Chez Joël
Chez Joël — one of Near West Side's strongest french spots. Knowledgeable staff, so ask for guidance. [patio]
What 604 diners keep saying
What 604 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“What a lovely place. The food was excellent and the patio is truly lovely. The bread was delightful, light crispy crust and moist and tender on the inside.”

“This past Friday our party had made a late 13-person reservation following our son's High School graduation ceremony at nearby Credit 1 arena. Unfortunately the activities ran late and we were put in a very precarious position of possibly missing our reservation. A few of us left early to get over there to explain what happened. We were fortunate enough, even with all the street we were under to feed out of 8 out of towners and having to find another location at 9:10p on a Friday evening, the Manager, a modern Saint said they'd keep the kitchen open for us. I can not tell you how relieved and thankful were to her and the Chez Joel team to ask the kitchen to stay open an extra hour for starters, entrees and desserts. We were humbled by the hospitality. Listen - the Chez Joel was without a doubt a master class in hospitality, service and kindness from the moment we opened the door until we left and said good night. Oh, on top of that, the wine recommendations were fantastic, the escargot (OMFG) as were the other starters followed by the amazing entrees and fresh desserts. My goodness. This was a full-experience. I cannot recommend this establishment enough from a small romantic dinner in a corner low-lit table to a party 13. 1,000/10 starts.”

“Wonderful restaurant with delicious food. The place is beautiful and the staff are incredibly friendly. I would come back here in a heartbeat. Definitely check on their specials, they’re always fantastic!”

“Elegant atmosphere with thoughtful dishes nicely balanced. Attentive service without being intrusive. Elizabeth, our server, was delightful. Very reasonably priced for the quality, unless you venture into the wine list and find a gem.”

“The food was good, the service was solid, and the patrons were kind. I had the crab cake, lamb shank with mashed potatoes, and the creme brûlée. I enjoyed all 3. Would definitely go back if I visited Chicago again.”

“The food is always good here. The service is always good. Particularly like their outdoor patio or inside by the windows.”

“came here for the first time to celebrate a birthday. we were seated right away in an outdoor area. it was super cute, but leaves were starting to fall and one did land on our table so something to be aware of when sitting outdoors. the food came out pretty fast after ordering. my table and i loved the mussels, scallops, and pasta. highly recommend those dishes. they also served complementary bread that went great with the sauce from the mussels and escargot. the crème brûlée was disappointing as it was burnt. still, definitely worth trying. street parking was easy to find”
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