North Center Prime
North Center Prime stands out for polished service, warm indoor and outdoor dining, and date-night appeal, with regulars praising the perfectly cooked steaks—especially the split-bone ribeye—alongside standout calamari, oysters, fresh-anchovy Caesar, and creative cocktails like the cucumber-mint martini and Blood Orange Margarita. It’s also popular for birthdays and dinners with friends, though some guests report high prices, unavailable menu items, and inconsistent steak quality.
What 140 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“If you really need a great date night spot this is it. The service is impeccable. As someone who lived here and came back to visit, this place is a place I'd move back for. The food is ridiculously amazing. They have both beautiful indoor and outdoor dining for an experience that is meant to be all Chicago. The calamari to die for and amazing oysters. Best place i have been in Chicago hands down. I had to come back and edit this. Decided since it was warm to give the cucumber mint martini a try. Hands down best i have ever had. You just have to try this place. I will be back every visit I make to Ole chitown”
“I had a great experience at North Center Prime. The food was cooked perfectly, especially the steak—it was tender, flavorful, and definitely worth it. The sides were just as good, and everything tasted fresh. The service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing, and the atmosphere was warm and relaxing. Overall, it was an excellent dining experience, and I’ll definitely be coming back. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a quality steakhouse!”
“We’ve been wanting to try North Center Prime since it opened in our neighborhood, and I’m glad we finally did. Great food, service, and vibe. Definitely not inexpensive, but it’s a steakhouse in Chicago, and I feel that the prices reflect that (and are backed by the quality).”
“Great Steaks with bone marrow on top. Owner and service top notch”
“Walked in on a Saturday night and am I glad I did. Sat at the bar, great vibe great ambience. Ordered the aged ribeye and wow. Cooked perfect, Every bite tons of flavor. Can’t wait to come back”
“My husband and I chose this place for our date night. The hostess was very nice, and our server was attentive. However, it took about 25 minutes for our appetizer (steak tartare) to arrive. He mentioned there was an issue with the printer, but I wish it had been communicated sooner. The steak tartare was okay—the amount of lemon sauce overpowered the meat, so I couldn’t really taste it. We ordered the Delmonico ribeye and filets, which we really enjoyed; the temperature and flavor were perfect. We also ordered the bone marrow, which was just okay. Overall, I would recommend this place for good steaks, but the service could be improved.”
“Overall I liked this place. It can't beat Bavette's or the like, but it's a decent local steak house. The escargout was decent. I had a little shell on mine but the taste was pretty good. My snake river farms wagyu was cooked well with good seasoning. The tomahawk was to DIE for, I kept sneaking more from my husband. My kid proudly stood on the bench knawing on the bone (he's only 2 haha). The mac and cheese was really good! So were the brussels sprouts. I didn't really like the potato gratin, something didn't feel balanced in the flavor, but the rest of the table liked it. The fact that half was left with a table of gratin lovers maybe suggests not the best one we've had though, some tweaks may be worth it. The key lime pie made my father in law so happy (his favorite. ) they had great drink choices and were very friendly. The waiter could use some practice with timing though, there was way too much time between the aps and dinner, and he asked at one point if we were ready for the entrees to come out. Usually they just wait 10 minutes, and then start bringing what's next. These are easy tiny things, so this place deserves more business!”
“Came here for my birthday dinner with my teenage son. He loves steak; I love seafood. I got the raw oysters to start: they were huge and delicious! We also got the bone marrow, which was a large portion. It was a tad on the salty side, but I can be a bit sensitive to salt. The grilled rustic bread was a bit too well done, but went well with the bone marrow. We ordered and shared the Delmonico steak, medium rare - it was cooked to perfection and full of flavor. I ordered scallops with it, and they were amazing! We got the mashed potatoes and asparagus as sides. The potatoes were so smooth and buttery - delicious! The asparagus was overcooked, in my opinion. Flavor was good, but way too limp and soft for my taste. Our servers were so attentive, kind and really took care of us. I had the blood orange margarita, and Jose made my son a Shirley Temple. The chef gave us a complimentary birthday dessert of their chocolate cake, which was rich and moist! A great way to end the evening. Overall, we enjoyed our experience and would go back!”
“During our visit to Chicago, we had the opportunity to dine at several restaurants, but North Center Prime was, without a doubt, the highlight of our culinary experience. From the exceptional quality of the food to the impeccable service and welcoming atmosphere, every aspect of our visit exceeded our expectations. The attention to detail, outstanding hospitality, and overall dining experience truly set this restaurant apart. It was by far the best restaurant we visited during our time in Chicago, and we would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an unforgettable dining experience.”
“Great Westside neighborhood. Ambiance was awesome. Service was professional, polite, knowledgeable. Very clean. Everything we tried was amazing. The Blood Orange Margarita is blow your mind good. The price was well earned and deserved”
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