Custom House
(312) 523-0200
500 S Dearborn St
Chicago,
IL
60605
41.8754
-87.6293
Neighborhoods: Central, Loop
What People Are Saying About Custom House
The Editor
Robyn Galbos
Citysearch
The Scene
Taupe, chocolate and splashes of burgundy warm this contemporary South Loop restaurant. Separated from the front bar by a floating wine rack, the dining room is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, anchored by a stacked-flagstone wall with a window to the busy kitchen. A raised center floor houses booths for two or four; tables around the perimeter afford sweeping street views. Service is prompt and mindful.
The Food
The seasonally inspired menu focuses on meat with several fish and seafood options. First courses include silky tuna tartare alongside Mediterranean olives; earthy roasted sweetbreads are cooked tender with glazed bacon. Main courses like melt-in-the-mouth Maine scallops pair with a la carte sides like leek and blue cheese gratin or creamy polenta. Rich, comforting braised lamb served in a miniature cast-iron crock is a hearty dish with cannelini, root vegetables and fennel sausage. Sweet finishes include milk chocolate cake with custard and sorbet.
User Reviews
Iusamet
May 31, 2008
Wow!! the best food in chicago area, i'm from Mexico and i was for a year here, Chicago. As mexican i eat my food very seasoned and Custom House gave it to me, i had a great dinner, the wine list was a little limited but not too bad. The service is excellent here, especially the waitre Dario, he's bilingual (spanish english) and offered to me everything to my comfort. I recommend this place strongly... great food great service great ambience... is there something more?? i do not think so. Thank you Custom House. I`ll get back as soon as i can.
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tomcat710
November 21, 2007
This place was really good. I didn't know what to expect but I wanted to go somewhere that was nice and not pretentious. This place had very nice waiters, one of them being a kind old man who offered us custom made candy bars (and no, he didn't ask us to follow him into his van). We were seated in our own area too, so It was private. It was a strange location for such a nice restaurant, right across the street from Taco Bell. Luckily this had nothing to do with the quality of this place.
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sorod
November 04, 2007
Coming from L.A. and spending months of the year in NYC and Tokyo, I was hoping for a great meal from Custom House, Chicago. The canned reviews are just that. The real reviews are quite different and this is one. Service was fine wsith a couple of set backs...Asking for wine after an order was placed...filling sparkling water glass with flat. I can let that go. The food was just ok and some was just not good. The butternut squash soup was over-seasond and swimming with garnish. Way too much blue cheese. Sweetbreads were soggy and the "House Made Bacon" was limp and flavorless. Seafood was ok. The steaks were done to perfection and quite tender, yet nothing special. All the sides, aside from the tortelli were way too salty, and the cauliflower gratin was just gross. Bitter and gritty. I finished with a trio of sorbet. The lemon had the best tuxture, yet the flavor was tangy and too sweet. The pear sorbot looked terrible. Greyish brown in color and not the right texture. Cranberry/orange was sweet and sour with the right flavor, but the texture was more like frozen yogurt. A limited wine list with some hard to find reds, yet nothing you can't get at any fine restaurant. In all, underwhelming and lots of hype. This place would have to step it up to last in Los Angeles or N.Y.
read full reviewThe Details on Custom House
What to Drink:
The wine list is arranged parallel to the menu with selections that pair well with first courses, second courses and desserts. Servers happily help pair wines with your meal choices.
The Extras:
Small parties of up to 12 people can opt for one of the semiprivate circular booths in the two far corners of the dining room. An 18 percent gratuity will be added to checks for parties of five or more.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Diners Club, Discover, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Hotel Restaurants, Fine Dining, Notable Chef, Lunch Spot, Business Dining, Online Reservations, Date Spot, Group Dining
General Info:
Cuisine:
Smoking Permitted:
No
