Girl & The Goat — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

It’s phenomenal. That’s all you need to read. Go and enjoy.

If you want the full rundown, feel free to keep reading.

We arrived for our reservation. The hostess asked if we she could help us and I stated we had a reservation. We gave her our name and she never responded or even looked up from the computer again. I found it extremely rude. Someone else waved us to follow them. This was super off putting and initially made me nervous for what kind of service was to come. Luckily, the hostess was the worst part of the meal and I’ll forgive them this one folly because everything else more than made up for that one moment.

We got to our table and within seconds we had water. Our server quickly followed and asked if we had any allergies. I stated we had a diary allergy and she quickly came back with a dairy free menu. I was blown away. I ordered a glass of Chardonnay and we placed our order. Our first dish, the oysters were out very quickly. Small, but the flavor was well balanced and the citrus sauce on the oysters was not over powering allowing the oyster to be the star of the dish and really just providing enough flavor to enhance it.

Next up was the summer squash. At this point, my wine hadn’t come so I asked the server and it became clear she has forgotten to order it. My partner placed his drink order and they were both over by the time we finished the second dish. Which was excellent. For some reason we had been expecting cold, but the warmth (temp) of the dish was well received. The kumquats added a sweetness plus the crunch of the nuts made this a dream. The vinaigrette sauce was so good, we spooned it off the plate on its own long after the salad was gone. I could have drank it like a bowl of soup.

The star of this entire meal though was the Branzino. Perfectly deboned. There are no words for how good this was. We both looked up halfway through the dish and agreed this was the best Branzino we had ever had. Too often, with whole fish dishes, the fish is just placed on a bed of some poorly seasoned greens. Not this fish. This fish is balanced perfectly. The crispness of the fish from the wood grill. It’s a little tangy. A little sweet. Perfectly seasoned. There are no words.

I couldn’t eat the goat pate my partner ordered due to the dairy. The bread is basically a very buttery biscuit though. He did mention the butter was overwhelming and he could only eat one.

The pig face was last. At first bite, the dish felt too rich and lacked depth. The meat was crispy and together with the egg and potato sticks was reminiscent of eggs, bacon and hash browns. What elevated the dish and was missing in the first bites was the sweet sauce on the bottom of the dish. It added the brightness and depth that was missing.

I really wanted to finish off this meal with a warm chocolate dessert of some kind but figured my options would be limited with the dairy issue. They did have a strawberry gelato or chocolate gelato I could have had, but it just wasn’t the dessert we were feeling after that meal.

The ambiance was a definite con. It’s loud. We couldn’t hear each other from across the table and found ourselves leaning in to try and communicate. As such, we also couldn’t hear the servers that delivered our food either. So we just smiled and nodded. And it’s dark in this place. The vibe was great but even just a little more room between tables may have helped a bit. The guy next to us kept cursing loudly and it was just annoying. Not the restaurants fault at all. The ambiance is overwhelmingly a great vibe but it’s...

I had such high hopes with this restaurant. I just assume this restaurant doesn't match my taste profile. The choices appear to be Asian American fusion inspired plates which I SHOULD enjoy. We are a party of 4 and ate family style. The dishes are on the small side but large enough to provide a good taste of the dish. The pork belly was moist and mixed in with chap chea; had good spice however the quantity of pork belly was rather small. I recommend this dish as I would order this again. String beans should be pretty straight forward right? I expected a flash steam/fried beans but these were oily and limp, not at all crisp - someone in my party said that the bean could not be cut with a knife. It really didn't have a flavor and it was a tad salty. The skirt steak was done medium rare and served with slice brocollini. That was done pretty well and tasted as one would expect; it was good; tender and interesting flavor in the sauce. We also ordered the special Hamachi Collar. It was probably fried as the skin was crispy the sauce zesty and the portion was the largest of the dishes we ordered. It was cooked well, a tad on the dry side but still very good. This is my first time having goat. It tasted like beef but slightly gamey however the texture more smooth. The portion was on the small side as sharing we all had a single taste. The sauce was slightly sour perhaps from vinegar? Goat just isn't my thing - everyone in my party felt the same way. I had no inkling of what to expect with fried pig face - would it be chunks, or the whole head, or ??? The fried pig face turned out to be ground pork (assuming from the head) and formed into a patty. The patty was fatty like a pig and deep fried; lots of texture but not a lot of flavor. The potato crispy fries were nicely done. In summary, the dishes are on the small side so order more than 1 per person. There wasn't a lot of goat choices as I expected more that what was available (4?). The flavors are interesting but not to my taste; all the dishes tasted different which was nice. Our server suggested a few things whuch caused us to change our original choices. The service was excellent - water was poured multiple time as and it was nice to have 2 plate changes. It was a bit noisy - this is not the place to have serious conversation, but for friends and co-workers, the noise level is fine. The tables are pretty close together. You have to move sideways move out from the walls. Being from out of town, I don't feel the need to return and would like to explore...

I brought my friend here to celebrate her birthday, and Girl & the Goat absolutely delivered. From start to finish, every dish had something memorable.

Bread to Begin The warm zucchini bread was comforting and delicious on its own, but the peach tomato jam took it to another level. Sweet, savory, and bright—it was the perfect opener.

Seafood & Small Plates The hamachi poke was the star of the evening. The fish literally melted in our mouths, while the goat cream and brown goat butter gave it richness. The pickled kumquats balanced the dish beautifully. A flawless 10/10.

The crispy pork belly noodle had just the right amount of heat from the chili crunch, and the grilled pineapple cut through with smoky sweetness. The pork belly itself was crisp on the outside and tender within—a dish that hit all the right notes.

The prime skirt steak was cooked perfectly—juicy, flavorful, and balanced from the first bite to the last.

The Goat Dishes (of course!) The goat empanadas were a pleasant surprise. I expected something heavy, but instead the pastry was light and flaky, with a filling that was bold, flavorful, and satisfying without being overwhelming.

The confit goat belly was intriguing. The goat itself was beautifully prepared—rich, tender, and full of depth. The blueberry glaze, however, leaned sweeter than I prefer. While it added a unique twist, for me it overshadowed the savory richness of the goat. Still, it’s a dish I’m glad I tried, because the preparation itself was impressive.

Dessert The yuzu lemon bar with strawberry gelato, cheesecake whip, and balsamic was stunning. Tart, creamy, and refreshing—an excellent way to end the meal. The staff also sent out a candlelit dessert for the birthday celebration, which made the evening extra special.

Drinks & Atmosphere I ordered the Sun Kid cocktail, hesitant because of the nutmeg, but it turned out to be balanced and refreshing—I even ordered a second. My friend’s Mimosa #5 was also a hit. The vibe was lively yet cozy. Our back booth felt intimate, even with nearby tables. For us, it added to the charm and not too intrusive.

Final Thoughts Inventive flavors, attentive service, and a warm atmosphere made this a night to remember. I’ll...