Chicago Beef Joint — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

Today is August 16, 2025 Went to this place for really 1 reason to listen to the band, decided to try their food again, oh well let me explain something first, years ago in Chicago my parents owned a place like this and I learned a lot about how to fix this type of food, not only from them but also a class I took at Vienna Beef in Chicago, Il I ordered a Italian Beef sandwich, my lady ordered a grilled chicken sandwich, and ordered a basket of fries, It took awhile but the food came, my beef sandwich was sort of Luke warm, not at the correct temperature for a hot sandwich, my wife's chicken was done correctly. The waitress was busy , actually only 2 ladies waiting on tables, and yes they were busy. My friends showed up and sat down, it took about 15 minutes for the waitress to come by and see what they wanted, they also ordered a basket of fries and Italian Beef Sandwich, they also ordered drinks, the drinks took about 15 minutes again, but the fries came and no sandwich, by the time the waitress came back to check on us we asked about the sandwich they ordered, she went and checked this out, came back and said the order was in and they must have forgot to fix it, well 45 minutes later the sandwich came to our table. I asked out waitress what type of beer was on draft, the manager came over and said to quit bothering the waitress, I said I just asked to see what was on draft, he told me i could get up and get the beer at the bar myself, well i did that . Then maybe 10 minutes later the manager I think he was came to our table and said either we stop bothering the waitress or we could leave, told him we were asking questions about how long our food was taking, he got rude and said he was not going to put up with us bothering our waitress. Actually if we were bothering her , it was only to ask about our food and drinks. If he was so concerned about the service he could of stepped up and did something himself instead of being a bother to us. Our table paid our bills and left never to step foot in that place ever again. Poor Management Poor Servers Poor Food, was not like Chicago Style I remember Why go to a place to get bothered by the manager and him not take care of the real Issue, Stay Away From This...

I've been here 4 or 5 times now, and today was my last. This place is sad, and I'm surprised it is still open. The food is decent but WAY overpriced! Service was ok, but WAY over staffed for the number of customers they have. They literally had a front hostess (and her boyfriend), two bartenders, 2-3 cooks, 2 or 3 bouncers to help the DJ with his blown speakers, and possibly the shift manager on her phone in the corner the whole time. The customers inside Friday night 7-815pm were at MOST 6 people, including my wife and I. This is the sad part, They claim to be a "Chicago" sports bar/joint. With memorabilia all over the walls, all the Chicago sports teams pictures, areal shots of Chicago on a one Tv. Buttttt, I don't think this place has EVER played a Chicago sports game on the TVs. Today, July 25th, one of the biggest sports days in the City of Chicago is playing, and this place has minor league softball games and a youtube fish tank channels playing on their other TVs, no sound, only DJ music. I asked the bartender to put the Sox/Cubs game on, and she said they didn't really have it (are you kidding me, YOU ARE A CHICAGO SPORTS TEAM JOINT!) she did proceed to find an actual baseball game with no sound, (We don't need to hear the game) at this point my wife and I are the only ones left in the whole place, and our server comes back and says, we are NOT going to show games on the TVs anymore and we are switching to the "DJ" YouTube music channel. I was like, I am the only person in here paying, and they are going to switch it on me.. This place has to go. I came from Chicago 20 years ago. It was cool to see the memorabilia and the food and atmosphere, but this place is not real, This place is a joke. This place needs to change its name or come up with a different business. I won't be going back. It sucks because there isn't any beef or dog...

This was my first visit to Chicago Beef Joint. I had read a number of really positive reviews from others so I had high expectations. First the atmosphere. The huge patio is divine. There are a variety sized tables in an open section with some that have umbrellas. Then there is a covered roof section. And another section of couches. We thought it was a wonderful set up. Inside there are a number of tables with ample TVs.

We of course had the Chicago Beef sandwich. I had the au jus on the side; I know, it is not the way it should be done. I just don't like soggy bread! The beef was properly and deliciously cooked. There was ample portions. I chose the Hot Giardiniera. This was perfect!! The roll was just the way you want them for for dipping. The bread was sliced perfectly, holding together During the whole glorious meal. During our visit they also had various BBQ options (which made deciding what to eat difficult), so the had special sides. We had the Mac and Cheese and Cole slaw. The MnC was delicious and had just a touch of smokey taste.

Our server was a little slow and seemed a little out of it. I had to ask for a second beverage three times over a 15-20 minute period of time. Having said that, everyone was exceptional! Bobby the GM was out and about checking on things. Several other staff members asked us how everything was going.

King Biscuit Trio, the band, was great! The stage was set up so the audience looks towards the industrial building with a mural next to CBJ. It created a really cool vibe.

With free onsite parking as an extra bonus I highly recommend Chicago Beef Joint! We will...