French brasserie dishes served in a Belle Époque-era space with stained glass windows and a racetrack bar.
"The Verdict: Another River North theme park with bad pricey food. The 1900s decor is a big part of this massive French restaurant's allure, as seen in many posts on social media. But a dinner at this River North spot is the opposite of romantic or fun. The food is constantly underwhelming—the escargot tastes like pepperoni-flavored gum, and the dry rabbit leg with pasta only gets a little flavor from sweet prunes. And though the two-floor space is 10,000 square feet, it’s too cramped with tables and a frenzied staff. If the Belle Époque aesthetics of La Grande Boucherie prove too tempting, order the profiteroles and have dinner elsewhere. " - adrian kane, veda kilaru, john ringor, nick allen
"We recently checked out La Grande Boucherie. Read our review here. We had a strong reaction to Olio E Piu. Now the team behind that Italian trattoria is at it again with La Grande Boucherie, a French brasserie in River North. It's literally “grande," with a 10,000-square-foot space. Expect classic dishes like steak frites and coq au vin, plus brunch with plenty of eggs and croissants. " - john ringor, veda kilaru
"The Group, the New York hospitality company, has opened a pair of restaurants in Downtown Chicago, including La Grande Boucherie, a two-level French spot with an absinthe bar in the former Ruth’s Chris space in River North. Owners poured significant resources into gutting the building to install a grandiose ground floor and mezzanine with curved vaulted ceilings, as well as a $1.5 million scrollwork-gilded stone facade. The menu touches on all the brasserie hits, as well as a raw bar and hefty, meaty cuts like a chateaubriand for two." - Ashok Selvam, Naomi Waxman
"We heard the classic French ballad “La vie en rose” three times while eating at La Grande Boucherie. Three versions, including Lady Gaga’s take from A Star Is Born. No soundtrack could be more perfect for eating at this massive yet cramped French restaurant (two floors, 10,000 square feet, a million human bodies), another River North theme park with bad pricey food. Attractions at La Grande Boucherie include trying to not hip-check diners while walking to your table, stuffing yourself into a comically small booth, and guessing how many ingredients were forgotten in each dish. The food here is constantly underwhelming, like the $27 escargot that tastes like pepperoni-flavored gum, and the braised, dry rabbit leg with pasta that gets only a little flavor from sweet prunes. At least the profiteroles are satisfying, so if the cheap 1900s-styled decor is too alluring to resist, order dessert, watch the frenzied staff pour dense dark chocolate sauce on top, and have dinner elsewhere." - Nick Allen
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