Reviews of South Branch Tavern and Grille (Restaurant)

PopMegaphone

This is a fairly standard Chicago loop restaurant. The menu's main goal is to not offend large groups of people for business lunch and dinners. That means the food is blandly decent.

James Sezemsky

Excellent restaurant! When I am in Chicago, I always take my clients there for lunch.

Tracy Cogdill

A lot of space to visit, eat, or meet with a group. A unique menu for a tavern, but with the service of fine dining when seated. I enjoyed my time here a great deal.

Erin RavenSkye

Love having lunch here. Great menu selection, friendly service.

Gaspar Betancourt

Nice, upscale bar on the river. Good for corporate events. Decent food and drink selection.

Nathan Epley

I love it

jennifer

Rude staff, poor service, extremely long wait for salads and sandwiches. My party of 5 had dinner here in August. A reservation was made 3 weeks in advance. The table reserved for our party was next to a busy revolving door. I asked to be seated on the patio instead. I was told the wait would be 30 minutes even though there was open seating on the patio. Then the hostess took several other groups out to patio tables. After I asked why the other people got patio seating immediately, I was told there wasn’t seating for parties of 5 on the patio. This was not true, I could see other parties of 5 on the patio ! After getting our table on the patio, it took an eternity for our waiter to take our order and even longer to get our food. My glass of wine had several bugs fall into it before I could take a sip. I asked for another glass of wine and was told I should have covered my wine glass to keep the bugs out. I have never been as unhappy with a restaurants service and staff as at South Branch. I tried several times to reach management by phone and email, no one ever contacted me. This is the first time I have ever written a review on poor service.

Marian Hawk

The food portions were great size, we all had a to go box. Thanks you.

Rev foREVer

Millenial style food. Loud and busy normally

Marco Bernasconi

Good quality food for lunch. Background noise is loud enough to make table conversation hard.

Rodrigo Ponce

Service is excelent.

Chandra Lim

Mahi fish tacos were dry and there was very little crema to make up for it. Tator tots were good.

Lisa Davis

I was here as a client for a working lunch. This is a meeting place for those who work downtown. I would not eat here as a tourist or just coming into the city from the suburbs. Everything on the menu is quite pricey. But I figure if it is a work write off, who cares.

Emily Dornburg

Really good salads for lunch.

Andreina Arteaga

I come here quite a bit with a few colleagues I love it !

Nathan Brady

One of the best lunch spots in the city!

Megan Adamski

Go here for lunch pretty often. The tater tots are my favorite. The specials menu changes and usually has pretty good options and there are some great staples on the menu also.

James Frenzel

Busy friendly place with great food

Michael Keegan

It has outdoor seating

Henry Beltran

Best lunch is here . Don’t miss

Jake Ahola

Good food, nice view of the river. A bit loud during busier hours though.

William Badnaruk

Excellent staff, great food!

Joshua Smith

Want a quick lunch? This fits the bill. Buffalo chicken wrap is always decent. Cool location on the Chicago river.

Vanessa Lech

Went on a Friday for lunch. Super busy but I was still well taken care of. Food came out speedy and was delicious. Fish tacos and a beer for the win

M P

Nice outdoor patio. Food is a 4.0, service is a 4.0 and location is a 4.5. Sorry, I can’t round up.

B Jans

Food and server were great. Hostesses were lacking. Ignored upon walking in even though it was very quiet inside, just a few tables. Three people continued their conversation and stared awkwardly until I walked up and had to initiate conversation. Weird. My Mule from the bar had Roses Lime Juice dumped in instead of just a fresh squeezed lime- which is how it's advertised. Hard to get down. Overall, would return despite a few annoyances in hopes for a better experience the next time.

Benjamin Goodman

Nice spot for a casual business lunch

Mike R

Nice enough to take business clients for lunch, American menu offerings with good portions for the price. Many evenings they have some number of private events or large groups from surrounding loop companies. Drinks are pricey and food is average with other similar restaurants in the loop. Also, a great patio on warmer days, however with limited seating. Noise level is average at lunch and loud during the evening. Reservations likely are required for most visits. Most people dress in business attire but you won’t feel out of place in casual clothes.

Scott Walker

Great spot

Simon Kissler

We had an event at South Branch this last weekend and they did a spectacular job. Everything was beautiful, the food was delicious, and the service was exemplary. Can't say enough about this great place.

Brittney Aldridge

If it weren’t for the location, this place would not do well. Staff is rude, food is subpar / pricey, and the event staff is less than accommodating.

Viqas Shah

Service is great and the food is what you'd expect (upscale bar grub). Good views and professional crowds. Right by union station so good place to eat if you're seeing someone off.

Philip McDougal

Love this place. Closer to Union and good food and drinks

Silas Cooley

This spot never fails to impress. They serve excellent food for affordable prices, there are no long waits even when they are loaded.

Ken Levinson

Gotta love a bar with a "mule" menu. Great spot for lunch or an after work drink. Especially like the outdoor patio when the Chicago weather cooperates. Also close to Union Station so perfect for a quick drink before heading to your train.

S Merritt

Love the atmosphere and food is great!

Perfume 4U LLC - Brandon Mall Location

Nice location over the river but not the best choice for a good meal.

Jarod Grobelny

Pretty good place for a business lunch. Visited here and menu was diverse, service was fast, and prices were reasonable. I would go here again.

Sophia M

Lovely lunch spot with a view of the river.

Raj Patel

OK - satisfactory

Asim Ahmed

Always great food

Location Review

Great menu! Great drinks! Perfect Chicago River atmosphere.

Keith Niette

The hamburger I had was really great and the garlic mashed potatoes was also really great. However, this was not the typical place I would recommend for an average person that is looking to have a meal. It was not overly fancy but the food listed in the menu book was a little to out there for my taste.

D T

Work function Happy Hour. Blocked off space for us and our clients. Served up a wide variety of appetizers and had a few servers insuring drinks were fresh. On the river with a great outdoor space.

Catalina Escobedo

Always a good place for Happy Hour. Will continue to visit.

Emily Morrison

Food was great! Service was pretty good--better hospitality at some the other bars and restaurants we visited that weekend. It was really noisy and hard to talk/listen even when the tables next to us were empty. I'd suggest requesting a booth.

Erin Griffin

This is a prefect after work spot to visit. Food is solid and the drinks are fabulous.

Craig Bona

Good place for a work lunch or a drink after work. Large outdoor patio that can get pretty crowded in the summer so try to get there early if you want a table or bar seat. Pretty decent beer selection and apps are good for sharing.

H&S Army

Staff was lovely. Service was spot on. We will be back!

Jess R

Very nice spot to have a few drinks and appetizers after work. Great views of the river and some of Chicago’s best. Our waiter ...Jose I believe was warm and very attentive. I knocked off a star because when we walked into the restaurant there were no signs or staff members to direct us to the hostess for seating. You have to go the back of the restaurant where you will find the hostess station. Just a little confusing.

Nina Coletta

Nothing beats drinking a beer and looking out at the river and surrounded by massive buildings. Food was good. Sitting outside by the water there is a great location, and their outdoor atmosphere is wonderful!

Heather H

Love this place and some of the best staff in the city!!! Fawn, Jose, Corina...all rockstars!!!

Dogonyaro Dogo

Great spot!

Joseph Simmons

Enjoyed the bar services, bartenders are great!

LilyLovesSushi

The Tuna Salad was amazing! Great venue near the river. Will go again

CHRISTOPHER BALCER

Too many people, too few servers. The servers that were there were excellent.

Chris Anderson

Great food, great service, clean and nice atmosphere.

J K

I like the environment and the view. Unfortunately their meats are often dry. The hostess tonight was very rude and seemed to be more focused on talking to coworkers than properly greeting customers when they came through the door. It made for a bad start. The cocktails are good though.

Boris Vaynman

Went here for a company outing. Good service for a busy evening. Good food. Great selection of suds.

Kim Doss

Great beer options and a lot of fun

Tarun Chawla

This place is a staple location for happy hour but fills up very fast and gets very loud, even around the tables. Definitely make reservations if you can plan ahead. I've also attended a small catered corporate event here. They provide some standing tables and cater apps, and the food was fine. The waitress did a great job delivering drinks accurately and quickly for a large group of people.

Lupita Martinez

Great! Had the veggie burger on the Mexican style burger and the soup of the day I believe it was a tomato basil but it was all delicious! My boyfriend had the south branch with fries and was great as well. First time there and defintely great first impression!

Anand Baid

Very large and nice. Could get bit busy.

J Gmail account

I just paid $18 for 2 beers (including tip) at this place. Obviously, never going there again, but the place was packed. I don't know how people are OK with throwing their money away like that. Then complain that they can't afford a down payment on a house. To each his own.

Ken Brennan

The location is everything with limited options inside the loop.

John V

Pricey, no parking around, but man, they can cook a burger. I always ask for my burger to be cooked medium, and the cook on this (while I am no expert) seemed spot on. Every bit was juicy, and it really hit the spot.

Bruce Woods

Food was horrible..

Jemille Chambers

Great drinks

cathylynne1

Great location. Great food

Nathan Pabich

Very good lunch menu. Very happening on a Friday.

Austin Norton

Good service and good food

Joseph Lee

Perfect place for happy hour after work. A bit pricey.

Gavriel Ostrow

Classy and has something of a view, good amount of sunlight from windows. Great beer selection though I wish they had blue Moon and more options. But otherwise a great place to get together. (Not kosher)

Alexandra Dotson

We arrived at 11:30 ish on a Thursday as the lunch crowd was ramping up. Many business group lunches. I ordered the southwest chicken salad, and the chicken was dry and there was almost no corn or black beans, but it was still decent. My fiancee ordered ahi tuna tacos and said they were okay. Nice beer list and beautiful patio, but I probably wouldn't go back.

Aj Uy

Frequent this place a lot as I work close by, great food and service. Really great atmosphere too, but can get pretty crowded at lunch so plan accordingly.

Jin H Mun

Nice to place to meet for many occasions - business, outings, etc... Good selections of food and drink.

Maureen O'Malley

Tasty food; nothing incredible, but also good; the bar on the patio takes away from the Chicago River; well designed inside the restaurant

Misa Targo

Pretty good spot for after work happy hour - it's in a prime location on the river. The restaurant is very trendy and modern in decor. The food is good, but it's not stand out to me, prices are pretty high. Maybe I'll have to try some other things on the menu. This time I got the short rib sandwich ($16) - the braised short rib was tender and juicy and the horseradish sauce on it was flavorful. The vegetable slaw balanced it out nicely too. Toasted baguette had a good crunch. The fries were just okay, I actually ordered tater tots but it was so loud in there the waitress probably couldn't hear me and brought out fries with my sandwich instead. Overall, good place to get drinks after work if you don't mind spending money but it's a bit too loud, I don't recommend going on a date here if you want to have conversation.

Samuel Waggoner

We had a nice lunch here while visiting Chicago around the holidays. We hadn't looked it up or anything in advance, just kind of chose a place near where we were. I was very happy with my meal, which was a delicious and filling salad. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food. It maybe wasn't the best place for kids. They had kids' options but no official kids' menu. I think they both just got grilled cheese, and they were fine. The waitress was really nice, and the food and drinks all seemed to come pretty quick. The location was nice too and looks like it would be really great in the summer when you can sit out on the patio looking over the river. Pleasant experience overall.

David Connor

Great location next to the water. Loud and casual. Nola Salad was great. Tortilla soup was not.....Sorry guys but I’m from Texas and you missed the mark on the soup.

Lisa Grzelak

Visited on a Tuesday at lunch with no reservations. Asked for the worst seat outside (we are not picky). Nice view of the river. The guacamole was whipped, not chunky so I wasn't a fan but flavor was good. The shrimp with sriacha was good. I had the Santa Fe wrap which was delicious and a side salad. Mike had the steak sandwich and said it was good. Great service!

Jeff H

Stopped in for a quick drink and appetizer. Inside was very busy during lunch hours which was to be expected; outside was not and we were seated very quickly. Prices are on par with most restaurants in the area, expensive. Service was efficient and friendly. Food was decent as well.

Frank Hartigan

Always busy at lunch time but the service and food is well worth the trip.

Adam Costello

Great food and drinks but loud

André B

Delicious food, fast service, great location.

Janis hall

Fabulous food and fantastic service.. always have a great time here :)

Paul Butler

Great salmon entree

Joe Kurtz

Really enjoyed the outdoor seating. Got the mahi mahi tacos and south west chicken salad which were good. Service was great!

David Hermiz

Food is consistently good!

Rob K

Great beer and spirit selections. The appetizers and meals are fantastic. The outdoor area is nice when the weather permits.

Brian Bulkowski

Beers outside on the patio... Nothing better. Don't know about dinner or the rest

István Cseh jr.

This is a GREAT place to eat and hang out. Good food and a good menu of daily specials. Thanx. GREAT staff

John Needham

Once place on a warm Chicago evening.

Larisa Kova

Great! Will definitely be going back again. The place is actually terrific for me.

Jeff J

Food was pretty good. Had the cheddar bacon burger. Went at night time, and sat outside with friends. Very nice view at night.

Jenny Peel

Service was good, food was so-so.

zak sha

Didn't get place to eat today

Janice Wells

Great area to visit in Chicago. 3 interesting places all together, Shedd Aquarium, The Planetarium and The Field museum.

Gaurav Purohit

Nice ambience, dim lighting with a figuratively mile-wide bar and comfy cozy seating arrangements as well.

Devin Parsons

Solid food and great professional service on each visit.

Alistar Lavonia

Crazy Good Food. I can convey that this place is fantastic.

Alevtina Arkhipenko

I have posted a negative review only once in my life before, as I usually can find some upside... There was none here. After being seated, we waited for 10 minutes for someone to stop by and get drinks orders. The waitress could not answer our questions about the beer selection and suggested we “google it real quick”. Then she brought the wrong beer from the one we ordered and forgot to put the order in for our appetizer. We found that our when the food came out(40 min later) - still no waitress in site to ask for the right beer. By the time we got the right drink, we were wrapping up with food...It was disappointing. But the main reason for this review is the food quality and safety. I ordered the Ahi Tuna Salad and got food poisoning from it.

matt johnson

If you like being surrounded by consultants this is your spot. The crowd is very one-demensional Nothing too special about the drinks -- average beer selection and you can get standard cocktails made. Generally hard to get a spot outside, so keep that in mind if you are coming with a bigger group. Food selection is average, with fairly standard bar snacks available.

Martha Roman

Great patio. Server was quick and efficient. Food was great.

michael brcic

Great summer place, outdoor seating, very good apps.

Eben Via

Great place for after work drinks and food with co-workers

David Bryan

Great food and service

Courtney Howard

Everything was beautiful, the food was delicious, and the service was exemplary.

Louis Khor

Came for a work thing.

Kelly Kolton

Nice place. Loved the ahi tuna!

S Desai

Loved the burger, great location, very busy!

Keego

Amazing burger

AJ Jacobs

It's fine. A bottleneck restaurant. Food is good, not amazing. Prices are fine, selection is above average. Its all very typical/safe. But also consistent. Annoying that they don't take lunch reservations, but cest la vie

Jonathan Carter

Loved our time here. We were here for a cocktail party for our company. We were outside in the courtyard for the evening. The service was great, atmosphere fun and food tasty. The most memorable appetizers were the sliders. There was chicken with a nice sweet pickle and a little spicy aioli. There was a beef slide which was delicious. It had bacon and onion jam on it. The wine selection was great. I love a dry rose and loved the fact that they also had a sparkling dry rose!!! All in all, a great evening.

Louise Uribe

Great view. Drinks are wonderful. Food is delicious. Service was attentive & prompt. Atmosphere is incredible. Ambience is fantastic.

Benoit Masson-Bedeau

Nice place to eat and drink, with a great view on the river. A little packed at the rush hour but it's sign of a good place :).

G Waterman

Good views. Convenient to many offices. Drinks and food were okay.

richard clarke

Great location as long as someone else is paying

Dave Wardein

Nice location near Union Station. Decent prices. Good beer selection. Food was good.

Conor Brankin

Decent food. Fast service

Cinthy Thomson

Great spot

EM M

The only downside to this venue is how loud it is.

Prasanta Dhala

Superb ambience and nice food

Jeremy Taylor

Four stars because the food is outstanding, but be aware that this place is REALLY LOUD! I've been to concerts that were lower decimal levels. Seriously. Not a place for conversation at all unless you love screaming at each other. But the food is great. Little pricey but it's Chicago, what do you expect? The noise turned me off but if you like not being able to hear yourself think, this is your spot.

Cory Brown

We arrived in Chicago during the middle of weekday lunch rush, and expected a wait for a table and long ticket times when we walked in to the restaurant. Instead, the staff offered to keep our bags at the front and sat us immediately. The menu is amazing, with several unique offerings. Both my girlfriend and I elected sandwiches, she getting the chicken burrata and me the lamb pastrami. She said her sandwich was flavorful and unique. My lamb was out of this world. Perfectly cooked, with a wonderful melty gruyere and caramelized arugula. We were blown away by the short ticket time. Considering the size of the restaurant, our server was highly attentive, never making us feel rushed, and keeping our iced tea topped off. We appreciated that greatly, as we had just gotten off the train from Bloomington and were completely parched. Neither of us are drinkers, but I used to be quite the craft beer conosseuir. The beer selection was very respectable, with the usual local breweries featured on tap in addition to an extensive bottle list. Pricing was in line with what I would expect to pay downtown. Both of our sandwiches were around $16 with a generous portion of fries. I would recommend this restaurant without hesitation to anyone looking for an amazing lunch or a few afternoon drinks.

Melissa Hudson

Great food and atmosphere!

Josh Furstoss

Good for a quick sit down lunch Reasonable prices and a nice atmosphere Usually incredibly crowded Outside bar available and private rooms

john schneider

alaways a great place if you can sit outside, inside is fine but tough to not enjoy the great patio, food and drink both adequate.

james sramek

usually packed with traders and other finance wizards, good drinks though

Emma Balinski

Great atmosphere and LOCATION! Can't stress enough how beautiful our view was sitting right along the Chicago River! However, I was saddened to see the lack of vegan options and service. While they have vegetarian meals (even though I only saw 2 or 3...) I was pretty much forced to order a salad. And they didn't have any vegan salads, so I had order a "regular" salad (I got the "chicken" one) but got it without the animal products and dressing. I didn't understand why I couldn't just order a small salad without paying SIXTEEN DOLLARS for a bowl of lettuce since I removed all the other stuff. Wish they were more accommodating for those who don't eat animal products... a little disappointed by the menu. Service was sub-par and barely saw our waitress. Someone else actually brought over our bill. Otherwise, it's a nice place with a great ambiance, I might consider dining there again.

Edward Gilbert

Very good service yes its a bit high but its worth it, the service is perfect nice attitudes and polite service keep up the good work

Bud Fox

Bog standard bar with the usual choice of overpriced drinks. Does benefit from offering out side seating which is nice as the sun moves round of an evening.

Jamo Pugh

I received excellent service on my visit. I was seated and served promptly. The buffalo rolls I had were delicious. Great view and location downtown

Steve Fordham

Great service but very loud.

Clay Knight

One of my all time favorite places! Great by yourself or with a group, and even better for a low key place to take your date.

Shelly Molaschi

Very hip and always busy, especially in the summer. You have to go early to get a seat at the outdoor bar and patio. Good food and good service.

Ben Craig

Did not seem to want my business. Waited 10 mins at bar for drink. Then never asked if I'd like food. Paid and left. Shame it sounded nice in menu.

Andrew Sharp

Overpriced, very selection nothing special. Nice patio by the river though

Brian Schloss

Nothing like being outside when the weather is nice in Chicago with coworkers and friends. The service was great and overall a great space. Can't wait to go back.

Abigail Baker

Great place for corporate events.

Evelyn Turner

Nice clean restaurant. Good service. Tasty food.

Michael Swaney

Great place for business lunches

Bharat Naik

Upscale, trendy, pricey

Kalyanashis Chakraborty

Nice place at heart of business district ofChicago. Waiting was not too long on Friday evening . Staff was friendly and service fast. Quality and quantity of food both was perfect. Loved the way they shared the food in 2 plates and brought to us. The only con was place was very loud. Bit on expensive side. Else it is a good place for an evening drinks and dinner.

K E D

Neat hopping place along the river. Cocktails are great. We had the Chicken and Waffles appetizer, guacamole and asparagus.

Or Hiltch

Ok place. Good for lunch break at work. Food not amazing

David Gezon

Great food, nice menu

Matt Mottier

South Branch Tavern is a nice lunch in Chicago's West loop, nestled up against the river. Although mid priced, the atmosphere is excellent, especially if you are able to eat outside during the warmer months. The food is good and the service is very good. Expect to spend more than your typical lunch, but it is a nice place for a business meeting.