Carson's Ribs Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue Chicago
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This was a special occasion to celebrate my mom birthday after the passing of her son, my only sibling a few weeks ago. We wanted to have a small gathering since my daughter was in town from NY. My mom decided to go to Carson’s Ribs, I have been to Carson’s Ribs many years ago many times when they were in Edgewater and downtown near LaSalle many years ago. They are now located in a beautiful spot near the river downtown Chicago . This restaurant location is so beautiful, on the inside it’s cozy and elegant. The back of the restaurant is called the River Room the windows open and you have views of the Chicago River, Sit and dine with family with white tablecloths and dim lighting such a beautiful spot. I sopke to the manger Nancy to set up our reservations and she made sure we had the river room after explaining the circumstances and I wanted it the be a nice special celebration for my mom. Our waiter Dan was absolutely amazing he was funny and on point with our orders and his service! He made sure we had everything we needed and even brought out the cake we brought with extra plates and forks, so we could sing happy birthday. The food was absolutely delicious we had a variety of dishes. The garden salad was the greatest especially the homemade Croutons and flavorful Italian dressing really made my the salad robust taste, so good! We ordered the slab of ribs with twice baked potatoes and au gratin potatoes. Half Greek chicken which was tender with delicious lemon and herbs delicious with Greek potato es. Mediterranean Shrimp And Dejonene Shrimp or nice jumbo size they were very delicious as well. Beef brisket sandwich was tender and delicious too! All our food was delicious and we really enjoyed everything from the beautiful atmosphere, the service and the food. The manager of evening came to check on us several times throughout the evening to see how we were doing and if we needed anything that was very nice to have him do that. It was a perfect night for a special occasion during this difficult time in our family. Thank you everyone at Carons for a night to remember especially Dan for being such a delightful waiter!
Debby Davis-Smith
00
A Minnesota friend of ours used to work here, as this was our first trip together to Chicago was decided to come in for a lunch date and try what he's been bragging about all these years. I was able to easily place a reservation using Open Table. As we put together the rest of our itinerary for the trip found it was very conveniently located and the perfect meal break while exploring the city. As you enter the restaurant you will start seeing the many photographs of famous guests who have also enjoyed Carson's over the years. I admit I don't know most sports stars so after we were sat, I was really happy to see John Lithgow's photo opposite me! The over all theme is classy black and white. As we are dining during the time of COVID-19 of course masks required to be seated and if you move around the room, worn by the staff etc. The restaurant was exceptionally clean and menu's are by way of a code you can scan straight to your phone. We were dressed casually but still felt comfortable and we experienced wonderful friendly service. On to the meal, the fresh baked Tuscan bread is a great way to start. I totally enjoyed the half roasted Greek chicken with coleslaw and creamed spinach. I think this is the best chicken I’ve ever had in my life! My husband enjoyed the half slab of bbq ribs with coleslaw and Greek potatoes. We finished with espresso and Key Lime pie. Absolutely loved the ambient setting and the photos on the walls are really fun to check out, they have a really nice room at the back of the restaurant that looks out to the river for a very scenic view. Overall the experience was very professional and well polished, you can’t go wrong here, we enjoyed everything about this dining experience. Please go and experience it for yourself. Great for a date, family meal, business meeting or friends get together.
MN Kimberley
20
Unfortunately in order to leave a review a star has to be checked because after my experience this place deserves zero stars. My family wanted bbq for New Year’s Eve, my family has eaten here before so it’s what they wanted. We were forced to order and pay for the food the day before pick up which was immediately suspicious but it’s what my family wanted so I did it. Day of pick up. I arrived at 4 pm the time I scheduled pick up. My order wasn’t ready yet. Keep in mind I had to order the food the day before so it should not have been a surprise when I got there on time. Anyways. While on my way home I noticed the food in my bag was tepid or lukewarm at the most which is definitely a food safety violation, thank goodness nobody got sick. So dinner time comes and the food was absolutely horrible, half of the meat was burnt to a crisp the other half was tough and chewy like jerky. Obviously I was not pleased so I emailed the restaurant and being that I work with the public I understand mistakes happen so I didn’t even demand a full refund. I requested a gift card for a portion of my bill in the small chance I would ever patronize this restaurant again. I was told by I’m assuming a member of management that I had to leave my house and physically return the terrible food I was given by the negligent staff on New Year’s Eve… lolol after that the person asked me to send photos of the food which I will be sharing here. So I sent the pictures as well as a copy of my receipt. And in return I got the equivalent of the middle finger salute. No response at all, how nice of them to take my money give me terrible food that they probably wouldn’t give to their dogs, to tell me to go f**k myself after simply requesting compensation for my food…. Do yourself a favor if you ever plan on eating here in the future. Don’t.
BiggSquad
00
Chicago Excursion review: So I am a steak aficionado. I judge a place by how they cook a steak. Carson's is top notch. Let's break it down: Salad - Fresh Italian Vinagrette dressing, This was so good I could tell they made it in the back and our server confirmed it. Bread - This was so fresh and perfect. Mediterranean Wings - There are chicken wings and there are chicken wings done right. This was the latter. Prime Rib - This was a cut that had no qualms about being the best. It was juicy, cooked to perfection and good god tasty. Salt and Pepper Crusted Potato - If there was a fail this was it. The failure was the potato wasn't cooked fully. It was great when it came out but as the dining went on it cooled and the flaw showed. If I had to make a suggestion, it would be to use a smaller potato or do an oven smash. (Carson's if you are reading this feel free to reach out and I'll explain it to you) My wife had the Key Lime Pie and her being from Key West she actually said that she would bring this down to KW. That is a huge compliment. What made up for the potato for me was the specially made dessert. The brownie dessert that sounded so good was a boy (It has nuts) so they gave me ice cream drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauce. SO GOOD!!! Our server Kelsey was awesome and if you are lucky to get her as a server she will treat you great.
Tarik Smith
00
I took my girlfriend here while in town visiting her for the week (we went on Valentines Day during dinner rush/630pm). This was our first official date and the first day we met in person so needless to say it was a VERY important occasion. She had told me this was her favorite restaurant but I am picky and was healthily skeptical. The place blew me away. First off, we were 15 minutes late for our reservation due to snow and even though we called ahead, when we did arrive we didn’t have a lengthy wait. Secondly, and most memorable, was the service. Our server, (I think her name was Heather) was OUTSTANDING. She was quick, accurate, attentive, made sure to ask about allergies/etc which important because my girlfriend does not eat beef or pork, and she was constantly checking on us and was overall just a delight to talk to. The food was PERFECT. I originally wanted the ribs but opted for the filet mignon and I am glad I tried it because it was perfectly temped and a great cut. Her fish (soy-ginger glazed salmon) was perfectly cooked as well and all of our sides were also great. We will DEFINITELY be back when I relocate in the beginning of 2026 and I’ll be making Carson’s a regular meal of ours. Thank you guys so much
Robert Brumfield
00
BRING BACK THE CUCUMBER MARTINIS PLEASE!!!!! Omg this has been our favorite spot for about a year and a half or so now. My now fiancé and I decided to check it out last year for a quick bite one weekend and found “our spot” going forward. Their playlist, the atmosphere, the food (GET THE PRIME RIB), and their bartenders (we always sit at the bar) are the perfect recipe for the most enjoyable, perfect evening EVERY time. We have celebrated so many milestones throughout our time visiting here including getting engaged, taking and passing the bar exam, planning our wedding, and even just casual date nights. Our routine is always the same— grab a seat at the bar, split a few salads, prime rib in some form, cucumber martinis & old fashioneds, and end it with some espresso martinis. Think we may have the same routine for life here! …. All that’s to say— please bring back the cucumber martinis lol! We popped in this weekend and were devastated to see our star of the show missing. Hoping to see a return before our wedding day so we can involve our favorite routine in anticipation of our 21st night of September! COME HERE! Find a routine here— You won’t regret it & you’ll have “your spot” for life too!
Olivia Dominique
00
Nearby Attractions Of Carson's Ribs Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue Chicago
Navy Pier
Riverwalk
The Escape Game Chicago
Water Tower Place
Hyatt Regency Chicago
Wendella Tours & Cruises
Chicago Children's Museum
Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk
AMC River East 21
Museum Of Contemporary Art Chicago

Navy Pier
4.6
(28.1K)
Click for details

Riverwalk
4.8
(7.4K)
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The Escape Game Chicago
5.0
(5.3K)
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Water Tower Place
4.5
(5.6K)
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Nearby Restaurants Of Carson's Ribs Prime Steaks & Famous Barbecue Chicago
Gino's East
Starbucks Reserve Roastery
Kitchen + Kocktails By Kevin Kelley - Chicago
Wildberry Pancakes & Cafe
Nutella Cafe Chicago
The Purple Pig Restaurant
Pizzeria Uno
Giordano's
Shaw's Crab House
Timothy O'Toole's Pub Chicago

Gino's East
4.6
(5.9K)
Click for details

Starbucks Reserve Roastery
4.4
(5.8K)
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Kitchen + Kocktails By Kevin Kelley - Chicago
4.6
(4.4K)
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Wildberry Pancakes & Cafe
4.6
(3.8K)
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Basic Info
Address
465 E Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60611
Map
Phone
(312) 280-9200
Call
Website
ribs.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.5
(1.2K reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Long-standing steakhouse serving slow-smoked American barbecue like its signature babyback ribs.
attractions: Navy Pier, Riverwalk, The Escape Game Chicago, Water Tower Place, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Wendella Tours & Cruises, Chicago Children's Museum, Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, AMC River East 21, Museum Of Contemporary Art Chicago, restaurants: Gino's East, Starbucks Reserve Roastery, Kitchen + Kocktails By Kevin Kelley - Chicago, Wildberry Pancakes & Cafe, Nutella Cafe Chicago, The Purple Pig Restaurant, Pizzeria Uno, Giordano's, Shaw's Crab House, Timothy O'Toole's Pub Chicago
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