About Last Knife

Definitely just a place to satisfy hunger. We were seated immediately. The atmosphere is really nice but the food just doesn’t match. I ordered a mimosa and the steak and eggs. My friend ordered a cappuccino, French toast and the alk breakfast. The food was so bland. As you can see in the video, my steak had a good amount of fat on it. Why not trim the steak before you cook it? I was surprised it was sent out like that. I expect eggs to be bland. The onion and peppers with the potatoes. Under cooked. Why? I’ve included the bill. This was our first restaurant we tried in Chicago and we won’t be back.

Good food and great atmosphere. Their version of happy hour has decent prices. It's a good decent place to go especially if you are staying at the Arlo hotel. Servers and bartender were attentive.

My husband and I stayed at the Arlo on 1/28/25 for my birthday and decided to do ALK for dinner because of the convenience of it being in the hotel and so close to the James Nederlander Theater. We had seen some not so great reviews but decided to try it anyways. It was a 10/10! We had a reservation and we're immediately seated by Adrian who was also our server. We were in and out within an hour and service was incredible. I got the steak frites and a cocktail off the lucky hour menu - blackberry mule. My hhsband tried the sliders and fries. Everything was delicious. It was my birthday so they gave me a complimentary dessert. I tried the cherry cheesecake which was phenomenal. Definitely recommend coming here!

I had a lunch and brunch at this cafe/bar on Michigan Ave not far from Millennium Park. The garlic sauce Caesar Salad with salmon was quite tasty but very light on everything except the huge amount of lettuce. May not suit a big person with a big appetite. I still enjoyed it and went back for buttermilk pancakes and hot chocolate the day before the marathon. Again quite tasty. Staff were pleasant. There is both indoor and outdoor seating

Excellent experience! #DiningInTheDark. The taste of all dishes was excellent. Hats off to the chef. Portion sizes should definitely be bigger but the EXPERIENCE helps soothe that sting 🙃

There’s too much to write about our service that went wrong. Incompetent is the one defining trait. My partner didn’t get her meal at all. Then they tried charging her for it. Terrible experience. Shame there is no zero star option.

A good wall art always intrigues me! We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast here 🍳

About Last Knife is a must-visit spot in the Loop if you're craving some elevated American comfort food. I went with the steak frites ($26) and a dirty martini ($12), and both were on point. The steak was cooked perfectly—tender, juicy, and seasoned just right. The fries? Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside—seriously, some of the best in the city. The ambiance is sleek and modern, but not overly stuffy—definitely a spot for a date night or a celebration. I spent around $40, and it's totally worth it for the quality and vibe. Highly recommend for anyone looking to treat themselves!

10/6/2023 - To say we liked this restaurant is an understatement because we came here 2 times during our weekend for the Chicago Marathon. The service was good. Our actual lady server had a bit of an attitude, she just looked upset. But the rest of the staff was amazing. We loved the food so much! We came for brunch both times. The food was fresh and absolutely delicious! 5 stars on the food. Great location especially if you're there for Marathon weekend. I'm still dreaming of that egg fritatta.

My husband and randomly stumbled upon this place our first night in Chicago. It's inside or what appears to be the lobby of a boutique hotel. The ambiance is very dim and I suppose romantic, most appropriate for a date in my opinion but we did see some groups. We had a cheese plate for appetizer which was decent, Brie; fruit and pita. For entrees, we had the grilled octopus which was as way too chewy for me and extremely spicy. Yes, octopus is a tougher seafood to chew but it took more effort than enjoyable. My husband had the pork chop that he said was okay. Overall, we didn't have a horrible experience, but the food nor service was extremely memorable. They do a great job at plating here, just wish we had a better taste experience with the dishes.

My Partner and I went to "ALK," located inside Hotel Julien on Mag. Mile, for the Restaurant Week menu. I was little embarrassed to just produce a review because this overall experience was quite subpar. Hence, it took me a minute to render my thoughts, but I had to share in the hope of seeing the management and the corporation improve in the future. This menu was consisted of four (4) courses. I would list them one by one and talked about it in details. - Olives and Taro: the olives were extremely salty and sour. As a pregnant woman, I definitely was able to tolerate better than most individuals out there. The taro chips, on the other hand, were decent yet the texture was too crispy to be used for dipping the olive mixture. In the ends, the chips were out before I finished the olives, and these olives weren't fit to be consumed alone due to the extreme acidic taste. - French Onion Soup: this one didn't meet the standard. Perhaps my memory of this dish was influenced too much by all the food shows I saw on YouTube. The flavor was acceptable, yet I felt there was no coherence whatsoever. The beef stock, the onion slices, the cheese, and the croutons didn't work together at all!. I managed to finish this because this was better than the first course and I needed this to clean my palate. - Beef Wellington: I had no words....Nevertheless, I gotta continue with my review. First of all, there was no other garnishes other than the tiny slice and the sauce. Similar to some other reviews that were mentioned, it came straight from some sort of reheating process and I had to agree with it. At least it wasn't frozen when it came out. Now, what else would you want me to say? I was speechless when I saw this sad plate...smh... -Strawberry creme brulee: I was slightly more excited to see the size of dish (at least it appeared to be plenty). Well, I would take my words back. This dessert had an identical problem with the French Onion Soup. Nothing came together as it should. The pudding underneath the strawberries were runny. There was some caramelization done but just not enough. The service was very rushed! We finished everything in 45 minutes. I would say thank you for being considerate of my time. I had nowhere else to go for the night though. Speaking of the service charge, an automatic 20% was added and it was listed on the fine print on the actual menu and the digial form. Since it was communicated, we didn't have much problem. Was the service worth this much percentage? The answer was negative. I saw many patrons go for the drinks. It made sense because I wouldn't recommend to dine here based on what we had.

Located inside Hotel Julian, this restaurant is wonderful! I ate here several times during my stay at the hotel and Ian provided amazing service multiple days in a row. Cool ambiance and lighting. I loved the decor and atmosphere. Impressive wine list and delicious cocktails. I appreciated the full bar. I loved the "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn" cocktail, which arrived smoking and aromatically fabulous, and contained one of my favorite whiskeys, Uncle Nearest. The "midnight red moon" drink was tasty too, blood orange, passionfruit, and pomegranate flavors. I also really enjoyed a glass of their Tempranillo from their red wine list. This is a lovely, quiet, intimate place to grab a drink. I would be a regular here. I want to try their entire wine list. Delicious and fresh food. They do it all: breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and drinks. I enjoyed their spicy tuna roll and salmon avocado roll. I enjoyed the slices of lemon on top of the salmon avocado roll. That was a nice detail. The French fries are yummy too, and well seasoned. I also tried the Impossible sliders and avocado toast. If you are looking for a relaxing place to unwind with excellent food and beverages, I definitely recommend coming here.

This is my 5th time coming into ALK--a long day of work and relaxing to a good old fashion with food. Nadia is my server of choice due to its exemplary customer service, personality, and attention to detail. Let me not forget the managers are great people and give good attention to their guests. Overall a good place to come and enjoy a good relaxing time.

This restaurant bar is located the lobby of the Arlo Hotel. It is nicely decorated and matches the esthetic of the hotel and its interior design concept. When we walked in the place was empty and we we're quickly greeted by a gentleman at the host stand who also happened to be our bartender. We sat at the beautiful white marble bar and had a really good cocktail and a really expensive glass of Pelegríno. It's all good, he jazzed it up with fresh lime juice and bitters so it made my $15 bottle of water easier to swallow. We didn't order food but, checked out the menu which looked moderately priced for a hotel bar/restaurant. Go here!

This was great! I ordered the shrimp scampi and it was delicious. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and the noodles were nicely seasoned. The garlic was also a delicious touch. My friend and I arrived at 6pm on a Monday evening and were seated immediately. The place was pretty quiet. We ordered drinks and our meals and the food came out relatively quickly. Service was good although I wish she had come with our check a little earlier. My friend ordered the ALK burger and absolutely loved it. Good menu. Good drinks. Good environment!

All in all, solid 4 stars. I probably wouldn't get the meat and cheese plate again. It wasn't bad. It wasn't good. It was lack luster. The lamb was good. I initially came in just to have a few beverages. I decided to have some food before dinner. Only reason I knocked off a star was a part of the experience. The staff was friendly. But they just. Kept. Coming. Over. It was noticeable. Not sure if it was a nudge to order food or leave the establishment. I'm thinking it's the former. Still, it's ok to come around a couple times once drinks are low. But not when they are over half filled. Still. Not a massive deal. I would return for drinks for sure. Great place to stop in

Great spot for after work drinks. I ordered a lemon drop (not too sweet) martini and it was delicious!! Great service and bartender!

On our first day in Chicago, we needed to kill some time before checking into our hotel, which is when we found About Last Knife. The location is pretty convenient located about halfway between the park where Cloudgate is and the Riverwalk area of downtown. It was late afternoon and we figured it would be a good spot to grab a drink and relax at their outdoor seating. We were quickly seated and given their drink menu to glance at quickly. I will say they had some really good sounding drinks that a few people in our group were excited to try along with a few beers. Unfortunately, when it was time to order, we found out they were actually out of most of the beers and the bartender would not be in for another 15 minutes. We told them it would be no big deal and just ordered water until that time and we could order then. After a little wait it was time to order and we placed our orders and waited for our drinks. After a short wait we were informed that they did not have the ingredients to make most of their cocktails on the menu so we just wound up getting bottled beers and moving on to another location. It could be a nice little spot to sit and watch the people, but for the prices, and especially for it being an afternoon on a Friday, they really need to work on their menu or at least give some warning of what they do and don't have. I will give them some credit as the waitress did at least apologize a lot saying the hated having to keep coming over to let us know stuff we could not have off the menu.

Nice spot for bite and service with a smile. Definitely a fan of fresh squeezed orange juice. The pancakes were good with a flavor profile of vanilla and maybe bourbon. Potatoes were perfect, Could not eat the eggs and my steak was swimming in oil. Had to request paper napkins to absorb it. When I spoke with staff concerning it, I was told it was because of the chimichurri sauce. I have had and enjoy eating that sauce but have NEVER had it served that way before. I was offered something else but did not have time.

First impression: a steak bar that only has three steaks to order? Ordered: knob creak old fashioned, poblano Mac and cheese add chicken Dessert: three different flavors of gelato. The old fashioned was top three. Carefully and skillfully mixed and attention to detail was impeccable. The Mac and cheese was delightful. A delicate and not overbearing poblano flavor was artfully mixed with a solid cheese sauce and perfectly cooked elbow macaroni. Over all the best meal I've had over my week stay in Chicago. The gelato was what impressed me the most. I ordered a scoop of chocolate, pistachio, and lemon. When the dish was served, the lemon arrived in a separate plate. It is this attention to detail that will drive me back to try their steak. Highly recommend as the food, staff, and attention to the customer is the best I've received to date in Chicago.

Food was beautifully prepared, with interesting flavor combinations. Good size portions. My friend and I shared the octopus & pork chop. Enjoyed them both. Service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Casual, pleasant decor

Good happy hour deals- cute place and can't beat the price for a draft beer. Also had the fries during happy hour and were good.

About Last Knife - Such a clever name! I really wanted to like this restaurant. While in Chicago for business, I decided to visit this place based on its name and the Restaurant Week menu. Who can pass up Beef Wellington? I was so excited and then....

Service is spotty based up employees working that day I guess. I was apparently there on a not so good day. Definitely not a welcoming atmosphere based upon the actions of the young lady behind the bar. Will not return.

Went before a Beyoncé concert and sat right down. Food and drinks were great, nice ambiance & our server was lovely!

This review is just for the bar area. We were lucky to have a good bar in our hotel. We have been stopping by after dinner because I love my cocktail so much. Also, all of our visits have been great. The only bar that I've been to where the bartender was personable but direct and looked out for their customers. For example, telling a customer that he needs to leave or stop bothering the female customer since he was getting drunk. Anyway, I had a fantastic cocktail called 'Feeling (Gin)vincible,' a sparkling yet fruity cocktail that wasn't overly sweet, yet strong despite its pretty appearance. And as we had our last drink before heading home, our lovely bartender gave us a generous sample of her sangria that she was testing out.

Great service! Adrian was very helpful providing incredible service with my food. The steak was delicious.

We stumbled into this place today and found it to be very pleasant. Our waiter Dontrell was extremely helpful in helping us with vegan choices. Chicago was the place for date night after our daughter's graduation. Stop by when you're here. Say hi to Dontrell. He take the best pics

Nice and tranquil ambiance, enjoyed a couple of good old fashioneds with some friends with great care and attention by Nadia.

Had a great meal here. Pleasant, diligent service. Fantastic Brie cheese appetizer. Upscale but not uptight atmosphere. On Michigan Avenue.

I went to meet an old friend for breakfast who staying at the Julian Hotel. ALK is inside the hotel. We got there when they opened. Clean. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. The reason for 3 stars. First. no vegan options. Plant-based is the new thing. They need to offer oatmeal even. I ordered only a side of roasted potatoes in olive oil. The waitress comes to the table just before our food arrived and says the kitchen never told her until that moment. No potatoes will tater tots work? I really did not want them but there really wasn't any other option. Odd, as I said yes, my tater tots arrived. They were just tots, you all know what they look like. ALK. I suggest adding vegan options.

Jeremy was a great bartender and provided us with quality drinks and service!! However once Yolanda came in for her shift she was awful slamming bottles and talking so disrespectfully to Jeremy. The worst attitude and if you look at other reviews you will see multiple reviews about her. She should not be in the service industry but she also needs to learn common respect.

$17 Old Fashion with crushed ice.. Wedge salad with little to no dressing and covered in raw onions. The salad arrived after my entree.. Pork Chop was unrecognizable and cooked well done when I suggested medium after not being asked. Came with cold potatoes. $17 Wine pour was maybe 2 oz. $90.00 for a $40 meal. Disappointed.

Looked at the menu and thought it sounded good. Went and sat at the bar and got awful service. Yolanda was our bartender and she acted absolutely annoyed that we sat there and was very abrupt with us. I'm a former bartender and am always very patient and understanding sitting at bartops but there were literally 3 other people sitting at the bar at the time. All we got was "what do you want". Anyway, I got the seafood pasta which was fine and he got the salmon which he said was OK. Of all the places in Chicago, I would never go back.

The food was good, and the venue seemed cool. I wasn't very happy with the service. The bartender, (Yolanda?), was pretty dry and rude towards us and another couple at the bar. We were pretty much ignored most of our time there. The biggest turn off was the way she treated and spoke to her coworkers. A lot of foul language and complaining. I get that stuff happens in the workplace and I don't fault anyone for being upset or having a bad day, but it's not good to do around customers.

Convenient for guests staying at Hotel Julian, About Last Knife is a cool trendy spot for cocktails. As far as food, it was ok. They did not see a lot of options for individuals with diet restrictions. I understand it's a steakhouse but for its location and the vibe/area it would have been nice to see more vegetarian/vegan options. I ordered the veggie rolls and impossible burger and fries. The veggie rolls were good. The impossible burger tasted like many other impossible burgers at your standard restaurant. The prices were affordable. It's a good place to grab a quick bite but there are many other places nearby if you are a foodie.

Over priced. Not enough options on the lunch menu. Breakfast ends too early. Staff was good though. Fries were also good but the blueberry aioli taste more like ranch then anything.

The best old fashioned I've ever had! We tried a few other cocktails and they were great too. Highly recommend their incredible bartenders.

A bit small, but overall a great restaurant. The waitress we had was very helpful in our decisions of what to order. My ribeye sandwich was a bit dry and overcooked, but the aioli and bread balanced it out. The fries were amazing, still warm when they came out of the kitchen, and my mocktail was delicious! The dessert we got, the flourless chocolate cake, was very tasty. It was a rich, silky chocolate tart basically, without the crust. I was expecting a different kind of flourless chocolate cake so I was pleasantly surprised. All in all, I'd go here again, but I'd probably choose a different entrée.

We came here for the restaurant week as I saw Beef Wellington being one of their options on the restaurant week menu, and the dinner was only $36 per person, which seemed to be a great deal. Sadly, when we arrived, I realized that Beef Wellington was not on the restaurant week menu, so we decided to go with the regular menu. Mushroom Soup and French Onion Soup were really tasty. Plus, I just got my wisdom teeth removed several days ago, so the soup was perfect as it was very "friendly" to me. Of course, we ordered Beef Wellington as the main entree. Also, we ordered the Roasted Half Chicken. The presentation of Beef Wellington was boring; however, I'd say $20 for such a big piece was quite a deal. The flavor was also good. If I come back, I'd definitely order this again. However, the Half Chicken was over priced. Not saying the taste was bad, it's just not good enough to justify myself paying $30 for half a chicken again. We picked Bread Pudding as our dessert since the waiter highly recommended it. Unfortunately, the bread pudding was very dry and almost tasted like a french toast.

Chairs were weirdly too small for my butt. Turned lighting down so far; I couldn't see my meal. Jim loved his apricot/steak salad. Excellent gimlet drink. Bathroom was: up 2 flights of stairs, in the hotel. Elevator?

Expensive, mediocre, ordinary food. My dinner was half cold, but I just ate it to get out of this place quicker.

If you're into super high class over priced foods.. this is your place to go. Conveniently in the middle of downtown off Michigan Ave. I went here for lunch with a coworker who had a BOGO entree. She ordered the beef Wellington and a side of Brussels sprouts and I ordered a cheese burger. I can't even really call it a burger because it didn't come with lettuce and tomatoes. They don't even have sliced tomatoes! The burger was fairly huge and juicy but lacked hella flavor. The Brussels sprouts were tangy and salty to me yet incredibly tender and oily. The beef Wellington was quite superb and a decent size. Together with the coupon and no drinks we paid $16.00! Not bad for lunch. Tip: the lunch menu is basically a brunch menu. Super limited and no room to alter your meal to your liking. You get what you see. Nothing more. Nothing less.

I stayed at Hotel Julian for five days while visiting Chicago and while there, I dined at About Last Knife for breakfast, twice and dinner, once. The staff is friendly and accommodating, but a touch slow to refill and check on you, at times. The Greek yogurt parfait at breakfast is a nice, healthy way to start the morning. Whipped, fresh Greek yogurt drizzled in honey, gluten free, house made granola and fresh fruit makes a delightful trio. The beef Wellington was good, but suffers a tad on the flakiness of the puff pastry crust when it is reheated. It's understandable as beef Wellington is generally made with a whole tenderloin and then cut to portions, as ordered. The hasselback potatoes are worth a taste with crispy outer crust, covered in green onion sour cream and generously salted. I enjoyed the French onion soup with its well caramelized and deeply flavored beef broth. They use a raclette for the cheese instead of the customary gruyere. It's extra stretchy and chewy, but doesn't have the bite of a good gruyere. For a great drink, try the Et Tu Brut(e). Not bad for a small hotel restaurant.

I was intrigued by ALK when I passed by a couple of weeks ago and saw the windows still papered over in advance of opening day. Last night I had the opportunity to pop in for a cocktail after attending a reading/book signing by author Sara Paretsky at the American Writers Museum which happens to be just up the street. Both the hotel and restaurant are in a restored building that had been in disrepair for decades. The bar is cozy and the interior is sleek, featuring clean lines and a mainly neutral palette. I could definitely see cozying up to the bar with a single malt scotch on a brisk winter evening. The service was superior with both the bartender (unfortunately I didn't catch his name) and the beverage manager, Johnny, going out of their way to welcome guests. The cocktail menu features a number of creative concoctions. Since I had just attended a reading by a mystery author, I couldn't resist the Murder She Wrote cocktail, featuring a Werther's reduction (and garnished with an actual Werther's soft chew), Johnnie Walker Black, and Jim Beam. I enjoyed sipping this drink and appreciated that the layered profile changed as the ice melted down. I anticipate that the small yet well-edited scotch selection here will be a draw, especially as winter's icy grip tightens. This spot offers generous hours, as befitting a hotel bar/restaurant. I look forward to returning here next time I am attending a cultural event around this area.

Decided to go on a whim and called to make sure we would be able to get reservations. Host was very friendly, asked if there was an occasion, and if there were any dietary needs to advise the chef about ahead of our arrival. How great is that? On arrival we were promptly taken to a table near the back, which was in view of the kitchen window and away from some of the larger dinner parties. Gotta love a restaurant that spaces guests out and doesn't look to cram everyone into one area! When we arrived, our waiter let us know there was about 45 minutes left of happy hour which included $5 pours of Wine, Sparkling Wine and draft Beer. So we went ahead and asked for a glass each now and one more each before the time expired. Simply Perfecto!! Yelp tip: Happy Hours are 4-7 pm Monday - Friday! Make no mistake, ALK is for MEATLOVERS!! We started with sliders to share, then ordered our main meals. The Beef Wellington is an absolute MUST order and if you enjoy a twist on a Beef Au Jus Foccacia Sandwich that's worth trying as well. We were also given a complimentary hummus dip that the chef was testing and not yet on the menu. Only thing that could have been better is our waiter disappeared (perhaps he took a break) right around the time our main meals were brought out so we had to wait a bit for condiments and new silverware since it was taken after the appetizers. Overall everything was flavorful, well portioned, and reasonably priced. The vibe was upscale yet not stuffy and seemed to be a mix of locals who know a good thing when they eat it and tourists since it is adjacent to Millenium Park. Definitely will be back!!

Wanted to have cocktails. Was seated and never spoken to again. Had to go to bar to retrieve our own drinks, which would have been fine if the staff at the bar had not looked like it was an inconvenience to hand us two bottles of beer. We sat on the patio and watched a table that had not been cleaned off slowly be robbed of steak knives, utensils, and glasses being tossed to the sidewalk. Plenty of other restaurants/bars to go to downtown that actually tend to their patrons.

ALK should change its name to DCH (don't come hungry). Food very good. Service nearly nonexistent. My wife, son and I were offered water only 15 minutes after arriving and offered one beverage during the entire dining experience. Saw our waiter walk by occasionally. Never made eye contact and visited the table only when he thought we were ready to leave. We ordered appetizers. Those were gone, as was our drinks, but we never got to the entree. He didn't even ask. As I write this I'm waiting for our bill. I have no idea if he will bring it because he doesn't seem to know we are here. No, it's not super busy. Moderately busy at best. I'm staring at 4 empty tables.

Inside a hotel on N Michigan, ALK is a great find in a busy area. Their cheese plate was ok, probably the least favorite thing we ordered but still good enough and we finished majority of it. Their ALK roll was awesome. Came with almost 9 pieces so it's great for sharing and great for people who don't like raw sushi (had grilled filet on top!). Their filet burgers (3 pieces) were cooked well, a little too much blue cheese for my liking but was able to push some off. Their shrimp tempura came with 6 pieces, a great dipping sauce and a grilled lemon for squeezing. The crab cake was a good size, my favorite part was the fresh kiwi pico that came on top. Their cinnamon bread pudding with ice cream on top was a great dessert option. I think the waitress mentioned that they change their desserts every month but if they have that, I would definitely recommend trying it. Lastly, their orange wine was incredible!!

I've tried most steak restaurants in Chicago and the atmosphere in this place was by far my favorite! Tucked inside the Hotel Julian, the restaurant doesn't feel like a hotel restaurant. It's dim lighting brings a coziness to the traditional steak restaurant. The decor is simple with white marble top tables, modern brushed gold accents in the chandelier, and open bar shelving with the shiny bottles of whiskey, gin and vodka. It's quaint, cozy and perfect for date night! Side note, they do have happy hour menu. We were there for restaurant week and the menu was phenomenal! The restaurant offers 4 courses for dinner, attached are the menu items I chose. I started with the soup. A cream curry cauliflower soup. It was served with a ribbon of olive oil and sprigs of baby greens. The curry flavor wasn't over powering or spicy. It was warm and the olive oil brought a fruitiness to the dish. Second course was the brandad brûlée. The cod wasn't fishy at all in this dish. It tasted like a potato au gratin. And the handmade potato chips was the perfect vessel to carry the brûlée. Third course was the main entree. Steak frites. Since I had so many chips, I couldn't eat the fries but I definitely finished my 7oz Bavette!!! Simple seasoning and great charring on the outside. I always ask for medium rare but you do you. Lastly, the dessert. The Delice de Bourgogne Triple Creme Cheese was served with a drizzle of honey and some pickled blueberries. Similar to Brie but less of a bite. It was like having a very dense cheesecake but not as heavy. A lot of my friends had made comments about this place so I had to try it myself. Now that I have, I agree with their sentiments.

Nice spot for a drink with a friend! I grabbed a drink here one night with a friend, while staying at Hotel Julian. We didn't have anything to eat... just sat on a couch to chat while enjoying a nice glass of wine. Their wine menu and prices were good, as was the service!

Absolutely do not recommend this place for restaurant week. Food was mediocre at best. It's $59 a person and for the 2 of us, they tacked on a 20% "service charge". Bill came out to $158. Not worth it one bit.

Myself and 2 friends chose this restaurant for dinner on 12/26/22 for dinner before going to see a show. We arrived around 5:45pm to a pretty empty restaurant, maybe two other tables were seated and about 3 or 4 folks sitting at the bar. The server, Ian, was quick to give us menus and take our order for drinks and food. The drinks took forever, we actually thought the food was going to arrive before the food. The 3 drinks (Negroni, whiskey on the rocks, and an Aperol spritz) were finally delivered about 4 minutes before our food (filet mignon(MR), ribeye sandwich and n Mac & cheese). The food had finally arrived and Ian is no where to be found if we needed anything. I saw that there was a blueberry aioli on the menu with the fries so I was hoping to ask for a side of it to taste with my fries. Ian seems to have disappeared to who knows where and we are basically 3/4 through our meal before he walks by our table and we asked him if we could have some of the aioli. Ian not once asks how anything is or if we'd like anything else or offers another drink, meanwhile, the busser is trying to clear our plates we are not done with and our empty glassware. We had to ask for the check and still not once have we been asked how any of our meal was. I think I'll skip this restaurant next time.

I went for Chicago restaurant week and had a fabulous time! Our waiter was super helpful as we tried to pick one drink we wanted. Eventually, I picked the Saturday morning one- it has cocoa pebbles. It was a fun way to start the meal. My friend and I split the salad and the charred steak tartare. The wedge salad was so fun because it had beef jerky in it, wayyyy better than bacon bits! There were large pieces of lettuce and enough dressing- which I feel like never happens. The tartare was also quite good! It was served with barbecue potato chips, which was very interesting. It was a fun mix and added a lot of flavor. We then split the two entrees: hangar steak and ricotta gnocchi. The hangar steak was pretty good. It was either a little tough .... or I was using the knife wrong. Could be either, honestly. The mashed potatoes or potato purée brought me right back to thanksgiving, I loved it! My favorite dish, though, was the ricotta gnocchi. It tasted like little pillows and the butternut squash purée brought out all the flavors. Would totally recommend!

I had very high expectations, given the high reviews and amount of buzz. When I arrived, just a few minutes after my 7:15 reservation, my friend was already waiting. She'd told me via text that they had no table ready for us yet. This happens, but with a reservation, it's annoying. Furthermore, the hostess was imprecise and said she didn't know when it'd be ready. What's the point of making a reservation then? One of the main things a restaurant should do is know how long table turnover takes at their particular location, even if not with perfect accuracy. TBH it reminded me of asking ComEd when power's back on. They can't tell you! My friend and I sat at the bar and each had a drink, pretty annoyed already. Apparently she had waited for the bartender to acknowledge her for a while, though when he did, he was very nice. It wound up taking a half hour for our table. It was nice of the bartender to give us our glass of wine on the house! Just a shame we had to wait for 30 minutes for a table WITH a reservation. The waiter was a bit standoffish and looked at me like I was an idiot when I asked why the restaurant week menu had the Wellington option online but not in person. He kept referring to the regular restaurant week menu, pointing to it. He ultimately told me the Wellington as an option would be honored, which was good. The food was hardly impressive, though I wouldn't mind checking out more options. I had the restaurant week menu, and though this often involves restaurants cutting corners, it's extra appreciated when they don't. The mushroom soup I got had little flavor - some mushroom, definitely - and was insanely salty. It tasted like something you'd get in a buffet when the caterers know few people will want it anyway. I was excited to try the beef Wellington because it's rarely offered at restaurants. This wasn't good, sadly. It was bland. The beef itself tasted weird - nothing wrong with it, per se, but it almost tasted gamey. The mushroom duxelles fared better, and the puff pastry was fine. Their dessert was a tiny slice of coconut panna cotta. It was A-OK. I am frustrated with this restaurant; it seems wildly overrated. I don't know how the people who work here truly care for their customers, with the notable exception of comping our wine. Waiting half an hour with a reservation and being served banquet-quality food that missed the mark will keep me trying other places before I come back.

During my short stay in Chicago, I had the pleasure of dining at some popular and well respected restaurants, including Blackbird, Boka, Bavettes, and Girl and the Goat. Given this, About Last Knife absolutely deserved a visit and exceeded my expectations. The restaurant's open arrangement and modern style made for a nice ambience. Our waiter Mike provided exemplary service; friendly, professional, not overbearing. We had the beef wellington with what looks like hollandaise sauce, squash gnocchi, burrata and tomato salad, and beef tartar for a total of 75 dollars before tax and tip. Everything was delicious and my preference for the food is in the order above. The beef wellington was extremely well prepared; tender juicy steak wrapped in a well seasoned shell of mushrooms and pastry. The hollandaise sauce (2 dollars extra) that was provided was also amazing, with a very unique property of a hint of what seems like vanilla. The waiter volunteered a preparation of medium and it was appropriate. The squash gnocchi was also well flavored, but what also really stood out was that the gnocchi was charred to yield a thin crispy outer shell. The dish was not overly rich. The burrata and tomato salad had just the right amount of acidity. It was well seasoned and I really appreciated the surprising addition of jalapeños (similar to those you put on nachos). The acidity provided here worked well with the dish. Slightly wished for a bit more basil scent. Finally, it was my first time having beef tartar. I really liked the dish; I think it serves as a great amuse and the chips served with it are fried to just the right level of crispyness, not too fragile but not too thick. I had a blast here and is absolutely on the top of my list when I revisit Chicago. This is a hidden gem. I came at 11:30 am and felt it was the perfect time before the rush. Great job ALK!

If the service had not been so strange this would likely have been likely been a four star review. We had a reservation for 7 PM on a Saturday. When we arrived the bar was relatively full, the lounge type seating area in front in the large bench seating had people at it and all of the tables were full as well. We were seated by a hostess and given menus but not given water or told who our server would be, and then no one proceeded to talk to us for 10 to 15 minutes until I flagged down a passing server and asked "Do we have a server?" to which the gentleman responded "Someone will be right with you." No apology, or even slight sense of embarrassment or care that we had been unattended. He then returned and said he would be our server and we promptly asked for water as he saw and commented that we already had drinks (from waiting at the bar.) He then disappeared for at least another 10 minutes, again, without bringing any water. When we placed our orders we asked a third time for water and finally they filled our empty glasses. They never apologized for ignoring us for so long when we were seated or not getting us water. You could also see the servers talking over by the POS station and not making eye contact with us as we were trying to get their attention. Who knows, maybe someone didn't show up for work, but they definitely had a service problem that evening. Two of the group ordered the French onion soup. On this particular day it looked nothing like previous Yelpers pictures of that dish. It barely had any cheese on it whatsoever. Seriously, to the point that you could see the broth and onions through the cheese it had so little. The broth was tasty albeit a little salty, the onions were cut in very thins trips and still had some crisp texture which was interesting but not something I particularly like in a French onion soup myself. It was good, but not great and many restaurants and home cooks make it better than this. The beef Wellington slice was a decent value at $20 including the bordelaise sauce and three whipped potatoes. The beef was tender, the mushroom duxelle had great flavor and as typical for a Wellington the crust was soft inside but had the outer edge crispy from egg wash. The bordelaise sauce was well seasoned but nothing special. For me a better fit would have been the béarnaise sauce. The gnocchi with squash was flavorful with tender gnocchi, but it was served somewhat lukewarm. The $40 filet mignon was well charred and tender, the roasted mushrooms with the sunchoke pieces that came with it was probably the best thing all night. The brussels sprouts sides was tasty, however the sauce was a bit too sweet and overall a tad too salty. The sprouts had great caramelization and were nice and tender. By the time our entrées were served at roughly 8:05 PM, the bar area was empty as well as the front of the restaurant with the lounge chairs. There were quite a few open tables by the time we left at 8:35. Sort of strange for a Chicago restaurant, but it makes sense since it's in a hotel, although you can see in right through floor-to-ceiling windows off of Michigan Avenue. There are quite a few interesting items on the menu that we did not try, but if we returned with others we definitely would. With a few improvements in service and tweaks to the dishes this could easily be a four+ star experience.

I love coming a sitting at the bar, so when I find a good new spot I can do this at I get pretty excited. First of let me start by saying this is not your typical hotel restaurant. It is much much more. It seems as though it's becoming a trend these days where new hotels are starting to have amazing restaurants in them that locals and tourists like to come to alike. I sat at the bar with Amanda and she recommended some great cocktails and talked to us about the different ingredients inside. She was a great people person, a very knowledgeable bartender, and a huge reason on why my experience was so great. Next let me talk about how comfy the bar stools are! I could sit there for days and drink the craft cocktails. After all my relaxing at the bar I was starting to get pretty hungry and ordered the burger, seasoned fries, and the potato. All of which were very good but the burger was my favorite. Perfectly cooked and seasoned with lots of cheese on top, what's not to love? It wasn't greasy at all and I felt amazing the rest of the day, which is hard to find after devouring a burger. I can't wait to come back and try more cocktails and menu items! This is located in the new hotel Julian just of off Michigan ave and Randolph. Next time I'm there I want to check out some of the hotel rooms for when I have family in town.