McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks — Restaurant in Chicago

My family and I had a pretty mixed bag of an experience at this place a few nights ago. The flavors, service, and lack of seasoning are generally my biggest issues here.

We started off with drinks, all of which I had tried were pretty good so we were off to a good start, I had one called “sparkling passion” which was amazing! But when the crab cakes arrived everyone felt disappointed because honestly it had the consistency of potato salad which was weird and it wasn’t seared or crispy on the outside or really seemed very cooked at all which would have been your standard fare. It honestly tasted pretty fishy, and flavorless.

There were other appetizers we chose like the bacon wrapped shrimp which were actually really good alongside the sweet chili tossed crispy calamari. These appetizers were the best part of my whole meal overall.

I got the scallops as my entree, which also tasted weirdly fishy and flavorless as it came with a rather bland risotto. I paired it with spinach as a side which the server claimed was sautéed with garlic but I didn’t taste any garlic or seasoning. Just…plain spinach. One of my family members got sea bass as her entree but decided against getting the sauce that it came with because it had gluten in it and she’s got a restricted diet. But instead of giving her an entree that was great regardless of a miso glaze sauce, she was literally given a flavorless fish. No seasoning! Again! How is it these entrees are like $50+ and taste like… nothing? They also substituted her stir fly vegetables with PLAIN steamed broccoli. We were all perplexed and pretty shocked that none of the substitutions or talk of seasoning, literally anything was communicated to her about her dish, it just showed up that was. She was so upset, especially because it was her birthday and she wanted to try a new restaurant, especially since she loves seafood.

Besides that, some of my family got steak dishes which were worlds better than the seafood entrees I tried here, so if you’re looking for steak at least there’s that. In terms of seafood, in my experience from coming here, just coming here once was all I needed to see to reassure me that there’s no way I would come back here for...

I came to visit McCormicks and Schmick's at five on a Friday evening. I was greeted warmly and seated right away. The host politely explained the drink and entree menues before returning to his duties. The dining room had a wonderful, elegant vibe to it. Soft lighting, tasteful table settings, and an ecclectic soundtrack set a very nice feel to the room. My waiter arrived and introduced himself to me, and took my drink and appetiser order. A fine glass of Don Miguel Malbec was delivered along with fresh, hot bread and butter. An order of Blue Point oysters was forthcoming. Salty and delicious, shucked perfectly with the liquor intact. There were some interesting house made condiments that came along with the oysters as well. The Yuzu Jalapeno Granita was something new and exciting for me. Lobster Bisque came just as I was finishing the last of the Blue Points. The soup smelled delicious, and I was not disappointed. Savory and buttery, it was difficult not to just drink it straight from the cup instead of one spoonful at a time. My entree came at the last spoonful, as if choreographed. Seared Scallops and their delicious accoutrements. Piping hot and plated artfully, I enjoyed every bite. For desert, I order the Creme Brulee, probably my favorite desert of all time. Once again, the kitchen came through in fine order. The custard was cool, with a cruncy carmalized top and an assortment of fruits. There was nothing in any of the elements of the dinner I would consider remotely average. Every course was the proper temperature, delivered at just the right time, and absolutely delicious. The staff was polite, very professional, and attentive without being intrusive. During my dessert, I noticed a couple leave the restaurant and stand by the curb, obviously waiting for a cab or Uber. A young waitress hurried by me with a business portfolio in her hand and sprinted to the curb to return it to the gentleman. This exemplifies my experience with McCormick and Schmick's. With an outstanding kitchen and an outstanding staff, I will be glad to visit again soon. My thanks to the staff, the kitchen, and the manager who took the time to speak with me about my experience and...

Overall, a decent experience. Pros: Food was delicious. Seafood was fresh and the lobster bisque was full of flavor. Everything came out timely and we enjoyed everything we ordered. We would return simply because the food was good (not amazing but reasonably priced for a good meal).

Cons: Service was 1 star. I understand the staffing shortage but poor service is inexcusable. There was no greeting or hi how are you, he read us the specials, that was the most we heard from him the entire dinner. We ordered appetizers and before I could ask for the second appetizer, he started to walk away. On the menu, it does not state the entrees come with sides (or I didn't see it stated), so we ordered 2 sides a la carte. I would have liked to think a decent server would let us know that entrees come with sides and double check we wanted additional sides, but that might be too much to ask. Our food comes and he never once asks us if we liked everything (common courtesy?) We said thank you multiple times throughout the experience for multiple things like refilling our water, dropping off food or clearing our plates. He never ONCE said you're welcome. When clearing our plates, it was obvious we didn't touch the additional side of asparagus due to ordering too much food (not knowing about sides coming with entrees) and didn't question that at all. Our bill came and it was almost $200. Not a cheap meal by any means, and we're supposed to tip at least 20% for mediocre service? It seemed as if other servers were more on the ball and we were the unlucky ones, but it did not make for the best dining experience on the last night of our honeymoon.

Overall, food was good and quick. Service was the bare if bare minimum, but seafood was fresh and food was hot. Definitely an option for a reasonable dinner in Chicago, but do not go for...