Chez Joël — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

I appreciate a restaurant with excellent, clean tasting food, a kind hearted attentive staff and a welcoming ambiance. Chez joel Bistro is a unique French restaurant that has now become my favorite place to spoil myself with decadent French food and a loving, playful vibe. Last week on July 27 I wanted to go somewhere special for my birthday and I had a craving for French food so I did my online research and found this elegant and welcoming gem. I told the hostess Amber over the phone that I was reserving a small table for one and that I was also celebrating my birthday. I arrived at 8pm and to my great delight I found out they have an outside patio with romantic lighting and plants. I asked if I could sit outside instead and she made that possible for me within just fifteen minutes. As I was seated all the servers and bus people worked smoothly as a friendly, unified and cohesive team. Agnes brought me a menu and made some suggestions after I inquired about their various appetizers. I chose the warm brie which I thoroughly enjoyed, the fresh beet salad and the escargot which was buttery and succulent. The crusty baked French bread is some of the best I've ever tasted and it went well with the escargot sauce. They then surprised me with a birthday dessert of ice cream and a candle and since I already ordered profiteroles it almost felt "naughty" but hey it's my birthday who diets on their birthday! I loved my meal so much that I returned twice more and enjoyed a dinner with a friend of mine yesterday where I ordered the sea scallops and delicious chocolate moose for dessert. This late afternoon I wanted to sit outside again and try their prix fixe menu so I chose the French onion soup, seared salmon with vegetables and profiteroles again for dessert. Agnes was my server on all three visits and Gabriel did an excellent job bringing over plates and water if Agnes was too busy. This afternoon I met Carlitos and he gave me the names of the staff here who were so helpful and welcoming. If you love to spoil yourself and really relish and take your time in a true European atmosphere then you will truly appreciate the level of service, the comforting, beautiful setting and the succulent French cuisine. In my estimation this bistro is one of the very best restaurants I've come across for authentic French cuisine and positive vibes. Even if you just wish to come here for a few appetizers your experience here will be a positive one and I guarantee you will leave...

This was the second time I came to Chez Joël. The first experience was good with both food and service. I remember thinking I would like to come back and try a few more things on the menu. Unfortunately it took me almost a year to come back, and that was a mistake! I wish I had come back sooner! This place is amazing! The service was great both times! The food options are good and they taste so good as well! They had a rack of lamb as one of the specials this time around and let me tell you, DELICIOUS. It was served with mashed potatoes, asparagus, carrots and mushrooms! The vegetables were phenomenal. I could have had 5 more servings of them. (But I'm glad I didn't because I left sufficiently full, if I had more I would have had a hard time getting home from being TOO full 😬) The potatoes were good too but were definitely the weakest part of the dish, not in a bad way but something has to take that spot. The flavor of the lamb was so good and cooked perfectly. I was pleasantly surprised with how much meat was there too! I've been to some places with small lamb portions and this was not that! The bread that came out before the meal was nice since I was pretty hungry coming in. The bread came with butter and some kind of spread (unsure exactly but I think olive base?) that was quite delicious. I ordered two drinks, the Dentelle and the Brulant potion. Both were good, I'm more of a cognac person so I liked the Dentelle more. I tried some of the ravioli my spouse got and it was pretty delicious too! We finished the meal with a dessert. Which rounded the meal out perfectly. Chez is now cemented in my top 3 personal favorite restaurants I've been to so far in Chicago. For me I legitimately would give it a 10/10. IF I HAD to knock a few points off because nothing is "perfect" I'd still have to go 9.5-9.8 and say it COULD be a little bigger inside. It doesn't feel cramped or anything but the tables felt a little closer to each other than a lot of restaurants in West loop where I usually eat. Really not an issue for me but just something I noticed and that's me being very nit picky. I...

The first thing I noticed when being seated was the mauve colored cracked tile on the floor. Next I noticed that the runner mat was taped to the floor with red duct tape. I sat down with my girlfriend and ordered a calamari appetizer. If you're dining alone order three. The appetizer is literally gone in one bite. Next I ordered a New York strip that came with pomme frites. If you don't know what pomme frites are they're thin cut french fries cooked in vegetable oil. Really fancy, not. The steak was not quite a half inch thick. Something you would get at Denny's if you ordered steak and eggs, or a local bar if you ordered a steak sandwich. I asked the waiter if the meat was prime and he said yes. NOT. The price for this entree was 24$. I've never been to steak n shake but I'm sure you could eat this same meal there for 5$. I have never felt so taken advantage of at a restaurant in my life. That was yesterday and I still can't believe Chez Joel has the audacity to call themselves a restaurant. ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE FOOD AT OUTRAGEOUS PRICES. I left the restaurant and went across the street and had a burger. That was pretty good. My recomendation...