RJ Grunts: A Chicago Culinary Icon for Comfort Food and Casual Dining

My stepfather brought my mom and I to RJGrunts while he was trying to woo us. He seemed so cool taking us to this hippie-like establishment. It was where we celebrated graduations and other events. It's where he became my bonus dad.Grunts was our special place. We never ordered the same thing as I aged (I started at 9 yrs... I'm now 59). Our only constant was the Black Cow, now known as the rootbeer float. Can you say comfort food?!?!

We went on Father's Day around 12:30 reservations for four and place was crowded with dads and everyone else. We ordered Appetizers to start with, fried pickles, potato wedges, then we Ordered Baby back ribs which was very dry and a little burnt, Breakfast burrito , Grunt burger for my wife says it was very good, French dip, Onion Rings. Service was good.

Every time I come to RJ Grunts I always get the California wrap. It has the perfect combination of ingredients and it is very tasty, by far my favorite wrap I've ever eaten. Their house chips are also super tasty and I love the texture on them, so I personally wouldn't substitute it. Their ranch is also really tasty. The service is usually typical. Not too fast not too slow. General restaurant waiting times. The seating area is nice as well, I think it is a cute place with good food. I have always enjoyed my time at this restaurant and my food comes out great and fast every time I've been.

This spot has been on my radar for so long. This restaurant has a Saturday night (8pm to 10pm) Happy Hour. Woot Woot. The Happy Hour covers the whole establishment, so you don't have to sit in the bar to get the special. Btw the bar is super tiny. Anyway, we put our name on the list for a table. We were sat in under 5 minutes. In all honesty we were just coming for the $5 cocktails. Had I knew that we could sat down and ate, we would of gotten food. By the time we got here, we were already tipsy and fed. For drinks we I decided on the Malbec ($5 bucks) and my husband got the Old Fashion ($5 buckaroos). Decided to get dessert and one more drink before ending our night. I would come back here or another late moght happy hour. Everyone was super friendly and the atmosphere was old school.

The one that started it all... That's right, this is the original Lettuce Entertain You restaurant. They opened June 10th 1971. My dad loved this place; and coincidently June 10th was his birthday. He introduced me to this historic restaurant many years ago; and it has always remained near and dear to my heart. My wife and I stopped in for lunch on Thursday December 28, 2023 around 11:30, and they were already approaching capacity! You can feel the history right when you walk through the door. The walls are adorned with photos and artwork that have been there as long as I can remember. Over the years very little has changed. In fact, the only change I can think of is the elimination of the salad bar (I loved the salad bar, but I get it). We were promptly seated in a small booth towards the back. A word of caution, seating is tight. My wife ordered the French Dip Enigma with a side of Sweet Potato Fries. I had the Gruntburger with Cottage Fries. We shared the French Onion Soup. My burger was excellent, and her sandwich was even better! The French Onion Soup was among the best we've ever had. The drink menu offers many of the classics. I enjoyed a very tasty Bloody Mary and my wife went old school with a delicious Amaretto Stone Sour. Our server was sweet, and even shared a little history with us. Prices are reasonable. RJ Grunts is a must if you happen to be in area (oh by the way, the Lincoln Park Conservatory, and the Lincoln Park Zoo are a short walk from here). I can't overstate the role RJ Grunts has played in the long and storied history of the Chicago restaurant scene. I highly recommend seeing (and tasting) it for yourself.

Lunch at RJ Grunts is a Christmas tradition for my family. Not a place I would eat regularly but a cozy and fun spot for a family lunch, especially when visiting Lincoln Park zoo. The biggest change since my last visit was the salad bar. Probably for food safety reasons, but rather than setting everything out you select up to ten items off a menu and they chop it all together. Great option for a vegetarian We had their onion rings and Bloody Mary to starts onion rings fried to perfection. The Blood Mary are practically a meal topped with a chicken wing and bacon The meal portions were enormous. Everyone enjoyed their burgers though the medium was closer to medium rare Excellent spot for a smaller group meal

Neighborhood favorite. Come here frequently for lunch or dinner and sometimes brunch on the weekends. Food is always good. This week we stopped for drinks and an appetizer to share. No happy hour menu but no regrets. The beer was cold and came in a pitcher and the martini was prepared just right. The wings and home made potato chips were great and hit the spot. Restaurant is small and cozy. Zoo lights across the street but Grunts had lights up too, giving this spot a holiday vibe. A holiday themed cocktail would be a nice add but that didn't impact a great experience.