The Alston — Restaurant in Chicago

A Memorable Opening Night at The Alston I had the pleasure of taking my wife to The Alston on its opening night, May 30th, 2025, and we were absolutely impressed by the experience — from the ambiance to the wine to the impeccable service.

Service & Atmosphere From the moment we arrived, Amir, our server, made us feel welcomed and well cared for. His attentiveness and warmth truly elevated our evening. Jordan, the sommelier, was equally excellent — his recommendations were insightful, and he guided us to an exceptional bottle of Keenan Capstone Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa. It was a standout selection from The Alston’s impressive wine list.

The ambiance of the restaurant is something special. The decor is elegant yet inviting, with stunning views that add an extra layer of magic to the dining experience. It’s clear that a great deal of thought went into the design of the space. That said, finding the restaurant was a little tricky — it's tucked next to Sophia Steak and near the Lifetime building signage, so look out for those landmarks.

Drinks & Starters We began our evening with a refreshing surprise — a bright, citrusy spritzer made with Tito’s vodka, St. Germain, lemon, and lime. It was the perfect palate opener, paired with warm, crusty bread and deliciously creamy butter that had us hooked from the first bite.

For starters, we shared the Fire Roasted Tomato Niçoise — an artful plate accented with beet, cucumber, and citrus oil — and the Seared Foie Gras, which was expertly prepared and deeply flavorful.

Main Course & Dessert For the main course, I chose the 10oz Center Cut Filet Mignon with a rich, velvety bordelaise sauce, accompanied by a side of roasted mushrooms. The flavors were on point, and the sauces were especially remarkable — complex, balanced, and clearly crafted with care. The only hiccup was that our steak, ordered medium, came out slightly rare and lukewarm, but we chalked it up to the understandable kinks of opening night.

To finish, we indulged in the Apple Tarte Tatin topped with a unique grilled carrot ice cream — an inventive and satisfying close to the meal.

Final Thoughts The Alston is already showing great promise. With a talented team, a thoughtful menu, and a showstopping ambiance, it’s poised to become one of Chicago’s next culinary gems. We even saw Chef Jenner Tomaska himself making rounds and performing tableside service of Duck à la Presse, which looked incredible. We’ll definitely be back soon — next time with a group to explore more...

My son and I had dinner at The Alston last Sunday night, and I’d rate it a solid meh.

You enter through a high-rise lobby, greeted by a security guard who’s all business — efficient, but not friendly. At the host stand, four people seemed unsure of what to do next. Eventually, a guy with moppy blond hair led us to our table. He was cheerful.

The dining room is gorgeous — high ceilings, chandeliers, and a shifting skylight that sets an inviting tone.

Then came the menu presentation, which opened with: “You do know this is a French steakhouse, right?” Yes. We did. The bread presentation shouldn't happen. Nobody wants to watch someone cut bread (even with a cool bread cutter thingy).Also if you are going to make this big a deal out of bread --you need really good bread (this was not).

My son's cocktail was made so incorrectly it wasn’t worth fixing. He just ordered something else.

The food? Fine. Not memorable, not offensive — just sort of… there. The foie gras was good and my son enjoyed the caviar pump. You can tell they’re aiming for “elevated French steakhouse,” but the concept feels undercooked. It’s trying hard to be special but hasn’t figured out how. If the food was great it would be priced competitively with similar Chicago Steakhouse. It was not.

Service was slow and scattered. Staff seemed unsure who was doing what. The open kitchen, which could have been a nice feature, instead offered a front-row seat to visible drama between kitchen staff and suit-wearing managers with earpieces pacing the floor with tense expressions. Not exactly relaxing.

One charming touch: you get to choose a candle for your table when seated — a quirky, personal detail that was actually delightful.

But candles can’t save a dinner that feels this disjointed. With so many fantastic steakhouse options in Chicago, there’s no reason to come back.

Verdict: Skip it. Style over substance, and not enough of either. Or wait a few months and see if they get the second...

Disaster Experience—Overcharged, Ignored, and No Accountability

I usually give restaurants the benefit of the doubt, but my experience at The Alston on 750 State S 3rd floor was so frustrating, I feel obligated to warn others.

We came here to celebrate a birthday, and what should have been a special night turned into a complete disaster. From start to finish, the service was incompetent and disrespectful of our time. • It took 15 minutes just to get water and place our first drink order. • Drinks were brought out late, and mine didn’t arrive until second round order was placed despite everyone else already having their first order finished . • The waiter forgot part of our drink order and never corrected it properly. • The so-called “complimentary” drink was charged to my bill, and when I brought it up, I was ignored.

Then came the food disaster: • Appetizers, salads, and entrées all arrived at the same time, making the meal chaotic and unenjoyable. • Items we never ordered appeared on the table, and although we returned them immediately, they still showed up on the final bill.

After all of that, I discovered I was overcharged by about $100. I tried to resolve this directly with the restaurant—I called FIVE TIMES and left detailed messages for the manager, but no one ever had the decency to call me back. Each time, I was told “someone will get back to you ASAP”—that never happened.

I finally had to dispute the charge with my credit card company, but the restaurant refused to take any responsibility, and the dispute was denied. So now I’m stuck paying for their mistakes.

This was not just a bad dinner—it was a waste of 3 hours of our time, a ruined birthday, and an example of how not to treat customers. The lack of professionalism, integrity, and follow-through is shocking.

I won’t be returning, and I strongly recommend others think twice before dining here. If you value good service, honest billing, or basic hospitality, this is NOT the...