Ever since I first learned about The Grill on the Alley at the Taste of Chicago, I have been eager to visit the real deal on the Magnificent Mile. The hook? For me it was the Prime Rib Quesadilla. So last Friday, Kristen Mckiernan and I had dinner here. 10best.com lists The Grill as one of the ten best lunch locations in Chicago. We arrived a tad bit late for lunch and perhaps a bit early for dinner because the dining area was completely empty at 5:00 pm. The interior has an old fashioned retro look and feel dimly lit by cylindrical disk shaped lights with silhouettes of roaring twenties style dancing people reminiscent of a time when men with top hats and flappers were the in thing. An old clock hovering above the main entrance reminds me of the 1885 clock tower in the Back to the Future movies. A myriad of pictures frames with a variety of artwork cover nearly every inch of every wall. A full bar is strategically located at the front of the venue near the entrance. As you make your way to the dining area (public or private) you pass a checkered floor with an elegant display of an upright puppy dog lamp surrounded by upscale drinks including favorites such as Dom Perignon Rose, Veuve Clicquot, Chopin Vodka, and more. The main dining area is very dim and romantic; I had to use a slow shutter on the camera just to snap a usable picture. Wine glasses on all the tables suggest a drink or two. I however declined due to the fact that I drove a car to this location. The table was provided with a complimentary sliced hunk of bread.
Front Entrance
Note the ancient clock in the center.
Full Bar
Bottle Display
Public Dining Area
Slow shutter speed shot typically reserved for night shots brings out the true glow of this dim room.
Prime Rib Quesadilla
Piles of Prime Rib Quesadillas complete with guacamole, sour cream, hot peppers, spices, cheese, lettuce, an olive… Five Stars!
Mashed Potato Side
A rather large side of mashed potatoes; more than I expected.
Charbroiled Chicken Caesar Salad
Complimentary Bread
Crust was hard as eating tree bark, but the center was soft.
Kristen & Me at The Grill
Esmerelda Hamwich of Buckleberry Fern loves the food also.
The Bill
Free dessert if you take a survey
I noticed that there is free desert if you take a survey over the phone. I did not notice this until two days after I had taken the picture. I called the number and took the survey. They asked various questions on a scale of 1 to 5 to rate the experience, and the degree at which the waiters adhered to policy and decorum. At the end, I was given a gift code, but I don’t have the receipt. I wonder if I could get dessert with this picture? The quality of the food and atmosphere is enough to lure me back for more in the future. Perhaps next time, if I get some desert, I’ll append some more pictures to this post. Overall, I think we were served a good amount of high quality food at a bargain price. The Prime Rib Quesadilla is my favorite; they sure don’t make food like this at Taco Bell.
The Grill on the Alley
909 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 255-9009
Google Map
Sounds awesome. Think it’s worth a trip into the city to have dinner. May we join you some night?
Thanks for the review. We value your opinions tremendously!
Jo
Hi Sean,
My name is Tess Mckiernan and I am the Director of Sales at The Grill on the Alley. I loved what you wrote about us, thank you! I would love to talk to you whenever it is convenient for you. You can reach me on my direct line at (312) 255-9071. Have a great day!
Sincerely,
Tess Mckiernan