Reviews of Beacon Tavern (Restaurant)

Terrance Beckett

We went out on a Thursday night and it was still pretty busy. This trendy restaurant has a great food and good service overall. Some reviewers commented on their selection of craft brews, but unless you've only been to restaurants that serve Bud Light, then the selection is expected. The popular shrimp toast was delicious and somewhat surprisingly they have some of the best pork chops around. Worth going to during the week after work with colleagues for a drink or meeting up with friends for dinner on the weekend.

Alejandro Hornik

One of our favorite restaurants in Chicago. By the fireplace in the winter and outside in the summer, for a date night or a family get together, Beacon place offers a wonderful menu, wine list and desserts. It is always our pleasure to enjoy their food and wonderful service. We will be back!

marco naguib

Amazing creative plates. The service was awesome and very fast.

Amy Hastings

One of my favorite downtown spots. Great food, drinks, decor, and ambiance.

Robert Daniele

We feel like we found a hidden gem. The restaurant is beautiful and the location is along the Chicago river. It was the perfect way to start a great night with friends. The staff was great and very accommodating. Everyone in our party enjoyed their meal. It was the highlight of our Chicago weekend. I would recommend the Brisket for 2. The best I've ever had. Enough flavor without overbearing the meat.

Felicia Davis

Customer service was great!

Karen Nard

Loved the brunch. Chicken and waffles, egg sandwich, crab dip with Utz chips I saw a previous reviewer dissed...they are delicious! Beautiful, inviting interior. Outlets at the bar. Overall excellent experience. Will definitely be back.

Michael Kennedy

Great spot

Nate Heckmann

This place has phenomenal service. We got the fish n chips and ceviche. The ceviche was a little underwhelming but despite that I still give this place five stars.

Buddha Soudan

Had a shrimp burger, fries, and salad. Food was excellent, service was quick and friendly, would definitely recommend. Price was just as satisfying :)

Mike Beyer

Cool vibe, and the cheeseburger hit the spot

Roman

A little tough to find but a great place to visit. I live nearby and pop in for a quick bite or beer every once in a while. Would visit more but living in such a big city we like to try new places. If your shopping Michigan ave. its a great place to recharge.

James Steel

The drinks are great and the ambiance is solid. I like coming here in Thursday’s. The staff are friendly and the food is good.

Jeremy Martin

My first night in Chicago we found this gem. I ordered the Arctic Char which comes with spring onion, white asparagus, and trout roe. This was one of the best meals I have had in quite some time. The sauce was so delicious that I even had them bring out some toasted sourdough bread so I could soak it all up. Our waiter was great as well. Attentive and helpful and had a great personality. THis would also be a great place to take a date.

Adina Rusu

The shrimp toast was the BEST thing I have ever tasted in a restaurant. Very good quality food, very rich in taste. Amazing experience.

Elizabeth Mitchell

I had fish and chips. Delicious! Service was perfect

Laurel McCaleb

First time dining here - had friends in from out of town that were dying to try this place. Although the menu is somewhat limited, was absolutely delicious and presentation gorgeous. The ambiance is very chic. We were surprised to have the owner stop by our table and we didn't consider ourselves VIPs, however he treated us as such and was absolutely lovely... Chatted with us for quite a while and seems to be a very genuine person. Wish I could say the same for his staff... Thus only 4 of 5 stars. The hostess staff very welcoming and nice, however the bartender seem totally disinterested the restaurant wasn't that busy yet. Our waiter was very haughty. someone should tell him that just because he works in a nice restaurant that he isn't all that. I would definitely recommend dining here for the ambiance & the food -just ignore the wait staff if you find them to be as snooty as we did.

Maranda Fenstermaker

Was in Chicago for my birthday and decided to eat here, the service and staff were very nice and efficient with service. The food however, I thought was horrible especially for the price. It was nothing to be excited over. I ordered the chicken roulade... did NOT taste like chicken. My friend ordered a he meatballs and she hated them. She said they tasted very plain and the sauce was gross and had no taste as well. Would not recommend. While I was in the city, we ate at much better and cheaper places and the good food was phenomenal.

Nicholas Fealey

Had an excellent meal! And I received excellent service while sitting at the bar. Would highly recommend!

Tim Croft

Great venue, a little bit tucked-away in an iconic part of Chicago downtown. Decor was upbeat and tasteful, menu design was stimulating, and service was warm and faultless. Unfortunately however I will hesitate to visit again as there was far too much salt in the food.

Andrew Snyder

What a great place. Very cool bar and dining area. Very cool menu, monkey bread, good beer selection. Had the fried chicken sandwich with fries and it was one of the most well cooked pieces of chicken I've ever had

Joe Thielen

Service is excellent. Food is great!!!

Vlad Novikov

I was greeted warmly when I arrived, and the service was lovely the entire time - or server Anthony(?) Made great recommendations. I really enjoyed the apps, and the hot chocolate was so good with branca mentha! The service team was incredibly accommodating, even whipping some cream for my hot chocolate to order truly exceptional, 5 star service!!! The key lime phosphate was so good also!

JR Cottingham

This is our favorite late-lunch spot near the river in Chicago. Consistently comfortable, good service and a great range of food and wine choices (from light to heavy, GF to tranditional, etc.). We came here twice on our most recent visit. Time it right and there's live music, too. All said, a perfect place to lunch and lounge in a we'll run, upscale establishment.

Dan Buendo

Great lunch, excellent service and their housemade bourbon was outstanding!

Carol Roglin

Great place. Excellent food and service.

Corena Howe

Amazing food! Loved the crispy polenta and baked brie. Wonderful, knowledgeable and friendly service! I definitely hope to return before the end of my stay in Chicago.

Brianna Peoples

I visited Beacon Tavern with my co-workers as a goodbye celebration for one who was leaving. The wait staff were very nice and quick to answer questions I had about the Happy Hour food menu; which included decent portion sizes (nice amount of Cheese Biscuits, which I'd recommend) and good quality food. And the staff were very quick to refill glasses and help keep the table clean. The atmosphere is also down-to-earth, relaxing with a modern/classic vibe that I really enjoyed. The bathroom is beautiful, and clean, with classy aesthetics. I would definitely recommend visiting!

Anne Mulholland

Nice ambience; outdoor seating

Anthony Moliterno

This is personally my favorite type of bar: great location, gorgeous interior, small and intimate. Great for either hanging by yourself or bringing a small group of friends. The staff are also a delight to meet.

Tim Raack

Vegetarian options a lot tasty

David Mathis

Great atmosphere and food

Murray MacLeod

This was the first restaurant we visited on our trip here from Toronto. We liked it so much we decided to come back on our last night. Superb service and the food will not disappoint.

Nikki Giovanni

Beautiful!

Dianna Cload

Try the Reuben Benedict. Very good. Try the Beacan punch. Good early drink

Eileen Fruithandler

Excellent service and dishes to delight.

Christina Pittman

We found this place on accident while taking a walk around the city. We had already had dinner so we stopped at the bar for a few cocktails. Bartender was very nice and accommodating. Atmosphere was beautiful, love the big windows that open all the way up! We will be back for dinner soon!

Caroline Teitelbaum

Delicious burger and pork chop. Monkey bread was great too! Would pass on the smoked salmon appetizer next time.

Perla Larson

Good friendly people. Service deserves the 4 ⭐

Jeremy Shapiro

Beet salad was familiar ingredients but with a fresh presentation. Three of us got it, all thought it was delicious. Cheese biscuits were fine, nothing special. Brussel sprouts were very good. Great service.

Kristian Schroer

What a great place! Service was very attentive and the food and drinks were amazing too. The location is wonderful, offering sufficient space between all tables. Would go back anytime and can definitely recommend it.

TDP

A little fancier inside than the what the name would lead you to believe. Great food, service was exceptional and prices were average for the area. Would recommend.

Yatin J. Patel MD MBA

gin and tonic during their Happy hour was 9$. The bar area was packed. Stuffed mushrooms were better with red chilli flakes. This place is difficult to find for Google maps. Walk west from Michigan between Walgreens and Ghirardelli. It is straight 100 feet.

Lori Goats

Classy place yet casual. We ate twice during our stay - ate outside during one meal and inside on another. Both are great choices - depends on what you are looking for. The menu is small but has plenty of great choices. The drinks are quality and amazing. Our server was Antonio and he was really on top of his game. The location is perfect - close to the River Walk and all the shops. We stayed at the Trump Hotel and this was the perfect place to walk to for dinner and drinks.

Chris Wassman

Went later in the evening. Nice spot with good service, very nice decor and good food. The fish and chips were tasty!

Bruce Ward

Excellent food, great drinks, personable and intelligent staff, and perfect setting. Perfect bar and restaurant.

Matt Chamberlain

Great food, amazing staff. A no fail choice. I recommend the short rib even if you don't like short rib.

Andy Schuett

One of our favorite places for my girlfriend and I to stop if we don't want to travel to far for good food. Great seasonal menu and cocktails as well as a great atmosphere. They have a large outdoor area for when it's nice out also.

Kimberly Deprez

Went there for a business lunch. Atmosphere was good for that setting but just have to vote 3 star for lack of diversity in the menu. Both myself and colleague had a difficult time deciding and felt there should've been more types of options in the salad and entree area.. I did end with the chicken, pesto and zucchini noodles which was very good.. It is a fine place, but I would double check the menu before fully commiting..

scarlett san

Food is good but not worth the expensive price.

Laura Pearce

Great cocktails and wine. Whether you're there for brunch, dinner, or just drinks, be sure to get the baked brie. You won't regret it.

Tony Yeung

Five star environment and setting, four star food and three star services. Beautiful and elegant restaurant. My Duck Confit was well prepared and delicious balance with Sauerkraut, however the service was spotty, overall it is a four star experience.

Marta Zalewska-Gromadzka

Absolutely fantastic place! Breskfast food was excellent, fresh and very tasty. Service was fast and professional. Magnificent!!!

Brandt Lovell

The Veggie Hash is excellent.

kus hendra

Nice place and good taste

Carolyn Castillo

American food at this spot - delicious. Great food with quality ingredients. The service was friendly and sociable. Prices are fair.

James Varkalis

Every now and again I go somewhere and have to think about writing a review. In this case I didn't because I want to keep it all to myself. But I can't it's too great of a place to hide. First, maybe the best staff of any place I have been..it starts with the front of the house, to the servers and bar tenders all the way to the kitchen. These folks are so accommodating and professional it's just well unbelievable! Second, food was excellent, just went for apps and wine and stayed for dinner....everything was exceptional..... The place it's self is beautiful and has a certain elegance to it with out being over the top. It's just right! I fell in love with this place can't say enough! * it can be a little hard to find if not familiar with the area.

S. M.

Nice new American cuisine. Great location. Attentive service, solid though not extraordinary menu. Perfect for a business lunch.

Dan Frazier

Great atmosphere and excellent food.

Debra Scott

Visiting Chicago and someone suggested we go to the Beacon Tavern. What an awesome experience!! The service was excellent, the food was excellent and our server Danny Martin was beyond wonderful! Thank you Danny for all the extras!! I highly recommend you taking time to stop in!

Patricia Anson

Friendly atmosphere, great service, delicious food.

Christine Kiermas

Perfect location after a boat tour. Great menue and friendly service. They were very accommodating to our large group.

Vanessa Yeager, DVM, MPH

Very nice comfortable atmosphere but service and food left more to be desired. Menu options were pricey. Brunch menu had a few interesting sounding dishes but fell short on flavor. Service was friendly but lacking. Was not offered a drink menu when we sat down and did not receive any refills on our nonalcoholic drinks. Fell short on the overall experience.

Erevan Ilesere

Very nice and elegant, the fish and chips was really good and the waiter George was really nice

Milton Shockley

Located just behind the Wrigley building with salads and fresh seafood. I had the oysters and some homemade bread

Tony Curtis

American food and the atmosphere here is super good. Nothing to complain about. Looking forward to a return trip. Prices were fair. If it was closer to my home I would be here often.

Colm O'Broin

Awesome food atmosphere drinks and staff

Nicole Harner

Service was friendly, fish and chips were tasty. The staff was very accommodating with our large group that came in late in the evening

Olivia Rodriguez

I had a chocolate croissant, the punch from the libations menu, and a salad with chicken (I don't remember which one - I think the baby kale?). By far the croissant was the best out of the three, then the drink, and then the salad. This is mostly because the chicken on my salad was dry AF. Considering you pay an extra $7 for a little breast of dry chicken, it wasn't worth it to me. I don't know if I would come back only for food but the pastry was a high point.

Clara Bryant

My top spot for delicious American food. The place has a good feel to it.

Michael Reeves

Food is not outstanding and either is the service for the price you are asked to pay. There are many other restaurants that are better. Defiantly will not be coming back.

Diana K

Great drink and interesting food. Chill vibe

Dean Costopoulos

Before we get into this, two words... Clam Chowder. Period. Enuf said!!! Beacon Tavern, set back from the river to the east of T Tower. A little difficult to find based on current construction but well worth the little maze you need to get through to get there. A casual yet upscale environment for a date night to a night out with friends. A very welcoming bar area and a nice outdoor seating arrangement make for a great visitors spot. Speaking of the bar, if Kevin is working, have him make you their Old Fashioned. Bar none, one of the best I have ever had. So the food and service... ya, so worth it. The gf and I could not decide if we wanted an appetizer with a course meal, or if we should do apps. Apps it was with no regret. The Blue Crab carried a fantastic "tang" to the taste-buds. The Soft Shell Crab melted in your mouth and was accompanied by a terrific white sauce - yum! Did I mention the Clam Chowder? Let me put it out there like this; Yelp's are all about personal experience. Some like certain dishes/places while some do not. Just take one thing from this review; If you're coming for drinks, great and enjoy!! But if you want something to make your tummy jump for joy... DO NOT come to Beacon Tavern without ordering the Clam Chowder. You WILL regret it. There is not much more to say about CC. But, that is just me. Anyway, add Beacon Tavern to your list for a go-to place when along the river. Perfectly situated next to the cruise lines and architecture tours. Oh, last thing... make a reservation if you are serious about going on the weekends. You may have to wait a long time if you don't and you are on a timeline.

Michael Burk

Service was unbelievable. Food was even better.

Thomas Franceschi

Burgers are on fire. Pizza is so delicious. This place never disappoints.

K Dodd

Huge portions and Delicious Ruben! Loved the atmosphere and the people that work there are all so accommodating and friendly. Will definately go here again when visiting Chicago.

Martina Danelaite

The food was great, but we received not a single smile from any of the staff. It was the bartender that served us and it felt criminal to leave him any tip at all. The tables at the window were much better served by wait staff. We suspect that it was due to us having two (sleeping) preschoolers with us plus a stroller, none of them seemingly wanted the kids there. We wish we asked for a high-chair just to watch their faces. An overall disappointing experience.

Kristen Mc

Such a wonderful experience! Amber at the front is fantastic. From the moment we stepped in, our service was outstanding. Ryan, our server, was attentive on all fronts. All of our food was outstanding as well. Thank you so much for a wonderful time

W Leiva

Moderately priced. Good food. Great atmosphere. Try the espresso martini.

Grant Hartwig

Great food and service. Would definitely return.

J T

Wife and I are kicking ourselves for not coming here last night for dinner. Great, great atmosphere and incredibly well decorated. There are too many things here to mention, would definitely recommend coming in to experience it first hand. Planning to come back on the next trip to Chicago.

Alejandro Gaskamp

My favorite restaurant in Chicago. Delicious food and friendly service. This place is definitely one of the best restaurants in Chicago. An eclectic menu that changes seasonally and their Tuesday and burger nights are a must.

Scott Whitfield

Very average food in my opinion.

Samuel

Really good food for a reasonable pricing given the location !

Luis Pineros

very nice place...luxury but affordable

Eric Brown

This is a great place to dine with friends or business associates

Nik M

Very nice, upscale casual place!

David Bahniuk

Completely love this restaurant. Great drink menu. Good selection of single malt scotch. Wonderful atmosphere,very warm, great menu and a patio. Must try it

Mikey S.B.F

$36 vieux carre and worth every penny. Appetizers we're great and service was awesome.

Troy Lawson

This place was the ideal date place. It was close enough to the river to be beautiful and romantic, but it was slightly off the main streets so it was nice and quiet! The food and service were both stellar. Would recommend.

Peter Gyarmati

The food is good although it is not very vegetarian friendly. The atmosphere is quite nice.

max s

Sat at the bar. The menu is limited but very good selection. The oyster where fenomenal.

Jeff Tinker

Closes at midnight.. yet I walked a mile to get there last night and all the doors were locked at 11pm

Debbie Collins

Great food, excellent staff and fantastic service. We popped in to get out of the rain and had a lovely meal. Highly recommend .

Burke Morrill

Alex the server with the apron and blue polo shirt and the good hair is hands down the greatest server in all of modern era River North. I didn’t even look at the menu. Alex came up to me, gently put his hand on my shoulder and said “I’ll take it from here.” I’ve never trusted anyone more in my life than I did Alex in that moment. The man has a great taste for food and also film. (His favorites are anything with Lana circa 2017.) He even allowed me to grab a few real maraschino cherries from the bar. 10/10 would recommend to a friend, and to all of you people.

John Needham

Nice meal, good craft cocktails, excellent service.

Robert Rosenthal

Table for seven? No problem. We didn't even know Beacon Tavern was there and wouldn't have if it weren't for the River Walk. It was early, to be fair - around 5:30 on a Sunday. But seven of us got right in. They have beautiful views of the river and the surrounding areas. We had a great table - a corner booth with plenty of room for all of us. They have a great menu and were very accommodating. A few of us had Fish and Chips, some had the Filet Medallions, and others had hamburgers. Everything was outstanding. Compliments to the chef. And, we'll be back.

Ricardo Queirós

Tasty food, classy ambience, great craft beer and nice service.

Zak Mashadi

Great location and professional staff. Tourist prices, but not surprising given the excellent location and well appointed decor.

archana gopakumar

Definitely try their shrimp burger. Fell in love with it. Great food great service great ambience and great chocolate mousse

Michael Everhart

Great place near the river and Michigan Avenue. Particularly in the summer.

Christina Sauser

We had late night dessert, and they made me my own fresh mini batch of chocolate chip cookies! Served them hot out of the oven, they were delicious!!

mithun suresh

Perfect location, relaxing out door seating. The hosts are really courteous and made sure we are taken care of. Got chicken drummeettes with hot sauce. Sauce was genuinely good, one of the best hot sauces had in long time. The clam chowder was excellent. Monkey bread was freshly baked and roasted potato went really well with hot sauce(potato does not come with hot sauce). I wish they had more vegan/veggie options. More people are turning to veggie options.

Belinda Olivares

Good food....plates are abundant, one is enough for two people.

Philippe Sucosky

Very good food, affordable and very nice patio.

Ione

Excellent service. Our server Alex explained everything in such an eloquent and polite way. Food was delicious and nicely presented. The place was really cosy.

Cory Wooden

Brisket for 2 is more like for 4 :). Food and drinks were great!

Aaron Weiche

It was good but not great. Good drink menu. We had 3 apps, ceviche, blue crab lettuce wraps and Baked brie (loved it). Easy location after one of the river boat tours and a very nice patio to dine outside. 3 of us shared the Brisket- huge portion, it was visually amazing but average taste.

Vince Jones

Fantastic gem on the Chicago river. Great service and food.

Elaine Turk

Expensive, noisy and very limited menu. One drink, one appetizer, and one salad for $60. Ugh!

R

Happy hour at Beacon Tavern was happy, indeed. Would definitely partake in their small bites and drink specials again.

Colin Mickow

Nice outside area with interesting and tasty food.

daniel lofland

I got the duck confit, and it was very unique but very good! Great beer selection too!

Jiri Donat

Outstanding. Simple cuisine prepared to perfection. Strongly recommended

Dr. Jean Paul Giudicelli Saba

Great place

Chris Kachele

Great food, big portions and friendly staff

Mike Davis

Great food. Outdoor seating. The pie for 2 feeds 4.

Megan Hay

The food was delicious and for as busy as the restaurant was came out very quickly! It was a sunny 94° and we were sitting on the patio due to no open tables inside. The wait staff was extremely attentive and courteous.

Katlyn Mowery

Amazing food! Everyone in our party of 7 loved what they ordered. Also, restrooms were very clean and upscale.

Krishnakumar B

Nice location, good food

Matt Hobson

Very tasty old fashioned. Had the butter burger with a side salad and fried clams app. Burger tasted alright and was cooked well, but unfortunately was a soggy mess. Definitely needed some texture to help it out. Sautéed onions on it just made the whole thing fall apart and was a little unappetizing. Salad was drenched in a mustard vinaigrette of some sort. Fried clams were better, well cooked with some nice sauces. I would give this place a shot again if I wasn't paying (work dinner), but would not order the burger again.

Kelley Conway

Look elsewhere - WAY too many better places within walking distance Oysters were clearly pre-shucked and then “watered” with tap water. Entrees were brought when we still had $80 worth of oysters on the table. Only 1 of 5 entrees was any good. Waitress was awesome but she should look elsewhere. Drinks were small but good. Even my 13 and 11 year old knew this wasn’t worth the money. Too bad, great location

Linh O

Don't bother spending your money here. Terrible customer service. I was looking for their high horse, couldn't find it.

Ashley Trantham Saunders

Awesome good - try the shrimp toast!

Daniel Charles

Great, friendly staff and an interesting menu that seems to change often. Individual plates are priced somewhat on the high side, so we go here for special occasions

Michael L

Very very expensive for a casual place. The BBQ for two is only for two is you weight 300 pounds... We had 4 eating in on it and took some home. The cheese biscuits are worth their weight in gold. My only criticism is the prices.

David Erickson

Great lunch options, generous portions, attentive staff. Recommend the beet salad.

Jack Brassell

Food and drinks great. Upscale American fare. Very good service.

Edwin Arias

Food was absolutely great! Not to mention the friendly staff and service provided. We tried the Uncle Eric's Burger and it was one of the best burgers out in the city of Chicago. This burger redefines the original cheeseburger in appearance and taste. Will definitely stop in again in the future!

George Leonakis

Excellent service by Alex. The owner, Billy, checks everything and stops at the table to ask how things are.

kevin sullivan

We enjoyed our first visit to Beacon Tavern. But keep in mind, this is a restaurant, not a tavern. Nevertheless, you'll like the food offerings and the choices of beer and spirits, along with the very friendly and efficient staff. It's tucked behind the Trump tower, but very close to the River Walk.

Kaleb Nygaard

Our friends live in this building so we’d walked past it dozens of times. When we finally tried it we had a good time. The waiter was helpful. The food was good but nothing out of this world.

Shuo-peng Liao

Delicious food and nice dining environment. Affordable prices.

Gordon Rappole

Well presented salad dishes for most of us at this busy and energetic pub and eatery. The missing star is for unabashed margins in Wines By-The-Glass (BYG). 4x bottle cost is shameless. Downtown Chi-town is expensive (i.e. rents, labor, permits etc.) Usually 3x ( thank you McCormick & Schmicks) has been the standard. (Already steep) As the cliche goes : "Do you want the slow dime or the fast nickel?"! No wonder wine consumption is declining. Otherwise keep up the good work!

Ricky Houghton

Not bad, not bad))

John Wong

I had the sablefish (fish of the day) as I wasn't feeling that hungry. When I saw others on my table get their braised pork shoulder, I got jealous and felt I should have ordered that instead. The sablefish was still nice, but I got envious of those who ordered the pork shoulder.

Kerin Smith

One of the best burgers I've had in a long time.

Dileep Varma

Love this place. Great food and great service.

John Berger

Beacon Tavern - A Little Hard to Find, But Worth the Search Last Saturday, we had a memorable dinner at Beacon Tavern. The restaurant has a river-front setting with a view of downtown. But, the true star is the food. I had roasted duck breast with chanterelle mushrooms, sweet potatoes, red wine jus, and summer berries. I added a side of roasted wax and green beans and chickpeas. I paired the food with a lovely Pinot. It was all amazing. The service was also top-notch from the manager Will to our waiter Ben, we were warmly welcomed and cared-for. We will be back.

Uncle Jesse

Great menu and great staff.

Eric W

Always a pleasure to spend time here when im in the area. I especially love the burger and the Alaskan salmon dish. The spinach is always cook perfectly. Good job guys

Stacy Hayes

The Butter Burger is a must. We also tried the baked brie and monkey bread as appetizers which were both very good.

Bret W.

Great service. Good old fashioneds. . Watch the steak price dearer than Morton's

Miller H

Awesome food and atmosphere! Great location and menu choices.

Pyperdude78

A very fun place with great food and a large drink selection!!!

Raimond Galicia

Super classy eats that are delicious. A good place for a nice cocktail and easy atmosphere.

Zackery Cullinan

Lovely patio.

Mel Baker

I went here awhile back with some colleagues and was impressed by the level of hospitality this place offers. Beautiful venue and lovely people who work there.