The Smith - Chicago

Had an amazing time at The Smith last week! From start to finish, everything was on point—but what truly made our experience memorable was the outstanding service from Zach Hultz. He was warm, attentive, and incredibly knowledgeable. You can tell he genuinely cares about providing an exceptional experience. We absolutely loved the Smith Burger—juicy, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. The fries with truffle aioli were addictively good, and we also tried the milanesa and Caesar salad, both of which were delicious and beautifully presented. The cocktails were top-notch too—well-balanced and creative. Between the great food, inviting atmosphere, and Zach’s stellar service, we’ll definitely be back. Highly recommend asking for Zach if you go—he truly elevated the entire experience!

I had an excellent experience at The Smith tonight! I was celebrating a special event and sat at the bar. Victor and Sherri at the bar were fantastic and made my night. They were attentive and kind. They offered great suggestions and did not disappoint. Victor made the best espresso martini!!! I can’t wait to come back!

I decided to stop here pretty late (pretty close to closing) after a play at the Goodman Theater by myself. I had great service, and my food was delicious. I ordered more than which I needed, which made the price of my meal more expensive than I think the average person would pay. However, I was not disappointed in anything I ordered. I would have taken better pictures had I planned on writing this review, as these do not do the food justice.

Overall, we really enjoyed our experience at this restaurant! The food was genuinely delicious — even though we only ordered salads and dessert, everything tasted great. The atmosphere was lively and a bit noisy, but in a good, energetic way. Our waiter was kind and cheerful, which we appreciated, but he was also a bit forgetful — he didn’t bring the champagne we ordered at first, and then forgot the dessert utensils (we ended up asking another staff member). To his credit, he apologized and made up for it by happily taking a group photo for us 😅 In the end, nothing ruined our evening — it’s a lovely place overall, and we’d definitely come back!

I’ve been here twice now and It’s been great both times! This time my friend and I came for the weekend brunch and got the shrimp and grits, vanilla bean french toast and a side of fries. We also tried the cucumber mimosa, rose sangria and latte cocktails. Everything we tried was very good! The service was also incredible and our server was very kind and also helped us out in ordering as well. I would highly reccomend this restaurant!

I came to this place by accident. I love the place that has patio, bar and restaurant tables. The brunch menu have brunch drinks came with any dish of eggs. so we ordered 1 dish of any egg so you can get 1 drink free. This is a good deal and i think no one knows about this much. They also have tap flat and sparkling water for you. we would go back again. Food is great, our server is great. it’s perfect.

Lovely restaurant with goood food! We went for brunch and enjoyed the time there. The food was amazing.

Food is awesome. I tried the fish and 1 big glass of beer 🍺 and paid only $38. Atmosphere was so good and service was awesome 👏

Just visited Chicago for the first time and ate at The Smith for dinner. We had the oysters, salmon tartare, short rib ragu, and the brick pressed chicken - all were delicious and portioned fairly!

We didn’t have a reservation and were able to get a table on Saturday around 11.00am pretty quick. The design is nice, floor tiles are pretty cool but be ready for the pretty loud atmosphere. We ordered Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon and potato waffles, omelet with bacon, latte and orange juice. Portions and taste were pretty good. Friendly and quick staff. We love option for regular and sparkling water for the tables.

Such a nice meal. Daniel was our server and he was so kind and knew the menu so well. It was cozy and enjoyable.

We had dinner at The Smith on our last night in Chicago (Saturday, October 18th), after a weekend packed with great meals, and somehow, this one still stood out as the most memorable. It was pouring rain, the restaurant was packed, and it was pretty clear the staff was likely stretched thin. Our group has all worked in the industry at some point (some of us still do), so we know the signs when a team is short-staffed and running in the weeds. And yet… not a single person showed it. No stress, no attitude, no avoidance, just warmth, kindness, and hustle. Yes, there was a longer-than-expected wait after our appetizer before our server returned, but here’s the thing: not once did we feel ignored or like an inconvenience. You could visibly see leadership leading, eyes up, observing the floor, jumping in wherever needed. And that brings me to Eldridge. Eldridge (manager) was an absolute standout, the kind of person every restaurant wishes they had and every guest wishes they could take home as a friend. At one point, we must have looked around for our server, because Eldridge caught it immediately and stepped in without hesitation. He wasn’t just managing; he was present. He and the female supervisor in the red coat were running that place like a perfectly oiled machine, supporting their team shoulder-to-shoulder. Every dish Eldridge recommended was spot on, from the oysters to the steak dinner and dessert. His energy, attentiveness, and authenticity elevated our entire evening. It wasn’t just service; it was connection. This experience made The Smith more than just “a good meal” - it made it our Chicago spot. As long as this team (especially Eldridge and all leadership) is here, this will always be a must-return destination for us. And if they eventually move on to bigger opportunities? We just hope whoever steps in brings the same heart, talent, and leadership. We walked in for dinner. We walked out extremely full, extremely happy… and just a little bit attached to Eldridge. We feel lucky we ended our trip here, and even luckier we met him.

Of all the restaurants in Chicago, this one is near and dear to my heart. I love this place! The food, the atmosphere, the staff, and even the music! Not to mention the super cool photobooth downstairs. It’s like my perfect place. Every time I go, I am always impressed with just how incredible the food is. Bobby is a wonderful server! And an absolute treasure! My sister and I loved him. He makes your experience so, so fun and he’s extremely helpful and efficient.

Came in for a friend’s birthday dinner, it was a really nice touch having a welcome and happy birthday card on the table and offering cake cutting service. The waiter was friendly and all of our food and drinks were delicious, especially loved the spicy shrimp scampi and the gnocchi!

Great spot for a meal, we stopped in and grabbed a drink, some apps and a steak! I got the Manhattan which I thought was made well perfectly balanced The burrata was delicious who doesn't love some cheese! I really enjoyed the steak I found the peppercorn a little heavy but it was great overall, just push some of it aside if you find it is too much

My friends and I stopped by for lunch and had an amazing experience. Great ambiance. The servers were all very kind and patient even when we showed up late to our reservation and spilled Butterbeer on the floor (sorry!) We enjoyed the Chicken Kebab sandwich, Short Rib Mafaldine, Chips and Dip, and Gnocchi. Would recommend any of these dishes. The $5 photobooth was also a great addition! Watch out though, the photobooth starts taking pictures as soon as you finish paying.

This was recommended to me and now I am recommending it to you! We started in the bar area. They had a fantastic martini happy hour. Good selection, good prices and good martinis. Then we went over to the restaurant side and had dinner. I got the fillet with jalapeño grits. Everything was unbelievable. We also shared a side of Mac and cheese. Really good! My steak was cooked to perfection and it came with some interesting sauces you can dip it in. Don’t miss this place if you’re in town.

In my trip to Chicago, this was my favorite place. Everything was so good. I ordered the French Dip, Mac n Cheese, Burratta, and the POTATO CHIPS! The potato chips with the blue cheese fondue were so dang good, I could eat two bowls of it! Also I really loved the French dip! It had great flavor.

Excellent brunch today! It was a beautiful day in the city so it was nice the accordion windows were open. Highly recommend the pancakes, and goat cheese and spinach omelette. Decent size portions and delicious. There were three standouts though that were amazing!!! Caesar salad with Parmesan croutons, the spritz cocktail and possibly the best sticky toffee pudding on earth! Don’t miss the brunch deal that includes a free brunch cocktail. Can’t wait to go back!

Beautiful restaurant and delicious food! The highlight was the salmon tartare w/ crispy rice.

Starters are great for opening up the appetite. Drinks are tasty and balanced. The steak is tender, cooked to point, juicy and fullnof flavor.

Really enjoyed our brunch at The Smith. We have visited a Smith before in New York City, and we are glad that the Chicago location carries forward the same quality and experience. Both our dishes were very good. The goat cheese omelette is fluffy and smooth. It does have a lot of spinach, so be prepared for that. The Vanilla Bean French Toast should probably be illegal, it is too good. Every single bite is better than the last, and you can't stop eating until the plate is clean. The side of bacon is very good but a bit pricey. One awesome note is that for brunch, certain menu items get you a free brunch cocktail. We chose mimosas but there are other options available. This is a nice little perk that makes the value of the meal much more attractive. We visited right at open and the service was very efficient and pleasant. Absolutely will consider stopping in again next time we are in town.

Had an amazing time at The Smith. Our server Oscar was an absolute delight and elevated our entire experience . I got the ricotta gnocchi and it blew my socks off. My boyfriend got the braised short rib mafaldine which was delicious. I would 100% recommend this place to anyone. It was a cozy spot with, great, timely service, good atmosphere and great food.

Amazing weekend brunch fare! Even the “standard” hash browns have their own distinct flavour thanks to onions & seasoning. The poached eggs were just perfect! Diners can easily tell they take food very seriously here. I can’t wait to dine here again on my next Chicago trip! Thank you!!

Overall, a great experience. The East Coast oysters were super fresh, and the house-made Tabasco was a perfect pairing if you enjoy a little heat. We ordered the mussels (entrée) as an appetizer. They came out hot, though slightly overcooked. The burger, however, was a standout, and the fries were just as good. Do get the ice cream sundae, you won't regret it.

Great food in a great atmosphere. Good service and cocktails, too. Overall a good destination. Only fault I can find: There were 9 of us for a work dinner once and they crammed us to a table for 8 with an end seat on the inside of a booth corner. I like my coworkers but not that much. They really should have just given us another 2-top so we can eat comfortably. The people on the inside of the booth were trapped.

We went to The Smith for brunch and it was WONDERFUL!! The atmosphere was great. It was lively and became pretty full as the lunch hour approached. All of the food was delicious. We got the johnny Benedict, pancakes and breakfast sandwich. Everything was great. Highly recommend!

Work event dinner. A pre ordered menu was ordered by the event organizer. We we in the basement with a private room. Very nice ambiance and great and courteous serving staff. The food was very good. Highly recommend. Sorry no pics, didn't want to look unprofessional. Chicken, Samon, Stake all very good. Location in the heart of the city. Spot hero, across the street in a covered garage half a block down the street. Cost for parking $12.00 during the week.

The ambience is nice, easy going, spacious, various seating styles and plenty of seats and some have hooks under the tables for your bag, dim lights. The food is okay. I loved the idea of veges inside the calamari dish but i only liked the zucchini bc it was not crispy but the other veges were salty all crispy but the breading of the calamari was not crispy or light for the maybe 8 calamari ring pieces that werent fried to a crisp. There were so few pieces of actual calamari for $19. There were the baby full pieces w legs but they were air fried to a crisp so that none of those pieces were chewy ... just crunchy. So it tasted like just potato crisps that looked like calamari. So i was still hungry when usually a plate of fried calamari would have filled me up. The drinks were good. Overall it's a great atmosphere nice for crowds of family and friends when you are out late and the wait staff are attentive and friendly.

I recently hosted a large party of 12 at The Smith in Chicago, and overall, it was a really enjoyable experience. First off, I have to give credit to the staff — they were incredibly accommodating. Large reservations can be tricky, but they handled it seamlessly. Checking out and splitting the bill was super easy, which made things stress-free. The manager was also great when I called ahead to confirm details, and our waiter was friendly, attentive, and patient with our group. The atmosphere was very cute — lively but not too loud, with a warm, modern vibe that made it perfect for a dinner with friends. Definitely a good spot for larger parties or group gatherings. Food-wise, there’s a nice variety on the menu, something for almost everyone. One of my guests doesn’t eat food cooked with alcohol, and the staff went above and beyond to ask the kitchen about ingredients and make sure she had good options. I really appreciated that transparency and care. I ordered the strip steak with chimichurri — it was decent, though not amazing. The steak came out a bit more well-done than I requested (I asked for medium well), and it was a little tough to cut through. The chimichurri was heavy on oil and light on flavor — I was hoping for a bit more of that garlicky punch. The fries, however, were great! I also tried a mocktail from their zero-proof section (something with “city” in the name — can’t remember exactly). It was really refreshing and well-balanced, though at $13, a bit pricey for a nonalcoholic drink. Overall, I’d still highly recommend The Smith. The service was fantastic, the atmosphere was lovely, and it’s a great choice for groups or anyone looking for a well-rounded dining experience. I’d definitely come back — and maybe next time, I’ll try one of their other entrees.

Nice touches with Sparkling water free of charge to every table. House made hot sauce. Varried menu.

The Smith is one of my favorites simply because you can’t go wrong with much here. The food is great, and the service has always been wonderful. I was recently here to celebrate my birthday and they easily accommodated all 10 of us without a problem. The service was speedy and friendly, and the dinner went off without a problem.

Beautiful restaurant with fantastic lighting. I wish we had visited on a night that wasn't as busy (we came on a Monday) because we felt like we had to scream to carry on a conversation. The noise levels were very loud. Outside of that, the service was great, and the food was great. I ordered the soba noodle salad and a chocolate cake for dessert.

Mixed reviews on this one. Ordered the peppercorn sauce steak. Peppercorn sauce was amazing, but I ordered well-done steak and it arrived medium-well. Tried the Brussel sprouts because an online review said they were amazing...they were not, and they arrived burned. Ordered a paradise colada, but it was undrinkable with the spices they include. Staff was very friendly and accommodating! Music is too loud though... can't hear others at the same table talking. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this restaurant, but if you do end up there, get the peppercorn steak!

We had a reservation for 4:45 pm. We understand it was Valentine’s Day and places would be busy, but that would be the point of the reservation? When we checked in, we were told to wait by the bar. Sure. Time passed and we saw people getting seated. No communication as to what was going on or when we’d be seated. It seemed like people were getting seated at random, so no idea if these were walk-ins, reservations before us, reservations after us… no idea. Which became frustrating. My boyfriend tried to walk up a few times to the hosts, but there was too much chaos to be able to talk to someone. He finally talked to the lady that checked us in and she said they were cleaning off our table. We counted at least two more couples that got seated right after that, so he went back up there afterwards and spoke to a guy that told him they were busy and it would be another 10-15 minutes to which he replied we had a reservation. He was like “Oh, are you (name)?” My boyfriend said yes, and he was like oh well we’re clearing off tables now. 30 minutes past our reservation time, we finally got seated. Service was fine, food was good. We ended up ordering by 5:30, food got there in 15 minutes, but we didnt leave until 6:45- not because we were taking our time but just due to delays in getting a take out box and getting the check. Things I don’t really care about. Honestly wouldn’t be making this review otherwise. Honestly probably would care lesser about the 30 minute wait past reservation time if we just had good communication on what was going on and how they were seating people. Was very frustrating.

I had the fillet steak. It was very nice and perfectly cooked. The fries that it came with with not. They were very thin and rock hard. McD's fo better fries than that. There wasn't any other choice. A baked potato would have been nice or better fries. There was also an absolute mountain of fries. Far too many.

Service and atmosphere were great, but the food left a lot to be desired. I ordered the Smith Eggs Benedict. It was okay, but not particularly memorable. I’ve had some excellent eggs Benedicts back home in Toronto, and this one didn’t measure up. The home fries were salty, and I could only manage a few bites. My friend ordered the eggs and bacon and found the bacon chewy and the eggs too set and cheesy. She expected a soft scramble, but it was an omlette with cheese, which could’ve been communicated or clarified by asking how she likes her eggs prepared. It would’ve been nice to have the option to swap the home fries for a salad or fresh fruit. We didn’t get a chance to share this feedback in person since we were flying out shortly after our meal, but I wanted to mention it here in hopes it’s helpful for the restaurant to improve. Overall, it was a bit disappointing and didn’t feel worth the price, especially paying in USD. Neither of us really liked the brunch we got all too much. My friend, who’s a chef, had spoken highly of The Smith, so I came in with high expectations. Maybe the experience varies depending on the chef on duty. We visited for Sunday brunch on October 26 and I hope next time I’m in Chicago I can have a better experience here if dining here again.

They emailed that my order was ready for pickup but it wasn’t ready. I waited for about ten minutes before another employee magically found my food which had clearly been sitting the whole time. I got home (<5 min walk) to eat my brick pressed chicken which is supposed to be half a chicken and it is like maybe a quarter of a chicken. For scale, the bone sticking out is a wing not a drum. The back is all soggy since they had me waiting after it was done. This “1/2” chicken was $33. I used to take friends fam and coworkers here but its gone downhill.

The bar had a nice vibe, but the drinks and dessert were a letdown. The espresso martini and the pudding were both overwhelmingly sweet—I couldn’t taste anything but sugar. It completely overpowered the flavors. If you’re looking for something balanced or rich in taste, this might not be the right spot.

Went in for restaurant week deal for $30 lunch deal. Food was good considering the price we thought we were going to pay. We checked the bill when the waitress handed it to us so we could pay. When our group received the bill on the machine to pay after selecting tip it came out way higher than expected ($52). Went to ask for a receipt from waitress and that was when a manager had to get involved. They took a while discussing at the machine and presented our receipts and noticed the difference in total. Checked my bank statement and it was showing a pending higher amount. When we asked about the difference of receipt and after showing the credit statement she said she corrected it and the higher amount shouldn’t go through. There was no reason why there was a higher amount or apology for the mistake. After looking at the bill again still was not corrected as the tip was not corrected. The tip stayed the same for the higher amount and was never corrected. Our group chose on the device around 18% - 20% but ended up paying an overall 25% due to the restaurant not correcting. I don’t know if they are running a scam or workers think they can get away with it but CHECK YOUR BILL AND CALCULATE IT to make sure it is correct. I do not trust this establishment