The Duck Inn — Restaurant in Chicago

A really disappointing experience.

I made a reservation for 5 a week in advance, and my partner called 5 days in advance to confirm that The Duck Inn could accommodate his food allergies. He is in the industry and is very knowledgeable about how to call ahead and speak to the right people to see if restaurants are viable for us to eat at. The manager who answered the phone was extremely enthusiastic and said that they saw all the allergies we noted on the reservation, and was going to talk to chef immediately to let chef know, and that since they were a scratch kitchen, they’d have no problem accommodating an excellent meal. Saying “we’ll be ready for you!”

We arrived on time, and waited over 30 minutes to be sat, they comically had to use the entry table their refrigerator sits on to accommodate (if you can't handle a group of 5, no problem! just don't accept our reservation!). As a peace offering, we were gifted a few appetizers (thanks!) but none that my partner could eat. The server was unmotivated by this situation and instead of trying to find an app my partner *could have, came back to the table, pointed at the dish and said “you can’t eat that” and walked away.

That first interaction was indicative of the entire experience. After asking the manager to have chef mark up a menu so we knew what my partner could eat; or what they could modify for him (as they said they would do), the manager said there was ONE menu item he could have, that they would pan fry rather than use the fryer (NB: you canNOT label things “gluten free” if you are using a shared fryer. Aside from being scientifically untrue, it’s also incredibly dangerous), and they could give him a plate with greens. That’s right: plain lettuce.

After the rest of us ordered, the server disappeared. We didn’t see him for nearly a half hour. Between the late seating and the lack of ANY interest in accommodating my partner’s allergies, he wasn’t offered viable food for 75 minutes AFTER our reservation time.

We did our due diligence to call WELL in advance and were told by the staff at The Duck Inn that they were a scratch kitchen that could (and enthusiastically would!) create an excellent dining experience for us, and it was anything but that.

A total disappointment for something we were SO. EXCITED. about. The duck was good, and that one dish certainly can't compensate for the rest of the experience. We’re looking forward to sharing our shockingly disappointing experience with our friends, not because we are vindictive, but because we told SO MANY PEOPLE about how impressed we were heading into the meal with with the way The Duck Inn was run, and how confident we were in their product.

It was all talk, and a total disappointment.

(the two stars are for the Hamm's they...

The Duck Inn has been on our list of places to try for a very long time.

They offer a wide range of items, including some very "Chicago" dishes, with their own spin on them. They are also known for their Duck Tasting Menu and their Rotisserie Duck, either of which you have to let them know at time of reservation you want to order for your table. The little rubber duck they place on your table if you pre-ordered a Rotisserie Duck (ours looked like Ben Franklin, lol) was a cute touch.

We went with another couple, and ordered the Rotisserie Duck for the table, and decided to basically order family style and all share everything.

To start with we ordered duck fat french fries with Bloody Mary ketchup. If you've ever had any type of potato fried in duck fat (or almost anything fried in it), you know. The Bloody Mary ketchup was awesome too.

Then we had the Chicago Style Duck Inn Dog. Super spicy peppers and relish on it, I liked this way more than I thought I would. We also got a prime rib "Decent Beef" sandwich with Italian sausage and mozz on it, dipped. Was incredible, maybe one of the better beef sandwich in the city to my taste. Definitely at least trying for the beef sandwich fans.

The next couple of courses were Lamb Belly w/roasted tomatoes, pine nuts, black garlic vinaigrette, and some raspberry-cognac dressing along with some Japanese bbq style duck wings that were amazing. The wings were some of the best I've had in a really long time, super crispy skin.

The main course, the rotisserie duck did not disappoint. Served over potatoes roasted in duck fat and some kale and strawberries, with duck jus to pour over it all. This was an absolute hit, and definitely will do again if/when we come back. Also, there were bits of crispy duck skin in with the potatoes that were incredible.

For dessert we had a blueberry tart and an ice cream dish that was surprisingly good.

Definitely was a big hit with the entire group, we all loved the place. Service was great, our server was helpful in offering suggestions since it was our first visit, and did a really nice job of staggering the courses so that the table was never overwhelmed with plates/food, and we had time to enjoy each course without feeling rushed to get to the next one before it got cold. Every dish was unique and interesting, and they had excellent cocktails as well. They have a Sunday Brunch I really want to try now.

Overall, I think The Duck Inn has earned all of the attention it gets, and being posted by various outlets and social/food media as a place to check out. All of us were super glad that we ordered for the table too, as we all got to try a variety of dishes, so I'd recommend that for a first experience...

After learning of The Duck Inns existence, I was really excited to check it out. It's rare to find a spot of it's supposed caliber outside of the restaurant hot spot areas of The City, so being located in Bridgeport immediately peeked my interest.

I really wanted The Duck Inn to be an all around great time, but unfortunately I left pretty disappointed. I want to stress that the entire experience wasn't bad. The food was outstanding and the atmosphere was really nice, but that's where The Duck Inns impressiveness ended. I went on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, excited to sit and enjoy the weather on their spacious back patio. Each item we ordered was delicious, but the portion sizes were ridiculously small for prices. Most restaurants in River North and the West Loop demanding the same prices offer much larger portions, so I find it pretty pretentious for the Duck Inn to command the same considering its location. My biggest issue was the service. It was simply horrible. The place was in no way busy, yet we waited far too long for everything. I watched several servers walk by our table 4 or 5 times while our water and drink glasses remained completely empty. I had to get up and ask a server for water. This is never acceptable. After ordering a second drink and waiting over 20 minutes without seeing our server, I had to walk inside to the bar to let them know we no longer wanted the drink we had been waiting for and simply wanted our check. Once the server brought our check, I noticed that there were beers we never even ordered on the bill. The issue was fixed, however, there were no apologies offered. I really wanted to like The Duck Inn.

I hate giving bad reviews, because in most bad situations, I really feel that it's out of the ordinary and if given an another chance the establishment would most likely redeem itself. That being said, I will reiterate, the food was really good and their patio is awesome. I will go back, maybe for a dinner meal and really hope my opinion is changed. If it is, I will definitely update...