party at Smith & Wollensky this year. We made our way downstairs, checked our coats, and headed into the party room. The party was supposed to begin at 7pm, but we all arrived a little after that. The servers weren't ready to serve drinks until a little after 7:30pm. They did drinks on a ticket basis and only when people went to order drinks did they tell us there were restrictions to which drinks could be ordered. Not sure whose failed to tell us that. I stuck with the red wine all evening, and it was pretty good. The cocktail hour also featured passed hors d'oeuvres. My favorites were the tuna nacho and the crab cake. Ahh, I wish I had one of those crab cakes right now. The cocktail hour lasted quite a long time, and we were seated around 9pm. We ordered off of a prix fixe menu. I ordered a tuna steak, salad, and chocolate cake. It took quite a bit of time for our food to be prepared, and we didn't end up eating until almost 10:30pm. The salad was good. The tuna was good, but I remember it being better at last year's party. There were also family style mashed potatoes and spinach served as sides. I really liked the creamed spinach. The food is definitely good, but I don't know if I would go there again on my own. The servers did a great job making sure everyone's glasses were filled. I just don't know why it took so long to get our meals.

Derek R.

The best in Chicago. Wife and I have eaten here in the middle of the afternoon with the kids, or after 11pm for a late night snack. Always great, always excellent. The mashed potatoes are dreamy, the steaks no matter how ordered have been perfect everytime. 6 times over a 4 year period and the results have been the same each time. Wonderful. We prefer Christine to be our waitress, she does a great job. Coconut cake is a S&W staple, my wife loves it. Have to add this before ending..... THE VIEW. River front, like, ON the river with full length floor to ceiling glass walls. Excellent decorations, photos, and restrooms. Nestled in the same existence with the Marina Towers and the House of Blues, the whole experience from the walk blocks away, or the vehicle ride over, is amazing. Period. This place is my restaurant heaven.

Carin F.

Avoid this pretentious, over-priced place! Nothing particularly great about the menu. Front staff are vigilant and seem to want to "control" the experience. Nothing outstanding about this food.

Grace L.

Went there twice last year or the year before, both to celebrate something but I really can't remember for what lol. Service was excellent. So detailed and nicely tell you everything you want to know. Me and my husband both order steak, and even thou I can't remember which kind exactly we ordered, I remember they were both cooked perfectly. Will definitely go back.

Wenfan C.

Thought this Smith & Wollensky would be again be a pearl by the Chicago River before I went. But now I think I should've visited the Dick's Last Resort next door instead. We made a reservation at 11:15pm via OpenTable and was expecting less crowd and shorter wait. There were fewer people, but the wait was still long. I worked at a restaurant before and totally understand the amount of extra work before closing; even though, it was waiters' job to inform and care for the guests to make them feel comfortable not upset. So our waiter was the kind who kept us waiting but not letting us know why. With less than ten tables seated in the restaurant and more than five waiters serving, our water came almost 20 minutes after the waiter said he would bring it right away. The dishes took more than 30 minutes and the dessert took about the same. Waiter was careless and absent-minded. No apologies for the wait or anything. So I guess that's normal at this place at this time. Lastly, about the food. We had Shabu Shabu, Signature Smoked Rib Eye, Oysters and Lobsters. Shabu Shabu was apparently undercooked, Rib Eye was overcooked, Oysters were mediocre and lobsters were ok. I would definitely not go back to this place or recommend it to anyone for its overrated food and under-satisfying service.

Dave H.

I hadn't been here for a number of years. I should have been. Took another couple for a business dinner. Wine list is awesome! We started with the seafood tower. Everyone enjoyed it. It was fresh, flavourful, and priced nice. The lady had salmon and was pleased. We had ribeye's. Cooked perfectly. Quality cut was delicious. It was busy and a little noises, but not worse than you'd expects. All in all a very pleasant evening!

Stacy C.

My husband and I were in town for our anniversary. We made a reservation the month before our trip for dinner at Bavette's (Bevette's is the number two restaurant in Chicago according to trip advisor). The day of our reservation we decided to go to Smith & Wollensky because of the amazing view and the seafood. I decided to go with the King Crabs Legs which were on the special. Our waiter informed me that there was no more Crabs. He should have checked with the kitchen and made sure there was Crabs legs before telling a customer the specials. My second choice was lobster. Our waiter informed me again that there was no more lobsters, so I got two lobster tails. The table behind me ordered the same things as me with no luck either. The manager never came to our table, but we overheard him apologizing to the table next to us. As we left, we told this to the manager. He was not aware that I had ordered three things and the first two were sold out. I guess because I did not react upset or angry to the fact that the restaurant did not have King Crab legs and lobster, our waiter did not feel the need to let the manager know. Instead he tried to smooth things over with a free desert. I sent the general manager an email three weeks ago regarding this issue. She said she would send something in the mail to me. I have not yet gotten anything. On top of my experience, my husband and I did not like the food. My husband got a pepper steak which was like dumping a whole bottle of pepper on one small steak. My lobster tails were bland. I'm glad I did not get a gift card from the manager because I will never go back!

Alexander M.

I have eaten here several times and I am finally getting around to posting a review. *Service - Our waiter was excellent! He was uplifting and gave great descriptions of the specials and offered several suggestions for the different courses. He was also extremely polite and very attentive. *Décor - Traditional looking steak house with nice seating both inside and on the outside patio overlooking the Chicago River. *Food - I had the pan seared salmon that was very good. I also tried some of the halibut from someone else's entrée and it was very good as well. I had the shrimp cocktail for an appetizer and it is only 3 shrimp, but they are a generous size and better than most other steak houses we have been to in Chicago. One of my favorite dishes is the cauliflower steak, but it is only served during lunch. Please add this to the dinner menu as I would definitely be a regular during dinner time! Overall, a quality restaurant where the food is always good, the noise level is reasonable and the service is excellent.

Enri G.

Great food,just right at med rib eye steak. Service was excellent hostess, waitress and the service team was on point, perfect timing with delivery of soup, and main meal.

Elmar O.

This is probably one of my favorite steak houses in the city. If you are looking for a traditional, very good steak house this is the place. They have a butcher shop in the back. They are very accommodating when it comes to allergies. Even though the menu will not specify, the staff is knowledgeable (in this case it was was gluten). The steak I had was well prepared. My girlfriend (who is a celiac) said that their surf 'n turf was one of the best she's had. The drinks are very good as well (pouring your martini at the table and the waiter was very knowledgeable of the wine list and introduced me to one of my favorite bottles now). The old fashioned was a bit on the watered down side. Overall experience was great. A bit pricey but well worth it considering everything is handled with such care. Only problem is I haven't had a chance to sit in the lower area over the river. It's always been either toward the back or on the terrace with random people walking not far from your table.

Filip W.

We came there for lunch, enjoyed very good food, fantastic beef bacon, service was OK - not bad but not exceptional, ambiance is a little oldish and somewhat stuck up but a very solid place

David C.

Oh Smith & Wollensky, what happened to you? We came here for a birthday & found that a steakhouse staple of ours had become a mismanaged mess. The lobster tail was rubbery, the asparagus was soggy, and the only redeeming quality was the steak. Unfortunately we're going to have to take our business elsewhere.

Rebecca C.

For outdoor ambiance, I'd give S&W 5 stars and then some. There's nothing more delightful than a table alongside the Chicago River with the city as a backdrop. It's one of those things where staying for hours seems like minutes and it was delightful not to feel rushed to leave, even though we had a prime table with a terrific view on a beyond spectacularly cool night. I would also give 5 stars to service. It was fabulous. We were never rushed, the entrees, sides and desserts were explained in detail, our water and iced tea glasses were never less than 1/2 empty - even though the place was packed last night. As for the food vs. price, that's where I give the 4 stars. My friends 10 ounce fillet was delicious and prepared to order, I'm just not sure if it's as good as Chicago Cut's and Morton's steaks, which are a stones throw away. I ordered the Oven Roasted Halibut, which tasty, was barely the size of my palm, and flat. For $37, the tiny tomato pieces should have been more visible; the 3 chunks of endive which looked and tasted like a white onion, should have been less prominent. The braised fennel, however, was a nice touch of color and taste to the fish. The warm, garlic & salt rubbed bread round was awesome, as were the truffled mac & cheese. While I was so tempted to try the raved about the coconut cake, the banana split cake we shared was interesting and light, yet decadent and delicious. Loved the big banana chip, banana cake, neopolitian ice cream in separate scoop flavors of vanilla, chocolate & strawberry, a piece of fresh chocolate, and lots of fresh strawberries, pineapple & nuts. All in all, I'm sure I'll be back, especially in the warmer months. There's nothing quite as enchanting as S&W's outdoor view for both ambiance and comfort! Dinners a little pricey, but not so much to drive patrons like myself away. Next time, however, I'll stay clear of the fish entrees and stick with the streaks.

Kevin M.

This place is pretty impressive. Me and my wife were a little under dressed but no one treated us any differently. As Colorado restaurant owners we know a little about the biz. Everything from the valet to the busboys was on point. Cajun steak and coconut cake....awesome. Well done. We are out of towners (2 kids in college here) but visit very, very frequently. We will be back.

Kelly R.

We were seated at a table that looked into a kitchen sink. My baked potato arrived after I finished my steak (the server did apologize and comp it, but still). I found it to be over priced- go to Ruth Chris or Sullivan's for a better value and experience.

M. S.

Went here for my birthday. Experienced surprisingly poor service, as the waiter had an attitude, and yelled at us when he brought out an item that we had cancelled the order for with him just minutes earlier ("If you cancelled it, I wouldn't have brought it out!" he barked at us). The restaurant was also unpleasantly hot in temperature and extremely loud in noise. It was very uncomfortable to sit in a sweaty, hot, loud restaurant with rude service. The one bright spot was the signature bone-in ribeye I ordered. The steak was over $50, so obviously I had sky-high expectations, which were actually exceeded. The ribeye was perfectly cooked, medium-rare, tons of marbling, and had that amazing melt-in-your-mouth experience that you expect from a high-end steak. Food was great. It's too bad the rude service, overheating and loud noise made us eager to leave the restaurant when we finished dinner.

Jennifer D.

This place was very good. Beautiful restaurant. The steaks were cooked perfectly the sides were all very yummy. I didn't love the gravy and sauces on the meat.. It wasn't my favorite but I'd def return.

Kassie D.

I had a great meal here last month (April 2014); the wait was pretty long for my already reserved table, but I got a seat at the bar and had a tasty Cosmo. The bar staff were great - always checking if I was ok or wanted to move to another area of the bar, rather than be in the corner. When shown to my table the waitress took my drink from me and carried it to my seat - nice touch I had the ribeye - best steak ever!!!! Being from the UK; we don't tend to have large cuts like these on our menus - so this was a great treat! As I dined alone the waitress was sure to order my sides in half portions as they're normally sized for sharing. Every aspect if the meal was very tasty and I couldn't recommend this place more. Worth every dollar!

Jason T.

Everything about this place is meh with a side of blah. Food is at the lower end of the spectrum of the Chicago steak places. Service is near the bottom as well. Sure, the folks are (mostly) friendly enough, but is it really so hard to train your servers in the finer points of correct service? A server should always reach across me with the arm furthest from me, not the arm closest to me. With only five of us at a table, they should know who ordered what. If wine is spilled on the table, and we say "please leave it", it should be left. Don't bring napkins, further interrupting our meal. I don't think that's too much to ask for when I'm dropping dropping this much coin. Nice view though.

Sally M.

Nautical water views. Enjoyed the Filet - butterflied, Oscar style. Whipped mashed. Creamed spinach. Ravenswood "Old Vine" Zin

Kaitlin R.

The food was delicious but our table was wobbly and small, we were seated right by the windows and it was cold, and the waiter was not very attentive. We had to keep flagging him down to order or if we needed something. I'm giving it a 'meh' review because despite the food it was a very underwhelming experience. Probably will not be coming back.

Tony L.

Not impressed. I ordered the signature ribeye and my fiancée the filet. I would not go back.

Michael John F.

I visited Smith & Wollensky on a whim for an early dinner on 12/31/13. The entire experience was wonderful. No one working there had any New Year's Eve nerves or showed any signs of stress. I was greeted quickly by nearly all members of the management staff as well as Regina Arendt, the General Manager. Our waiter, Tod Ballard, was as cool as a cucumber, and was neither pushy nor ever made us feel rushed. All of our food was terrific as always... Still hoping to try to coax Regina to give me the recipe for their creamed spinach.

Shua A.

We came into town for a wedding this past weekend and wanted to have a great meal in downtown Chicago. Our criteria for restaurant choice was as follows: 1) wanted something waterfront with great views and preferably a patio 2) the food should be excellent 3) the ambience should be young, fun and not to stuffy, 4) the space had to be good enough to comfortably accommodate our sometimes rambunctious and loud group of 6 Here is how it matched up: 1) waterfront on the Chicago river with two stories of beautiful window seating including a beautiful spacious patio! However this past friday night the weather got chilly and we ended up getting a window table inside with a nice view. Please note - they are doing some construction across the river so the view isn't that great unless you like looking at bulldozers and metal pipes. 2) This is where they killed it! The popover styled monkey bread they brought out in the beginning was hands down the best bread I have ender had! That was followed by amazing lobster bisque soup, baked macand cheesework truffle oil, and some peppercorn crusted ahi tuna (which was extremely moist, fresh and absolutely delicious - again best I have ever had!) My friends enjoyed their lobster, the aged steaks, the scallops, the crab cakes and I could go on. 3) the ambience here is nice. Def a little stuffy, and on the older side but after eating the top notch food we could see why this is a great places to being clients and have quiet business meals. I think the crowd would have been a little younger if we sat on the patio outside. 4) this is a large reataurant with many dining rooms so accommodating a party of 6 is a non issue! So in summary, given the amounts of "best we ever had" tossed around that I highly recommend this place is you want amazing food, great service (our waiter was superb - attentive, gave great suggestions, and really made sure we were well taken care of all night!) And if you don't mind spending about $75 pp (we don't drink so that doesn't include any alcohol!) Def come to this place!

Nelson M.

Restaurant Review 28 day dry age prime steak, you had me a 28.... This restaurant is located along one of the rivers that run into lake michigan which makes for a scenic dining room. The ribeye was simple amazing cooked to perfection with great marbling of fat. The truffled Macaroni & Cheese was likely one of the best mac and cheeses I have had ever. It has a rich blend of cheese that is difficult to describe, but very smooth and flavorful. The only downside is the bill, but it is worth it! Pro- prime dry age steak, great ribeye Con- $$$ Hidden deal- None unfortunately

Jen T.

BF and I had a lunch date with one of his old friend from high school. Warm bread was delivered right away. Like monkey bread without the sweet factor. Split pea soup was perfect on a cold rainy day. Piping hot and full of flavor. I had the Wollensky salad with salmon. Nice big portion of salmon and filing! BF had the burger. He ate most of the fries and couldn't finish his burger. Service was good not great. A little slow since it took a long time between courses and drinks. A popular place for business lunch meetings. Nice place for intimate conversations.

Christopher D.

This was not a pleasant experience... The salad I had was ok but the bone in filet was really a bone in ribeye at best because of the amount of fat and gristle, not to mention that it was over cooked. I had to wait 15 minutes to tell someone that I wanted to send it back because our waitress never returned to the table after telling us that our food would be up shortly (took a long time to arrive). My fiancée said maybe they're under staffed but after a survey of the room, we both quickly agreed that there was plenty of staff, just not working as efficiently as you would expect from a restaurant serving ~$60 steaks. So the person I told about the steak said he was going to get someone and then that ended up taking another 5 mins...this after I said we were in a hurry and just wanted the check because we were on a tight schedule. So finally a manager came and I told him the steak was bad, wanted to send it back and didn't want a replacement because we were in a hurry and there wasn't enough time. His response was, "Don't worry, I'll take it off the bill." Gee, ya think? That was $60 worth of low grade dog food (to quote Rodney in Caddyshack). My customer experience consisted of extremely poor service, terrible product (meal) and no real attempt to appease me other than offering the advice that, "Next time, you shouldn't order the bone in filet because sometimes it has fat/gristle that the chef can't see." #1 you're telling your customers NOT to order one of your most expensive signature steaks because they might suck?!? #2 I call BS (that they couldn't see the fat) because there was an enormous hunk sitting right on the side of the steak that I had to cut away before taking a bite...made it look like it was bacon wrapped it was so obvious. Filets, bone in or not, are supposed to be 100% steak and 0% fat/gristle, or as I like to call it...just the food part, please...you know, the stuff that I can eat? I've gone to Mastro's and City Hall in Scottsdale dozens of times and they have never once screwed up a bone in filet (and they still maintain my status as benchmark for best steak ever, for shame Chicago for not reclaiming that honor yet). So, there are several ways that management could have helped remedy the situation, none of which were applied here. A gift certificate might have been a gesture showing that they cared about us as customers...or at least genuinely apologizing to us, not just suggesting we avoid their signature menu items.

Adam V.

Smith & Wollensky has a great view of the river and excellent menu. I was very impressed by this spot and thoroughly enjoyed my visit. I went on a work trip sponsored by First Trust (investment company) and they did a group dinner in the lower portion (basement) of S&W. It worked beautifully. The menu was smaller, but I was very happy with my steak. Everything was prepared perfectly and I loved the view through the giant windows by my table. The service was impeccable as well. Their staffed zipped around from table to table constantly filling wine glasses and taking away plates. They did a fine job of keeping everyone happy. I didn't know about this restaurant and missed it on my first trip to Chicago, but I will have to return sometime. The food is excellent and they provide top-notch service.

Jack B.

Ordered the signature steak medium rare, it came out and the center was ice cold and uncooked. I asked that it be put back on the grill, instead they microwaved the entire plate and the steak came out with the same color in the center. They cook it back again to heat it and it came out tasting like a burnt burger. It really seemed like this was a frozen steak that was not properly thawed before being cooked. Worse than any of that was the server patronizingly implying that it was just "too rare for me." Medium rare is not ice cold and purple in the center, its not just me. Its a crime that they made us pay $50 for it. Everyone else at the table enjoyed their food, but there are a dozen other steakhouses within walking distance - most of which I have been to more than once and would highly recommend. I don't think this would have happened at these restaurants, and if it did they surely wouldn't charge you $50 for a frozen steak turned into a burger. I wouldn't risk going to this restaurant again.

Jay H.

Started with below average service. Filet was over cooked. Shrimp bisque had zero body and may have come straight from a can. The bread was probably the highlight of the meal. And we were outside...which would've been nice...except there is construction barriers along the tables and crews were working into the night on the Chicago river too... Not worth the price...dine elsewhere when in Chicago. We won't go back...

Lynelle O.

The filet mignon w/ cajun seasoning was great as well as the coconut cake dessert w/ cappuccino. Service (David) was excellent and so is the view of the river & downtown.

Ashley A.

I have to say that I have eaten here in the past and have left pleased. However, my last experience was horrible. I have worked in the service industry so I know what it takes to provide good service. I also dine out far more than your average person so I know what great service entails. We sat at the bar in the recently renovated basement. The ambiance was quite beautiful and that is why I am so disappointed as I was hoping frequent here much more however. Sitting at the bar you usually get slightly better service because the bartender is right there - not leaving to run food, or get drinks. However, these two gentleman who tended bar during our visit were quite inattentive. The food was sub par and didn't quite match up to the description on the menu. We had started our nights at both Tortoise Club (next door) and Travelle (in the Langham hotel across the street). Both blew S&W's out of the water. I am unsure if I will give this longstanding steak house another try. Pros: ambiance, decor Cons: Horrible service, bad food, expensive drinks

Crystal W.

I only dine here twice a year for wine week and every time I go, it's better than the last! I love the decor of the restaurant, it is very classy! The customer service is aways superb minus the guys that try to snatch your plate away multiple times while you are still eating (extremely annoying). The wollensky burger, lobster blt and chicken Caesar salad is so good! The crowd is very mixed and I love that the restaurant has outdoor seating overlooking the river.

Janice L.

Food: Ordered the Wollensky salad, filet (rare) and shrimp, and filet (medium well). The salad was very good. Had bacon pieces and the lettuce was fresh and crunchy. The steaks were ok; the flavoring of the steak was not phenomenal. Also, I am not a fan of super bloody steak thus I usually get medium to medium well. However, it was on the dry side when my steak came out. The bf ordered his steak rare and was a good texture, fairly moist and soft. The jumbo shrimp that came with the steak wasn't 'jumbo' but tasted good. Service: Our server was very attentive. Excellent service! Decor: The decor of this place isn't anything too special but if you eat downstairs, it is right next to the river which is pretty! In addition, at night time you see the lights from the buildings reflecting off the water. Thus, if you want to eat somewhere with a view, this is a nice place overlooking the water.

Joshua D.

So how do you picture a $600 meal for four people? To me it's food that every bite makes me smile, delicious and melts in your mouth. Your steak is cooked perfectly as you asked, and overall you leave immediately telling everyone to go try Smith & Wollensky's! Well my experience was not like that. I ordered the lobster and steak. My steak was ordered medium rare and rather grey. I did not sent it back, and thought everyone in my group probably had their steaks cooked the same way. Well they did not and there's were pretty darn good medium rare. The split pea soup was pretty good, scallops pretty good. My wife had the beef trio, the blue cheese on one of those will knock you out of your seat it's so rich. I took a bite them a tums. Her spice crusted on was also very heavy on the rub...but ok. Mac and cheese was pretty good. Overall I'm using some pretty basic terms for my opinion if the food...it's because I expected a lot more from this place. I would have agreed if this were a $150 dinner. Ambiance is nice and the serve did a great job tending to our needs. I prefer Chicago cut steakhouse or fogo.

Denise W.

Apparently I've dined at my fair share of some of the best steak restaurants Chicago has to offer. This made for a comfortable evening. The atmosphere is comfortable. The steak, wine, and service is solid. Nothing extremely remarkable however. It makes for a relaxing evening.

Kathleen C.

Four of us celebrated my husband's birthday in your restaurant on Wednesday, April 30, 2014. As usual the food was superb( I've dined at your Washington and Boston restaurants) but the waiter was beyond our expectations. J.J. (Melody?) went out of his way to make sure we had a memorable experience. His food/liquor knowledge (learned that Jim Beam had sons!), outgoing personalty and his attention to detail was phenomenal. The manager Regina deserves a kudos for the card and birthday cake plus the cookies when we came back from the musical, Motown. What a great downtown restaurant!

Jeff B. D.

Great location right under the Marina Towers on the Chicago River. One of the best in Chicago style - old school steak houses. Everything is perfection. Excellent wine list and service. Doesn't get much better than this. Go to place for clients and out of town guests.

Crystal Z.

Chose this place because it was close to the hotel. So disappointed. We wanted somewhere with a nice view but after the flight, we were too pooped to look any further than a couple blocks from the hotel; cue Smith & Wollensky. Two steaks, calamari, friends, salmon, mac and cheese, salad and a couple desserts. The good: - Got a window view The meh: - Food is like any other steakhouse The bad: - Crazy high prices -.-

Paul K.

I always go to Smith & Wollensky when I travel to Chicago on business and it never disappoints. I absolutely love the new Wollensky grill. The food and service were truly impeccable. The atmosphere is very lively and fun. Do yourself a favor and check it out for yourself.

Jonathan K.

This is a very nice place with good, quality food. Unlike some of the detractors here, we had no issues with service and our waitstaff was a pleasure to work with. That said, I made a mistake in ordering the ribeye with cajun seasoning. I figured I'd try something different, and it just didn't go well. The meat was prepared well, but the seasoning just wasn't good. Stick to the basics, they said, and I should have. I should have stuck to the filet, or keeping the stuff au poivre, as the rest of my dinner party did. They couldn't finish their 14oz filets so I offered some assistance. That stuff was amazing. So yes, I'll go back and try the strip steak or filet, and have it in a more traditional setting, like au poivre, or with bleu cheese or something. That said, the side dishes and appetizers we had were tasty. That included the crab cake which is not a fried Maryland Crab Cake(tm) like I expected and the potatoes, which were also very good. I'm not a spinach guy, so I passed on that, but everyone else we were with loved it.

Julie H.

On Friday, September 20th four friends and I sat down to our (semi)annual Wine Week luncheon. We were seated on the first floor and had a phenomenal waiter named Gerald. What wasn't phenomenal was our sommelier named Mark. Mark was mostly attentive during the bubbly wines, but once we hit the whites he was practically nonexistent. One of the gentleman at our table commented that he recognized the winery on one of the bottles - when Mark came back with a different white - he asked one of the women at the table (snidely) if she wanted to see the bottle to see if she recognized the winery. After this incident, we rarely saw Mark at our table. We did see him at the two tables full of women that were seated next to us. Every time we tried to flag him down he would gesture that he saw us and then go to one of the other tables. At one point he sent over another sommelier to help us since he wouldn't come to our table. In the end Gerald, our phenomenal waiter, came to our rescue and helped us out. I've been to wine week many times, but this is the first time I've had a less than favorable experience. We've always had impeccable service at Smith and Wollensky, but I'm sorry to say that this time we did not.

Dana T.

Came here on a Monday night with my boyfriend... We are beat steak eaters, so he wanted to show me his little old taste of home. We made a reservation because we were not sure how busy it would be on a weeknight. Elegant decor, romantic, great view of the river and very friendly and prompt workers. We both came here with the idea of ordering something amazing... And we did! I ordered a combo meal, sometimes my boyfriend is iffy about these special deals on the menu, however I like to think I get more bang for the buck! I got a Lobster and a 10 oz. Fillet Mignon. They did not have bleu cheese as I requested, however the server suggested a feta cheese with herbs and bacon... So I decided to try something new. It tasted great!! This place is pricey, but is definitely worth every dollar. I sure wouldn't mind going back again when we got back to visit family and friends!

Kate S.

I was so disappointed with the food and experience here. Although the views on the River are great, the wait staff was cold and unfriendly. It took nearly 20 minutes for anyone to even acknowledge us at our table. Our filets were nothing to write home about either. There are better steakhouses than this for sure- don't waste your time or money

Lorna W.

It didn't get into the top 10 chop houses in a recent review. I went on a weekend evening and was delighted to see they had live music, a very classy pianist. Great right? Not so much. We could barely hear the music because the grand piano was closed to display marketing/advertising materials advertising their services and totally muffling the sound. A good example of big corp not respecting their workers efforts . Like the wait staff, many musicians depend on tips. If diners can't hear the music they are not very inspired to leave tips. Also, there were even pamphlets advertising their services/wines on our table!! Not a good image for a supposedly "fine dining" restaurant. So, not surprising they missed the top 10. Oh, the steak was excellent.

Sean H.

Went here for lunch today and it was really good. I had great service, sat by by the river and enjoyed a good Sauvignon Blanc. Service was great, quick and attentive. Calamari = awesome. Lobster BLT so good and had a touch of spice and avocado. Coleslaw was best I have had. It is pricey but what do you expect.

Michele M.

Disappointing after having been there many times before, it's gone downhill. Let's face it, in a city where you can stumble over your next steak house, the standards are pretty high. Went on Thanksgiving with the family. Ordered the standards....salads, shellfish bouquet, steaks. Both steaks came out improperly cooked....both ordered medium rare and one came out bloody rare and the other dry & medium well. For $50 a steak, unacceptable. Also serving time was very slow...took us over 3 hours to get out of there with 4 people. And was way too bright downstairs. I swear it used to be darker down there. Bottom line, I would go to Capital Grille or Mastro's over here any day. Other than going there in the summer where you can sit outside along the river, we won't be back and I'll stick with the seafood.

Nikki L.

This was my second time at this restaurant. The first time was a great experience with great food. This time was different. We sat outside after it had rained. The seats are wicker so you don't know it's wet until you sit down. That was a rude awakening! Our waiter did his job, but lacked any emotion. The bone-in ribeye was not cooked as requested so we sent it back. It came back a little over cooked, but not enough to make me want to wait again for another steak. The quality of the steak was not what I expected for this steakhouse. I have gotten better steaks at lower quality steakhouses. My wine was also served in a glass that hadn't been dried. There was water inside and outside the glass. For the price I paid I am highly dissatisfied and won't be back.

Kristen M.

My family loves this place, it is our standard go to for special visits or occasions :) I haven't had anything on the menu I didn't love!! Steaks are amazing, great salads, and their sides are delicious (creamed spinach is my fav!!!!) sure it is pricey, but you get what you pay for!! Also, their service is wonderful. Has the perk of valet parking too!!

Jenna G.

Absolutely awful. I know that I stopped by on St Paddy's day and I realize that some allowances need to be made. That said, everyone that worked there was incredibly rude. We were all at a table ordering when I tried to use the restrooms. I was banned until I showed them a drink I had purchased. For a "top steak house" you're acting like a broke dive bar. Unfortunately, the food did nothing to booster my sentiments. Other than a view you really offer nothing. I even told the servers i would expect better and received nothing but a shrug as a response. I would much rather head to Rebar or Benny's steak house.

Macy H.

Not that impressed. Food was warm. Salad had too much dressing. Dessert portions were weird. Some were very large some small

Natalie L.

I remember coming here five or six years ago, and just out of school, when the annual "nice dinner" always meant a steak house. Having had a couple of years to expand my horizons a little bit, I have come to realize something: I just don't care for steak. I would rather explore combinations of interesting flavors and fresh ingredients rather than judge how well a place can cook and season a slab of meat. So with that said, we went to Smith & Wollensky on a Friday night to use a $50 gift certificate that we had received for Christmas. We decided to sit at the bar and order some small bites and a couple glasses of wine. In terms of atmosphere, it's a chain steak place. We were the only ones at the bar, which was nice. The bar tender was nice but not pushy. Our food came out quickly... like warp speed. Which had us wondering how much preparation and cooking went into it? We had tuna crudo, crab cake and the sliders. The tuna was average. It lacked some seasoning, despite being plated on a slab of salt. The crab cake was nice, but a little heavy on the mayo. The sliders were tasty. For dessert we had an apple tart with ice cream. The dessert was probably the most disappointing. The pastry dough was not light and flakey. It seemed like it came premade out of a package. Total bill with 2 glasses of wine, a cappuccino and a martini: $106.

Jennifer C.

Celebrated our 1 year anniversary & food was amazing. Drinks are ok.

D K.

Phenomenal food and service. Beautiful views of the river and Chicago. Will definitely be back.

Harold H.

Great outside seating by the river. Food is decent, but overpriced. Fillet mignon was pretty tough (ordered medium rare) and my wife's scallops were tough and dry. Bread, soups, and desserts were good. Would not return mainly because of cost though.

Stephanie H.

I have not had the pleasure of experiencing all the Chicago steakhouses. This was our first. My aunt who had been to all of them recommended this for us as a nice but somewhat affordable in comparison. Our bill was 165 for two steaks, two drinks, two sides. I ordered the coffee and cocoa steak. It was delicious. Excellent recommendation by our waitress. Also has asparagus and hash brown potatos. I loved the asparagus and was disappointed w the hash brown potatos but my boyfriend ordered them and loved them. I would've ordered crabcakes, truffle mac and the coconut cake if I hadn't been watching calories and cost. This was a night of a snow blizzard after the holidays so it was slow. I thought the staff was nice and didn't notice them treating us like young kids who don't tip. We sent a mojito back and they apologized and fixed it The upstairs was closed so we were put downstairs in the grille and it was much more casual than I expected. The reason for four stars is that as most things in Chicago, the floors are old and wood sink a little when the staff is walking around and we were placed at a table close to the kitchen and bar so staff would get near there and complain to each other about work. I know people are awful but can u wait until you're off or back smoking before u start up with that? Overall a delicious steak and fine choice.

Will S.

Fantastic location, right on the river, with great views from the outside terrace. Sadly though, that's about all this restaurant had going for it. Service was indifferent and inattentive - it took us over 20 minutes to receive our menus, and even then we had to flag down a greeter to get them (our server was nowhere to be seen). Food was OK - generous portions, hearty sides. The steaks were reasonable, but weren't great. Given the price, and the Smith & Wollensky name, we were expecting more.

Hula B.

classic steakhouse with amazing wine list. Carlean H. takes great care of us when we go. i'm a fan.

Samantha S.

Beyond amazing. Filets, shrimp cocktail, lobster, creamed spinach, martinis, Caesar salad- you can't go wrong here. Perfectly cooked, great attention to service. Great decor, conveniently located, live piano upstairs. A perfect place to dine.

Adam M.

I have two words for you "Wine Week!" This is by far the best time to come to Smith & Wollensky, it's $10 for all the wine you can drink (With the purchase of a meal). They have been cutting back on the hours of serving, and the pours of wine every year but it's still a great event. The food at Smith & Wollensky is good, but nothing really wowed me. The seafood platter is really good but kind of pricey. Las time I went I tried the Lobster BLT, which was pretty good and I liked the truffled macaroni and cheese as a side; but I have had much better options elsewhere. I will however always come back year after year for Wine Week! Sooo much fun

Jennifer C.

Celebrated our 1 yr anniversary here and it was the best steak dish I've ever day. Drinks are ok but food is amazing.

Ira A.

The meet is analyzing! The reason for 4 star and not 5 is the desert. Have to get a better options for such a good restaurant. Ordered apple crisp (not sure of the exact name on the menu) and was not the best. Once we did order a chocolate cake that was huge- was the size of a small cake. 6 people easily could share it. Was good but allot, we took it home and had it for few days.

Zach G.

The food at this place is awesome...the service, however, leaves a lot to be desired. Rolled in here on a Friday night around 7:30pm and was seated immediately thanks to the reservations made earlier in the day. No real need to dress up as I didn't feel I needed to impress anyone...that being said, I wore nice clothes, just not fancy. OK, so the server came around quickly but she really seemed to have an attitude on her. Maybe she thought there was no way I should be at a restaurant of this "caliber" because (1) I am on the younger side, and (2) I wasn't dressed in ridiculously unnecessary clothing, seeing as I wasn't going to a show, and my hotel was literally within eyesight of the table (theWit - awesome place, highly recommended). Drinks came slowly. Steak came slowly. Nothing painfully slow, but slower than it should have considering how quickly all of the staff tend to move around here. The steak (filet) was cooked perfectly and full of taste...absolutely fantastic. The side of veggies was pretty good as well. I am not a big fan of cooked vegetables (give me raw all day long), but these tasted fresh and flavorful. The price at the end of the night seemed pretty fair in my opinion. The food gets 4 to 4.5 stars. However, I just could never get past the attitude of the server, on the rare times she came by. It really put a damper on the whole nights mood. She probably expected a low tip from the start and that's why...unfortunately for her, I tipped low because of the subsequent service. I'm a big tipper (20-25% or more if need be), and this was one of the lowest tips I have ever left anywhere. Don't judge a book by its cover, lady. The service gets 1.5 stars (because the food runner was an awesome guy and did more work than the server!)

Ian B.

Best steak yet in Chicago. Good service, location and 312 beer. Great spot on the loop.

Keturah B.

This was our pick for Restaurant Week this year. The food was fantastic. Great fillet and appetizers and dessert was phenomenal. We went in on Friday night and were seated right away. I think the weather may have deter-ed many from dining that night, although it was still somewhat crowded. I did not like that our table was right by a main serving station. The traffic was heavy as the servers and managers walked up entering orders and settling customer bills. Everything else was very good. Our food was piping hot, steaks cooked perfectly, and the wine was delicious. Overall, a good experience.

Brendon C.

The food was great, but expensive. We ordered the signature rib eye, swordfish and the truffled mac & cheese with two glasses of wine. Overall the order came to be around $145 before tip. The service was not great. They seemed to give you a different level of service based on how many people were in your party, your age and how much they believed you were going to spend. Food overall is 4.5 and service is around a 2.5.

Princess D.

Very good and quality steaks, beautiful view of the city (if seated by a window) and wonderful service. If you're looking for a nice evening out with good food and ambience, I recommend that you check this steakhouse out. It won't disappoint.

Oleg K.

Happened to dine at this place on 3 separate occasions in the past couple of months - both with friends and business partners. I was invited each time and did not have a choice of venue. I would NEVER go back to this place of my own accord. The waiters are unprofessional. One guy was always forgetting stuff and had to be reminded multiple times about the things we ordered. Another waitress brought my wife a second glass of wine, and seeing that there was still some wine left in the glass that was already on the table, simply poured the remainder into the fresh glass! The food is another story. In my experience the seafood was not very fresh. Tuna steak done rare was not the rich dark red you would expect in the middle but pink-gray. Looked and tasted very bad. The steak was mediocre at best. And the desserts... I felt they brought them over from a frozen dessert section in a nearby supermarket. Very stale. Admittedly, the location and the view are amazing, and the sides (the mushrooms, the veggies, the mashed potato) were quite good, but do not compensate for an overall horrible dining experience exacerbated by steep pricing. NOT RECOMMENDED!

Amanda M.

I' m a little late on this review but better late than never. I held my college graduation party at this venue in June 2012. After attempting to go through another venue where we were unhappy we found Smith and Wollensky to be a refreshing surprise. The food was absolutely amazing, the view we had was great and the service was on par! I would absolutely recommend this place for a party. Can not rave enough, all my guests couldn't stop complimenting the place. From the event planner to the servers great all around customer service and experience.

Ron C.

I like to save special reviews on milestones numbers on Yelp. This is my 650th Review! I'm only saving the best and this is one of them! Chicago has a lot of great restaurants. This is definitely one of the bests. It's located on State Street right by the water. The place is huge and can accommodate large families and groups. You can see the bar once you walk in on the left. The interior is decorated with bear statues, paintings and even a cow near the ceiling and a deer that separates the room. The bathrooms are located downstairs with also holds another bar and dining hall. I was really excited to get some meat in me (yes... I said it!) I heard a lot of very good things about this place. I knew what I wanted, which was the Bone In Ribeye. The server Colleen (love ya girl!) also recommended it. The ribeye has a good spiraling of fat, which makes the cut extra find and very juicy. I chose to get a side of snap peas (which were the special of the night and some creamed spinach) I ordered that with some oysters on the half shell to start me off. The oysters' inductor muscles were still attached to the shell. This is a sign that these are fresh. I found out the hard way when I tried to slurp it down and all I got was the lemon and minced ginger. It wasn't bad, I just wish I knew beforehand. Once the Ribeye came I was blown away on how big the cut of meet that was in front of me. This was well enough to serve two people. I was a very happy camper. The servings are phenomenal. They cooked my ribeye just right. Medium Rare. This still had pink in the middle just how I like it. My mouth is watering as I write this review... Dessert is always fun. When serving any dessert, they also give you an extra plate with fresh whipped cream. They serve it right to you at the table. A big dollop goes a long way. To top off my meaty meal I ordered the Pecan Pie. I was thinking that this would be a slice, but was very surprised (happy) when it came and saw that it was an mini individual pie. I'm not a fan of chocolate and this was just right. The crust was crisp and the filling was still warm. The pecans added the perfect amount of crunch, without being too sweet. The filling was just right. Everything went very well together and the Vanilla ice cream included sealed the deal. Service= 5 Stars Food= 5 Stars Ambiance/Cleanliness= 5 Stars You have to go here when visiting Chicago!!!

Alan T.

We had an excellent evening here recently. The service is outstanding, the steaks were fantastic. I had the signature bone in, my wife had the filet, an my daughter had the coffee steak. All were outstanding. We have enjoyed S & W in NYC several times and I don't know which one is better! In Chicago , sit outside if you can. Don't forget the chocolate cake either!

Monica L.

I have been here a few times and it never disappoints. Was happy to have been seated downstairs near the windows so that my out of town guests could enjoy the view. We had oysters, which were delicious as were all of our steaks. The Strawberry Mojito was not the best I have ever had but everyone else seemed to enjoy their drinks.

Mike G.

First off, some of the previous reviews crack me up. It's like they type and don't re-read what they type. Anyway, enough of that rant. The restaurant was incredible. We had reservations for 9 and got there early so we went and sat at the bar. While the bar was small, there were enough seats and tvs to enjoy it. Not a huge beer selection but a good variety. Wine list was adequate as the females ordered a bottle before dinner. At our reservation time, we were sat accordingly and were greeted immediately by 2 servers. Throughout the group, steaks, salmon and salads were ordered. Everyone said the food was great, no complaints with any of the meals. Sides are family style. For family style, I thought that some of the portion sizes were small. I ordered the 14oz filet (medium) with shrimp. My steak was perfectly cooked. The typical option for filets are 10 oz and 14 oz. My wife ordered the 10 oz and could not eat it all but she said it was one of the best steaks she had ever eaten. The view from the outside terrace is great. Looking down the Chicago River at night is incredible. The view alone is worth 5 stars. I subtracted one star only because they brought a wrong side dish out but immediately replaced it with the right side dish. I have eaten at multiple Chicago steakhouses and this one is right near the top.

Carolyn M.

We had a large group, on a not-so-crowded night. Service was ok...have you ever had a server a little more a part of your table conversations that you expect? I also would not expect the server to debate whether the med rare steak sent back was overcooked. Grey is not med rare, just send it back. Another steak was missing its Gorgonzola crust, but it was the overcooked steak that took an unacceptably long time to come back. The other steaks were fantastic, totally perfect, so thinking just bad luck on the 2? We also had a problem with our table outside sticking out from under the tent, so that 2 couples were in the rain. Staff said, we'll move your table if it starts to rain, it did, but it took a long time to execute on the move, and made an awkward situation for all of us, disrupting tables around us. I think they thought another table would vacate sooner than they did, and we would just slide into their space. Good plan, unless the rain is faster than the diners. All in all, a good meal, but I kinda expected 100% execution at that price point, and felt like it was more like 90-95%.

Mike G.

DONT GO TO THIS PLACE!!!! The worst service ever, the waiters are so rude. The food does not match with the price at all. I wasted my money and my time here. There is a Subway just beside this restaurant which has a better view of the Chicago river, that I would prefer to go there. ;)

Dodge S.

Was here recently on business for a seminar in a special room downstairs. I will come back soon to sit down for an excellent meal. The service was accommodating to each guest, with waiters quick to get your drink order and provide refreshment refills. The appetizers were standard fare, but delicious. I enjoyed the old-style feel of the interior and decorations, because I am a sucker for anything that reminds me of what "old Chicago" was probably like in my mind. Easy to find because it is basically under the iconic Marina Towers and essentially next door to the House of Blues. Will return with my wife for date night!

Anthony S.

What is that age old saying...? "The food is so good you'll slap yo mama." Well, you'll be slappin' yo mama three times the food is so good!!! S&W is the epitome of the fine dining experience. They have a great wait staff, lovely atmosphere and some of the best food you will ever consume. I have only been here twice, but I am always dreaming about it. Their beef is top of the line; it taste incredible and is always cooked to perfection so it practically melts in your mouth. Sides? Truffle mac n' cheese. What more needs to be said? Wait, more does need to be said. Sauteed green beans with spicy cashews. SPICY CASHEWS PEOPLE! ERMAHGERD!!! Now don't you even dare come to S&W without eating desert. Even though the entire desert collection looks good enough to rub all over your body, I have only had the coconut cake. This pure white slice of cake taste like it was made by an angel. You won't be able to decide if you should eat the cake or make love to it. Bottom line: If you get hit by a bus when leave the restaurant, it's all good because this place is worthy of being your last meal.

Jamie Lee R.

I'm lucky that every time I'm in Chicago for work I come here with my co-workers. The food is great and the service is amazing. You can't go wrong with one of their steaks. I take away one star because for the price, there are much more interesting places to eat in Chicago.

Gary R.

Ahh, Emmit Smith and Joe Wolensky do it again. They open a Steakhouse. (full disclosure, I only know Emmit Smith was a famous NFL football player, and I have no idea who Joe Wolensky is. ) I ate there recently during a high level business meeting. Get this: there is one appetizer that does not appear on the menu at all. Its really a platter of endangered species such as crab, lobsters, blue whale, krill, and Panda. It is really good, but it costs as much as a Faberge Egg. (which I assume is expensive) I had a pesto Chicken sandwich. It was ok. Not the greatest bird I've ever eaten. I was under the impression that it was just pesto sauce they put on the sandwich, but really its pesto Mayo. This made me angry. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times, Mayo is the devil's snot. I dislike it. Service was pretty slow. They pretended we were in italy and didn't have high level American uber-important jobs to get back to. The weather was nice, as is the view. I am not sure that this restaurant controls the weather, however.

Jeff P.

I'm torn between giving 3 or 4 stars. It was good, but for the price there are comparable places that are better. We went on Valentine's day at 6:20pm and it still was pretty empty, they didn't fill up until about 7:15. The service was great, it could not have been any better. The food we got: -Calamari (good portion and fairly priced, just was rubbery and not crispy. It didn't stop me from devouring it because the remoulade sauce is amazing) -Caesar Salad for 2 (very crisp and cold lettuce, but dressing was bland. Good but average) -Cajun Ribeye and wife got filet medallions. Hers looked amazing and she really liked it, but mine was a bit over seasoned with cajun (and I love heavy seasoning) & I'm not a fan of my steak dripping in butter. -Coconut cake: THIS WAS AMAZING. I would go back just for this cake, it was well worth the $10 for a piece. Apparently the judge on Top Chef voted this as one of her favorite things and now I see why. Good, but not as good as David Burke's Primehouse. I would go back for when they have their wine tasting or specials.

Allen B.

This place is fairly top notch. I was here for a company Christmas party years and years ago, however, it made a lasting impression on me at which I feel that I must give it proper praise of approval. *thumbs up Our party was held in a private room of the lower level of the restaurant. The crown molded, dark cherry-wooded decor of the room made me feel welcome and privileged to try their fare. Plus I also felt privileged at knowing that everything was paid for and that I would shove my face full of food and maybe even my pockets. =) We have a pre-arranged menu that included this MASSIVE appetizer tower that sat in the middle of our table. It had lobster claws, jumbo prawns, fried calamari, oysters, and clams. A delectable assortment that would make any seafood buff's head explode and again...I didn't pay for a thing. Thank you PRS Law. Aside from the fact that it was free, the taste of the food was grand. A multitude of wine selection and brews added to the "good time" feel of this establishment. I definitely would go here again, however, I believe this time I would have to pay. =( That's OK though because it'll be worth every penny.

Cynthia F.

Although the food was very good, service was poor and not very attentive. Our server however did give us good suggestions but our orders were continuously given to the wrong person. The real kicker was when we were told, a group of 7, that they had to run our cards twice because of the machines. FYI a machine can take 7 cards its 10 that it can't take even for a mediocre systems. Next morning we were charged twice, a friend at the dinner called and the manager was rude to her and could not help her until later in the day. He said that we would only be charged twice. 5 DAYS Later double charge is still on my bank statement. I expected better management for the caliber of this resturant.

Dan R.

Sticker shock! Wow, have the prices ever gone up. $30 or $40 for a entree with no sides? Really? NOTE: this was in the Grill Room and not the main dining room upstairs. I am all for paying premium prices for a premium meal but their prices just don't match the value. I would rather go to David Burke's, Benny's, Gibsons or Mortons if I am spending this kind of money. If you factor in a salad, a side dish (shared) and the entree you're spending a fortune. And what do you get for it? A dinner that above average but not great. I don't think I will be coming back here anytime soon.

Jennifer M.

First time here, great experience. We were seated outside so we had a lovely view of the river and the Chicago Theatre. Our waitress was pleasant and attentive. The busboys were extremely attentive too. They were constantly coming over to clear dishes and to refill our water. Our steaks were great, mine came out perfectly medium as I had requested, however my boyfriends t-bone came out a medium rare instead of medium as he requested. Don't matter, steaks were fantastic. Ordered the chocolate-hazelnut creme brûlée, it was soo good! Only downside is that people are able to walk past us outside and we had a couple walk by that we kind of annoying. Definitely recommend trying this place.

Kat H.

Forgot what I ate. But I remember it was tasty and service was okay too.

Craig U.

The food was fine... which isn't saying much for a high end steak house that charges these prices. Had a number of sides, the mac & cheese being my favorite. I had the bone in filet and left wishing I had went to Longhorn. Meh, sub par beef like this makes me miss Jeff Ruby's in Cincinnati.

Julie G.

The ambiance was great along the river. Our waitress was very inattentive, did not see her for much of meal. Had to ask other staff for things. Salads and meal took a long time. Medium rare came out medium. Steaks were not hot, like they had set for awhile before they were brought to table. The final straw was the $13 cappuccino that was only half full. The manager insulted me by telling me the steak would look medium rare inside, but outside it looked medium. We go to steak houses alot and are not averse to spending money, but this not meet our standards.

Karim J.

The staff were friendly and helpful. Had the burger and fries which was delicious, the coleslaw, surprisingly, incredible. I then ordered the slice of "giant chocolate cake" for dessert. Holy $hit. They aren't kidding. The one slice is equivalent of a whole, normal cake. It is superb and recommend sharing it with 4 people.

Don S.

I was here on a business trip recently and had dinner here for the first time. I have always heard about the place but never tried it. First I need to state that I am a big Ruths Chris fan already so of course the comparisons are inevitable. We arrived late so getting a table only took 15-20 minutes but reservations are suggested. I almost hate to rate it only 3 stars and if I could get it 3.5 I would. Of course I am rating it based on my expectations of a high end steak restaurant so its not as if it is actually the same as a Logans or Texas RoadHouse. But with the prices as high as they are I expect I high end meal. The steaks are dry aged beef and really nice and tender .........but to me I was left wanting compared to Ruths Chris. The flavor is not the same to me and though good it is not great. Sure I would go back but only if I could not get in Ruths for a better meal ( in my opinion) at the same price.

Nina M.

One of the best steakhouses. Well if I had a boat I think I would dock it here for a nice steak dinner once a week. They do it right with the dry aging. The people who rated this place poorly come from a place where they don't have steaks or lack taste. I saw one place mentioning a low-scale chain restaurant was better, I can't even mention that chain name because it is too embarrassing. DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM! Also, people give one star for attitude. I certainly did not notice any attitude but I can't speak for their experience. I ordered a char broiled filet and my friend ordered a bone in Rib Eye. Nice marbling and tenderness. I liked his better but next time I will try the dry-aged Sirloin. Our service was wonderful, I loved the decor and the location of this place. I can't wait to come back. Also, the desserts are great and the wine suggestions from the waiter were terrific.

John S.

Smith & Wollensky is another restaurant that is excellent, but doesn't live up to its reputation nor price. The quantities are very large. The small rib-eye and two sides are enough for three people. We sat outside for a wonderful view of the river. However, a better view can be found in the lower level seating.

Drew R.

Location! Location! Location! Isn't that what it's all about? Right on the river, this location gets 5 stars for the scenery alone. I'm pretty sure they used this restaurant in 'The Break-Up' just because of its back drop. I love Smith & Wollensky. I have been to a couple of their locations across the country and I love their steaks. I always get the filet mignon where ever I go. My filet was so juicy and tasteful that my mouth is water while I right this review! I recommend the filet and chocolate cake but if you don't want to share your dessert then you can always get the creme brulee for yourself. This is definitely a place for date night or older families.

Alvaro M.

Great steaks, surprised to see so few people there during lunch time. Nice river view and desserts we fine as well.

Kamilah S.

AWESOME. My boyfriend and I came here on a Friday night and everything was excellent. My steak was perfectly cooked to medium, but my boyfriend's steak was ordered medium and came out well done, not a problem, the manager came over and we told her the situation and she took care of it and within 5 minutes he had another steak cooked perfectly to medium and we even got a free dessert. The chocolate cake was to die for and it lasted for 3 days. Michael, our waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu, he was great.

Aaron T.

Cocktails: Decent Negroni - a little light, and not served properly. Wine: Great list, no help selecting from the staff Food: Totally Great Prime Bone In Ribeye, cooked perfectly. Atmosphere: Bright and Load, good for business dinner or a fun night, not the most romantic. Very expensive, the steak is great and wine list is good.

Carol K.

Consistently excellent. Say what you want about chains, but this is one that does things right. Stopped by here the other night to sit out on their patio and enjoy some Summer weather in Chicago. We were seated immediately out by the river. A new addition to the patio are covered tents . . . . .not permanent, thank heaven but to help protect the patrons from construction debris that may occur given the work being done on the building. I'm glad they are only temporary as it is nicer to sit outside and see the sky. The food and service were stellar as always. My friend had the bone in rib eye and I had a lobster tail. We split a side of the mac and cheese which was creamy and delicious with a hint of truffle oil. A perfect food! Our server, Will, was spot on his game. Knew the menu, was quick with drink refills and even sliced my friend's rib eye for the perfect presentation. Add to that that he was just an all around interesting guy and our evening was delightful. And if you drive? Valet parking is available for $12. It's clear to see why Smith & Wollensky is always on my recco list for friends visiting the area.

Briseyda V.

I have been to most steakhouses in Chicago, but had not been to this one. So since it was one of the restaurants participating in Restaurant Week, a group of 7 of us decided to try it out. Upon arrival, they sat as soon as our party all got there; there was no waiting involved, which was nice. We were all happy to see that the filet mignon was one of the choices on the "Restaurant Week" menu, so we all decided to order one. Although our waiter was friendly when we first sat down, he seemed to have forgotten us shortly thereafter. He came around our table about 20 minutes after we had been first seated and said that the bread would be coming out shortly; which it did, 15 minutes later...He had not yet taken our orders. After we had all finished our bread, he finally came around to take our orders. At that point, I had to ask him for more water (my glass was completely empty), which is something you should not have to ask for at a restaurant such as this one. The appetizers finally came out, but the servers seemed confused and mixed up our orders. One of my friends didn't even get her appetizer, so they brought it to her 10 minutes later. Some of us asked the server for extra lemons for our seafood appetizer, which he never brought out. When the steaks came out, again the servers were confused and gave us different filets than what we had each ordered. They finally resorted to asking us each what we ordered, so they could figure out who got what. After dessert, the bill came. The price for the prix fix menu for each person was $44. There were 7 of us and we had ordered a couple bottles of wine, so we were expecting the bill to be high. We asked the server if it was okay if he split the bill in 7 equal parts, which he said would be totally fine. Had he said "no", we would have split the bill among ourselves and paid with 3 credit cards since we have been to enough restaurants to know that most don't like it when you pay with a lot of credit cards. We all agreed to leave him a generous tip even though the service had been mediocre for a fine-dining restaurant. Regardless, after we had each signed our receipts and left him his tip, he came back and said that since the machine was not used to handling soooo many credit cards, he had to have each of our credit cards back to run them through the system again, but he guaranteed that we would not be charged twice. Shortly after we all gave him our credit cards, the manager came by and apologized stating that it was because the machine was not used to handling so many credit cards! I was annoyed because if they were upset that we had each used our credit card, they should have told us from the beginning that they could not accept so many at once! The lovely surprise the next morning was that we each noticed that our credit cards had in fact been charged twice! When 2 of the girls called the restaurant to bring it to their attention, the manager rudely told them that he had just opened the restaurant and didn't have time to address their problems. He said he would call them later and hung up on them! Overall, we all agreed that the food was very good and we all enjoyed our meals. However, because of the incredibly rude and inattentive service, none us will ever return. Considering the amount we each paid and the caliber of the restaurant, we all expected the service to be high caliber as well. Unfortunately for us, it definitely was not! There are way too many great steakhouses in Chicago to ever waste our time and money on this one.

B M.

Its impossible to ever write anything but awesome reviews. You get excellent service, food, and feel welcome. You pay for it but it is great especially for a birthday or another special occasion.

Frances B.

It's hard to find a bad steak house in this town, and Smith & Wollensky is not a restaurant that gets named when people think of the big steakhouses in town but it's a shame because it should. If you love filet mignon (as I do) then this may be your best choice. They have more choices for filet mignon than any other steak house in town. I opted for the gorgonzola crusted filet (cheese and steak? It couldn't be bad) and my god it was just delicious. So were the whipped potatoes (which usually are sort of average at steakhouses). The cake pieces are insanely huge. The chocolate cake was delicious though. The thing that stood out the most was the service- it's the little things. When silverware is dropped, someone picking it up and immediately replacing it, water constantly being full, never having to search for your server, they are present but not pushy. I would happily come back here.

Zorin D.

I had been wanting a good steak ever since I had my well overpriced and just decent steak at Morton's in Miami. Smith and Wollensky is where I decided to make up for it. I usually decide to go with a seafood based appetizer whenever I'm going to have a great steak dinner, I don't know why. If my good friend Doug was around I would have definitely done the Calamari along with the Carpaccio that I ended up going with. Served on a Himalayan Salt Block I was sold by it. My only complaint about it was that the crostini served along side it were slightly thick for my taste. Rather than enjoy just one steak I got the Tenderloin Trio. It was a good value in I would be able to try out three different sauces for the steak. The steak in general was just slightly over the Medium Rare that I requested but not so overdone that I would send it back. The Roasted Chipollini onion sauce was very sweet and just slightly earthy. I will be the first to claim to be a person that likes things on the salty side, but the bacon on the Gorgonzola crusted steak almost made the steak a little too salty (I'm nitpicking here though, the steaks were excellent). The third in the trio was the Foie Gras and Mushroom Ragout. The delicate fatty Foie Gras gets lost among the boldness of the dry aged steak. The sides were just not disappointing. The green beans I had were cooked to perfection and I kind of wish that the server would have pointed out that there was Gorgonzola on the green beans as well because I would have ordered a different side as I like to avoid overlapping flavors. Had I known this I would have probably went with the Asparagus as a veg. The Truffle Mac and Cheese in my opinion lacked a little bit of both truffle and salt. Should have been called Mac and Cheese with a hint of Truffle rather than Truffle Mac and Cheese. Desserts are big enough for two to share and my Coconut cake was huge. The cake was moist and perfectly sweet and I love the fresh coconut strips that garnish the top of the cake. It's nothing like my Great Grandma's coconut cake with the lemon filling, but it's still pretty tasty.

Leonard Yelp M.

We were out riding our bikes on the lake, and had lunch over looking the Chicago River. The appetizer was good, salads on point, and the desert with vanilla bean ice cream was unwanted calories upon eating it.. Next time holding off the strudel will greatly improve the lunch. Shalom

Jasmine S.

It's was ok.. I went in with a date.. Good service .. Disappointed with Ribeye steak.. It's average.. I have been to most of the steak house in River North and this is the best in my opinion

Saba A.

Was so happy to take my fiancé here for a romantic and tasty birthday dinner! Living in River North, we always saw this as a place to celebrate something! Over the summer they do have a patio open which gets a lot of attention as people enjoy the view of the River and the summer breeze but we were happy to have a dining experience inside. I made reservations and asked for a window seating and announced it was to celebrate my fiancé's dinner. When arriving a few minutes early before our 8 P.M. reservation on a Friday night, our hostess gave our waiter a card with (Happy Birthday) written on it and walked us down the stairs to a romantic corner with the most beautiful view of the River and towers. We were asked whether we wanted tap or bottled water and were given the menu while being educated on the specials. We were also given the typical bread and butter. My fiancé and I always share dinner, so reading other reviews speaking about prices never gets to me because we always split our portions to save money. We split a roast rack of lamb which was 48 dollars. I've had many delicious eats of lamb, and this was high quality. My fiancé is not a big steak fan, but he chose the lamb because it has more flavor to him, and I couldn't disagree. We also ordered a side of whipped potatoes, buttery and delicious for 10 dollars, and all though i felt like I could make a better one, it just went well with the steak so we got it. Was too full for dessert but we had a great time. Professional servers, not the most friendly ones but they were also cordial and that was fine with me!

Ryan P.

I had the filet mignon here which was superb. Atmosphere was good and views of the city were awesome. The restaurant is situated right near the water so you are overlooking the river that runs through it and the buildings are across the embankment. Good food, friendly staff and great atmosphere with a view. Worth a revisit.

Jes G.

I went here for a lunch date on a Sunday afternoon. The decor has an old school steak house feel to it, not to mention the great view. Service here was good and so was the food ! I had the pan seared salmon. It was delicious, but I must say the highlight of my meal was the stuffed shrimp. Omg delicious! ! I had the coconut cake for dessert. Typically, I don't like cakes but I must say it was tasty. I recommend this place for any crowd from dates to groups. Good experience.

Bernie M.

Excellent location on the river. Rating a steakhouse can be difficult, as it's more about personal preference than anything else. It really depends on what style and ambiance you're looking for. S&W is more of a traditional steakhouse; nothing unique about it. The steaks are on par with other steakhouses, but I haven't been thrilled with the shellfish here. Overall, I give 3 stars, but when it's wine week, S&W gets a solid 5 stars. They do an excellent job during wine week.

Patrick B.

Ive eaten at all the big Chicago steakhouses but not been here for awhile until last night. Other than the great view it was a disappointment on a number of levels. Just go to Chicago Cut or Morton's. This place doesn't deserve your business. They completely mixed up the steak order. There were six of us and basically everyone's was wrong. If someone ordered medium rare it was medium well, etc. Mine was supposed to be medium plus but it was red in the middle. I didn't want to wait to send it back as they were a bit slow anyway and I was hungry so I just kept it. The waitress was clueless. Said they didn't have the wine we selected and then came back and said they did have it after we spent time looking for another. The apple crisp was boring, cold and pretty bad. The waitress said it did not have raisins but it was loaded with them. Then the part that made me write this. The bill was divided up and she miscalculated. Had one person not noticed the faulty math we would have been out about $120 plus tip on the incorrect higher amount. By this time the crowd had thinned to nothing yet the waitress was missing in action. We finally flagged down the manager who looked very annoyed to be bothered and then she spoke to my very polite friend (who was very gentle in questioning the math) like he was an idiot. She sent the waitress over who acknowledged the mistake (and who did apologize profusely) but the manager never returned to acknowledge that there was a mistake nor apologize for being an a**hole. Prime steaks are not cheap and there's no reason to go back here. An expensive meal like this should be flawless not annoying and disappointing at every turn.

Mary O.

Smith and Wollensky has been a Chicago staple for years and a staple of our family. We usually enjoy the warm ambiance and great riverfront views of the city. But I gotta say in recent visits, I've left disappointed. Leaving disappointed from a pricey meal leads to a bad mood. I "celebrated" my birthday there yesterday evening. Asked for a window table=stuck in a back corner with a tipsy table and an unrelenting draft that left me clinging to my coat throughout the meal. Strike one. No drinks for 15 minutes. Strike two. The surf to my turf was like chewing on a rubber hose, and no amount of drawn butter was gonna make it taste better. Strike three. Server was ok, but not on par as one would expect from a top-dollar establishment. She was slightly more attentive when it was clear we were becoming annoyed. Other minor observations...the environment wasn't warm and inviting as it once was. No pleasant background music to promote enjoyment/relaxation. Just kinda stuffy, rote execution. We wanted to get outta there...but then we waited 15 min in the cold for the valet. First world problems, granted. But when you treat yourself to a night out, this isn't what you have in mind. There are numerous high caliber options in the city for a steak dinner...and we will be exploring those options in the future. Get it together S&W. Your reputation can't carry you for long if this continues.

Jessica D.

Came here in July for a workday lunch w the significant other while I was downtown on some personal business. I am so smitten with this outdoor dining terrace. Lovely ambiance with full views of the Marina City towers and river. Incredibly expensive, of course. The waiters are incredibly attentive, the iced tea is brewed perfectly, and the food is amazing and classy. I found the interior on the line of classic and a little dated. The stairs to the restrooms downstairs can be a little perilous on heels, so watch out ladies. I would definitely come again for a summer day lunch.

Laura N.

We came out to get some great mac and cheese and a great steak, to that end, smith wollensky delivered. If that was all I'd probably give them five stars. However on the service front ... we had reservations that we showed up for on time. We were led to table an outside table (beautiful view). I don't know if the restaurant's trying to pack too many tables on the patio or what, because our table was tilting. We mentioned this to our waiter, who got what appeared to a floor manager .... who says "yes the floor goes up here so the table's going to tilt." We didn't want to find out what would happen if we put a single glass on that table. Another table opens up and we get moved. As soon as we settle down, someone else comes up and asks us to get up as the table is "reserved". Another party has been waiting on it for an hour at this point. I thought it was a joke, but oh no they were serious. The service went down from that point on. Thankfully we didn't have to move, we got amazing food and had great views. Smith and Wollensky ... you can do better. Though I've never been to this restaurant in particular, I've received much better services at other locations.

Julie D.

We were walking around the city and noticed the incredible view from their patio. Perfect lunch spot! Our server Peter J. was very attentive. He was also super friendly and lots of fun. BJ got a Wollensky's Butcher Burger. It was perfectly cooked, served with fries and coleslaw. It was probably the best slaw either of us have ever had. I got a Wollensky Salad, super fresh and crisp romaine, tiny tomatoes, croutons made from potatoes, mushrooms, and bacon lardons with the house vinaigrette. The salad was almost perfect. Best of all was the bread. Served in it's own little pan with a spoon. So good. We will definitely visit again for a great lunch like this!

Jubrail S.

The food is great. Service is ok but you are not special. it is not a romantic place at all and tables are so close together for you to enjoy your neighbors conversation!

Mike M.

A great choice when you are looking for one of Chicago's fine steakhouses. Located on the river, we enjoyed a beautiful window seat. The service was perfect. Maker's Mark on the rocks, calamari, delicious fresh baked bread pan, fine bottle of cabernet, coffee and cocoa crusted filet, asparagus, sautéed mushrooms, and a 6 shotglass sorbet sampler..... Not the best Chicago has to offer (my favorite of all time is still Joe's Seafood, steak and crab) but a solid choice.....

Phil O.

This was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. Old Fashioned- Perfect blend of cherry nodes and bourbon Wollensky's Salad- This probably was the best side salad I've ever had, and at $13, it probably should be, right? What's crazy about this is that I don't particularly like mushrooms. Medium-Rare Filet Mignon w/ Gouda Cheese- This is one of the best steaks I've ever had in my life, and boy was it rich and juicy.

Stephanie H.

I like my meat. Hee hee! My steak (filet with roasted garlic medium rare) was awesome. Even better I had to get it to go because I had to get back to the office for a work call and it was great even in a to go container with a plastic knife and fork. While at the restaurant we shared seafood bouquets which were very tasty, though the clams were a bit off. One thing that was off putting was when we walked in it smelled bad in the restaurant. It was 11:30 am on a Monday and there were very few patrons there. Maybe it was the river? I don't know. For some reason of the 'chain' steakhouses, S&W has never been towards the top of my list. In fact I even debated given this place 3 stars, but all of the food I had was good, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt... but I would prefer to go elsewhere.

Ashley C.

We came here with a gift certificate and on one of the last nights to sit outside to eat. We grabbed a seat on their patio and had a great view of the city. We started splitting the Cesar salad and the mussels. I quite liked the mussels - they were tendered and cooked well. The Cesar salad was a bit disappointing. The dressing just tasted off. At first, I thought it had a lot of anchovies in the dressing (which I do not like) but my husband noticed the same taste and he loves anchovies. It was not good and I wouldn't order it again. For the entree, we ordered the dry aged bone-in ribeye. It was very good, beefy and tender. The red wine paired very well with the beef. The truffle mac and cheese was okay, but I would probably get a different side the next time. I'd prefer more cheese than truffle taste. Service was okay, but not great. Overall, it's more of a 3.5 star steakhouse.

Tosha J.

We took my mom here for Mother's Day because she was craving a steak (we ordered steak as well). We wished the steaks were seasoned more and the sides (mac and cheese, potatoes and mushrooms) were just ok. Great service, patio and dessert. I'm glad we tried this place, but honestly it's overpriced.

Shradha A.

This is probably THE most unconventional steakhouse review - ever! I'm a vegetarian and during a business lunch this week, a client chose this venue. I actually was super impressed with the service - remarkable - and the food - especially their truffle mac n cheese. The bread they brought out at the start was quite good too..

Debbie F.

I was here about 6 weeks ago on a beautiful night. We had a private party in their "Wine Cellar" room. The room was smaller than I thought it would be, but intimate. I was hoping for a room with a view of the river. Staff (specifically Andrew) was attentive to every need we had. The wine came out, and I am not the biggest wine drinker, however, it was the best glass (or 4) of wine I have ever had in my life. The food was amazing (had halibut w/creamed spinach side). The spinach was to die for! Desserts were amazing especially the Coconut cake. I don't dine out downtown too often, but I would definitely go back for a special occasion.

Chad K.

Guys night out. Free skybox tickets to the Hawks Game, open bar, wives at home, topped of with a great Steak and great service. Our server Kevin was great! He recommended the long bone "tomahawk." Fantastic choice. Sides were great, and the atmosphere was just what we were looking for! We will definitely be back!

Susan O.

This is a special destination for our family when we're in Chicago. And, for the past two years, we've celebrated Thanksgiving here. After we lost my mom to cancer, we knew we needed a new family tradition for Thanksgiving. Thank goodness for Smith & Wollensky. We had the option of a special Thanksgiving menu, or, for our steak-lovers, we could also order from the amazing regular menu. We had choices to delight our entire family, all perfectly prepared and served with unparalled skill. The wine list is the finest we've found in Chicago. With all the choices available, I was amazed how well our server could explain the finer differences in each of the wines we considered. He led us to an amazing choice. Yes, it's very pricey. The ingredients are top-notch and skillfully prepared and served. If you're looking for an exceptional place for a special occasion, this is worthy of your consideration. If someone else is treating, even better! At peak times, an additional dining room is used. It's large, noisy and lacks the atmosphere and views enjoyed by the rest of the restaurant. If you can, ask for a table by the water or by the bar. You'll be glad you did.

Hannes H.

This restaurant is located directly on the river and has a nice view when you are lucky to have window table. We went there for dinner and were not disappointed. We didn't have a reservation but it wasn't an issue and we got a table very quickly. The steaks were really nice and perfectly cooked. The sides were nice, but nothing special. One of the group had a salmon filet which he also complemented. Overall I would rate it as a good steakhouse.

Joe C.

Had a reservation for a family pre- Christmas dinner for a party of six. We chose this place particularly for the ambiance with dining rooms overlooking the river. When we entered the main dining room, it was closed for a private party, and we were directed downstairs to check in. Although there were additional rooms with views of the river we were led to a banquet room with no windows and no holiday decorations that had the feel of someone's basement. After asking to be moved to the restaurant proper, we were told it would be at least an hour before a 6 top was available. Although we said we would wait, we called Mortons and got in after an hour and enjoyed a great meal in a wonderful atmosphere. My big complaint with Smith & Wollensky is if they close the main dining room on a Saturday night, they should inform you when making a reservation that you may be sitting in a banquet room rather than the river view rooms. At an average of $100 per person for dinner and wine, do you want to sit in someone's basement? With all the great steakhouses in Chicago, who needs this? I'll never go back! ---Joe C

Robin C.

I came here this last Tuesday night for dinner with just one other person. We got to sit down by the river level which was really nice to watch. The food was absolutely spot on. We had the seafood platter to start, then the calamari, and I also had the split pea soup. All of it was great. My friend ordered the steak trio and he said it was great, and I had the aged 14oz. sirloin, which was perfect. It happened to be my birthday, so my friend had told the server, and he brought me a giant piece of chocolate cake as well as a glass of champagne, which wasn't needed, but was very nice of them. The service and the server were perfect. He was knowledgable, funny, constantly checked on us, and made us have a great time. The price is probably a little under what other Chicago steak houses are as well. For two of us our bill ended up being a little over $400 (after drinks, etc.) So that wasn't too bad. On our way out, we made reservations to come back, everything was so good. Out of all the Chicago steak houses, this one is now one of my favorites.

Will B.

It's ok. Nice outdoor seating. Right on the river. But, the downside is that there can be a lot of foot traffic going by while you eat.

Richard P.

One of the best steaks of my life. Personal service and attention.

Justin W.

Attentive service. Excellent food. One of the best steaks I've ever had. The sides are served family style and very tasty. An excellent wine selection for every taste and budget. A few good beers as well. Would definitely go back!

Melanie V.

Ahhh yes....Sweet, sweet redemption. Back for Holiday Luncheon 2010...and let's discuss the complete 180 degree turn in the service. Beautiful, prompt, friendly and...I dare say...almost perfect. What a wonderful way to celebrate with coworkers! The food, of course, was amazingly delicious again. The Lobster BLTA (the 'A' is for Avocado) is one of the most creative and yummy sandwiches I have had in my life. Who knew bacon and lobster could make a beautiful pair? Creamed spinach, truffled mac 'n' cheese and angry shrimp should be noted as they were soo good! The staff also brought out huge portions of desserts for us to share. I could only eat the chocolate cake, but everyone raved about the carrot cake and creme brulee. And the view of the river from the downstairs? Lovely. Make sure to get a table down there. You will not regret it.

James T.

Went for work function event. Pay for what you get. Expensive, definitely for a special event or outing. $50-60 per plate, plus drinks. I got the 24 oz. T-bone steak medium-rare. It was perfectly cooked, and tasted fantastic. See the photo I posted. Cozy seating. Only negative I have is that we arrived @ 7 pm, did not receive entree food until 9 pm. We got appetizers, wine, entrees and dessert. We did not leave until ~11pm. Definitely not a place to rush.

E S.

Subsequent trips to Smith & Wollensky have prompted me to update my review. Since my last trip that prompted my initial review, I've been happy with the service and the food as usual. The manager reached out to me after my initial 3 star review, which I truly appreciate. It shows that the leadership cares about its clientele.

Nora F.

I was so bummed on my last trip to the grill. Back before the renovations, I loved going there. Same bartenders, great service. Now, admittedly it looks better, it has lost its charm. All their regular bartenders had to quit during the renovation. Now the feeling is not quite as welcoming. And the bar service is awful awful awful. It took forever just to get a drink (two bartenders and not overly busy). We ordered a somewhat expensive bottle of wine. Never had the bartender pour more than the first glass. Then he took a good half hour after we were finished eating to take away our appetizer plates. Could not flag him down. He just sat in the other corner of the bar chatting with the other bartender. We were going to order more food, but at that point, it wasn't worth it. Their prices don't warrant that type of service. So sad because the grill was my after work "cheers" for many years. The charm and service are gone. The quality of the super expensive food and my memories are the only reason it is getting two stars.

Saurabh P.

I wasn't totally impressed with my experience here. First, my seat sucked. Service wasn't what I expect in this price range. The food was good, not great. A bit bland although my palate requires a bit more flavor and spice than the average person.

William B.

This place is priced like a 5 star prime steak house but in no ways is the quality 5 stars. Ordered the 10oz Filet and I was shocked at the lack of flavor and the dryness (I ordered medium rare). This is by far the worst steak house I have been to in Chicago and I have been to most of them. If you have to come here steak with seafood and stay away from the over priced steak.

Dadu D.

Last Saturday night, I brought my brother and sister for treat here. Because back home it is culturally not right to eat meat that is undercooked and pink , we requested them to be well done. They must have gotten seriously offended by it, they literally burned the whole thin into charcoal. It was so bitter and hard and flavorless. I said nothing because it was for joyful occasion. However, the more i think about it , the more i get mad after spending 275$ including tip for such disaster. I had better 10$ steak at a wall in the whole diner. Such a shame for steak house. This place sucks.

Dereck H.

Bad food and overpriced. Note all the overpriced hotels nearby . . . SW is designed for people who don't know any better from Bumble-F wherever, looking to burn through their expense accounts. Grim, measly limp lettuce wedge. "Medium-rare" steak was grayish-brown. Overcooked vegetables. After a miserable meal, the server acted as though it simply must have been the best we'd ever had. I should have known - being from Chicago, I don't know why I fell for this TGIFs for blue-blazered middle management. Decent wine advice.

Kat A.

I made reservations here during restaurant week. We got seated at the lower level so we could have a view of the river (so glad they did). The food was good...not amazing like I was expecting. I ordered the Wollensky salad, which came with thick pieces of bacon, potato croutons (never seen this before but I loved it), and mushrooms. The salad was unique and really good. I got the filet rare with foie gras mushroom ragout. I didn't really notice the foie gras, but it was prepared how I wanted it. And I was surprised they served a 10 ounce steak...pretty good size for a restaurant week menu. I ended the meal with the coconut cake. It was HUGE. I would recommend getting it. We also ordered creamed spinach and truffled mac & cheese for our sides. The spinach was good but the mac & cheese was awful. The noodles were overcooked and overall the dish didn't have much flavor. The busboys were very attentive and kept our waters filled, cleared off plates when necessary, got us more bread when we wanted it. The bread seemed freshly baked and was kind of a pull apart bread. So good. Our waitress seemed up and down. Sometimes she'd check on us and she'd be happy and other times she seemed bitchy. She was really nice when she was waiting on the table next to us the entire time we were sitting there so I don't know what her deal was. In the end, she did take us to a private room next to where we were seated and got some good pictures of our family with the river in the background.

Adam C.

The grill downstairs has the best bar staff in the city. Really welcoming and pleasant. The food is sublime. I wish I could go there every day.

Mark N.

Signature Bone in ribeye welcomes my New Year!Indeed a great start,was phenomenal just like the way you want to start your new year!Fillet was good to, though the crab cake was a little small,and bread was good to.

Jasmine N.

This is a solid steakhouse. I ordered the ribeye and my date ordered the free-range chicke; both were great. The steak was cooked medium-well exactly as I had asked and it was seasoned just right. My date said that the chicken was really good. I also had a mojito and it was nice; it had mint leaves inside of the glass which added to the visual appeal. The price was as hefty as could be expected at a steakhouse in downtown chicago. The experience was a good one, so I will certainly be returning.

Dory O.

My husband had the 24 ounce bone-in ribeye and asked for it to be cooked medium. It was served well done. I mentioned it to our server and he said that it should get better closer to the bone. Well, it didn't and we paid $47 for an over cooked steak. My Husband didn't want to wait for another steak so we didn't push the issue. My NY Strip was cooked the way I asked and the creamed spinach and onion rings were delicious so that's what warranted the 3 stars.

Erika C.

I've been to a decent amount of steakhouses but this establishment definitely ranks to be one of the best in my opinion. The location is amazing. It's nestled right along the Chicago River with great views of the skyline. Once seated the server brings out a loaf of freshly baked bread with rosemary. Very good. For the entree we ordered the 24oz Signature Bone In Ribeye. Not only do they age their steaks in-house but they also cook the meats to perfection. The whipped mashed potatoes were delicious as well. The staff was extremely friendly and very helpful with our selections. Our waiter gave us a tour of the restaurant including the kitchen and explained the aging process the meats go thru. Excellent wine selections. Can't say enough good things about this place. They've definitely made a fan out of me.

Travis F.

Knowledgeable staff, and great food. But a bit on the pricey side. Good cocktail and wine selection. Friendly and Great service. Will defiantly be back

Jason C.

Multiple experiences for lunch and dinner. All top-notch. You can't go wrong here. Fantastic service. Reasonably priced. Beats III Forks handidly.

Pavel Z.

Def you should try their steaks. Very very professional way to cook meat. They offered me steak for 65$ in comparation with nationalwide price it's a bit expensive , but the spot was on that steak has a coffee caramel souce on it. Amazing taste!!! Great view on Michigan river! Beautiful interior! High level personnel! Recommended!!! 4 stars from 5.

Jigna S.

Took the bf here for a birthday dinner and it did not disappoint, as expected! We ordered the lamb chops and the spice rubbed long bone ribeye, along with creamed spinach and wild mushrooms for sides - phenomenal! Lamb chops were perfectly cooked to medium rare as was the steak, and the sides were scrumptious! Yes, scrumptious! Don't get a lot of opportunities to use that word and I don't use it lightly :) the mushrooms were my favorite...well seasoned and sauteed!! Yum! Suffice it to say we had a lot of leftovers! And our waiter was great, very attentive and patient. The restaurant even had a birthday card for my boyfriend sitting at the table when we arrived and brought out a chocolate soufflé with lit candles. The ambience was intimate and the view by the window was beautiful, even on a cold rainy Chicago night - could see the river and the city glowing in the moonlight! The only downside was our error in choosing cocktails - a Chicago Hot (jalapeño tequila) and a Bourbon Ball (cinnamon whiskey) - both tasted like cough syrup and were disappointing :( We'll just stick to the wine list next time! Would love to go back again on a summer evening and sit outside to enjoy the beautiful view!

Joseph D.

As with most steakhouses in this price range, you can usually expect to get an excellent meal and ours was no exception. Sat outside with a great view of the river so if possible, definitely ask for a table outside, weather permitting. Started with 1/2 dozen oysters which were fine enough and proceeded to order the filet with grilled shrimp and the fillet with pan seared foie gras. Both steaks were a bit undercooked. We asked for medium and they were really medium rare but with filets, it's hard without butterflying them so we let it go as they were still delicious. Sides were the asparagus and mac and cheese. Neither disappointed. Mac and cheese was very creamy and asparagus was done perfectly - cooked but not overcooked. Bottle of Pinot Noir at $68 was a splurge as we know it from the store and it's $27 there. I expect a 100% mark up but this was a bit high. Finished with the coconut cake and it was amazing so save room for desert! Service was good as you would expect and the sommelier spent a fair amount of time with us which was appreciated. If you're paying for this out of your own pocket, this is a special occasion place as dinner with tip with north of $300. it was my wife's birthday and the so we splurged but I'm thinking there are other steakhouses where you could eat just as well for a bit less money. Maybe $200? Still, I'd say if you can, it's a go.

Angelica V.

This is one of my favorite Chicago spots. Yes, it's a little more expensive but well worth it. I've been there a few times and each time was great! Just returned last night for an anniversary and it was nothing less than amazing. We sat outside by the riverwalk and were welcomed with a card celebrating our night. Warm bread and whipped butter are awesome. We also tried the split pea soup which is served with croutons...delish. The fritto misto is part of their starters and consisted of fried calamari and shrimp. Served with a butter and garlic aioli...loved it. For the entree we decided on the signature rib eye, which believe me, is enough for 2 people. If you order other starters, you might want to think about sharing your steak. Do yourself a favor and order it medium...it's perfection. As if that wasn't enough, add on a side of their truffle Mac and cheese. I know it seems weird to eat Mac and cheese at a nice restaurant but you won't understand how good it is until you try it. Finally, they brought over a complimentary dessert which was light and delicious. However, if you still have room in your tummy, treat yourself to their gigantic chocolate cake (actual name). You'll definitely want to share that and Wil probably take the rest home. Oh yeah, their drinks were strong too. You'll be set with one or two, unless you want to have a really really good night haha I highly recommend this place for their ambiance, food, and hospitality. Enjoy!!

Simeen A.

Not impressed. 5 of 6 steaks were undercooked, some in a big way (requested medium, came out more like rare). Waiter was nice enough but didn't come by after steaks were served to check and see that all was well, so at that point we all just ate what we had. A plus is that the sides were tasty- so points there (but let's be frank- it's not hard to grill up asparagus or make mashed potatoes). Also- the cheesecake was awful. It was dry and crumbly and sort of strangely lumpy. Ick. A total miss. **Bumped up a star because of super quick and courteous follow up from the GM. Hope my feedback helps them up their game!

Donna C.

Atmosphere is important not as important as the food quality but it adds a lot to the experience. NEVER have I been so turned off to a place as I was today! Beautiful sunny day to sit outside and enjoy a cocktail and appetizer? not according to the pretentious staff here. The host acted like we were Neanderthals unworthy of his hospitality. We were told we could only be seated at a hightop table -ok. My problem was EVERY appetizer was seafood - not okay. So we ordered our cocktails and our table was quickly stripped of flatware, napkins, small plates. And then we were ignored, obviously not worthy of their time. When my husband ordered another beer, he asked for a mini bread loaf others were enjoying. That was okay except for the burnt rosemary chunks on top. All I can say is they don't have to worry, I won't darken their door again. If Chicago offers anything, it is options.

KK W.

What has happened to this restaurant?!! I was in Chicago and met here with old friends. We were greeted by a rude Host, seated in a horrible location and all of our meals were under or over cooked, two of the filets were served cold. Two members of our party had to send their steaks back 3 times! We left this restaurant feeling offended and disappointed. This used to be a great spot to go and enjoy a great meal and a great ambiance but trust me and don't bother. There are plenty of other fantastic restaurants in Chicago that care about their customers and serve terrific food. Go to Maestros, you won't be sorry!

Leah D.

I was looking for a place with an open reservation for Chicago Restaurant week and wanted somewhere that wasn't as chain-y as Ruth's Chris. Smith & Wollensky had a menu that fit with what I wanted. The location is excellent - right on the river near downtown. So the place wasn't packed on a Friday night, which was a little surprising, given that the other steakhouses I was looking at were all booked up. The staff was friendly, but the food was just ok....I've definitely had better steak, and this one kind of looked like it had been frozen prior to cooking (the middle was definitely not the nice red of a medium-very rare steak). All in all, I guess this place tends to cater more towards tourists, especially given the location. Again, the food wasn't bad, and I didn't have a terrible experience, but I'm not likely to head back there.

Lindsey B.

Expensive. Come prepared. The truffle macaroni and cheese was amazing, that's definitely a dish I will try to recreate in our kitchen. The T-bone steak was cooked perfectly, and was huge ! The servers were awkward at first, but warned up and were really helpful. They tried to stand back and give us space to enjoy our romantic evening.

Miss M.

NOTE: my review may be slightly skewed because the day I went here I was experience alterations in my sense of taste due to meds I'm taking -- in other words, everything I ate for several days (not just at S&Ws) tasted like metal. Anyway, the service was great and we had lunch there on Christmas Eve. The oysters were the tastiest (one of the things I could taste accurately). I had a good moscato wine and also mussels for appetizer. Our steaks were huge. We had so much meat at the end that we took our steaks home. Really, our steaks tasted better the next day as we re-heated them and made steak 'n' eggs. I would totally go back when my taste buds are acting normally.

Agnes F.

what a let down! this place is getting worse and worse although it has never been my fav place to get steak (personally think morton's, gibson's, david primehouse or even saloon's have better steaks than this place), this past friday's dinner just hit a new low for me we started with seared tuna for appetizers, they were ok, nothing special but my sweetbreads entree was just terrible it was soooooo salty that it tasted as if they accidentally poured the whole bottle of salt in the batter the spinach that came with suffered the same problem truffle mac and cheese were only ok as well my bf ordered salmon and i had a taste of it, i can name 100 restaurants that serve better salmon than S&W if you want to spend this kind of cash, go to hugo's, gibsons or seriously anywhere else, don't waste your money here

William V.

Used to love this place. The last time I went there and the last time I ever will - the service was awful and the food was worse. I could go into detail but it's not worth my time. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone anymore. At least until I hear that they are under different owners and managment. High priced - Low Quality!

Ashley V.

This place definitely deserves 5 stars for the food alone but there were a few off things about the service and I strongly believe that the service should match the price. First off, every morsel of food I have put in my mouth from this restaurant is absolutely to die for! I have been to the location in Las Vegas and this Chicago location and I have to say they are certainly consistent. They have a huge wine selection and a rather large menu but the server recommended some excellent choices on both and I had an delicious meal. The Wollensky salad is good enough to make it a meal. It has huge bacon chunks and the croutons are made from little fried potato squares (hard to describe but absolutely amazing). The dressing was great.. kind of like a light sweeter dijon. The bread they bring out is a pull-apart type in a round pan that is warm and covered in butter and garlic and other seasonings which can be dangerous especially when you have a super steak on the way. I truly enjoy the fillet and it was cooked to absolute perfection. The sides are amazing... I recommend the creamed spinach and the asparagus. The fried zucchini was nothing special so I'd skip it in the future. At this point.. I can't believe we had room for desert but of course we did. We split the creme brulee trio which was a trio of three different chocolate creme brulee's... it was perfect. The only thing I found disappointing was the lack of accommodation but I know sometimes these things cannot be prevented. We reserved with a large group (7 people) and had a few out of towners so we requested a marina view. When we go there they did not have any open marina tables and seated us in an enclosed banquet room which was insanely loud. About 30 minutes into the meal they sat a table of 6 early twenties guys next to us who proceeded to yell and be inappropriate through the entire meal and it seemed that the waiter almost egged them on. It made for a pretty uncomfortable meal not being able to converse with the people across the table. I definitely will return and I think this place truly makes for a special night out!

Stephanie M.

A friend and I went to S&W for Wine Week - we made reservations for a table, but decided to sit at the bar instead...the service was terrible, as was the food - we ordered soup to be served first, salads and then a flat bread to share. The soup came out and was really good - their signature Split Pea - YUMMY, but is was all down hill from there...while we were eating our soup, the flat bread arrived, not the salads as we asked...since we were still eating our soup, they took the flat bread back into the kitchen and must have out in under heat lamps where it became dried out...couldn't they make us a new one?? Next came the salads - the lettuce was so wilted, I can't believe they weren't embarrassed to serve such low quality food - and it was Wine Week and we had to keep asking the bartender to fill our glasses with the next sampling - just a completely bad experience....won't be back!! TERRIBLE!!

Bella D.

Had dinner with friend here, steak person! Had the prime rib, Wollensky salad, and creme brulee dessert...Mmmm My tastebuds enjoyed every chomp chomp. We had the Martha's Vineyards oysters which was a treat. Blue point oysters are yummy too....My pal had the filet mignon, iceburg salad, and creme brulee as well...Great staff and down to earth. Great martinis, pomegranate martini, dirty martini with bleu cheese/olives, wine, piano player...and nice restaurant for dinner with friends = )

Yo M.

Big and expensive name, but food was not that good. My steak was not sizzling, infact it was a bit cold by the time it was in front of me. I would rather go to .... there are so many other places in Chicago to go to, and all nearby. Wait staff was good and attentive, but again, what good is the wait staff if food is not great, and at that price, I expected nothing less than the best.

John P.

I had a terrible lunch here yesterday. First, the service was spotty, in the middle of taking our order the waitress just said "hold on a sec" and walked away for a few minutes. Came back and said there was an emergency in the kitchen. A few of us all ordered the Wolensky special which was an openface steak sandwich. It was one of the worst "sandwiches" I've had in a while. The meat was a terrible grade. I don't recall the cut of beef it was supposed to be but it was sliced into about 1.5inch chunks which were 1/2 fat. Then there was a tendon that ran through the entire piece of meat on each of our sandwiches which you couldn't even chew so you had to mutilate the meat to remove it. Lastly, who puts grilled onions on a sandwich and then has onion rings as the included side? We also got the calamari and truffle Mac and cheese, both of which were below average. The only redeeming quality was the pretzel bread in the bread baskets. Those were good. But at $50/person for lunch I expect a lot more. I won't be going back here again.

Kelly K.

Another nearby favorite for working lunches. The salads are always good and the steak sandwich I had the other day was fantastic. The trio of chocolate creme brulees was to die for, but a bit heavy for a work lunch.

John O.

Yes, its a chain and yes, there are many other steak houses out there but for my money, its a safe bet that I will be pleased when I leave here. I am particularly partial to the bar area of Smith & Wollensky which I find to by one of the best spots in the city to order a great steak. Down in the bar area, the atmosphere is considerably less stuffy and you usually don't need a reservation. The view of the river really makes it even better. While I am usually partial to the bone in ribeye, their filet mignon is da bomb... just rare, velvety perfection. Mind you, I'm not saying that Smith and Wollensky is the best steakhouse in Chicago but it does seem to remain at a consistently high level. I've had varied experiences at almost every other "top flight" steakhouse, (Morton's, Keefer's, Gibson's, etc.) and although all of those restaurants have at times narrowly edged out S&W, they have also all fallen well short on other occassions. Maybe I am getting old but I feel like a sure "9 out of 10" is preferable to gambing on getting a "10" or a "6".

Amy R.

5 stars on the service alone. Never in my life have I been served by such a professional wait staff. They were all extremely pleasant (including those I passed by on my way to the restrooms), prompt, and courteous! And considering I was only one person in a party of 30, I felt they did a darn good job of being extremely personable. The restaurant itself has the old school Chicago charm, which I love, and it overlooks the river, so the view isn't too shabby, if you ask me. If you can, snag one of the window views - you won't regret it. Now, onto the food. It's a well-known beef restaurant in the city that eats, breathes, and drinks beef. Nuff said. Seriously, though, I had the filet mignon, which was well done (if you like medium, however, ask for medium rare). I tried the mashed potatoes (very creamy!) and creamed spinach (much better than I expected!), but I must say, the food didn't entirely blow me over. However, the dessert...well, that's a different story. I had a superb chocolate layer cake that was so good I stole bites from my so's plate while he wasn't looking. I wouldn't recommend the house Cabernet (which tasted watered down), but the mixed drinks are stiff enough to remind you to tip well. I'm not sure what the total damage was, since I was there as a guest for a friend's wedding rehearsal dinner, but I'm sure it wasn't cheap. Definitely a place to go for a big celebration.

Mark H.

This restaurant is right on the Chicago River, which is nice, also you can see buildings like Trump Tower Chicago, you are at the foot of the round parking structures. This place had favorable reviews and we were able to call and make a reservation for 10 the day of. The food was excellent. I had the 8oz filet mignon and it just melted in my mouth. The seasoning was fantastic and it was cooked perfectly. Everyone that I came with raved about their meals, as we all got something somewhat different. We shared multiple sides and they were all delicious. The atmosphere was perfect for what we were looking for a private room in the wine cellar, and our server was very knowledgeable and friendly. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for a great steak house in the Chicago area!

Raquel D.

More like a 3.5. Gosh, I give out half ratings alot...anyway. It's def good here and it's def pricy. It was a place we wanted to try, but I don't think it was the best steak ever. But it's still tender and delicious. I had an open table certificate and put it to good use here - def got our steaks, apps and drinks. The meat was excellent and the wine selection is abundant. However, it is too expensive to become a regular here - but the view is sick and makes for a lovely backdrop so I can see us coming here for drinks or events with specials.

John W.

This is my favorite go to restaurant in Chicago. It is consistently great. the venue is awesome, with great outdoor seating. The service, drinks, the seafood, the steaks are all done so well. The lobster mango salad is awesome. I've been there at least a couple dozen times, several times with big groups, and have yet to be disappointed - not even once. Great venue for groups as well; they have a very nice assortment of private rooms.

Capaytano H.

Went for Father's Day and the food was outstanding

Mariam K.

I went to Smith and Wollensky on New Years Eve and my only complaint would be the fact that I made reservations and still had to wait about 30 minutes.. but I guess it's normal and I probably would've had to do that at any restaurant that day. After finally being seated... they served us bread... which was really hard for some reason.. didn't seem fresh at all... so I wasn't too fond of it... and was a bit annoyed by this point.. however we finally got our food.. and it was all worth it... I ordered the cajun rib-eye which was really good and had a lot of flavor and spice to it. Overall... it was descent. I wouldn't mind coming back.

Saira K.

I know it's a chain, but I enjoyed my lunch here. The cocktail shrimp were good, as was the crabcake, the Caesar salad, and the split pea soup. Excellent service, and loved the view.

Rich W.

Smith & Wollensky probably has the best location of all the steakhouses in Chicago. It is right on the bank of Chicago River and affords a great view of the marina and Wacker Drive. Truth be told, I was prepared to not like it. I thought, "Another New York owner, probably just like David Burke, who knows how to dry age meat but doesn't know how to cook." Fortunately, I was sorely mistaken. It was the end of the summer when we visited, so we had the scallop gazpacho special for appetizer. It was very well paired and executed. One of my friends got the fillet and lobster. It came with a whole lobster, and it was cooked beautifully. I got the ribeye. It was perfectly medium rare as requested, and the steak was marbled, tender, and flavorful. I was very impressed by the quality of the meat and the execution of the kitchen. The creamed spinach side was also spot on. Dessert, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. The cheese cake, one thing that New York actually does better than us, was way off - the texture was coarse and tasted cheap. The trio of creme brulee was better - interesting but ultimately nothing to write home about. Service was smooth and friendly. The al fresco dining area had a real buzz. Because of the location by the water, the dining experience was transcending. Chicago has a lot of steakhouses, but most places just don't deliver. Smith & Wollensky, though, was great. The dry-aged meat was tender and flavorful. The execution was spot on. This is how American steak should taste like. There's no bells and whistles here, just good ingredients done right. This and the Rosebud Steakhouse by the Drake Hotel are now my two favorite American steakhouses in Chicago. I will be back for the steaks, but not the desserts.

Angelo C.

If you like places that add insult to injury for approximately $75 a person, eat here and be sure to try Ed Debvic's next they are great at insults too! An unfavorable experience goes from bad to worse upon return! Here is what unfolded. A manager did contact me shortly after I posted my original unfavorable review (below). She invited us back to the resteraunt providing a gift card in the mail. We came about one week later, after making a reservation with our gift card in hand. When we arrived we gave our name and we were seated immediately not far from the receptionist stand and not far from a piano if my memory serves me correctly. The table was set beautifully with all the glassware and linen napkins etc. The waiter came over gave us the wine menu, we informed him we weren't drinking this evening. He picked the menu up along with the wine glasses that were set ahead of time to make more space on the table. We told him that we are ready to order. My girlfriend and I both decided that we wanted the burger she had the last time we were there, thinking it would be fast enough to get us to our movie on time. To this the water said "We don't serve burgers here. If you want to eat burgers, you will have to sit at the bar". I have never been more close to making a scene in my life! I was sooo upset...after making the effort to come back and give them a second chance! My girlfriends face was livid. I told him, showing immediate displeasure, "We ordered a burger about three weeks ago while sitting along the river window downstairs. Why must we now eat at the bar?" He said "Well yes, you can also eat burgers downstairs, or at the bar, you just can't eat them here" ! What in the heck is going on in this place!??? We relocated to the bar trying to stay on time for the movie we already bought tickets too earlier that day. The more I looked at my girlfriend who was clearly upset the more upset I became. There was something so embarassing about it, like we were being profiled, or discriminated against. I mean how dare we order burgers in a steak house, is this what you have your employees trying to teach your customers!? Wow! I really enjoyed sitting at the bar watching the servers come get all kinds of fancy drinks for the rest of the customers enjoying themselves at their perspective tables. I also enjoyed them dusting out the glasses they were about to use within arms distance of my food. The bartendars were awesome and friendly. That being said, I hope they will seek employment at establishments that do not use such horrible business ethics. May I recommend Miller's Pub which is open very late and offers prime rib! I can't wait to hear from management now, this post and this rating will remain until I do. If there is any good news in this review, it's this. Be glad I did not share this review on Facebook "yet". I look forward to your call. Before you call, you should know that I own several businesses one of which being a yacht charter company. We carry groups of 20+ people past your establishment twice, on our way in and out of the Chicago river. I am already thinking of what punchline I might add when pointing out your establishment to our passengers? The following is my original review: I ate here on three seperate occasions and loved. On my last visit I found the place about 80% empty on a Sunday night and thought service would be a little better with less people to attend to. Service was quick but the 28 ounce steak I ordered came to the table with the most uneven cut I ever saw. I know it would not be cooked "medium" all the way through and sure enough, when I got to the thicker side it was rare. I asked for them to cook it a few more minutes and they did. During this time I ate the other half of my girlfriends burger. When my steak came out I was no longer hungry. While the server apologized picking it up and the manager (I assume the manager because she was wearing suit) brought it back to the table apologizing again, an apology for a $40+ dollar steak just doesnt cut it. We got up and left. I think a desert or a discount could have been offered. Perhaps we should have eaten at Morton's which is where we started but Morton's told us there would be a 20 minute wait, thus we walked over to this place instead of waiting. Now I think I understand wow one was full and one was half empty.

Mark H.

Staying at the near by Palomar I wanted some place we could easily walk to after a long day around Chicago. Smith and Wollensky was in a great location and close to our hotel so that was a win right from the start. The menu is pretty much what you would expect from a steak house. Everything is a la carte, including all the sides so it's going to be a pricey outting, but it turned out to be worth it. The wine list list was pretty extensive and there was a full range of cheaper bottles to more expensive excellent bottles. My girlfriend and I each went for a salad, side and steak. I loved the anchovie toast that came on the ceasar. We split a baked potato and it came with all the fixings on the side. One really nice touch was our waiter cut the potato for us, which made sharing it a lot easier. I went with the t-bone and it was juicy, flavorful and cooked well. Overall everything was very good. The setting is really nice and adds a nice historic steak house feeling. Service was great. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive without being annoyingly so. Water glasses were always kept full and everything came out on time. The best parts here were the setting and the service. The food was very good, but like a lot of steaks there is only so much they can do. Definitely give the steak sauce a shot with your meat.

Leigh J.

If, like me, you see a direct correlation between the juicyness and the deliciousness of a burger, you will understand why I am a huge fan of the Wollensky Butcher Burger. It comes as no surprise that Smith & Wollensky, a high-end and highly rated steakhouse, would know a thing or two about how to prepare beef. The Butcher Burger comes with melted cheese, two strips of bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a suitably unobtrusive soft bun that doesn't interfere with the flavour and texture of one of the most expertly prepared beef patties you are likely to come across. Hands down one of the tastiest burgers I have ever eaten. It costs a hefty 13 bucks, but includes the added bonus of getting to devour a messy burger at a snazzy white tablecloth affair while overlooking the river in the heart of downtown Chicago.

Anthony F.

I love how every time I eat at a Smith & Wollensky's, be it NYC or Chicago, I NEVER have to pay! Thanks family! What can really be said about this place besides how amazing it is?? The staff are top notch (especially when you're related to a regular), and the food can't be beat. I went with the cajun spiced filet mignon (my mouth just watered typing that), with baked potato and creamed spinach for sides. I like my steaks well done (blood is gross people, and I still taste PLENTY of flavor), which is always a risky thing. A lot of places will easily dry it out or scorch it. In this case, my steak was without a trace of pink yet still extremely juicy and flavorful. The potato was perfect, but the creamed spinach didn't do it for me. That said, I'm not a fan of spinach in the first place, so there's no reason to think that the dish here isn't good. Because nothing could be bad here. Nothing. EVER. (tummy grumble)

Nancy L.

Too late for the Macy's food court, seduced by the afternoon sunlight on the building and river below, and sensing Don't-Care-As-Long-As-it's-Food's incipient meltdown before we could make it to Food Life, we walked into Smith and Wollensky. The main level's atmosphere was pretty vibrant for such an off hour, but I asked to sit by the windows below which suited our purposes better (photographing Don't Care with every water taxi that passed by and enjoying the river though we just missed the green). They split and prepared a wedge tableside for us - shockingly small for such a basic menu. Don't Care's ribeye was too charred, but she liked it. My prime rib was standard, but the horseradish excellent, and the truffled mac & cheese pretty decadent. I'm always thrown off by the term Yorkshire pudding - after all the times I've read it in novels, I'm not sure what I envisioned. What I got looked more like a brioche. I loved the location, elegance of the space, and view, but really can't condone the prices when I've had more outstanding beef at a roadside stand in Costa Rica (surprisingly not that cheap). The utensils were dirty and ugly too. I don't fault them for charging for the experience - it was worth it to us.

Joe L.

WOW!!!! I am a big steak fan and this place nearly knocked me off my seat. I don't typically enjoy the nice steakhouse recipes and think they are very overrated but this place was amazing. The Beef tenderloin trio was so amazing I couldn't stop, cooked perfectly and wonderful combination of flavor. There was absolutely no issue with service, our waitress was fantastic and always present to take care of the table. I highly recommend visiting the next time in Chicago.

Robert R.

I stopped by here last Saturday afternoon with a friend (and fellow Yelper) to have a drink before we made our way to Opening Night at the Lyric. She'd already been here before many times so we planned on coming back afterward for dinner, too. With that in mind, leaving our car nearby just made good sense. The first part of our evening was..."colorful". We sat down at the bar and was greeted immediately by Scott, our bartender. We'd ordered a couple of martinis and he made them perfectly. The bar was rather vacant since we arrived a little earlier than a normal dinner crowd would, but unfortunately, there was one patron sitting to my right who, shall we say, had been there a little too long. However, after it was obvious that this customer was getting on our nerves, Scott told him (politely) it was time to move on. We were grateful and so I'll give the first portion of our visit 5 stars. We'd returned after the opera was over, perhaps about 11 or so. Normally a bit late for a restaurant to be serving dinner, we knew that Smith & Wollensky would welcome us with open arms. Heading downstairs to find a table, we had a chat with the bartender there and found out that Scott was still on "duty". Since he's already treated us so well before, we decided to head back upstairs and eat dinner at the bar. After placing our order, the Oysters came out first. Delicious! Then our dinner...steak and potatoes. The spuds were excellent, but I was disappointed in my steak. It was tougher than I'd have liked and just didn't have the flavor I was hoping for. Once again, Scott was terrific, but my food review has to come in at only 3 stars. So after combining the two visits we made here last Saturday, I feel justified in giving Smith & Wollensky 4 stars on average. A nice place with great staff...I'd just like the food to catch up a bit. Would I go back? Sure.

S G.

Went here for dinner on A Saturday night with a party of 7. Took at least 30 minutes to get seated with a reservation but it was a busy night and we did have reservations at prime dinner time. The bar is pretty small so we were crowded. The initial bread was yummy and warm. The seafood platter had great reviews from the table but I suggest ordering for half of what they suggest, as we had way too much food for an appetizer The gorgonzola crusted filet minion was great, and the truffeled mac and cheese was pretty tasty. Don't order the squash side- not tasty, no flavor and really didn't look like what it was described as. Some in our party had over cooked steaks which was a bit disappointing. The seafood options were pretty good. The table we had was in the back room with a river view which was awesome. The cocktails were tasty and the specialty martinis were worth ordering. The service was OK, I don't know what everyone was raving about in prior reviews, it was fine but nothing spectacular.

Morris N.

I was here for a mid-week business lunch. Had reservations so there was no wait. Dining room was only about half full so they probably could've accomodated walk-ins. We were in and out in an hour and 20 so pretty quick lunch service. We had calamari for appetizer. I had a filet with the cajun seasoning which was pretty good. Sides were sides just like any other upscale steak joint. Ordered a few and shared. All in all, not bad.

Richard F.

A well-after the fact review, but thought it needed. I took the family and some friends there last year on St. Patrick's Day night - and that may explain this. We had been many times before and my son requested this, as we've loved it otherwise. My wife ordered a vodka martini, and they brought ICE WATER in a martini glass. Telling the waiter, he apologized and brought another that he said he watched the bartender pour.....ICE WATER AGAIN !!! Third try was a real Martini. I waiter for the manager to come - never did. I didn't make a fuss given our guests. Careful what's served on St. Pat's Day - some expected that drunks wouldn't notice.

April W.

Food & Service - spectacular! The drink/cocktail menu could step it's game up a little bit though....but I had the filet oscar style, hubby had the rib-eye, kids shared a big steak, and we had multiple side dishes all of which were excellent! We'll be back!

Jeff F.

Ate dinner here last week at the bar downstairs - mind-blowing: No. Excellent meal: absolutely. Here's the rundown: Pros: - Fresh oysters (I mean, they tasted awesome, so I'm guessing they were fresh) - Very good Filet Oscar - Service from the Aussie barman was on point Cons - Salad was weak - Chocolate cake wasn't really that great, but somehow I couldn't stop eating it Highly recommend trying Smith & Wol out if you haven't been here. Definitely a great Chicago steakhouse experience.

Brett M.

I only visited once at this S&W. I have been to others and you can always count on a good meal. I will say that my one visit to the Chicago S&W was just OK. I may have just had a bad night, but my meal wasn't special. I had the fillet and it was OK, but I have had better in Chicago. Service was very good and so was the wine list. Give this a try especially for business, but Chicago has many Steak house's which I am sure will be equally as good if not better.

John W.

Had dinner here the other night in the grill. WOW, what an experience. Carlean was our waitress and she really knew the menu and wine list. She helped us navigate through the menu. She explained the steak cuts and preparations perfectly and guided us to the perfect bottles of wine for our starter and dinner. I think we could have had just about anything on the menu and been wowed. We started with the mussles, then Caesar. OMG! For the main course, I chose the Gorgonzonla Crusted Filet and my SO had the Dry Aged Sirloin. I loved mine but I was really impressed with the one bit of sirloin I got. We had the mac & cheese side. Not your mothers mac and cheese. OH NO! When we come back, I plan to try their fish. Their Ahi rolled in wasabi and the salmon on a bed of risotto both sound amazing. We were way too stuffed for desert but I will be back. Next time I hope to show a little constraint with the meal so I can enjoy desert.

Dan F.

My wife and I ate at S and W last Sunday 8/3/2014, and our meal was a total disappointment. I had the Lobster bisque as a starter and although it was a little thin, it was Ok but barely average (tasted like it was made with Minor's Lobster Base). I had the Filet Rossini and ordered it medium rare to rare. It came out a medium to well. I asked our server to have it returned. I will say that it came back immediately as they took a steak being cooked for another customer (according to a manager (?) who stopped to ask). Unfortunately the foie gras was way under cooked, as in not even firm. The steak was swimming in a sea of demi glace which was way too strong. My wife ordered her filet medium rare and it was so dry that she didn't bother finishing it. I've always like Smith and Wolensky but I think that next time I'll spend my $200 plus at Gibson's or one of the other great steakhouses in Chicago. I will say that the staff was friendly and the view wonderful as ever. I noticed from Nikki L's review for 8/4 was also negative as to the quality of the food. Perhaps she also was there on Sunday night after the rain?

Jeanne L.

We went here for Restaurant Week. Started out our meal with the beef carpaccio, which came with arugala, mushrooms, and parmesan... sooo good. Next was the 10 oz filet, which I ordered rare, but it came out medium. The server quickly took my plate back and brought out a rare steak. It was heavenly. Steaks were meant to be eaten rare, especially if you're going to a place like this. The steak was nicely complemented with a house red wine. For dessert, I had a chocolate layer cake. The bf had a trio of sorbets (mango, raspberry, and coconut), which were all freshly made - and omg, what a difference that makes. Best of all, the service was amazing. Everyone was so attentive. I never had to "try" to get a server's attention. They placed us at a table overlooking the river, and they gave us the Restaurant Week menu, along with the regular menu, and didn't treat us like scum of the earth for partaking in the promotion. The place gets four stars though, instead of five, because this was my first time to a real steakhouse. (I'm not counting Outback Steakhouse.) Also, I felt really nauseous afterwards, which was probably a result of me overeating. The feeling persisted into the next morning, which I'm hesitant to blame on food poisoning, but rather my weaksauce stomach.

C W.

You know how every waiter has the table that they just don't care about? WE WERE THAT TABLE. We had some of the worst service here. We went for a celebration dinner and were completely snubbed for any form of service by our waiter. The worst part is, the table next to us received what appeared to be attentive service.

Dee C.

Came in before a show last week and was not disappointed. We sat at the bar, service was outstanding, Declan from Ireland took great care of us. I had a burger and 2 sides, the spinach and mac n cheese..awesome. My friend had wine, I wasn't in the mood for wine, so I asked Declan for a surprise cocktail, he made me a fantastic vodka based drink, would go back just for that alone!

Luis E.

Excellent!

Ashley R.

We love a steakhouse, and this place lived up to the hype. Location right on the river was fantastic, service was great and the food was also really wonderful. We had the wedge salad, which came with thick cut bacon (yum) and then had the filet and lobster special. The filet was just OK, nothing special (they had some special preparations available that we opted out of, but we would prob opt in next time). The Lobster was wonderful and came whole, which was refreshing, instead of just the little tail. The drinks were stiff- which was also a plus. They also had the cutest/most delicious fresh cooked bread that comes in personal sized tins. It was still warm and I could have eaten the whole thing given the opportunity. Downsides: the steak could have been better. The Chicago Chop House had better steaks, the sides were VERY expensive ($11-15) for potatoes or asparagus... seemed a bit too pricey, but the entrees were big so we didn't need any sides.

Ben F.

Went here once years ago and remember it being good but it was very expensive! Not sure if I thought the price was worth it! I think my meal was like $70+ just for the steak/potato/veggie...

Anna R.

Great view of the river, which is why the review is 5 stars. Otherwise it is a 4. Staff prompt and friendly. Drinks mixed well. Steak and chocolate cake good. Not phenomenal out of this world, just a nice plain good.

Access D.

I like to visit this steak house when I am in Chicago for business during the late spring or summer. I like my table to be along the water front around dusk so I can people watch, and watch the lights turn on in the high rises of the city. I choose this steak house because it is walking distance from the hotel, House of Blues and the shopping areas. During the hot summer months, I like to run around in shorts, sandals and t-shirts while in the city. I know that it's not proper business attire in Chicago, but I have never sensed from the wait staff that I was improperly dressed while dining. I like to start off with a salad with an oil and vinagerte and a glass of the waiter recommended red wine. I like the presentation of the different steaks brought out to show what they have available. I will get one of the special cuts for the evening that have been dry aged for 20+ days. Rubbed with cajun spices, or perhaps salt and pepper, depending on my mood. The steaks are always cooked to perfection. The dry aging makes the meat tender and delicious. I have never had a bad experience with their service or the quality of food.

Keyth D.

Good, solid, classic steakhouse. Great location in Chi-town. If you're lucky you can get a table overlooking the river.

Matthew W.

As far as the nicer steakhouses go, this one is at the bottom of my list. I'll save you the long, detailed review and just say...go somewhere else. You'll spend the same money and get a better product. That said, S&W is good, just not great.

Matthew E.

Worst service ever. Took almost three hours to get two glasses of wine and my burger on the patio. On top of the whole thing the servers were rude and quite incompetent

Jeremy K.

One of the best meals I've had not only in Chicago, but in the United States. Their dry-aged steak I had was absolutely succulent and melted away. Flavors were excellent and so were the sides that came with it. The wine pairing that was suggested worked out well and both my father and I left happy. I've actually been so satisfied that I've also ventured into their Boston restaurant and found the same quality over there as well. The service is attentive, prompt and spot on. The prices are high but the quality is there. If you reserve early enough or get lucky you can sit with a view of the river on your side and with Marina Bay right across as well. It's a really pleasant experience. I cannot wait to return in the future.

Ingrid R.

My husband and I came went in a few weeks ago and sat at the bar. We'd been Christmas shopping downtown (early for once). We were greeted straight away by our bartender Declan. He helped with suggesting beers and wines. I'm a wine drinker so went for his recommendation - one of the cabernets. My husband had one of their tap beers which he liked. We split the sliders and the shrimp both of which we liked. Great service, drink, food. We'll be back.

Claudia D.

Good food, good service, good atmosphere, great view Overpriced, but reliable, consistent quality 2 friends we dine with often love this chain. I like the asparagus, the spinach, and the desserts The fish is good too

Douglas D.

In town as a tourist I wanted to treat the family to a night of fine dining. Since I was traveling my father in-law and his favorite meal is steak I wanted to try a good old school steak house. Checking Yelp for a place that scored both positive reviews and atmosphere I chose Smith & Wollensky. First off it has a great location right along the water front. It was indeed old school. A beautiful place. Great service as well. Everyone enjoyed the meal including my daughter who does not eat steak. My son loved his dinner as well. My children are older. I would not recommend this place for your children even though when the were your I took them to dine in places comparable to this place. The food was very good and the cocktails were very good as well. It was just a great pick for our visit to Chicago.

G T.

Great steaks. The wild mushroom side dish was on the disgusting side. It had some funky looking mushrooms that I thought took the visual appeal away. Also our server who was "top topnotch" lets face it the vast majority of servers working at $85 per head steakhouse are professional. But our server dropped the fu@king ball when after the food runner served our food. She failed to check on us for a good seven minutes. The food was fantastic. My girl wanted another drink. But the part that gets me is that our server was in my sight. she was chatting with a fellow server. And I was certain it was not dinning room service chat. It looked like just general what are you doing after work---did you hear about blah blah blah chat.... Normally I am not critical but I guess for this review I am...

Catalina I.

Okay, I have eaten a decent amount of steak in Chicago, and I think that this place has THE BEST steak. They have their own "filet" section on the menu where you can choose from 5 different flavors and styles. I really liked that because usually filet is just offered one way. I got "Oscar Style" which means it was covered in crab meat, bernaise sauce, on top of cut asparagus. It was amazing! The meat was just so juicy and tender. As far as service and decor go, I'm not such a huge fan. The place is a little crummy, and very outdated. I guess the emphasis is on the food, not the fine dining experience. The service is also okay... There are wonderful views of the river, however, and that was nice.

Morris D.

Well folks, it's about that time. Here we go. We had 3 fellas at the table for a dudes dinner. 2 steaks and some Pepper Chicken were ordered. But let come back to that and back it up a bit. I was about to make a scene and walk out of that fallacy of a restaurant when i noticed the price of $42 had too much space between the 4 & 2. It looked like this $4 2, I take typos very seriously. They will even ruin my whole night. The dudes got me to calm down and not raise some cain in that piece piece. The manager was a swell fella, real nice guy who made sure the dudes were very well taken care of. The french fries were top notch, same with these amazing pretzel rolls they serve you while you wait for your entrees. The dudes loved their steaks and they were seasoned perfectly. If it wasn't for that typo on the $42 dollar steak, this place would get 5 stars from me.

Erik J.

In downtown Chicago there's literarily a steak house on every corner, so competition is fierce. Smith & Wollenskys is one of the old boys in the steak house industry of the town and that fact has its pro's as well as its cons. This is classic stuff, servers who have been working there for longer than I've lived, a menu which is safer than a Volvo combi. The choice of steks and sides are many and you can always find something that suits you. What S&W really can brag with is their winelist, one of the most comprehensive lists that I've seen in this country. And what's better than a steak and a good bottle of red? Biggest let down here is the price...main course with sides will easily land way over the $40 mark which is a lot. Well worth a visit but far from the best steak in town.

Scott H.

This is the best place for Steaks in Chicago PERIOD. I went here for lunch and had the twice baked mac and cheese, a giant filet and a few martinis and I literally thought I was in heaven. Oh, and the waiter was so friendly and chill it made me feel like one of my friends was serving me food at his house. Gibsons is good and all do not get me wrong but this place has a certain uniqueness to it and its fun to sit by the river also.

Benjamin R.

I came in last night, and my experience was PHENOMENAL. The food was delicious, and my waiter, DAVID, was quite knowledgable with great food and wine recommendations. I will definitely be back!

AV G.

i just got home from a horrible meal and wanted to YELP about it asap. I have been here over a dozen times for lunch and will go back for wine week later this month--i am however, sending a copy of this to the MGR. I was a guest at a business dinner for 15 people--the place was empty and the service was fine. I do not eat red meat, but enjoy the typical steakhouse vibe, and the food is decent. I had an awful ceasar salad and TERRIBLE chicken followed by cold espresso. This place is very pricy and caters to the expense account diner-- I am not really fussy, but this was just awful

Kitten F.

Ever get the feeling this place thinks it's more special than it is? The steak is good (then so is steak at The Cheesecake Factory and they don't serve theirs with a side order of snoot) but it's very over-priced in my opinion. I don't know if the serving staff take a course in belligerency but it certainly seems that way. It's a shame; the food is not bad although the prices are super-inflated at this plain chain restaurant with spectacular delusions of grandeur.

Lawrence C.

I wrote a review previously but wanted to take a moment to give a kudos to the staff here. I was in there this past week and reminded myself how nice everyone is here. From Regina the GM to Theresa (not sure of Theresa's title), to Ozzie the Maitre d and last but not least Declan one the best bartenders I have ever met. So if you are in the area stop in for a drink or dinner and if you are at the bar ask for Declan and tell him Larry sent you!!!

Michelle H.

You know, I'd never been! And to be perfectly clear, I wish I never had! 3 major gripes: 1. The wine list is pedestrian, at best. 2 Ordered halibut (I know, but I didn't have the need for steak) and it was BURNED, dry and pretty awful. 3. Upon recommendation of the waiter, we ordered a special appetizer called spicy calamari. Not only was there zero spice, but sincerely lacked a flavor at all. I'm left to assume this is but a tourist trap. I cannot imagine a self-respecting, food-loving Chicagoan would make this choice a second time.

Jill M.

I came in this past week with a couple friends from work. We were looking to have a quick bite before catching a show. We had a great time and our sever Andrew was fantastic. He was extremely knowledgable and accomodating to our time restriction. The food, service, and atmosphere all added to a very enjoyable meal. I will definately be back and be sure to ask for Andrew as my server. With so many restaurants in this city it can be difficult to find a place that does it all right. Smith and Wollensky does.

Steve G.

The truffled mac and cheese = amazing. And the steaks and seafood are great. It's a good steakhouse...you know the deal: ribeyes and creamed spinach and onion rings and good wines. Can't go wrong here IMO. My bone-in ribeye was just slightly overcooked, more medium than the medium-rare I ordered. Otherwise a fine meal. Additionally, fine service and great riverfront/downtown views. Expensive but it's a nice steakhouse downtown on the water, so there you go.

Allen P.

We love the outside patio in the summer, and have spent many pleasurable afternoons and evenings out there. However, this is the second time we have been here that the male host has been rude. With Keefers around the corner & Chicago Cut a few blocks over... we won't be back. We made reservations on a summer evening for the patio. We walked up the river walk around to the front door as we usually do. Why walk down Kinzie when you can take the river walk! So we saw how many tables they had open. Upon entering the male host does not say welcome or smile or anything beyond "Do You Have a Reservation"? We answered affirmatively. He asked us to wait while our table was being prepared. While we waited we watched him seat on the patio two walk in parties that did not have reservations. How rude! We took the time to make a reservation, and made sure to be on time, yet he could not care less. We decided to give them a second chance last week. Our coats were taken by a coat check girl to the downstairs coat check. I know this because we were told to follow her to the downstairs host. The downstairs host is considerably more friendly and welcoming than the peevish host upstairs. This time we were seated promptly downstairs at a table which if you like getting knocked into by the waitstaff... this is the table for you. None apologize or say excuse me. Our waiter was a tad odd. He was friendly enough just odd by a few of the comments he made. He also was in a super hurry to flip the table. Our food as usual was very good. However they have the same problem almost every other restaurant in River North has... lack of a decent dinner salad. Not a side salad, but a real "fill you up" salad. On making the reservation we had mentioned that it was for a birthday. S&W had a happy b-day card on the table which was a nice touch. What was not a nice touch was how our waiter gave the bill to the birthday girl! Seriously??? Happy b-day - now here's the bill :) He literally gave it to her, not place it on the table, a hand off. WTF!!!!!!!!!! That was a bit uncomfortable because now we had to play the old "I want the bill game". We then dutifully went to the downstairs coat check where we had last seen our coats & waited. & waited, & waited, & waited, till quite a line of people had formed behind us also wishing to collect their coats. At no time while observing this did either of the downstairs hosts step in to cover for the missing coat check girl. When she finally arrived she cheerfully told me our coats were upstairs. HuH??? We make our way upstairs to be taken to school by the female host that the coat check is determined by the color of the chip. Must have missed that memo. Oh wait... I don't work here so that is probably something I would not have known. For the grand finale Mr. Peevish stands there watching as people struggle into their coats and others struggle out of them without ever once offering help to any of the women. He seemed annoyed that the large group of people around the upstairs coat check was blocking the flow of traffic. Honestly, for what you spend here the service could be better. There are so many great restaurants that make you feel welcome with incredible food that passing this place up is not hard to do.

Kim F.

From beginning to end, top notch. Our server, Gerrard, was knowledgable and kind. Thanks for a great evening, S&W!

Christine H.

Amazing view and things started off strong when our 30 minute wait ended up being only 2 minutes. We were thrilled to get a nice hiboy out along the river. That's where the thrill ended. They did not have our first two champagne (bottle) orders. After waiting over 5 minutes each time only to have our server come back empty handed, a manager finally came over and tried to bait and switch with a bottle $15 more than our original order! We asked that he honor the price of one of the first two bottles and he said "let's open this one and we can discuss it". Um, no, I don't think I'm going to let you open a bottle without you knowing how much you are going to charge us. They ended up comping a bottle of some New Mexican sparkling wine which was fine but not necessary...we were perfectly willing to pay the $50 that we were going to pay on our original selection. Our group consisted of 3 30-something ladies so we decided to split a few appetizers and some sides as our meal. I ordered the "Beef Carpaccio on Himalayan Salt Block" and my friend ordered the "Tuna Crudo on Himalayan Salt Block". Our third friend ordered the scallops and we were splitting the Truffled Mac & Cheese and Roasted Asparagus. I work in food and beverage at a venue that sells items on a himalayan salt block so I had an idea of what to expect. What we did NOT expect was raw tuna on a plate with no salt in sight...not even any sauce. Just chunks of raw tuna on a plate. Same with the carpaccio. I will say both were very high quality, but who wants to eat either with out an ounce of seasoning or sauce? We asked our server who told us they must be out of the salt. We asked a manager to come over. Same guy who tried to switch out the wine. The eye rolling and condescending tone were absolutely unreal. All we wanted was an acknowledgement that if there was a substitution or menu variation going on, we should have been informed up front. He threw the server under the bus many times and basically told us that we were being too demanding and giving the same complaint over and over. Yes, we are...you are NOT GIVING US WHAT WE ORDER! And, you are not acknowledging that you are not giving us what we order! I really don't feel like this is too much to ask at $18 per appetizer order! Or really at ANY price! The mac and cheese was amazing but did not outweigh that we were being made to feel that we were overdemanding to expect what was on the menu. This is my first ever yelp review for a restaurant. I work in food and beverage and this is unbelievable and (I thought) unheard of for a restaurant of this scale. They comped our entire check. Again, unnecessary. It would have been FAR less expensive for them to have just been nice, understanding and TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for a menu variation than to comp us what would have come to $150+! There are so many great restaurants in Chicago. My great regret of the trip is that we wasted a meal on this one.

Nicole B.

I went to Smith & Wollensky's this weekend with my boyfriend. The atmosphere was superb with piano music in the back ground and a view of the river. We had the "Bundle up with three winter courses" for $45. A great special and plenty to share along with an appetizer. The Beef Wellington was done to perfection. Our service there was great as well! We'll definitely be going back.

Sue N.

Even with the so-so reviews, my husband I went there for lunch and we had a pretty good experience. We ordered the Foie gras and mushroom burger and the Spicy Ahi tuna steak burger. For a side we shared the truffle mac and cheese. S&W chefs cooked the burgers a perfect med. rare. Our server was pleasant and attentive. We don't really have anything negative to say at the moment about S&W. We will go back to try the place for dinner.

Brian P.

I normally don't review chains, but i guess this is unavoidable these days. This is totally one of those steakhouses out of the 80's-90's power lunch scene, and it just so happens i was here on business lunch. Heaping portions and typical steakhouse accoutrements. The open and airy dining room. These items help you justify in your mind it's OK to eat lavishly--there is no consequence to your wreckless plunder. go back in for more the beheaded moose and pig on the wall says! Yes, the steak is great. if you have room for dessert, the donuts and funky jams are a great way to ensure your gut gets as big as you desire. i like the raspberry chambord jam, but the grand marnier orange jam is a close second.

John L.

Do you like Prime Rib? Do you like macaroni & cheese with a nice crunchy breading on top? Do you like good service? Then chances are you'll like Smith & Wollensky. I hadn't had a prime rib dinner in quite some time, so I was much looking forward to munching meat before the Jerry Seinfeld late show and a stay at the Hyatt last weekend. I was NOT disappointed at all. Cooked perfectly medium rare, nice 'n pink the way a thick slice of PR should be, I was in temporary heaven! My good sport vegetarian friend had the mac 'n cheese and whipped potatos which we shared and still had leftovers. I had enough prime rib left for two hopped up grilled cheese sandwiches the next day. GREAT SUCCESS!!! Sadly, nothing really funny happened except for making fun of picky rich people, or perhaps just picky. Oh...they have a dish called "Angry Shrimp" that I will try next time. Don't fuck with a plate of decapod crustaceans!

Don J.

Another great steak house in Chicago however it is very pricey and not a cheap option. I always prefer going downstairs to their more informal bar. Its a more relaxed environment that the more upmaket upstairs restaurant. Their oysters are as good as any in the city, very fresh and very meaty. Their famous split pea soup in nice, but its a soup people so lets not get too carried away. I wouldn't write home about it in other words........ I always get their Steak au Poivre which has an amazing pepper sauce smoothering the steak. If ordering sides, get the hashed brown potatoes. The hashed potatoes are very tasty and better than usual hash brown potatoes (again word of warning, the side of potatoes cost $10 for something that costs them $1.50 to make). I have never had their Lobster but I have heard it is very good, their bone in steaks are great and they have a comprehensive wine list. Another word of warning though is that even their more moderate bottles of wine costs $80 and they have bottles that touch the $1,000 mark. Great steak house, but more for special occassions as opposed to a place to go to on a whim.

Stanley L.

I love their primerib and the porter house, oysters are always spot on and never funkie, they serve the bigger kind of oysters that's creamy instead of the small and coppery ones. I've never had any problems with their service, food is always prepared at just the right temperature and drinks are great. only thing I don't like is the onion rings side, they over cook it so the breading becomes very hard and crunchy, they also give you this huge plate of it...what a waste of food, other than that, I have nothing to complain about Smith & Wollensky, will be back.

Mike S.

review is based on a weekend lunch!!! menu is not brunch friendly, so be warned if you are looking for eggs or pancakes, etc. the burger here is amazing. taste, size, cost, total package. comes with a side of fries and coleslaw unlike the steaks, so dont order any sides (unlike us who ordered onion rings and mac n cheese - both great) unless you want to feel like a glutton bread is very good as well, with the sprinkles of salt on it

Jessica W.

I'd like to start off with the positve: We were seated with a view of the river--and it was very cool. Would be amazing for a first date. Service was prompt, friendly. Food was good, however I just think there are such better steaks out there in this city, and I was disappointed there was no petite filet...you have to order a bigger filet if that's the kind of steak you eat., and as a petite female, that's a huge hunk of meat to eat. I much prefer Ruth's Chris or other steak houses that give me a smaller option. We also really struck out with the sides...hash browns were nothing special, just like any regular breakfast joint, and the corn was also just average. The steak is of a very fine quality--I'd go to this place with someone you want to impress, or to be romantic--super fantastic views of the river keep you looking! If you're just with good friends, go to a place with tastier sides that won't leave you with a huge tab if you only have a few drinks.

Tanya C.

It was our first time here for my husbands fiftieth birthday, I made resevations easily on the open table app on iphone they called the next day to confirm we got great seats with a view of the river. They had a very friendly staff no stuffy dress code and valet parking. The food was excellent the steaks were cooked to perfection and to top it off they surprised the husband with a huge slice of cake with a candle for his birthday. This place had it all great staff, great food, great location, overall a great experience we can't wait to go back. Thank you for making his birthday memorable.

Jennifer B.

Pros - Great service (albeit it was 3PM and there wasn't anybody there), gave us complimentary champagne 'coz it was my graduation - Hands down, awesome view - Served pretzel bread - yummmm Cons - Infamous split pea soup came out luke warm - Steak was indeed good, but not $50 good - With no one there, service could have better! Conclusion - Would go back for lunch - If you aren't on a budget, then by all mean's indulge! Recommendations: - split pea soup (ask for it hot, it you want it so; oh and the croutons used in this soup are divine) - Truffle fries - Onion rings - tbone

Scott R.

I was here last weekend for a relatively small political event. We had our choice of Salmon. Steak or a vegetarian entree after a tomato and mozarella salad. Dessert was carrot cake or chocolate cake. I chose the steak (medium rare) and carrot cake. The tomatoes in the salad were mushy and pretty tasteless; the mozarella was better but not great. The steak was dry, somewhat overcooked and tasteless; after a while they delivered a tarragon flavored "traditional" sauce which didn't help. The carrot cake was nothing to rave about. They did start with nice bread, and the view from the room over the river is nice if that is enough for you, but it's not for me.

Marlon A.

"Smith and Wolley's" has delectable prime dry aged fire grilled steaks, especially the ribeye. With casual unpretentious Chicago-style service and breathtaking views from its primo riverside location, this NYC transplant feels like a true Midwestern steak institution. It is one of my favorite places for dinner in Chicago.

Anthony D.

This was my first time at Smith & Wollensky and I had heard good things about it from a few friends of mine so I was very excited to go. I took my boyfriend there and he had never been before either and he said it was the best steak he had ever had in his life and it was HUGE! I'm not a huge steak fan so I had the tuna server over potatoes and green beans and it was excellent! One of the best meals I've ever had. Our server Kristi was AWESOME! Such a sweetheart and very attentive, made great recommendations and had extensive menu knowledge. Overall I was so impressed with my experience there and I will be returning again very soon as this is the best restaurant I've been to yet since I've moved to Chicago!

Ari R.

I SO had the wrong impression about this place. Not gimicky, not chainlike. There are only 7 S&W's and it is a very old company whose owners are all about authenticity and quality. We loved our experience here and the food. UPSTAIRS is old school, wood paneled, dimly lit and really lovely. DOWNSTAIRS is their separate Grill with an amazing view but not as great a vibe with less people. You can make up your mind where you would like to be when you arrive, I'm sure. Go here. You will not be disappointed.

Tom B.

Amazing service, Top Notch Steaks, Great atmosphere and the most amazing truffle mac n cheese you have ever had in your life. I VM/DM team needed all this love after a long day. Thanks!!

Rudy W.

Smith & Wollensky is always have a great steak. I had the sirloin, cook perfectly. juicy and hm.. I would go back :) my friend had the NY cut, look as good. bigger size. then had the miso sea bass. awesome. as good as chinese food sea bass. the only thing less desire is their service. too slow to take and get our order. we stayed almost 3+ hours there to finish our dinner + desert.

Raytus C.

Smith & Wollensky's food is no better the TJI Fridays if they tried to be a steak house. In fact, its actually worse because S&W can't handle simple orders like onion rings. Want them cold? They have em! I have been here several times. Everytime has been so horrible and so over priced! All you are paying for here is location, which is pretty ideal. Honestly, the steak they serve you is way below the quality you buy at the grocery story. And they slather it in oil to try to fool you. If my steak could talk to me in my dreams tonight, it would tell me a slaughter house horror story including a thousand mile march, I'm sure. The only thing that was good was the wine, but almost every bottle is over $100 in the different "international" regions they offer. That should tell you something about who their target market is: business travellers and out-of-towners - a tourist trap. Once you factor in price, its below the standard of almost every restaurant in the Loop. I would rather have gone to McDonalds, no joke. At least the fries would be hot and the meat pre-chewed.

Shaakira J.

I wound up here around 1030p after we left the Bulls game- Yes we KILLED! The top section was closed off, I guess the restaurant was about to shut down for the night soon. We headed downstrairs to the basement area. Pretty empty- two people at the bar. One couple in the corner and 2 more couples sitting in the window watching the river swaying through the moonlight. I felt the menu was really limited. I did try the Buffalo fried oysters- and I would have gave an extra star just for that if they would have been fried up hot and fresh as I requested. I tried the "crispy" chicken with the macaroni cheese, which had truffle oil in it or something- way too much truffle oil. The chicken was not your normal crispy chicken- hence the quotes. It had no breading or batter, the skin was fried for half a second. I didn't really like what I ordered....The meal reminded me of my lackluster Chicken Christopher dish that I got from Mortons, where I was told that it was PHENOMENAL and that there was nothing better on the menu to even consider ordering... o_O So I'm managing to get through the meal and as I look up again in walks Korver from the Chicago Bulls- I didn't realize it at first, I thought he was Ashton Kutcher! Very handsome guy- as is Ashton. About 10 minutes later Ronnie Brewer came in with his family. It was getting very late at this point. He had a 3 or 4 year old child with him. Shouldn't the baby be at home in the bed?! All and all- I don't care if I ever go back or not. Maybe if I would have came in earlier the food would have been better. Glad I didn't have to pay! :)

Nicole F.

Of course, they don't print the bartender/ server's name on the receipt. Otherwise, I could review him by name. But the Aussie who served us a glass of wine on a Sunday night had nothing but attiude. Guess what Aussie? This is America and we don't give a shit about your accent. How about pouring us a glass of wine without attiude? Don't waste your time here.

Whitney R.

Birthday dinner 2012. 5 Stars because of the person I was with. Service was okay but the view was amazing. The scallops and filet were fabulous. Also the waiters suggestion on wine was good and the coconut desert cake was moist.

Vera P.

Inverse proportion between prices and fun had. You know the problem with charging double-digits for a side of spinach and close to triple for everything else? Your food can't just be decent, it has to be fantabulous. Smith and Wollensky's food isn't. Now do not get me wrong: this place will serve you a tasty steak. But tasty just isn't off-the-charts good, and the steak I got could not hold a candle to at least half a dozen other wonderful steak places in the city who didn't charge me an arm, a leg AND my grandmother's savings. I'd also really quite appreciate if the service reflected the absurd price range, and it absolutely does not. Last time I was there I ordered fish and a glass of pinot gris. Now I am not a wine person, but I'm reasonably sure that if you order white wine with fish you're doing it right, right? Well, this server 1. forgot my order 2. forgot it again when I asked him about it 3. finally remembered and brought me a glass of (bad) merlot. Really? Merlot?!?! With a giant slab of supernaturally tough sword fish on my plate? The only thing the wine had in common with my order was that it wasn't lemonade and ended in an o-sound. It's really not that hard. Smith & Wollensky: double your service and quality OR halve your prices. As it is now I'm not coming back.

Jennifer I.

DC and I marched into Smith & Wollensky, armed with a $100 gift card, determined to eat well but not spend a dime of our own money. An awesome meal with the bonus challenge of making it 100% free...now that's what I call an interesting Tuesday night. We started off with the charcuterie plate for an appetizer...we enjoyed it, but didn't know what we were eating most of the time. Ok...it's some kind of cheese....but......anyway, that whet the whistles for the absolutely yummo burgers that came next. A burger cooked and seasoned perfectly is always a delight and a half. The burgers came with delish fries. We got a side of truffled mac and cheese, and this was all about seeing God face to face. Wow. Just wow. It was ridiculously rich and DC was kind enough to let me take the leftovers home....it was just as marvelous the next day, and that was as good as my kitchen has smelled since someone who knew how to cook lived in that apartment. I don't know if I could ever go back to S&W without getting the truffled mac and cheese. It would just be a fatal error. In general, I try to avoid fatal errors in my life. Even though they can make for great stories sometimes.... After all was chewed and swallowed.....our food, tax, and tip came in at $100. Mission accomplished? Absolutely. And not in a Bush way.

Justin S.

I love this steakhouse. I used to go to the one in NYC and this one is just like their other location. The steaks are amazing. I went here February 14th and we were given a table right next to the fireplace of their lower level. Our waitress was attentive and quick. I ordered the porterhouse and it came out cooked perfectly rare. As I write this my mouth is watering about that steak. The expert cooking of the steak with a flavorful crust exterior and rare interior are what my dreams consist of. We paired the meal with a Pinot noir. It was a great dinner for the holiday and I'm saving up for my trip back.

Marjie T.

My review might be slightly skewed as I was here with a very large group and we sat downstairs where it seemed a little more dingy and not as nice. But, regardless I'm not sure I would come back to try it again. It is in a good location with an awesome view of the river, but the food was just OK. I had salmon with spinach and all of it was floating in a watery sauce. I tried their famous split pea soup and it was my first time trying it so I'm guessing it's good for split pea soup, but I was not a fan. The cheesecake was very average. Basically the whole place was average except for the view and the nice servers. I'm sure there are better places to eat downtown.

Mark G.

My go to place in downtown! S&W has the best service in town. Professional waiters that know when and how to get involved with customers. I almost always eat downstairs in the Grill. Same food as upstairs. The Grill is a little more casual and less noise. Great view of the river as well. The steak is the best in a town of great steak places. My favorite is the bone-in filet. Just awesome. The side dishes are huge so be ready to share. Can't wait to see you at S&W.

Jenni Q.

Came here for a work lunch with coworkers. They'd already been here before and said that the steaks were good but definitely not as good as Ruth's Chris. But seeing as to how we always go to Ruth's Chris for every team lunch and I had never been here before, I wanted us to go someplace different especially since it had outdoor seating overlooking the river. Complimentary bread - soooo soft and buttery you didn't even need to add butter. Calamari was average - not bad but not spectacular either. The creamy, green-whitish sauce it came with was delish though! I had the petite filet with jumbo crab meat and chopped asparagus with a side of bearnaise sauce. Seasoned pretty well and full of flavor and cooked perfectly (medium rare - for some reason, seeing blood freaks me out but eating blood is no big deal for me haha). I'm used to other steakhouses having very good cuts of meat but always lacking in flavor so I was pleasantly surprised. The only thing I didn't like (hence minus one star) was that the filet had uneatable pieces of meat. I thought filets were suppose to be pretty lean and I've never really encountered that fattiness before in a filet. The crab meat was scrumptious, however and the asparagus - well, you cant really turn out bad asparagus. The truffle oil macaroni and cheese had just a little too much truffle oil for my liking but the whipped potatoes were decent. Service was wonderful. The waiter was attentive but not overbearing. Everything went smoothly - we had just the right amount of time between courses, our water was refilled promptly and the manager even stopped by to ask how we were doing. This place is great if you are looking for good steaks, great outdoor seating and an awesome view!

August T.

My husband and I visit Chicago annually to take in a Northwestern game and/or a show. Have passed by this restaurant numerous times and it's always packed. So this past Friday (9/6/13) we popped in about 6pm and got a seat window side! Service is great - they all work together. My husband had a steak and was pleased. I had their spinach salad with a PIECE of bacon on it that was 500 calories by itself. We shared an order of onion rings - enough to feed a family of 5. Good drinks! Go go go!

John H.

Loved this place. My gf and I came here spur of the moment two weeks ago on a Friday night and due to the extreme cold the restaurant had tables available. We were asked if we wanted to sit by the window overlooking the river which we of course did. What a great view. Our server was awesome. Very pleasant and attentive. Suggested a good bottle of wine. The calamari was pretty good but a little heavy on the batter. They do provide you with a lot though and two sauces. The must have is the truffle oil baked mac n cheese....WOW. Huge portion and the flavor was outta control, party in the mouth flavor. Loved it. I had the bone-in prime rib, man was it good. Perfectly done medium rare and HUGE. The ceramic container with hollandaise sauce placed over a burner was a nice touch. She had the peppercorn encrusted fillet which was also excellent, very tender. I believe it was in the vicinity of 16 oz too, awesome size. Our server brought us a complimentary desert of three different ice creams (may have been six, the wine and martini were coming into play). The martini btw was awesome, shaken at the table and enormous for $12. Great service (one of my favorite servers in awhile), awesome food, great setting. Pricey ($250 with tax, tip, bottle of wine, and martini), but you expect that. Would definitely come again.

Anne Marie J.

Restaurant week is the best!!!! All I can think about is how I only spent $32 for a 10 oz filet that's normally $40, a wedge that's normally $8-10, and dessert that ranges from $5-10! Such a great deal! The wedge was ok b/c the blue cheese dressing was creamy and not overly blue-cheesy (does anyone understand what I'm saying? haha) but sadly, it wasn't served with bacon. Had I ordered this salad on a regular day and payed full price, I probably would've been remorseful. My steak came out well done when I ordered it medium but they instantly took my steak away and gave me a new one without a flinch. That was great! I've been to other places that try to convince you that the steak is cooked to order and I HATE THAT! My steak came back cooked to perfection and hot...yum. The filet was EXCELLENT - tender, flavorful, delicious. I think filet is one of the hardest to cook and serve with flavor b/c it doesn't has as much fat as the other cuts but they did a phenomenal job. YUMMMM. Tasted my friend's prime rib - it was semi tender but I wouldn't recommend this cut for someone who doesn't know what to order. The sides were good but nothing spectacular: the potatoes were potatoes, veggies were veggies, etc. The desserts were pretty good: the sorbets were fresh and light, the ice creams creamy and decadent. The keylime pie was "eh" b/c it was more like a keylime custard - really rich on top and I wasn't expecting that b/c klp's are usually light and refreshing. We definitely had a great time and enjoyed every morsel of food. I'd love to come back but wonder if I would feel the same way if I payed $85 for my meal instead of $32 + tax and tip

Audrey T.

This is the kind of place I end up at, with a negative bias right off the bat. And this is the kind of place that wins me over with good times and excellent food. That's quite the feat. This is the PERFECT place to bring out-of-towners when they're googling over the architecture and the good-feel vibes of the city. The burgers aren't priced outrageously and are most excellent and filling. Sitting on the sunny riverside patio with friends and beer and burgers? I'd do this again any time.

kathy r.

This place was like one of my man's favorite movies. THE GOOD: my dirty martini, the calamari appetizer, the prime rib, the lemon pepper chicken, the mashed potatoes and the coconut cake (ohmygodYUM!). I also had a bite of my friend's lamb chops and they were delicious - and I generally hate lamb. THE BAD: the creamed spinach (rather flavorless), the soft drinks (miniature bottles of Coca-Cola don't do it for most people's thirst), and the chocolate cake (not a great flavor and could have been more moist... the sweetness was rather cloying). THE UGLY: our waiter was inattentive and seemed to have a chip on his shoulder, he raved about their root beer float dessert and then were out of root beer, they obviously had root beer in the house for dessert, but you couldn't order it to drink - WTF!? Oh, and the prices! Really? $10 for a side of mashed potatoes? They were good, but puh-leese. Maybe they were having an "off-night" because of all the Blackhawks parade hoopla the day prior; but really, our waiter acted like he could care less about our meals. He didn't check on us after serving our plates so by the time he came by to see how everything was, it didn't matter that the asparagus had come out cold; we had eaten it anyway. Bottom line: Overall the food was good to very good, but not great. I think Ruth's Chris has better steaks. Hopefully you get a waiter who doesn't rub you the wrong way. Oh, and be sure to take a second mortgage out on your home before coming here.

Patricia P.

I have always enjoyed my meals here. The staff is great and the food is solid

Al I.

The food is to-die-for. S&W easily makes my personal top 5 or top 10 steakhouses list. Last time around I ordered the NY Strip medium and it was perfectly prepared. A bit charred on the outside, perfect color in the middle, delicious throughout. The downstairs is a little quieter and they have floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river. The view is awesome, and it's a relaxing scene for a comfortable, delicious dinner. Upstairs it can be very noisy and you can feel crammed in like cattle. Also, the service on a couple of occasions has been a little cold or impersonal. More of a personality thing, I guess. Am I asking too much for the server to know what kind of vodkas they have? Maybe so; asked about high end, was steered toward Grey Goose. Passable, but boring. Maybe this is just the wrong kind of place to hope for something interesting like Ultimat or Chopin.

Christina G.

Came here once for a "romantic" date; to be honest it was really sweet at the time. The food was really good, as was the wine. Can't complain about the prices because this is just one of those places. Only thing is the atmosphere is a little stuffy, and we felt kind of out of place because we were the youngest people in the room. Place serves a purpose though. Great location!

Matthew B.

Very short story: I ordered my steak medium rare, which according to them is warm pink center. They bring me a WELL done steak. Burnt to hell on the outside, totally grey on the inside. I attempt to get the waiters attention, finally did, and he called is medium. Well, it wasn't, but they sent it back and sent me a new one. The next steak came out BURNT to hell on the outside, and 100% rare on the inside, like purple. I ate it because I was in a hurry. At this point my fries ($10 for a "double order" though there wasn't some tremendous amount) had turned soggy and cold (It was colder out on the patio), and were no companion for my steak. Did they bring new ones? No. Did they apologize? Yes. I could have sent my steak back ANOTHER time, but I really felt that the kitchen was inept, why keep wasting prime beef? I took half of my burnt to hell steak home, and microwaved it to a proper medium rare the next day. It remained nearly inedible because of the thick burned crust on the outside. I will NEVER go back. Your money is better spent SO many other places. A side note: Im not a USDA grader, but this was definitely prime beef to my steak eating eyes. It was NOT tender at all though, it felt very chewy - likely because it was still so rare.

Brett F.

I go to "Smith's" all the time... it's one of my go-to's for cocktails and dinner with clients and I usually end up here a handful of times in a year. I've never been compelled to Yelp it because it doesn't hold a candle to my fav Chicago steakhouses and I don't usually end up here by choice... The food is always good (read: not fantastic), save for the truffle mac 'n cheese which truly is mind-blowing. But considering this place is supposedly renowned for its Midwestern beef, that should be the menu item to trump everything else. Not the case. My steak is almost always overdone and the Oscar-style steak (with lump crab meat, asparagus and hollandaise) comes with a teaspoon of crab. Boooo. On a recent visit my steak was served to me cold and minus the Oscar I had ordered... I had another appointment to get to and didn't have the time to have the steak reheated (eeew. who wants a nuked steak anyway???) so I told the waiter just to bring the check and ate the lukewarm chuck. No concessions were made on the bill and he really didn't seem to feel the least bit apologetic at the lack of standards. Bummer. Smith's is great for the location; the view of the skyline and river are beautiful, the piano bar is nice and you always find plenty of entertaining characters puffing away on cigars and showing off their pinky rings... love it! The bartenders are attentive, funny and seem to pour glasses of wine by the liter. The food is 'good', but you go for the atmosphere.... A Smith's in any town is a safe bet, but not your best bet in Chicago.

Nat M.

nice space/ambience with views of the river. lively crowd and defn a memorable Chicago experience. entertaining servers, although not exactly the best at remembering stuff. menu is surprisingly diverse and great thought put into it. creative drinks but actual taste was tame compared to other options in Chicago. appetizers were fun, but taste was average. i thought the mac/cheese was good but a bit overrated. i opted out for steak and went for wasabi crusted tuna - which was outstanding. the choc cake was overrated too, but the apple strudel was excellent. the price was really too much for what you get. id come back, but only if i roll deep - like 15+ people

Sonia C.

I've been to S&W in NYC & Chicago, and have been a little disappointed by both experiences. On my most recent visit to the Chicago branch, I debated between the filet mignon & the prime rib, ultimately settling on the latter because I was told that you can never judge a steakhouse by its filet. I also asked the waiter for his recommendation - he said "The prime rib is better, but it's 32 ounces." 32 ounces!!! I was sold. Medium rare please! I started with the crab cake appetizer and it was really good - large enough to almost be a burger patty, crisply seared, and full of delicious lump crab meat. It also held together very well, and wasn't falling apart into an oily chunky mess like at some other steakhouses. My prime rib came out looking ultra promising - steamy, thick, and oozing delicious meat juices. I cut into it, and was sad to find the inside pink(ish) but definitely way overcooked into medium well territory. When I bit into it, I found that, though tender, it was firmly on the bland side. Despite my disappointment, I managed to finish every ounce of that steak as well as the slice of (only ok) cheesecake that followed. On the upside, the service at S&W Chicago is better than that in NY, but this could be due to the fact that Midwesterners are just nicer people in general. Btw, did you know that Smith & Wollensky got its name when the owners flipped open a phone book and selected two random entries? I heart the Food Network.

Brit M.

Came here with a girlfriend for a "spoil ourselves meal". Boy did we ever! The great thing about this place, is not just the river view (because if you want that, you can make some PB&J's and sit by the river), but you don't even have to order off the menu. We explained to our server we just wanted a seafood mix up and he brought it! 3 tiers of lobster, scallops, shrimps, and crab. YUM. Truffled Mac & cheese was pretty amazing too. Wine was fairly priced, and definitely washed down the giant seafood platters we gulped down. The negative complaints really do not fair with the experience we had. We also had this enormous piece of Key Lime Cheesecake. YUM. This is also a great spot for people watching. Gotta love them tranny escorts at the lower bar.

Kryste N.

This place has one of the best outdoor seating patios in the city, hands down. Went for lunch on Friday and sat outside and it made me jealous that I do not work downtown, and cannot do this at least once a week. It's pricey, but the view is awesome, the food is good, and the service left nothing to be desired.

J S.

Service: Good, albeit a bit overbearing. The waitress checked in on us every few minutes. That said, we were the only patrons, so she didn't have much else to do. Atmosphere: Great. Sat in lower level at the window, with great view of Chicago river and State street (including famous Chicago Theatre sign). Food: Great filet mignon. Not the best I'ves ever had, but still very, very good. The fries were a bit underdone, but still tasty. The asparagus was decent. I loved the pretzel bread with the Dijon mustard butter. Drink: Not excited about the beer menu. Goose Island and one other that I forgot were the only non-macro brews. I'd prefer a better beer list.

Katee C.

If I'm going to pay this kind of money, I'm going to expect better food and service. We were a large group who made reservations far enough in advance. When we arrived, they didn't have it. Gasp! After picking our jaws up from the floor, they "found" it and lead us to our table. Now if you have a large group and want a room, you have to guarantee so many attendees. We had to guarantee 15, yet when we got to the room and table, only 10 seats were there. Luckily, we were one short (sick), so we only had to cram 4 more seats into the table, but still ... come on! So, we got to know each other better, I guess. We had a set menu, discussed when reservations were made, that was nicely printed and presented. You chose soup or salad, entree, and dessert from the list and whipped potatoes and asparagus were included with everyone's meals. Our food came out and the whipped potatoes were in the smallest bowl possible with one bowl presented to 7 of us and another to the other 7. After 3 people on our side, we ran out and had to wait until they came with more. The same thing happened with the asparagus. And only one waiter was serving us, coming out with one plate at a time. By the time I started to eat, my steak was cold. Also, we all found it a little disturbing when the waiter told us a story about why you check the cork on bottles of wine. It involved the French trying to trick the Nazi's who never paid their bills, but Nazi's checking the corks to make sure they were getting the good bottles of wine. Uncomfortable. On to the good parts ... the food itself was good. The potato leek soup was delicious and had a nice kick to it, the filet was cooked perfectly, although it wasn't much better than what I make at home, and the chocolate cake was delicious. But for the price, my advice is to find somewhere else.

Kristy B.

Tried the Grill part of this restaurant for the first time today at lunch. It's in this very cozy location underneath the main restaurant. Immediatley upon arrival we were greeted and directed to our seats. I was surprised at how busy it was for a Monday afternoon of the holiday week. I can see why now! Everything was yummy. One of the best pretzel rolls I've ever had and they had this amazing horseradish butter. The French Onion soup was forgettable but my favorite was the crab cake. So good. Service was excellent and pricing was okay (about $25 per person without alcohol). We had a server that was just for drinks which was interesting and one for our main meals. And they rolled out our main entrees on this little cart. I'm a sucker for things like that.

Elizabeth B.

I went here on a whim and had an overall pleasant experience. It wasn't *mind-blowing* and it wasn't awful. It was satisfactory, and in this crazy world, I'll take it. I started with the tomato/mozzarella (aka Caprese) salad and it was fantastic. The dressing was perfect and the tomatoes were at just the right ripeness. Not many places do that salad well, but this was worth the $14. I ordered the filet minon crusted in gorgonzola and it was delicious. When I ordered a side of broccoli, the server made sure to ask if I wanted the garlic and red chili flakes that came on them (who puts red chili flakes on broccoli? Whatever). I found her to be very helpful and knowledgeable. And that was it. It was a great atmosphere; definitely sit at the bottom floor to get a great and relaxing view of the river. I'm surprised it's rated only $$$. I don't know what y'all ordered, but my steak was $42, salad $14, side $10. I'm no math major, but that's more than $61 and therefore = splurge.

Chris M.

I give this place 3 stars for now, but would like to think my steak will be better the next time I go. For starters, the pretzel bread and some sort of flavored butter they serve with it was so damn good. I wanted to go with the fillet or the surf & turf, but the waiter recommended the bone in KC. I ordered it Med Rare, the way a good steak should be ordered. But, the outside of the steak was Med Well, at best. The middle and the meat close to the bone, excellent. We also had asparagus that came with a cream sauce that simply kicked ass. My colleague had the surf and turf, which looked awesome and he said tasted even better. I may go back here again, but I'll probably be on the lookout for a better, high quality steak before I do.

Jayne F.

To be honest, I'm not the sort of person who frequents steakhouses, because I'm, shall we say, "economically challenged" so when I do splurge on a meal, I want it to be something really elaborate and exotic. I love steak, I just balk at spending $50 or more for a hunk of beef, and I don't tend to trust chain restaurants to serve it blue enough for my taste. That being said, I had family visiting, and they wanted to go to Smith and Wollensky, so I agreed. We dined early and were lucky enough to get a table with a great view of the river, which really added to the experience. My aunt's filet mignon was medium rare, and very tender. My uncle had something with Cajun spicing, which I didn't try, but it looked well-made, and he loved it. My cousin had a seafood dish, which was also good, and my entree was a sort of prime rib Wellington thing, with foie gras and wild mushrooms. I couldn't really taste the foie gras part, but the mushrooms were great, as was the beef. Since I ordered from the prix fixe menu, mine came with a shaved beet salad, which was fresh and tasty, and our other shared sides, (asparagus and creamed spinach), were also good. The only disappointing thing I tasted was the Caesar salad. Our waiter, "Todd" really went out of his way to accommodate any fussiness or special requests (most, admittedly, coming from me, due to my peppercorn allergy) and he managed to be attentive without hovering or seeming impatient. When I questioned the ingredients in various dishes, he was knowledgeable about the menu, and confirmed his answers with the kitchen, just to be sure. He also made great wine recommendations, and provided the kind of old-school formal service that one hopes for, but doesn't often see at corporate restaurants. The only reason I'm giving this meal 4 stars instead of 5, is because the food was good (in some cases very good) but nothing I tried blew me away. Value is a factor in my ratings, and for $600, I want to feel like I'm passing in and out of the Pearly Gates and conversing with my dead relatives. S&W is a fine choice for a steak dinner, but with all the great independent options in Chicago, I tend to look for a bit more "oomph" when I'm feeling spendy.

John M.

One word, disappointing. First my ass hurts from the parking fee. There visibility from the street sucks as I missed the restaurant valet. The best part of the meal was the oysters. As for the steak, mine was over cooked. Asked for another, came seared but raw in the middle. Typical! The meat was not juicy, nor tasty. Very little seasoning. Even the cappuccino was cold. Most of my guests would agree. My advice, Go to Ruth Chris around the corner. Perfection at its best.

Bryan C.

Food was good, but there was room for improvement. I took people there I wished to impress, which was accomplished. They were impressed with how much money I had to spend in order to get such mediocre service. We were there at 7:30 and the place was so packed we had to climb over another party to get seated at our table. I realize this is the holidays HOWEVER when I am paying $60-$80 for a steak I expect to be able to reach my seat without doing Marcel Marseau impressions to be seated. Because it was so overcrowded, it was very loud and impossible to hear the waiter or one another. The order that was brought to the table, while being correct, was not complete (since the waiter could not hear us due to the ambient noise) and the steaks, for being dry aged on site, were rather bland. Mine was also quite tough. I am a regular diner at places like this and I know that everyone can have an off night. I will go back to give them a second chance, however the first impression was very underwhelming.

nikki s.

I'm not big on steakhouses and usually steer away from chain restaurants, but didn't mind indulging in Smith and Wollensky this past weekend. friendliness of staff: check--note that i was highly aware of the vibe since i was the only african-american face in there. service was great w/o the pretense. decor- check--woodsy yet classy and sophisticated. food- yes ma'am! let's do the mentionables, shall we? bread- buttery goodness chilled sweet corn and lobster soup - mmm mmmm good potatos - flavorful steak topped in what seemed to be hollandaise w/lumps of crabmeat and asparagus - tasty so sure, this is a chain i'd venture back to.

Certainly one of the better steak houses I've been to, I Always visit for dinner while in town. I really enjoyed their lamb, they obviously take great care in the produce they buy in as it shows in the quality of the food. The atmosphere is really something special with the widow seating overlooking the river, I have only ever visited during the evening. Brilliant service, very friendly and on the ball without being over the top.

Jet D.

The best ribeye steak I've ever had!

Mandy A.

I probably don't even need to review this restaurant, it's been around since the dawn of time and it's a steakhouse. You pretty much know what you're getting if you've ever been to a steakhouse. We went for restaurant week which you know is supposed to be a good deal but once you add a bottle of wine, upgrade the toppings on your steaks, add in a side to split... it's a regular expensive steak restaurant night. Everything was amazing, the sommelier (sp?) was very helpful and didn't try to steer us towards some of the $200 bottles of wine. The one she helped us pick was awesome. I got the split pea soup and even though I don't like peas in the least bit, it was fantastic. We both got filet for our entree, I got it Oscar style and husband got it with a gorgonzola crust. Yum, that's all I have to say. Fat pieces of crab and asparagus with a gorgeous sauce, I think my steak was a little undercooked but at that point I didn't even care. They ran out of the dessert I really wanted so I settled (ha) for chocolate cake and it was pretty awesome but I definitely didn't need dessert after all that food and wine. I really don't have anything to complain about besides the obnoxious drunk woman sitting next to us but that's not really the restaurant's fault...

Diana B.

Enjoyed dinner at Smith & Wollensky at the recommendation of one of my friends who knows the best places to eat in Chicago. First of all, let me say that the setting is fabulous with great views of the river and the downtown buildings. Unfortunately, it was too cold to sit on the patio. That spot would be exceptional! Inside there was a piano playing relaxing music that wasn't overly loud or obtrusive. We had a very attentive waiter, and the manager stopped a couple times to make sure everything was good. The appetizer, steaks, and sides were all delicious. We got the creme brulee for dessert, which was disappointing. I have had better elsewhere. The main dish though was very good and portions were very generous. The steak trio was a good dish to select to sample several different flavors. The only down side is the price. All dishes are priced separately. I guess you should expect that when you are in the city and at a scenic spot. That's why I gave a 4 star rating instead of 5 stars. Overall, though, would be a great place to celebrate a special occasion.

Deanna S.

I'd like to think I'm a steak connoisseur. Love how they dry aged the rib eye. You can taste the difference in flavor.

Kelly C.

There are so many better steak houses in the city for the same price as S&W. It was mediocre at best-the steak was bland, the tuna was overly greasy and the service went above attentive to down right annoying. Hovering is one of my biggest pet peeves and the server we had was a huge hoverer.

Erica S.

Recently, my grandmother, the funniest woman I know, turned 80. EIGHTY! Can you believe that? It was exciting and as such, my aunts decided to throw her a surprise party at Smith & Wollensky. Even though someone ruined the surprise, it was quite a lovely experience. We had a menu with lots of options to choose from-from the first course of three different salads, to four different entree choices (Prime Rib, Filet Mignon, Grilled Shrimp and Salmon) and three different dessert courses. I, was excited. I love steak and since it was a family affair, my mother was paying for it! How could I resist? I couldn't. I ordered a great tomato and onion salad, which I have been trying to duplicate ever since. Thick slices of tomato, thick slices of onion drizzled in a blue cheese dressing with huge chunks of blue cheese and delicious crushed peppercorns? SOLD. I dream about this salad. The onion is very intense, but combine with the blue cheese and the tomato, it softens it a bit. I had the filet, as I am never one to turn down a filet. Medium rare, it was perfect in that sense and great when put on french bread the next day as a sandwich for lunch. The entree was served with sides of creamed spinach and mashed potatoes, both of which I piled high atop my plate because who says no to creamed spinach and mashed potatoes at a steak house? No one. For dessert, carrot cake. It was lovely, chock full of raisins and nuts with a delicious cream cheese frosting. Also, they provide a chocolate plate with a photo of the actual restaurant and their name on it-a little cheesy, but ultimately pretty cool. The view is also amazing-probably would be more amazing if the river wasn't green the day we went, but it ended up being very nice, as we were in the lower section party room. Maybe once I get rich I'll be all over this place, but I can't say I will be rich anytime soon. It was still good though.

Ralph W.

Couldn't feel cozier at any other steakhouse... I've been here twice on celebratory occasions and its welcoming feel has hit the mark both times. There are a few different "scenes" in the place due to its sheer size, but you wouldn't know unless you peeked around corners to find more hidden seating areas. It is a collectively upscale establishment that somehow doesn't scare you into feeling out of place. I have only sat in the downstairs area, where (if you ask politely) you can sit looking out over the Chicago River. Down here, there is an intimate setup that's quaint enough for a romantic couple's evening or a lively group of ten. Both times, we had server's who made you feel like you were dining in a 5-Star Restaurant without the nervousness of not knowing the difference between the Porterhouse and the Fillet Mignon. They were extremely helpful and glad to do it, so don't feel bad about small requests. They have a Seafood Bouquet offered as an appetizer, served with three delicious sauces. It comes with Lobster, Crab, Oysters in the half-shell, Mussels and Shrimp. I love seafood and both times ordering the Bouquet it has definitely delivered. Their Prime Rib was outstanding, done exactly Medium and big enough for two. Portions are not an issue here. It was accompanied by the Truffled Mac-n-Cheese; a grownup version baked with garlic and a crumbly, seasoned topping. Our courses came out with perfect timing. I would recommend the place for a wide spectrum of occasions. Its location right by the House of Blues, Navy Pier and multiple harbors instigates a fun night downtown...

Amy H.

I only ever come to Smith & Wollensky for company lunches. It's not my first pick, but it's close by and all the executives like it. So, I go along and enjoy the free lunch. ;) That said, I've never really been impressed with the food. The food is just a formality to me...something to "get through" before they roll the dessert trolley over. I LOVE the dessert trolley!! I always want to order one of everything! Smith & Wollensky does dessert very well!

Thomas H.

Great spot for dinner

Rebecca Huicha K.

Some people love Smith & Wollensky but I dont get why. Chicagoans love their steaks and it shows by the tremendous number of great steakhouses in the city alone. But S &W wasn't impressive at all. Just another average steakhouse that charges a butt load. I had the filet and the bf had the ribeye. The bf is a huge steak snob and this place was a disappointment to him. I think the only reason we'd go back is for the creamed spinach. Yum~ try it if you like spinach. It's kinda heavy but worth it! If you're looking for a good steakhouse, I suggest trying out Chicago Chophouse or Mortons instead.

Margaret N.

Ok my boyfriend and I went back for an anniversary celebration this week.... Two words: Filet Oscar. Basically it's my dream steak. A 10 or 14 oz. filet with crab meat and sliced asparagus on top, all of that doused with a healthy amount of hollandaise sauce on top. Absolute tastebud heaven!!!!!! I love a good steak plain, but now that I've gone Oscar at S&W, I don't think I can ever go back!!! Plus, we got the triple layer chocolate cake for dessert. As you might expect, I was in a pretty heavy food coma for a few days afterward. :)

Brian K.

Hands down, S&W serves excellent steaks. Not only is it USDA certified Prime but it is also dry-aged. 1% of all beef is certified prime and less than half of all prime beef is dry-aged. Additionally, they dry age their own meat (ask to see it) and that is you can order an 18 oz. New York Strip rather than the 16 oz. standard at all other places. Great marbling and less than 1/4 inch fat left on the steaks. An '02 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages with a fat NY strip... great meals like this are hard to come by. Limited wine selection but within the selection, they have a lot of the heavy hitters (e.g. Screaming Eagle, Opus One, etc.). Great selection of side dishes with a wide variety of prepared potato dishes. The salads are hit or miss. The S&W signature salad...if you don't order it, you won't regret it but maybe you should try it anyways. It is a true "steak salad": big chunks of lettuce, tomatoes, and bacon. Atmosphere is semi-formal saloon feeling with a "smart" or "resort" casual or business casual as the normal dress attire. If you're used to going to Morton's, Ruth's Chris or Flemings, you'll be a little surprised. The atmosphere is brighter with less muted colors and lighting than other formal steakhouses. As with any nice steak restaurant, never order a "bone-in" steak as it tends to lose more moisture when cooked and never ask for A-1 (you'll insult the cattle rancher, the USDA inspector, the butcher, and the chef). All in all, you'll have a great time here. If you know your steaks and demand only the top cuts, this is your place.

Bruce K.

Entertained business customers (9 people) for dinner this week. Food was excellent, not one problem or complaint with any food items. Our waiter was great, but I felt he had too many tables. We did have to wait 15 minutes to be served our cocktails after being seated. Steaks were done to perfection and very good tasty cuts. The folks that had the fish loved it. The restaurants needs to add some new craft beers to their very common beer list. I would suggest, Founders, Two Brothers, Dogfish Head, Three Floyds and Great Divide breweries.

Scot Y.

Truffled mac is outstanding. A must have every visit. Great prime rib and French onion soup when available. Tasty steaks. My wife and I have been goin here six years for anniversaries. Louder upstairs with piano and bar but good times. Love sitting downstairs by the glass watching the river traffic. Diane is a sweetheart and always takes care of us

Nicole A.

location location location. this restaurant is right on the Chicago river and what a view of the city! had the privilege of having some good wine and the filet Mignon here. we were very lucky in walking in on a Thursday night without a reservation. service was good and prompt and food came out pretty quick as well. the meat was cooked very well and was actually a pretty descent size piece of meat with fried onions on top. the a la carte potatoes tasted really good too but nothing over the top impressive. overall it was a great experience and beautiful view of the city, especially at night.

Vickie L.

The awesome view from the table they gave us keeps this from being a 2 star review. I asked for a table with a good view when I made the reservation as we were entertaining a client. The sat us downstairs in the Grill area right by the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the river and Chicago Theater sign. Awesome. Our Server was very nice, but not too attentive and a bit slow. It took a long time for even the bread basket and water to get filled. Food was mediocre, I think one of the best parts of the night was the bread basket - pretzel rolls & mustard-y butter - yum. For apps we got tuna tataki which is just their take on ahi tuna. Nothing special. 1 order is about 6 pcs. We also got shrimp cocktail which is 3 pcs of shrimp per order, and they were HUMONGOUS pieces of shrimp. Good, but again, nothing special. Entrees took a while to come out. I ordered the 14oz filet (only $2 more than the 10 oz - hells yeah!). I ordered it cooked medium, with the cajun rub. It was a huge piece of meat. The steak was just okay, I've definitely had better at Morton's or Ruth's Chris. Even Chili's. I mostly tasted the cajun spice, it was a bit too salty and very spicy. The melted butter tasted stale. Sides - fries were pretty good. The steamed broccoli was huge, they should have cut it in smaller pcs, it tasted stale and needed salt. Creamed spinach was pretty good, also needed salt. Dessert - homemade chocolate ice cream & coconut sorbet. Pretty good. Chocolate ice cream was very rice. Coconut sorbet had a light coconut flavor. The serving was only 3 small scoops though, not exactly worth $8.50. We also shared a slice of the chocolate cake ($12.50) which was 5-6 layers of cake & frosting. Also not the best cake, way too much frosting, and the cake was a bit dry. This place is probably great for drinks and apps and great for the view, but definitely not for the food. Spend your $$ elsewhere and pay the same price for much better food.

Mark N.

This place was outstanding. Period. I suppose my review should say more then this though? I've heard good things about this place in the past, so we decided to check it out on a recent night out in Chicago. Our server, Kristi, was very helpful with regards to the menu. She didn't seem like she was trying to "sell" to us, she gave us her honest opinions on the various menu items. The pre-dinner bread alone was worth the trip. I don't even know how to describe it, it had kind of a warm pretzely thing going on - and they should market the butter that came along with it. For the main course, I had the Gorgonzola Filet Mignon. Best steak I ever had, granted I haven't been to many steakhouses. Smith & Wollensky - you benefit with a 5-star rating here because of my lack of steak experience. Along with the steak I had the Tomato & Buffalo Mozzarella Salad. This was also outstanding and perfectly complemeted the main dish. We were told the "tomatoes are good tonight", and indeed they were. I even enjoyed using the "Men's Smoking Room" (aka, bathroom). I'm old school and have often quipped I was born about 50 years too late, so this was a nice touch! They also were aware of my girlfriends birthday, and brough us a complimentary dessert. I know it's often customary, but it was a cool gesture. Perhaps this whole experience was enhanced by the several glasses of wine we had - but isn't that part of it? Pretty cool view of the river as well. I will likely want to go to Smith & Wollensky again.

Mark B.

Rizzo was great at the bar and had an equally great steak at midnight.

Ally B.

I came here with colleagues for lunch. We went at 11:30a and the restaurant was pretty empty but definitely became busy around Noon. They sat us by the windows and you can tell the restaurant would have great outdoor seating when it's warmer. The service was great and the bread is awesome! They give you as much bread as you want and our table definitely asked for more than one. The table had the caesar salad with ahi tuna. The salad was great but the ahi tuna was very fatty and hard to cut. Wollensky salad was great and refreshing. Two people had the beef tenderloin duo Oscar style and both people really liked it and finished their entire meal. The lobster BLT was great but a little messy and a very big portion. Overall the lunch was great and again the server was very attentive and nice. I would definitely recommend this place for a business lunch or for a special evening. I will be back to try it for dinner and to sit outside.

Alana T.

I went to Smith and Wollensky for a lunch with a colleague of mine. I had the tuna steak and white bean & rosemary soup. She had the Jumbo shrimp. We split the asparagus. I thought the food was pretty good. The tuna was cooked perfectly, so was the asparagus. My friend really like the shrimp. The soup was not good. It was pureed and would have been much better with the texture of the white beans. Overall, it's was cool. Our bill touched $100. It was not that good. I probably won't go back. There are other high end restaurants that I would like to try. If it's somewhere you've been wanting to go, I won't use my review to sway you from such, but I don't think you'd be blown away...unfortunately. Pros: Wait staff is great, food is good too, outside seating is great on a beautiful, sun-shining day. Cons: A little pricey. Food isn't "you've blown me away" good.

Kimberly F.

Smith and Wolensky seems to be surviving on its reputation. Ambiance is lacking- decor is dated. We ordered two appetizers- crab cake and scallops. The crab cake was good- very meaty, not loads of bread crumbs or mayonnaise-ish goo. The scallops were slightly undercooked. For dinner, our table had the t-bone, lobster, and red snapper. All were cooked appropriately with regards to temperature, the t-bone arrived exactly medium rare as requested and the lobster and fish were both just right. Sadly, though, everything was just mediocre. Everything lacked flavor or inspiration of any kind. Also ordered pecan pie, cheesecake, and coconut cake for dessert. The cheesecake and pecan pie were, again, just mediocre. Average. Not the best of either we've ever had, but nothing was "wrong" with them. The coconut cake, though, was DIVINE. Absolutely, positively delicious and a perfect in every way! In Chicago, there are thousands of excellent, original, inspired restaurants to choose from. I'd go to any one of them before I'd ever go back to Smith and Wolensky. Overall, it was a disappointment.

Jay B.

WOW is all I can say. I'm writing this over 24 hours from being there and I still can't get over how good my steak was. I seriously haven't stopped talking about it since I ate my last bite. First off as others have mentioned the location truly is spectacular. I made a reservation a few days in advance with no problems. I was a little surprised it wasn't more busy. My date and I requested a window to enjoy the beautiful view. We were seated downstairs in a really breathtaking view that made me proud to be a Chicagoan. The service was superb. We were treated like a friend and everything we asked about was answered, and our waiter even brought us into another room to take a picture of us in the window with the backdrop. "Hunter" was simply a fantastic waiter and would definitely love to have him in future visits. MOST IMPORTANTLY the steak. I ordered the Cajun Filet, 14 oz cooked medium. From the first bite I can tell you it was simply PHENOMENAL. Flat out the best piece of meat I've ever tasted. My date had the Gorgonzala Crusted filet that she said was excellent, but she tried a piece of mine and instantly realized what I was so excited about. We both agreed that not only do we have to come back here, but we both have to get the Cajun Filet. If you like a little spice then you will find this steak simply phenomenal. I would pay $45 for that meat any day of the week no question about it. I would seriously consider paying $100 for it... because I know it is going to take a return visit to get me to stop talking about my first experience!

Tara P.

I enjoyed S&W, especially the part where my father-in-law paid for it, however, I didn't enjoy as much as I should have for the price. The service was 4.5 stars (Gibson's gets 5, and S&W's service isn't THAT good). The server was extraordinarily patient with my mother-in-law. We won't get into examples. They also bent over backwards with preparing leftovers, and everything was served and refilled in a timely manner. The food...3 stars. Really, the calamari appetizer was nothing special, the steaks very good but not on par with Gibson's or surprisingly even Wildfire, and the sides were just plain. We went to S&W because I thought my in-laws would enjoy the river view, but there are really only a few tables that get that view - you have to be seated right next to the windows. Probably won't be back - too many other great steakhouses to try, and for the money, I actually liked Wildfire better.

M D.

Very nice. Outstanding selection of steaks that are very flavorful. Is it expensive? Of course. Expect to pay about $40+ for a steak and then additional for sides ($10+), about $2.75 per oyster (excellent) and $15+ for deserts - BIG deserts. But this is the norm at any well established steak house these days. The portions are so large you will not leave hungry. Is it worth it? If you are pondering that question then probably not. It's not a quick dinner and a movie kind of a restaurant. It's an evening. You get an excellent non rushed meal, highly competent and knowledgeable staff that are available when you need them - you will NOT have to look for them. By the time you need something they've probably already anticipated the need and are right at your shoulder when you turn around. My preference is to sit by the window overlooking the river downstairs - the tables by the window upstairs don't have much of a view (cannot see the river). The lighting / ambiance is a little bright compared to other high-end steak houses but it works here - it's very nice.

Dana M.

The food really is excellent. I had lunch here today and started off with their shrimp cocktail which was awesome. I liked their horseradish mayo sauce, different from other sauces I've had served with shrimp. After three mimosas (as long as it took for the waiter to take our order) I was feeling good and forgiving... Service left some to be desired but the food was great. Can't go wrong with blue point oysters and an amazing burger. The meat was juicy and the bun was warm and toasted. French fries were memorable. Excellent texture, crispy and melty in the center. I don't recommend desert unless you want to choke on full cream artery clogging icing on either the coconut or chocolate cake. Too rich for my blood. I'll be back.

Ariel B.

The husband took me out for my birthday to Smith & Wollensky. We were both pretty excited because we've been wanting to try it for a long time. The husband let them know it was my birthday, so upon being greeted by the server, I was handed a birthday card from the general manager. I have to say, very classy and made my night even better. We sat right by the windows and had a wonderful view of the river area. We ordered the Wollensky salads and an entree. The salads were good, I loved the button mushrooms. For the first time in my life I decided to really splurge on my birthday and I ordered lobster tail. What a disappointing meal. First, the lobster was over cooked. The expediter could barely get the shell off the tail. Then, it was really rubbery around the edges and my steak knife had a hard time getting though the meat. The husband ordered the tuna. He said it was good, but nothing spectacular. The service was good, but it took forever to get our main courses. I heard other tables complaining on the wait as well, so I'm thinking it was something going on in the kitchens. At the end of the meal, they also gave me a complimentary dessert, a little frozen mousse with nuts and a raspberry. Very cute, but I had no appetite by then. I bet the seating outside during the warm weather would be really nice. I'd maybe come back and just do the salad and a glass of wine, but I think most of the dishes are overpriced for what it was.

Cathy H.

Came here for Restaurant Week--an amazing three-course dinner deal for $32. Loved the steak--perfect, tender, juicy, amazingly flavorful. The Wollensky salad was also MUCH better than I expected from a standard salad. It had delicious mushrooms and tomatoes and...bacon bits? The service was fantastic. My steak was a bit too rare (not their fault, I ordered medium rare on a whim when I usually ordered medium), and just as I was mentioning it to my tablemates, a managerial type sprang up out of nowhere, took the steak back, "fired it up," and brought back a deliciously flavorful awesomeness! Very impressive. Sadly, the dessert (creme brulee), while good, was nothing to write home about. Fellow diner had a chocolate cake; also nothing to write home about.

jenn m.

Whats the hype all about? Yes its right on the river, and its a steak house, yadda yadda. But its overpriced and once again, full of people that I would not want to hang out with. The service was great. We were immediately greeted by the hostess and seated promptly. Our server was great too. Attentive, and helpful. I ordered the lobster club for lunch. It was twenty-two dollars. Uh yeah, I was expecting magic for twenty-two dollars. Pssst: It wasn't that good. And it was TINY. The bread sucked, the lobster was dull, and they served it with chips. Hmm... I'd go back to try the steak, but there are many other steakhouses in Chicago that I'd rather frequent first.

Cortney R.

Ummm, those pretzel bread things they have are ridiculous! The steak isn't bad either :) So, on the same trip where I stumbled upon my new fav bubble bar, my colleague and I decided dinner at a steak house was in order. So the food is great, the atmosphere great, service great, but here is what made it superb...My colleague, a geeky techy, ordered a PEACH SCHNAAPS OVER ICE. Server and I held it together for barely a second, then BURST out laughing.

Sandy A.

This was our second time eating here for Thanksgiving dinner. The Holiday dinner menu was outstanding and very healthy. We had vegetables (brussel sprouts and green beans) that were delicious. I would have like to have had sweet potatoes, but the mashed potatoes were excellent, too. The service was great and I'd go back again. The chocolate cake was incredible.

Elaine C.

We ended up here for brunch because Gospel Brunch was postoned and Flatwater had a kitchen fire (seriously.) But we saw their brunch menu (filet and eggs benedict, holler!) and saw that it wasn't too crazy expensive, so we went for it. It was a beautiful day on the river, the sun was shining, my hair was looking fab, and there was delicious food to be eaten. Like two hours later, when we actually got our food, it was pretty good. I could live on the Salmon Pastrami (which was basically crusted Smoked Salmon) and bagel with the fixings. Except they forgot the capers and it took 8 minutes to get our servers attention and another 3 before I got them. The quality of the food was dramatically hindered by the lack of service. I don't know what was up with our server, but there was no explanation given even when we asked for one. The table next to us, who order after we did, were almost done with their food by the time we got ours. We even had a bowl of soup first (Shrimp Bisque-delish!), and still ended up waiting another 20 minutes after we were done with the soup to get our damn eggs.

Chelsea C.

So disappointing. I came here with my boyfriend and another couple and got the bone in rib eye which the waitress recommended. It was seriously not good - especially for $45. Depressing really and I didn't want to complain and bring down the group... The creamed spinach and Mac and cheese were better than the steak. The wine pours were inconsistent and weak. I will never go back.

S. L.

Wow, I should have relied on my fellow Yelpers to steer me clear of this place! Alas, I was visiting Chicago and the friend, the host, asked me where I wanted to eat. I asked about Michael Jordan's establishment, but I was informed that place went out of business. So, being unfamiliar with what's in Chicago, I did my own Google research and came upon this place, which surprisingly, had oodles of good reviews. Anyhoo, what attracted me to the place the most is the location. It sits right over the beautiful river. We got lovely seats downstairs by the big window. I took some lovely pictures of water taxis drifting by. The scene was quite picturesque. I only have one other good thing to say about my experience there: the mashed potatoes! They were served in a small saucepot and they were simply to-die-for! As far as the negatives... Maybe it's "local schtick", but the server (Dan) kept saying, "okay?" after EVERY sentence. It was beyond annoying. Being that I was with 2 Chicago natives, I didn't want to make a big deal out of it while the waiter was at the table, so I waited until he left. My friends told me they know some locals that talk like that. Really? Wow! Mind you, this isn't the Valley Girl version of "okay, like, okay." No. This was the you-folks-look-remedial-so-let-me-make-sure-you-­can-understand-the-words-that-are-coming-out-of-­my-mouth version. So, the "service" pretty much started there and took a nose dive the rest of the meal. The waiter had a mad habit of stopping 2-3 feet shy of actually reaching our table. He'd simply peer at our plates and back away. Meanwhile, he was practically camping out at the 2-person table next to us! When you're paying $40 for a steak (not I, but my host had it), I guess you sorta expect way better service than that. I ordered a Caesar salad with chicken. Let's just say that the lettuce was good. The salad was topped with pre-cooked slices of chicken. Shivers! I guarantee you that the ONLY heat that pre-cooked chicken saw (on the day in question) was the steam coming out of the sauce pot of mashed potatoes that we ordered. I have NEVER had a Caesar salad served with COLD CUTS. For crying out loud, even MCDONALD'S slaps heat on their chicken for Caesar salads!!! Given my disappointment over my salad and the lackluster service, I didn't DARE cough up another dime to try S&W's hand at dessert! The verdict: Nice for the view, but save your money!

J T.

Fantastic location for dinner after a show at the Chicago Theatre. We were seated downstairs. The layout of the restaurant is so tight down there that we were constantly interrupted by carts of food bumping into my wife's chair, in fact while setting another table a bus boy actually dropped a chair on my wife. The food was average for this price category. To be honest, I prefer Morton's over S&W due to ambiance, food quality, and service.

R S.

A great steakhouse. Their dry aged rib-eye one of the best. Their colossal seafood appetizer platter is excellent. Sides are typical fare from a high end steak house. Wine Selection is decent. Note: I tried the New York and Las Vegas location. This location is by far the best.

Virginia V.

Service was great... Lobster Mango Salad was DELISH!!! My husband had the Grilled Salmon, it was cooked to perfection!! They have our favorite wine on their list.. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc.. I do have to say.. My little guy didn't care for their Mac n Cheese.. For desert we had the blueberry buckle it was very tasty!!

Julie S.

We visited this restaurant for the first time during wine week, Sept 2012. The wine server was fantastic! She was very attentive and made sure to explain the wines they were being poured. She paid attention to what we were eating and made sure the wines were paired as we went along. The food was as expected...very good! Never were we wanting more wine as our glasses were constantly filled with wine! Desert was excellent as well. When we were getting ready to leave is where the problem arose. We became aware that several of the wine servers had quite a lot of money stolen from their purses which they were told to leave in the coat room. After hearing one of the girls filing the police report, we were completely astounded by the general managers response to the problem! She had apparently blamed the girls for leaving the door to the coat room unlocked. As more girls were making their report, it became quite clear that the mgr did not even apologize to them or offer any sort of compensation or accommodation for this tragic event. Apparently there was over $500 stolen from these servers. One would think that the mgr would at least offer something as a token of her appreciation of their great service. Even though the rest of the experience was good, I would never eat here again knowing the mgr did not support these servers!!!

Char Y.

This review is only for the coconut cake featured on "the best thing I've ever ate" on food network. We got it to go and it was DIVINE! Inter layers of vanilla cake and fresh coconut whipped cream, with a coconut cookie! What else can I ask for except to go to coconut heaven?

Joe S.

I don't go out for steak but maybe twice a year. Keeping that in mind I don't have much to contribute other than for all I know about steak my dry aged prime rib was pretty good. I appreciated our server letting us know that we might be over ordering due to the sizes of the salads and sides which we ended up splitting. They also seemed well informed as to the difference between the cuts of meat and what the dry aging process does to enhance the flavor in certain ways. Another fine point was that they have a Smith and Wollensky Reserve wine simply described even on the label as Red Wine, politely leaving out the "For Dummies" part. Priced at around $75 in the dining room, and apparently (formulated?) to go well with their meaty fare, it was perfect for those of us who couldn't really tell you the difference between a $35 and a $3500 bottle the full range of which they have on the wine list. I did notice, and read this in other reviews as well, that the uniforms of the waitstaff were a little (lot) more grubby than they should be for a place that runs around $120 per diner. I'd like to go back for lunch sometime and sit on the deck by the river. Nice views.

Andrew T.

I had the seafood appetizer, advertised as clams, oysters, shrimp, lobster, etc. Don't know what I expected for 29.95, but it came with one of each. The filet mignon came out perfect and the sides are expensive ($9/10) but large. The best thing was the tuna entree, ask for rare. You have a choice of sauce but the best thing is the flavor from the raw tuna mixed with the lightly grilled outside. It's even better then Devon seafood's rendition in my mind which is the runner-up. If you don't finish the wine, they can bag it up for you.

Joshua M.

If this place were cheaper I think my rating might have climbed to at least a two star, but for a pricey meal I expect a lot more, and I'm a bit annoyed we wasted as much money as we did on this place. So let me break it down: It was Thanksgiving, and we could have gone with the Thanksgiving meal they were offering, but the place is supposed to be known for steak. We were going to get filet mignon, but our waiter talked us into the porterhouse because it's dry aged and all of that, and supposedly they are the only place in Chicago that does that. Also he claimed the flavor would be amazing. I noticed another server make these claims... maybe they were trying to offload some bad porterhouses?? So the steak comes out with our two sides, macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes. First off the steak did not even smell good. It had sort of a greasy smell, I can't even describe it. It was not however very appetizing. It was at least cooked medium, but the flavor was very bland with the better pieces, and kind of greasy with some of the others. Overall it was a "would you like some meat with that $50 piece of fat you just bought?" sort of experience. The sides were OK. The macaroni was probably the better of the two, but a little salty. And I've had better mashed potatoes at KFC. We ordered dessert. Being that it was Thanksgiving I decided pumpkin pie would be the trick... but when the dessert cart appeared it was so small I couldn't fathom spending $9 or whatever they were charging for it. We instead got the carrot cake which was large and decent. It took forever and a day to come out though. I think we got our entrees faster. The service was fine. I have no complaints there, except for the speed of the dessert being brought out. The ambiance I didn't really quite "feel" if you know what I mean. It's the sort of place that screamed remodel to me, anything to get the tacky sports memorabilia out of there. We were sat on the downstairs level which would have had a great river view, except for the floor to ceiling blinds... why those weren't pulled up I don't get at all. Overall: I admit a one star might be a little harsh, this in fairness maybe should be a two star. But honestly nothing we had, not even the bread they brought out beforehand (super salty) was exceptional. The kicker was that it was all way more expensive than how it tasted, and it was Thanksgiving!

Adam S.

I don't typically think of this place when thinking about a nice place to go to dinner but this was the birthday boy's request so we went. We started off with soups of the day and salads, all very good. My friend's wife had the Wisconsin Beer and Cheddar soup - basically heart attack in a bowl with all the heavy cream, but very good. Acouple of us also had French Onion soup, and I had an iceberg wedge with thousand island. Moving on to our main courses, we had prime rib, the bone-in ribeye, a filet, and the tuna. I think everyone was pleased with their meats and they were cooked as ordered. Sides were also tasty and fattening. The whipped potatoes literally had truffle oil pooling in them and the macaroni and cheese was I'm sure another dose of heavy cream and panko breading. But in these trying economic times, you better store up while you can. :) The meat is not the highest of high quality that you find at a few other Chicago steak houses but our waiter was friendly and attentive, the drinks were good and it was late enough in the evening that the restaurant didn't have the overly pretentious feel others have described. That said, it's a steak house that clearly caters to a business crowd. It has mahogany wood all over the place and low lighting and engraved steak knives. If you want more eclectic head a few blocks south and west to randolph...

Carolyn T.

First the good, then the bad. The truffled mac and cheese is phenomenal. It brought tears to the eyes of three out of four diners. (The fourth has a personal objection to fungi.) It is so phenomenal that I ordered it as my entree along with a nice glass of fume blanc. Also, the freshly baked bread they bring to the table, all shiny and golden from brushed butter, that was nice. Everyone else dug in, I didn't think it was spectacular, but it was great visual presentation. Additionally, my dining companions were pleased with their respective filets and steaks. Okay, now the bad. The service was unbelievably terrible. We arrived at 5p and it wasn't altogether busy. Maybe five people at the bar and three tables occupied. We take a couple seats at the bar, and within two minutes a server drops a glass of water and it splashes on my face and down the front of my clothes. Now, in my experience, when you spill something on someone, regardless if you're a server, a diner, a rock star, a preacher, whomever...if you spill something on someone you apologize and hand over a napkin. That's just good and decent manners. But the server didn't apologize until I looked at her expectantly, and even then it was half-hearted and muttered. Really, how much time out of your life does it take to offer someone a napkin and a quick "Sorry 'bout that!" Then the bartender seals the deal. I get a glass of wine (which in my opinion, should have been comped after I got spilled on). He asks if I'd like to start a tab. I say, "Yes, please start a tab." He's not even looking at me or paying attention and just says, "Okay, I'll close you out." Hello? Why ask the question if you're not going to wait for an answer? Now add to that the unacceptably sloppy appearance of the waitstaff. I highly encourage S&W to provide their servers with new coats to wear on each shift, or at the very least pay to have their coats laundered! The dinginess of our server's uniform was appalling. His coat was covered in grease stains, was far from white and was clearly worse for the wear. Come on now, this is an upscale steakhouse, not a diner, buddy. Plus, those fiesta water jugs? Nix those. When our server filled our water glasses with them, water sloshed all over the table, on the food and...horror, in the hollandaise. If it weren't for the macaroni and cheese and the bill, I would have thought I was at an underfunded Outback Steakhouse. I do have to say though, that I've been to Smith & Wollensky's Grill, which is downstairs from the main restaurant, a few times, and I would give them 5 stars for their food and service. Gerry, one of the bartenders, is phenomenal. He's fast, efficient, has a great memory and makes anyone feel at home, regardless of whether or not he knows you. So, if you are headed to Smith & Wollensky's for dinner, with a date or with a business acquaintence, I highly, highly recommend that you drop your dollars at the Grill instead of the main restaurant. At least at the Grill, you know you'll get what you paid for.

think Smith and Wollensky is a decent, full service steak house. I must admit that, for a full steak dinner, I prefer Keefers or Chicago Chop House. However, for a weekday lunch, I like the Wollensky Grill. It's downstairs, and has a wall of windows overlooking the river. You can order from the full menu upstairs, or (my recommendation) order off the grill menu (a bit less expensive and scaled back). I particularly like the burgerone of the better burgers in downtown Chicago, in my opinion. The service is always very good---a step above even the good service one would expect at a steakhouse.

Theresa C.

filet, medium rare, bone IN. can't be beat - lunch or dinner. whipped potatoes or baked, creamed spinach and a MEAN strong old fashioned. i really love the staff here too. they seem to value and appreciate each other and customers. it shows. went for thanksgiving last year, for no reason at all this year, and pretty much every seat is a great one. the lovely woman who plays piano is an amazing soul. that's it - this place has soul. mastro's is good and has it's own style, quality and grandeur (love the scope in the bathroom which has a wide selection of items for specific personal circumstances - lol), but i prefer s&w from an overall people/food/experience standpoint. great for groups, if you're on your own or for 2! loved that i could walk right in and have an early dinner on a friday, and got the exact same level of warmth and service as i did for thanksgiving and other visits made with reservations. i feel as if this is my *home* stake house!

Alissa B.

Looking to grab a bite to eat, we found ourselves walking by S & W one Friday night. My BF said he had never been before but always wanted to so we thought we'd check out the menu at least. There appeared to be a Summer Menu with some unique sandwiches (Lobster BLT!) and we were sold. The hostess was so nice and quickly set us up with a table on the patio, although, it was kind of half inside half out, not a big deal as the views are still pretty nice. Our waiter comes, who was not that nice actually, and gives us the menu... which was not the same one we had seen outside. Turns out there is a grill downstairs and there are separate menus? Whatev... we ended up splitting a filet, which was pretty awesome. Also, had the mac & cheese and green beans both excellent. Overall, its a good place for a steak but I think I might have to go back for that Lobster BLT!

Kevan S.

Great location, great service and some great wine. Food was expensively average unfortunately. Scallops with spinach were huge but without flavor. Lamb was pretty tasteless and the fries were soggy which is a crime. Shame - could be a great restaurant given the location but you're better spending your money elsewhere. Disappointing.

Samantha F.

Last night we spent $440. I have to say that I always walk out of this place loving the Shrimp cocktail, and hating the steaks. I had the Jumbo Australian lobster tail, it was good but not great. The sides are never sauteed, even though that is what you are promised, and you spend more time putting salt on them to make them better. Ranch rating 4 out of a 10. We will continue to go here for the Seafood and the view. I suggest everyone try it at least once. Also, the valet guy that is a young polish guy never jumps to get your car and allowed a bum to haggle us for our left overs and sat there whistling at a women walking by before he did his job.

Russ T.

So we were in Chicago for the week and were walking around and I thought, hey, let's really be a tourist and go into this place. I knew it would be on the expensive side but what the heck. So we went into it and grabbed an inside table. A little noisy but I can live with that. Not very cramped but I could see how it could be if there were four people at the table and not just the two of us. Started out with some wine -- reminded me of the Muppet movie with the screw top. I know that more and more wines are moving away from cork and some screw top wines are not all that bad but I did comment to my wife how we weren't offered the chance to smell the screw top. The wine was likely about three times the price you would find it other places. Not terrible but nothing great either. Onto the salads. She had a plain salad and I had the crab and asparagus. Both were okay. Nothing special but nothing bad either. Next came the steaks and the potato. Huge potato. So yes, they are big enough for two and they have sufficient things to place on top to make sure you were happy (cheese, butter, sour cream, bacon bits). Now onto the steaks. I ate at Emeril's in Bethlehem Pa at the Sands Casino. I loved the steak but the service and ambiance had to catch up. Well here the service and ambiance are there but the steaks were not. I asked for rare and got medium rare approaching medium. The flavor was good but if this was prime meat then I am really missing the mark. I get cuts of meat from Sam's club that are similar in marbling, texture, tenderness, etc. and these are choice cuts. Dessert was awesome. The kids showed up at the last minute and shared desserts with us. So service was there. Ambiance was there. Food was fair but nothing to write home about. I have had much better steak than this and these were comparable to Sam's club steaks that I buy back home. Well it was something to try. I don't see any reason to come back. I wouldn't suggest it for the food but if you want to try it for the tourist flavor and sitting outside, then it could be worth it.

David M.

For my college graduation dinner with my family, celebrating a milestone in my life, I chose Smith & Wollensky - and I couldn't have been happier with the evening. The food and atmosphere was perfect. Our waiter was helpful, kind, and achieved the perfect balance of being present when he was needed but never nagging or hovering over us as we ate. I got the ribeye, and it was fantastic. My father and brother are both huge prime rib afficianados, and they were completely enamored with their servings. The entire meal was a tremendous success - I really doubt that I could have asked for it to be better in any way. The only thing that was a stretch was the price, but I'd venture to say that the service we received was worth every penny. Fantastic dining experience - I'd recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat.

Cheryl S.

I have not been here for dinner, but this is an excellent spot for lunch. The rolls alone are worth a return trip. I ordered the lobster mango salad and, while I was a bit disappointed about the minimal lobster serving, the salad was excellent. The patio area cannot be beat on a sunny day --- away from the crowds that surround other waterfront restaurants off Michigan Avenue yet plenty of people-watching from the river traffic. I will definitely be returning here for lunch on my next visit to Chicago!

Thomas L.

The lamb chops were sent down from Heaven. We went to dinner here on business with a table of eight. I just go with the flow for the most part. To start the night off we put in an order for some raw oysters and crab cakes. Let it be known and coming from a boy raised in the south, raw oysters are nasty and I will not touch them. The crab cakes on the other hand were the bomb-digety. There were was hardly any useless filler it was for the most part large lump crab meat. My only disapointment of the night besides the waiter not liking Sarah Palin (suprise I know) was my girly drink of choice. I ordered an amaretto sour. I don't know what happend it made me tweet; way to sweet. I ordered the American Lamb Chop and the table ordered whiped potatoes and steam asperagus. Everything was amazing. When the dessert cart comes around just order the carrot cake it is soaked in orange liquer and has cream cheese frosting. The service was great besides the waiter who didn't like my girl. I was pleased the chef came out to great us; I believe that shows class.

Christina L.

I LOVE red meat! But, I didn't love Smith & Wollensky. Yes, they prepared my order of medium rare to the perfect temperature and color, i.e. pink and warm in the center. But, the way they got it there wasn't pleasant. I think they grill it in chacoal or something like that because the outside of the steak is all black and tastes like charcoal . . . Not in a horrible way, but in a way bad enough for me not to be able to enjoy the juicy red center.

Rachel H.

Its a "nice" steakhouse, there is a reason for nice in quotes and not excellent or awesomerooni etc..( get the picture). My husband and I were here for our anniversary, the appetizer were lame at best. I had the Crab cakes, my husband had the lobster cocktail. Honestly, it was not worth the money. Now coming to the entrees: mmm mmm mmm! I had the bone in Rib eye, which was very good. It was charred just perfectly and nice and moist on the inside. ( I eat my steak medium rare). My husband got the prime rib which was very good too. Sides: the whipped potatoes were pretty decent. Something was missing, I am not sure what though. Dessert: Lame, just like the appetizer. We split a ceesecake, nothing great to write about.

Sharon S.

I came here for a business dinner and almost everyone ordered a filet. I ended up ordering the sirloin and although it was still good, it wasn't the best I've had for the price paid. The sirloin was juicy and all but it was just missing some taste. I also asked for it medium rare and it came a little too rare but I still ate it. My coworker I was sitting next to said she'd had better filets as well. (I'd recommend Ruth's Steakhouse actually, theirs was DELICIOUS). Side were pretty good for the most part except I didn't like the mac and cheese. It was just too creamy and cheesey. Not sure if I'd come back here on my own but if I did, I'd probably try something else.

Ilona C.

It is our favorite restaurant with my husband! This place worth the $$. Excellent service. The staff seemed to genuinely like their job. Everyone is very nice and warm.Very classy environment. Beautiful outdoor. As we live in NW Suburb, we only come to this place on summer time as we love to enjoy our meal and beautiful weather. Wonderful views of the river. The food is just AMAZING! For those meat lovers, come to this place and try their steaks. They are delicious, according to my husband who LOVES meat(Cannot speak for myself as I became a vegetarian a little less than a year ago). However, I used to eat there Lamb Chops. It was very good!!! Now I just go with salads and sea food, also very very good! Especially the salad with crabs and asparagus-delicious. Dressing up seems to be the norm for this place, as you would notice that right away, and I love it. We'll be there soon again!

tr y.

Great patio, a tad snooty for being a chain, service can be great or crappy depending on who you get, prices a tad high for what ya get, and the overall taste. Wanting them to be better...

Kim C.

As far as steakhouses on the river go, I definitely prefer Fulton's over Smith and Wo. If you're going to pay $50 for an entree a la carte, you don't want a server who is pushy with ordering appetizers and sides and desserts and super over-priced drinks. Three stars for the delicious bone in prime rib that I devoured. No stars for the hashbrowns that were reminiscent of Denny's. The menus are in picture frames, which are not as creative as they think they are. In fact, they're just super heavy and take up too much room!