Chicago Cut Steak House
High expectations, met with a gloomy reality – One Clap
After several repeats in recent months, the group looked forward to welcoming a new, highly touted steakhouse to Chicago. Unfortunately, the much hyped Chicago Cut failed to fully deliver. A wall full of glass windows, a soaring ceiling and tremendous views of the river provide a stunning setting for this loop newcomer. However, tables are grouped too close together, the service has yet to find their rhythm and aspects of the food leave much room for improvement.
Upon arrival, the group checked in and met for drinks. The bar, while good looking, is too small and over crowded. Tables, patrons and servers bounce into each other in perpetual motion. After waiting for 30 minutes past our reservation to be seated, we were ushered to a table that was stacked on top of other parties and without sufficent space for the waitstaff to get by.
Wine: The wine list on an Ipad, while “cutting edge”, leaves you feeling as though you are not at a steakhouse, but rather visiting the Apple Store. Call me old school, but I like a place that prides itself on a Bible like book of fine grapes. That said, for our trouble they comped us a nice bottle of pinot noir.
Appetizers: Our appetizers, while complimentary because of our wait, were the least satisfactory on record. “Crab Bites” were frozen and lacked any true meat. This area of the menu could use a great deal of work.
Steaks: It is a steakhouse, so here is where the rubber meets the road. The Chicago Cut did not disapoint. Cooked perfectly, I was thrilled with the namesake on the menu.
Sides: Another strong suit, the best creamed spinich I have had to date, complimented with very good hash browns and truffled potatoes.
Dessert: Brad was the birthday boy and enjoyed the benefit of an outstanding cheesecake.
Chicago Cut Steakhouse is a lesson in patience. It shows that my thirst to go somewhere new, perhaps out weighed the need to let this place work out the kinks. We will return down the line, but it was too soon.
Rating: 6
Filed under: General
That could be the most helpful review yet. Sorry I missed, if only for the lack of steak in my belly and the one-clap in honor of Brad’s belated b-day.
Jev a fine write up and agreed on all fronts. Props to the bartender, John, who is one of the best at the steakhouses we have visited.
I would give the restaurant a 6 as well and give Brad Ray’s attitude about a 1. I am sure Rick Ray will explain further in his writeup…
Can’t wait to hear from both of the Ray’s present last night…
All hanger (hunger + anger) aside, not a bad evening. Beautiful space with a great view of the Chicago River and downtown. Drinks at the bar, while an extended session, were well done. Wines were brilliantly selected by Jevon via what I believe to be a great iPad stand-in to an old school, basic interaction.
My Bone-in Rib-eye was perfectly cooked and the horseradish spread that accompanied it turned out to go well with everything on the table. Side highlights: creamed spinach, truffle potatoes and hash browns. I was thoroughly disappointed in the lobster mac-n-cheese: are we sure we got it? Lobster scraps were barely noticeable; could have been mistaken for burnt cheese.
Definitely a medium rare showing for this flagship steakhouse. I look forward to seeing what they can to to tighten up the operation in the coming months.
P.S. Congrats on the win, Jevon. You deserved it.
Excellent write-up thorzeen. A few too many gimms and some issues at the workplace will do some bad things to a man. Apologies issued to the group for my piss poor performance. Reeshard received his personal apology earlier today. I won’t bring that kind of negative energy to the steakhouse in the future….
Back to dining experience. I agree with the group. The apps were some of the weakest we have had to date. I don’t even know how to comment on those crab bites. It was as if someone picked through the garbage in the alley behind Shaws and slapped it on ice. Weak….
I find the layout interesting. The room itself is great, however as many have already mentioned — crowded. The kitchen is all the way in the back. patrons going to the bathroom almost get run over by serves with big platters. The host desk is also in the middle of all this making for some interesting traffic patterns.
The bone in rib-eye was cooked to perfection — just how I like it. I did not fuind the steaks to be well seasoned or even seasoned at all for that matter. A bit of a whiff in my opinion.
I would be happy to go back when the kinks are worked out and my attitude adjusted. as for last might…meh.
6
Well, I suppose someone has to enter a positive review. My steak was certainly one of the best I have had, which seems to be the general consensus so nothing new there. I thoroughly enjoyed the sides, highlights of creamed spinach and truffled potatoes, but i must submit a two clap for the lobster mac. Perhaps I managed to get the goods leaving the scraps for the help. Unintentional of course. The wait at the bar was certainly annoying however all waits are made better with more bourbon.
And on to the architecture commentary. They certainly worked hard to nail the chicago steakhouse aesthetic with the over all decor. I would defer to reeshard joelle as far as the color palette used. overall he layout was just piss poor. Brad certainly nailed part of the issue but in general i think they really need to go back to the drawing board. Its quite likely if they hadnt wasted so much space on the ridiculous layout and left room for more tables it would have been less claustrophobic and perhaps they could have reduced their resulting diner cost.
i give it a 7.5 and if your not into the whole decimal thing for brevity’s sake I will round up to an 8.
Roderick, we look forward to your gentlemanly company next month as chicago’s finest descend yet again upon a meat purveyor.
Is it better to be one of the first to try a place or better to let them work out some kinks first? After our visit to Chicago Cut I’m still not sure there is a clear answer.
A nice looking dining room turned out to be a little uncomfortable to be in. Tables were crammed together with little room for the staff to operate. The ancient Chinese feng shui principals did not seem to be applied while laying out the dining room.
The table itself did not feel like it belonged in a classy restaurant, there were large metal legs in my way and I kept banging into them. It felt like it was rented from a party supply store and was better-suited being set up in a backyard for a graduation party.
Disappointing would be an understatement when describing the appetizers, easily the worst in the history of steak night. I thought the truffle potatoes and Mac and cheese were excellent, probably the highlight of the meal. My steak was not that good, it was prepared fine but just lacked flavor, really very bland. I’m not a huge dessert guy but really enjoyed the cheesecake, it was outstanding.
When it comes to credit card roulette I’m like the 2008 Detroit Lions, I just can’t win. Nicole (with her guns) was one of the cuter staff members to help with this activity. I was hoping she would put those guns to good use and put Brad in a headlock and say “you have developed an insufferably hideous attitude, yes it is true”.
On to the enigma that is Jon Glick. He left the group, went and bought the paper and started reading it at the table. What the fuck was that? It’s not like he was on the front cover and he got it to show the group because it would be an interesting dinner conversation. The only time it is acceptable to read the paper at the table is when you go to the diner by yourself. Reading the paper at the table is worse then his usual antics of starring at his blackberry for the better portion of the meal.
On to December where there is a rumored appearance by Roddy Richards.
For the record the paper was purchased b/c alexi was on the cover and the photo made him look like a Db post election having a beer w Kirk. Dinner was solid Rick Ray tantrum aside(what’s the saying about people who live in glass houses?).
Liked the choice always good to get a fresh pre-oprah tweet vibe. Let the good times continue.
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