Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Corporate diners and Francophiles flock to this comfortable, congenial French spot.. With high ceilings, a lively crowd and pleasant staff, sleek Brasserie Jo is bigger, louder and friendlier than most Parisian brasseries. White tablecloths, cherry-wood banquettes and a zinc bar give the airy space a '40s feel. Chef Jean Joho's menu boasts French classics, simply presented and impeccably executed. Dig into garlicky, bubbling-hot escargots en cocotte or a steaming pot of dark, heady onion soup gratinee. Tender steak with crispy frites is a reliable entree choice. Although the desserts are immense, you still won't want to share the profiteroles, two huge mounds of vanilla ice cream between pastry, drowned in rich chocolate sauce poured by your server.

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b12751

Joined 7 years ago

IT"S ALIVE. Wife and I were first timers. This restaurant is for the young and young at heart. It's noisy but patrons seem to be happy. Steak Frittes and Salmon entrees were well portioned and tasty.

Mini loaf of bread is presented in a bread bag. Wines were good but would have appreciated some 1/2 bottle offerings.

Best was the porfiteroles - made with the best ice cream we have ever had. After having these there is no possible way one could go home hungry.

Very good value.

Met Chef JoJo - an icon and a gentleman!

Doesn't Recommend

inuka

Joined 7 years ago

Terribly Substandard. Service was average at best. The soup du jour was mediocre. My $8.50 glass of wine was warm!!! The quality of the main entree's was poor to awful. My husband ordered the classis steak and it was by far the saddest cut of beef he has seen in a long time. For approx. $20 you get a tough cut of beef (it was med/rare) and some soggy french fries! No veg. no salad! I felt as though we had just ordered something from a local hotdog stand. My Swordfish was O.K., a little too overwelhming with the Poivre. Defintely not worth the price. Will not go back. Too many other good restaurants in town.

Doesn't Recommend

boydboy

Joined 7 years ago

FORGET THIS PLACE!!!. Overpriced, noisy, very mediocre food. You can do MUCH better than this place in Chicago. I've been very disappointed in other "Lettuce Entertain You" restaurants in the last couple years. I think this organization is only concerned with being trendy and making as much $$ as possible. Quality is definitely going downhill fast.

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briankalita

Joined 8 years ago

NIce place. COq au vin was wonderful, as well as the skate. however do not try their "famous Shrimp bag" It tasted terrible, like they used canned shrimp!

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erocka83

Joined 8 years ago

Doggy Hot Spot!. We took my dog here for his 1st bday (since the patio is tres friendly pour chiens) and all of us loved it. His steak tartare disappeared before our eyes and he felt quite special drinking from the fancy silver bowls. Everything WE ate was delicious too, the baguette in a bag was perfectly baked and still warm and the carrots were a nice touch too. I had the shrimp bag filled with shrimp, lobster sauce, peas, and rice....it was perfectly rich and satisfying. For dessert we tried the profiteroles and I can understand why they are famous. Warm chocolate sauce drizzled over them at our table was a nice touch. My dog and I both give this place two paws up!

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lillymelin

Joined 8 years ago

Wonderful!. For our appetizers I chose a goat cheese torte with tomatoes and peppers. I swear to god Ive never had anything so incredibly light in my life! I also chose the fantastic Onion soup with Gruyere.The oysters on a half shell were immensely good. The manager gave us a beautiful plate of Salmon and Dill on small toasted baguettes compliments of the chef.

For dinner we had Potato Gnocchi with Bleu Cheese and Walnut the epitome of rich food! Also the Rack of Lamb with Parsley Mustard Crust - iIt was crispy on the outside but very tender on the inside and not gamy at all. It was perfection on the palate.

For dessert we ordered this beautifully layered pear, vanilla ice cream and chocolate mouse delicacy. It melted in our mouths and left us wanting more.

We felt like royalty and everyone was so fantastic.

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chyma

Joined 11 years ago

Yum!. Brasserie Jo lived up to it's reputation! I had the Shrimp Bag which was absolutely delicious. My husband had the Beer Spare Ribs and he loved them. My only complaint was the dinner salad -- nothing special so don't waste your $7.00. And the Beer Soup tasted like my mother's roast gravy. Every meal I've had here has been delicious. Highly recommend it.

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sweetwilliam773

Joined 10 years ago

Hat's off, Jo!. From the moment we (party of 3) walked through the door, the experience was wonderful! The food was excellent (the smoked salmon appetizer and the chicken coc au vin entree topped the list!). Our server made perfect recommendations and was outstanding. Unfortunately, we opted for dessert elsewhere ("Sugar"...see THAT review). We should have stayed at Brasserie Jo to complete a perfect dining experience--my fault!

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zorkahn

Joined 10 years ago

it's easy. The rating of the depends a lot on what your order. Seafood dishes are generally good, particualry the bouillabaisse (on Friday nights) and skate wing (every night). My favorite is the steak tartar. Coq au vin, steak au poivre and rack of lamb are all good bets. Coq en feu is bland and is prone to coming out cold. Baguettes are excellent. Salads are so-so as are the selections on the wine menu.