Lakefront Restaurant Dinner Review – A Chicago Dining Gem

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The entire world is put on hold currently in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. The entire state of Illinois is now on lockdown, or what they call in a more gentle way “stay at home,” where residents are supposed to social distance and quarantine themselves in their homes. 

Entrance to Lakefront Restaurant at night

However, one day in the future, we are all highly optimistic that every day life will get back to a decent normalcy. When this day comes, Chicagoans will return to doing what we do best: eating out and dining at restaurants. After all, Chicago is one of the greatest food meccas in the US!

My guest and I were excited to try Lakefront Restaurant’s new dinner menu. We were pleasantly greeted at the door and seated inside the beautiful indoor dining space with a nice, starlit evening view of the lake. 

Lakefront Restaurant dining room and bar

We were assigned an amazing server, Jason, who was extremely knowledgeable about every aspect on the menu. He gave us great recommendations as to what to eat for our dinner experience. His first spot on suggestion was the Fresno pepper deviled eggs with chives and pickled onions. He mentioned that they were out of stock that evening, but still managed to get a few to try. They were delicious with just the right amount of heat. We also started with bread and butter. The breads were warm and fluffy and the butters had creative flavors such as spinach pesto and sundried tomato. 

Assorted gourmet breads, spinach pesto butter, sundried tomato butter
Fresno Pepper Deviled Eggs

Main courses ordered were the brisket dip (horseradish, Gruyere, pepperoncini mayo, arugula, toasted baguette, au jus, french fries) and the wild mushroom risotto with garlic and roasted root vegetables. My guest instantly fell in love with his brisket dip. He enjoyed how well-balanced the overall dish was. It has a Crusty baguette with tender, juicy meat, that could be dipped into the au jus. The bitterness of the arugula in the sandwich nicely  balanced out the savory beef, au jus and horseradish. The au jus took the sandwich to the next level between juiciness and flavor. I also savored every bite of my wild mushroom risotto. It was perfectly cooked with melted cheese and the roasted root vegetables were a nice accompaniment. 

Brisket Dip


We topped off an excellent meal with wonderful desserts including a creamy, luscious butterscotch custard (vanilla ice cream and sunflower seeds) and a Metropolis Coffee Tiramisu, which was heavenly. 

Wild Mushroom Risotto

After our meal, we were given a tour of the entire place. It was neat to see behind the scenes such as the kitchen and private event area (which is also Theater on the Lake during in the summer months), including juicy history bits I had never known. The large space back in the 1920s was a sanitorium for Tuberculosis patients. In the 30s, 40s and 50s, it was a dance club. The restaurant opened in 2017. 

Butterscotch Custard
Metropolis Coffee Tiramisu

What an evening and satisfying dinner experience we had at The Lakefront Restaurant! Once restaurants open again, do not pass a chance to dine at this marvelous restaurant on the lake. 

*Dear The Lakefront Restaurant Customers:

The Lakefront Restaurant at Theater on The Lake has decided to remain closed for the safety of our employees and patrons. We are thinking of you and your families during these hard times. We look forward to all of us coming back from this even stronger than before.

Stay Healthy and thank you again!

Photos: Jennifer Lunz 

The Lakefront Restaurant is open for lunch Mondays through Fridays from 11 am – 5 pm. Dinner is served daily from 5 pm – 10 pm. The bar is open until 11 pm nightly. And, on Saturdays and Sundays, The Lakefront Restaurant pulls out all the stops for an incredible brunch menu, served from 10 am – 3 pm. 

Reservations can be made by calling 312-414-1313 or visiting the website.

Valet parking is available at the circle drive. 

Mondays through Fridays beginning at 11 am; and on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 9:45 am. 

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