Great space, including rooftop, and consistently good food. Highly recommend for intimate dinners and large parties - they do it all!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Olha Duda
Nice place, cozy and with great atmosphere!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alyssa Ferree
Food is fantastic. Service is great. The environment is not too loud and feels cozy
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniel Clark
I hosted my Mom's 75th Birthday Party in The Harris Room last month. From my first interaction with the management team, to the on-site event manager (Abbey), and our amazing service partner (Jose Luis), everything was seamless! I can't thank the staff enough for helping us pull together an unforgettable night!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stephanie Loupakos
We have attempted multiple times to contact the owners regarding our experience hosting an event at The Elm, but have been unable to reach anyone. For that reason, I’m leaving this review in hopes of bringing these concerns to someone’s attention.
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend hosting an event at The Elm. Communication leading up to the event was inconsistent, and I repeatedly had to reach out for basic information. No one contacted me to confirm guest counts or details 14 days prior, as stated in their own process, so I took it upon myself to follow up. Overall, the planning communication felt disorganized and inattentive.
The day-of event manager was especially disappointing. She was not accommodating, and her demeanor made me feel uncomfortable for requesting simple, standard tasks—placing table numbers, setting out favors, or putting pre-assembled coloring book baskets on a table. Her response was, “We don’t usually do that, but I guess I will,” which was surprising for a venue that advertises itself as event-ready. She even suggested I ask my florist to handle favors, which is not in a florist’s scope of work. I ultimately had family members leave the event early to do what the staff would not.
The owners should be aware that their staff appears unwilling to complete basic event duties. It is not unreasonable to expect a venue to place table numbers, favors, or pre-arranged items. If the stance is “we aren’t liable,” then the establishment should not market itself as a full-service venue.
Service during the event was also subpar. The event manager was largely absent—we saw her twice before she disappeared entirely, leaving the waitstaff overwhelmed. My husband ended up taking drink orders and going to the bar himself to help keep things moving. Despite clearly communicating that many children would be attending, kids waited over an hour for their meals because the staff delayed taking table orders. It is common practice to expedite children’s food, and this should not have required repeated reminders.
Even my florist, who is highly respected across the Chicagoland area, had a negative experience. In her 17 years in hospitality, she said she has never been asked to wait in her car because a venue “wasn’t ready” for her—especially when everything was clearly already set up. She has chosen not to post photos from the event because she does not wish to promote the Elm.
Positives: The food was exceptional—every dish was outstanding, and numerous guests commented that it was among the best meals they’ve ever had. The Christmas décor was beautiful and created a lovely atmosphere. The chef and kitchen staff deserve full credit for that.
Food: 5
Service: 1
Bill Schultz
Great all round place. Super good food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kim Morrison
The service and atmosphere were great. The food was good. The cocktails and wine were only okay.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joseph Uhrich
Neat place. Two levels and spaces for private parties. We had lunch -- the small plate the crab cakes and the pork belly tacos. The entree salad with a chicken breast was delicious. The tacos were just okay. The pork belly was not done crispy and kind of tasteless. Good but not great. The green salsa tasted commercial but was okay. The crab cakes were delicious and the herbed aioli added so much flavor.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Robert Kelly
Celebrating a family members birthday, and had a great experience! Short rib was a bit dry, hence the 4 out of 5. Our server delivered an over the top experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Lupe Ramirez
The drink i had was amazing. I ordered a salad with chicken, it was ok. The decor/vibe is cute
2 weeks ago we made a 7:15 p.m. reservation for a table on the rooftop. When we arrived the hostess wanted to sit us on the lower level. No, we have a reservation for a table on the rooftop. We showed her proof of the reservation. We are here to listen to the band. After a few minutes we were told we could go upstairs to the rooftop. When we got upstairs we were told no tables were available and we would have to sit at the bar in the other room. No, we reserved a table for the rooftop. After a couple of minutes we were told a high top table was available. We said that’s fine. When we got to the hightop there were no chairs and we would have to eat standing up. We told the hostess we were not going to stand. I didn’t get dressed up to stand and eat my dinner. She told us to wait here. She went to see what she could do. As we were waiting we noticed the clean empty table in front us. We decided to sit down. Waiter Nick came by introduced himself and handed us the menus. A couple minutes later we noticed 3 tables were available. We don’t know what the issue or confusion was to get us a table. Craziness! If they wanted us to wait a couple minutes for a table we would have. Nick the waiter was wonderful. The food was good. The band was awesome. The 3% service not so good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Wendy Estrada
Stopped by for cocktails while strolling with our pups. Management came outside to personally greet us and provided water bowls for the pups. Wiped the tables down and made us feel at home. Exceptional service! Staff was super friendly, quick service and the drinks and apps were great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jon Kopp
Fantastic service by staff and management today. Catered to our puppies as well. Don’t go to palmers - go to Elm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Emilija Emily A.
Delicious food and pleasant rooftop ambiance !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Damir
I visited this restaurant with four friends, and we had a reservation for the rooftop. The atmosphere was great—clean, inviting, and a perfect spot to enjoy the evening. Our server, Katrina, was outstanding—very friendly, attentive, and helpful throughout the night.
The food was absolutely delicious! The steak was cooked to perfection, and the lobster rolls were incredible. Everyone in our group ordered something different, and every single dish was amazing. Overall, a wonderful dining experience with excellent service and food. I’d highly recommend this place and will definitely be coming back.
Great space, including rooftop, and consistently good food. Highly recommend for intimate dinners and large parties - they do it all!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nice place, cozy and with great atmosphere!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is fantastic. Service is great. The environment is not too loud and feels cozy
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I hosted my Mom's 75th Birthday Party in The Harris Room last month. From my first interaction with the management team, to the on-site event manager (Abbey), and our amazing service partner (Jose Luis), everything was seamless! I can't thank the staff enough for helping us pull together an unforgettable night!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We have attempted multiple times to contact the owners regarding our experience hosting an event at The Elm, but have been unable to reach anyone. For that reason, I’m leaving this review in hopes of bringing these concerns to someone’s attention.
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend hosting an event at The Elm. Communication leading up to the event was inconsistent, and I repeatedly had to reach out for basic information. No one contacted me to confirm guest counts or details 14 days prior, as stated in their own process, so I took it upon myself to follow up. Overall, the planning communication felt disorganized and inattentive.
The day-of event manager was especially disappointing. She was not accommodating, and her demeanor made me feel uncomfortable for requesting simple, standard tasks—placing table numbers, setting out favors, or putting pre-assembled coloring book baskets on a table. Her response was, “We don’t usually do that, but I guess I will,” which was surprising for a venue that advertises itself as event-ready. She even suggested I ask my florist to handle favors, which is not in a florist’s scope of work. I ultimately had family members leave the event early to do what the staff would not.
The owners should be aware that their staff appears unwilling to complete basic event duties. It is not unreasonable to expect a venue to place table numbers, favors, or pre-arranged items. If the stance is “we aren’t liable,” then the establishment should not market itself as a full-service venue.
Service during the event was also subpar. The event manager was largely absent—we saw her twice before she disappeared entirely, leaving the waitstaff overwhelmed. My husband ended up taking drink orders and going to the bar himself to help keep things moving. Despite clearly communicating that many children would be attending, kids waited over an hour for their meals because the staff delayed taking table orders. It is common practice to expedite children’s food, and this should not have required repeated reminders.
Even my florist, who is highly respected across the Chicagoland area, had a negative experience. In her 17 years in hospitality, she said she has never been asked to wait in her car because a venue “wasn’t ready” for her—especially when everything was clearly already set up. She has chosen not to post photos from the event because she does not wish to promote the Elm.
Positives: The food was exceptional—every dish was outstanding, and numerous guests commented that it was among the best meals they’ve ever had. The Christmas décor was beautiful and created a lovely atmosphere. The chef and kitchen staff deserve full credit for that.
Food: 5
Service: 1
Great all round place. Super good food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The service and atmosphere were great. The food was good. The cocktails and wine were only okay.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Neat place. Two levels and spaces for private parties. We had lunch -- the small plate the crab cakes and the pork belly tacos. The entree salad with a chicken breast was delicious. The tacos were just okay. The pork belly was not done crispy and kind of tasteless. Good but not great. The green salsa tasted commercial but was okay. The crab cakes were delicious and the herbed aioli added so much flavor.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Celebrating a family members birthday, and had a great experience! Short rib was a bit dry, hence the 4 out of 5. Our server delivered an over the top experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
The drink i had was amazing. I ordered a salad with chicken, it was ok. The decor/vibe is cute
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
2 weeks ago we made a 7:15 p.m. reservation for a table on the rooftop. When we arrived the hostess wanted to sit us on the lower level. No, we have a reservation for a table on the rooftop. We showed her proof of the reservation. We are here to listen to the band. After a few minutes we were told we could go upstairs to the rooftop. When we got upstairs we were told no tables were available and we would have to sit at the bar in the other room. No, we reserved a table for the rooftop. After a couple of minutes we were told a high top table was available. We said that’s fine. When we got to the hightop there were no chairs and we would have to eat standing up. We told the hostess we were not going to stand. I didn’t get dressed up to stand and eat my dinner. She told us to wait here. She went to see what she could do. As we were waiting we noticed the clean empty table in front us. We decided to sit down. Waiter Nick came by introduced himself and handed us the menus. A couple minutes later we noticed 3 tables were available. We don’t know what the issue or confusion was to get us a table. Craziness! If they wanted us to wait a couple minutes for a table we would have. Nick the waiter was wonderful. The food was good. The band was awesome. The 3% service not so good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Stopped by for cocktails while strolling with our pups. Management came outside to personally greet us and provided water bowls for the pups. Wiped the tables down and made us feel at home. Exceptional service! Staff was super friendly, quick service and the drinks and apps were great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fantastic service by staff and management today. Catered to our puppies as well. Don’t go to palmers - go to Elm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Delicious food and pleasant rooftop ambiance !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
I visited this restaurant with four friends, and we had a reservation for the rooftop. The atmosphere was great—clean, inviting, and a perfect spot to enjoy the evening. Our server, Katrina, was outstanding—very friendly, attentive, and helpful throughout the night.
The food was absolutely delicious! The steak was cooked to perfection, and the lobster rolls were incredible. Everyone in our group ordered something different, and every single dish was amazing. Overall, a wonderful dining experience with excellent service and food. I’d highly recommend this place and will definitely be coming back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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