Williams-Sonoma — Local services in Chicago

We went here because they had advertised a free cooking class.

It turned out to be a demonstration with about 50 other people standing around a small counter top and only the people right in front could see anything. There was a mirror that should have been tilted so that we all had a chance to see what was going on, but they never moved it, so it was useless. I was not about to stand around for an hour and a half so I walked around the store.

The store itself is large with a very nice selection of just about anything you would need for a kitchen or dining area.

They had some beautiful dishes for spring and Easter, any size pots and pans you could ever want, a large selection of Harry Potter themed merchandise and unique accessories to help make cooking and entertaining less stressful.

Since we were lured there under false pretenses, and I personally find their prices to be higher than other stores, I would not shop here unless I was looking for something specific.

On the plus side, they do have a parking lot, and parking is premium...

Straight to the point, this place is very, very expensive. For certain things in your kitchen, you get what you pay for, and this is as good a place as any to get them. In particular, their Goldtouch bakeware, which are truly superior products (a few other brands have since chipped them, but they're not the same). If you're into premium cookware and coffee machines, they have a good selection. However, many of their other products are just really beyond what I would even call rational in terms of prices. The location has a cramped parking lot in a location that's difficult to get to anyhow. I suppose if you have a registry there, the staff might be helpful, but at this location I've generally found them to be lacking knowledge of the products, and on occasion a bit rude. I spend a lot of time cooking with my young kids but this is not the way I like to expose them to the joys of...

I have been here twice with my boyfriend, and both times have been near closing hours on a Friday (in our defense, we are new to the area and didn’t realize the closing hours). I have worked in retail before, and I can always tell how anxious some sales associates can be to rush customers out around closing time, but we have not run into that problem here. We always have a good experience, and when we left we were shocked to find out they were actually closing for the night (both times haha). That says a lot about them and their attention to customer service. Overall, from what I have seen the staff is pretty friendly and not abrasive like some of the other reviewers claim. In particular, there is a woman that works there named Melissa who is very sweet and helpful. Both times we bought more than we planned on...