Run don’t walk to John’s. This place has been on my list for quite some time and I finally had a chance to try their tasting menu and they didn’t miss on any dish. The food was creative without being pretentious and the team’s service was exceptional. A well deserved nod on the Michelin guide that is no doubt headed for higher praise in the near future.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dina Ahmad
Extremely small portions for the price. 20% service charge, despite the fact that there is no waiters or waitresses. Food was average to say the least. Disappointing but vibes were extremely nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Molly Altenburg
Excellent food but the service model (order full meal at the host stand before you sit down) is baffling. It extracts any sense of warmth and hospitality and doesn’t seem to save any time. The model also means you don’t have an “assigned” server, so good luck getting anyone to make eye contact, check on you, ask if you want another drink, etc. At this price point you’re not just paying for food, you’re paying for an experience, and counter service and aloof staff is not it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Andreas Lundh
Amazing food, great atmosphere and superb service. Highly recommendable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mike
Really bad experience here and will not be coming back. I'm not sure if a portion of these reviews are fake/bought but there's no way this restaurant has 4.5 stars.
First off, the ordering at the front is awful - no idea what the menu is and there's a massive line out the door. Just seat people and let them order??? Second, the food is insanely expensive for the small portion size. Third, the 20% auto service charge is shady especially since it's not disclosed anywhere. There are so many good restaurants in Lincoln Park - this is not one of them. Please avoid and go somewhere (anywhere) else.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Claire Hess
Stopped in on a Friday to grab a drink. We were able to sit down outside immediately, really enjoyed their wine selection. Can’t wait to come back sometime for dinner!
Mallory Rojo
What a wonderful evening at John’s Food & Wine!
We sat at the bar and enjoyed attentive service and delicious food. I especially appreciated the attention to detail—my water glass never sat empty, even during a busy service. Absolutely a place I’d return to!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Annabelle Zimmerman
Came here with some girlfriends for food and drinks. Food was good, but the menu seemed to try a bit too hard. Service was excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Akshaykumar Thakur
The tables are too close to each other. We felt like just joining our neighbors for a conversation. The cocktails were ok. Burrata was good
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Brittany Perlaki
A truly unforgettable date night experience. They are known for their french fries (understandable - literally the best I've ever had) but don't miss the rest of the menu! We were blown away by the creativity of the flavors like the spicy oysters, but the Wagyu steak and scallops were on another level. The steak was melt-in-your-mouth, and the scallops were HUGE with a perfect sear. The texture of the radiator pasta.. Drooling* don't get me started on the bread with carrot butter. Spicy margarita 10/10, and the service was professional, clearly passionate/knowledgeable about the menu.
Johns is an absolute gem—If you’re looking for a spot that nails both flavor and experience, this is it.
The food is very small portion for the price and tasted mediocre. Our order took one hour and forty five minutes. The head waiter is rude when we complain about food taking longer. The Wagyu steak doesn’t taste like Wagyu. You have to order befouou get seated is ridiculous. Will not recommend that restaurant again.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Bill Wang
John’s Food and Wine is a charming, woodsy space with a warm aesthetic and a casual yet elevated vibe. Orders are placed at the counter before seating (with 20% service charge), with both à la carte and tasting menus listed on the wall. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize the printed menus were outdated and were initially drawn to dishes (like the branzino and scallops) that were no longer available - something that could have been more clearly communicated.
The meal had some real highlights, but also a few uneven moments. The lobster salad was a standout with refreshing flavors and generous portion. The cappelletti’s portion felt light and didn’t quite deliver the wow factor. The mackerel followed a similar pattern: beautifully sauced, but the fish itself lacked standout flavor. The Wagyu course was well seasoned and paired with a rich reduction, but was disappointingly tough and hard to cut through and enjoy. Dessert was a pleasant surprise - an almond cake with strawberry that was hearty and satisfying.
Overall, it was a thoughtful meal with some standout components, but at the price point, most of the dishes (particularly the proteins) fell short. I’d consider a return once the seasonal menu changes, but didn’t leave feeling blown away.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
David Trevino
The food was excellent, but the service was an awkward experience.
Something new to me was having to order at the host stand before being sat. Not that I minded, but the experience fell short because there was no walkthrough of the menu. This feels like an attempt of making fine dining fast and casual, which takes away from the connection with a server, sommelier, etc. Ordering up front resulted in an awkward sequence of dishes coming out. I think at some point we were supposed to know that food is delivered as more of a shared style, so our individual mains came out at different times. For this price tier, it just felt like one too many cut-corners to flip tables quicker at the cost of a more personal and informed experience with a traditional service model.
All the staff were kind and funny! It was just the logistics of it all that felt impersonal. The food was great!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Colleen Moore
Every single thing was perfect!! Location is awesome, lots of parking. The STAFF! They are super friendly, helpful, and deliver topnotch hospitality. Food comes out at a good pace so you never feel like your table is cluttered. I cant even say enough about the food, everything we got was outstanding from their beautifully curiated menu. Portions are fabulous. The drinks, delicious; and paired well. Everyone was so kind. We left feeling perfectly full. Highly recommend, dont skip on Johns Food and Wine!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eran Dromy
We had a great time here.
We were actually on our way to a different restaurant when we spotted this place and decided to give it a try.
You order your food up front before sitting down, which was a new experience for me, but I didn’t mind it. The food was wonderful, fresh and flavorful, and though there were a lot of repeating elements across the dishes- it felt right.
One thing to note: they add a 20% service charge, which I’m generally not a fan of.
Run don’t walk to John’s. This place has been on my list for quite some time and I finally had a chance to try their tasting menu and they didn’t miss on any dish. The food was creative without being pretentious and the team’s service was exceptional. A well deserved nod on the Michelin guide that is no doubt headed for higher praise in the near future.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Extremely small portions for the price. 20% service charge, despite the fact that there is no waiters or waitresses. Food was average to say the least. Disappointing but vibes were extremely nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Excellent food but the service model (order full meal at the host stand before you sit down) is baffling. It extracts any sense of warmth and hospitality and doesn’t seem to save any time. The model also means you don’t have an “assigned” server, so good luck getting anyone to make eye contact, check on you, ask if you want another drink, etc. At this price point you’re not just paying for food, you’re paying for an experience, and counter service and aloof staff is not it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Amazing food, great atmosphere and superb service. Highly recommendable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really bad experience here and will not be coming back. I'm not sure if a portion of these reviews are fake/bought but there's no way this restaurant has 4.5 stars.
First off, the ordering at the front is awful - no idea what the menu is and there's a massive line out the door. Just seat people and let them order??? Second, the food is insanely expensive for the small portion size. Third, the 20% auto service charge is shady especially since it's not disclosed anywhere. There are so many good restaurants in Lincoln Park - this is not one of them. Please avoid and go somewhere (anywhere) else.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Stopped in on a Friday to grab a drink. We were able to sit down outside immediately, really enjoyed their wine selection. Can’t wait to come back sometime for dinner!
What a wonderful evening at John’s Food & Wine!
We sat at the bar and enjoyed attentive service and delicious food. I especially appreciated the attention to detail—my water glass never sat empty, even during a busy service. Absolutely a place I’d return to!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came here with some girlfriends for food and drinks. Food was good, but the menu seemed to try a bit too hard. Service was excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
The tables are too close to each other. We felt like just joining our neighbors for a conversation. The cocktails were ok. Burrata was good
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
A truly unforgettable date night experience. They are known for their french fries (understandable - literally the best I've ever had) but don't miss the rest of the menu! We were blown away by the creativity of the flavors like the spicy oysters, but the Wagyu steak and scallops were on another level. The steak was melt-in-your-mouth, and the scallops were HUGE with a perfect sear. The texture of the radiator pasta.. Drooling* don't get me started on the bread with carrot butter. Spicy margarita 10/10, and the service was professional, clearly passionate/knowledgeable about the menu.
Johns is an absolute gem—If you’re looking for a spot that nails both flavor and experience, this is it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The food is very small portion for the price and tasted mediocre. Our order took one hour and forty five minutes. The head waiter is rude when we complain about food taking longer. The Wagyu steak doesn’t taste like Wagyu. You have to order befouou get seated is ridiculous. Will not recommend that restaurant again.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
John’s Food and Wine is a charming, woodsy space with a warm aesthetic and a casual yet elevated vibe. Orders are placed at the counter before seating (with 20% service charge), with both à la carte and tasting menus listed on the wall. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize the printed menus were outdated and were initially drawn to dishes (like the branzino and scallops) that were no longer available - something that could have been more clearly communicated.
The meal had some real highlights, but also a few uneven moments. The lobster salad was a standout with refreshing flavors and generous portion. The cappelletti’s portion felt light and didn’t quite deliver the wow factor. The mackerel followed a similar pattern: beautifully sauced, but the fish itself lacked standout flavor. The Wagyu course was well seasoned and paired with a rich reduction, but was disappointingly tough and hard to cut through and enjoy. Dessert was a pleasant surprise - an almond cake with strawberry that was hearty and satisfying.
Overall, it was a thoughtful meal with some standout components, but at the price point, most of the dishes (particularly the proteins) fell short. I’d consider a return once the seasonal menu changes, but didn’t leave feeling blown away.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
The food was excellent, but the service was an awkward experience.
Something new to me was having to order at the host stand before being sat. Not that I minded, but the experience fell short because there was no walkthrough of the menu. This feels like an attempt of making fine dining fast and casual, which takes away from the connection with a server, sommelier, etc. Ordering up front resulted in an awkward sequence of dishes coming out. I think at some point we were supposed to know that food is delivered as more of a shared style, so our individual mains came out at different times. For this price tier, it just felt like one too many cut-corners to flip tables quicker at the cost of a more personal and informed experience with a traditional service model.
All the staff were kind and funny! It was just the logistics of it all that felt impersonal. The food was great!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Every single thing was perfect!!
Location is awesome, lots of parking.
The STAFF! They are super friendly, helpful, and deliver topnotch hospitality. Food comes out at a good pace so you never feel like your table is cluttered.
I cant even say enough about the food, everything we got was outstanding from their beautifully curiated menu. Portions are fabulous. The drinks, delicious; and paired well. Everyone was so kind. We left feeling perfectly full.
Highly recommend, dont skip on Johns Food and Wine!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a great time here.
We were actually on our way to a different restaurant when we spotted this place and decided to give it a try.
You order your food up front before sitting down, which was a new experience for me, but I didn’t mind it. The food was wonderful, fresh and flavorful, and though there were a lot of repeating elements across the dishes- it felt right.
One thing to note: they add a 20% service charge, which I’m generally not a fan of.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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