Kindling | Downtown Cookout & Cocktails

Food was impeccable and original. Service from Destinee was personable and ever so friendly. Wish I lived in Chicago to come back weekly and sit to watch the chefs at work next time. Thanks for a memorable experience.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We were really excited to visit Kindling while in Chicago — we’re visiting from Hawaii and love watching Jonathan on Food Network, so this stop was high on our list. The service was warm and the atmosphere was pleasant, but overall the food didn’t quite meet our expectations.

The highlights:

• The steaks were outstanding — truly the star of the meal.
• The carrots and fries were excellent.
• The kids’ tenders were solid.

Where things fell short:

• The kids’ burger came out undercooked.
• The salmon was overcooked and heavy on soy.
• The wings were the biggest disappointment. We’d heard great things, but ours were extremely dry, almost as if they’d been cooked multiple times.

We really wanted to love everything, and the steaks showed what the kitchen is capable of, but several other dishes missed the mark for us.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 4

Kindling was a wonderful experience, made even more so by our server Maddie Kay! The food was outstanding, and the ambiance of the restaurant warm and inviting. My only regret was that I had no room for dessert! Highly recommend Kindling for that special evening.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Food was great service was amazing and my steak was cooked to my liking

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

From the moment we walked in to the moment we left it was incredible. My husband and I came to dine for the first time to celebrate his bday and they did not disappoint. Our server Destinee outdid her self to provide the best service. She made it very memorable and we will be back. The food/drinks was amazing. We appreciate the unforgettable experience. Thank you!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had seating at the hearth. We got to see the workings of the entire kitchen - and even more impressively, we got to meet Jonathan Sawyer and talk to him at length about his pet chickens and his cooking. He comes off as a good guy. The food itself is very good. The scallops were an incredible bite of flavor. The gnocchi was probably also our next most favorite dish, with a bright basil flavor and a variety of peas included in the dish. The prices are very reasonable for the excellent quality of the food.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Our server Andres was top notch. He made us feel like a VIP client. Matt was also amazing and both of them gave great recommendations and answered our questions with grace. Aloha from Hawaii. We will be back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We both had the burger. Both were overcharred and had little flavor other than the sauces added. The fries were okay but nothing fabulous. We were excited to try this place but were disappointed.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

When I walked in I was wowed by the great smells coming from the wood fired grill. “Yeah, baby, this is going to be great.” It was. Don’t miss the World Famous Wings. They are. The rotisserie chicken is huge and can easily feed two. Our waiter, Movie Star Phil, below, was terrific. If they had a pork chop on the menu, I would have given it 5 Stars. Oh wait, I did give it 5 stars. A pork chop would have earned it 6. Jonathan: if you want 6 stars; Pork chops, Pork chops, Pork chops!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Destinee was WONDERFUL!!! She was quite knowledgeable and friendly…she will be the reason I will come back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had the wings appetizer and they were delicious with the right level of heat for a business lunch. I had the lobster roll which was outstanding. I'm not from the East Coast but the lobster roll at Kindling makes me want to take a trip and do a taste comparison for myself

Absolutely loved our experience at Kindling. Phil really made the whole night fun and gave us great recs on what to order. Would recommend to anyone visiting Chicago 🥳

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We were running late on our reservation and they held a table for us. Maddie was our server and was fantastic. She hit on all of her recommendations. All around great experience

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Ok FINALLY a food network star that has a place that lived up to even surpassed the hype. We started with the grilled Octopus it was amazing cooked firm yet tender man it had great char and a great little sauce the potato bed was perfect as well. The scallop with hollandaise was perfection in every bite, so creamy so well cooked. The tiger prawns were also perfectly grilled and seasoned. Then the entree and sides. We got the NY strip it was cooked perfect with an awesome crust to the outside. The filet was rare like I like it and still had an amazing crust and seasoned to perfection. I apparently forgot to take a pic of the grilled carrots but they were great. The mushroom and shallots were flavored in a way I have never had I loved it.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Andres is the best!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5