Lone Owl — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

This place certainly has potential! We went the day before their official grand opening and really liked the vibe and decor. Service was a tad slow, and our food took a bit to come out despite the restaurant not being busy, but I'm chalking that up to being a brand new operation. We liked the Pacific Northwest themed menu, and the cocktail list looked interesting (it was lunch, so we skipped drinks.) We don't have a lot of gastropubs in Wicker Park so I think it'll fit in well as something different.

We ordered the salmon tartare, crab cakes, mac and cheese (side order) and seafood bisque. The crab cakes were pretty good, but one of them wasn't seasoned as well as the other two. The salmon tartare was really interesting, it looked like something out of a Michelin star restaurant where they get experimental with the food. It tasted pretty good, but didn't have a lot of salmon or roe for the $20 price tag. The mac and cheese was delicious and hot! The seafood bisque was tasty, but it wasn't nearly as hot as the mac and cheese, which makes me think it was sitting in the kitchen for a little bit.

All in all, if we had had this experience at a restaurant that had been open for months I would have been disappointed, but seeing as it had only been open less than a week I'm willing to chalk some things up to just how new everything is. Our server also acknowledged that the kitchen was a bit slow during their soft opening. I really think this could be a well-loved place if they tighten up their kitchen and get...

Great cozy gastropub atmosphere and solid pacific northwest-inspired New American cuisine. The food and service was somewhere between good and great (they just opened when we dined there, so I’m willing to cut a lot of slack).

Our crabcakes were slightly overseasoned/salted, and one of the three was completely unseasoned (I guess the cook forgot?) But they were still tasty and the crab tastes fresh.

The salmon tartare was delicious and fresh and served on truly novel rice puffs. See for yourself, I can’t describe them!

The seafood chowder was creamy and full of flavor. The mac & cheese was also delicious!

Overall, this place would be 3 stars if the food and service they provided was coming from a restaurant that’d been open for 2 years. But considering the staff is still learning menus and layouts etc it was a 4-star experience. Definitely worth checking out if you’re around the Wicker...

I'm so glad we decided to check this spot out for lunch one day bc its def one of the best Pubs around. It has such a cozy vibe yet its a pretty large with multiple sections. The waitstaff were all so friendly / welcoming & the food is top notch. Honestly, the Best Fish in Chips I've had in Chicago, thus far & I've lived here my whole life! The Fish was so fresh & perfectly fried, plus the meal was HUGE I took leftovers home and still had some remaining when I was full. We also ordered a salad which had great fresh ingredients as well. Although, we went for a quick lunch and beer, it seems like a great spot to hang with a group of people considering the size and overall vibe of the Pub. We will...