04/16/09

best lettuce restaurant

by joemidway

EVERYTIME IVE BEEN TO GRUNTS THEY TREAT ME LIKE A KING. THE PRICES ARE REASONABLE FOR LINCOLN PARK AND THE SANDWICHES ARE EXCEPTIONAL. IF THERE IS SOMETHING YOU NEED OR DONT LIKE, THE SERVERS AND THE MANAGERS GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO MAKE THE CORRECTION. MY SON WHO WORKS FOR COLDSTONE THINKS GRUNTS SHAKES ARE THE BEST HE'S EVER HAD. IM NOT A BIG FRY GUY AND THEY, THE FRIES, DONT LOOK THAT GOOD... BUT I DONT USUALLY LIKE FRIES ANYWHERE. TRY GRUNTS ON A WEEKNIGHT WHEN THEY ARE CROWDED AND U'LL LOVE IT

• Pros: burgers and service
• Cons: not crazy about the salad bar

Great salads and burgers, friendly service and a prime view of Lincoln Park make this a local favorite for laid-back dining.

by Contributor

In Short
The original Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, Grunts is also the least manufactured, with a cozy, neighborhood feel, high-backed wooden booths, mellow '70s music and an amiable local crowd. The menu offers reasonably priced burgers, chili and chicken sandwiches, plus thick malts and shakes served with the tin. The extensive, excellent salad bar--Grunts claims to have invented the concept--features two soups, three kinds of greens, a half-dozen fresh fruits, seven dressings and 37 toppings.

• Pros: great burgercomfortable ambience

05/10/08

Always A Pleasure!

by dining2relax2enjoy

We always look forward to dining here and feel especially appreciated as patrons. The food is fresh + tasty leaving us completely satisfied. There is plenty to sink your teeth into here and the ambience is inviting. Just plan ahead so you don't have to wait too long in line...but boy is it worth the wait.

• Pros: Can We Franchise...
• Cons: Good Luck Finding Them

06/28/06

Only one that deserves a 10!

by hamlin1508

Been coming here since they opened. Never ever had a bad burger. Medium RARE means Medium Rare, cooked properly all times. The French Onion soup is the best. Bring back the crackers and specialty cheese, please.

• Pros: Great food, staff and price.
• Cons: No parking.

06/22/06

Mediocre

by lovefood17

Ther service is good. The salad bar is not as good as it looks...the veggies aren't all that fresh. The beer battered onion rings are pretty good though there aren't that many. We enjoyed the fresh juice...great idea and the bread is great!

• Pros: good service, bread, and fresh juice
• Cons: not a great deal for the price, salad bar not so fresh

08/25/04

Love This Place

by johnfm

I've loved this place for years! It has changed the salad bar (not what it used to be with that great tuna salad they used to have on it) but it has introduced some new items such as a second soup. Great location to go walking before or after a great meal. Waitresses are great!

• Pros: food, service, location

03/13/03

The Salad Bar....

by wlevitt

Easily the best salad bar in the city. overall good basic food-try the chicken potpie soup if it's available. great 70's atmosphere with 70's dance music always on. a must is their dessert-try the chocolate chip cookie/ice cream/hot fudge concoction-far superior to other versions. worth a trip alone when you need a sweet fix.

02/28/03

You'll be satisfied!

by travelnman

This little neighborhood eatery is a great find. The food is great, the staff is friendly, and the manager is engaging. If you visit on the weekends, you may have to wait for a table, but you won't be disappointed. The delicious food and salad bar make the wait worthwhile. And, if you're lucky, you may just get a free dessert!

• Pros: Atmosphere, Food, Inexpensive
• Cons: Bad parking, Crowded, Long wait on weekends

01/10/03

Best Burger in Chicago!

by ferk31

Coming from L.A., where I believe the best hamburgers in the country exist (i.e. In-N-Out, Fatburger, Apple Pan), I was happily surprised to find the best burger in Chicago. Great service with pictures of all the servers on the wall. Huge Salad bar and soup the cost of the weather outside.

• Pros: Temperature Soup, Peppercorn Burger, Salad Bar

10/24/02

'Is everything alright?'

by scatteredshadows

Generally I don't quibble much about service, unless it's egregiously bad. RJ Grunts' service wasn't terrible, however, I felt like I had to work WAY too hard to get my order right. I ordered an IBC root beer and a swiss/mushroom burger which allegedly comes with fries. When the food finally arrived, the burger had no lettuce, onion or tomato, the fries had morphed into chips, or 'cottage fries' as the waitress informed me, and the root beer had no glass or ice even though I'd asked for them. The waitress rectified things, but I really dislike having not being asked if things are alright, and the 'cottage fries' thing seemed like a hustle. Otherwise, the burger was very good once I had my veggies, and the prices weren't too bad. Overall, I'd come back, but make sure to let the server know EXACTLY what I want next time.

• Pros: Decent price, Good location, Tasty burger
• Cons: Service not intuitive