The Grillroom

the best staff and service ever, so cheeery and the food was mighty tasty

the Pork Chops with bbq glazed were so good, that even though the place was pricey for our budget, it was totally worth it.

the best steak i ever had

My first experience at The Grillroom will be a lasting experience. A friend invited me there for lunch as she's been several times and really enjoys the food. The downtown location w/ outdoor eating on a beautiful day was an easy sale. The menu items were an easy sale as well as they were creative and read of expectations of flavor. Well we both ordered the tilapia entree (her's blackened and toppings on the side; mine as detailed on the menu). Before I get to the food let me address the service first. Our server was polite, but a little tardy in checking in on us. In the middle of our meal we had to ask for the complementary basket of rolls we should have gotten when we were seated. They were worth the wait because they were warm and delicious! What I could have waited for however was a COOKED meal. About half way thru my tilapia I realized it wasn't done. I had sushi! No big deal. I like sushi, but that's NOT what I ordered. So now we wait a few minutes to get our, again tardy, server to our table. When I inform him my meal isn't done, he nonchalantly, but politely, says "Oh sorry. Let me go put it back on the grill." Let me go put it back on the grill!? No, 'would you like something else' or 'let me get a manager to discount your meal'. Nothing! It was at this point my friend tells me the service was bad the previous times she ate there. Then about 8 minutes and a warm roll later a completely different guy IN A SUIT (maybe a manager?) brings back my half eaten tilapia on an appetizer plate with new toppings to replace the ones that were scattered from my original serving. And what does he say? "Who had the tilapia?"! Mind you my friend IS STILL EATING HER MEAL and I have NO PLATE in front of me! I signal that I do and he places it in front of me, says "here you go" and walks away. No apology or any other effort or gesture to earn my repeat business after being served raw food. Afterwards our tardy server only checked on us once and was tardy yet again with our check. For a place with slightly inflated pricing and ambiance, the service is unacceptable. The dish was tasty (cooked) but I don't know if the service and value is worth it. Maybe a takeout order would be better, just be sure you get what you ordered.

We ate at the Grill Room on 12/5/09. Our service was awesome! the food was fabulous. I had the meat loaf which was sooo good, and pretty reasonable. their food is expensive, but since I am not that familiar with Chicago dining, everything here seems expensive. one of my friends had one of their steaks, and I got a bite and it was out of this world. I loved the atmosphere too, very cozy.

Other than the servers (who are incredible), the decor and the menu is overpriced, tired and old. The lunch cafe food is just awful. How bout mixing it up and trying something new for a change?

I love the grill room. It's big and has an inviting environment. The Onion Soup is simply fantastic. They have an amazing burger. Their salads are large and filling and the fried calamari is excellent. I can't say much about anything else, becuase I always get the same things when I go, becuase I know its going to be great. A little bit pricey, but not too over the top. I am a huge fan and would direct anyone here for pretty much anything. They also have a great staff and do well with big groups and catered parties. Also, free refills on soda, which is always a nice thing. Two thumbs up.