Saltaus

I have not tried the food there except for a little hummus appetizer that they had out in the lounge upstairs. That was pretty good, and the drinks they had there were pretty good as well. I wasn’t impressed by the Ikea influenced design of the place but it was still pretty nice inside and out. I called the white rectangle thing outside paper towels and I think they got offended by that. The location seems a bit shady, but anything west of Halsted on downtown streets are going to look abandoned and shady because it’s a warehouse district. OH, make sure you have money because 50 bucks for five drinks is pretty crazy… A bottle of Jack Daniel at Jewel = 23.99.
p. s. the DJ booth looked real nice and comfy which is a rarity nowadays.

I can’t speak to the food or waitstaff as I was only here for the upstairs lounge…
I had a good time here. The open Grey Goose bar from 12 – 2 probably had a lot to do with that. I really liked the layout with the terraced seating near the back window. Was loving the music, too. The only drawback is that it is in a blumblef – k area of the city, so good luck getting a cab at 3am on this dead stretch of Randolph!

My sub-​par experience at Saltaus has forced me to reevaluate my perception of the Randolph restaurant district. I’ve eaten at most of the places from Halsted to Ashland and almost without exception the food has been excellent, as has the service. And despite nearly every place being easily described as «hip and trendy», there manages to exist a nice diversity among the primarily contemporary American cuisine. This is why I was so shocked at the quality of the food at Saltaus. If I ran any of the restaurants nearby (Sushi Wabi, Blackbird, Red Light, Marche, One Sixty Blue… the list goes on), I would seriously be pissed. They’re like the car with a rusted out pickup in the front lawn that’s bringing down the property values for the rest of the block.
As far as the actual dining experience, the review just below this one was written by my girlfriend. We went there for her birthday last week and I think she summed it up nicely. I won’t rehash the event but I have to throw this in: She mentioned that I got the spaghetti and that it was clumped together. This isn’t a taste thing, we’re talking about a major food faux pas here! Have you ever put on some pasta just as the phone rings or something else happens and you leave it alone for a while? If you just dump it in to a pot of boiling water and don’t stir it at all, there’s a good chance the noodles will fuse together. At this point, there’s no way to get them apart; you just deal with it or you toss it and start over. I paid $ 28 for a pasta dish with a giant braid of spaghetti that was completely uncooked at the center. The cook would have to be legally blind to miss this when straining it. Totally unacceptable.
What it comes down to is that there are too many other far superior choices just steps away for you to ever eat here. I would suggest valeting the car, stopping in for the Pear Martini (which, I will admit, was delicious), and then heading somewhere else.

Clearly I should have read the Unilocal reviews before we went!
Not good.
My boyfriend had seen some killer photos of this place and was dying to go so we went for my birthday. I knew nothing about it and was looking forward to the surprise.
We made reservations for 7 (a bit early but we had a big night planned) when we arrived 15 minutes early the bar was empty. We could see walking in that most tables were empty but they weren’t ready to seat us so we got a drink at the bar.
the drink menu seemed ok, we are vodka drinkers so Frank got the signature pom vodka and champagne martini and went for the pear. All the the martini’s are $ 12 – 13 which seems right for where we were but higher than you’d like.
The pear was wonderful and had a fresh pear finish from the pear nectar added, his pom was good very strong pom taste!
we sat at the bar for awhile which seemed odd, like they didn’t know what to do with us.
I always thought that women are to be seated facing the crowd and the men to the wall, but we were seated backwards. A small detail but restaurant etiquette 101. The waiter barely spoke to us, there were no specials, no recos, nothing, just here’s a menu! the menu was small and nothing jumped out at all! All the vegetables were pureed in every dish! so tenderloin on carrot baby food, fish on pureed cauliflower?!? on the sides they list Yukon Gold Purée with Herbs so you mean mashed potatoes, seriously.
It seemed like a really silly way to try to sound fancy and put me off a bit. I couldn’t get a feel of what they were from the menu, it was all over the place but with few options and pricey to not be wowed. Salads and apps were avg $ 12, Entrée’s were $ 20 – 35 and sides were $ 7ish.
the bread arrived, it was fine. We admired the décor it was what we expected but a little bit of an Avec rip off. Looked around at the people and yes we were there a bit early but for a Saturday night on Randolph where it should be hip and happening it was pretty empty and quiet. We dressed nicely, we’re no fashionistas but we looked nice. Looking around at the other patrons we could have been at any suburban applebees. Mom jeans, scrunchies etc. not the birthday night party starter by any means! Even one of the waiters wore blue jeans with strange embellishments that seemed inappropriate.
I found a salad that sounded perfect for me called the crunch salad featuring Fuji apples which I love! The salad was ok but the apples were granny smith, still good but I know the difference!
Frank got the Scallops they were ok nothing special.
the bread came fast and the aps came right out after then we waited for a rather long time for the entrees. Frank got another martini I can’t remember the name but it was disgusting. I swear it was chilled orange triaminic/​robitussin cough syrup.
My entrée was the butternut squash risotto. I think I made the best choice here. It wasn’t great but it was pretty tasty. It was missing something, maybe a hint of nutmeg would have woke it up.
Frank got the spaghettini. He really liked the olives but aside from that it was pretty bad, It had a strange smokey fragrance that wasn’t pleasant on my side of the table and especially not on Frank’s.
The pasta was all clumped together and he said it tasted like a bad Budget Gourmet microwave meal. He had also gotten the baby beet side dish which was not pureed and quite tasty.
we skipped dessert, we had birthday cake for later. We looked at the menu anyway and nothing really seemed special, the usual crème brûlée thing.
They have 2 single bathrooms, unisex. That’s fine really but why not just have designated rooms? I didn’t appreciate having to touch a public toilet to put the seat down.
the place didn’t get any busier as the evening went on. when we left the bar was still totally empty.
it just wasn’t special at all. I tend to eat in small joints more than fancy restaurants so if I’m going to pay $ 200 for a nice dinner it should be special. I want to try new places but I hate to leave thinking I could have spent that money on an amazing food experience. The wait staff doesn’t care about the food, does the chef, does the owner?
I sure didn’t.

Saltaus is one of those places that when its good– it’s really good. And when it’s bad– it’s pretty bad. That being said– I would have to say that the good nights outweigh the bad as I have spent many good nights here and also attended a private function in December that was really alot of fun.
First of all– to find this place, you really have to be looking. I know that the owner, Nadir, is trying to keep it low key– but some kind of signage that would let you know that this place is open would probably help business.
Located at the northwest corner of Randolph and Ada, this building was an old corned beef factory which has been beautifully restored inside and out. From the outdoor seating area which is a great place in the Summer to grab dinner or a drink, to the main bar and restaurant area on the first floor to the club on the 2^nd floor– this place is beautifully done and an optical delight.
They have a good wine list and the bartenders pour a good drink. The menu has changed over time, but the chef is great (and probably underutilized as this place never appears really busy). He has seasonal offerings which are good along with regular offerings. Try the mushroom carpaccio (my fav– I actually crave it), or the hummus as your first course. My favorite entrée is the lamb but the pork shank and the fish are also good. I have sent several friends here and they all come back raving about the food.
Upstairs in the lounge, there is a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights yet the last few times I have been here– I wondered if it was going to survive as there were not many people in the club. This would be a shame as the upstairs lounge is beautifully outfitted with bamboo wood and has this cool sitting area of tiered steps with windows at the top offering a great view of the city.
The downside to Saltaus is that it appears to have a staff turnover issue as everytime I visit, all the servers and bartenders that I met the time before have left. This unstableness limits my rating as the service is either okay or bad. Servers don’t know the menu, bartenders can’t find the wine and even though the owner overcompensates with his friendly, welcoming attitude– he can’t be a team of one.
Just a note on the bathrooms– they are unisex so it doesn’t matter which one you choose. What does matter is to ensure the door is really locked or you may get surprised the way my girlfriend did! (made for some funny bar conversation afterward, though! Not sure who was more mortified –her or the guy who walked in on her!!)
There is valet parking out front for those of you who are driving, but street parking is also pretty easy in the area. This stretch of Randolph is sometimes a little tricky to get a cab to stop by, but the hostess will call one and they arrive quickly.
Great food, a trendy environment and a club all rolled into one. Sounds like a recipe for success. More people just need to find it and Saltaus needs to more consistently deliver on the promise.

My friend was writing a review of this place and so twice he dragged me along for dinner. The first time I was more than happy to go… and then we ate. Dull, flavorless food. Weird combinations of flavors — asian with mediterranean — which in and of itself might work but in the cases of the food we tried most certainly did not.
I wouldn’t recommend this for food, not at all. The bar is likely a good bet, as drinks contain little trace of the confusion that passes as food at Saltaus.

This is similar to some of the other expensive fusion places in the city and kind of out of the way down an often unpopulated section of Randolph in the West Loop. If you go here make sure it is for the cool design. As a fan of adaptive resuse I would say that they did an excellent job of taking a common brick building and inserting a very cool space inside that only gives subtle hints from the exterior.
The Linq Lounge upstairs is also a cool space for an after dinner drink and a view of the skyline.

My date and I came back here for dinner because we really loved the atmosphere. The service was a bit slow, but it was pretty busy. I loved the sourdough bread — full of flavor. We started with the ahi tuna tartare — it was pretty good. It included marinated grapefruit pieces that gave it a great citrus zing. For the main course, I had the striped bass. It was just ok. I would have used different mushrooms and more greens rather than carrots. The sauce was a bit too sweet as well. He had the autumn risotto… it was fantastic. I LOVED it. We skipped dessert because we were stuffed. Dirty martini’s were pretty yummy too. I still really like this place, and will come back because of the décor. The food is good, but not spectacular.
We didn’t have dinner here, but came here for drinks after leaving the Victor Hotel. The architecture and décor is very impressive. It is very contemporary and modern, but still has a very warm tone to it. I wish it was a bit warmer because the outdoor pation area is awesome.
The drinks were fantastic. Careful of the Manhattan… it is STRONG. Great use of berries, pomegranate juice and vodka. Try the Saltaus cocktail… it tastes like sorbet! I will definitely be back to try the dinner menu.

I didn’t eat here, but from what I saw on the menu there isn’t much to choose from, especially for vegans, but that’s to be expected. The prices are a little high. I went to a party upstairs and it was cute. The drinks were free. The place is really nice. I would come here again just because I liked the interior. It’s very clean and modern, but warm and cozy, which is hard to pull off.

Saltaus has good food and a great staff… but I generally don’t go there to eat! It seems to have turned into a weekend hang out for my friends and I. The upstairs has the right mixture of restaurant & nice lounge. A dj plays down tempo house and other mixtures… and it isn’t too loud to hear yourself think. It’s a cool alternative to your typical bar.

I came here Friday evening after visit to the MCA Museum. oh boy, I’m so disappointed that I even came here. I saw this place reviewed on Unilocal and decided to have dinner here. I have to say this is THE WORSE food & service I ever received from a restaurant of this «supposingly» upscale restaurant and lounge.
It was pretty much dead in here and we never got any service and food was taking forever! Cheese tray for appetizer was just nasty quality. I asked for Riesling white wine, my favorite; it didn’t taste anything like it. I think they made a mistake and brought a wrong type of wine. I ordered lamb steak with cous cous. I could have cooked it heck of a better than this. Seriously, I try to eat much as I can but it was too bland and lamb just smelled funny. Cous cous was not similar to ones I had at the blue water grill.
They were so slow with their service, why? when there were only about 10 people in this entire place. Sure, you got pretty good ambiance and swanky looking tables but please… you need to fire the current chef and hire someone better. Food sucks and your wait staff are not up to par for price of what your meal cost. I’m glad there are plenty of other places in Chicago that I can eat at because I will not be coming back here to eat. I left here with hunger and disappointment. Later that night, I went to Jimmy John’s, I can always count on them for their sandwich.

I was here last weekend for a birthday party, upstairs in the lounge area. I think the venue itself is incredible, very modern and chic. The steps upstairs by the windows are a great touch. The crowd was mid 20’s to mid 30’s and dressed very well. I like going to places where the people take pride in their appearance. The staff was incredibly friendly and the food/​appetizer service was very good. I didn’t eat much but the little food I did try was quite good. I would definitely go back.

I was here for a party. The appetizers were great and the drinks were as well. Although, at one point I asked for a pinot and I was given a white instead of a red, possibly my bad. The waitstaff could’ve been a bit friendlier, but overall it was a good experience. Very cool design and layout. I’m looking forward to dinner here. :)

I came to an NYE event here. The design inside is very DWR. The service was SLOW. It was an open bar and they had one bartender!?! Hello MCFLY, don’t you think you need at least 3 minimum? The place was cool looking but not really big enough for the function I attended. Never have eaten here and it looks as though I never will thanks to some of these reviews.