Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse — Restaurant in Chicago

Okay, let's see here! Where do I start? Ehem! Shout out to Melanie B, a Chicago black badge yelper who shared a picture of her really bad habit: the Macadamia Turtle Pie which is a dessert option at Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse. I saw it, salivated while looking at it then vowed to have it after her mentions of it being her favorite and how it is a head turner when she orders it.

I made it a priority to visit Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse for the Macadamia Turtle Pie as a treat to myself after completing my twenty-third marathon, the 2023 Chicago Marathon. There are very limited parking spots available in the area of Gibsons. Since I did not want to utilize valet parking, I took my chances of searching for a spot within a short radius. I found a pay by the plate spot right off of E Oak St & N Dearborn St across from Ogden School. And it cost just short of $5 for just an hour which is not bad in my opinion.

I was acknowledged as soon as I walked inside and up to the hostess behind the booth. Misael, the server who took care of me, introduced himself within minutes of me being escorted to a table by the hostess. It was then I let it be known the reason why I visited Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse. Yes, if you are reading this review you guessed it right? The Macadamia Turtle Pie. And I had no interest in anything else but that on the menu.

Inside, Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse gives off a classy, old-school vibe, with an upscale presence as you may have felt looking at its pictures. I must admit, I had to look beyond wearing sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt because I did not want to underdress while visiting, but it really does not matter.

In a reasonable time, Misael returned with the Macadamia Turtle Pie which was bigger than I imagined. When I spotted it, it instantly put a smirk on my face. At the time, I could not help but notice the individuals sitting at the table next to me eyeballing it which reminded me of Melanie mentioning how it is a head turner.

Prior to Misael cutting my first slice, I began taking pictures of it with my 2023 Chicago Marathon medal in front which others noticed. A heartwarming feeling about this visit was others congratulating me on my marathon finish once my medal was spotted. It made the uneasy feeling of taking on this amazon of a dessert alone feel much sweeter. Two slices were all I could eat of the Macadamia Turtle Pie. Even though I could not finish it all in one sitting, I enjoyed each bite with a smirk on my face in the process.

Being that I had a great memorable experience, I would gladly revisit Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse again in time. And as Melanie B gave her endorsement of this restaurant to me, I share my endorsement of it as well with you all.

Celebrate your...

After being referred here by a family member who said this would be the best steak we had ever eaten, I was really looking forward to the experience. First impressions were some what of a disappointment. First time here so clearly didn’t know what the deal was, how to check in etc. Asked a young guy, which looked like to be the front desk that we were here and wanted to check in and if we were in the right place to which we were given a dirty look and told “you go over there to check in”. We then went to the correct desk to be simply told, “5-10 minutes stand over there”. No “hi” no “welcome”. Again, poor. When taken to our table, hostess literally threw the menus down and walked away.

When our waiter did come, Santo, he was brilliant. Let me be clear here by saying if it wasn’t for him this would have been a 1 star experience for the amount they charge. He brought over the steaks to show and went over any questions we may have had regarding each steak. I ordered the 10z Fillet and when said I wanted it Medium he told me that the medium here is pinker than most places so would advise ordering Medium well. Food came and though they fries were Luke warm and the Mashed Potato’s looked like packet Mash, the first few bites of my steak were mouth watering but the further I went into it the pinker it got. By the middle the steak was cold and raw. I told Santo and he agreed that, that would be classed as rare and asked me to send it back to show his chef and get me a new one with a fresh portion of fries (which for $8.50 in a place like that are a very generous portion) - 10 minutes and I did have a fresh steak brought out by the manager which this time it came out and I think the chef must have been angry at me because it was so well done it was barely edible. My partners chicken she said was good, she also had a crème brûlée which she expressed was fantastic. I appreciated the fact they took the steak and fries off the menu and that is why this is a 3 star review but the bottom line is if you prime yourself on being a steak restaurant and don’t know how to cook steak, that’s disappointing considering the prices.

Front of house staff - Rude Waiter - Fantastic Food - Needs work

Do not think I would return anytime soon with so many...

Today was my second stop at your place. I didn’t plan to stop today, however, my son insisted on having a great meal on our first visit and I wanted to treat my mom with a good meal. Because I wasn’t prepared to stop by, I walked in to see if there were any openings for a party of three. Yes, I understand that we were not dressed for your restaurant, but you welcomed us.

Your host (lady) was very kind and sat us at the first table when you walked in, kind of behind your host stand. My mother was by the wall, my son in the corner and my back was facing the dining room. The door was open, and it was chilly in that corner, especially for my elderly mother, so I went to the host stand to ask if we could be moved. A tall big guy (white) told me that I couldn’t be moved, but he would close the door for us, which was OK with me, even though I knew that the booth across my table was empty, so I went back to my table.

The lady host went to my table and asked me if I wanted to move to the empty table, I told her great, thanks.. When I started moving my utensils, the host very politely said not to worry about it. I started packing my personal belongings when the big man/tall host started passing by and said “absolutely no, you’re not moving “. I looked at him, embarrassed by the situation and went back to my original table. The lady host apologized for the situation because she didn’t know. Then the male host moved a party of four that was sitting in the back of the room to that table.

This was rude, in every way. The way he addressed me was unacceptable and uncomfortable. I felt that my visit wasn’t worth of your restaurant or my money wasn’t good enough compared to others. Probably my attire was not the proper one and that’s why we were sitting in that corner. Again, never been in a situation like that, never been offended the way your host did.

For sure, I didn’t enjoy my visit nor the food after that incident. Too bad I wasted my time driving almost 2 hours to get to your place, when Chicago has better places to go. This was my last time, and I would never recommend this place again. You don’t even deserve a...