Chicago Chop House

First time to Chicago and we were told the food was good so i took my husband and daughter for their birthdays. First of all I felt uncomfortable because the servers and the managers stood and watched us all through our dinner. Second. We ordered 4 steaks and 3 out of the four were over cooked. I returned mine because it was well done and I ordered it medium. Third, the server asked us if we wanted a glass of peach champagne and we said sure. She then said to you want the small bottle so you can get another glass full (4 small glasses), we said sure. Little did we know the little bottle of champagne (20 oz) was $100. I have no problem paying for great food but this place was not great and surely wasn't worth $600 for 4 people.

I had just flown in to Chicago - new nothing of the area and asked my hotel where there was a good steakhouse and was sent here. The menu was not posted on the outside and was not provided to me until I'd sat there a few minutes and taken off my coat. I was tired and hungry. I looked at the prices and should have left - but again I was tired and hungry. Bottom line is my steak cost $55 - my potato $8 and my sald $10 - by the time we did tax and tip, I'd spent $99 for one person. I've been to quality steakhouses and that was the bill for my wife and I. By the way, if I'd wanted grilled onions - another $6. Worst part is the steak was just ordinary. In fact my first bite was chewy - the potato was undercooked. The food was decent - but for that money it had to be superlative and it wasn't.

So disappointed. Years ago had the best steak ever. This time I order a filet medium well. They butterfly the meat and present it rare (bloody, and much smaller than last time). The waitress and manager see me staring at it and take it back to the kitchen. It comes back red in the center, not even pink. For these prices, you would think they could actually cook a steak to order. The potatoes were also chewy and undercooked.

First, to give credit where it is due, the steaks were very good. But that's where it ends. The prices were outrageous: $69 to $89 per steak a la carte! The cagey manner in which the servers withheld the priced menus until we were well into the process should have been a tip-off, but who wants to be the skunk at the picnic. Wine prices were also way over the top -- I'm used to a 100% markup, but these looked like 200%, so we drank local beer and felt like skinflints. My son in law is a chef, and I asked him, professionally, whether there was any good reason for prices like these and he said, in a word, "Greed." No, we won't be back, and the great city of Chicago ought to be ashamed that this place carries its name.

I have eaten at the Chop House ten-plus times in the past but had not been a customer in the last few years. It was once my favorite place to eat in Chicago, but after last night’s visit, I have resolved never to return. Evidently others have come to the same conclusion, in that the dining room and the eating area in the bar were less than half full, in contrast to the past when they would be crowded at 7 p.m. Like others who have written less than favorable reviews, I found the following: 1. The Prime Rib, long a Chop House specialty, is no longer on the menu during the week. This was especially disappointing. 2. Unlike in the past when salad and potato were included with the choice of meat, all items are now ala carte. 3. The new prices are well above other top steak houses in Chicago, yet my steak was relatively tasteless, except for its overly salty flavor. 4. The wait staff was overly talkative, detailing all of the cuts of meat. 5. Even though there were few customers, the tables were crammed together. 6. The wine and drinks were very pricey, even for Chicago. The company and conversation at our table were great; the Chop House was not.

I'd visited once while on a business trip and it was fabulous. So, when I took my 17 and 20 year old sons to Chicago this summer, this was on the itinerary. They weren't all that enthused about having to dress well. They wanted to go do other things with those few hours, but I kept telling them, not to worry, they'd enjoy it. Yes, they'd had good steaks before. They'd been to fine restaurants where you're expected to be well mannered, but nothing prepared them for this meal. When my sons were served their meals and they took their first bites, a light came into their eyes. They finally understood why I made it a point to make reservations for us. It was the best dinner out we've ever shared. Wonderful food. Wonderful atmosphere, and best of all a new and treasured experience of truly appreciating fine dining. I realized later that not once during our visit did their cell phones come out to reply to a text or skim the internet. We will be back.

Gone way down hill. Bill padding, outrageous prices, rude, slow, smaller portions. Major ripoff prices for a mediocre steak. Pick ANY other Chicago steakhouse over this