For my birthday my wife took me to dinner at "Gibsons" located at 5464 N. River Road in Rosemont. They have another location in downtown Chicago, located at 1028 N. Rush street. Now this is one of the most popular steakhouses in Chicagoland so reservations are a must no matter what day of the week you plan to go. Parking is strictly valet and although complimentary, you really should give them a tip.
Once inside you see that this place is a mad house! The bar is packed, the waiting room is packed, and in the dining room the servers are constantly hustling. After waiting in line to just check in, we were seated within a few minutes. Due to the high volume of people this place commands, we were initially seated at a table that was pretty much a foot away from the next table. Not really were we wanted to sit on my birthday, so we asked to move and they obliged without any problem to a more private table.
Each table has white table cloth's, salt and pepper, and a bottle of their signature seasoning. Our waiter arrives and like all the servers here, is very knowledgeable about the product. In addition these are not snooty servers eighther. They are bold and playfully brash, but always there to guide you in the right direction. He brings out a monster tray of meat so big that a vegetarian would run out screaming! The plate is filled with many steaks easily topping 20 oz and a giant 2lb lobster tale. He explains to us that all the beef is "usda prime" and that they prepare the steaks at an alarming 1800 degrees to seal in all the juices and produce a tasty crust.
We start of with the jumbo shrimp cocktail and side salads. My wife orders the cheese burger and fries as her meal. Now I'm going to defend her for her selection due to the fact that she is pregnant and has to have her meat well done. She normally eats her steaks medium, and paying $40 for a steak when she can't have it the way she likes is just silly. I, on the other hand went here for steak! I order the W.R. Chicago cut, which is a 24oz bone in rib eye. The waiter's here tell you that there's two things that make a steak good and that's bone and fat, and this one's got plenty of both! My sides which they recommend sharing, are the double baked potato and the green beans. I should mention that everything here is a la cart, so that $40 steak is just for the meat.
The shrimp cocktail is first and it's 5 giant shrimp served on a bed of ice and accompanied with a lemon wedge and cocktail sauce. On top of the sauce is a dollop of horseradish, which gives the sauce that little extra zing. The shrimp were plump and absolutely delicious. Next were the salads and they were typical garden salads with lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. Now for the main event! My wife's burger comes and it's about a third pound of very tasty ground beef. You could tell this beef had a freshly ground taste to it. Her fries were shoestring fries and pretty tasty as well. Overall one of the better burgers I've tasted before. My meal arrives and my steak is clearly the star of the show. It's served separately on it's own plate so as not to have anything else disturb the flavor and because it's just so darn big. My steak is prepared perfectly to medium and it is crusty on the outside and very tender on the inside. The steak is bursting with wonderful beef flavor that is unique to a properly prepared bone in rib eye. My sides were next and they did not disappoint. The double baked potato is a must if you go here. It is huge and wonderful. The skin is slightly crusty and the inside is fluffy and topped with lot's of cheddar cheese. Next is the green beans which are bursting with butter and garlic. They're so good, that I actually had to stop eating them so I could finish my steak.
Last off we decide for some dessert. All the deserts are ridiculously huge here and are by no means meant for only one person. We decide on the strawberry shortcake with a side of vanilla bean ice cream. This monster of a desert arrives and could have easily fed 4 people! It was loaded with large fresh strawberries and loads of fresh whipped cream. My wife went on and on about how fresh the strawberries were and that we are definitely taking the left overs home.
The final bill was about $150 with tip, but could have been much higher if my wife would have ordered a steak as well. Overall Gibsons offers excellent food and service at a premium price. This is probably my favorite restaurant in Chicagoland. Overall rating **** out of ****.
Once inside you see that this place is a mad house! The bar is packed, the waiting room is packed, and in the dining room the servers are constantly hustling. After waiting in line to just check in, we were seated within a few minutes. Due to the high volume of people this place commands, we were initially seated at a table that was pretty much a foot away from the next table. Not really were we wanted to sit on my birthday, so we asked to move and they obliged without any problem to a more private table.
Each table has white table cloth's, salt and pepper, and a bottle of their signature seasoning. Our waiter arrives and like all the servers here, is very knowledgeable about the product. In addition these are not snooty servers eighther. They are bold and playfully brash, but always there to guide you in the right direction. He brings out a monster tray of meat so big that a vegetarian would run out screaming! The plate is filled with many steaks easily topping 20 oz and a giant 2lb lobster tale. He explains to us that all the beef is "usda prime" and that they prepare the steaks at an alarming 1800 degrees to seal in all the juices and produce a tasty crust.
We start of with the jumbo shrimp cocktail and side salads. My wife orders the cheese burger and fries as her meal. Now I'm going to defend her for her selection due to the fact that she is pregnant and has to have her meat well done. She normally eats her steaks medium, and paying $40 for a steak when she can't have it the way she likes is just silly. I, on the other hand went here for steak! I order the W.R. Chicago cut, which is a 24oz bone in rib eye. The waiter's here tell you that there's two things that make a steak good and that's bone and fat, and this one's got plenty of both! My sides which they recommend sharing, are the double baked potato and the green beans. I should mention that everything here is a la cart, so that $40 steak is just for the meat.
The shrimp cocktail is first and it's 5 giant shrimp served on a bed of ice and accompanied with a lemon wedge and cocktail sauce. On top of the sauce is a dollop of horseradish, which gives the sauce that little extra zing. The shrimp were plump and absolutely delicious. Next were the salads and they were typical garden salads with lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. Now for the main event! My wife's burger comes and it's about a third pound of very tasty ground beef. You could tell this beef had a freshly ground taste to it. Her fries were shoestring fries and pretty tasty as well. Overall one of the better burgers I've tasted before. My meal arrives and my steak is clearly the star of the show. It's served separately on it's own plate so as not to have anything else disturb the flavor and because it's just so darn big. My steak is prepared perfectly to medium and it is crusty on the outside and very tender on the inside. The steak is bursting with wonderful beef flavor that is unique to a properly prepared bone in rib eye. My sides were next and they did not disappoint. The double baked potato is a must if you go here. It is huge and wonderful. The skin is slightly crusty and the inside is fluffy and topped with lot's of cheddar cheese. Next is the green beans which are bursting with butter and garlic. They're so good, that I actually had to stop eating them so I could finish my steak.
Last off we decide for some dessert. All the deserts are ridiculously huge here and are by no means meant for only one person. We decide on the strawberry shortcake with a side of vanilla bean ice cream. This monster of a desert arrives and could have easily fed 4 people! It was loaded with large fresh strawberries and loads of fresh whipped cream. My wife went on and on about how fresh the strawberries were and that we are definitely taking the left overs home.
The final bill was about $150 with tip, but could have been much higher if my wife would have ordered a steak as well. Overall Gibsons offers excellent food and service at a premium price. This is probably my favorite restaurant in Chicagoland. Overall rating **** out of ****.
