Oak Park Social — Restaurant in Oak Park

Edit: Please note after writing follow ups to my original review the owner has changed/deleted his responses several times. My "essay" written below is several responses to the owners various replies that were mostly meant to be personal attacks against me and have since been deleted or edited. The owner is clearly a bully who can’t take sincere feedback on a customers experience judging by his responses to other low reviews. There’s even a Facebook page dedicated to his responses to poor reviews. This reviews 30 likes speaks for itself.

I originally had this place rated higher 3 stars but my back and forth experience with the owner has made me change my review to one star.

Glad others are enjoying it but honestly my experience here was less than mediocre. Place is super dark with most of the lights off/not producing much light. The service was pretty bad, waited at least 45 minutes after we ordered for a few appetizers. Other people who came in after us ordered and had their entrees before we got our appetizers. Also drinks were pretty expensive, paid 12 dollars for a Moscow Mule and 6 dollars for a canned Atwater dirty blonde (380% mark up compared to an industry standard average of 250%).

Response to owner: Attention seeking review? Don’t you think that’s a bit disingenuous? I could’ve left a one star review. I even said I was glad others enjoyed it. I was just giving my experience for others the same way everyone else on here has the right to do. I think you’re missing the message with these reviews. Other less positive reviews seem to have similar complaints of timeliness and price to which your response is always “why didn’t you say something” and “don’t come back” rather than institutional changes that address their core concerns.

First, of course I realize the pandemic and it’s affect on the industry. However that didn’t seem to affect the service of other patrons being waited on (who came in after us) by the other server that night. After 45+ minutes had we complained to the waitress we still would’ve ended up waiting a fairly long time.

Second, regarding price a simple google search and comparison with both industry standard markups and competitor prices in the area would confirm my claims. Im unsure how a can of beer that goes for 1.25 at Meijer (probably 1.00 at a wholesale supplier for restaurants) needs to be marked up to 6 dollars before tax to make a profit. Your competitor down the street at Unexpected Craft Brewing is selling 16oz craft beers for 6.00. That’s 4oz more and on draft not a can.

Overall It’s true we didn’t say anything in person regarding these issues. But again I think you’re missing the message for your negative reviews on here. The service received is the service that’s intended for nearly all interactions. For a customer menu prices are fixed and the staff is aware we’re there and they have an order. Would complaining to the staff have changed the prices the next time I came in or made the wait time less than 45+? There’s an expectation among customers they shouldn’t have to voice these issues because most places simply get it right the first time and it’s become a standard among the industry.

I hope you take this as sincere feedback and not an attack on your establishment. If you’re still there in a year or ten years I would congratulate your success. I was just trying to share my honest experience with others as is the purpose of...

Changing my review based on the owner's attitude. You're right, I can go elsewhere, and I have.

Opening during the pandemic could be risky for some, this place seems to be making it work so far. It wasn't busy; with maybe 8 guests, seemed like 1 server, and was very clean. Exposed stereo system as artwork is a nice touch, and the music wasn't too loud. Not completely ready to make a decision on the food. I'll definitely give it another try for some of the more "special" items on the menu. I only tried a few staples that any bar/restaurant should be good at. The food I tried was good, but I think I expected more than just "good".

First, the cheeseburger. Tasty, seasoned well, juicy; though no option for doneness was offered. I prefer medium rare and this was served well done. Looked a bit like a fast food burger honestly. At this price point I expected a bit more.

The Chicken Club: again, a juicy, flavorful chicken sandwich, albeit the bacon was a bit limp for my taste. The problem here is that it was a good chicken sandwich, but it wasn't a club. The defining aspects of a club is some kind of toasted and buttered bread, (at least 3 slices), chicken, crispy bacon, mayo, and plenty of lettuce and tomato. What I received was a chicken breast topped with bacon, on a bun. There's no sauce or mayo, and there was only the slightest sprinkle of shredded lettuce and a single tiny slice of tomato. It was a good chicken sandwich, but not the club I was expecting. Again, the value at this price point is questionable.

French fries were good, but not seasoned; and with no salt on the table during the pandemic this was a bit of an issue.

Like I said, what I tried was good, and I'm sure I'll be back to try some other menu items in an effort to support local business.

Response to owner: No. No one was spoken to while we were there. First; I figure if the kitchen made it and the server served it, what I received was how it was supposed to be made and served. Second; I'm not going to debate value or prices with a server (menu prices are clear and not debatable or up for discussion in my opinion, and I'm not one of those "people"). Third; As for the fries, waiting to ask for salt would have resulted in cold fries, so no, that wasn't mentioned at the time either. I just...

My wife and I have ordered from Oak Park Social a few times now and it’s been great food. My review today is specific to our dinner we ordered last night.

A long time ago I was traveling in Munich and had one of the most incredible meals of my life, a dish called Schweinshaxe, or known in English as “pork knuckle.” It’s an uncommon but incredibly tender preparation of pork hardly found anywhere outside of Bavaria, and unlike anything I’d ever had before. What I didn’t know at that time, is the dish would haunt me because it’s been impossible to find anything similar in preparation or quality since that day. I’ve been on a search to find as many similar dishes in the US and have mostly come up short.

Fast forward to last night and my wife sees that OPS has Pork Shank on the menu, with mashed potatoes and broccoli. I figured I’d give it a shot and hope it could somewhat compare to that meal in Munich, even if just a little bit. I am so glad that I did end up ordering it, because these guys knocked it out of the park. The pork was incredibly juicy, flavorful, tender and just fell off the bone. Not too salty or too bland, just seasoned perfectly. The potatoes had a nice bit of garlic and the broccoli was steamed with a bit of Parmesan. All in all, this was one of the best meals I’ve had in the past year, the pork was one of the best preparations I’ve ever had, and was the closest in tenderness and juiciness I’ve found compared to the Schweinshaxe in Bavaria.

If you’re even remotely considering trying Oak Park Social, just get out and do it. And if you want to broaden your horizons with a fantastic cut of meat, order...