One of the best food spots in Chicago. Love the dip. Tried the French onion soup, incredible. Known for the burger, but everything is awesome. Cocktails are legendary. Hipster vibes and awful leg tattoos are abundant. Think of Austin,TX if it didnt have a dad.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Natasha Al-Rafie
Beyond average food, but they were nominated for a James Beard so we had to try it. It’s a traditional pub food place, with what some people say is the “Best Burger in Chicago”. Not sure about that, actually pretty sure I do not agree.
We started with the oysters, and got the French onion soup. The oysters were average not too slimy, but pretty heavy on the salt water flavor, maybe not cleaned too well but they didn’t have shells in the oyster bed which was good. The French onion soup was a little on the sweet side. It was good because of the bread, otherwise it was average.
I got the burger, because people say it’s the best. It was a burger, nothing too special about it. I did ask for it to be medium, it was a little over cooked. They also cut it and plated it cut, which definitely dries the burger out and is an odd way to serve a burger. The fries were good. Unfortunately the service wasn’t great because I had to wait 15 ish minutes for hot sauce.
My partner got the fried chicken, it was definitely a shareable dish, not a solo endeavor. It had at least 5 pieces of chicken. He said it was good not great. He got Mac and cheese too and said it was good.
The drinks are strong, and overall good.
This place, like I said above, is extremely average.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Lauren Cox
Wow! The food was PHENOMENAL! Liver mousse 👏 oysters clap, prime rib sandwich 👏, drinks 👏, service by Miranda was top tier! I cant say enough. If you can loose your pockets here, you will not be disappointed
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nathan Matta
We did not eat. Cocktails were excellent, selection was very good, the food that other people ordered looked and smelled amazing. Vibe was cool. Bathroom was a little dodgy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Abdulla Jasem
That’s it. This is the one. I’ve been on a burger hunt recently, and this is the best burger I’ve tried in Chicago. Not only is the burger the best, but even the fried chicken sandwich is the best I’ve eaten in a long time!
There is nothing particularly different about the burger. It’s just so damn good in every aspect, from the patty, to the cheese and brioche buns, I kept making “mmmm” noises at every bite with no time for flavor analysis. Same goes with the fried chicken sandwich (the missing picture indicates that I was busy indulging in the food). It’s not only about the softness of the chicken. The sandwich as a whole tasted really good for some reason. I was trying to figure out why but it wasn’t just the sauce. It was probably the batter. The chef is talented! I also tried the carrots side dish and it was good but a bit heavy and large as a side.
The verdict is that, if you love burgers, Gretel is a no-brainer. I feel bad that I had to leave Chicago without trying their sister restaurant Little Bad Wolf.
P.S. I miscalculated the total after tips and made it higher by $10, but my bill shows that the extra money was not deducted (they calculated it correctly). I really respect businesses that offer great customer experience unconditional on tips (I mean, tips should be unconditional by definition, but it’s part of the “effective” wage here). They could’ve easily taken the extra money (which they deserve), and I imagine many businesses would enjoy taking this free gift. If I ever come back to Chicago, I’ll definitely pass by and make sure I give an extra $10, this time on purpose ;)
Insane food and drinks. Service was great. Will be back many times.
Elizabeth Velez
Gretel is a cozy chic restaurant and bar with a list of spirits and drinks that also serve the best burger I have had in a long time. The Gretel burger was cooked to perfection. It was delicious, succulent, juicy, and memorable. I came here with my husband, who had his gretel burger with fresh cut fries, and my brother had his with mashed potatoes. I had mine with the sude of corn Elote Ribetes, Mayo, Parmesan, Mezcal Salsa Verde, and Chives. The Hang II drinks were amazing, and the chocolate chip cookie was a favorite 😍 We were celebrating my birthday, and we plan to come back really soon. It was such a great and fun time. The staff here were extremely pleasant and fun as well. Thank you Oscar fir making it even more special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gretel Griddle Burger, Fries
Sylvia Mendez
Amazing beef tartare- probably the best one I’ve had so far around the city. All breads are made in house and the one that comes with the beef tartare is out of this world buttery goodness. We love the French onion here, such a great complex broth and huge portion, just tried the butter chicken “soup” with in house naan and also amazing slightly spicy perfect balance. Haven’t gotten a bad thing yet here and service is just as great.
Hidden Gem!! Cool swanky vibe. Huge spirits list! Food was amazing and they have a wide range of options for all pallets. Highly recommend and I will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Roll, Pretzel, Sticky Ribs, Burger and Mac and Cheese, Burger Combo with Mac and Cheese
I was at Gretel yesterday and had to cool off before writing this review to not be too negative. After all, the food was amazing and the atmosphere was great! The service was pretty terrible. I sat at the bar with my girlfriend and we had to wait 15 minutes before we were even asked what we wanted to drink. The bartenders weren’t even making eye contact with us so we could try to politely request service. After that, we placed our food order and it turned out our ticket was never entered. No one checked on us or anything for 45 minutes and after being as patient as possible and receiving no attention or service, we had to rudely ask for an update and it turned out they forgot to place the order. Even after that I was set on giving the staff a chance to make this right by apologizing and offer some form of discount to make up for the extremely poor service at a very popular and expensive restaurant. Unfortunately all that was received was a 10% discount and the employees all shaking their heads at each other and me. Even after all this, I would go back because I’m hoping this was just a mistake and a bad night for Gretel, but as a former service industry worker I know my former staff and bosses would appreciate this level of feedback.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Gretel Griddle Burger, Gyoza
Tania Collins
Excellent GET the BURGER!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Mustafa Serwan
The burger here never disappoints. The chicken sandwich is next level. I recommend the Mac and cheese and Cesar salad. Must try if you are in Chicago
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gretel Griddle Burger, Fries, Burger and Mac and Cheese
Jacob Fiore
Burger was good! Not worth the price in any way - I’ve had better from much cheaper (still nice) places. Service was mid level, not very attentive. Upstairs decor is beautiful, but there is a lack of attention to temperature control in all seasons. Downstairs is poorly decorated and lit. Overall, I’ll never pay the price for this again but was a nice time with friends!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Maggie Alanis
Food was excellent. Everything was delicious. Drinks were tasteful. Service could be more attentive.
One of the best burgers in the city. Amazing spirits selection. A plus all around. Beer selection is great. Mixed drinks are winners.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gretel Griddle Burger, Fries, Sticky Ribs, Pork Gyoza
One of the best food spots in Chicago. Love the dip. Tried the French onion soup, incredible. Known for the burger, but everything is awesome. Cocktails are legendary. Hipster vibes and awful leg tattoos are abundant. Think of Austin,TX if it didnt have a dad.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Beyond average food, but they were nominated for a James Beard so we had to try it. It’s a traditional pub food place, with what some people say is the “Best Burger in Chicago”. Not sure about that, actually pretty sure I do not agree.
We started with the oysters, and got the French onion soup. The oysters were average not too slimy, but pretty heavy on the salt water flavor, maybe not cleaned too well but they didn’t have shells in the oyster bed which was good. The French onion soup was a little on the sweet side. It was good because of the bread, otherwise it was average.
I got the burger, because people say it’s the best. It was a burger, nothing too special about it. I did ask for it to be medium, it was a little over cooked. They also cut it and plated it cut, which definitely dries the burger out and is an odd way to serve a burger. The fries were good. Unfortunately the service wasn’t great because I had to wait 15 ish minutes for hot sauce.
My partner got the fried chicken, it was definitely a shareable dish, not a solo endeavor. It had at least 5 pieces of chicken. He said it was good not great. He got Mac and cheese too and said it was good.
The drinks are strong, and overall good.
This place, like I said above, is extremely average.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Wow! The food was PHENOMENAL! Liver mousse 👏 oysters clap, prime rib sandwich 👏, drinks 👏, service by Miranda was top tier! I cant say enough. If you can loose your pockets here, you will not be disappointed
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We did not eat. Cocktails were excellent, selection was very good, the food that other people ordered looked and smelled amazing. Vibe was cool. Bathroom was a little dodgy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
That’s it. This is the one. I’ve been on a burger hunt recently, and this is the best burger I’ve tried in Chicago. Not only is the burger the best, but even the fried chicken sandwich is the best I’ve eaten in a long time!
There is nothing particularly different about the burger. It’s just so damn good in every aspect, from the patty, to the cheese and brioche buns, I kept making “mmmm” noises at every bite with no time for flavor analysis. Same goes with the fried chicken sandwich (the missing picture indicates that I was busy indulging in the food). It’s not only about the softness of the chicken. The sandwich as a whole tasted really good for some reason. I was trying to figure out why but it wasn’t just the sauce. It was probably the batter. The chef is talented! I also tried the carrots side dish and it was good but a bit heavy and large as a side.
The verdict is that, if you love burgers, Gretel is a no-brainer. I feel bad that I had to leave Chicago without trying their sister restaurant Little Bad Wolf.
P.S. I miscalculated the total after tips and made it higher by $10, but my bill shows that the extra money was not deducted (they calculated it correctly). I really respect businesses that offer great customer experience unconditional on tips (I mean, tips should be unconditional by definition, but it’s part of the “effective” wage here).
They could’ve easily taken the extra money (which they deserve), and I imagine many businesses would enjoy taking this free gift. If I ever come back to Chicago, I’ll definitely pass by and make sure I give an extra $10, this time on purpose ;)
Recommended dishes: Gretel Griddle Burger, Fried Chicken Sandwich
Insane food and drinks. Service was great. Will be back many times.
Gretel is a cozy chic restaurant and bar with a list of spirits and drinks that also serve the best burger I have had in a long time. The Gretel burger was cooked to perfection. It was delicious, succulent, juicy, and memorable. I came here with my husband, who had his gretel burger with fresh cut fries, and my brother had his with mashed potatoes. I had mine with the sude of corn Elote Ribetes, Mayo, Parmesan, Mezcal Salsa Verde, and Chives. The Hang II drinks were amazing, and the chocolate chip cookie was a favorite 😍 We were celebrating my birthday, and we plan to come back really soon. It was such a great and fun time. The staff here were extremely pleasant and fun as well. Thank you Oscar fir making it even more special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gretel Griddle Burger, Fries
Amazing beef tartare- probably the best one I’ve had so far around the city. All breads are made in house and the one that comes with the beef tartare is out of this world buttery goodness. We love the French onion here, such a great complex broth and huge portion, just tried the butter chicken “soup” with in house naan and also amazing slightly spicy perfect balance. Haven’t gotten a bad thing yet here and service is just as great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gretel Griddle Burger, French Onion Soup, Oyster Platter, Gyoza
Hidden Gem!! Cool swanky vibe. Huge spirits list! Food was amazing and they have a wide range of options for all pallets. Highly recommend and I will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Roll, Pretzel, Sticky Ribs, Burger and Mac and Cheese, Burger Combo with Mac and Cheese
Restaurantji Recommends
I was at Gretel yesterday and had to cool off before writing this review to not be too negative. After all, the food was amazing and the atmosphere was great! The service was pretty terrible. I sat at the bar with my girlfriend and we had to wait 15 minutes before we were even asked what we wanted to drink. The bartenders weren’t even making eye contact with us so we could try to politely request service. After that, we placed our food order and it turned out our ticket was never entered. No one checked on us or anything for 45 minutes and after being as patient as possible and receiving no attention or service, we had to rudely ask for an update and it turned out they forgot to place the order. Even after that I was set on giving the staff a chance to make this right by apologizing and offer some form of discount to make up for the extremely poor service at a very popular and expensive restaurant. Unfortunately all that was received was a 10% discount and the employees all shaking their heads at each other and me. Even after all this, I would go back because I’m hoping this was just a mistake and a bad night for Gretel, but as a former service industry worker I know my former staff and bosses would appreciate this level of feedback.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Gretel Griddle Burger, Gyoza
Excellent GET the BURGER!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
The burger here never disappoints. The chicken sandwich is next level. I recommend the Mac and cheese and Cesar salad. Must try if you are in Chicago
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gretel Griddle Burger, Fries, Burger and Mac and Cheese
Burger was good! Not worth the price in any way - I’ve had better from much cheaper (still nice) places. Service was mid level, not very attentive. Upstairs decor is beautiful, but there is a lack of attention to temperature control in all seasons. Downstairs is poorly decorated and lit. Overall, I’ll never pay the price for this again but was a nice time with friends!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Food was excellent. Everything was delicious. Drinks were tasteful. Service could be more attentive.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
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