West Town Taven

Phenomenal contemporary comfort food. Get the Gnocchi to start with! The scallops are melt in your mouth. Special Fried Chicken Mondays! more

Been here only a few times but always a good experience. I'm from the neighborhood so more than likely we... more

Been here only a few times but always a good experience. I'm from the neighborhood so more than likely we will be back:) more

This restaurant has a great cozy and romantic atmosphere. The Tavern potato chips with truffle oil is so good and the scallops are amazing. The staff is very friendly. I love this place. Great for a special occasion or date. Pros: Street parking is quite easy more

I give West Town Tavern 5 stars. Everything about it we found to be very good from the menu selections to the service and ambiance. The bar area is comfortable if you have a wait. The dining room has a nice warm atmosphere, overall very inviting. We ordered the black vinegar roast and the lamb. The black vinegar I found gave it a very different flavor from what I've had in the past. \r We split the pecan pie, one of my favorites, it is served with a thick cream - not too sweet. The crust was done to perfection. It was a great evening. Available street parking made it even better. Pros: Street Parking, Ambience, Service, Bar, Good Food more

Not a lot going for this restaurant. First, it's located quite west of the city in bad location. Secondly,... more

Not a lot going for this restaurant. First, it's located quite west of the city in bad location. Secondly, the food wasn't all that great. The ribs... more

Three of us went on a Friday around 6:30pm - place was busy but service was quick. We had the special appetizer (shrimp&lobster ravioli) and calamari. My favorite was definitely the calamari - it's tossed w greens (cilantro - yum) in a spicy citrus vinaigrette so it doesn't feel as heavy as the standard fried calamari w tartar sauce deal. For entree, we had the mahi mahi (special) on potatato pancake w bok choy, the pott roast w mashed potatoes & brussel sprouts, and the scallops w mushroom risotto. Mahi mahi had a nice spicy ""crust"" but potato pancake could have been a bit more flavorful. The pott roast was definitely tender melt in your mouth but the flavor was not as complex as it could have been. (a tad too sweet and bbq sauce flavor one dimensional). The scallops were seared very nicely but the mushroom risotto was a bit grainy and bland. Overall pretty descent though (i'm just picky). We did notice that the dishes were not as salty as at other restaurants - which is probably a good thing, although that may have contributed to our perception of the dishes being a bit bland. The desserts were GREAT! We had the lemon chess tart (very nice flavor, not too tart, none of that chemically corn starchy texture of commercially available lemon tarts, and the unsweetened whipped heavy cream was a nice suprise. The apple strudel had very nice apple flavor - again, none of that over-sticky cornstarchy apple pie filling texture. The flaky phillo dough was a nice compliment to the apples and the vanilla bean icecream and caramel sauce topped off the already great dessert. Our server was attentive and friendly. The only drawback was the close proximity to the ""bar area"" where people were allowed to smoke. My friend is pregnant and there was a baby at the table next to us. The intermittent wafts of cigarette smoke almost ruined our beautiful dessert moments. The place is more of a restaurant than a bar so I don't know why they need to allow people to smoke. Pros: fresh ingredients, great dessert, attentive service Cons: smokers in bar area, slightly bland as a whole, parking difficult more

First off, I wasn't on a date but I would highly recommend it as a great first date place. Very intimate and cozy inside and great service. We stuck to the appetizers of spring rolls (wonderful and tasty) and probably the most amazing steamed mussels I've had in the city, very fresh and hot. This will be a restaurant I visit again soon...and often! Pros: Intimate and cozy, easy parking Cons: A little loud more

We have been to this fancy but homey corner place a number of times. The food is essentially comfort food, although relatively fancy and very creative. The chef is very good and, to our taste buds, is getting better. A husband (manager) and wife (chef) team run and the place reflects the mom and pop vibe. Thoughtful menu and wine list, with regular, interesting, wine dinners to the mailing list. My consistent favorite - the pott roast. (Sorry, the Citysearch vice police block the correct spelling of this dish.) Pros: The kind of food Mom used to make, if she were a professional chef. Cons: Not open Sunday. Very noisy when full. more

Have been there twice this past year, and on both occasions it has manged to exceed the high expectations I had. Great wines by the glass, delicious food, interesting specials. Service and setting is elegant, but friendly and comfortable. It's priced so that it doesn't need to be a special occasion to visit, but the great food and atmosphere make it feel special. more

Better than its predecesor Zinfandel, everything about a recent trip to the West Town Tavern was great. The wine list was small but reasonably priced and it they chose some great value-priced bottles such as the $27 Dry Creek Vineyards Chenin Blanc which was perfect. The potato-crusted tilapia was very well spiced as was my shrimp & pork belly with linguine special. As for the chicken dish, it was great and everybody loved the cheddar corn spoonbread. The salmon was also good but it was tough to compare to the other three dishes which were spectacular. As for our server, she was very down to Earth and generally helpful - just an overall nice experience. Pros: Food, Wine List, Service more

We have eaten here many times - romantic or special occasions - and they have always delighted us. Thank you. Pros: Stylish, Varied, Flavorful more

What a great birthday dinner we had here 3 weeks ago. This was our first time there and the entire experience was top notch. The Zinfandel Roast just might have been the most delicious morsel of meat I have ever hunkered down on. We also had scallops that were yummy for your tummy. Just a great, reasonably priced joint. Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Reasonable Cons: Seafood portions more

A friend and I came for a dinner on a Monday night (without a reservation) and we were suprised at how busy the restaurant was! We expected to wait, but were seated right away. I had three appetizers and they were all great, especially the flatbread with morels and truffle oil. My friend had the steak (delicious), and we shared the lemon chess pie for dessert. The food was excellent! Our waiter was very professional and friendly and we didn't feel rushed. We really enjoyed our evening at West Town and will definitely recommend to our friends and family. Make a reservation!!!! Pros: value, great food, service Cons: noise level more

Being a San Francisco native, I was a little bummed relocating to Chicago. The midwest isn't really known for its exciting dining. I tried a lot of the highly touted places (Zagat rated, etc.), but really hadn't found a great, comfortable, food-driven independent restaurant until I went to West Town Tavern. Killer mussels, truffle-scented flatbread, fennel salad are all GREAT!!! Sea Scallops, Tilapia and Pork Chop are perfectly prepared. Servers were professional without being stuffy. Wine list has lots of interesting/unique global choices. Cool spot-I plan on being a regular!! Can't wait until Chicago restaurants go NON-SMOKING! Pros: Great food, Intelligent service, Interesting wines more

Empty. That best described West Town Tavern on a Friday evening. Not only was our server a complete disappointment when they couldn't match wine to our food, but the food itself was just sub par. There are so many places in Chicago that are ""hotter"" than this place. I think the citysearch editors usually make good choices, but they're way off the mark with this one. Pros: Ample Parking, Choice of seats Cons: Empty restaurant, Bad food, Inexperienced Servers more

We love the West Town Tavern. We go there a couple times a month and we always get the pot roast, which is phenomenal! I also love the polenta appitizer and the antipasto plate. more

West Town is my new favorite restaurant. I've been going every chance I get since the summer. here are a few of my favorites. Number 1 tip: Don't skip dessert--it's the unsung hero of the restaurant--especially the Devil's Food Cake and the Lemon Chess Pie! My Favorite appetizers include a heavenly leek and mushroom flatbread drizzled with truffle oil, the fennel and mushroom salad with a lemon truffle vinaigrette(I like truffles!) and the steamed mussles. Favorite entrees include the pan-roasted chicken served with yummy grits and greens, farfalle pasta with the best homemade sausage in Chicago!, potato-crusted tilapia and a special of seared scallops served with a green risotto the last time I was there. When I'm in a beef mood, I have to order the famous Zinfandel pot roast or the grilled steak--delish! Go soon and Go often, I'm sure it'll become your new favorite restaurant too! more

I had heard a lot about the place, expecting to love this as much as Zinfindel. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Reservations ran 30 - 45 min past the appointed time. Dinner took another 2 - 2 1/2 hours for one app, one salad, and two mains. Once it arrived the food was very good, except for a feable attempt at a salad. Oh, by the way, don't drive to this out of the way place because there is no valet! Pros: good food Cons: No valet or parking, long wait more