Marion Street Grille

As with most restaurants I love, this one features a hands on owner. Fantastic wine selection, and the best steaks in Oak Park bar none.
If I have a criticism at all, it’s cosmetic. They have (or had? — haven’t been in awhile.) a string of white lights (think Xmas tree lights) wrapped around a black horizontal heating duct. I think the intention was to have a source of mood lighting. My thought, it looks tacky & diminishes everything else.
Prime Rib, filet mignon, t-​bone & pork chops are all top notch.
Overall, a great restaurant with excellent steaks & chops.

We enjoyed a pleasant early dinner at Marion St Grille. It had been many years since our last visit and there have been some good changes, notably in the table layout, which used to be quite cramped but has been opened up considerably. This greater spaciousness, along with attractive décor, good grownup music and a congenial staff, make for a comfortable, relaxed ambiance.
The food was also enjoyable, definitely A-​OK. Spinach salad was fresh & tasty, graced with candied pecans and a nice berry vinaigrette. My companion’s walleye entrée was enjoyable, as was my huge order of frog legs in lemon and garlic butter (flavor-​wise, these were as good as I’ve ever had, though they were chewier than I would like). For dessert, key lime pie was pleasant. The wine list is not extensive, but has enough good choices to suit most any taste.

What is with the bad reviews? I’m completely shocked! This place is a diamond in the rough and, being an avid supporter of small businesses, I will continue to stand by it as the big corporations try to take over Oak Park.
Classic, timeless, delicious, with a great ambiance.
I went there with my family a few weeks ago. We ordered a variety of dishes and were impressed with the quality of the meats and seafood as well as the fact that they used real saffron. My steak was cooked to perfection.
The drinks are strong, meat is delicious, and the owner (Terry) is a sweetheart. How can you go wrong? Will definitely be going back!

The food was hit or miss and the service was bad. Didn’t really mind the wait time because we were with family but the owner was to rude to my niece of 1 years old after we spent $ 600 in there. One of us also got food poisoning from the scallops.
Won’t be back.

Came here because of Ken L’s review saying it’s NOT FOR CHILDREN! Awesome! I love going out for an adult experience without parents dragging their children who are obviously too young for the venue along.
Was not disappointed. NO CHILDREN!
Great food, great service. Bit of a high end experience, and that’s reflected in the price but that’s all good. The higher end it is, the more I expect there to be NO CHILDREN.
My wife had the tuna steak and thought it was very good. The wasabi sauce had some definite kick to it. I had the burger. I asked for medium rare, what I got was closer to medium, but it was tasty and no real complaints. For a side I got the Potato Dauphine which was a unique tasty experience. I think next time I might have to try the twice baked potato.
The desserts? Yum. The mousse cake was nice, and the house-​made crème brulée was divine.
Thumbs up!

Disappointing. Rubbery tuna, reheated (barely) sweet potato strings, ovecooked shrimp, stale bread. An embarrassment to the trade.

I wanted to like this place. it’s practically right under my apartment. Unfortunately, I just can’t recommend it. My husband and I shared the crab cakes, chicken alfredo, and a new york strip. The crab cakes were okay. The alfredo sauce didn’t do it for me and the steak was fatty. We also shared a piece of key lime pie that was good but a wince too small to share. The worst part is after shelling out $ 90.00 on a dinner with no cocktails my husband and I spent all night fighting over the bathroom. I wish we could pinpoint what got us sick, all we know is Marion Street Grille was the culprit.
We MIGHT be giving them a second chance as I said it’s so close, and we can bring our pup to eat outside.

Meh is the best both my husband and I can say about our experience. We dine here once before and didn’t remember being impressed, but received a gift certificate so we tried it again.
That’s the short version, read on if you’d like the details.
We called around 5 on the day we wanted to dine to see if they were taking resos for that evening (a Saturday). He was told we could come at 8. Great. We arrived at 8 to an almost empty restaurant. The host asked us if we’d like a table for 2, not inquiring if we had reservations, so we thought it strange that they weren’t able to accommodate us until 8.
We were guided to a table. There was an older couple leaving from the table next to us, and the woman (who it seemed had had a lot to drink) commented on my hair, and then asked for my opinion on hers, which was really fun. Then she leaned in and advised, «Don’t get the sole, it’s mushy.»
Our server did a fine job, but wasn’t particularly friendly compared to the other server. We always had what we needed, but nothing extra. One example of this, it didn’t indicate on the menu anywhere that entrees, which are indicated to come with particular sides, can have the sides substituted with any of the other sides listed at the bottom of the menu, and she didn’t tell us that. I only found that out because I overheard another server mentioning that to one of his tables.
I started with the Caesar salad with anchovies, my husband had the Retro Wedge with Thousand Island dressing. I commented to my husband that I’ve never seen a Wedge offered with the choice of Bleu Cheese or Thousand Island. He was happy about that though because he doesn’t like Bleu Cheese. The salads were the best part of our meal.
For entrees — I ordered the Grille Mixed Grille (4 oz Ahi Tuna, 2 grilled shrimp and 2 scallops in a saffron cream sauce), served with veg of the day (buttered carrots with squash) and curly sweet potatoes. I substituted a twice baked potato for the sweet potatoes. The tuna was terrible. It tasted old. The shrimp tasted slightly old, but not as old as the tuna. I didn’t finish the tuna. The scallops were good, but they all lacked seasoning. The vegetables were good, but the twice baked potato was really odd. The cheese on top looked weird, almost like fake cheese. I didn’t eat much of that either. The entrée was priced at $ 27.95
My husband ordered a pork tenderloin with some type of salsa on top. His sides were mashed sweet potatoes and what was listed on the menu as a vegetable tortilla. I expected this to be like a spanish tortilla, or something along those lines. But it was julienne vegetables wrapped in a flour tortilla. One of the strangest things I’ve ever seen, it was almost like a fajita. Just really odd, the combo with mashed sweet potatoes. Again, he didn’t change up his sides, he didn’t realize that he could as I mentioned above.
We had a piece of carrot cake and a piece of chocolate cake for dessert. They bake those desserts in house. The cake is served cold. My husband likes that, I don’t. I’d prefer them to be room temperature, it made me feel like they weren’t fresh.
Our food just didn’t seem fresh, none of it. Everything seemed like it was at least a day old.
Our total bill was $ 90 and we felt like we overpaid for what we ate. In contrast, we ate not long ago at Amelia’s in Forest Park, and it was so incredibly delicious, we couldn’t even speak while eating our entrees because we were so in awe of the food.
We decided not to return to Marion Street Grille, it’s just not good food. Too many other good places to return a third time.

Found this little gem yesterday by complete accident. My boyfriend and I were hungry, we looked to google maps typed in «food» and picked this place. And how lucky were we!!!
The name is a little misleading. It is far from anything you would expect a «grille» to look like. The space is open, but the candle light and spacing of the tables brings in a lot of intimacy. The couple that was being loud next to us couldn’t even ruin the ambiance.
The host took us in and took our order. He recommended a wine which we declined ;) And if the one he recommended was better then, wow. Perfect blend of aroma and taste…
We started with the mussels in garlic sauce. Mussels are always going to taste like mussels, but the garlic and lemon sauce in this was phenomenal. Not overly strong and the mussel meat was tender and well steamed.
Usually when you go to a place the top of the list is steak and salmon. We decided to go with the blackened yellow fin tuna and the pork with vegetable tortillas. We sat and ate in silence in order for the taste to not escape our mouths by accident. The English dictionary simply does not have the right words to describe the immensity of flavor each of these dishes had. Both had sauces that were originally designed for these dishes. Both pork and tuna were put on this earth to be served at Marion’s.
For desert we had the port wine which complimented dinner beautifully. We went with the 2001 which the host told us is aged in a barrel. He brought a taste of the the 10 year (aged in a specific type of canister) for us to experience the difference. And he even waived it from our bill (the entire dessert).
my phone could not connect to the internet, and thankfully so. I dont want to have to see all of the people that I avoid during the week there ;) We will be coming again, more than once.

This delightful café is one of my Oak Park mainstays. Sometimes I need to force myself to choose a new place to try because I want to keep coming back. I have been here for breakfast (my favorite), lunch and dinner (lease favorite). Their breakfast is incredible, the best farm fresh eggs and omelets, not to mention the potatoes are to die for! They have a great sandwich selection for lunch, my personal favorite being their cheese steak sandwich which is kind of like Italian beef but with a garlic aioli and sweet peppers that is lick the plate delicious. The dinner options are a little limited which is the only drawback.
If you have to wait for a table they have a great wine and cheese market attached to the bistro. It’s a great place to just stop by and peruse the cheese case and look for something special/​different if you’re having a cocktail party

drum roll please… MY VERY FIRST REVIEW!
We went here for a classy birthday celebration. It was quiet and romantic despite our reservation for 6 people, and we were the only table still there at 9pm.
I loved the black truffle ravioli and asparagus and others really seemed to enjoy the shrimp bisque. Our service was a bit spotty and we waited awhile (so long so it was awkward) between taking our drinks down and returning for our order. The dessert we shared was delicious, triplet chocolate mousse and the others on the menu looked great as well.
All and all I enjoyed myself and I think it makes a nice little date night spot.

I ventured here with my husband in celebration of our anniversary and to check it out. A risky move to do when marking such an occasion, but we like to live on the edge.
My first impression was that the décor didn’t really match the atmosphere they were going for. Or maybe it was because the back half of the restaurant felt way more casual than the front part? Who knows, but there is some kind of disconnect going on there.
Our waiter seemed a bit aloof and I think we saw our bus boy more. Maybe it’s because my husband and I look young for our age and he didn’t think we’d lay down the cash but his lack of service turned in what could have been a two bottle dinner into a one.
The food we had was delicious, black truffle ravioli and wasabi tuna. I hope to go back to see if the service is any better.

This is a great place in OP– I’ve always had great, friendly, attentive-​but-​not-​annoying service, and I’ve never been disappointed in the food. Tonight I had the black truffle ravioli, which was cooked perfectly and super tasty– I even like the asparagus that came with it {it takes a lot to impress me with asparagus…}
Overall, a cute place that’s great for getting a little dressy and bringing an old friend or a new date to.

It was a dark and stormy night. .. And it was when I wandered into this newly re-​purposed retail space. Too lazy to cook a meal of my own, I walked a few blocks to discover the new place. I wanted basic comfort food, and a drink or two.
I sat at the bar and had Keri as my server. I know the market studies that demonstrate touching your customer on the arm or back increases the dollar amount of the tip, but a gentle touch was all I needed in that rainy, food-​deprived night.
I had the Earl gray martini while I contemplated the menu. There it is! Meat & potatoes, the short ribs & mashed was my choice only after a MacCallans 10 Scotch arrived to counteract the overly sweet martini.
I was relaxed and food-​comforted when I struck up a conversation with a woman on a date with her girlfriend. The evening began as a random stroll in the rain, and ended as a relaxing dinner with new friends.

This is a REALLY cute little restaurant just off of the main Lake Street restaurant row. It’s one of the few places in town that serves Frog Legs and bistro type food. We’ve been here twice now and have had mixed results.
I can heartily recommend the rack of lamb. It was perfectly cooked (I like it kind of rare) and the mustard crust was yummy combined with the au jus sauce on the plate.
I wasn’t thrilled with the onion soup. It was a bit over salted and there was about half the cheese I’m used to when ordering this. My wife had the seared tuna with sweet potato fries. The fries came out burned and the tuna was way over-​seared. The interior was Medium.
The wine choice from our waiter was excellent as well as his service. I will give this place another shot.

I’m sorry it took me so long to discover Marion Street Grille! My husband and I went there for dinner on a whim and were so impressed by the service, the atmosphere, and the exceptionally yummy food. This is our new go-​to place in Oak Park.
To start, we ordered the shrip bisque, which was very tasty and seasoned with just the right amount of white pepper. As for you reviewers who complained that there were no «chunks» in your bisque, I only laugh. A bisque, by definition, is pureed. You want chowder? Order it somewhere else and educate yourself before complaining.
For the entrée, I ordered the Filet Mignon. Simply cooked and prepared, but oh-​so perfect. It was done to a true medium rare, exactly as I had ordered. The potato dauphine that accompanied was excellent — a hint of thyme amidst a perfect little mound of potato, creamy goodness.
My husband ordered the ribs and I daresay they were the best and most tender I’ve ever tasted. The barbeque sauce is homemade and has a dark, tangy flavor which we learned from our server was thanks to a bit of apricot/​orange (can’t remember which) marmalade.
As for the service, we were really impressed. The owner and staff were all extremely accomodating and warm. And when I couldn’t decide between the filet and the dayboat scallops, our server suggested that he bring along one scallop to go along with the filet so I could have the best of both worlds. So great — oh, and the scallop was melt-​in-​your-​mouth perfection. It is evident that they build lasting and loyal customers here and I highly recommend you become one of them.
The only critisism I have for Marion Street Grille is that they please take «Maryland» out of the description for the crab cake appetizer. While it was very tasty and perfectly fried, and the aioli to go with was amazing, it was in no way a Maryland-​style crab cake. This is coming from a Marylander, born and raised, so I couldn’t help saying something. I’d be happy to make you one!

This is a case where I hated the place and the husband loved it — not uncommon. We walked in around 6 and were out right after 7. We never really care where we are seated, but both tables next to us wanted other tables and were told there were none available yet the place was half empty even when we left.
The service is excellent. The food, for me, was boring and uninspiring. I went with the lobster bisque that was way too spicy and had no lobster chunks in it. Husband had a wedge salad with blue cheese that I thought was way too bland. His bone-​in ribeye was perfectly done as was his baked potato (which he claims is tough) but my lobster stuffed ravioli was just boring again and the asparagus with it was undercooked.
Naturally, the place was full of the usual Oak Park douchebags — one who literally ordered a drink in a «freakishly cold» glass and sent it back and another couple on a dare making tons of requests. And, this was their first date and she had her food wrapped to take home — tacky.
It would take a lot of convincing to get me to go back here as for the $ 120 I know of a lot better meals we could have and both enjoy.

I was pretty nervous about visiting this place since the reviews were so polarized, but my curious side suggested to my wife a trip to Marion Street Grille on our anniversary. Of my entire visit, I was most impressed with my entrée, everything else was average.
To start, I ordered the wine. They were out of the wine I ordered. So, they brought us out an equivalent bottle which was not bad. With my wine I had a Marion Street Salad. It had quality ingredients but lacked any flavor. I will say it again. Zero flavor. It was just a pile of leaves and onion. I will never order that again. Next, I got my entrée, black truffle ravioli. It was awesome! Just 9 raviolis, but oh so good. I have day dreamed about eating this dish almost everyday since my visit. It was that good. My wife has some wasabi tuna steak which was very tasty. Therefore, the food gets 4 stars even though the salad was meh.
As for the atmosphere, it didn’t feel cohesive. The coved copper ceiling was really, really cool, but everything else didn’t fit or wasn’t placed right. I guess my expectation of a semi-​fancy restaurant is that a professional would decorate it, but that was not the case here. Is that expectation fair? Probably not, but that is how it goes when a restaurant is trying to look fancy — you get picky people. Atmosphere 3 stars.
Service from the bus boy was superb, but the waiter was just average. Service 3 stars.
I will return and maybe this place will grow on me. Like the atmosphere my experience didn’t feel cohesive. So for now, it’s just 3 stars leaning toward 3.5…I think.

Got here about 530 and the place was empty. By the time we left, it got pretty busy so it seems more of a late crowd spot. Parking can be iffy since there is street parking right in front or around the corner, but the retail on Lake Street can overflow this way.
I got here early for a date and staff was very welcoming. As we were unsure of our orders, staff advised us of recommendations and I liked how the soup said it was day old, which reminded me of comfort food. My date mentioned to the waiter that she liked French Fries but wanted something different than those dishes that came with FFs. She ordered the steak but the waiter added the FFs anyway. Desserts were not massive and were a nice finish to the dinner rather than another meal. There was not another date, but at least I had a good meal!

Service was real bad sorry. Just awful
Food was good but ruined by service.
Sorry I can not recommend going there and will not return.