Warlord — Restaurant in Jefferson Township

Visited Warlord on a Saturday for dinner. The establishment is located in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago.

*Getting Seated: If you want to get a table during the weekend you have to get your name in very early. The restaurant opens at 6:00 PM and you’ll need to wait in line outside to put your name in. We arrived at the location at 5:20 PM and just barely missed the first seating. We were the first situated for the second seating and they said our table would be ready at 7:45 PM (so a two hour and 25 minute wait). Would recommend getting there at 5:00 PM to ensure you get there for the first seating.

*Aesthetic: We elected to sit in their enclosed and heated back patio area while we waited for our table. A little chilly, you’ll need to keep your coat on. Would recommend management invest more in this space. It’s a little disappointing. Felt like a slapdash effort to push the “Warlord” aesthetic. The space was comprised of a branch drilled into the wall, cloth hung around the perimeter, and a sprinkling of adornments used to quickly decorate the walls. A very two-dimensional experience. The exposed construction of the enclosure only emphasized that this area was an afterthought to the primary dining area.

The primary dining area was much more impressive, although it was hard to find a common thread in the design concept. The music, for example, was represented by predominately heavy metal tracks used to try and drive a grunge-type “Mad Max” post-apocalyptic feeling, but this sort of clashed with the concept of a warlord as an ancient warrior (i.e., earthy, living off the land, no frills) that seemed to prevail in the theme of the restaurant’s décor. Halfway through the dinner the music changed to rhythm and blues tracks that did not fit with the theme.

When you do get seated it’s a bit cold because the front door is frequently opening and closing. Also, management should finish the bathroom to create a more cohesive experience.

That said, the exposed kitchen with the roaring fire, hung chickens, showcase cooler, and purple hue lighting were very neat and eye-catching.

*Food: We ordered the “winter black truffle toast” and we really loved it. The musky flavor of the truffle gave some nice depth to the savory taste of the cream cheese and the sweetness of the honey. The “foie gras ganache” was also a star, but they charged us for extra bread, which seemed like a low-class thing to do for a restaurant of this caliber.

For dinner I had the “lacquered half duck” which was good but expensive. Duck is a fatty poultry type and the duck served here is even fattier. The glaze was a nice touch that made the skin crispy, but ultimately the lacquer coat only reinforced the savory flavor of a dish that for me was already too rich. The preserved radish contrasted with the duck but was not exciting on its own.

*Drinks: I had the daiquiri, and it was great! – the salted vanilla definitely came through and brought together a nice composition of flavors. I also ordered the “Around the Bend Pistachio Cream Ale” – never had a beer like it. A mellow and nutty flavor that is very much worth a try.

*Service: No issues with service. The staff was quick and attentive. The menu is somewhat minimalistic and ingredient-oriented, so we did not have many questions.

It was a cool experience but probably...

I was pretty excited for Warlord Dinner. I had been looking at the menus that people had for a few weeks prior to going and everything was looking and sounding good. We were celebrating my birthday and told the hostess when we came and gave our party info. They told us 2 to 2.5 hour wait and they would text us when we were ready. Got a text about 40 min later saying we could come to the patio and have a drink while we wait for our reservation. We ordered Tuna and drinks. The banana Foster drink was great but the other one not so much, forgot what it was called. The tuna that came out was so tough and chewy I couldn't even cut it. It was just filled with some sort of connective tissue. Asked the waiter about it and he hadn't tried it but would go and ask the chef. Ends up coming back and taking it away and saying he will bring us a new piece. Got the new piece and yes it was a little more tender but the taste was very fishy and still tough to chew. Never had tuna be so tough.

We finally got seated now 3 hours in to waiting, but got seated at the bar and probably one of the worst seats in the house being right next to where they make drinks so constantly have people brush up and be right next to us. I cant believe this was considered seats for a place of this caliber.

We ordered the rest of our food and more drinks. We both enjoyed the wine we ordered. We got the Eel, Burger, Truffle Pasta, and Monkfish. Eel was ok, really underwhelming. The fermented seaweed or whatever it was did not go with it at all and had a very unpleasant funk/extreme salty flavor. The burger was so raw it was still mooing. I like medium rare burgers but this was completely rare with no crust on the meat. If this burger was cooked right it may have been better but I have a hard time eating meat that raw without any texture of mush. The truffle pasta came out like glue. You couldn't even get the noodles apart they were all stuck together as one glob. The flavor was good of the pasta but it was so rich and thick it wasn't really that edible. Lastly the monkfish was very very underdone. It wouldn't even come off the bone. I had to use a knife to shave off the bit as it wouldn't even flake or come off the bone. I felt like I left most of the meat on the bone because I couldn't even tell if it was cooked all the way. The sauce on the plate was pretty good for the monkfish, but the actual fish was not cooked all the way.

We only saw our waiter twice, to take our order and then to bring us our check. We were brought our food from other servers and never given a chance to complain about the problems. By the time we got the check I was just ready to go since we had been there for almost 4 hours. They never did anything for my birthday either (not sure if they do, but would think they would have) Overall I was left very dissatisfied and wondering why this place is got so much hype. The only really positive part was the drinks we got. They could have been having an off night, but with everything being so poor its hard to believe it was just an off night and not the typical food. I have already told multiple people to never go here and save their money for a better restaurant that cooks consistently,...

I first heard of Warlord and their ever-changing menu a few months back. I remember thinking that to pull something like that off, execution and flavors would have to be outstanding. This review is the realization of that initial thought.

Located on the corner of Milwaukee and Belmont, Warlord sits in an unassuming and unmarked building. Unless you're specifically looking for it, you may walk right past it. Warlord is open Fri-Mon, 6pm-2am. They do not take reservations. If you arrive around opening, expect to wait 2-3 hours for a table. The closer to midnight it gets, (usually) the less chance of a longer wait.

We were fortunate enough to be seated at the counter facing the open kitchen. We got to witness how each dish was prepared and intermittently interact and speak with the cooks and chefs. The line houses a large hearth with glowing red coals, where oysters, steaks, fish, and other ingredients were expertly cooked. This was the most truly unique part of the experience for me. The aesthetic at Warlord is dark, somewhat Gothic, and really unique.

The service was excellent, and the experience felt very relaxed. We were well taken care of by both the servers and cooks who both lend a hand in serving food, depending on where you're seated.

The menu consisted of about 10 items; 4-5 smaller plates, 4-5 larger plates, and 1 dessert. It was apparent that the dishes were formed around the seasonality of ingredients. Warlord changes their menu on a daily basis, with the only static items being the Dry Aged Burger and their Fries. (This could change. Don't quote me).

I can confidently list Warlord in my top 5 meals. We ordered about half of the menu, and I was truly astounded by the level of preparation and execution I saw during my meal. The duck was perfectly medium rare through and through, with a perfectly crisp skin and succulent fat. The burger, probably my new favorite in Chicago, was flavorful, somehow light, and cooked to perfection. There wasn't a single plate we didn't leave completely clean.

I've posted pictures of the food we ordered, however, as is the nature of Warlord; these may or may not be available when you visit. I spent a good portion of my life working in restaurants, and I can tell you that based on my meal here, you're in good hands and should be prepared for an outstanding experience, every time no matter what they decide to serve you.

My advice to you is this... (With the exception of allergies) trust the process and go with the flow. The chefs here have a really cool vision, and they want to share it with you!

I'm excited to visit Warlord again in the near future as it'll be like going there for the first time...