Park & Field — Restaurant in Jefferson Township

Park & Field is a cheeky place that has an off-beat vibe that's reminiscent of a mid-century track meet; the decor has a sporty theme without being overbearing or intimidating. The location has a sizable outdoor space with multiple open pit fires and ample seating that give it a cozy, backyard feel which lends itself well too chill gatherings with friends. There are multiple walk-up bars serving a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and there's also a large bocce ball pit for those interested in playing a friendly game with friends. The interior has two large dining rooms with gentle lighting and large windows and there are multiple single-occupancy restrooms; one nice touch is the use of powdered hand soap instead of liquid which helps keep waste down. There's also a shuffleboard table by the restrooms so you can play a quick round in the event that there's a wait.

The menu is upscale and approachable with a variety of items to suit every taste; my party sampled the Buffalo chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese, baked pretzel, French fries, pork banh mi, chilled pea soup, and Jerusalem chicken.

Buffalo chicken tenders: good quality meat and fantastic buffalo sauce with a hint of sweetness. Not too spicy.

Mac and cheese: good blend of cheeses baked with a nice crunchy top; this dish had great flavors but came out a little watery.

Fries: good. Crispy and hot.

Baked pretzel: large portion but somewhat bland. Skip it unless you are really a fan of pretzels.

Pork banh mi: generously portioned sandwich that is enough for two meals. The pork was tender and flavorful but the sandwich could have used some more veggies and was also quite greasy. Still, it was definitely one of the better banh mi that I've had outside of a Vietnamese restaurant.

Chilled pea soup: absolutely fantastic. A rustic mix of pureed and whole split peas topped with just the right amount of creme fraiche and served in an enamelware cup; the soup was tangy and refreshing with just a small hint of mint. This definitely a great item for a hot summer evening. Not to be missed. My only qualm was that the soup came garnished with posey blossoms that had to be picked out before enjoying the soup.

Jerusalem chicken: the star of the show. This dish was an absolute delight and I will be back to have it again. 1/2 chicken with skin on served over a generous portion of quinoa-like grain with roasted fennel. Again, meat was of a high-quality and cooked to absolute perfection; I especially appreciated the sweet citrus glaze which contrasted perfectly with the salty dry seasoning used on the meat. I would have liked more fennel but either way I am looking forward to eating my leftovers of this dish for lunch tomorrow.

The service was the only real problem with our visit and is the reason why this is a 3 star review; our sever was curt, unfriendedly, and simply not around when we needed her. She seemed exasperated by our table and forgot to do several things; we had to ask for water, drink refills were never offered, she did not check on our table after the food was delivered, and she delivered our check mid-meal which conveyed a "please leave" vibe to my party. Paper copies of the bill were also never provided.

The host was friendly and provided a warm greeting upon arrival; she seated us quickly, was conversational, and was just generally pleasant to interact with.

3/5 for the great food, extensive drink menu, and iffy service. I plan to come back to try the remainder of the menu and give them a second shot because the food is good, the patio space is amazing, and the overall...

This review is on the behalf of a reservation made under my girlfriend for 6 people. We made a reservation on Resy, the platform the restaurant chose, about a month prior to the day we reserved. We had to make the reservation so far in advance because the restaurant was always booked out. Typically and with fairness, a reminder is sent out in advance to ensure the best experience and chance for people to make their reservation. This is even more important in cases when a restaurant, like Park and Field, needs to be reserved weeks ahead. In our case, we were not sent or contacted in any form (email, text, etc,) about our reservation until 30 minutes before our reservation. This is absolutely useless when the restaurants cancellation policy is 48 hours ahead with a $20 per person fee. Meaning, we were not reminded by Resy or the restaurant itself about our reservation between the time of booking (1 month ago) and 30 minutes before the reservation. Even once we received the 30 minute reminder, we contacted the restaurant twice and explained the situation and the hostess, Dan, put the blame on Resy for not sending out a reminder that would coincide with the strict cancelation threshold of 48 hours. Our second call was because my girlfriend got hung up on by Dan which I’m still trying to understand since he did not do the same to me. In the end, we contacted Resy and filed a complaint on the better bussiness bureau on the Resy network itself. Resy has yet to contact us back… however, Park and Field are the ones who set their reservation policies and have the authority to adjust the system to send reminder before 48 hours. They have chosen to not and create a cancellation fee bussiness without any accountability. This is an inappropriate way to use third party reservation systems to generate revenue. We really wanted to try Park and Field but we are now frightened to make another reservation since it would h e to be so far in advance again. Please be aware of their business practice as we have not been contacted by Park and Field or Resy. There are many restaurants out in Chicago who use Resy and other platforms appropriately to actually ensure diners comply with their reservations. Reminders at a busy restaurant are very important if you like to dine out, support businesses, and not be fined. It’s why platforms like Resy exist but it’s up to the restaurant to ensure it’s not...

The Raspberry slushy was the highlight of our visit. Had the burger 🍔 which was just OK as I barely ate half of it. We were looking forward to what the waitress suggested, but the meal was subpar and I’m being kind. I had ordered a burger to go, but canceled it midway through since I didn’t like mine.

The place was NOT crowded the whole time we were there inside or outside. We did not have a reservation. My friend arrived first, they sat her and I joined shortly. About 2-hours later her niece joined us to raise a glass for her birthday. She ordered French fries that came 10-minutes later in a half full cup and a cocktail. We showed our waitress Zoe (Who was amaZING), she gasped and quickly brought her a full fresh hot order.

About 30-minutes later one of the hostesses came over, said there was a reservation for our table, we had been there for almost 3-hours and we needed to leave. NOT, would you mind moving to another table. OR, since it was NOT crowded, why NOT sit them at the ample open tables that were all around us.

She went and got a manager who stated the same thing in a not so nice way. He never once let my friend explain her side OR simply ask “Did anyone mention we have a 2-hour time limit”. At that point I was embarrassed, done with the conversation simply wanted our check.

We got our $150.00 bill and proceeded to leave. We approached the hostess again asking for the managers name and she didn’t know. We walked up to the front and asked the same of the other hostess. We also asked who was the owner(s), she didn’t know that either, but then she said the managers name was Ryan. We goggled the owners.

I asked what their process was. She stated that they do take walk ins, but they normally tell people that there is a “2-hour table limit”. So there in lies the problem…She NEVER told us that as we would have gladly complied. No one ever said anything, so we just continued to enjoy the weather, conversation and celebrating until we were rudely interrupted.

I am a foodie, born & raised in Chicago and we have eaten ALL over our city. I will not be back or recommend this place to ANYone. It’s not ONLY WHAT you say, but HOW you say along with consistent communication and at least have...