Rustic House

Best food I have had in Chicago so far! We were a party of 4 started with
Swordfish chops were so so good. Fish was perfectly cooked. H drooled over his orange chicken.

This is one of the best restaurants in Chicago. I absolutely LOVE LOVE their food, their wine list, their bread, the atmosphere, everything. I had the grilled octopus and it was perfect. Then I had mussels in a broth, omg. So good. Then pasta with some I believe chicken, it was excellent The waiter was so nice and the restaurant is spotless. I noted that a person can order, to go, a chicken dinner for 3 and the price was very reasonable. I’ll be doing that in the future.

This was the second time we had dinner here. I must say that I was very disappointed. We ordered drinks and waited 15 minutes for our server to remind him what we ordered.
Food took a long time for preparation. One of the sides we ordered was cold. Probably will not be back.

Amazing food. Well presented, good atmosphere and in all a good place for dinner. We were there on a night with «valet» parking and I’d recommend it as the area (construction and just where it is in the city) sucks for parking and that’s no way to start a dinner with a suckie parking experience.
I liked the food and the presentation. The venue was meh, but that’s not why we were there. The bar is tiny (read TINY) but amazing mixology of the bartender will have us coming back for more and carving our names in the seats as regulars.
The Brussel Sprouts were amazing as were most of the entrees, but for the price that’s to be expected. We were slightly rushed as we were going to hear a friend sing at «The Store» but the staff accommodated us and we were in and out with a high end meal under our belt.
Well played Rustic House, we’ll be back soon.

Well… It’s good. not spectacular but pretty good.
The décor/​ambiance is pretty cool! It’s very intimate with a feel.
So to start…
1. Cocktails were awesome! The orange mule was phenomenal! It’s very refreshing.
My boyfriend really enjoyed the manhattan!
2. As for the appetizer we had the mussels! I highly recommend! Has a little spice kick to it!
3. As for the entrée I had the rotisserie duck and swordfish. The duck was hearty & full of flavor.
4. As for the swordfish I was pretty disappointed. The fish was huge! Looked like a flintstone bone! I was hoping for a smaller piece of fish
I would like to come back and try some other options.

I had high hopes considering all the positive reviews, but I left disappointed to be honest. Maybe as I get older I get more sensitive to how loud a place is, but I literally had to shout to be heard by my dinner companions. Not exactly a relaxing dinner chat environment. The service, while polite and friendly, was slow. There was a noticeable lag between our appetizers and dinner. Our server apologized (I’m sure the kitchen was backed up and it wasn’t his fault) but the damage was sort of already done.
My asparagus burrata salad was tasty, but the burrata, instead of being a little parcel of heaven that oozes when you cut into it, was sort of a big gooey mess atop the asparagus. I ordered the rotisserie chicken because I figured that’s their specialty so it should be really great, right? By the time it finally got to me it was just sort of dry. Pretty major disappointment there.
I think my companions enjoyed their meals, but I think I’d rather try somewhere new than go back to Rustic House.

Rustic House has recently become one of my favorite places in Lincoln Park. I recently had dinner there on a Friday night with friends, and it was the perfect atmosphere to begin the weekend.
The décor definitely has a laid back, rustic look and feel that creates a very comfortable atmosphere.
The menu is filled with great Chicken, Beef or Seafood options. They are known for their rotisserie chicken, FYI. All of us different choices, and everything was prepared to perfection. For Apps, I recommend the Wood Grilled Octopus and Crab Dip, and for dinner, try the Organic Chicken or Alaskan Halibut (special).
The staff was very friendly, and super helpful in recommending wines to pair with dinner.
Overall I highly recommend Rustic House for dinner.

I took my boyfriend here to celebrate his birthday. We agreed the atmosphere and food were equally impressive. We got gnoochi, chicken pot pie and lamb shank. All were delicious! Wait staff was courteous and attentive.
I would highly recommend this place for a date night.

I came here with my roommate for dinner during Restaurant Week. The restaurant is very quaint, and I felt like I stepped back in time (in a good way). It has a very «homey» feel to it, and on a chilly Chicago night, it’s exactly what you need!
Their portions are pretty big, so expect to come home with leftovers. I got the Lobster Bisque (good), the Faroe Islands Salmon (good), and the Caramel Popcorn Brownie (huge). My roommate got the Wood-​grilled Octopus (super good), the Flat Iron Poivre (she asked for the meat to be cooked medium, but it was still VERY much alive when she got it. still really good, though, especially for me when I had it as my leftovers for lunch the next day. Hello, microwave. I win.), and the Baileys Crème Brulee (it came with a wafer which I really liked lol). The complimentary bread and olive oil was REALLY good, and now that I think about it, maybe stuffing our face with it was the reasoning behind the bigger-​looking portions. Oh well. Leftovers = winning.

Such a great meal! Rustic House’s restaurant week options are great! I have to say that their regular menu looked so good I can’t wait to go back and try something new.
The Orange Mule was a refreshing start. The homemade focaccia bread is delicious.
I had the grilled octopus and my friend had the spinach salad. Both had so much flavor and were cooked to perfection.
I had the duck (sooo good) and my friend had the flat iron steak. Not only were the proteins great but the sides were on point.
Dessert. The brownie with carmel corn and Bailey’s crème brûlée were so decadent. We couldn’t pick a favorite.
I can’t wait to go back!

good service
goood foooddd. although the duck l’range was not very acidic. but cooked soo soo well. wasnt’ a big fan of the popcorn brownie. too heavy.
really romantic setting.

We went January 3^rd, we had a 8pm reservation.
We had to make a 10pm show about 10 minutes away.
We were sat right at reservation time and were greeted by friendly faces.
There’s coat check and valet.
Which was awesome because it was a cold night.
We get seated and were given entrée menu’s. We waited about 3 – 5 minutes on our actual server to greet us where she asked for our drinks. We asked about specialty drinks and she noticed we hadn’t received a drink menu, she then hands us one and says she’ll give us a minute, which all this mind you happened in a bout a minute, we chose a drinks and waited another 3 – 5 minutes on her return. In her defense it was busy every seat was full. But minutes were feeling like life time, there seemed to be people to help.
We decide to order everything at the same time,
It’s now about 8:10 which also was about the time we received the bread oil and water.
We went with the hot crab dip,
Which honestly as I type this I wish I was enjoying it right now, really delicious and a lot of flavor.
We both went for the new York strip which is off bone here. My date orders hers medium/​rare I order mine well done. And garlic mashed potatoes
Before we ordered we had explain that we had a show to make and we were fine with everything coming at the same time, if possible.
The steaks we received were under cooked.
I’ve eaten plenty of steaks to know what a well done steak looks to a medium rare steak, it indeed was rare.
The only thing was when the food was dropped it was a minutes before any one asked if everything was OK.
When she takes the steak back I encourage my date to continue eating she said her steak was gummy, and fatty.
I took a bite of the mashed potatoes and they were bitter and garlic OVERLOAD grainy even.
My steak returned and it was medium.
At that point we had to leave.
I never got to eat dinner.
A manager did take care of my steak from the ticket, but I also never touched it.
I just don’t know yet if this was a bad night or what.
If I crave that crab dip I might be back.
I also think it’d be a fun idea to have a system where the valet ticket is run out while you close you tab.
Until then.

We went on a Thursday night with a reservation and although the place was packed our table was ready and waiting for us. I found the wine list rather limited but my father had an Old Fashioned and he enjoyed quite a bit. The crab dip was good and the entrees we ordered were great although a bit too big (especially my chicken pot pie was huge).
The place was a bit noisy and bit crowded but it was a great dinner overall.

Came here on a Saturday night with family from out of town. Heard great reviews and recommendations but Rustic House was far from our expectations.
The server we had was very quiet and would occasionally disappear. Not around much when we needed her.
The appetizers were good, pretty simple but the bacon platter rocked. Muscles were another that we enjoyed.
My biggest issue was the main course, two of us were very excited about the seared tuna special. When I received the dish, the sauce was lukewarm and the fish was ice cold. We sent it back to heat up slightly but had very well done tuna returned to us. When we pressed the issue, a second waitress said the outside is meant to be hot and the inside of the fish slightly warm. She took a tone to make us seem wrong, but then I spoke up to reiterate that the fish seemed like it came straight out of the fridge.
Desserts were good, nothing you can’t find at your neighborhood grocery store.
If you do come, the sweet corn brûlée was fantastic, it tastes like a dessert served as a side. Really enjoyed that one.
With how many amazing restaurants there are in the neighborhood, I would pass on this one and move to another.

I remember coming here over a year ago, and thinking that the food was just okay. Not bad, not great, but not on my sh*t list. I came here again last night and was disappointed. The food is at best average, and does not warrant the pricing. For the same price, there are plenty of restaurants in the chicago area that can provide better flavors, better textures. There was no wow factor with the food. Same with the cocktails.
We ordered the mussels yesterday. While the flavors were good, I was so disappointed with the mussels themselves. They were shriveled up pathetic little nuggets of tough chewy mofos. Mussels are supposed to be succulent and plump. And these were not. It was embarrassing because we were the ones that suggestted this place to our friends that joined us last night.
Then the poultry — the flavors were bland. I tried the duck and the chicken. When people go to restaurants they want to experience flavors that you can’t get at home, or at least experience an intensity of flavor. Both of these were ok. Below, please find my comments and suggestions on the chicken and duck. In case its not obvious, I am very much a duck person.
The Chicken:
$ 22 for half a chicken, or $ 34 for the entire chicken to go – let me help you — Mariano’s rotisserie chicken is so much more tender, juicy, and delicious. Costco’s rotisserie chicken, though not as juicy and flavorful as Mariano’s chicken (probably because they are bigger in an unnatural hormone-​injected way) still had better flavor, and we all know for Costco chicken, it has that «injected with marinade/​brine» taste to it – but i’d still take that over Rustic House chicken.
The Duck:
Then the duck — who rotisseries a duck!?? Again, let that sink in … WHO ROTISSERIES A DUCK? What a waste of duck! All the benefits of the duck is wasted when you rotisserie a duck. The contrast between the crispy skin, and the flavors that melt into medium/​meidum rare duck breast are all gone. Try searing it or oven roasting it and shove some aromatics into the cavity for heaven’s sake to give it more flavor, or smoking it. So the duck was bland except for the sloppy orange glaze on the outside of the duck skin. It’s too bad the duck skin wasn’t better utilized, and that the duck was just your standard «a l’orange.»
The Chicken and The Duck:
Finally, who really wants to struggle with carving up an entire half chicken or duck? Lucky for me, I carve up helpless animals all the time so I know where to strike, but i’m usually using a kitchen knife. When you have the smaller meat cutting knife, it’s hard. Rustic House should consider cutting up the poultry for its customers.
Sure, its not as pretty when you cut into the skin and expose meat, but hey, figure it out. You’d at least get better plating possibilities that way.
Conclusion:
Athough it may not sound like it, I hope Rustic House does well and doesn’t continuously slip into the Groupon/​OpenTable 1000points table hell its in. But I can see why it’s headed that way. It simply doesn’t have the ability to keep up. I also noticed Karianne W’s 8÷24÷2014 3 star review– agree with it whole heartedly. Thanks for reading.

Went there on a Saturday for an early dinner a few weeks ago, we got lucky and walked in and got a table in the back without a reservation (yay!). There was this stylish looking server who gave us the best service whole night, I forgot his name otherwise would have to give him credit here. We had pork chop, prime rib and crème brûlée as dessert. All were delicious! I’m missing this place already, can’t wait to check out this place again soon, I so want to try their other dishes!

I LOVE THIS PLACE.
I think I have been here over a dozen times over the past 6 months.
My recommendations: NY Strip Steak with melted butter comes out sizzling and it is so tender and amazing. I get this about 75 percent of the time.
Rotisserie Chicken– how do I even begin to tell you about it?
First of all, the rotisserie is right in the front area. It warms the place up and a bit of character to the place.
The skin is so crispy that the first time I ate it, I freaked out and through that they breaded it. It was that crispy. The inside flesh is so soft and buttery, it melts on your tongue.
Ok, the atmosphere is laid back and comfortable. I feel like this is such a neighborhood spot that is unpretentious. In Lincoln Park, on this street, it is hard to find.
Don’t sit at the bar, the chairs are so uncomfortable, I always feel like I am going to fall off!!!
The customer service is amazing, tip them very well because they have earned it!!!

I had walked by here and thought it looked like a cute date-​night spot — intimate, nice, but not stuffy. It’s not very often that you get to go out for a date night when married with kids so you want to make the most of it!
Food was good all around, although nothing that was over the top spectacular. I had the scallops on a saffron risotto and my husband had the rack of lamb. Service was overall friendly with good cadence.
We were seated in the front of the restaurant in a middle table and felt a little bit on display for everyone coming in for their reservation — if I were to do it again, I would ask for a table in the back which would offer more privacy.
The reason it’s three stars and not more is less because there was something specific that was missing, and more because I don’t feel that I would need to go back again (although good to try out once).

Boy and I came for dinner last night. I’ve been scoping this place out for a while but I’m happy to have checked this place off on my list! Their Chef’s Week menu and regular menu are both pleasing, but thankfully the waiter said we could combine the two!
He ordered the lobster bisque (smooth, rich and good lobster flavor), scallops and risotto (he’s not a big fan of truffles, but the black truffle taste was quite slight and the risotto was rich and creamy). I ordered the chicken liver mousse (I wish the bread was a bit more toasted so it could hold up to the weight of the mousse but it was creamy and sweet) and the rack of lamb (mushrooms and green beans had a nice smoky/​char flavor while the lamb was a good medium rare. The Dijon mustard paired well with the strong meat.)
My glass of Sancerre was disappointing, but that was probably the only thing I disliked! The hostess seated us next to the window, so it wasn’t too dark for us. Our server was very friendly. The bread basket was wonderfully soft, although I wondered if we were supposed to get balsamic vinegar along with the olive oil.
Boy and I had a wonderful time. Intimate, delicious food. My overall experience was very comparable to Balena which I liked very much as well. I think Rustic House is a little bit more «homey» and intimate compared to Balena which has high ceilings so the environment can be a bit louder. I only wish it was closer so I could come back for their daily pre-​fixe dinners!

What a perfect choice for a nice mother-​daughter dinner! I had fallen in love with Gemini Bistro during my v-​day dinner, and thought of that when my mom decided to come into town for a mother-​daughter weekend. Thank goodness for Unilocal and its handy-​dandy «people also searched for this…» section, because Rustic House popped up and it never would have occurred to me that they were restaurants from the same chef and business partner.
Anyway, I have just as much love (actually, more) for Rustic House. They honored my request for a table that might be quieter, and seated us in the back room, which has about 5 or 6 tables total, a serene fireplace, and is the epitome of «rustic» (because how else would you describe burlap on the walls?). It was perfectly quiet for the two of us, and even when it started to fill up later, was only average volume.
Our server (Albieta?) was the definition of a great server — there when you needed her, gone when you didn’t. The meal progressed nicely and I didn’t feel like we had to wait too long to order, nor did we feel rushed. I started out with the Pomelito, which tasted like a perfect beach drink (tequila, grapefruit juice, lime, soda) but was a little too cold for the unseasonably cold July weather we were having. I did enjoy the Cote du Rhone red wine afterwards.
The food was so homey and comfortable yet refined and delicious that I can’t even pick a favorite. I loved that they had a laundry list of specials, both appetizers and main dishes — I feel like that says really good things about the freshness and quality of their menu. We loved the lobster and pea risotto; so much lobster it was well worth the $ 15. We loved our main courses, the suckling pig rotisserie for my mom and the roasted rack of lamb for me. Perfectly cooked medium rare for the lamb, and I can’t wait to try the leftover suckling pig. Desserts were amazing too, with a peach tart calling my name and the sorbet/​gelato for my mom. They have fresh flavors for the ice creams, and you choose three — what a great deal!
It wasn’t a cheap meal, but that’s because we went all-​out with the drinks and all three courses. For the quantity and quality of what we did get, it was well worth the price. I highly recommend Rustic House be placed at the top of your list for a special occasion or family meal!