The Gage

Recommends

Amber Gibson

Joined 3 years ago

Try the duck sausage sandwich. I love the patio seating here - it's perfect for people watching on Michigan Avenue and if the day isn't too hot I highly recommend sitting outdoors. There aren't too many tables, but there are nice umbrellas to block the sun.

Service here is really nice and professional and my duck sausage sandwich was quite impressive. I had never tried duck sausage before, and it was like nothing I had tasted before. They actually make the sausage in house and the pickle and giardiniera are a perfect garnish for the savory sausage. The French bread was a little dry, but the chewy texture went really well with the sausage. This is a great simple lunch option that still feels very gourmet.

Recommends

MFA11

Joined 4 years ago

Great for After Work. I keep recommending it and will still because the owner is so nice, the space is great and the food is really good when it is "on".

Doesn't Recommend

rayemeyer

Joined 5 years ago

Food Should be Better. My Husband and I really, really wanted to like The Gage. It is within walking distance to our fabulous condo, it had been highly recommended by several people and we were looking for a new restaurant to add to our nightly eating-out repertoire. Unfortunately it was not to be. The bar pours a short drink. We both had vodka on the rocks for $12 each and the glass had so much ice in it you could barely get to the vodka. My husband ordered the Elk and I had the much acclaimed Fish and Chips and we were both very disappointed with the food. The wine choices by the glass were lousy (hate to use that word). We loved the ambiance, our service was mediocre but the owner and the matre' d could not have been friendlier and really wanted us to be happy. As I said, we really wanted to like The Gage.

Recommends

heather260

Joined 5 years ago

Amazing atmosphere and food!!. I have been to the restaurant on numerous occasions, and have had great experiences!! The decor and overall atmosphere couldn't be better. My favorites have included the rabbit salad, the scallops, the "Gage" burger and the fish and chips. The menu is much more interesting than most Chicago restaurants! I have typically ordered the appetizers off the special list, and they have been great! I know reviews elsewhere have commented on the mussels, but these were mediocre in my opinion. Oh yes, and if you enjoy oatmeal, WOW, the Creme brulee oatmeal is YUMMY!!! Our service has been great on most occasions, at times a little slow! I would highly recommend this restaurant! The noise level can be high, but it makes for a fun place!

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theschillers

Joined 7 years ago

May have to go to England to find better fish and chips.... Can't believe I am so excited about Fish and Chips. We (my wife and two daughters) all had the fish and chips and we were literally stunned how much we loved them...make that devoured them. Salads and fried zucchini were almost as sensational as the entree. Service was friendly and attentive. We did arrive a bit early for dinner; the restaurant seemed to get a bit chaotic as it ramped up for the dinner rush.

Doesn't Recommend

nicoleevon

Joined 6 years ago

Overpriced & disorganized.... I wanted to love the Gage...I really did. It's close to where I work, convenient to Millennium Park, etc. But I was really disappointed. My husband & I stopped in for a bite to eat & a drink before a concert in Millennium Park on a Wednesday night. The entrance to the restaurant was total chaos...bar traffic had spilled into the doorway & we couldn't even tell who the hostess/host was or if there was even one present. We could clearly see available tables, but couldn't figure out how to get one without being rude, so settled for the bar. We had to elbow our way through the crowd & were then ignored by the bartender & waitstaff for 5 minutes. Our drinks were ridiculously overpriced ($35 for a Jamesons & glass of wine before tip & the wine was nothing special). After we got our drinks we tried one more time to get a table, but still couldn't get anyone to help us. We gave up, finished our drinks & left without tasting the food. We tried one more time to get in to eat a couple of weeks later after Celtic fest, but were too hungry for the hour+ wait we were told we would have had for our party of four. Maybe we'll give it another try, maybe not...

Recommends

marianne_54

Joined 6 years ago

Good place for a pint!. I went here a couple weeks ago for dinner and drinks after work. I was not disappointed! They have great burgers, and I sampled my co-workers fish & chips...they were excellent as well! Wide selection of beer, great ambience, and the manager came over and made sure we are all okay. Awesome service, I will be back!

Recommends

sugarywitch

Joined 8 years ago

Good location, nice atmosphere, generous wine pours. The Gage delivers decent food in a nice atmosphere. THe bar and patio are are particularly enjoyable. The food, while good just isn't amazing. The risotto with escargot and the fish and chips did stand out, but the caramelized lobster was mediocre at best and very pricey. This is the perfect place to stop for a nice glass of wine and the jar of olives. It's pretty new so perhaps some of the faltering menu items will be up to par in a few months.

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Michigan Avenue gastropub draws the post-work crowd with swanky grub, cool factory-inspired decor and a go-getter ethic.. The Scene
It's apropos that owners Billy Lawless Senior and Junior transformed this ex millinery into a tavern. Servers buzz from the 50-foot mahogany bar to the four dining rooms like helpful worker bees. Retro industrial pieces aren't just for show: Sliding steel doors with mesh windows offer impromptu semi-private dining and a vintage whiskey case displays primo labels.

The Food
Chef Dirk Flanigan (Blue Water Grill, Meritage) applies seasonal twists to American classics. Pickles and olives in a mini Mason jar smack refreshingly of orange oil. Heaven sent is the Scotch egg: four big bites of hard-cooked oeuf wrapped in sausage, battered and served with spicy brown mustard. Flanigan forgoes cliched crab cake for a smoked haddock version, and also lists a gamey braised rabbit salad under second-course offerings. Entrees shift from locally crafted sausages to semolina dumplings. Peanut butter mousse with crispy chocolate fingers satisfies sweet tooths.

Photo courtesy of The Gage

Recommends

whmcnulty

Joined 6 years ago

Still struggling through the growing pains...but give it a chance. We REALLY wanted to like this place, but the downsides neutralized the upsides on our first visit. They tried so hard to sell us bottled water that we had to damn near beg to place a drink order AFTER the waiter explained the menu and asked of we needed help with the wine list. The scallops were outstanding, the cured salmon was nice, but very mean in portion. The (medium rare) tenderloin on the bone was overcooked and was as tough as stew meat. Fresh fish was excellent...Lupe del mare. We ordered side dishes that didn't arrive 'til we were almost through with our entrees...and only after all this did they ask if everything was ok...too late. Avoid the back room on the side...it's a dead zone with none of the atmosphere of the rest of the restaurant.

Net, we will go back...no question about it. They bent over backwards to make things right once they realized that we had been let down badly. The wine list is a bit obscure, but is fair value. The presentation is good...even offering to decant the red wine, though not necessary. There is a great beer and cocktail menu.

Try the apple cinnamon stick dessert...a unique deconstruction of the typical apple pie with ice cream.

They will stumble a bit 'til they get to full pace. But they will be an excellent player for the long term. Give it a go!